We caught up with the brilliant and insightful John DeMato a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi John, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

The idea for my business came by serving the need of one particular client.

Up until this point, I had been mostly making money as a headshot photographer and general, jack of all trades, photographer who chased any event or portrait gig that paid.

She was putting out a book and needed images to help not only the launch, but also her personal brand, overall. She was extremely apprehensive about photos but knew me through the work I did capturing her one day event and reached out to chat about this.

She also didn’t want an entire portfolio of images that showed her looking directly into the camera – she wanted to also mix in candid photos of her working, brainstorming ideas and living her day-to-day.

Hmmm – promotional AND lifestyle shots – I found this combination to be very interesting.

During the middle of the session, we were walking back to their studio space and I had the idea that I could do this type of session for other experts just like her, and expressed it to her and her husband.

Fast-forward two months and they helped design my first website to promote branded lifestyle portraits for speakers and other experts.

John, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was a burned out television producer who got inspired to find my own path after my mother’s death in 2013. I realized that working on a talk show was not where I wanted to be, so, months after she passed away, I jumped out the window and quit my job without a plan in place.

I never wanted to be a business owner…until I became a business owner.

I serve experts who speak on stages, conduct workshops, masterminds and other trainings, write books, run online communities and coach and consult.

Together, we create an image content portfolio that captures who they are, who they serve, the problems they solve and how, and why they do what they do.

As a result, I photograph their promotional photos (headshots, direct address portraits…) and lifestyle images (working alone on laptop or with clients, thinking to themselves, engaged in hobbies and other day-to-day activities that are relevant to the stories they share with their audience).

I also capture their stage photos, meetings and trainings, book photos, and virtual meetings and events. If they have swag items or merchandise, I photograph that stuff as well.

The key to creating this compelling imagery rests on capturing authentic expressions and body language that span the emotional spectrum, from vulnerable to victory.

The people I serve are in the business of building relationships, and images that share a piece of their essence resonate more with those they serve.

What brings me most joy when thinking about my business is the comprehensive nature of capturing all of the different types of photos that an expert needs. I listened specifically to the problems clients were having with their photos and came up with hyper-specific solutions to those problems.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Well, it’s a couple things.

First and foremost, the reputation was built on delivering good work with a consistent style and approach.

Next, it’s creating a memorable experience from the moment they pick up the phone to chat initially until the photos are delivered. Their hand is held every step of the way, and we stay on track throughout based on a comprehensive amount of strategy before, during and after the session.

Then, it’s the online content that I’ve created that supports my position as an authority in the space, so when people look to qualify me beyond what they’ve heard or seen through their colleagues, they can get a sense of what I bring to the table in

When you combine all those things together, that has helped me create a highly deferrable business.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

I connect with them on social and engage their content to let them know that I actually do care about them.

Also, when attending national conferences where they all congregate, I make sure to spend quality time with them throughout that experience.

At the end of the day, 9 out of 10 clients are people that could be my friend even if there were no cameras or money involved, so, it’s not hard to want to follow them and engage their content online. I’d be doing that anyway.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.John DeMato.com
• Instagram: @dematophoto
• Facebook: @JohnADeMato
• Linkedin: @John A DeMato
• Twitter: @dematophoto

Image Credits
All photos have been taken by me.