September 4, 2024 • 39 mins
The Magic of Rebranding: When It's Time for a Soulful Shift
Have you ever felt that whisper in your soul, that nudge that says, "There's more. You're meant for more"? Maybe it's a sense of stagnation in your business, a feeling that your brand isn't quite reflecting the beautiful evolution you've experienced. If that resonates, then friend, this episode is for you.
The Heartbeat of Your BrandToday, we're immersing ourselves in the world of rebranding and its potential for transformation. Rebranding isn't a superficial makeover. It's not about slapping on a new logo or giving your website a quick facelift. It's a profound process of aligning your external brand with the deepest truths of who you are and what you stand for. It's about courageously stepping into the fullness of who you are and what you offer the world.
Meet Amanda: Your Brand WhispererI'm thrilled to welcome Amanda of CLD, a fully-remote digital marketing agency that's all about helping businesses find their magic through intentional branding and rebranding. Amanda is a creative visionary with a heart for helping entrepreneurs like you uncover their unique brand story and express it in a way that's both captivating and authentic.
What's Inside This Soulful Episode:- Unleashing the Power of Rebranding: We'll explore how rebranding can be a catalyst for not just business growth, but personal growth too.
- Branding with Intention: Discover the secrets to crafting a brand that's a true reflection of your soul and magnetically draws in the right people.
- Embracing Evolution: Change is inevitable, and your brand should reflect that. We'll discuss how to recognize when it's time for a brand refresh and how to navigate that process with grace and intention.
- The Power of Connection: It's true what they say: your network is your net worth. We'll dive into the importance of building genuine relationships and how those connections can open doors you never even imagined.
- Navigating the Messy Middle: Growth can be messy, and that's okay. We'll talk about the challenges of the "in-between" stage and how to stay grounded and motivated when things feel chaotic.
If you're feeling that whisper, that nudge towards something more, I encourage you to listen in. This episode is packed with practical tips, heartfelt stories, and the permission you need to step into the next, most vibrant version of your brand and yourself.
Let's Do ThisSo grab a cup of tea, settle into your favorite cozy spot, and let's embark on this journey of soulful branding together. Remember, your brand is an extension of your heart. Let it shine.
P.S. Don't miss the end of the episode for a special announcement that'll leave you feeling inspired and empowered!
💬 Join the ConversationSavory Shot Shownote: https://micamccook.com/guests/amanda-shuman-2/
Website: https://micamccook.com/podcast-contact
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 crea
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Mica (00:00):
Welcome.
To the 55th episode of The Savory Shot.
A podcast about the art and soulof working in food photography.
I'm your host with the most, Mica McCook.
I'm a food and beverage photographerbased out of Austin, Texas.
Before I start the show, I want to givea special thank you, a special shout out.
(00:24):
To you, the listeners, if this isyour first time listening to the
show, welcome to the Hot Mess Express.
Pull up a chair, get comfy.
If this is your 55th time, thankyou for coming back, y'all.
This show wouldn't exist without you.
So thank you for being here.
Thank you for listening.
Thank you for your time.
(00:45):
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
But let's get into it, y'all.
I'm so excited to start today's show.
Question, or questions.
Are you having troubledeveloping your brand?
Is your brand, quote unquote, forgettable?
Are you blending in with thecompetition instead of standing out?
(01:06):
Are you considering a rebrand?
If you answered yes to one orall of these questions, then boo
thang, this episode is for you.
If you're struggling with yourbranding or you just don't have one.
I feel you.
I've been there.
More than once.
In fact, I was there last year.
(01:27):
As some of y'all know, I'mcurrently going through a rebrand.
I'm putting Austin Food Guide to rest andI'm rebranding under my name, Mica McCook.
It's been one heck of a journey.
I face things about myselfthat I avoided for so long.
Embracing this rebrand has helpedme find myself and what I'm about.
(01:53):
It's exciting.
I'm overwhelmed.
I'm terrified, but I'm also justfeeling all of these different emotions.
Like there's just so much goingthrough my mind right now,
but overall, I'm so excited.
My new website debuts today andI couldn't be more thrilled to
release this baby out into the wild.
It's finally here and I'm excited.
(02:15):
But without further ado,today's guest is Amanda Shuman.
Amanda is the founder and CEO of CarryLove Designs, a digital marketing agency
that helps businesses create standoutbrands that attract their ideal clients.
Amanda is a total branding whiz, y'all.
(02:36):
She's helped over 200 businesses,including ya girl, find their magic.
And she's even spoken on stagesall over the country about it.
She hosts a podcastcalled Elevate to Impact.
It's a podcast for wedding pros whowant needle moving business advice.
Y'all, even though her podcastis marketed towards folks in the
wedding industry, there's so muchtangible business advice that is
(03:00):
relatable to all kinds of industries.
So go give it a listen.
It's on Spotify.
It's on Apple.
Fun fact, y'all.
I I hired Amanda and her team to createa brand for Austin Food Guide in 2020.
I'd finished school andI hit the ground running.
She was the first that I reached out to.
(03:22):
And last year we reconnected whenI decided to rebrand under my name.
I knew she was the oneI wanted to work with.
There was no question, no doubt about it.
This is going to be aninteresting episode.
I'm excited.
It's hands down myfavorite episode to date.
Usually I'm the one doing theasking, but this time we're doing
(03:46):
things a little differently.
Amanda and I will be interviewingeach other for this episode.
It's never been done beforelike this on the Savory Shot.
So I hope you enjoy thisswitch up as much as I did.
I loved this interview y'all, we talkedabout the power of rebranding, the
(04:06):
importance of intentional branding,the value of evolving as a leader,
oh my god, that part, like thatpart of the interview, my favorite,
the significance of networking andovercoming rebranding hesitations.
So grab your favorite drink, settle in.
And get ready to transformyour brand and your business.
(04:28):
But before we get intothat, let's start the show.
(05:37):
Amanda.
I'm so excited about this conversation.
I want to start off by saying thankyou so much for coming on The Savory
Shot and thank you for lettingme be a guest on your podcast.
thank you for being on the show.
Amanda (05:50):
Same.
Mica (05:54):
Well, this interview is unique because I'm in the middle of a rebrand.
It launches shortly after thisepisode will come out and we are
going to be talking about that.
You blew my mind awaywith Austin Food Guide.
Amanda (06:10):
Yes.
I had put notes on here for myself andselling, I think it already, it's going to
come up in the conversation because it'seasier because we've had a relationship
and this is the second time that wehave worked together, but I think that
not something that I possess in all ofthe designers that CLD possess is the
(06:34):
ability to see all these different dotsthat businesses have and business owners
and we can start to see, "Oh well, thisdot here and how it connects to this
dot and how it connects to this dot."
And we're constantly just likeconnecting them in our mind.
Something that could seemingly, makeno sense for like you, with your
(06:58):
theatrical background where you couldlook at that and be like, "Okay, that
has nothing to do with photography.
It has nothing to do withthe hospitality landscape."
But in my mind, I'm seeing all thesedots because you know, it's our forte.
It's what we do for a living.
It's what we're experts in.
We can start to connect them to oneanother and really pull together a
(07:21):
brand strategy that is unique as to whatsomebody else was originally thinking.
I was just on a kickoff call witha client yesterday and we got into
the conversation of I've neverthought about these things this way."
She's been doing this for years,but we come on with just even a
(07:42):
fresh set of eyes and we're ableto say, "Hey, are you doing this?
And I noticed that you said this.
Because you want to dothis, are you doing this?
