Laura Kåmark [00:00:01]:
Hey, everyone. Welcome to the Be Bold Make Waves podcast, a show bringing you inspiring stories of women who are growing and scaling their business. I’m your host, Laura Kåmark, a website and tech integration specialist who works with online business donors who love their work and not their website. Join me as we have incredible conversations about business, mindset, productivity, and, of course, the website and tech behind the business. Let’s go ahead and dive in to this week’s episode. Hello, and welcome to this week’s show. For those of you who don’t already know me, I’m Laura Kåmark, sales funnel evergreen systems expert who works with coaches consultants who are ready to level up and simplify their business. I’m so excited to introduce you to my guest today.
Laura Kåmark [00:00:51]:
Jean Coelho is a corporate graphic designer turned creative entrepreneur who has helped hundreds of women solopreneurs confidently plan, design, and market their work from anywhere businesses online. After the sudden death of her brother-in-law 2 years ago, Her passion for her brand design business disappeared. She knew it was time to make a change. So with the heavy stages of grief behind her, she cofounded Nuvelle Brand Photography with her daughter, Catherine. They have carved a niche as location first photographers for beautifully branded image libraries for effective online content creation. The passion is back, and they are sharing it with other women owned brands and businesses. Jean, thank you so much for coming on the show today. Can you tell us a little bit more about your background story on how all this got going?
Jean Coelho [00:01:42]:
Well, that was a mouthful hearing it back. I was like, wow. You did really good, because that was a lot. I was a Trained graphic designer, and so I went to graphic design school and got certified in the mid nineties. And so, my parents actually they didn’t encourage me in life, and they basically said I wouldn’t make any money as an artist because I’m classically trained as an artist. I could draw you perfectly, and I just love I loved art. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and and go to design school. So, I worked in San Francisco Go in LA in different Fortune 500 companies in their marketing departments and then went to a reunion in 97, and I met my husband at the reunion.
Jean Coelho [00:02:38]:
So once we dated for a couple years, we got married in Napa, And then, we moved down to a small dairy town in Central California, and it was the biggest shock of my life because I loved taking the BART into the city and going I worked at I did design for Bank of America, Wells Fargo, like, wherever they would send me. So I had to transition to work at home designer, and there was no handbook. And back in 2001 or 2002, they just had business in a box. So if you wanted to do an online business, the only resource you had was this business in a box. And so, as I started having kids, and things changed, of course, in what we do. Everything evolves, and there’s no warning. So As you you know, the longer you work, I mean, change is inevitable. So I I joke that I was Online before the Internet actually turned their lights on because, I I don’t remember when I I just started I saw Facebook, and I saw Twitter.
Jean Coelho [00:03:59]:
And I I always join these things before I was ready because I thought I just I I I don’t know. Is that is there an entrepreneurial gene? Because I feel like people who are entrepreneurs, they they do things that even they don’t understand.
Laura Kåmark [00:04:16]:
Yeah. I feel like one of the biggest things is, like, the difference I see between, like, the perfectionists and the ones who are willing to do it messy and just put it out there and go. Those are the people who move a lot faster and get where they’re trying to go a lot quicker because They just go and do it before they’re ready, before just like what you’re saying. Like, before you’re ready and you know what it’s gonna do and how it’s gonna help your business. Like, you just Trust that going forward and taking a chance can help you get to your goals.
Jean Coelho [00:04:46]:
And and, like, with what you do, I started an email list before I knew what a sales funnel was, or, you know, like, I you’re just supposed to get back then, it was just get people into your list. And, I don’t even think Jenna Kuchar was big back then. I I wanna say Amy Porterfield, and There was the other there was another lady back in the mid 2000, and thank goodness for those people, those trailblazers, because I always felt like there was something more and better, and so, they really helped me, in this small, stinky corner of Central California. I mean, you couldn’t because they they shake the walnut trees certain times of the year, and so then the flies will literally just stick to your front door. And so with the dairies and and That and then cotton was big is big. So we’ve since moved. We’re about an hour away from Yosemite now. Okay.
Jean Coelho [00:05:49]:
And, So, anyway, that’s so it’s just evolved. And so for 23 years, I was a brand designer. And After a lot of word-of-mouth referrals and just taking any business, I’ve done, flooring companies. I helped design the branding for a woman that made, bras for women recovering from breast surgery with cancer. And, she actually was, arrested for defrauding insurance companies, And, I was the one that made her website. So I’m sure when they were going in the way back machine, they were looking at that website. Oh, wow. Yeah.
Jean Coelho [00:06:36]:
So, I mean, there were just all kinds. And, as time went on, I just found that I understood other women owned businesses, especially mompreneurs. Everyone calls themselves something different. But, when you’re working and you’re kind of making things up as you go and, Trying not to buy really expensive courses that aren’t gonna help you, and raising your kids. There there’s a different marketing plan for that, and I loved that because I learned everything on Google while my kids snapped.
