June 1, 2024 • 21 mins
Have you ever felt awkward talking about your own successes?
Many of us have been there – the uneasy feeling when sharing our accomplishments as if we're bragging. But what if self-promotion didn't have to feel so cringy?
In the latest episode of The Savory Shot podcast, host Mica McCook tackles this exact topic. Mica offers a refreshing perspective on why self-promotion is essential for success.
Embracing Self-Promotion: From Discomfort to ConfidenceMica dives deep into the discomfort many of us feel about self-promotion and how to overcome it. She shares her journey of transitioning from feeling gross about self-promotion to recognizing it as a necessity. Mica emphasizes that if you don't promote your work, no one else will. She offers practical tips like "safe bragging" – starting with sharing your wins in a comfortable setting like with family or close friends. This helps build confidence without the pressure of a professional setting. Mica also highlights the importance of being genuine and sharing not just the highs, but also the struggles.
Transforming Your Approach to Self-PromotionReady to change your mindset about self-promotion? Start by acknowledging your wins, big or small. Share your latest accomplishment with a friend or post about a recent project on social media. Remember, celebrating your achievements can inspire others to do the same.
Thank you for joining us on this journey of self-discovery and growth. Remember, you are your biggest cheerleader. Promote yourself, celebrate your wins, and watch how your confidence grows. We’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences with self-promotion. Share them in the comments or on social media. Let’s celebrate together!
Keep shining and promoting your beautiful work!
💬 Join the ConversationSavory Shot Shownote: https://micamccook.com/guests/art-of-self-promotion/
Website: https://micamccook.com/podcast
Instagram: www.instragram.com/mica.mccook
Instagram: www.instagram.com/thesavoryshotpodcast
Would you like to be a guest on the show? Fill out the guest form, and we'll be in touch soon.
Special ThanksAnd before we wrap up, a huge shoutout to our sponsor, Flodesk, for supporting this episode. Don't forget to check out their email design services tailored for food photographers, and enjoy an exclusive discount just for our listeners!
So, are you ready to turn your limitations into your greatest strengths? Tune in now, and let's embark on this creative journey together. After all, the best masterpieces often come from the most unexpected places! 🚀✨ Get 50% off your first year by using the code: SAVORYSHOT50 Visit Flodesk now
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Mica (00:00):
Welcome.
To the 49th episode of The Savory Shot.
A podcast about the art and soulof working in food photography.
I'm your host, who loves you most.
Mica McCook.
I am a food photographer bornand based in Austin, Texas.
If you are from the Texasarea, come holla at your girl.
(00:22):
Come say hi.
First, before I do anything else,I just want to say thank you to
the listeners for joining me.
I don't care if this is yourfirst time or your 49th time
listening, thank you for being here.
Welcome to the Hot Mess Express.
Take a look around, take aload off, kick back your feet?
(00:45):
Relax a little, you're home.
But y'all let's get into today's episode.
I want to talk about a topic thattruthfully makes me uncomfortable, not
because I don't know a thing or two aboutit, but mainly because, well, you'll see.
I want to talk about self promotion.
I know that I'm not the only one whojust feels icky and gross whenever
(01:12):
you hear the term self promotion.
Have you ever promoted yourselfwith this obvious call to action
and felt like a sleazy salesperson.
That's me.
That's my experience.
I don't speak for the rest of y'all,but just the thought of self promotion
makes me like want to slick backmy hair with some grease because
(01:35):
I just, I feel so gross about it.
But I want to talk about whyyou shouldn't feel gross.
I've talked to severalphotographers who stand on business.
They convinced me to be a self promoter.
At the beginning of our conversations, Iwas not in it to win it, but after hearing
(01:57):
their advice and what they had to say, Iam definitely going to be utilizing some
of the tips that they've given to me.
Y'all, it's difficult for me to brag aboutmy work, to brag about my accomplishments.
I tend to keep pretty low keyabout stuff that I accomplish,
but my photographer friends haveconvinced me that self promotion is
(02:20):
a necessity to make it in this world.
The biggest reason being if you won'tpromote your stuff, then who will?
It makes total sense, right?
I didn't get it, but I get it now.
I truly do get it.
So that's what we're gonna talk abouttoday We're gonna talk about how to
promote yourself without feeling likeyou sold your soul to the devil herself
(02:48):
But y'all before we get into allof that grab your coffee a pen and
a paper and let's start the show
(04:03):
Let me ask y'all something.