It's just constantly connecting the dots.
Mica (07:53):
Something you just mentioned about the kickoff call that you had, I
had that same reaction as your client.
The first time we did the rebrand, Ihad like this idea of what I wanted,
but it was very foggy and fuzzy.
I knew the feeling that I wantedit to look like and somehow y'all
(08:14):
took all these fuzzy ideas andjust created this amazing picture.
And I was like, Oh my God,yes this, all of this.
I want to start off by asking nowwhen you first started CLD, did
you have a vision for the type ofclients that you wanted to work with
and how has that evolved over time?
Amanda (08:33):
Starting out, and this is still the same advice that I give to other
business owners that are starting outtoday, like in the year of our Lord
2024, is that I think whenever you'refirst starting out, you just work with
anybody and everybody because as we dideventually pivot into the wedding industry
and that's where we were serving clientsfor a really long time, I wouldn't have
(08:56):
known that those were our people andthat's who we wanted to serve unless I had
worked with other people and just realizedlike "These don't as creatively light
me up or we just don't drive as much.
Michelle Ganey of LaMiga events,which I will forever shout her name.
because she was notable in theindustry back then, whenever she first
worked with us and I really felt likeshe took a chance on me and on CLD.
(09:22):
And she may not have known that at thetime, like how big of a deal it was.
But once I worked with Michelle ofLaMiga, I was like, "Man, I loved it.
I love the people.
I love the imagery.
I love the whole process of it.
I like to say that I didn'tpick the wedding industry.
They picked me.
Oh, I get to drop somelike future bombs here.
So we're in the process ofrebranding CLD our second rebranding.
(09:47):
I hired all the people that Idefinitely wanted to work with in 2021.
Now at the end of 2024, we're rebrandingCLD into a full scale digital marketing
agency where we want to be workingwith really big accounts as well.
I feel like you and I are in very similarpositions in business, and we've walked
(10:08):
along the same path at the same time.
that vision is evolving forCLD the same time that I feel
like it's evolving for you.
Mica (10:16):
That's super exciting that you're going through a rebrand and transitioning.
Does it feel any different as adesigner versus when you're serving
your clients and strategizing for them?
Amanda (10:31):
Yeah, you know, the first time when I went through a rebrand of 2021,
I was like, "Oh I really get it now."
Like working with the people that I wantedto work with, I saw it from a different
side and now this time I'm like, "Ohman, I need to document all these things
so that I can remember these momentswhenever I'm back on the other side."
One question that I get asked alot from other people is when
(10:55):
do I know it's time to rebrand?
How do I know that?
One of the things that has stuck in mymind this time is it's a gut feeling.
Nobody knows your business and whereyou're at better than yourself.
But also I have always been very proudof my website for like the longest time.
I was like, "Go check out my website.
Like it is our masterpiece."
(11:16):
And then whenever I really finallyrealized that time to rebrand, it was
because for the first time since 2021,I looked at our website and I was like,
this doesn't serve me well anymore.
Like I still love it, but it's nottaking me to where I want to go.
And so that was like.
(11:37):
Okay, who do I hire?
Where do I start?
Let's start this processbecause I have it in goal.
I have clients that I want to attractand this website served me well for three
years, but it's time for a new phase.
Mica (11:51):
I think they say three to five years you're supposed to evolve with time.
Unless you're Space Jam, which theyjust changed their website recently, but
they held on to that 1996 old websitefor all the years, which I guess it's
cool if you're from the, you're a kidof the nineties and you want to go look
(12:13):
at it and you're like, Ooh, nostalgia,but if they had kept the same website
when they rebooted Space Jam withLeBron, it would have never worked.
Amanda (12:21):
I'd like, they had to go through, there was a period between it not being
nostalgic and cool that they had togo through and bear that era to where
it was just outdated and not cool.
Mica (12:33):
Yeah they had to say goodbye to the first generation that it served and, and
rebuild it for the new kids on the block.
Amanda (12:43):
Which brings me to my first question for you is you talked about the
first era that it served and I let meknow like what inspired you to reach out
about the rebrand for Austin Food Guide.
Mica (12:55):
Oh man, it was, it was a tough decision.
I'll just start off by saying that.
I'm known to hang on to things forever.
It's an emotional attachment for me.
I've saved every single birthdaycard, holiday card, gift
card that I've ever received.
I hang on to these things because,people take the time to write a
(13:17):
beautiful message and it just makesme feel warm and fuzzy inside.
When I think about Austin Food Guide.
It started as a place for me topractice food photography, and it
was an exciting Instagram account.
I would just share food, and Iwas growing as a photographer.
But as I evolved as aphotographer, my style changed.
(13:39):
The things that interested me changedthe types of brands and clients
that I wanted to work with changed.
My website didn't, but I was stillhanging on to it because your team
did an amazing job and a lot of timeand effort went into building this.
What convinced me finallywas a mentorship program.
(13:59):
Apostrophe Reps Theyare a photo rep agency.
They're based in New York and they'rebased in Los Angeles and they host
a 12 week mentorship where theyguide like eight to 10 photographers
that are BIPOC photographers.
Over 300 photographers applied, and outof those 300 plus they choose eight.
(14:22):
At the end and we wereworking on branding, and I
was like, here's my website.
I'm so proud of it.
This is a wonderful website.
And my mentors were like, yes,this is a wonderful website.
But we almost didn't pick you becausewhen we went to Austin Food Guide,
we thought this was a magazine.
We didn't know who is thisperson, but your portfolio,
(14:43):
Mica McCook, is what sold us.
This is who she is.
You need a brand that matchesthe work you're doing now.
That is what convinced me tolet go of Austin Food Guide.
So it was, it was a hard, it was a hardgoodbye, but I'm very excited for the
future and to show everybody the new brandthat your team create and develop for me.
(15:09):
It matches who I am asa photographer today.
I'm just really excited.
Amanda (15:13):
So what is the biggest difference, would you say, between
your old brand and your new brand?
Mica (15:20):
When I developed Austin Food Guide, I was excited to be out of school.
I was excited to hit the ground running.
And I was like, I want to workwith anybody who sells food.
Anybody who has a restaurant,anyone who does beverages.
Are you a food magazine?
I want to do work for you.
Are you a cookbook?
I want to do work for you.
I was just excited to do food photography.
(15:40):
As I developed and changed and grewand booked more work, I began to
realize these are the types of shootsthat I want to do more of, and I
want to step away from those shoots.
Those were terrible experiences.
I want to do that again.
I realized my Austin Food Guidewebsite wasn't attracting me the brands
(16:02):
that I wanted to do more work with.
2020 is when we did the rebrand.
Amanda (16:06):
Yeah,
Mica (16:06):
Yeah, it's been four years, four years.
I was just excited tobe a food photographer.
And now I'm like, no, I knowwhat kind of work I wanna do.
I know what work excites me and thisis what I need to attract that work.
That's the biggest difference betweenthe rebrand now is that I just, I know
myself so much more as a photographer,as a creator and who I wanna work with.
Amanda (16:33):
This is one of my favorite stories to tell people because I
talk about for us, like on CLD side,whenever we're working with clients.
Working with the branding andthe website and the creative part
is obviously one of my favoriteparts where I wouldn't be in here.
But another part is watching theconfidence level of somebody change
(16:53):
whenever they rebrand in that it'snot like you had the same portfolio.
You have the same skillset.
You had the same experience before youbranded with us originally in 2019- 2020.
