undefined: 00:00:08

You're listening to Take It Personally, a podcast for photographers about the personal side of business and the art of standing out. Here I'll help you build a business and a brand that is uniquely you. If you want to attract dream clients and stop looking at the competition to decide your next move. If you are ready to show up as a confident branding authority to help you serve your clients and consider your goals and priorities too. If you want to make your mark in a new, underserved niche of photography, then this is the place for you. I'm your host Maddie Pachon, South Dakota brand photographer and educator. I'm a straight shooting, Instagram obsessed. Diehard Swifty who has built a multi six figure business on the back of brand photography all while raising a family. And I know you can do the same. Let's get ready to take it personally.

Scarlett Solo USB: 00:01:07

I am so thrilled to have my friend and student Melvina on the podcast today. Melvina and I connected what feels like a really long time ago on Instagram and she came into Rebrand this last round and actually upgraded and is now a VIP client of mine, which means that not only is she doing Rebrand, but she also is doing one on one coaching and we kicked. off with a really incredible brand session that you have probably seen on my social media because I can't stop sharing it. Melvina is originally from Poland. Now she's in South Dakota. She lives in a teeny tiny town and she has had some incredible wins inside of Rebrand and I wanted to talk with her because so often I hear from people that they can't charge the prices they want to charge because of where they live. And that is just not true. Regardless of where you live, you can charge what you want to charge for brand photography. However, there is strategy behind it. You have to make sure that you're communicating the value. You have to make sure that you are pitching or communicating with ideal clients who are in a place where they can pay a higher price for brand photography. Those businesses exist in every market.

Scarlett Solo USB-2: 00:02:18

This is exactly what I teach you how to do inside of rebrand. The very first thing that we are going to do when you come in is to set your signature session with profitable pricing. A signature session allows you to get the best possible results for your clients. No more. responding to every inquiry that comes into your inbox and telling them, yep, you can do that. Yep. You only want a headshot session for 15 minutes or 30 minutes or five photos or whatever. Yep. I'll go ahead and do that. A signature session reframes your services. So you are truly able to deliver your best results. This is more than just two hours. 100 images. It's a brand session that's designed to position you as the expert that you are before the client even hires you. And this doesn't mean that you never offer lower price sessions again. Mini sessions or headshot sessions, but it does mean that your clients are going to stop trying to negotiate everything to the lowest possible price. Having a signature session allows your client to trust you instead of suggesting that you shoot for less time or less money. A signature session sets you up for success. So you can capture a rave worthy brand session. Plus. Since you're selling the value instead of something like time, you can work less and make more. If you have struggled in the past with clients who only want to book your lowest price session or they don't want to pay your prices at all, or they're trying to negotiate shooting for less time, or they are asking when your next mini session day is, you need a signature session. If you are continually not meeting your revenue goals Because you are constantly shooting for low prices, just so your clients will say yes to that, you need profitable pricing. And this is what we do inside of Rebrand. The doors to Rebrand are now open, but they close this Friday. So you need to come and join us. You can go to maddiepichang. com slash rebrand to join and I am excited for you to listen to this episode with Malvina, one of my Rebrand students, one of my VIP students, who I have absolutely loved getting to know and Seeing her wins already in this program, and we are just getting started.

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:04:22

Malvina, welcome to Take It Personally.

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:04:24

Thank you.

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:04:25

Tell everyone who you are and what you do and where you live.

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:04:30

Okay. So my name is Malvina Aviles and I originally am from Poland, Europe. And I have landed in here in South Dakota in 2015 and have been working there as a therapist since 2017 and started doing some photography on the side a couple years ago. And here I am ready to go full speed. I live in Woonsocket. South Dakota. Live in the middle of nowhere. My in laws are next door, have chickens and all the good stuff. And there you go.

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:05:05

You've already had such amazing like progress and wins in the last couple of weeks, last couple of months. Let's rewind a little bit to when you first, when we first connected and you decided to come into rebrand, where were you at? What were some of the things that you were wanting to like work on or change that made you say, I'm going to, I'm going to do rebrand?

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:05:28

So I don't remember how I even came across your profile on Instagram

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:05:32

I know because we've been connected for a while.