Have you ever felt awkwardtalking about your own successes?
I know I have.
When I got the mentorshipwith Apostrophe Reps, I really
kept a lot of it pretty mum.
I didn't talk about it.
And really, if it weren't for myhusband and my friend, Ana, no
(04:23):
one would have known that I waseven a part of this mentorship.
And I guess the reason why I neverreally talked at length about it
is because I just felt awkward andgross and cringe and I didn't want
to be like, Hey, I'm bragging.
Look how awesome I am.
Look how, ooh, I am.
(04:43):
And it just made me really think.
Why does it feel so cringy togive ourselves a pat on the back?
I know this isn't the case for everyone.
I'm speaking for myself and on behalfof anyone who feels the same way as me.
So for the ones who don't feelcringy about it, answer me.
Why does it feel so cringy?
(05:04):
This topic is super important tome because as artists, we often
struggle with self promotion.
We're taught to be humble, don'tbrag, don't put your stuff out
there, but humility shouldn'tmean hiding our accomplishments.
Earlier this year, I startedon this journey of self love.
(05:27):
I started talking to myself the wayI wanted to be talked to, treating
myself the way I wanted to be treated.
And y'all, the effect it'shad on me has been huge.
It's changed how I walk, howI talk, how I see myself.
It's manifested intoother areas of my life.
I'm making bolder choices in fashion.
(05:47):
I'm trying new makeup tips out.
I'm smiling more.
I am just walking around withsuch a different positive energy.
And the energy that I'm puttingout I'm getting right back in.
So it's just been wonderful beingon this journey of self love.
I have a theory that selfpromotion works the same.
(06:09):
You need to promote yourselfthe way you want to be promoted.
Think about it.
If you don't celebrate yourachievements, then who will?
We often wait for others tonotice our hard work, but why?
Why do we do that?
Why do we wait for someone elseto give us permission to shout our
accomplishments from the mountaintop?
(06:31):
It's okay to give ourselves a shout out.
We should be giving ourselves shout outs.
Start by acknowledgingyour wins, big or small.
Did you nail a photo shoot?
Did you land a new client?
Did you send out a bunch ofleads and everybody opened it?
Share it, talk about it.
When you start appreciating yourown efforts, it becomes easier
(06:54):
for others to appreciate them too.
When you're happy and confident, thatenergy spreads to those around you.
By celebrating your achievements,you show others that it's okay to
be proud of their hard work too.
And that will encourage yourcounterparts to start sharing about
their accomplishments and whatthey're doing in their businesses.
And then you can celebrate thatand you can celebrate each other.
(07:14):
And it's a big old celebration.
Celebration of love.
Say what.
Okay.
That was like random off the cuff.
I've had a lot of cafe buffet.
So work with me, people.
Imagine you just finished achallenging photo shoot and the
pictures turned out amazing.
Instead of just keeping that joyto yourself, share it, talk about
(07:39):
it, go on social media, go on yourLinkedIn and say, Hey, man, We just
wrapped up this bomb ass, tough shoot.
I can't wait to share thefinal images with you.
Can't tell you what it's about,but just know that this was
an incredible opportunity.
I'm so proud of myself.
Or something like that.
I don't know.
That's like on the whim of what I wouldsay, but post your stuff on social media.
(08:01):
I have a friend that I went to highschool with and I love following his
Facebook posts because the man is.
Maybe I should bring him on the show andinterview him on this very topic because
the man knows all about self promotionlike he is so good at it and he talks
about so many things that he accomplisheswith the company that he owns.
(08:21):
He started working thereright outside of high school.
He rose up through the ranks as a teamlead, as a manager, as the store manager.
And then eventually he went onto buy it and now he owns it.
Shout out to BlazerTag, go hang out there.
But what I love about his postis that he is just constantly
promoting his businesses.
(08:41):
He's promoting his friendsbusinesses, he's promoting his
accomplishments, things that he's doing.
If he works out, he posts about it.
Anybody that works at his company and theyaccomplish something, he posts about it.
The reason why Blazer Tag is so successfuland so busy all the time like for real
that place is busy twenty four seven isbecause he is constantly putting out there
(09:06):
about what a wonderful company this is.
How hard he's worked for it and hejust promotes it promotes it but he
promotes it in a way where it doesn'tfeel like you're being sold to.
