Little Black Book: Women in Business
I have a lot of love and respect for a lot of organizations in my communities, no one will argue that…but one of my favorites is Little Black Book: Women in Business. Founded by Angel Magasano in October 2012, this membership driven organization brings together women in our surrounding areas (and even further!) to connect, empower, inspire, and educate each other to be the best version of ourselves. It’s a group I am passionate about being a part of and I have been a member for several years now.
When I was in the process of making some VERY big decisions about my career, life, and future- it should come as no surprise that these were the women I turned to for advise and affirmation about my upcoming changes. I knew I didn’t want to be where I currently was, but did I have enough momentum and courage to take the leap and officially open my own business? According to these ladies- HECK YEA I DID. I love them so much for their enthusiasm. You won’t find another group like this, I guarantee it.
When Angel approached me and said “Let’s talk about a branding shoot and really get your business going too.” How could I say no? We sat down with the Creative Director for LBB (Jeanne Strickland, owner of BOOM! Impact Graphics) and planned out the vision, vibe, and goals of the first ever Branded Photo Shoot for Little Black Book! EEK! SO Cool!
We put out a casting call to feature our very own women (no models hired for this gig), with the goal being to show just how different and beautiful we all are! Every background, every age, everything that makes each of us unique, special, and amazing….we wanted that to shine through in every image! We storyboarded poses, colors, wardrobe, location…it was a labor of love and probably still one of my favorite (and most exhausting!) shoots to date!
On the day of shooting, we did an LBB Takeover in the back room at Prados in Lake St. Louis and had a BLAST! The energy in the room was infectious…you couldn’t be around these women and not get excited and just feel inspired! Each new lady that walked in was greeted with squeals of happiness and hugs and “Oh my gosh, you look amazing!” Incidentally….I looked a hot mess during, and especially afterwards…I don’t think there was an angle I DIDN’T get while we were shooting.
This job not only catapulted me into the world of Personal Brand Photography, but it validated me as a small business owner, as a creative, and as someone that people enjoy being around and working with. I really needed that after the year I had had. Take a look at some of the highlights from this amazing day with some amazing women!
If you have ever considered a branding session for you or your business, let’s go grab a coffee (on me!) and discuss what that looks like and how we can work together to bring that idea to life! Invest in your image!
Made to Stand OUT.
From Left to Right- Sarah Hall (owner & CEO of Hiccups to Harmony, VP of Faith Through Fire), Miranda Malone (owner of Essential Rejuvenation Spa), La’Tonya Thomas (CEO of Sweet Start Ministries), Andrea Denningmann (owner of Addi & Ains Boutique), Ashley Harmon (owner of Chillax STL), Michelle Bixler (Social Media Advisor at Marin Small Business Development Center)