But I remember you telling me afterwards,you were like, I went from doing three
to $500 shoots to $3000 to $5,000 shoots.
(17:18):
And I was like, that's like themost massive change in pricing
that I have heard from somebody,but also that it was literally
just your confidence level becauseeverything else had stayed the same.
Mica (17:33):
Yes.
When I went from doing small shootsto all of a sudden having a team
and I just got thrust into that.
And so I'm like, wait, sowho am I supposed to hire?
What am I supposed to do?
So there was just so much more growththat I needed to develop on the other end.
And now that I'm looking at evenbigger brands where the expectation
(17:56):
is to have this whole thing of teams.
The branding needs to match that whenthey hire me, this is who they're getting.
I wanna ask you this.
So you've talked a lot about theimportance of intentional branding.
Most of the people who listen to theshow are food stylists, prop stylists,
pretty much anybody who works in thecommercial food photography industry.
(18:18):
And a big struggle that a lot ofthem have is intentional branding.
So how can someone like a food stylist,prop stylist, or another food photographer
discover their unique brand story?
Amanda (18:33):
I want to highlight this, because I think you said this earlier,
and somebody might have brushed overthis, and so I want to bring it back up,
you said that you are the photographer.
You want them to knowthat they are hiring you.
Because at the end of the day beinga food stylist, a prop stylist, it
can turn into somebody comparingwork wise apples to apples.
(18:55):
But, you are selling you and yourexperience and your personality.
Earlier you were hidingbehind Austin Food Guide.
And I think that some foodphotographers, stylists, that they
can, they may be branded underneaththeir name, but they are still hiding.
(19:16):
Step one is just to stop hiding.
To really show up as you, as gosh,I'm going to say this cliche word,
but show up authentically as yourself,because that's what's going to make
somebody hire you over somebody else.
As human beings, we are solayered, we're like onions.
(19:40):
How do I account forthis, and I like this.
All of these different adjectives thatyou have to be able to select three to
five that you really want to highlight.
You talk about your theatrical background.
That is one very smallsliver of who you are.
But, from a branding standpoint, wereally pull that out, and we are going
(20:03):
to emphasize it more than what youmight in your regular everyday life.
If you think about actors andactresses, they always over embellish
how they act on screen, becauseit's going to look natural, but the
actors and actresses don't act likethat in their normal everyday life.
So from a branding standpoint, that's whatwe do is we take a couple of different
(20:26):
dots that we can see connecting, andthat can turn into a full brand story.
Mica (20:32):
Now the adjective parts, what if they feel like the adjectives are not, I
don't even know if this is a right way toask, adjective y enough or unique enough.
How do they know thatthat's like really them?
Amanda (20:48):
How do they know if that's really them?
I think that it's best to go and ask yourcore five people that are around you.
This could be personal.
This could be business and askthem if they had to choose three
to five adjectives to describe you,what would those adjectives be?
Because how they are describing you isone, how you come off to other people,
(21:10):
but also how they are remembering you.
So I think that's a really greatplace to start is to maybe not
look introspectively, but outward.
Mica (21:21):
With the mentorship, that was one of the exercises that we had to do.
Once you find those coveted three to five,it really feels like this is the anchor
that's going to keep, no matter whattrends happen, no matter what goes around
us, these keep me anchored in my message.
Amanda (21:38):
Yeah.
I like that, what you said about trendstoo, because trends come and go, but
you do want to make sure once again,I'm going to say authentic to you.
I hate that word.
It really is true.
But that brings me to thisquestion for you is why was, and
(21:58):
I guess it's a two part question.
I want to know if like those adjectives.
Because I cannot remember what adjectiveswe would use with your first rebrand.
Mica (22:07):
I can't remember either.
Amanda (22:09):
But I want to know, how have those adjectives helped to connect you or shift
you towards that target audience that youare wanting to target with your rebrand?
And how or why was that,that rebrand important to try
to reach the new audience?
Mica (22:27):
When Austin Food Guide first came out.
I was just really on the cusp ofdiscovering the kind of work I was
inspired by and the work that I liked.
Past professor, told us, I can teachyou how to be a photographer, but your
style is what's going to define you.
No matter what trends happen, yourstyle will stay the same, but you
(22:49):
can take whatever trend is out thereAnd you can adjust it to your style.
So people will know thisis so and so's work.
We all know what AnnieLeibovitz's work looks like.
We all know when we see a DavidLaChapelle, we know that's who they are.
And I didn't have that when I graduatedschool, I was still just trying to
take pretty pictures, but they weren'tdefinitively, this is a Mica McCook.
(23:12):
I am a theatrical, timeless,flavorful food photographer, and I
love color, and I'm all about color.
I know who I am as a photographer now.
I know who I want to work with.
I know what work excites me.
I had to realize that Austin FoodGuide did exactly what it was
supposed to do when it first launched.
(23:33):
I wanted to go from making300 to 5, 000 per shoot.
I did that.
Now, I want to go from making 5, pershoot to 25, 000, like 50, 000, like
those are the type of budgets that Iwant to get and in order to attract that,
I need to put out a brand that showsthat they're going to get that with me.
Amanda (23:56):
Because even though you know that you're worth that, they
don't, and your website and yourbrand is your first impression.
My brand and website does themajority of the selling for me,
and people are more primed to buy.
Mica (24:06):
I want to ask you, we're going back to the rebrand.
What's been the most eye opening,surprising part of this process?
Amanda (24:15):
This one might actually surprise you.
I hired a mentor a month or two ago.
And she works with sevenand eight figure businesses.
And she's one of those people where Ifelt like I have been a really big fish
in a small pond for a really long time.
(24:35):
For the first time in a long timeafter talking with her, I felt like
a really small fish in a large ocean.
And she casually drops this bombwhile we are talking on a call.
This was like a mic drop moment and shedidn't even know because she just kept
(24:56):
carrying on and I was like grabbinga pen trying to write this down.
She goes, the business can onlygrow as fast as the leader evolves.
Mica (25:05):
Ooh.
Amanda (25:06):
I know.
And whenever she, I know whenever shesaid that I went like, you know, whenever
you get a church service and like thepreacher says like a really good verse
or something, I literally on the call,I was like, like, let me grab my pen
and she just casually kept on talking.
And that to me was like a reallybig, lightbulb moment of yeah,
(25:28):
we are continuing to evolve.
Maybe I have been at this ceiling fora really long time, but the reason why
I can't break through this ceiling isbecause I'm not intentionally evolving and
stepping out and doing anything different.
And so that was like the one thing that'sreally, maybe not surprise me, but it
(25:52):
was one of those gut punch moments.
Mica (25:55):
And you just said something, intentional evolving that,
because so many of us, we treat evolvementas like this organic thing that's, the
wind is blowing and then I evolved.
And it's no, to take control of yourlife, of your, whatever your circumstances
(26:19):
is saying, this is who I am now, butI don't want to always be this way.
So I'm going to do the work that I needto do in order to get to point C or D,
or whatever point that you're tryingto get to I'm going to use that word
forever now, intentional involving.
I like that very much.
Amanda (26:38):
And you might feel the same way.
Cause like I said, I feel like we'rein very similar stages and we have been
for a while that another little nuggetthat I want to tell our listeners is
whenever you're in that in between whereyou've built up a business, like you
are successful in where you're at, butyou're also building for that next step.
(27:00):
So like for CLD right now, we're managing40 something projects at one time.
But I'm also like, okay, I wantto continue on in, build something
bigger and greater and serve,bigger budgets, bigger clients.