He's giving you little nuggetsevery single day so when you think
about where are we going to take thefamily for a big party for my kid?
You already know, Blazertag.
When someone asks you, Hey, where's agreat place to have our company party?
(09:31):
Your first thought will be Blazer Tag.
He's just so gifted at that.
So you need to do the samewith your photography.
Talk about everything thatyou're doing in your job.
If you're doing test shoots, ifyou're shopping for props, if you're
thinking about doing a project,if there's a company that you're
interested in working with, if youbooked something, talk about that.
(09:54):
Those are all different forms ofpromotion, and I get it, I really get
it, that it might feel awkward at first.
I know for me it still feels awkward, Ifeel a little bit sleazy, but it's not.
But I know why I feel this way.
We've all been taught to be humble,to not brag about ourselves.
(10:15):
The photographers that I spoke with,they told me that there's a difference
between bragging and sharing your joy.
It's not like you'resaying, Ooh, look at me.
I'm so great.
I'm so awesome.
It's about saying, Hey, I workedreally hard on this and I am very
proud of what I accomplished.
It's about being genuine andhonest about your journey.
(10:35):
You share the good, the bad, the ugly.
Don't just be all about the highlights.
That's also what I love about myfriend, Joe owner of Blazer Tag.
What I love about his post isthat he really does keep it real.
He tells you the good days.
He tells you the bad days.
He tells you about failures, but howhe turned that failure into a lesson.
(10:55):
Those are all things that youcan do as well as a photographer.
And I know that as photographers,we feel this pressure to appear
like we're always busy and swimmingin client work and all that jazz.
But you can be quite honest and say,Hey, it's been a pretty slow year, but
this is what I'm doing in my downtime.
It's about being genuine, aboutbeing honest about your journey.
(11:18):
People can sense whenyou're being authentic.
that whole, fake it till you make it.
Yeah, that only worksif you're a good liar.
And if you're like me and a terribleliar, then it will not work out at all.
People know when you're full of shit.
So when you are honest, theyappreciate your honesty.
And when you do accomplish something, andyou do have something to promote and brag
(11:42):
about, they will be right there with youcheering you on because they know all the
steps that you took to get there, theysee all the test shoots that you're doing.
They see all the researchthat you're doing.
It's like they're onthat journey with you.
So when you promote and talkabout these things, they want to
celebrate right there with you.
And more than anything, you're teachingothers to respect and value what you do.
(12:07):
You're showing that creative work requiresskill, requires dedication and talent.
One of the type of posts that I hate,and I'm not coming for anyone, I'm
just saying how I say it, but one ofthe type of posts that I hate is when
photographers, creatives, complain abouthow clients just don't know, do you want
to know why we charge what we charge?
(12:29):
Like I, I, No one wants to be talkedto, no one wants to be lectured to.
That kind of post willget a quick swipe from me.
I won't even bother going throughit because it just, it feels like
you're shaming the client forbeing a cheap bastard and they're
always going to be a cheap bastard.
So just kindly say no and move on.
(12:49):
But the ones who just showwhat they do, they show the
creative work that it requires.
The skill, the dedication, the talent,the test shoots, the collaborations,
the research, the all of that.
They demonstrate thatcreative professionals deserve
recognition and respect.
They're showing you what you dowithout lecturing you, without
(13:09):
pointing their finger and saying, Doyou see how hard I work, mothafucka?
You see everything that goes intothe behind the scenes of a shoot.
Preparing for a shoot, the actual shoot.
All of that.
Also, promoting those milestones.
don't forget to celebrate the milestones.
(13:31):
I don't care if you book a big client,if you finish a challenging shoot,
if you reach a personal goal, takethe time to celebrate that and put
that out on your Facebook, on yourLinkedIn, on your Instagram, go in your
stories and say, Hey, I thought youshould know, but I just made a castle
out of Play Doh and I'm very proud.
(13:52):
I don't know if that has anything todo with food photography, but it might.
You could share it.
Maybe you baked a pie and you havea new appreciation for pie baking.
And you're like, Ooh, I think Icould do this in another shoot.
Something, anything, share thesemilestones with your community
and let them celebrate with you.
Like I said, people love to par-tay.
(14:16):
We all love a good party.
We want you to succeed.
We want to celebrate with you.
And yeah, there are going to be some folksout there who guzzle down that hater raid
and they're going to be off to the side,just hating, doing what they do, hating.
