Unlock your personal brand
Almost everyone online these days is creating a personal brand whether they know it or not. It’s becoming a big part (and effort) of ourselves, our families, our businesses... It’s a new thing but quickly becoming a requirement for success.
Meet Aly Darin as she dives into all the secrets of unlocking your personal branding with The Kindling Project.
Aly has dedicated herself for nearly 2 decades to making her clients feel comfortable and have a fantastic time during their photoshoots. She’s a true collaborator and an all-around delightful human being.
Recognizing that a successful photo session is a collaboration between the photographer and the subjects in front of the camera, Aly establishes a human connection by creating a comfortable and trusting environment. Her commitment extends beyond her role as a photographer.
Her mantra is that a photo session is a partnership between the photographer and the individual(s) in front of her lens. Making a client comfortable so they can capture authentic memories never gets old to Aly; not even after nearly 2 decades and thousands of sessions.
She values building a relationship and connection with clients, and work closely with them from the early planning phases to the delivery of their final products. Creating space for authentic moments to unfold means she gets the privilege of creating custom artwork, imagery, and keepsakes for clients’ homes and businesses. Aly truly loves what she does, and the honor of telling a client's story through photography keeps her inspired and 100% fulfilled!
SocialsIG: @alydarin_branding @alydarin_seniors
FB: @AlyDarinPhotography @AlyDarinBranding
Preferred Communication: email/text
aly@alydarinphotography.com
248-830-9813
Website: www.alydarinphotography.com
Listen to the full episode:
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[00:00:00] Melissa: I'm so excited today for our guest, who's my friend. She's my creative collaborator and she's an awesome photographer that I've worked with for 12 years. Aly is an exceptional portrait photographer who has dedicated herself to making her clients feel comfortable and have a fantastic time during their photo shoot. I've had the honor of working closely with her, and I would say she's an integral part of the design and brand work that my agency Memora, produces. She's a true collaborator and an all around just delightful human being. I always tell my nervous clients, look, Aly is more than a photographer. She's like a friend. She's your photographer and she's a therapist all rolled up in one, and I have seen her talk people through some tricky nerves. So recognizing that a successful photo shoot is a collaborative partnership between the photographer and the subject in front of the camera, Aly always establishes a human connection by creating a comfortable and trusting environment. Her commitment extends beyond her role as a photographer. She also personally experiences being in front of the camera, capturing branding images for her own business. She has also captured images for the Kindling project. Since personal brand has become such a big part of so many of our lives and businesses, I thought it would be a great opportunity for our community to get some thoughts and tips from my friend Aly about crafting a personal brand.
[00:01:27] Hey Allie, Aly to the podcast. Yay.
[00:01:31] Aly: I'm so excited to be here.
[00:01:33] Melissa: Yeah. Is this your first podcast?
[00:01:35] Aly: Yes.
[00:01:35] Melissa: Yeah. At least you know you're in good hands. Like we're old friends. We can scrap it if you decide.
[00:01:39] Aly: Exactly.
[00:01:39] Melissa: Tell everybody a little bit about your business, our relationship, what they need to know.
[00:01:44] Aly: So I started my business 17 years ago this month being a photographer, I always knew I wanted to do something in the creative field growing up. But it really wasn't until college that I picked up, you know, a film camera, 35 millimeter took some photography classes and fell in love with the dark room with shooting film, processing it you know, Printing it, doing alternative processes, like just the whole world of it. And funny enough, I didn't start photographing people until after I graduated.
[00:02:15] Melissa: I think that's one thing that design and photography have in common is there is a lot of process, right? Process and tools. And I mean that can be intimidating for some, but like for some of us, our brains like just sort of catch on to that and like to play with that world. So you started out as a photographer after college. Tell us what that looked like.
[00:02:34] Aly: After I graduated, well, while I was still in college, I did some internships with different portrait photographers, which was very fun and very interesting working with the different photographers after, actually, after I graduated college, I'll be honest, I was too scared to do photography. I was worried about working for someone else, and honestly I was afraid I wouldn't love it. And so I did some, you know, different positions. I did some marketing for a company. I was an executive administrator, but everything pulled me back to I need to be doing this. It's what I'm passionate about. It makes me fulfilled and happy, and I just kind of bit the bullet and made the jump in 2006,
[00:03:17] Melissa: 2006, ugh I met
[00:03:19] Aly: Right when the economy tanked.