There's this really hard part in thejourney to where you feel like you're
straddling two different things atone time and you're trying to keep 18
(27:23):
different plates in the air and it's hard.
But I know from doing this originallyin 2021, that there is a messy middle
to where you feel like you're beingpulled in two different directions.
And you're trying to maintain almost twodifferent businesses at the same time
to where you feel like you really arerunning a marathon and you're like I feel
(27:44):
like I'm putting in all this work, I'mputting in all this extra time and energy
and I'm not seeing anything from it.
But stick with it, because you will.
I literally had to remindmyself of this morning.
I was like, I feel like I've, if I addanother more, like one more thing to my
calendar, I might have a mental breakdown.
But I'm like, this is only for a season.
(28:06):
You're going to see thefruits of your labor.
Just stick with it.
I want to know what is, what's nextfor your brand after launching?
Mica (28:15):
I have all of these crazy ideas of like what I want to do.
But the main goal is I really wantto get an agency, a photo rep.
I would love to continuegrowing a Savory Shot.
More than anything, I'm justgoing to be stepping in front
of the camera, so to speak.
My name is plastered oneverything at this point.
(28:38):
I've hidden behind Austin FoodGuide for so long that I've just
grown comfortable being in the back.
And I'm putting this out here,cause I think I have potential.
I want to be on the show, Nailed It.
My mother in law and one of my bestfriends gifted me with all of these
crazy Harry Potter baking books.
One of them is a gingerbread castleand i'm like I could so do that.
(29:02):
So I'm putting it out there.
I want to be on Nailed It.
I just need to submit my video and maythe producers that produce Nailed It, see
magic over here and have me on their show.
I think I would be pretty bomb on it.
Amanda (29:18):
While we're putting things out there, if the producers of
Survivor are watching this show,
I have submitted an applicationthree times, and think that
I should be on Survivor.
Mica (29:33):
We got Survivor Put us on, we would be fantastic to be on the show.
So yeah.
So as a designer, as a strategist,you're working with high end businesses.
What is one lesson that you'velearned with working with luxury
brands that can apply to allbusinesses, no matter what their size?
Amanda (29:57):
That's a good question.
I think that's something I haverealized this year after, CLD
has been around, we have turnedeight in February, so seven years.
And I think more so this year thanany other year, I have realized
that your network is your net worth.
(30:20):
Putting time and energy into relationshipsand building them up and even if
you think that, oh, this person,can't help my business or whatever,
I don't see the immediate fruit ofwhat this relationship could do.
That it always comes back around.
There are so many times where Imeet somebody and, they're like,
(30:41):
oh, I'm a roofer and I'm like, Idon't know how I can help you.
But then something will end up happening.
I'm like, oh, I know this person.
And so really, especially as youget into high end businesses and
you get into luxury, it is all aboutthe connections and who you know.
Something that I wish I wouldhave taken more time to be more
(31:03):
intentional about putting energyinto thoughtful relationships.
And building up my network.
Mica (31:09):
Your answer reminds me of an interview I did with.
with Gerri, who she's a prop stylist basedin New York and I had her on as a guest.
When I was doing my research,couldn't find anything on her.
Like I had to go into Wayback Machineand type in her name and I found some
random website from 2008 that listedsome interesting tidbits about her.
(31:32):
The reason why I wanted her on the showis because every photographer and food
stylist and other prop stylists that Italked to that was based in New York, they
all said, you need to interview Gerri.
She really emphasized herrelationships and her network.
Like you can't, you, she has her Instagramand that's it, but she is constantly.
(31:55):
busy.
She's got shoot after shoot booked andit's because she'd spend so much time
fostering her relationships And she likereally drove it into me to like really
care about your relationships and treatthem like you would a little bird's egg
a little chicken egg that you're waitingfor it to hatch like you've got to be
(32:16):
really coveted with it and I'm like dang.
She's right.
What is next after your rebrand?
Amanda (32:24):
Man so we are moving to a full scale digital marketing agency.
One of the biggest things is that youhad to go through our rebranding process
in order to work with us on marketing.
I closed our marketing doors becauseI kept getting inquiries from
clients and I'm like, you don't havea brand, you don't have a website.
Like I'm not allowing you to wasteyour money with us because it's
(32:45):
just not going to be fruitful.
As we are pivoting to workingwith hospitality groups, interior
designers, real estate developers.
These businesses that already have awell established brand and website.
Where we can also just come in andpartner with them on their marketing and
strategic plans and campaigns and I havesomebody on our team right now that is
(33:08):
getting mentored in actually learningabout brand photography and videography.
It's what she went to school forbut she, sold all of her equipment,
five, 10 years ago, and now she'shaving to like relearn the industry.
And being able to have a team that, Hey,if you need a photo shoot done for a
campaign, we can go and we can fly outthere and we can get all the content.
(33:31):
Moving into just that full scalemarketing agency to where we're the
ones dealing with, companies with 10,20 million plus in putting in bids.
Even currently right now, like Iprobably 10 percent of my job is
actually designing now as being the CEO.
I just don't get to do a lot of it.
And I'm okay with that because Ireally, we have a uber, a talented
(33:55):
team, like even more so than me.
I'm like, man, I have surroundedmyself with amazingly talented people.
But I enjoy the business aspect of it.
And for a long time, we were servingclients who were very much so creative
and they didn't know the first thingabout business And I want to talk to
(34:18):
people on a business level and so Ithink that's what I'm most excited
about is getting to serve people whoare business owners first and maybe
creative secondly, instead of vice versa.
Mica (34:32):
Business person first, creative second.
Do you think those are interchangeableor are you either one or the other?
Amanda (34:41):
They can be interchangeable from like day to day, but I think
from like an high overview standpoint,if I had to choose business or
creative, I'd probably sway a littlebit more to the business side.
But if I'm designing a website, thenI'm like, you know, I love doing it
and I'll swing all the way creative.
But if I had to choose one or the other,like, I like the strategic thinking,
(35:03):
the building out campaigns, the whatare brand activations that we can do?
I really enjoy that side of it.
So if I had to choose, I wouldswing on the business side, and
I think that's for everybody.
You either swing one way or another.
Like, you may love both, but if you hadto choose one, which one would it be?
Mica (35:21):
You mentioned that you have this wonderful team,
and that your team is bomb.
Like I, I sometimes wonderif am I messaging too much?
And I've never got anyimpression that I wasn't.
Has there been any difficulties withstepping away from the creative side?
And if so, what's made it easier to do so?
Amanda (35:41):
There's not been any difficulties because being the CEO, I can decide where
I want to step in for the most part.
If there's a project, I'm like, okay I'mjust aligning myself to that project.
So that's one of the greatest giftsof being the CEO is I get to decide,
like, where I'm going to step in.
It may have been harder if I didn'tfeel like the team was as talented
(36:02):
that they are, and I couldn't trustthem, but a lot of the times they come
back with designs and I'm like, wow.
That is ten times betterthan what I could have done.
Mica (36:13):
Shout out to your amazing team.
Amanda (36:17):
Yes, they get all the credit.
Mica (36:19):
My last question for you is what would you say to a listener
who is either considering a rebrandor considering branding altogether?
And they're struggling with that decision.
What would you say to them topush them over the threshold?
Amanda (36:38):
This might be a, a cop out answer, but I would love to hear it.
Because I'm not going to answer,I'm going to put it on you.
What would you say?
That would push somebody over the edgewhat has been like the number one,
ROI or takeaway from finally becauseit is I tell my clients all the time.