But for the most part, a great wayto build a community around your
work is to keep people updated.
(14:38):
About the good, the bad, the ugly,because they want to celebrate with
you when you reach that mountaintop.
They know all the work that you'veput into where you're at and
they want to celebrate with you.
They want to do that.
So share it, promote it, do all that.
Don't be shy.
Show the world what you're capable of.
Show the world what is tough.
(15:00):
Just show.
So one of the questions I asked myphoto friends is what can people who
just don't feel comfortable with selfpromotion, like how can they get into
the habit of it without being thrownout to the wolves at a networking event?
(15:24):
And someone mentionedthe term safe bragging.
I've never heard of it, I don't knowif y'all have, but the way it was
explained to me is safe bragginghappens when you share your wins in a
comfortable environment, like at homewith your family or with your friends.
It helps build your confidence withoutthe pressure of a professional setting.
(15:47):
So one place someone recommended ison your personal Facebook, just talk
about something that you accomplished.
And I thought that was a great idea,but safe bragging is a great way to
ease into the habit of self promotion.
It allows you to talk about youraccomplishments in a supportive
and understanding environment.
So your friends and your familiesare there to cheer you on.
(16:10):
That one auntie that just likes everythingyou do and they say, beautiful mija,
or maybe that's just my family.
Maybe that's just my family.
But in my case, it's always mymom who comments on everything.
So that's a good place to startmainly because they genuinely
want to hear about your successes.
They care about you.
They love you.
So start with them and you canget used to the idea of talking
(16:34):
about your accomplishments withoutfeeling like you are boasting.
So for example, my family has agroup chat and shout out to my
amazing, awesome, super smart,super beautiful niece, Alicia.
She has been keeping us up to date.
She's currently in nursing school.
So she's just been keeping us up todate with how everything is going.
(16:57):
Every time she passes the test,every time she accomplishes a
milestone, she keeps us updated andwe cheer her on and we support her.
Practice safe bragging.
It helps build your confidence.
The more you talk about youraccomplishments in a safe environment,
the more natural it will feel.
It's like building a muscle.
The more you use it, the stronger it gets.
(17:17):
As you become more comfortablesharing your successes with family
and friends, you find it easier totalk about them in other settings.
Like colleagues, clients, youcan go on your business social
media and talk about that.
I just want to give a shout outto my husband, Aaron, because.
He.
Maybe I should interview him aboutpromotion because every time I accomplish
(17:40):
something that man is on his Facebookand he is singing my praises, bragging
me up and down all over Texas, like theman promotes me like no one's business.
Every single time I meet one ofhis colleagues or a friend, they're
like, oh my gosh, we've heard so muchabout you and about your photography.
Aaron talks so much about thingsthat you have accomplished.
(18:02):
We heard about your mentorship.
Congratulations on that.
I'm like, Who are you and why areyou putting my business out there?
But that's what my husband does.
So I want to give him ashout out for doing that.
So find people in your world thatwill also brag about you and put
your accomplishments out there.
But really though, Ilove that he does that.
The positive reinforcement,it's incredibly motivating.
(18:25):
It gives me the boost,the confidence to share my
achievements with a wider audience.
So shout out to my husband for doing that.
Love you boo.
Once you're comfortable.
sharing your accomplishments at home,then you can start practicing safe
bragging in small professional settings.
So you can begin with colleaguesor a mentor you trust and respect.
(18:49):
You want to know what a great,safe bragging environment is?
Your Newsletter.
Like that is the placeto brag about yourself.
That is the place to like, putit out there and be like, yo,
this is what I accomplished.
Look at all these wonderful,amazing things that I accomplished.
So go ahead, start safe bragging today.
(19:10):
I feel like we need to come upwith a different term because safe
bragging just sounds, I don't know.
Maybe we'll just keep it a safe bragging.
Y'all tell me what you think.
Should we keep it safe bragging or shouldwe come up with a different term for it?
Just tell me what you think.
I'll put out like a survey onthe Insta and hear from you guys.
(19:30):
And we'll go from there.
But seriously though, startbragging, start promoting yourself
and let your accomplishments shine.
So there you have it, y'all.
I hope you enjoyed thisconvo about self promotion.
(19:54):
Remember, make it a mindset.
Love yourself.
Promote your achievements.
Practice safe bragging.
You will be amazed athow much easier it gets.
So y'all, thank you so much forjoining me on today's episode.