[00:03:21] Melissa: Exactly. I guess that's one of the great things about being in Gen X. We've we've been through two of these tanks, right? So I don't know what else we need to weather, but. I think it's a common,
[00:03:34] Aly: hopefully not,
[00:03:34] Melissa: it's a common story right? Let's address this new thing. A lot of our listeners are trying and maybe fumbling with, or even avoiding it like the plague. What is a personal brand? Do we all need one? Do we all just get one whether we like it or not? It's just the age of social media and personal branding. How do you define it?
[00:03:53] Aly: I kind of feel like, well, number one, your personal brand in my opinion, is sort of everything that embodies who you are, what makes you unique, what's your vibe, your personality, all these things about yourself that really make you the one of a kind person, you know, in this world. And I do feel like with social media, it's sort of becoming more and more natural and seamless. For people to develop that, whether they realize it or not, depending what you're comfortable sharing and whether it's a business brand or a personal brand, what your values are, and kind of how that all aligns with what you're comfortable sharing with the world.
[00:04:34] Melissa: But don't you feel like audiences, whether they're clients or customers or even friends and family, there's almost an expectation of sharing now. People are looking for it, and I do think that maybe they also choose who to work with based on do they like you or do they have something in common with your brand? And that puts some pressure on it too.
[00:04:52] Aly: It really does. And I think you are 100% correct in saying that because there is pressure to share. I will say I feel very strongly about only sharing what you are comfortable sharing and not feeling that pressure because if it doesn't align with what feels right for you. But yeah. When you find what is comfortable and what you want to share. I really think it's such a great way, and I say this because there has been multiple people I've worked with, my photographer who does my branding photos just following her on Instagram I felt like I knew her. Kind of before we talked, it was really wonderful to feel like I could really get a sense of who she truly is based on what she was sharing, and all of what she's sharing is very comfortable for her and natural. So it's a tough thing. Because you don't wanna feel pressured.
[00:05:45] Melissa: And almost you need to in some cases, depending on your industry. So what are some key steps? What are strategies that someone can take to establish their personal brand effectively?
[00:05:55] Aly: Sure. So my biggest tip is always to be your authentic self. Share your personality. Some people are bubbly, some people aren't, and that's okay because you want people to enjoy an experience as you are. You know, as far as strategies go for, I always think about your values. Like integrity, trust, all these things that you want to incorporate into your brand. And then work out what you wanna share with others based on those things.
[00:06:29] Melissa: I talk to brand clients all the time. Like, let's start with your core values because there's a difference between somebody whose core value is play and fun, or somebody whose core value is more conservative and restraint. Or if you're faith-based or if you're social justice oriented. And so those core values if you drive everything you do, whether it's graphic design or photography or branding, really just life through that lens of what do I care about? That's, to me, how you get to authenticity, right? It's when you're trying a bunch of stuff and some of it's clearly outside of your vision or your mission, people feel that disconnect even when you're trying, I mean, I'm not a big TikToker or I guess it's just being in my fifties, but I know it works for a lot of people. You know, there's some people that just aren't gonna dance right, to a rap song, or they're not gonna do a video of themselves like, You know, mopping or whatever it is. And so when you see people awkwardly trying those trends,
[00:07:34] Aly: and I think just like you were saying, standing behind those things that you're comfortable with, if you're not gonna be a TikTok dancer, don't do it. I'm too embarrassed to do it. Myself I like to watch TikTok cause I'm not very good at being on TikTok, I feel like I'm too old.
[00:07:46] Melissa: I watch them over my teenager's shoulders. That's how I watch them. I mean, I have an account or two, but I really that's where I get my TikTok content is like peering over.
[00:07:59] Aly: Yeah. But I like everything you said. I feel like when you kind of really think about all those things that are true to you, that's kind of a start.
[00:08:07] Melissa: That's a good start.
[00:08:08] Aly: Of creating your brand. Yeah.
[00:08:10] Melissa: So we kind of just touched on this, but are there any other common mistakes that you see people making when they're trying to create a personal brand?