It's a trust fall because you'reputting money into the machine and
(37:03):
you're hoping that more money comesout of the machine, essentially.
And sometimes it's a delayed, likeyou have to wait for the brand to
launch and for you to start marketing.
And so it's not, Oh, okay I'm goingto give you a dollar and I'm going
to get to you back right away.
I would love to hear what you wouldthink would push somebody over the
edge, especially for your type ofaudience that listens to the podcasts.
Mica (37:25):
I like what you did there.
My husband and I were actuallytalking about this a while ago.
Write a couple of things downof what you think is holding you
back from being on the other sideand really be objective about it.
These are just real objective answers.
And once you have like this longlist of all the things that are.
(37:47):
in your eyes holding you back fromwhere you want to be, you'll start
to realize that a lot of those thingsare things that could easily be
changed by a decision of rebranding.
Does your website match thework that you represent?
If it just doesn't representyou, then that's where you're
at, it's time to do it.
(38:09):
Get excited about what couldcome of it and go from there.
So that's what I would say to someone.
Amanda (38:14):
There you go.
You heard it first from Mica.
Mica (38:17):
I want to thank you so much for.
being on the show and forletting me be on your show.
I had such a good time.
Amanda (38:24):
I know this has been so much fun.
Welcome.
To the 55th episode of The Savory Shot.
A podcast about the art and soulof working in food photography.
I'm your host with the most, Mica McCook.
I'm a food and beverage photographerbased out of Austin, Texas.
Before I start the show, I want to givea special thank you, a special shout out.
(00:24):
To you, the listeners, if this isyour first time listening to the
show, welcome to the Hot Mess Express.
Pull up a chair, get comfy.
If this is your 55th time, thankyou for coming back, y'all.
This show wouldn't exist without you.
So thank you for being here.
Thank you for listening.
Thank you for your time.
(00:45):
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
But let's get into it, y'all.
I'm so excited to start today's show.
Question, or questions.
Are you having troubledeveloping your brand?
Is your brand, quote unquote, forgettable?
Are you blending in with thecompetition instead of standing out?
(01:06):
Are you considering a rebrand?
If you answered yes to one orall of these questions, then boo
thang, this episode is for you.
If you're struggling with yourbranding or you just don't have one.
I feel you.
I've been there.
More than once.
In fact, I was there last year.
(01:27):
As some of y'all know, I'mcurrently going through a rebrand.
I'm putting Austin Food Guide to rest andI'm rebranding under my name, Mica McCook.
It's been one heck of a journey.
I face things about myselfthat I avoided for so long.
Embracing this rebrand has helpedme find myself and what I'm about.
(01:53):
It's exciting.
I'm overwhelmed.
I'm terrified, but I'm also justfeeling all of these different emotions.
Like there's just so much goingthrough my mind right now,
but overall, I'm so excited.
My new website debuts today andI couldn't be more thrilled to
release this baby out into the wild.
It's finally here and I'm excited.
(02:15):
But without further ado,today's guest is Amanda Shuman.
Amanda is the founder and CEO of CarryLove Designs, a digital marketing agency
that helps businesses create standoutbrands that attract their ideal clients.
Amanda is a total branding whiz, y'all.
(02:36):
She's helped over 200 businesses,including ya girl, find their magic.
And she's even spoken on stagesall over the country about it.
She hosts a podcastcalled Elevate to Impact.
It's a podcast for wedding pros whowant needle moving business advice.
Y'all, even though her podcastis marketed towards folks in the
wedding industry, there's so muchtangible business advice that is
(03:00):
relatable to all kinds of industries.
So go give it a listen.
It's on Spotify.
It's on Apple.
Fun fact, y'all.
I I hired Amanda and her team to createa brand for Austin Food Guide in 2020.
I'd finished school andI hit the ground running.
She was the first that I reached out to.
(03:22):
And last year we reconnected whenI decided to rebrand under my name.
I knew she was the oneI wanted to work with.
There was no question, no doubt about it.
This is going to be aninteresting episode.
I'm excited.
It's hands down myfavorite episode to date.
Usually I'm the one doing theasking, but this time we're doing
(03:46):
things a little differently.
Amanda and I will be interviewingeach other for this episode.
It's never been done beforelike this on the Savory Shot.
So I hope you enjoy thisswitch up as much as I did.
I loved this interview y'all, we talkedabout the power of rebranding, the
(04:06):
importance of intentional branding,the value of evolving as a leader,
oh my god, that part, like thatpart of the interview, my favorite,
the significance of networking andovercoming rebranding hesitations.
So grab your favorite drink, settle in.
And get ready to transformyour brand and your business.
(04:28):
But before we get intothat, let's start the show.
(05:37):
Amanda.
I'm so excited about this conversation.
I want to start off by saying thankyou so much for coming on The Savory
Shot and thank you for lettingme be a guest on your podcast.
thank you for being on the show.
Amanda (05:50):
Same.
Mica (05:54):
Well, this interview is unique because I'm in the middle of a rebrand.
It launches shortly after thisepisode will come out and we are
going to be talking about that.
You blew my mind awaywith Austin Food Guide.
Amanda (06:10):
Yes.
I had put notes on here for myself andselling, I think it already, it's going to
come up in the conversation because it'seasier because we've had a relationship
and this is the second time that wehave worked together, but I think that
not something that I possess in all ofthe designers that CLD possess is the
(06:34):
ability to see all these different dotsthat businesses have and business owners
and we can start to see, "Oh well, thisdot here and how it connects to this
dot and how it connects to this dot."
And we're constantly just likeconnecting them in our mind.
Something that could seemingly, makeno sense for like you, with your
(06:58):
theatrical background where you couldlook at that and be like, "Okay, that
has nothing to do with photography.
It has nothing to do withthe hospitality landscape."
But in my mind, I'm seeing all thesedots because you know, it's our forte.
It's what we do for a living.
It's what we're experts in.
We can start to connect them to oneanother and really pull together a
(07:21):
brand strategy that is unique as to whatsomebody else was originally thinking.
I was just on a kickoff call witha client yesterday and we got into
the conversation of I've neverthought about these things this way."
She's been doing this for years,but we come on with just even a
(07:42):
fresh set of eyes and we're ableto say, "Hey, are you doing this?
And I noticed that you said this.
Because you want to dothis, are you doing this?
It's just constantly connecting the dots.
Mica (07:53):
Something you just mentioned about the kickoff call that you had, I
had that same reaction as your client.
The first time we did the rebrand, Ihad like this idea of what I wanted,
but it was very foggy and fuzzy.
I knew the feeling that I wantedit to look like and somehow y'all
(08:14):
took all these fuzzy ideas andjust created this amazing picture.
And I was like, Oh my God,yes this, all of this.
I want to start off by asking nowwhen you first started CLD, did
you have a vision for the type ofclients that you wanted to work with
and how has that evolved over time?
Amanda (08:33):
Starting out, and this is still the same advice that I give to other
business owners that are starting outtoday, like in the year of our Lord
2024, is that I think whenever you'refirst starting out, you just work with
anybody and everybody because as we dideventually pivot into the wedding industry
and that's where we were serving clientsfor a really long time, I wouldn't have
(08:56):
known that those were our people andthat's who we wanted to serve unless I had
worked with other people and just realizedlike "These don't as creatively light
me up or we just don't drive as much.
Michelle Ganey of LaMiga events,which I will forever shout her name.
because she was notable in theindustry back then, whenever she first
worked with us and I really felt likeshe took a chance on me and on CLD.