I appreciate each and every one of you.
Y'all, I cannot believethis is the 49th episode.
(20:17):
We are one episode away from 50 episodes.
I just, I'm flabbergasted.
I'm gassed with the flabber, thegassed, I don't know where that's
going, but I'm very excited.
I feel like I should do somethingto celebrate, maybe a little teeny
tiny celebration, but I haven'tquite decided because I don't know.
(20:38):
50 seems like a great milestone,and it is, don't get your girl
wrong, but I feel like a hundredepisodes is really where it's at.
Whatever, I'm gonna celebrateeither way, whether it's with a
little teeny tiny cupcake or I don'tknow, maybe I'll get some champagne
and do a little toast to myself.
I'll be like that Snoop Dogg videowhere he's like, and, and I like
(20:59):
to thank me for all my hard work.
But I want to hear your thoughtson self promotion, what your
experience has been like, what didyou take away from this episode?
So let me hear it.
Let me have it.
Can't wait to hear what you have to say.
So here's a little affirmation for you.
You are your biggest cheerleader.
So go out there and showyourself, treat yourself.
(21:23):
Bye y'all.
Thanks for listening.
Welcome.
To the 49th episode of The Savory Shot.
A podcast about the art and soulof working in food photography.
I'm your host, who loves you most.
Mica McCook.
I am a food photographer bornand based in Austin, Texas.
If you are from the Texasarea, come holla at your girl.
(00:22):
Come say hi.
First, before I do anything else,I just want to say thank you to
the listeners for joining me.
I don't care if this is yourfirst time or your 49th time
listening, thank you for being here.
Welcome to the Hot Mess Express.
Take a look around, take aload off, kick back your feet?
(00:45):
Relax a little, you're home.
But y'all let's get into today's episode.
I want to talk about a topic thattruthfully makes me uncomfortable, not
because I don't know a thing or two aboutit, but mainly because, well, you'll see.
I want to talk about self promotion.
I know that I'm not the only one whojust feels icky and gross whenever
(01:12):
you hear the term self promotion.
Have you ever promoted yourselfwith this obvious call to action
and felt like a sleazy salesperson.
That's me.
That's my experience.
I don't speak for the rest of y'all,but just the thought of self promotion
makes me like want to slick backmy hair with some grease because
(01:35):
I just, I feel so gross about it.
But I want to talk about whyyou shouldn't feel gross.
I've talked to severalphotographers who stand on business.
They convinced me to be a self promoter.
At the beginning of our conversations, Iwas not in it to win it, but after hearing
(01:57):
their advice and what they had to say, Iam definitely going to be utilizing some
of the tips that they've given to me.
Y'all, it's difficult for me to brag aboutmy work, to brag about my accomplishments.
I tend to keep pretty low keyabout stuff that I accomplish,
but my photographer friends haveconvinced me that self promotion is
(02:20):
a necessity to make it in this world.
The biggest reason being if you won'tpromote your stuff, then who will?
It makes total sense, right?
I didn't get it, but I get it now.
I truly do get it.
So that's what we're gonna talk abouttoday We're gonna talk about how to
promote yourself without feeling likeyou sold your soul to the devil herself
(02:48):
But y'all before we get into allof that grab your coffee a pen and
a paper and let's start the show
(04:03):
Let me ask y'all something.
Have you ever felt awkwardtalking about your own successes?
I know I have.
When I got the mentorshipwith Apostrophe Reps, I really
kept a lot of it pretty mum.
I didn't talk about it.
And really, if it weren't for myhusband and my friend, Ana, no
(04:23):
one would have known that I waseven a part of this mentorship.
And I guess the reason why I neverreally talked at length about it
is because I just felt awkward andgross and cringe and I didn't want
to be like, Hey, I'm bragging.
Look how awesome I am.
Look how, ooh, I am.
(04:43):
And it just made me really think.
Why does it feel so cringy togive ourselves a pat on the back?
I know this isn't the case for everyone.
I'm speaking for myself and on behalfof anyone who feels the same way as me.
So for the ones who don't feelcringy about it, answer me.
Why does it feel so cringy?
(05:04):
This topic is super important tome because as artists, we often
struggle with self promotion.
We're taught to be humble, don'tbrag, don't put your stuff out
there, but humility shouldn'tmean hiding our accomplishments.
Earlier this year, I startedon this journey of self love.