[00:08:17] Aly: Yeah I think that some people unfortunately fall prey to feeling the pressure of having to do things the way someone else is doing it. I don't wanna say mimicking or copying, but because this person is doing it, then it's working for them, I need to do it, you know, and I just feel like that is unnecessary pressure to put on yourself. Look at it as inspiration for how can I make that work for me? You know, lean into your personality, lean into everything that makes you who you are. Cuz that's the reason you'll stand out to the right people who wanna connect with you. So, you know, and that, that goes for personal branding and business branding and you know, both sense of the word really.
[00:08:59] Melissa: the years you and I have walked a lot of corporate and nonprofit clients you know, through that journey of, Hey, this is what all my peers are doing, but you know, we're doing something else, something different over here. How do we tell that story? And being comfortable with that sort of zig and zag of, you know, sometimes you wanna be in the flow and sometimes you wanna stand out. It's important. Right. All that said, how can individuals identify their unique strengths and attributes? I talk to people all the time that are saying things like, I'm boring, or I'm not photogenic, or I don't have anything to share. Right?
[00:09:33] Aly: Yes same. And I always tell them, I'm like, okay, this is supposed to be fun thinking about this stuff. Like what are the things that make you unique? I think I might have said this a second ago, but like, what's your vibe? You know, are you the bubbly person? Are you more reserved? Both of those are great. You know, what are your values? What are your talents? What are you known for? Personal branding. Like, are you a cook? Are you know, a baker? Do you love cats? Do you love dogs? You know, business Of course, same thing. These are all the same things that you would do if you're a solopreneur, entrepreneur, small business, big business. What makes you stand out? You know, I had someone recently tell me when they were trying to work on this, they thought to themselves like, okay, so what kind of things have my friends told me that I help them with? Or my family? You know, to really kind of put yourself into a space of, you know, it is hard to sit and think about, oh, what makes me special? I get that. But when you look at it from someone else's perspective, someone you've worked with, You know, it really changes the way you look at it and think about it.
[00:10:40] Melissa: Yeah, I think that's a really good lens of what do people ask your advice on, you know, for me, a lot of times it's color. Hey Melissa, can you come help me pick out a new couch? Or can you pick out my paint colors? And you know, that all weaves in to the creative director work I do and the art I make, but just sort of my natural affinity to color and arrangement. And so that's gonna be like a key, I don't know, differentiator for me.
[00:11:05] Aly: And I feel like some people think of something like that and think it's not a big deal. Or it doesn't matter. Nobody will care.
[00:11:12] Melissa: But they do. Actually, it's more interesting, especially as, you know, if there's 10 people in your market selling something and I mean we've worked with some of these manufacturing clients that at the end of the day, a lot of it is about price, right? They're just always trying to get the price down. So what is your unique differentiator? Like what is the thing that's gonna stick out about your brand that people are gonna remember? Oh, I actually like that person as a person. Or I share an interest with, you know, design or cars or whatever it is.
[00:11:43] Aly: You're making an impact. And sometimes for business it almost isn't even a business impact. It's like a connection through something and you never know what you may connect on. And that's pretty exciting. So don't think that something that's a small something about you isn't gonna be interesting to someone. Just keep an open mind, have fun with it. It's supposed to be fun.
[00:12:05] Melissa: I really think that's your gift is that you make it easy and fun for people.
[00:12:09] Aly: I have so much fun with it.
[00:12:10] Melissa: Yeah,
[00:12:11] Aly: I really do.
[00:12:11] Melissa: You do. You do. So thank you. We're talking about personal brand and I wanna know. We've kind of established some things about it. Obviously photography is hugely important. A lot of times we start as you know, with a new client of like, we need to get you some good photographic assets for us to really design around and tell your story with. And more and more that's also becoming video assets. But I also think narrative. What is the narrative? What are the words you're using? And how are those two things coming together? And I know we talked about authenticity and. How do you craft an authentic narrative, right? Like, you don't want it to be too crafted, but what do you think the role of storytelling plays in building a personal brand?
[00:12:56] Aly: I think it plays a big role. I really do. When I think, okay, so when I think about storytelling for a brand, in my mind I'm thinking in images cuz that's how I work. So for me, To Yes,
[00:13:08] Melissa: mar, I always have to come back to, okay. There's words too.
[00:13:12] Aly: Yes.
[00:13:13] Melissa: I gotta give the editorial creative director some hours on this project.
[00:13:18] Aly: Exactly.
