maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:01:08

Nicole, thank you so much for joining me today on Take It Personally.

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:01:12

Hi, Maddie. Thank you so much for having me.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:01:16

I am so excited to chat with you today. Before we get started, go ahead and tell everyone who you are and what you do.

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:01:22

Okay. My name is Nicole Hodgson. I am a branding photographer living in Northern California, and I'm a mom of three and a wife to a hobby obsessed husband.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:01:35

Oh my gosh. I think we're living the same life. So tell me a little bit about some of the challenges that you were facing in your business before you came into rebrand. Before we actually before we started working together, because you had a little bit of a you came into behind the shot before you came into rebrand,

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:01:49

yes. So I actually started off my career as a marriage and family therapist, and I picked up a camera during Covid when I was pregnant with my second, and then probably how most of us moms got into photography. I ended up quitting that job and launching my photography business and mainly photographing families, which I loved. A lot of the moms that I photographed had their own businesses and they would ask me to do headshot or brain photography. And honestly, I was really hesitant because I didn't feel like I could fully do them justice. But back in December, I was listening to a photography podcast that I often listen to, and Maddie, you were on it and I was instantly like hooked. You have this you radiate such confidence and you were talking about your behind the shop program and probably talking about rebrand too. But I got stopped listening and I bought behind the shot and.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:02:47

gosh, that's cra you were listening to my friend Anime's

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:02:50

Yes.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:02:50

so I have to send her flowers.

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:02:52

Yes. And I, yes, and I love anime too. I love everything she does. And I binged behind the shot, and then a week later, someone reached out to me via DM and was like, do you do branding, photography? I'm launching a business. I was like, I feel like the stars are aligning. And so I ended up doing it and I loved it. I know my kids are gonna be seven, five, and three this year. I'm gonna have two that are gonna be in school full-time. And I have been looking at the writing on the wall for what I wanna do for my business. And I, working nights worked really well when they were young, but they are doing sports now and they have activities in there. They're gone away from me during the day and I don't wanna run off and do as many night sessions. I really wanna be around for all those things. And when I saw rebrand open, it really lit something up in me because I love education and I love learning from those that are really good at what they do. And I knew it was something that I feel could be a really good fit for me. To transition into doing more branding, photography.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:04:04

Yeah. Okay. I'm springing this question on you, but because you did behind the shot and then came into rebrand, people will often ask me like, what's the difference between the two? And I have an answer for that. But as someone who's been through both the course and the program, what would you tell them? Like what's the difference?

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:04:23

Ooh. I think behind the Shot is great as a self-paced course to really understand how to conduct a branding session. I feel like you give a lot of information on how everything from start to finish, it is all there. Rebrand, is this like ever evolving collaborative. Community. It's like a living, breathing like mastermind for branding photographers. I think you can get you, I feel like I got a lot of good information from rebrand, but af, or sorry, from Behind the Shot, but after taking that, it was like I wanted more and I knew I wanted to position myself differently and I feel like being part of rebrand is takes that on steroids. It gives you everything you need to truly position yourself as an elevated brand photographer in your area.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:05:20

Yes. I love that. That's very similar to how I describe it too. So I love that that's translating. But yeah, a hundred percent, like I want behind the shot to be able to be something that you take and like you learn how to do a start to finish portfolio building, brand session, and then when it comes to your brand and how you're positioned in your sales and your marketing and all of that stuff, like that's really what rebrand is for. And like you said, it's. Really living and breathing like we have this great community. The stuff in the vault is always changing, like it's just more dynamic in that way.

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:05:50

Yes I will admit I'm not someone that is like a huge, like always speaks up in group settings. I love learning from other people, and there is such diversity in the group that every time I come into the calls, you are always bringing in something new, a fresh idea. Everyone else is always bringing in these new ideas. I'm constantly jotting things down and I feel like I leave those calls feeling more confident in what I'm doing and have more clarity in what I'm doing. Whereas when I just take like a self-paced course, I think it's missing that how does this fit into a larger component of my business? Really like to level up and that's where I feel like being a part of rebrand. It's really like leveling up to this level that I knew I would wanna be at if that's how I'm gonna position myself.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:06:42

Yeah, I love to hear that. I have had such transformation myself in doing group programs and courses are wonderful. Like I've taken, I mean I've talked about like Caitlyn James's lighting and location course, like that changed how I shoot photography. Like

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:06:57

Yeah.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:06:58

But when you're really looking to improve your. Business, not just like your technical skills, but your business. I think group programs and like having a business coach is just so helpful.