Laura Kåmark [00:07:21]:
Yes. I can relate to that so much. My Kids are this is the 1st year for me that they are both in the same school at the same time, and I actually have 5 days a week Where I can work on my business, and this just started in August of last year. And I’m like, this is a whole new phase of my business. I actually feel like,
Jean Coelho [00:07:42]:
Right.
Laura Kåmark [00:07:42]:
I’m able to commit to more time with it because before it’s been you know, I spent so many years of just, like, the nap time hustle of okay. I have maybe 20 minutes. How How much can I get done right now? And so
Jean Coelho [00:07:54]:
Don’t you feel like you’re treading you were treading water for all those years, and you were able to do it, but then, You know, like, there’s a time and season for everything, then now they’re in school, and you’re like, I can actually breathe and think Better.
Laura Kåmark [00:08:11]:
Yeah. It’s it’s it was a really interesting adjustment. Like, when they first started in August, and I was like, oh, Okay. I was so unproductive. I had all this time, and I was just, like, finding myself sitting here. Like, what am I supposed to do next? Like, I have I had too much time, and I couldn’t figure out a flow. And it took me about a month to really get into, like, okay. Now I got this figured out and how I’m gonna do it.
Laura Kåmark [00:08:36]:
And so it’s been amazing since then. I mean, right now, at the time of this recording is, Almost the end of January, and there’s this whole, like, email compliance thing happening. That’s a new thing coming that’s a new requirement’s coming out. Really?
Jean Coelho [00:08:49]:
I don’t even know about that.
Laura Kåmark [00:08:51]:
Oh my gosh. It’s been I it’s been a lot like the past month of, like, researching and learning and Finding out all the information and getting it all set up, and so and then making offers to, like, you know, reaching out to my maintenance clients. I’ve had some people that I’ve done it for that then have, like, Blasted out to their list, so I’ve had a lot of stuff going on with that. And even just with that, I was telling my husband the other night. I’m like, I wouldn’t have been able to do this if the kids weren’t Gone 5 days a week, and I know, like, right now also there’s big snowstorms. It doesn’t affect us in California. But everywhere else in the country, I’m hearing just all the moms are like, I can’t, Like, you know, the kids just went back to school, and now they’ve been home so much because of all these snow days. Like, it’s a it’s it’s a struggle to try to be able to do both that I know, like, when my Kids are home.
Laura Kåmark [00:09:38]:
I wanna be present with them. I’m not and I can’t get work done when they’re home.
Jean Coelho [00:09:44]:
No. No. It’s difficult. It’s really difficult. Well, I’m happy for you, and I wanna learn more about the email compliance stuff because I’m getting my my sales funnels and list going as we speak. So
Laura Kåmark [00:09:56]:
yeah. It’s there’s new requirements that effective I mean, it’s it’s like this elusive February thing that’s happening where they want just certain, validation records to be put in place. And so, basically, in the past and I should’ve done a podcast episode. I just literally I’m back to that place of, like, treading water.
Jean Coelho [00:10:12]:
No. You’re gonna need to.
Laura Kåmark [00:10:14]:
I’m treading water and trying to get it all done, and so there just hasn’t been a lot of time to do anything else. But, basically, what’s happening is in the past, who do you use for your email marketing? To who do you send through, like, ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit?
Jean Coelho [00:10:29]:
I used Flodesk when, Like, the last 3 years so when their beta came out
Laura Kåmark [00:10:36]:
Mhmm.
Jean Coelho [00:10:36]:
I jumped on that bandwagon, because they’re beautiful and appealed to me better. When I started doing digital products, and courses, I did ConvertKit, And it was too much for me. It was just too much. So in the Before that was Mailchimp.
Laura Kåmark [00:10:58]:
Oh, yeah.
Jean Coelho [00:10:59]:
Yeah. That was early. I think everyone is smart. They have a little badge. Everyone should have a little badge. I started with Mailchimp.
Laura Kåmark [00:11:07]:
I I got smart, and I I avoid Yeah. Stay away from the monkey. That’s what I always
Jean Coelho [00:11:11]:
tell people. Just avoid stay away from
Laura Kåmark [00:11:13]:
the monkey. So, basically, in the past, what’s been happening is when you send an email out to your list, Flodesk or ActiveCampaign or The Monkey will all be like, I vouch for Jean. I say she’s not a spammer. She is who she says she is, but you’re using their, like, domain authority. I know that’s, like, buzz Forty Yeah. You know, technical, but, like, they were vouching for you and saying, you’re not spamming people. Like, you are who you say you are.
Jean Coelho [00:11:38]:
And That’s going away? Is that going away? Is that going away?
Laura Kåmark [00:11:41]:
That is going away. And so then also something else that some people were able to do is you could have emailed from, like, Jean Coelho at Gmail dotcom instead of, like, hello at Yeah. Your domain name .com.