(09:22):
And she may not have known that at thetime, like how big of a deal it was.
But once I worked with Michelle ofLaMiga, I was like, "Man, I loved it.
I love the people.
I love the imagery.
I love the whole process of it.
I like to say that I didn'tpick the wedding industry.
They picked me.
Oh, I get to drop somelike future bombs here.
So we're in the process ofrebranding CLD our second rebranding.
(09:47):
I hired all the people that Idefinitely wanted to work with in 2021.
Now at the end of 2024, we're rebrandingCLD into a full scale digital marketing
agency where we want to be workingwith really big accounts as well.
I feel like you and I are in very similarpositions in business, and we've walked
(10:08):
along the same path at the same time.
that vision is evolving forCLD the same time that I feel
like it's evolving for you.
Mica (10:16):
That's super exciting that you're going through a rebrand and transitioning.
Does it feel any different as adesigner versus when you're serving
your clients and strategizing for them?
Amanda (10:31):
Yeah, you know, the first time when I went through a rebrand of 2021,
I was like, "Oh I really get it now."
Like working with the people that I wantedto work with, I saw it from a different
side and now this time I'm like, "Ohman, I need to document all these things
so that I can remember these momentswhenever I'm back on the other side."
One question that I get asked alot from other people is when
(10:55):
do I know it's time to rebrand?
How do I know that?
One of the things that has stuck in mymind this time is it's a gut feeling.
Nobody knows your business and whereyou're at better than yourself.
But also I have always been very proudof my website for like the longest time.
I was like, "Go check out my website.
Like it is our masterpiece."
(11:16):
And then whenever I really finallyrealized that time to rebrand, it was
because for the first time since 2021,I looked at our website and I was like,
this doesn't serve me well anymore.
Like I still love it, but it's nottaking me to where I want to go.
And so that was like.
(11:37):
Okay, who do I hire?
Where do I start?
Let's start this processbecause I have it in goal.
I have clients that I want to attractand this website served me well for three
years, but it's time for a new phase.
Mica (11:51):
I think they say three to five years you're supposed to evolve with time.
Unless you're Space Jam, which theyjust changed their website recently, but
they held on to that 1996 old websitefor all the years, which I guess it's
cool if you're from the, you're a kidof the nineties and you want to go look
(12:13):
at it and you're like, Ooh, nostalgia,but if they had kept the same website
when they rebooted Space Jam withLeBron, it would have never worked.
Amanda (12:21):
I'd like, they had to go through, there was a period between it not being
nostalgic and cool that they had togo through and bear that era to where
it was just outdated and not cool.
Mica (12:33):
Yeah they had to say goodbye to the first generation that it served and, and
rebuild it for the new kids on the block.
Amanda (12:43):
Which brings me to my first question for you is you talked about the
first era that it served and I let meknow like what inspired you to reach out
about the rebrand for Austin Food Guide.
Mica (12:55):
Oh man, it was, it was a tough decision.
I'll just start off by saying that.
I'm known to hang on to things forever.
It's an emotional attachment for me.
I've saved every single birthdaycard, holiday card, gift
card that I've ever received.
I hang on to these things because,people take the time to write a
(13:17):
beautiful message and it just makesme feel warm and fuzzy inside.
When I think about Austin Food Guide.
It started as a place for me topractice food photography, and it
was an exciting Instagram account.
I would just share food, and Iwas growing as a photographer.
But as I evolved as aphotographer, my style changed.
(13:39):
The things that interested me changedthe types of brands and clients
that I wanted to work with changed.
My website didn't, but I was stillhanging on to it because your team
did an amazing job and a lot of timeand effort went into building this.
What convinced me finallywas a mentorship program.
(13:59):
Apostrophe Reps Theyare a photo rep agency.
They're based in New York and they'rebased in Los Angeles and they host
a 12 week mentorship where theyguide like eight to 10 photographers
that are BIPOC photographers.
Over 300 photographers applied, and outof those 300 plus they choose eight.
(14:22):
At the end and we wereworking on branding, and I
was like, here's my website.
I'm so proud of it.
This is a wonderful website.
And my mentors were like, yes,this is a wonderful website.
But we almost didn't pick you becausewhen we went to Austin Food Guide,
we thought this was a magazine.
We didn't know who is thisperson, but your portfolio,
(14:43):
Mica McCook, is what sold us.
This is who she is.
You need a brand that matchesthe work you're doing now.
That is what convinced me tolet go of Austin Food Guide.
So it was, it was a hard, it was a hardgoodbye, but I'm very excited for the
future and to show everybody the new brandthat your team create and develop for me.
(15:09):
It matches who I am asa photographer today.
I'm just really excited.
Amanda (15:13):
So what is the biggest difference, would you say, between
your old brand and your new brand?
Mica (15:20):
When I developed Austin Food Guide, I was excited to be out of school.
I was excited to hit the ground running.
And I was like, I want to workwith anybody who sells food.
Anybody who has a restaurant,anyone who does beverages.
Are you a food magazine?
I want to do work for you.
Are you a cookbook?
I want to do work for you.
I was just excited to do food photography.
(15:40):
As I developed and changed and grewand booked more work, I began to
realize these are the types of shootsthat I want to do more of, and I
want to step away from those shoots.
Those were terrible experiences.
I want to do that again.
I realized my Austin Food Guidewebsite wasn't attracting me the brands
(16:02):
that I wanted to do more work with.
2020 is when we did the rebrand.
Amanda (16:06):
Yeah,
Mica (16:06):
Yeah, it's been four years, four years.
I was just excited tobe a food photographer.
And now I'm like, no, I knowwhat kind of work I wanna do.
I know what work excites me and thisis what I need to attract that work.
That's the biggest difference betweenthe rebrand now is that I just, I know
myself so much more as a photographer,as a creator and who I wanna work with.
Amanda (16:33):
This is one of my favorite stories to tell people because I
talk about for us, like on CLD side,whenever we're working with clients.
Working with the branding andthe website and the creative part
is obviously one of my favoriteparts where I wouldn't be in here.
But another part is watching theconfidence level of somebody change
(16:53):
whenever they rebrand in that it'snot like you had the same portfolio.
You have the same skillset.
You had the same experience before youbranded with us originally in 2019- 2020.
But I remember you telling me afterwards,you were like, I went from doing three
to $500 shoots to $3000 to $5,000 shoots.
(17:18):
And I was like, that's like themost massive change in pricing
that I have heard from somebody,but also that it was literally
just your confidence level becauseeverything else had stayed the same.
Mica (17:33):
Yes.
When I went from doing small shootsto all of a sudden having a team
and I just got thrust into that.
And so I'm like, wait, sowho am I supposed to hire?
What am I supposed to do?
So there was just so much more growththat I needed to develop on the other end.
And now that I'm looking at evenbigger brands where the expectation
(17:56):
is to have this whole thing of teams.
The branding needs to match that whenthey hire me, this is who they're getting.
I wanna ask you this.
So you've talked a lot about theimportance of intentional branding.
Most of the people who listen to theshow are food stylists, prop stylists,
pretty much anybody who works in thecommercial food photography industry.
(18:18):
And a big struggle that a lot ofthem have is intentional branding.
So how can someone like a food stylist,prop stylist, or another food photographer
discover their unique brand story?
Amanda (18:33):
I want to highlight this, because I think you said this earlier,
and somebody might have brushed overthis, and so I want to bring it back up,
you said that you are the photographer.
You want them to knowthat they are hiring you.