[00:13:20] Melissa: Some people read,
[00:13:21] Aly: so I love it. So I, I mean, I really feel like the two go hand in hand. They really do. You know, you of course have your narrative of, you know, Your personal narrative, a business narrative, and I do feel like the photography that goes along with that can really go right along with it. Which honestly allows for like some direct sort of literal alignment, but also some, you know, spontaneity and fun and things that maybe, again, I, not to go off on a tangent, but walking into like, for example, a pressing plant, you know, the majority of the people that work there have seen this pressing plant every day of their job and it's just like, oh, well we're out here. Here's this, you know? And I see it and I am like, oh my gosh, this is so exciting. I cannot wait to walk around. Like it's so loud. And there's like all this cool stuff that we can capture. And again, it's part of their narrative, but from their perspective, it's hard to see the specialness of it.
[00:14:29] Melissa: Yeah. What are the,
[00:14:30] Aly: does that make sense?
[00:14:31] Melissa: Yeah. What are the interesting cues and words and even this is not so much about personal branding, but you kind of, We both kind of have worked on a lot of manufacturing projects together, but the technical aspects, people are more interested to know what is that thing he called, you know, or what action is taking place there, right? I, and I think that does kind of apply to personal branding too cuz we all have like our own knowledge base that we could share.
[00:14:56] Aly: Yes. I do feel like the narrative and the words. Are so important. And I feel like they sort of simultaneously build up your brand along with, you know, if you can get some great imagery, you know, and work all of your values and everything into there. I mean, you can't. You can't go wrong.
[00:15:16] Melissa: Yeah, I, we always when we do brand style guides, we always include an editorial section, you know, keywords, key phrases and tone. And I get brand style guides to redo all the time. That will have words in there you know, about how we're innovative or creative. And then sample images are like super dull stock photography. And I'm like wait. These photos and these words, you know, don't go together. So for me, you know, and we've touched on photography and videography, I think image use, and we've touched on narrative and I think like the third leg of that stool is always gonna be design. Good design brings those two things together. Right. So would you agree that's sort of the recipe of a personal brand?
[00:16:05] Aly: 100%. Totally cohesive.
[00:16:07] Melissa: That's where I'm at too. And I think if you're listening to this and you're thinking about what's my personal brand, if you think in terms of images, words, and graphics, you know, that's sort of very basic elements, you know, design 1 0 1. And do those three things feel cohesive and authentic a about you. That's a good start. So once you get past that hurdle, that, that sort of recipe for yourself or you can call me and Aly and there's lots of help out there, right? I think. The next hurdle for a lot of people is the tools and the platforms. I mean, they're always evolving. A lot of people feel overwhelmed with that aspect of personal branding. Would you agree with that? I mean, even we do right?
[00:16:49] Aly: Personally. Yes. Absolutely.
[00:16:51] Melissa: Are there any specific tools that you recommend for someone to enhance or create their own personal brand with?
[00:16:59] Aly: Yes, definitely. I feel strongly that having of course like a website is always a good idea. There's you know, it's a great place to share a lot of information about yourself, about everything, whatever you do, and you can always link a blog to that to really story tell in your blog and you know, make it as long or as short format as you want. Social media. Social media is great, but can be tricky.
[00:17:24] Melissa: If you're just starting out in social media, which I don't even know if that person exists anymore. But is there a place to start? Is there one platform that you like better than the other? How do you choose?
[00:17:35] Aly: From my experience I have been trying to focus more on where my target audience is for, you know, for my business. So for me it's figuring out, you know, who am I looking for and where are they, whether that is corporations that might be on LinkedIn or parents of seniors or other individuals that need headshots on Instagram you know, or Facebook also. So depends on where your audience is and also where you're comfortable. Cuz you know, Instagram is definitely more photo focused. Again, Facebook, you can do the photos and a little more long form writing, so it's hard to say that there is like, A best place to start. Cuz I think it depends on who you're trying to reach. There's a lot out there and I feel like that's a small portion when you consider everything that the younger generations are on that I haven't really even tapped into yet.
[00:18:28] Melissa: No. I might not get there. Yeah, I'm gonna leave that for someone else in some cases, right?