Jean Coelho [00:11:54]:
Right.
Laura Kåmark [00:11:54]:
Or, you know, something a domain branded email. That’s also going away. So now this is, again, something that was always kind of the best practice to set up, but not a lot of people did it. I know I didn’t do it for clients because To be honest, I didn’t really know much about it because it wasn’t something talked about, but it never come up. Now it’s been real buzzy, and it’s being talked about a lot more because of these new Regulations that, well, requirements, basically. And so Google and Yahoo came out last year, and we’re like, hey. We’re gonna tighten up restrictions because There’s a lot of spam. I mean, who okay.
Laura Kåmark [00:12:27]:
Raise a show of hands who has a Yahoo account that is full of spam. I’m like, I have, like, one of the ones like, my first ever email account that I still have, and I still can’t. Like, there’s still some things. I’m like, how do I get this to change the email? Because it just gets And so the the reason they’re doing this, it is a good thing. They’re trying to crack down on all the spam and all the junk that’s getting sent out on the daily to all of us. And, you know, there’s A lot of junk happening. They’re not, like, trying to hurt us little people who are, you know, emailing our list. They’re trying to do it from all around.
Laura Kåmark [00:12:59]:
And so now, basically, instead of, ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit, Flodesk, whoever saying, I can vouch for you, you’re not allowed to do that anymore, and you have to go put in specific records that get put into your DNS, sorry, buzzy, where you’re doing it.
Jean Coelho [00:13:12]:
To go into the DNS Mhmm.
Laura Kåmark [00:13:14]:
And put in specific records that you get that’s Because you in theory, you’re the only person who would have access to those records.
Jean Coelho [00:13:21]:
Exactly. So that shows you’re not a spammer.
Laura Kåmark [00:13:24]:
So it shows you are who you say you are, and the email is coming from you. And you go in and say, like, hey. I’m only gonna be sending emails from ConvertKit from Dubsado, from G Suite.
Jean Coelho [00:13:36]:
Mhmm.
Laura Kåmark [00:13:36]:
And those are the places I’m sending emails from. So as long as you see emails and they say they’re coming from me and they’re coming from these places that I put in the record, that I told you that I’m gonna be sending them from, then we’re good. And so it’s
Jean Coelho [00:13:47]:
just Would this apply to HoneyBook? I use HoneyBook. But HoneyBook kinda goes through Gmail, I wanna say.
Laura Kåmark [00:13:55]:
It depends on how, like, when there’s a setup. Yeah. It depends on how it’s set up. It also, like, are you sending from a domain email? Are you sending from an at Gmail email?
Jean Coelho [00:14:04]:
Right. So so it depends.
Laura Kåmark [00:14:05]:
There’s a lot of Different things that can depend. You kinda have to look at every different story.
Jean Coelho [00:14:09]:
Gonna check into that because that is new news. I did See that quickly, I think, in your Instagram yesterday. Yeah. And, I’ve I’m back on My son goes to Fresno State, and, I have a a we only have 1 car because even though they’re all driving age, We can’t get 3 cars, so I am still driving them. But I saw it in between drop off and pickup yesterday. Yeah.
Laura Kåmark [00:14:37]:
I need to put some more stuff together. And, again, like, I’m just like, I’d love
Jean Coelho [00:14:40]:
to do a blog episode or not. Actually, I’ll have you blog guest blog on mine. I would love to do that. Yeah. We we we need to do an interview anyway, but that would be really helpful for my audience as well.
Laura Kåmark [00:14:52]:
Yeah. Absolutely. Okay. So, yeah, that’s kinda what’s going on there. It’s been real interesting for me, but we can talk more about that later. I wanna talk more about you and your business and how you’re working with people now with the brand photography with your daughter and how what how are you helping the online entrepreneurs with their photos.
Jean Coelho [00:15:11]:
Okay. So, yeah. So we transitioned And, it was around this time last year, we were getting ready to launch. And so, we Want to help creative entrepreneurs, mompreneurs, you know, women owned businesses With the brand photography, but the camera part comes last. It’s the very last thing because Because of all the knowledge that I have and experience with the branding and brand strategy and online business, course creation, digital products, Etsy shop, YouTube, like, all those things that I’ve done for 23 years. I’m seeing that it really created the perfect business because of all of that. Because There are different types of photographers, and, not everyone specializes in Online business and definite ROI with the photography, because I understand what type of photography you would need for your website header because I I’ve created I used to design a WordPress, and then I went to Squarespace and I and I loved it. So I understand what is needed for that, and then if you don’t have a cohesive online presence, it affects, You know, trust and loyalty and that kind of stuff.