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:07:09

A hundred percent. This is coming from someone that has also taken a lot of courses. I can say hands down it's already paid for itself and I've only just joined a couple months ago. It's been such a good investment in myself and in my business. And like I said, I'm only a couple months in.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:07:28

So talk a little bit about some of the specific things that you have done in your business since joining rebrand. What were some of the first things you did when you came in and then over the last couple of months.

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:07:39

Oh my gosh. I love so many things I love that I have implemented, but I think really starting to position myself as a brand photographer. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I didn't know if I wanted to continue to be dual positioned, but one thing that I had listened to and heard from a lot of the other members is. How, and from you, Maddie, how important it is to position yourself as a brand photographer. Like niching was something that I was really scary about, felt scared about doing, but having done that, I feel so good about the direction that I'm going in. So that I think was one of the more powerful things that I've done. I had reached out to a web designer because I knew I needed to redo my website. And initially she had we talked and she had suggested about just doing like a mini branding website. I sat on it and I thought about it and I was like, I just need to go all in. Like I know where I wanna go and I know what I want to do, and I know it's a bigger upfront investment. I need to do that now. I don't need to do a mini one and then wait. So I think it's really been the understanding and awareness of what a brand is, how important it is to position yourself. Yeah, doing the website, I'm now just doing my own little mini rebrand. I would say just the confidence that I have showing up online and in talking about my business that has changed. A lot. And I learned how to use flash, which I'm gonna be honest, I really loved touting myself as a natural light photographer because doing families, newborns I. I know natural light and I was really scared of using flash and it's I think it's almost become a non-negotiable when you're doing branding. So I learned how to do that. I feel like I've just really pushed myself in a lot of different areas that I didn't know that I was capable of and or that I really needed or wanted to. And I'm just feeling really confident. I feel like. Maddie, like I feel like confidence through osmosis being around you, but I feel like it's helped a lot in just overall so many areas of how I'm showing up in my business.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:09:51

Even though we have had so many amazing. Wins inside of rebrand with people booking like big sessions and cumulatively how much money that we've made with brand photography. Even though there's so many cool stories there. The biggest takeaway that people always talk about. going through rebrand is the transformation of confidence, and that's my favorite thing to hear because I think that comes with you. Like the more confident that you feel in life and in your business, the easier things will be, even when it's not easy, right? Like even when you're like, wow, this is really hard. But like I'm confident I believe in myself that I can figure it out.

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:10:27

A hundred percent. I also, another thing that I was thinking about when you were talking is doing discovery calls, getting on calls. I avoided that like the plague. I would never want to do it. Your framework and like what you, we've talked about in the calls. I have gotten on a couple calls. I got on one today. Pitch my largest package and looks like she's gonna book it. And I would not have felt confident doing that six months ago, by any means. I never have done that with a family photography client. But I feel almost like it's necessary to do it in branding because I feel like. You really get to know who you're working with, and you can really display your value in a way that helps them see how strategic and intentional that I am. And I think it really sets you apart from other people that are potentially doing it in the industry.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:11:21

I think discovery calls are something that a lot of brand photographers are sleeping on, and a well run discovery call can close a client like so much more easily than you think. I was the same way. I hated, like when I was doing weddings, I was like I'm not calling you like, I'm sorry. I'll not be doing that, but I agree. Like with brand photography, I'm like, no, we really. There are a few instances where I won't do call. I do like I give the client the option, but nine times outta 10 they wanna get on a call too. Just by asking the proper questions, it gets your client's wheels turning. And there have been people who have come into the rebrand Slack channel and said oh my gosh, I got off this call. And my client was like, oh, I hadn't thought of it like that. Like I hadn't considered that. Nobody else asked me that question. And then they end up booking the session because they're, the potential client is oh, like this person really knows their stuff.

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:12:16

Yeah. I felt like even on the call today, for me, it gets my creative juices going as well because I can envision what they want and I can like the same, I can ask the questions, I can suggest things, I can share ideas that I'm even having while on the call with them, and I think it gives. Because I love, I really want, when I come into a session, I really want them to feel seen. I really want them to feel understood. I want them to feel like someone understands their vision and that they're gonna be happy with the images. And I really do feel like those call, like getting on calls and having the confidence to do it, I feel like makes everything that comes after like flow so much better too.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:12:59

Don't you feel like there's so much more trust being built up front too? Like I think that's also why things are easier, because that build like the, just the act of the discovery call and asking the right questions builds so much trust.

