Hey, Creatives!
Do I have a story to tell you! Take a seat and ride this out, It’s time for some transparency. Recently, our creative team had the amazing opportunity to work on a photoshoot production with a brand. This particular brand I have seen a lot of their initial phases and their efforts. In my experience in working with brands, I’ve come to know that sometimes when people start brands, they start them, and then that’s it, they just start them. Honestly, that is where most brands start because they don’t know what to do or even where to really start. But through encouragement, and motivation from her friends (this brand owner), she said, “I’m ready”. From there we proceeded to go forth with an exclusive photoshoot that would show everything needed to represent the diversity and usability of her product.
LET ME BACK UP…
Oops! Before we get too far, I forgot to mention that about 8 months ago, I spontaneously did her launch photoshoot with her that she planned. I ended up directing her and the photographer for her shoot and she was extremely impressed, even when she was uncomfortable, she did what I asked, and the result was exceptional! Unfortunately, those photos were never really utilized the way they could have been initially.
Back to our story! So, ok…our team is planning everything, location, models, makeup, photography, creative directing, EVERYTHING! We send out the call sheets and she doesn’t like one of the look inspirations I suggested, she doesn’t understand it’s usefulness. Listen, it’s okay to not like something if you understand why it’s there, but if you don’t understand why it’s there and simply just cut it off with no reason; that’s when things can get a bit tense… and it did.
COMMUNICATE IN TRUST, DON’T RESPOND IN FEAR.
Sometimes as students, I say student because we all are students in most aspects of life, we are always learning. Even if we are an expert in something or even if we are not, we learn. But, in learning, you have to realize when you don’t understand or know if something will be useful to your brand you have to reset your mind in a mode to communicate. This is important because you want to communicate to understand and not react in fear. Communicating on behalf of our own fears will ruin us and it will ruin relationships that were meant to be long-term. Most times we know what relationships we are meant to sustain sometimes simply because of how they were brought to us. I have met a lot of my business relationships not just by searching for them, but they were simply placed in my life on a perfect day and at the perfect time. And all I can say is “OMG I needed you, yes!!!”. Those relationships I hold on tight because God did that and not me. He brought me what I needed when I needed it.
Unfortunately, my client couldn’t see past her fear in that moment and she responded in fear. She was scared, which is understandable because it is the beginning of her building the brand. As a Brand Manager, it is my desire to always push my clients into places where they may not be able to see yet, but I do! When I take on their brand, I treat it as my own. I take every brand seriously, I do my research, and all I ask in return from my clients is that they trust me! Even if they can’t see what I see yet, trust is everything.
But she was scared and instead of talking her doubts through or just asking the right questions so that I could explain and secure her thoughts and help her figure out what we need to do to achieve this look, she didn’t want to do it. I explained to her, what I told you early, ‘the whole trusting me, because I can see what you can’t, I’ve done my research’ yadda, yadda, yadda. The response I got back was not only what I wanted, but it was a bit disrespectful! Especially when you consider the investment of time, money, creativity already given! It became so much, I QUIT!! Yes, on the day of the shoot, I Quit! Of course, I would never cancel all the hard work we put in, but I was not coming. My content manager, however, would be there. My content manager, Ariel, stayed and talked with me for hours until she finally convinced me to come. The client did apologize through text, by that point, it was just too late.
SOMETIMES, AS CREATIVES…
As creatives sometimes when we get triggered it takes us a while to get back into our creative mood. But I came, I was present. It was a little odd for the first five minutes but after that, I realized I had a job to do and I was going to do it well.
Everything was so perfect and beautiful! Even with the look, my client didn’t want, it was absolutely amazing. The client raved and apologized and just kept saying “I understand know, I get it”. It was one of my best client shoots and though it wasn’t the vision she had, it was more and better than she could have imagined.
This is why you hire a team. Sometimes as owners of a business, all we see is what’s in front of us. The benefit of having a creative branding team is they see what’s in front of you, what’s behind you, around the corner, and five years down the line. That’s what we do at Chance 436 Design Studios, we make your vision bigger. Our desire is always to give you our very best and deliver you a brand that you can take hold of and be proud of. You just have to TRUST and let go of the fear of the unknown.
That’s not hard to do if you are ready.