Jean Coelho [00:16:43]:
And I really am a firm believer that I mean, because I’ve lived it and you too, that just because you work From a small corner of the world in in a bedroom or a kitchen or a a laptop on your couch, whatever it is, That doesn’t mean you can’t market in an amazing way and speak to your audience. You just have to know how how to do it. And messaging is almost the death of every brand because it’s very difficult to do. And not everyone has The marketing budget to hire a copywriter. And and just like any expert, There’s so many people that don’t wanna invest in that because they don’t see the value in it. And so, but if you And it’s also a fear of finding and paying someone that isn’t going to give you, something that is gonna generate you more income. So for us, that is our goal. We are here to help you generate more income because we can tell your story in a way that’s More creative than you just, getting headshots with a paper background behind you and different blazer shots and headshots.
Jean Coelho [00:18:01]:
So, we cover all the bases that you need based on your revenue goals and the platforms that you use based on who your target audience is.
Laura Kåmark [00:18:14]:
Oh, I love that. I know for me, like, I have Some really great brand photos that I use for all the things. I had her do some flat lays, but I still sometimes, I’m like, man, I I struggle with finding, like, the images to use for other things, like, even just on my website because a lot of my flat lays, I really only have, like, a couple that are really different from the other ones. Like, there’s, You know, 5 that are kind of the same idea, but stuff moved around a little.
Jean Coelho [00:18:41]:
Right.
Laura Kåmark [00:18:41]:
How are how are you doing photos, like, remote, or do you or is it on-site?
Jean Coelho [00:18:47]:
Yeah. So we travel to wherever if if anyone wants us in United States and even Canada. We’ll travel. But, if it’s a product, then you can ship us your products. And then what we really What we really like to stand out as is, like you said, a location first photographer because your location will make or break The, photos. So and you want to have I mean, everyone imagines Having an image library that’s branded that is in your your Google Drive or whatever, and you just go in And you find, you know, your own it’s like your own subscription based folder, and so you can find the photos that would be perfect for Whatever your marketing is. And so, you know, like, Instagram ads or Facebook ads. I I love Instagram story ads because For $5 a day and you just need a more vertical image, you can start attracting your real audience.
Jean Coelho [00:19:57]:
And so In my head, every picture has dollar signs attached to it because it goes somewhere. Yeah. It it’s fit to go somewhere. So If you have products, then you send us your products. We, love food and especially, gluten free because we have celiac disease, my girls and I. And I didn’t know that we had celiac until my 16 year old daughter was diagnosed with it. And then when we went gluten free in the house and I tried to go out and eat at a restaurant the way I used to eat, I got sick. And, so yeah.
Jean Coelho [00:20:37]:
It’s it’s something that when we were Building out the business plan, we thought, you know, it would be really nice to niche down in a way. I mean, not completely niche down, but say that we provide clean beauty and, Clean products, and we love Purely Elizabeth. And, you know, there’s different brands that we use and love, and so that makes it So much easier to pitch. Like, I’m learning so much about pitching for photography because for so long, I was doing the same thing. I was doing design, and I had hundreds of blog posts. Getting rid of my my business before was called Sweet Bluebird, And getting rid of Sweet Bluebird’s website was I, like, I had to do this and then hit the button. Okay. Delete, not think about it because I had hundreds of blog posts.
Jean Coelho [00:21:35]:
I had a digital shop. I had courses, and I just I had to pull the plug on it, and it was it was one of the hardest things that I had to do.
Laura Kåmark [00:21:47]:
Oof. I Yeah. Yeah. That delete button, man. Yeah. Yeah. It’s it’s definitely anxiety fueling for sure.
Jean Coelho [00:21:57]:
So I think For people that work from home, the the selling and the pitching part is really difficult. And so what I would say is, You know, your photography will be the next step after Laura pitching. So when you’re ready to pitch, you need to have That image library so you feel confident with how your brand is perceived because, you know, you have to have a logo and existing brands because we have people come to us, and they don’t have anything. And, My branding side wants to provide that for them, but I’m like, nope. I can’t I can’t do that anymore. So, just finding Businesses that you align with makes the pitching more authentic and natural and successful. We have An appointment on Friday, a discovery call with a tea company that I’m so excited about. It’s organic, and they help with, different emotional things, And that just really connected with us.
Jean Coelho [00:23:01]:
And so and the conversation just started in Instagram. And, And so, that is the one thing I would say that authenticity all the way from the pitch To, your online presence is very important, so we help connect the dots.
Laura Kåmark [00:23:19]:
I love that. I know when I Finally, like, was ready to uplevel my business, and I went and got brand photos done. Because before, I mean, I had a nice one nice photo that I used that, like, my husband had taken and then someone I knew who used to be a photographer. She, like, did some magic to it, and I just used that for years. And then I was part of a brand shoot for a client that I worked with. And so we had done brand photos, and there was some that were just solo. We are allowed to use those, but they weren’t they didn’t feel like me. Like, they were her brand.