[00:18:34] Aly: Yeah. Yes, And that's something also for myself. I've had to kind of say like, okay, I'm gonna focus here and here because that's what I can manage. I mean, honestly, social media for a personal brand or a business brand can be a full-time job. I've, you know, if you're in a place where it's too overwhelming and you can make it work, there are social media managers out there who can take it, you know, take your brand vision and take care of that for you. But yeah, it's a whole form of marketing for your business outside of website and everything else, magazine ads.
[00:19:07] Melissa: And so many times even if you start with a website, I feel like it's ultimately gonna link to your social media. It's ultimately gonna link to your press, you know, it's it's basically like the home base. For me all the time. I go to the homepage, maybe I get through the first, you know, the first few thumb scrolls, and then I go to their Instagram. Right? I just. But I'm a visual kind of processor. Yeah. I'm not alone in that. So I guess there's this other kind of consideration that we haven't touched on yet, which is ethical. When you're building a personal brand, I know we've talked about authenticity, but what about transparency? I mean, what do we owe the internet? What do we owe our audience? I mean, I'm not necessarily talking about photo filters. I'm talking about how much to share, you know, what are you editing, how transparent are you about your company or the people who work with you?
[00:19:57] Aly: That's a very good question. I really feel that it depends on the individual and their comfort with what they share as far as like personal things. I kind of, and I always look at it as like, well, if they're sharing this, they're comfortable sharing it, so that's cool. However, I'm not comfortable sharing it, so I'm not going to, and hopefully they're cool with that too. So, you know, whether that's photos of your children or, you know, family information, stuff like that. My take on it is, I guess I just try to be as honest as possible. For me, for my business, my goal is to portray my clients in their best possible light. So I wanna share myself that same way. I try not to go overboard with
[00:20:48] Melissa: filters and
[00:20:49] Aly: yeah, it's really tough
[00:20:50] Melissa: and implication too.
[00:20:51] Aly: Yeah.
[00:20:51] Melissa: I mean, sometimes with so many of us working from home, for example, there's, you can imply that you work in a big office or you have a big team when really you work at home, you know? And that's sort of a transparency thing. Like there's a lot of things that you can do in this In this media can get into this space of, is that really true? Is that an ethical choice? Is that, are you being fully transparent about what your company looks like or what you look like?
[00:21:17] Aly: It's hard. It's tough. I always have to tell myself that when I am looking at things to filter of like, okay, like, you know, for example, some people share the best of the best and that's wonderful. However, when, if you get so wrapped up in that, You know, you do have to realize, like they probably have bad days too.
[00:21:36] Melissa: It creates a pressure for basically the whole internet. Right. And I also tend to be kind of a happy, optimistic personality type. And my inclination to share is when something's positive, right?
[00:21:49] It's birthday pictures, it's graduation pictures. It's vacation pictures. And I do hear that criticism from people of like, oh, the Internet's all fake. You know, everybody's only putting their best foot forward. Or, you know, shining their own, you know, bright light on themselves. I don't know if I think that's a criticism necessarily. I mean some people are critical of it. But to me it's yeah, I also clean my house when you come over. It doesn't look like this every day. Yeah.
[00:22:16] Aly: I'm not gonna post a picture of me vacuuming, like
[00:22:19] Melissa: Yeah. And it doesn't mean that I haven't gotten caught up in blogs or social media stories where people are sharing their messy divorce or their business breakup. I mean, I think. I think you do you right. If you wanna share the good, the bad, the ugly. I'm okay with it. I'm personally, I do share pictures of my kids and my family, which I know some people don't even want their kids' faces on their social media. But I don't complain about my kids on social media. So that's kind of where some of my own personal lines are right, or I don't tell their problems to because I feel like it's their story.
[00:22:54] Aly: Yeah. And I do, I kind of feel the same way when I'm scrolling. You know? It's like, oh, that's like you said, you do you, I love that. Like I love, again, you're getting to see this person's like life and what they're sharing with you, and then you scroll and you see the next person and.
[00:23:10] Melissa: Something totally different.
[00:23:11] Aly: It's photos of birds, right?
[00:23:13] Melissa: Yeah.
[00:23:13] Aly: Because they love birds.
[00:23:14] Melissa: Right? Right. Some of it's generational, right? Like my mom shares her photos of horses and I share photos of my meal, you know? And then teenagers are showing, sharing photos of, I can't say online, right? You've got a little one. Is he on social media? How do you feel about kids and social media?