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:13:13

Yes. And I think with like I love social media and I love engaging on social media, but what I have found, even when doing, working with families is once I meet them. Like we are able to connect and click in such a different way. So even being able to get on the phone zoom I feel like for me that's an easier way for me to connect with people too. And I feel it from the clients that I work with. So I definitely agree with you.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:13:40

I have in front of me, did you know you've made like 60, let me, $6,500 in additional income with brand photography in just a couple of months?

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:13:52

I love your little trackers because,

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:13:55

I am obsessed with the tracker. I check it like I check my Instagram.

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:13:59

I love it too. And I love getting the emails because it tells me.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:14:03

Like you said, you've only been in the group for a couple of months and just like $6,500 in additional income is so killer, so obviously that's awesome. You've booked some like really impressive sessions. Besides some of the more like measurable results, how has working together changed your approach to business? You talked a little bit about confidence being a big piece of it.

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:14:25

Oh, confidence. My mindset. I've really done some like deep dives lately. Also on like money mindset because I realized as, I'll be honest with doing family photography, I've taken education from the beginning, so I've never been like one of the cheaper photographers, I've always tried to charge to be profitable. I feel like with doing branding, photography, your ability to charge more and to offer more like a VIP half day package, versus when I was doing families. Personally, I love seeing women be able to charge more and I love being in the group and seeing like the wins and seeing women say, I just booked this package. I was able to land this. It's given me like the awareness of something that deeper. I wanted to work on a little bit more. To also get to that level because I know it's something that I know I am capable of as well. So I know I keep saying confidence, but I really do feel like it's given me so much confidence to look at so many aspects of myself and my business. And and then on another note. Being strategic and being, and fully understanding more how to market like myself and my my business and personal branding, how valuable that is, not only for me, but the businesses that I'm working for. For me, having other women be successful is very powerful. So knowing that I'm able to help them and. Brand photography is a tool to do that, but also share with them what I'm learning so that they can level up their businesses as well. I love all that and I feel like I've gotten all of that and more through being a part of rebrand.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:16:14

Being a brand photographer is so cool because it's very meta because as you are working on your business. You can get better at helping other people's businesses, and that's just like the coolest feeling.

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:16:25

Yes. Yes. And I have also something that I didn't really do as much. I collaborated met a lot of other photographers, but I love also now meeting other people in similar went to coffee with a social media manager. Meeting other people that are, that we can collaborate with in the industry and like the crossover. That has been really cool as well. I. And that's just not something I ever thought of doing before joining rebrand. I just feel like the ideas are constantly, like they're just popping up all the time, all these cool things to do. And we went on vacation recently too, and we're at this like really cool resort, which I've been to so many times, but. I was like there, like you see branding in a different way even when you're on vacation. How a resort brands themselves, you know how different businesses brand themselves. It's just seeing things through a different eye. But I really love it. I feel like my mind was a little bit built for that too.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:17:27

Totally. Oh, I'm sure it was. I think that's true for a lot of us as brand photographers. Yeah. I love that. I totally relate to that. Being able to see it reminds me of, I don't know who said this, probably someone on Instagram, but like the idea that like everything is content. I think that that is so. especially as branch photographers. 'cause everywhere you go in every business that you interact with, there's like some sort of branding runs through it. And I don't know, I guess I don't know what I'm trying to say. Like I, as you see how other businesses do what they do, it makes you better. It gets your brain working in a new way. I don't know. I just, I love our job. We have the best job.

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:18:08

Yes. Yes. Mary Meta. Yeah.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:18:12

Yes, very meta. What would you say to either a past version of Nicole or someone who is considering coming into rebrand and wondering if it's right for them?