Because at the end of the day beinga food stylist, a prop stylist, it
can turn into somebody comparingwork wise apples to apples.
(18:55):
But, you are selling you and yourexperience and your personality.
Earlier you were hidingbehind Austin Food Guide.
And I think that some foodphotographers, stylists, that they
can, they may be branded underneaththeir name, but they are still hiding.
(19:16):
Step one is just to stop hiding.
To really show up as you, as gosh,I'm going to say this cliche word,
but show up authentically as yourself,because that's what's going to make
somebody hire you over somebody else.
As human beings, we are solayered, we're like onions.
(19:40):
How do I account forthis, and I like this.
All of these different adjectives thatyou have to be able to select three to
five that you really want to highlight.
You talk about your theatrical background.
That is one very smallsliver of who you are.
But, from a branding standpoint, wereally pull that out, and we are going
(20:03):
to emphasize it more than what youmight in your regular everyday life.
If you think about actors andactresses, they always over embellish
how they act on screen, becauseit's going to look natural, but the
actors and actresses don't act likethat in their normal everyday life.
So from a branding standpoint, that's whatwe do is we take a couple of different
(20:26):
dots that we can see connecting, andthat can turn into a full brand story.
Mica (20:32):
Now the adjective parts, what if they feel like the adjectives are not, I
don't even know if this is a right way toask, adjective y enough or unique enough.
How do they know thatthat's like really them?
Amanda (20:48):
How do they know if that's really them?
I think that it's best to go and ask yourcore five people that are around you.
This could be personal.
This could be business and askthem if they had to choose three
to five adjectives to describe you,what would those adjectives be?
Because how they are describing you isone, how you come off to other people,
(21:10):
but also how they are remembering you.
So I think that's a really greatplace to start is to maybe not
look introspectively, but outward.
Mica (21:21):
With the mentorship, that was one of the exercises that we had to do.
Once you find those coveted three to five,it really feels like this is the anchor
that's going to keep, no matter whattrends happen, no matter what goes around
us, these keep me anchored in my message.
Amanda (21:38):
Yeah.
I like that, what you said about trendstoo, because trends come and go, but
you do want to make sure once again,I'm going to say authentic to you.
I hate that word.
It really is true.
But that brings me to thisquestion for you is why was, and
(21:58):
I guess it's a two part question.
I want to know if like those adjectives.
Because I cannot remember what adjectiveswe would use with your first rebrand.
Mica (22:07):
I can't remember either.
Amanda (22:09):
But I want to know, how have those adjectives helped to connect you or shift
you towards that target audience that youare wanting to target with your rebrand?
And how or why was that,that rebrand important to try
to reach the new audience?
Mica (22:27):
When Austin Food Guide first came out.
I was just really on the cusp ofdiscovering the kind of work I was
inspired by and the work that I liked.
Past professor, told us, I can teachyou how to be a photographer, but your
style is what's going to define you.
No matter what trends happen, yourstyle will stay the same, but you
(22:49):
can take whatever trend is out thereAnd you can adjust it to your style.
So people will know thisis so and so's work.
We all know what AnnieLeibovitz's work looks like.
We all know when we see a DavidLaChapelle, we know that's who they are.
And I didn't have that when I graduatedschool, I was still just trying to
take pretty pictures, but they weren'tdefinitively, this is a Mica McCook.
(23:12):
I am a theatrical, timeless,flavorful food photographer, and I
love color, and I'm all about color.
I know who I am as a photographer now.
I know who I want to work with.
I know what work excites me.
I had to realize that Austin FoodGuide did exactly what it was
supposed to do when it first launched.
(23:33):
I wanted to go from making300 to 5, 000 per shoot.
I did that.
Now, I want to go from making 5, pershoot to 25, 000, like 50, 000, like
those are the type of budgets that Iwant to get and in order to attract that,
I need to put out a brand that showsthat they're going to get that with me.
Amanda (23:56):
Because even though you know that you're worth that, they
don't, and your website and yourbrand is your first impression.
My brand and website does themajority of the selling for me,
and people are more primed to buy.
Mica (24:06):
I want to ask you, we're going back to the rebrand.
What's been the most eye opening,surprising part of this process?
Amanda (24:15):
This one might actually surprise you.
I hired a mentor a month or two ago.
And she works with sevenand eight figure businesses.
And she's one of those people where Ifelt like I have been a really big fish
in a small pond for a really long time.
(24:35):
For the first time in a long timeafter talking with her, I felt like
a really small fish in a large ocean.
And she casually drops this bombwhile we are talking on a call.
This was like a mic drop moment and shedidn't even know because she just kept
(24:56):
carrying on and I was like grabbinga pen trying to write this down.
She goes, the business can onlygrow as fast as the leader evolves.
Mica (25:05):
Ooh.
Amanda (25:06):
I know.
And whenever she, I know whenever shesaid that I went like, you know, whenever
you get a church service and like thepreacher says like a really good verse
or something, I literally on the call,I was like, like, let me grab my pen
and she just casually kept on talking.
And that to me was like a reallybig, lightbulb moment of yeah,
(25:28):
we are continuing to evolve.
Maybe I have been at this ceiling fora really long time, but the reason why
I can't break through this ceiling isbecause I'm not intentionally evolving and
stepping out and doing anything different.
And so that was like the one thing that'sreally, maybe not surprise me, but it
(25:52):
was one of those gut punch moments.
Mica (25:55):
And you just said something, intentional evolving that,
because so many of us, we treat evolvementas like this organic thing that's, the
wind is blowing and then I evolved.
And it's no, to take control of yourlife, of your, whatever your circumstances
(26:19):
is saying, this is who I am now, butI don't want to always be this way.
So I'm going to do the work that I needto do in order to get to point C or D,
or whatever point that you're tryingto get to I'm going to use that word
forever now, intentional involving.
I like that very much.
Amanda (26:38):
And you might feel the same way.
Cause like I said, I feel like we'rein very similar stages and we have been
for a while that another little nuggetthat I want to tell our listeners is
whenever you're in that in between whereyou've built up a business, like you
are successful in where you're at, butyou're also building for that next step.
(27:00):
So like for CLD right now, we're managing40 something projects at one time.
But I'm also like, okay, I wantto continue on in, build something
bigger and greater and serve,bigger budgets, bigger clients.
There's this really hard part in thejourney to where you feel like you're
straddling two different things atone time and you're trying to keep 18
(27:23):
different plates in the air and it's hard.
But I know from doing this originallyin 2021, that there is a messy middle
to where you feel like you're beingpulled in two different directions.
And you're trying to maintain almost twodifferent businesses at the same time
to where you feel like you really arerunning a marathon and you're like I feel
(27:44):
like I'm putting in all this work, I'mputting in all this extra time and energy
and I'm not seeing anything from it.
But stick with it, because you will.
I literally had to remindmyself of this morning.
I was like, I feel like I've, if I addanother more, like one more thing to my
calendar, I might have a mental breakdown.
But I'm like, this is only for a season.
(28:06):
You're going to see thefruits of your labor.
Just stick with it.
I want to know what is, what's nextfor your brand after launching?
Mica (28:15):
I have all of these crazy ideas of like what I want to do.
But the main goal is I really wantto get an agency, a photo rep.
I would love to continuegrowing a Savory Shot.
More than anything, I'm justgoing to be stepping in front
of the camera, so to speak.
My name is plastered oneverything at this point.
(28:38):
I've hidden behind Austin FoodGuide for so long that I've just
grown comfortable being in the back.
And I'm putting this out here,cause I think I have potential.