[00:23:35] Aly: Younger kids? I feel like there's an age where I think I would be okay with him being on it, but probably not for a while. Just because, you know, having older nieces and nephews and kind of seeing their experience with it, I just don't think that is something I want him to have the pressure of. We'll talk about it, of course. But you know, I think there'll be an age where it'll be okay. But I do worry about it cuz there's a lot of like you were saying, a lot of pressure and a lot of kind of negative things.
[00:24:08] Melissa: My kids got way more onto the internet, of course, during quarantine and covid, right, because school was online. I mean, you know, it was very hard to manage screen time when now they were in their bedrooms doing school on a screen. Right. It just became like, we've lost all control here. I guess fortunately they were a little bit older, you know, they were teenagers, so at least they had already been wading into it at that point.
[00:24:33] Aly: Right now, all he wants is like certain video games and a I think he wants like a Xbox. I'm not really sure.
[00:24:39] Melissa: There you go. Put it off. Put it off. That's my advice. So back to personal branding, although I think these are all like important concerns, how do you think it intersects with professional development and career growth?
[00:24:51] Aly: I think it that they definitely kind of go hand in hand because the beauty of your personal brand is you're sharing really the information about you that what makes you, what makes you unique what makes you stand out. And that could be in whatever industry you're in, if you're looking for a professional growth opportunity. Not to backpedal, but this sort of takes us back to thinking about things from like an ethical perspective of, you know, if you are going to your job hunting and you know, you put out A resume somewhere, chances are they're gonna check your social media stuff. You know? So thinking about that from the perspective of when you're posting, think about, this is my professional brand, this is my personal brand, this is my, these are my values, my ethics, you know, my integrity. So does it align? Should I post it? Or maybe not. And again, that goes back to, you know, some people have personal accounts and, you know, business accounts and stuff like that.
[00:25:48] Melissa: It feels to me that that's an important consideration because I don't know how locked down anything really is. I mean, you certainly could have somebody who has access to your personal Facebook who can take a screenshot of it and share it on theirs. So, you know, I tell my kids this, but this is a good thing for clients and individuals too, is, you know, don't put anything out there that you would be ashamed of if grandma found it. Not to mention the fbi, but start with grandma. I have one kid that I might be a little more concerned about than the other, but we won't mention any names. So tying it into the Kindling project, I know there are a lot of women in our community that are gonna find this conversation helpful or inspiring. Can you share any success stories or examples of individuals or individual media accounts that you think they've built a small a strong or successful personal brand that they might wanna check out or benchmark against?
[00:26:46] Aly: So I've had some really, well, of course, working with Memora, the branding, the manufacturing, the nonprofits, I mean, the way that you guys utilize the imagery for their marketing pieces, websites is just mind blowing. I love seeing the work that you guys create and knowing my, like my images, it makes me so honored. So, but I also work with, you know, a lot of solopreneurs small businesses, large businesses. Law firms and stuff like that. You know, I have some personal clients who do nonprofit work. Just recently did a session. Her name is Jasley she's wonderful. Her nonprofit is called Life After Care and she just in the last year is like stepping up everything about her business. And so we did a branding session for her, you know, showcasing her as part of everything. So she helps kids that are in the system with skills, like learning skills so that once they become adults, they, you know, can figure out, oh, I wanna go do this, or, I know how to go, you know, I've got all the skills I need for my interview.
[00:27:56] And so she wanted to be, Have imagery that told the story of what they do, but also showing her as, you know, the c e o of this nonprofit and like what she's done, you know, her and her volunteers have done to sort of take this to the next level, which is just so inspiring and amazing. She's just one. I've worked with some amazing photographers and Jackie Smith, who I know was also on the podcast, I adore her, just recently did a session for a personal trainer. A female coach, business coach a personal coach, personal life coach. I love it because every session is so unique and so different because the businesses and the individuals are different. They all have their own personality, their own story to tell their own locations. Like they're all these things that make them super unique and their own person. It's just so much fun.
[00:28:53] Melissa: I think this was a quite a few years ago, so I don't know if you're still doing this, but you had a client I don't know if it's okay to mention her name or not, but I think it was she and her husband, or she and her partner did these regular Christmas photos of themselves and then and I thought that was like such a great, I thought those were so fun and such a great story of them doing these kind of silly, wacky, like dressed up as Mr. And Mrs. Claus photos and then she went on to run for office. And I feel like the storytelling that happened there in those personal photos and that, you know, maybe that was just their Christmas card that really built like a perception around, oh, this is like a also a fun cool person.