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:18:21

I would say that if you had this gentle nudge to get into branding, photography, I would say joining is. Is the best decision that you can make because you'll not only learn about branding photography, but you'll learn how to basically elevate and market your own brand in what you're doing. I think you'll walk away with so much information, so many new ideas. I did have another photographer friend of mine reach out and ask, and she joined. And I basically told her, because she's in the same boat as me, she's, she has, her kids are super busy, they're doing a bunch of sports and she loves doing families, but she knows like she wants to make some shifts. And I told her. Joining this program is not only gonna grow, like if you want to get into branding, you'll gain that clarity. You are gonna learn so much, even how to market for your own family photography work. Regardless, you will grow as a lot as a photographer. You're gonna gain confidence and you can do branding. You can decide how you wanna position yourself, but I don't think you will regret joining this program. I'm like, it's a year long. So much can change in a year, and by joining, I think you'll gain that clarity over time and being a part of it. Honestly, it's a hundred percent worth it. And I'm glad I joined at the time that I did. I think it was like the best like inflection point to join. I'm just really glad that I did and did not pass on it and just think that maybe I could try to do it again in the future. I think sometimes I've learned about myself is I guess sometimes I have to just strike while the iron is hot and go for it. And I know that I will learn along the way. It being a year long was what really sold me because I knew that over the course of that year, I could make a lot of intentional decisions and choices, and I didn't feel like I had to make this huge change in three months, and then the support was going to be gone. So the year mark was really important for me, and I knew that's what ultimately sold me on it.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:20:25

Yeah, totally. I love that too. 'cause I would have I've told this story before, but so often, like when I was running 16 week cohorts, people would come back and send me texts or send me dms and be like, oh, like I had this awesome win and it's because of what I learned in rebrand or I have this question and I wish that I was still in rebrand. And I was like, gosh, yeah, o obviously you can't necessarily have a program that goes on forever, but like business is gonna keep happening. Three months is a really short amount of time and I think, or four months or whatever it, having it be a year, there's so much more. It feels so much easier than being like, oh my gosh, I have to cram everything into four months. And what if I don't? And what if I freeze? And with a year you're like, oh, okay, I can lean back a little bit and take this at my own pace.

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:21:10

Yes. And that's, and for me that's really important because I know I was making a big pivot. I didn't come in as a brand photographer. I was coming in, doing something else and knowing that I was going to be making a very intentional change in the future, I wanted to do it right. I wanted to make choices along the way that really aligned with what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go. And I also feel like on the call, one of the things I really loved was, I think it was one of the quarterly calls when a lot of the rebrands that had hit a certain income threshold for, I'm.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:21:45

Yes, when they've booked $10,000 worth of brand photography.

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:21:49

and we did like the the call with them and they were like on the panel. I feel like that was really helpful too, to be able to ask them and gain some insights from people that are, a few steps ahead and they were just right in your position and. I feel like there's a couple that I really identify with and I feel like it's really cool to see where they are and where they were a few months before that and the steps that they've taken. And I felt like that was a really big call for me too, to hear what they did with their website, how they position themselves from doing, from crossing over from families to doing branding. And that gave me the ultimate confidence to reach out to a web designer and just decide alright, I feel like I'm ready.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:22:35

Oh, that's so cool. I

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:22:37

Yeah.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:22:37

That was like the catalyst that made you, so what Nicole's talking about is we have inside rebrand, we have the On Brandand Club. So once you've booked $10,000 worth of brand photography, there's like kind of a quarterly mastermind. It's. Very informal, it's

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:22:51

Yeah.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:22:51

run. And the On-brand Club did a panel discussion on one of our weekly calls and everyone just got to ask them questions and just gotta ask people who are, like Nicole said, just a couple steps ahead of them, questions about their business. And I loved that call too. That was awesome. Oh, I

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:23:07

Yeah.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:23:07

that. That's great.

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:23:08

Yeah.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:23:08

Thank you so much for being here today. Thank you for being so generous with your time and for sharing your story. I actually, I've done I've had a few students on the podcast lately, and I've done a terrible job of asking this at the end of the episode, but I remembered today. So where can people find you if they wanna follow you?

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:23:24

Okay. On Instagram, I am at Nicole Hodgson Photography, and then on my website it's going to be going through a huge rebrand coming up, but it's www.nicolehodgsonphotography.com. If it's anytime soon, it's still gonna be my family site, but hopefully by this summer we'll have my new branding one up and running. I'm super excited.

maddie--she-her-_1_05-16-2025_150951: 00:23:50

Oh my gosh, I cannot wait to see it. Thank you so much.

nicole_1_05-16-2025_130951: 00:23:53

Thank you, Maddie.

undefined: 00:23:57

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