Laura Kåmark [00:23:50]:
Right. You know? There was, like, a brick background, a wall, and, like, They brought a blazer for me to wear, a white blazer. I’m like, I don’t own a blazer. I’m linen and, like, bare feet all
Jean Coelho [00:23:59]:
day long. Like, that’s that’s what
Laura Kåmark [00:24:01]:
I wear, and that’s me. And I know then when I was like, okay. I need to have my own brand photos done. And when I and I was stressing. I’m like, what am I gonna wear for shoes? I’m like, I don’t have shoes to wear. I don’t ever wear shoes. I’m like, I’m not gonna wear shoes because I don’t wear shoes. I’m barefoot right now.
Jean Coelho [00:24:17]:
Awesome. That’s so great. Yeah. That’s that’s the whole thing. And I think also because we are entrepreneurs and we always feel like we have to take the lead, It it that goes into the photography part. You’re like, I gotta figure out what I have to wear, and I have to figure out the location, and I have to figure all that. We are kind of a white glove service in that we guide you and walk you through, and you don’t have to feel like you do it alone. I mean, Working alone, I understand.
Jean Coelho [00:24:49]:
I just don’t want anyone to feel alone. And and the more you do, the less creative you’ll feel. So that’s that’s where we come in. So you wouldn’t have to worry about what you’re supposed to wear. We’ll give you wardrobe tips and location tips. There’s There’s this great, company called Home Studio List. Have you seen Home Studio List? So it’s home studio list .com. We use them Mostly because not every Airbnb will allow for commercial photography.
Jean Coelho [00:25:22]:
Mhmm. And so with home studio list, That is built into the contract. And so for legal reasons, it’s safe, and, they have gorgeous Styled homes that you just show up to. They charge by the hour. And, being in California, We have a good pick. There’s a lot to choose from, but they have them all over the country, and they even have some in Canada.
Laura Kåmark [00:25:47]:
Oh, that’s so cool. I’ll have to link that up in the show notes.
Jean Coelho [00:25:50]:
Yeah. Yeah. They’re great.
Laura Kåmark [00:25:52]:
So I wanna pivot a little bit and talk a little bit about tech Because I’m such a tech person, I love Yeah.
Jean Coelho [00:25:57]:
I love tech.
Laura Kåmark [00:25:58]:
Other people’s tech. What would you say are some of your favorite online tools for content creation?
Jean Coelho [00:26:05]:
Okay. Well, from start to finish. I guess if I was starting to create content, What I do is I like Trello because of the boards.
Laura Kåmark [00:26:21]:
Mhmm.
Jean Coelho [00:26:21]:
I know Laura is really good, and that that’s great for project management. But when I am feeling kind of overwhelmed and know I just need to start. If I just create a board that says brainstorm or, man I, sometimes I’ll just do Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and just to make the week, then I’m able to flesh it out. So, you can put images in there. You can put links in there. So I my first go to when I need to Besides paper, because it like, I mean, look. I have I love journals and calendars, and we We photograph these, so I have all these, but I have 3 more over there. So I love and I can I draw? So I, I love Putting pen to paper first.
Jean Coelho [00:27:12]:
Mhmm. But Trello, I’ve become more digital than I was because of just being on the computer so much. So Trello is my favorite place to start. And then if you can’t afford brand photography, there for free, there’s on splash.com. And then Canva, I would get the pro. That’s only $12 a month, And their photography has gotten so much better, so much. And then, so the the different levels, you know, free, Less expensive, a little more expensive but still doable is Elevate, and I’ll give you the link, my link to that, that is Shay Cochran, Graham Cochran’s wife, Shay. She has done this.
Jean Coelho [00:28:02]:
She used to be social squares, and now they have video that’s great for reels and they have, Imagery. So just for imagery, it’s 39 a month, which is doable. So you and you can you can set the filter so that You only get a certain group of colors. You could put beach in there. You could put wedding in there and just Do the keywords, and it will give you the images that you need. So if you wanna look high level but not hire a photographer yet, I love Eleve. There I that’s who I recommend.
Laura Kåmark [00:28:41]:
Oh, I haven’t heard of them, so I’m excited to see your one.
Jean Coelho [00:28:44]:
Check that out. Okay. See. They’re beautiful. They have all kinds, and there’s They just have the heart of a woman entrepreneur built into every image. So So from planning to the imagery, then back to Canva, I create Everything in Canva. I used to be an Adobe Illustrator and InDesign and Photoshop girl, and I haven’t really looked back. I use we use Lightroom, but I I create in Canva and love it.
Jean Coelho [00:29:18]:
And even their templates, they’re so much better now too.
Laura Kåmark [00:29:21]:
Yeah. They’ve come a long way.
Jean Coelho [00:29:23]:
Yep. And then for scheduling, if You are gonna schedule out your content. I love, and not many people talk about this, but I love Smarter Queue. Have you heard of Oh, okay. Yeah.
Laura Kåmark [00:29:37]:
I have heard of it. I I have not used SmartRQ. I’m using SocialBee.
