Personal Branding: Meet Nicole
Nicole is a professional pastry chef who reached out to me as she was redesigning her website. I had actually worked with Nicole the year before as she was my wedding cake designer and did an incredible job hauling a gorgeous cake through the Sierras for our Yosemite destination wedding. So, when she asked me to help her rebrand, I was thrilled to work with her again and knowing there may cake involved was icing on the cake (sorry - I can’t resist a good pun!)
Like all personal branding clients, we started with a chat about who her ideal client was and why she wanted to rebrand. Through this chat I learned that while Nicole is a head chef for a well known bakery chain in the Los Angeles area during the day, on her nights and weekends she dreams of working for clients that value artistic, “out of the box” desserts. Her desire to reach clients that are interested in unique artisanal foods spawned the idea that we should choose a location with street art as her backdrop. This vibe would connect with clients who appreciate art, particularly outside of its traditional venues.
With an idea in mind we then set off on researching street art all over Los Angeles County. We probably sent one another over 50 different pictures of murals that were all great so we were left with how to narrow the options. Focusing on her artistic skills and her need to incorporate a pink logo, we agreed on the mural by Risk Rock as it has the perfect pop of color and a painting aesthetic.
Once we knew where we were shooting, we discussed wardrobe. Together we planned outfits and jewelry that would work with the location and her branding. We decided an apron was the perfect accessory and Nicole managed to find someone that custom made her one in her logo colors with adorable ruffle trim adding to her artisanal message.
On the day of the shoot Nicole made a beautiful cake to match our location and had a talented friend custom make her topper with her business name to match. It all came together so perfectly! The hardest part for Nicole was choosing which image was her favorite – she selected 16 pictures. Oh, and the Guinness chocolate cake? Delicious.
I'd love to know who is your target client and how can I help you reach your dream customer through a personal branding portrait session.