[00:29:31] Aly: A hundred percent yes. And she is so cool.
[00:29:33] Melissa: So personal brand and brand storytelling can be like a huge part of your kindling project and that's why we thought you would be a great guest for us. But what if your kindling project is to become a photographer? Do you have some sites or stories that you'd like to tell or some tips for wannabe photographers to check out?
[00:29:52] Aly: I, and I think back to myself, like when I started the business, I always say I wish that someone would've recommended that I took some business classes and learned about the business side of running a business. The numbers, you know, the forecasting, all of that stuff that is the opposite of your creative shooting, editing side of the business. So that's something to consider. And also there are some amazing photographer educators out there right now. And like, do not be shy. Learn everything you can from them because they will set you up with the correct pricing to start so you're not undercutting yourself and you're understanding how to price yourself and price your services in a way that you can maintain your business. And you know, maintain a life running your business. Some of those photographers are Renee Bowen, Sarah Petty, Erica, and John is another one if you're looking for a more branding branding and product photography. Megan Shapiro is another one who's amazing with portraits like headshots. Beautiful studio portraiture. I'm trying to think. Sue Bryce, there's so many, Google it. There's so many wonderful educators out there who just give so much great information. And I say this, when I started the business, it was a little more I don't wanna say cutthroat, but it was harder to find photographers who were willing to be open with you and share whether that was pricing or techniques or how to start. I, everything was just more guarded, so it's now you can, you know, you can find so much more out there and it's really exciting.
[00:31:33] Melissa: Oh, I love that that's a list of women and. I can put some of their links, I can put some of their links in the show notes for sure. That's what we're all about here is women supporting women and women realizing their kindling project. So would you say that your photography business is your kindling project or do you have something else that you're thinking about or dreaming about on the horizon?
[00:31:55] Aly: I would say it is definitely my kindling project. I have like a couple little projects that I'm hoping to do for myself related to photography, like putting a dark room in my basement and going back to my roots of photography, like I'm trying to stoke this other kindling project. It's my vegetable garden.
[00:32:15] Melissa: Me too. Me too. I love, yeah, and I mean, I call it my garden, but it's really like four or five pots on my patio, but you'd be surprised how much lettuce and tomatoes and herbs that I get out of those four or five pots, but also just how much joy I get out of it. Like it's so fun to cut up some fresh parsley, even if you're putting on your store bought ravioli. It's like, I made this.
[00:32:39] Aly: Oh, I know. I know. It just hits different, doesn't it?
[00:32:42] Melissa: So I know you're a member of our private Facebook group, the Kindling Project, ignite, and I would encourage any women looking to build a personal brand, professional brand, or even just get started with a photo shoot or photography pursuit, to join us there, connect with Aly and I. Feel free to ask questions. That's what we're all about, is supporting each other. And where else can our listeners find you, Aly online?
[00:33:08] Aly: I have a website. It is alydarinphotography.com. You can also find me on Facebook in Instagram. So I have two accounts for both. Facebook and Instagram. One is dedicated to seniors and one is dedicated to branding. And those are both @alydarin_seniors or @alydarin_branding the best spots to find me.
[00:33:28] Melissa: All right, so look for Aly there. And we just can't thank you enough for sharing and being an inspiration. I just love spending time with you. Thanks for the thoughts and the tips. I know it's like girlfriend love. So one of the ways we like to end our show is we like to give a shout out. Is there anyone you'd like to give a shout out to this week? Somebody who's always supporting you, putting kindling on your fire?
[00:33:51] Aly: So I have got an amazing support network of my female photographer friends that no matter what, I know I can reach out to them if I have a problem or something I need to talk about or work through, or I just need, you know, to soak in some of their joy or same vice versa, and I just am so grateful to them. There's about seven or eight of 'em. I'm so grateful and appreciative to them.
[00:34:19] Melissa: This has been an awesome conversation and I hope we get to have you come back someday. I hope you have a great day and I can't wait for our next photo shoot!
[00:34:28] Aly: Thank you. Okay, bye!