(05:27):
I started talking to myself the wayI wanted to be talked to, treating
myself the way I wanted to be treated.
And y'all, the effect it'shad on me has been huge.
It's changed how I walk, howI talk, how I see myself.
It's manifested intoother areas of my life.
I'm making bolder choices in fashion.
(05:47):
I'm trying new makeup tips out.
I'm smiling more.
I am just walking around withsuch a different positive energy.
And the energy that I'm puttingout I'm getting right back in.
So it's just been wonderful beingon this journey of self love.
I have a theory that selfpromotion works the same.
(06:09):
You need to promote yourselfthe way you want to be promoted.
Think about it.
If you don't celebrate yourachievements, then who will?
We often wait for others tonotice our hard work, but why?
Why do we do that?
Why do we wait for someone elseto give us permission to shout our
accomplishments from the mountaintop?
(06:31):
It's okay to give ourselves a shout out.
We should be giving ourselves shout outs.
Start by acknowledgingyour wins, big or small.
Did you nail a photo shoot?
Did you land a new client?
Did you send out a bunch ofleads and everybody opened it?
Share it, talk about it.
When you start appreciating yourown efforts, it becomes easier
(06:54):
for others to appreciate them too.
When you're happy and confident, thatenergy spreads to those around you.
By celebrating your achievements,you show others that it's okay to
be proud of their hard work too.
And that will encourage yourcounterparts to start sharing about
their accomplishments and whatthey're doing in their businesses.
And then you can celebrate thatand you can celebrate each other.
(07:14):
And it's a big old celebration.
Celebration of love.
Say what.
Okay.
That was like random off the cuff.
I've had a lot of cafe buffet.
So work with me, people.
Imagine you just finished achallenging photo shoot and the
pictures turned out amazing.
Instead of just keeping that joyto yourself, share it, talk about
(07:39):
it, go on social media, go on yourLinkedIn and say, Hey, man, We just
wrapped up this bomb ass, tough shoot.
I can't wait to share thefinal images with you.
Can't tell you what it's about,but just know that this was
an incredible opportunity.
I'm so proud of myself.
Or something like that.
I don't know.
That's like on the whim of what I wouldsay, but post your stuff on social media.
(08:01):
I have a friend that I went to highschool with and I love following his
Facebook posts because the man is.
Maybe I should bring him on the show andinterview him on this very topic because
the man knows all about self promotionlike he is so good at it and he talks
about so many things that he accomplisheswith the company that he owns.
(08:21):
He started working thereright outside of high school.
He rose up through the ranks as a teamlead, as a manager, as the store manager.
And then eventually he went onto buy it and now he owns it.
Shout out to BlazerTag, go hang out there.
But what I love about his postis that he is just constantly
promoting his businesses.
(08:41):
He's promoting his friendsbusinesses, he's promoting his
accomplishments, things that he's doing.
If he works out, he posts about it.
Anybody that works at his company and theyaccomplish something, he posts about it.
The reason why Blazer Tag is so successfuland so busy all the time like for real
that place is busy twenty four seven isbecause he is constantly putting out there
(09:06):
about what a wonderful company this is.
How hard he's worked for it and hejust promotes it promotes it but he
promotes it in a way where it doesn'tfeel like you're being sold to.
He's giving you little nuggetsevery single day so when you think
about where are we going to take thefamily for a big party for my kid?
You already know, Blazertag.
When someone asks you, Hey, where's agreat place to have our company party?
(09:31):
Your first thought will be Blazer Tag.
He's just so gifted at that.
So you need to do the samewith your photography.
Talk about everything thatyou're doing in your job.
If you're doing test shoots, ifyou're shopping for props, if you're
thinking about doing a project,if there's a company that you're
interested in working with, if youbooked something, talk about that.
(09:54):
Those are all different forms ofpromotion, and I get it, I really get
it, that it might feel awkward at first.
I know for me it still feels awkward, Ifeel a little bit sleazy, but it's not.
But I know why I feel this way.
We've all been taught to be humble,to not brag about ourselves.
(10:15):
The photographers that I spoke with,they told me that there's a difference
between bragging and sharing your joy.
It's not like you'resaying, Ooh, look at me.
I'm so great.
I'm so awesome.
It's about saying, Hey, I workedreally hard on this and I am very
proud of what I accomplished.
It's about being genuine andhonest about your journey.
(10:35):
You share the good, the bad, the ugly.
