“All elements of your brand should be cohesive and not contradict each other.”
Meet Traci Habergham, a professional brand photographer covering West Yorkshire, UK. She helps new and established business owners strengthen their brand, raise their online presence and attract their ideal clients. She does this by providing stunning visual content aligned to their brand and personality. Brand photographs are a powerful tool and they can give any business that brand consistency and professional edge by telling your visual story and showcase what you do.
Brand photographs can be used in a variety of ways, from social media, websites through to marketing or anywhere you want to shout about your wins and successes.
Let’s learn a little about you and really get to experience what makes us tick – starting at our beginnings. Where did your story begin?
Traci Habergham: I’ve always been a creative character and enjoyed photography from a young age (I was always the annoying one with the camera and now own many embarrassing photographs covering the 80’s and 90’s fashion faux pas!). When I was young, photography wasn’t really looked on as a ‘profession’ as such and at that point in time, you were pushed to do more traditional jobs out there.
I started life working at a bank, I went to night college to learn Autocad (computer-aided design) and I had a great interest in building and architecture (my dad was a builder). I think there was an element of luck that I was placed within the property department where they designed the banks, long story short, I got the job of a junior, qualified as an architectural technologist, and worked in this field for 25 years!
I always had my trusty camera with me through this chapter of my life and did start to do more and more architectural photography. 2013 was a particularly hard year in my life when everything went wrong, this made me address what I was doing and I decided that this was the time to do what I wanted to do, photography. It was a now or never moment of which I have never looked back. I am also a people person so brand photography was also something I loved, people and learning about their businesses and how I can help them. Fast forward to 2021 and I’m loving every minute of it.
Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
Traci Habergham: I’m grateful to an amazing photographer trainer, Chris Chambers, whose year course was the start of my photography journey. I started his course back in 2013. The first day of the course was the day before my dad’s funeral, I nearly didn’t go as I wasn’t in the right mindset (I often wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t gone) but I did and soon found that photography helped me escape from life at that point in time. The more I learned, the more I found there was to learn, it’s a never-ending journey. Chris is a great technical person and great support when you’re starting your business and I still attend his courses now (as I said there’s always more to learn!). That is why photography is a passion as it’s ever-evolving, you’re ever-evolving and you push yourself to learn more and be the best you can.
What are the most common mistakes you see entrepreneurs make and what would you suggest they do?
Traci Habergham: I think it’s that when you launch, you think you have everything covered and that you’ll have clients queuing up for your services. This is something I very quickly learned isn’t the case! Also that your biggest advocates, as amazing as they are, are usually your family and friends who love everything you do, they’re great cheerleaders and at encouraging you but at the end of the day they’re not necessarily your ideal clients!
Marketing is key! Consistency is key! And let your audience get to know you so you build up that know, like, and trust factor. It’s only then you will start to attract your ideal clients. This is something that I always stress to my clients and yes, I practice what I preach. This is also an area that I help out with the brand photography services I offer.
Is there a particular podcast you listened to, or business thought leader that you find helpful while maneuvering this pandemic?
Traci Habergham: I wouldn’t say she’s a business thought leader but not far off! I did get a kick-ass business mentor, Gillian Devine, over the pandemic who helped transform me and my business. I spent the time doing everything that lived permanently on my ‘to do’ list, so now I have systems in place for absolutely everything and I’m ready for the return to normality which is slowly returning.
In your opinion, what makes your company stand out from the competition?
Traci Habergham: My magic powers of getting people in front of the camera who don’t want to be there!
I love when people say that they’re either very unphotogenic or hate having their photo taken, at the end of brand shoots usually they’re relaxed and actually enjoying themselves! That is one thing I pride myself on.
What do you consider are your strengths when dealing with staff workers, colleagues, senior management, and customers?
Traci Habergham: My strength is that I think that I can talk at anybody’s level. I’ve worked with CEOs and in a corporate world for so long that people don’t phase me, they may be a CEO or they may an administrator, at the end of the day they are all people. I think if you’re fair and right with people then that’s it really!
Being a CEO of the company, do you think that your personal brand reflects your company’s values?
Traci Habergham: YES YES YES!
Absolutely everything forms part of your personal brand, it’s the whole shebang put together that forms your brand! All elements of your brand should be cohesive and not contradict each other.
How would you define “leadership”?
Traci Habergham: Leadership is having a great leader who helps, inspires, leads, and teaches to help themselves and others achieve their objectives/goals.
What advice would you give to our younger readers that want to become entrepreneurs?
Traci Habergham: GO FOR IT! What is the worst that could happen? Do your research! If it doesn’t work out learn from the mistakes and remember it doesn’t mean that you can’t start again!
What’s your favorite “life lesson” quote and how has it affected your life?
Traci Habergham: ‘You can’t reason with an idiot’
This quote has always stuck with me. Everybody comes across people in life where it doesn’t matter what you do/say it wouldn’t be right. We’ve all been there when somebody has had a case of road rage or the like!. I just think of this quote and walk away from it (I can’t do with drama!).
This interview was originally published on ValiantCEO.