Yesterday, I spent a couple of hours in the evening editing a business profile shot of mine. The photo shoot didn’t go too well, as I was sick with a head cold, so I was editing the exposure to put me in the “friendliest light,” and reduce the redness of my swollen nose and eyes.
After the edits, I was pretty proud of myself and went to show it off to Stacey. The second she put the baby down and came over to look at my photo, I realized it was all wrong. Absolutely, all wrong!
The edits were fine, the way it came out for my website was fine, the content and the smile on my face was not fine.
I was wearing a suit and tie, as recommended by various business professionals – I need to make sure that I “look professional.” The problem is that I am not a suit and tie guy. Everyone who knows me knows this. When I sit down with a client over coffee, they know this, and are fine with it. I should not be coming across as anything other than what I am.
In a day where people are paying for authenticity and trust more than anything else, I need to make sure that my personality really shines through whatever images I am putting out there. Showing a picture of myself with a head cold wearing a suit and tie is not going to say, “Hey, this is me at my best.”
In the end, I chose a more friendly picture where I am smiling and Stacey is trying to get in the screen, too. This is more my personality, my values, my priorities – family, friends, fun, me. This is what I should show my clients – I am a happy guy, an enthusiastic, fun personality, enjoyable character that can help you make change in your business.
So, here’s the picture I ended up going with (with some minor tweaks):