Jean Coelho [00:29:42]:
Oh, I that’s newer, isn’t it? Is it newer?
Laura Kåmark [00:29:46]:
I don’t know. I don’t know when it came out. It was something that was recommended in another group that I’m in, and I saw it recommended a few different times. And so it was between that and Smarter Queue, and then It had a bee on it, so I went with that one because
Jean Coelho [00:29:56]:
My no. My daughter, Catherine, loves bees.
Laura Kåmark [00:29:59]:
I I like the bee. So So that’s why I went with them, and I I’ve been with them for almost a year now. I do put my I pre I schedule out my posts, and I have it set to repeat because I do create I’m a big fan of evergreen content. Yeah. Something that I really try to get set up for my clients as well. Once they’re, like, done with the website and then get their, like, foundational funnels in, like, the next step is starting to evergreen things because I feel like we’re all spending a lot of time, like, in this creation mode. And it’s really like, What we need to be doing is building relationships. And so if we can I mean, for a long time, I outsourced my Instagram, Because it Instagram always just was it was too much, but I want to show up consistently somewhere? So that was one of the first things I outsourced in my business as I hired Lizzie From wild feather coat to do my Instagram, and she did that for years.
Laura Kåmark [00:30:53]:
And then actually, like, I think in a week from now, she’s doing a whole New with her VIP day that she does, like, a 6 months worth of evergreen content. Yep.
Jean Coelho [00:31:02]:
That’s the best.
Laura Kåmark [00:31:03]:
And so she’s gonna kinda shake it up for me because I was just ready for something new and fresh. And I’m so excited about that because if I can have that, it’s one less thing on my plate that I need to, like, be thinking about in the back of my head of like, oh, I have to go post or do, You know, even just batching out the posting, like, if you can get it in a place where it’s able to, like, set it and run, and then you just have to post as things happen in life.
Jean Coelho [00:31:26]:
Yeah. No.
Laura Kåmark [00:31:27]:
A lot
Jean Coelho [00:31:28]:
less. And and repetition works. People you can show something over and over. That’s why I like because if you can’t post for a little bit, it will loop your best performing content. And, and when I had my digital shop, it it did the selling for me. And and sometimes I’d be like, oh, I haven’t posted for 2 weeks, and then I’m I’m still getting notifications that people are buying things. So it’s It’s good. But yeah.
Jean Coelho [00:32:00]:
I’ve tried all of them. I’ve tried, Hootsuite and Buffer and, I mean, Later And, gosh, there’s so many. Planoly. I don’t know if that’s more just Instagram, but I have tried them all. And I just always wanna find the one that gives me the most bang for my buck Mhmm. And isn’t isn’t a drain on my brain because there’s, you know, there’s just so many things. And then, like you said, we have Kids. We have 3 kids.
Jean Coelho [00:32:33]:
They they came in four and a half years, and so I I was not functioning completely. I wasn’t. And and and then life things pop up. So like you said, with With Evergreen, I am a huge supporter of that. I I second that strongly.
Laura Kåmark [00:32:57]:
Yeah. Because life happens, and you can’t always send that email that weekly email out. So if you know that you’re good, Your your email list is gonna get nurtured, and they’re gonna get offers made to them, and it’s it’s good content. Like Yeah. I mean, we don’t have any control when we email if I email someone right now, I have no control over when they’re gonna look at that email anyway. It might not be So they clean out their inbox in 2 months. Like, that happens. Or they’ll read it in a week.
Laura Kåmark [00:33:26]:
Like or they read it right now. Who knows? So to me, It’s valuable if it’s valuable when you’re writing it, it’s valuable as long as it’s, you know, not date specific, obviously. Right. But that’s I’m a huge proponent in setting that up for my clients so that they can focus on building relationships, going and being visible and filling the front end of the funnel so that they know with confidence. So because we talk so much about, like, build the list, build the list, build the list.
Jean Coelho [00:33:53]:
Mhmm. But
Laura Kåmark [00:33:53]:
once you build the list, if you don’t
Jean Coelho [00:33:55]:
You have to
Laura Kåmark [00:33:56]:
email the list Yeah. There’s there’s no point.
Jean Coelho [00:34:00]:
And so do a lot of your clients have blogs? Do they do they, point, Or do they pin? Like, do they use Pinterest to get traffic to the website and get the email list? Do you see that much?
Laura Kåmark [00:34:16]:
You know, the a lot of them, they’re not using those strategies. I have 1 client that we set up A couple years ago, we got her evergreen email sequence set up. She still needs to I think she’s on month 5 or 6, and the goal is to get to 12 months. And I believe she was Posting back to, like, past blog posts because she had a lot of past blog content. She does have some YouTube content that she I mean, we look I looked at her YouTube channel, and one of them, I’m like, you have a ton of views on this. Like, we need to be doing something with this.
Jean Coelho [00:34:44]:
Yeah. Yeah.