I want to be on the show, Nailed It.
My mother in law and one of my bestfriends gifted me with all of these
crazy Harry Potter baking books.
One of them is a gingerbread castleand i'm like I could so do that.
(29:02):
So I'm putting it out there.
I want to be on Nailed It.
I just need to submit my video and maythe producers that produce Nailed It, see
magic over here and have me on their show.
I think I would be pretty bomb on it.
Amanda (29:18):
While we're putting things out there, if the producers of
Survivor are watching this show,
I have submitted an applicationthree times, and think that
I should be on Survivor.
Mica (29:33):
We got Survivor Put us on, we would be fantastic to be on the show.
So yeah.
So as a designer, as a strategist,you're working with high end businesses.
What is one lesson that you'velearned with working with luxury
brands that can apply to allbusinesses, no matter what their size?
Amanda (29:57):
That's a good question.
I think that's something I haverealized this year after, CLD
has been around, we have turnedeight in February, so seven years.
And I think more so this year thanany other year, I have realized
that your network is your net worth.
(30:20):
Putting time and energy into relationshipsand building them up and even if
you think that, oh, this person,can't help my business or whatever,
I don't see the immediate fruit ofwhat this relationship could do.
That it always comes back around.
There are so many times where Imeet somebody and, they're like,
(30:41):
oh, I'm a roofer and I'm like, Idon't know how I can help you.
But then something will end up happening.
I'm like, oh, I know this person.
And so really, especially as youget into high end businesses and
you get into luxury, it is all aboutthe connections and who you know.
Something that I wish I wouldhave taken more time to be more
(31:03):
intentional about putting energyinto thoughtful relationships.
And building up my network.
Mica (31:09):
Your answer reminds me of an interview I did with.
with Gerri, who she's a prop stylist basedin New York and I had her on as a guest.
When I was doing my research,couldn't find anything on her.
Like I had to go into Wayback Machineand type in her name and I found some
random website from 2008 that listedsome interesting tidbits about her.
(31:32):
The reason why I wanted her on the showis because every photographer and food
stylist and other prop stylists that Italked to that was based in New York, they
all said, you need to interview Gerri.
She really emphasized herrelationships and her network.
Like you can't, you, she has her Instagramand that's it, but she is constantly.
(31:55):
busy.
She's got shoot after shoot booked andit's because she'd spend so much time
fostering her relationships And she likereally drove it into me to like really
care about your relationships and treatthem like you would a little bird's egg
a little chicken egg that you're waitingfor it to hatch like you've got to be
(32:16):
really coveted with it and I'm like dang.
She's right.
What is next after your rebrand?
Amanda (32:24):
Man so we are moving to a full scale digital marketing agency.
One of the biggest things is that youhad to go through our rebranding process
in order to work with us on marketing.
I closed our marketing doors becauseI kept getting inquiries from
clients and I'm like, you don't havea brand, you don't have a website.
Like I'm not allowing you to wasteyour money with us because it's
(32:45):
just not going to be fruitful.
As we are pivoting to workingwith hospitality groups, interior
designers, real estate developers.
These businesses that already have awell established brand and website.
Where we can also just come in andpartner with them on their marketing and
strategic plans and campaigns and I havesomebody on our team right now that is
(33:08):
getting mentored in actually learningabout brand photography and videography.
It's what she went to school forbut she, sold all of her equipment,
five, 10 years ago, and now she'shaving to like relearn the industry.
And being able to have a team that, Hey,if you need a photo shoot done for a
campaign, we can go and we can fly outthere and we can get all the content.
(33:31):
Moving into just that full scalemarketing agency to where we're the
ones dealing with, companies with 10,20 million plus in putting in bids.
Even currently right now, like Iprobably 10 percent of my job is
actually designing now as being the CEO.
I just don't get to do a lot of it.
And I'm okay with that because Ireally, we have a uber, a talented
(33:55):
team, like even more so than me.
I'm like, man, I have surroundedmyself with amazingly talented people.
But I enjoy the business aspect of it.
And for a long time, we were servingclients who were very much so creative
and they didn't know the first thingabout business And I want to talk to
(34:18):
people on a business level and so Ithink that's what I'm most excited
about is getting to serve people whoare business owners first and maybe
creative secondly, instead of vice versa.
Mica (34:32):
Business person first, creative second.
Do you think those are interchangeableor are you either one or the other?
Amanda (34:41):
They can be interchangeable from like day to day, but I think
from like an high overview standpoint,if I had to choose business or
creative, I'd probably sway a littlebit more to the business side.
But if I'm designing a website, thenI'm like, you know, I love doing it
and I'll swing all the way creative.
But if I had to choose one or the other,like, I like the strategic thinking,
(35:03):
the building out campaigns, the whatare brand activations that we can do?
I really enjoy that side of it.
So if I had to choose, I wouldswing on the business side, and
I think that's for everybody.
You either swing one way or another.
Like, you may love both, but if you hadto choose one, which one would it be?
Mica (35:21):
You mentioned that you have this wonderful team,
and that your team is bomb.
Like I, I sometimes wonderif am I messaging too much?
And I've never got anyimpression that I wasn't.
Has there been any difficulties withstepping away from the creative side?
And if so, what's made it easier to do so?
Amanda (35:41):
There's not been any difficulties because being the CEO, I can decide where
I want to step in for the most part.
If there's a project, I'm like, okay I'mjust aligning myself to that project.
So that's one of the greatest giftsof being the CEO is I get to decide,
like, where I'm going to step in.
It may have been harder if I didn'tfeel like the team was as talented
(36:02):
that they are, and I couldn't trustthem, but a lot of the times they come
back with designs and I'm like, wow.
That is ten times betterthan what I could have done.
Mica (36:13):
Shout out to your amazing team.
Amanda (36:17):
Yes, they get all the credit.
Mica (36:19):
My last question for you is what would you say to a listener
who is either considering a rebrandor considering branding altogether?
And they're struggling with that decision.
What would you say to them topush them over the threshold?
Amanda (36:38):
This might be a, a cop out answer, but I would love to hear it.
Because I'm not going to answer,I'm going to put it on you.
What would you say?
That would push somebody over the edgewhat has been like the number one,
ROI or takeaway from finally becauseit is I tell my clients all the time.
It's a trust fall because you'reputting money into the machine and
(37:03):
you're hoping that more money comesout of the machine, essentially.
And sometimes it's a delayed, likeyou have to wait for the brand to
launch and for you to start marketing.
And so it's not, Oh, okay I'm goingto give you a dollar and I'm going
to get to you back right away.
I would love to hear what you wouldthink would push somebody over the
edge, especially for your type ofaudience that listens to the podcasts.
Mica (37:25):
I like what you did there.
My husband and I were actuallytalking about this a while ago.
Write a couple of things downof what you think is holding you
back from being on the other sideand really be objective about it.
These are just real objective answers.
And once you have like this longlist of all the things that are.
(37:47):
in your eyes holding you back fromwhere you want to be, you'll start
to realize that a lot of those thingsare things that could easily be
changed by a decision of rebranding.
Does your website match thework that you represent?
If it just doesn't representyou, then that's where you're
at, it's time to do it.
(38:09):
Get excited about what couldcome of it and go from there.
So that's what I would say to someone.
Amanda (38:14):
There you go.
You heard it first from Mica.
Mica (38:17):
I want to thank you so much for.
being on the show and forletting me be on your show.
I had such a good time.
Amanda (38:24):
I know this has been so much fun.
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