Don't just be all about the highlights.
That's also what I love about myfriend, Joe owner of Blazer Tag.
What I love about his post isthat he really does keep it real.
He tells you the good days.
He tells you the bad days.
He tells you about failures, but howhe turned that failure into a lesson.
(10:55):
Those are all things that youcan do as well as a photographer.
And I know that as photographers,we feel this pressure to appear
like we're always busy and swimmingin client work and all that jazz.
But you can be quite honest and say,Hey, it's been a pretty slow year, but
this is what I'm doing in my downtime.
It's about being genuine, aboutbeing honest about your journey.
(11:18):
People can sense whenyou're being authentic.
that whole, fake it till you make it.
Yeah, that only worksif you're a good liar.
And if you're like me and a terribleliar, then it will not work out at all.
People know when you're full of shit.
So when you are honest, theyappreciate your honesty.
And when you do accomplish something, andyou do have something to promote and brag
(11:42):
about, they will be right there with youcheering you on because they know all the
steps that you took to get there, theysee all the test shoots that you're doing.
They see all the researchthat you're doing.
It's like they're onthat journey with you.
So when you promote and talkabout these things, they want to
celebrate right there with you.
And more than anything, you're teachingothers to respect and value what you do.
(12:07):
You're showing that creative work requiresskill, requires dedication and talent.
One of the type of posts that I hate,and I'm not coming for anyone, I'm
just saying how I say it, but one ofthe type of posts that I hate is when
photographers, creatives, complain abouthow clients just don't know, do you want
to know why we charge what we charge?
(12:29):
Like I, I, No one wants to be talkedto, no one wants to be lectured to.
That kind of post willget a quick swipe from me.
I won't even bother going throughit because it just, it feels like
you're shaming the client forbeing a cheap bastard and they're
always going to be a cheap bastard.
So just kindly say no and move on.
(12:49):
But the ones who just showwhat they do, they show the
creative work that it requires.
The skill, the dedication, the talent,the test shoots, the collaborations,
the research, the all of that.
They demonstrate thatcreative professionals deserve
recognition and respect.
They're showing you what you dowithout lecturing you, without
(13:09):
pointing their finger and saying, Doyou see how hard I work, mothafucka?
You see everything that goes intothe behind the scenes of a shoot.
Preparing for a shoot, the actual shoot.
All of that.
Also, promoting those milestones.
don't forget to celebrate the milestones.
(13:31):
I don't care if you book a big client,if you finish a challenging shoot,
if you reach a personal goal, takethe time to celebrate that and put
that out on your Facebook, on yourLinkedIn, on your Instagram, go in your
stories and say, Hey, I thought youshould know, but I just made a castle
out of Play Doh and I'm very proud.
(13:52):
I don't know if that has anything todo with food photography, but it might.
You could share it.
Maybe you baked a pie and you havea new appreciation for pie baking.
And you're like, Ooh, I think Icould do this in another shoot.
Something, anything, share thesemilestones with your community
and let them celebrate with you.
Like I said, people love to par-tay.
(14:16):
We all love a good party.
We want you to succeed.
We want to celebrate with you.
And yeah, there are going to be some folksout there who guzzle down that hater raid
and they're going to be off to the side,just hating, doing what they do, hating.
But for the most part, a great wayto build a community around your
work is to keep people updated.
(14:38):
About the good, the bad, the ugly,because they want to celebrate with
you when you reach that mountaintop.
They know all the work that you'veput into where you're at and
they want to celebrate with you.
They want to do that.
So share it, promote it, do all that.
Don't be shy.
Show the world what you're capable of.
Show the world what is tough.
(15:00):
Just show.
So one of the questions I asked myphoto friends is what can people who
just don't feel comfortable with selfpromotion, like how can they get into
the habit of it without being thrownout to the wolves at a networking event?
(15:24):
And someone mentionedthe term safe bragging.
I've never heard of it, I don't knowif y'all have, but the way it was
explained to me is safe bragginghappens when you share your wins in a
comfortable environment, like at homewith your family or with your friends.
It helps build your confidence withoutthe pressure of a professional setting.
(15:47):
So one place someone recommended ison your personal Facebook, just talk
about something that you accomplished.
And I thought that was a great idea,but safe bragging is a great way to
ease into the habit of self promotion.
It allows you to talk about youraccomplishments in a supportive
and understanding environment.
So your friends and your familiesare there to cheer you on.