Laura Kåmark [00:34:46]:
But other than that, I mean, it’s just is that what she’s thinking? Maybe she is. Because I’m not I don’t write the emails for my clients. They either hire someone to do that or they write it themselves. I just go in and do the tech setup for all of that.
Jean Coelho [00:35:00]:
Okay.
Laura Kåmark [00:35:00]:
And then I know one of the other clients that I recently set it up for, she doesn’t have a lot of blog posts, but she just has a lot of Content in general. So there’s other things that she’s, you know, relating back to, and she’s telling a lot of stories, and she’s sending to, like, podcast episodes she’s been on and stuff like that. I know she has talked about doing a Pinterest strategy, but I think it’s just, like, you know, on all the things.
Jean Coelho [00:35:25]:
Yeah. Yeah. Pinterest I I embraced Pinterest for, this business, and it has really I think actually, LinkedIn is giving me the most track foot traffic right now, which I’m surprised because LinkedIn’s not my favorite. But, And then but Pinterest, you know, because I I started from nothing. I mean, my stats are like I’ve improved 6,006 100%. Because I just I wasn’t using it. But, the whole idea of just getting Things running smoothly, is is something that I encourage people to do. And because everyone has different personalities and and can handle doing things in a way Because of, I think, like, your upbringing and the amount of stress that you allow yourself to operate under.
Jean Coelho [00:36:27]:
And so the photo shoots that we do, we wanted we want to provide them for people that want an experience. You know, that You for your business, like, a lot of people, you’ve gone on these creative retreats or you you meet with other people, and they’re just So good for the soul and for your business, and and, also, it connects you all in a way that it Brings you business too because you want you only wanna hire people that you trust. Right? Yep. Absolutely. It’s basically like a mini creative treat because if you if you book a whole day, you know, we can we do the location scouting. We do the prop Recommendations, everything will fit the vibe of your brand. So, like, the other day, Catherine and I, on Monday, we went to Anthropologie Here in town, that one, we went there first because that fits more of the the vibe of our brand, kind of boho, quirky, Has some Laura, higher end and, colorful. I just really love that for our brand.
Jean Coelho [00:37:39]:
And then I have a lot of realtors that I have been talking to, and, Banana Republic, they actually have a free 45 minute personal stylist that will help you find clothes that work for you. And so, I’m I’m gonna be doing a blog post on that, but Banana Republic’s good for those that need the blazers and more, refined more refined professional look, which works for realtors. Trying to think what else. And then online, there’s ChickWish, or Is it Sheen or Shine? I don’t know how to say it. Those are cheaper, and they’re they’re have a different personality than what you would find in the store. So, yeah. So, anyway, I don’t know where I was going with that, but I guess all those resources. Yeah.
Jean Coelho [00:38:33]:
The the personality of everyone’s brand is different. And, really, once you connect with what that is and we help you Establish what that is, then it it really makes you feel relieved Because there’s so much that you’re like you said, you were stressing about having to wear shoes.
Laura Kåmark [00:38:57]:
Yeah. And, I mean, the confidence that I know I felt once I had all those photos of, like now I have This library to choose from, and I have but I can use for content creation, for my website, for for anything. And that It helps level up my business. It helped make me feel more confident. Like, it’s totally worth it. How often do you recommend that people, like redo their brand photos.
Jean Coelho [00:39:26]:
I think a good rule of thumb is about 6 months. However, in This world that we live in 6 months kinda goes by like a flash, but a year is fine. And so if If you want a great way like you said, if you have a, a good collection of images, maybe not an insane amount, but you have a good collection of images. Getting Elevate will help you pad those because you can find images that fit your brand that will just naturally go right into what you already have, and and it will definitely beef everything up.
Laura Kåmark [00:40:06]:
That’s good to know. Yeah. Because, I mean, I have a ton of photos. I think she gave me a 155 photos.
Jean Coelho [00:40:10]:
Yeah. Oh, that’s great.
Laura Kåmark [00:40:11]:
I have a lot of photos.
Jean Coelho [00:40:13]:
Uh-huh.
Laura Kåmark [00:40:14]:
She’s And
Jean Coelho [00:40:14]:
when did you do that? 2021. Oh. Yeah. So it’s been
Laura Kåmark [00:40:22]:
a little while, and I was like, Am I ready? I’m like, I don’t know what I would wear because I’m still wearing the same things. I’ve gotten, like, some new clothes, and I was like, oh, I should do a brand shoot because I got these little great, like, on brand outfits.
Jean Coelho [00:40:34]:
And Yeah. I’m still very They have some home studio lists in Ventura. I was looking. Actually, We know someone, Nicole, who’s in Canada, and I was I was telling her there is this beautiful place In Orange County, it’s in Lakewood, and, it is stunning. They have this, raw wood table outside that it’s rough. It’s It’s like from nature, and then they have these, you know, beautiful blown glass, Pendant lights in the kitchen. I mean, there’s not 1 spot in that house that isn’t beautiful, and so I was trying to entice her to come to Orange County. And she’s like I I go, it’s only about 15 minutes from Disneyland.