(16:10):
That one auntie that just likes everythingyou do and they say, beautiful mija,
or maybe that's just my family.
Maybe that's just my family.
But in my case, it's always mymom who comments on everything.
So that's a good place to startmainly because they genuinely
want to hear about your successes.
They care about you.
They love you.
So start with them and you canget used to the idea of talking
(16:34):
about your accomplishments withoutfeeling like you are boasting.
So for example, my family has agroup chat and shout out to my
amazing, awesome, super smart,super beautiful niece, Alicia.
She has been keeping us up to date.
She's currently in nursing school.
So she's just been keeping us up todate with how everything is going.
(16:57):
Every time she passes the test,every time she accomplishes a
milestone, she keeps us updated andwe cheer her on and we support her.
Practice safe bragging.
It helps build your confidence.
The more you talk about youraccomplishments in a safe environment,
the more natural it will feel.
It's like building a muscle.
The more you use it, the stronger it gets.
(17:17):
As you become more comfortablesharing your successes with family
and friends, you find it easier totalk about them in other settings.
Like colleagues, clients, youcan go on your business social
media and talk about that.
I just want to give a shout outto my husband, Aaron, because.
He.
Maybe I should interview him aboutpromotion because every time I accomplish
(17:40):
something that man is on his Facebookand he is singing my praises, bragging
me up and down all over Texas, like theman promotes me like no one's business.
Every single time I meet one ofhis colleagues or a friend, they're
like, oh my gosh, we've heard so muchabout you and about your photography.
Aaron talks so much about thingsthat you have accomplished.
(18:02):
We heard about your mentorship.
Congratulations on that.
I'm like, Who are you and why areyou putting my business out there?
But that's what my husband does.
So I want to give him ashout out for doing that.
So find people in your world thatwill also brag about you and put
your accomplishments out there.
But really though, Ilove that he does that.
The positive reinforcement,it's incredibly motivating.
(18:25):
It gives me the boost,the confidence to share my
achievements with a wider audience.
So shout out to my husband for doing that.
Love you boo.
Once you're comfortable.
sharing your accomplishments at home,then you can start practicing safe
bragging in small professional settings.
So you can begin with colleaguesor a mentor you trust and respect.
(18:49):
You want to know what a great,safe bragging environment is?
Your Newsletter.
Like that is the placeto brag about yourself.
That is the place to like, putit out there and be like, yo,
this is what I accomplished.
Look at all these wonderful,amazing things that I accomplished.
So go ahead, start safe bragging today.
(19:10):
I feel like we need to come upwith a different term because safe
bragging just sounds, I don't know.
Maybe we'll just keep it a safe bragging.
Y'all tell me what you think.
Should we keep it safe bragging or shouldwe come up with a different term for it?
Just tell me what you think.
I'll put out like a survey onthe Insta and hear from you guys.
(19:30):
And we'll go from there.
But seriously though, startbragging, start promoting yourself
and let your accomplishments shine.
So there you have it, y'all.
I hope you enjoyed thisconvo about self promotion.
(19:54):
Remember, make it a mindset.
Love yourself.
Promote your achievements.
Practice safe bragging.
You will be amazed athow much easier it gets.
So y'all, thank you so much forjoining me on today's episode.
I appreciate each and every one of you.
Y'all, I cannot believethis is the 49th episode.
(20:17):
We are one episode away from 50 episodes.
I just, I'm flabbergasted.
I'm gassed with the flabber, thegassed, I don't know where that's
going, but I'm very excited.
I feel like I should do somethingto celebrate, maybe a little teeny
tiny celebration, but I haven'tquite decided because I don't know.
(20:38):
50 seems like a great milestone,and it is, don't get your girl
wrong, but I feel like a hundredepisodes is really where it's at.
Whatever, I'm gonna celebrateeither way, whether it's with a
little teeny tiny cupcake or I don'tknow, maybe I'll get some champagne
and do a little toast to myself.
I'll be like that Snoop Dogg videowhere he's like, and, and I like
(20:59):
to thank me for all my hard work.
But I want to hear your thoughtson self promotion, what your
experience has been like, what didyou take away from this episode?
So let me hear it.
Let me have it.
Can't wait to hear what you have to say.
So here's a little affirmation for you.
You are your biggest cheerleader.
So go out there and showyourself, treat yourself.
(21:23):
Bye y'all.
Thanks for listening.
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