Jean Coelho [00:41:20]:
She goes, oh, please. It’s not gonna be too hard to twist my arm. Oh, actually. Oh my god.
Laura Kåmark [00:41:27]:
I’m gonna bug her about that one. Get behind
Jean Coelho [00:41:30]:
that. Yeah. Because we could and you can get together with other women to book The place. And so we can split it up. We actually were going to there’s a beautiful home in San Jose That that’s only about 2 and a half hours from us, and we were going to, in February, do a shoot and rent it for 8 hours And then make it a, like, a creative planning business day, and everyone would get an hour with my daughter, the photographer. And then When they weren’t getting their photos taken, we would be working on either maybe a Facebook ad strategy or something else. And then, we have a friend who does she’s a flower farmer, so we would have beautiful flowers. And so we were gonna do it in February, but, I actually I had COVID last July, and then in September, my right knee just blew up for no reason.
Jean Coelho [00:42:27]:
And I literally was in bed From September till right after Christmas. Oh. I couldn’t walk. And and I was thinking, you know, like, You start something. We we launched the business in June, and I was thinking, I’m I’m not gonna be able to walk. What am I gonna do? Do I do I have to pivot to all digital again? And it really was a hard time. And that was only a month ago when I came out of it. And now, I’m walking.
Jean Coelho [00:42:54]:
I just have to it seems like I’m getting better, so I don’t know if it was Long COVID or I don’t know what happened. Totally unexplainable. So I do have it on the radar. If anyone is interested in Having some kind of a day retreat like that, let me know because, we really do wanna do that. And, there’s Places so many places to choose from, but the San Jose one is on my radar, and then the Lakewood one is on my radar.
Laura Kåmark [00:43:24]:
Fun. Yeah. So I have we are getting close to our time. I could sit and talk to you all day. Like, this is so fun. Good. I have 1 question I ask everyone who comes on the podcast, And that is what is 1 piece of advice you would give to someone when they are growing and scaling their business that would help them be bolder, be louder, and make waves?
Jean Coelho [00:43:45]:
Wow. That’s a great question. I would say, actually, this is funny. When I was in the pickup line, I had a some things came to me, and I have this, Chipotle bag, so I wrote it on the bottom that there there’s Five things. So vision, planning, trial and error, trust, Timing, and then rinse and repeat. And, because I mean, timing is everything, and you you have a vision first. And so then you get the vision, you start planning, and And don’t be afraid to make mistakes and give yourself grace. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves.
Laura Kåmark [00:44:34]:
Mhmm.
Jean Coelho [00:44:35]:
And just like what happened me from September to December. I didn’t know how things were gonna turn out, and it was really difficult. So just Give yourself grace if you have a vision. I didn’t put any tissues here. But if you if you have a vision And you feel it in your gut and you can’t stop thinking about it, then start planning. Start the planning process. And don’t stop until you find your people, the people that you feel most comfortable working with and connecting with, and Don’t be afraid to socialize, like, on Instagram. This is how this interview was born, and I’m I’m so thankful.
Laura Kåmark [00:45:17]:
Oh, I love that. I think that is amazing advice and a great place for us to wrap this up. Jean Okay. Can you tell everyone where our listeners can find out more about you online where they can connect with you.
Jean Coelho [00:45:29]:
Yes. Our website is brand photography clovis ca.com, which if you’re trying to get a domain name, I recommend using your keywords and your location because that definitely helps people in your area find you. So that’s what we did. And I’m on Instagram. We’re Nuvelle Brand Photography, And we have a lot of bonuses up our sleeve right now. So if you call, we’ll find the one that fits you best. So, we like to do our our discovery calls on the phone because it’s less pressure. You don’t have to be on video, and, And it’s the most productive way.
Jean Coelho [00:46:09]:
And we have everything planned. We have questionnaires for everything, and we plan everything out. So, Those are the places that you can find us.
Laura Kåmark [00:46:19]:
I love that. I will link everything up in the show notes. Jean, thank you so much for coming on the show today. This was such a fun conversation.
Jean Coelho [00:46:27]:
Oh, thank you, Laura. I really appreciated it. Thanks for having me.
Laura Kåmark [00:46:33]:
Thanks so much for listening to this week’s episode. Be sure to check out the show notes at laurakamark.com/podcast. And if you’re ready to turn your website into a marketing machine, get more sales, save time, and simplify the back end of your business, Grab my free resource, power integrations for your website. Head on over to laurakamark.com/power. If you enjoyed today’s episode, make sure to subscribe. And, also, I’ll just love you forever if you leave me a review. It helps get this podcast in front of other people that can help inspire. Thanks so much for listening.
Laura Kåmark [00:47:10]:
I’ll see you next week. Bye now.