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:05:35

it was weird. So Literally a year ago, literally a year ago, I was still renting a little studio in one socket, tiny little bit, tiny little one, and it was going well, I was doing portrait photography, but I hit that, January, February, March and April, it was so dead that I wasn't doing much and it got in my head a little bit, and then I was starting to talk to my friends and I have a friend that she's a life coach and she I think was doing a little life coaching on me there on the side, because she's what if you just did it full time? And what if you just did this and that? And I was thinking, what if I bring my business into a bigger town? What if I do a downtown? What if I open a studio that nobody has? There's no studios, like actually that you can bring your family in and do portrait photography or rent space like that. What if I did that? And then I told my husband and he's yeah, you're crazy. And so then like literally a couple of weeks later, we were meeting with. The owner of the building, and then I'm working with this South Dakota, small business development center on my business plan. Then I got the loan. Then I rented space. Then we started construction. And then I think that's when someone that I know, I don't remember who that, I don't know. Someone sent me your profile. Look at her. Her branding is like so good. And then I think I started being hooked on your like, on your content. And I was like that's nice. I could, I think I could actually do this. I could do brand photography and granted I'm like working full time cause I was working full time as a therapist. So 40 hours a week. I have a family, I have a small child. I commute to work 30 minutes, 30 miles every day. I'm in the middle of this construction of this historic building. We spent for months, we have spent every hour over there, working, and then I was obviously shooting portraits. Weekends, evenings, after work, barely sleeping, editing. I'm like, okay, hold on a second. What if I can do this, but I actually can get my weekends back and I can actually charge. A decent amount of money for something that is valuable, that looks good, that actually helps other people like be visible online. And I was like, Hey, I think that I would like to do this.

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:08:03

Yeah. So not only are you at this, I don't know if we'll talk much about this in this conversation, but not only are you in rebrand, but you're also doing my like VIP package. So we get to work together. We, you also get a call every month where it's just you and I, you came to Sioux Falls. We did a. Fire brand session that was just like so good and so iconic. And so now you have these images that you can use. And so you like a full package, you're ready to go.

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:08:29

dopamine release, and this is therapist talk I have gotten from this shoot. I think I was, I felt like I was high for about I'm not even kidding you every single time I posted a photo. People were going nuts and this is this is why you guys need to do this. Like everyone needs to do this because this works. Yeah.

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:08:52

You and I have talked about this a ton, but that is why the main thing in rebrand is we are going to work on your personal brand. And that can be your website. It can be social. It. Probably can and should be a brand shoot because to be able to put yourself in the shoes of your ideal client of a potential client and go through the process of brand photography and experience like the nerves and the excitement and that dopamine hit of seeing your photos, like it allows you to experience it on the other side of the camera and it makes you better when it comes to marketing and being able to talk about this to get more people in the door.

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:09:33

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Yes. Hire a professional. Pay the money. It is worth it. It is worth it. I cannot stress it enough.

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:09:44

Working on your brand is a lot and it's not something that stops even after you've launched your website, like it's something that is going to continue to evolve and that's okay. And something like rebrand can give you the tools to be able to not only do it the first time, but like a year from now, you're going to be able to say okay, I know what I need to do to update these photos or to update the copy or to make sure I'm speaking like still speaking to my ideal client. Like these are skills that will come with you.

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:10:10

Absolutely. And the tons of a good information and knowledge that I learned, I have learned so far in rebrand, that just stays with you. And it's just invaluable and valuable.

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:10:21

I love hearing that. I love hearing that. I want to talk about the big win that you had recently. You booked your largest package ever, right?

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:10:29

Yeah. Remember when we were talking the first time we talked about my signature session and you asked me how much did you charge because I prior to rebrand, I have done a couple, maybe two or three like branding shoots, just shooting on my head. Basically, I didn't know what I was doing. Three 50. That was my, that wasn't my charge. And I would probably spend about two or three or four hours depending. It's, And then what, three, four months later, I'm not even, I haven't even done, I feel like I'm, I haven't even done much

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:10:59

We're just getting started.

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:11:00

and I'm like booking 2, 600 shoot

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:11:03

Yeah, So let's talk about how you did that. Because I think this is an important thing. This isn't like a magic spell. There were steps that you followed that we worked on when you came into the program. So the very first thing that I'll do with anybody and that we started with was creating, you just mentioned that your signature session. So making sure that you have a session that is designed to get the very best possible results for your client. This is something that goes beyond saying like it's two hours and it's 50 images or whatever, it's truly a brand session that is meant to position you as an expert before your client even hires you. So talk a little bit about, you mentioned you were charging three 50 before. What did your like session and pricing look like before we worked on your signature session?

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:11:48

So 350 was for God knows how many hours whatever I need, 20, 30 images, really? Not great. Then the signature session, I think we ended up anywhere between 1500 or 1250. I'm not, I, this kind of changes for me. Cause 1250, I'm being very confident 1500, not so much. So I sometimes sometimes I like maybe more, I'm going to stick with 1250. But then if I add on certain things like video or, a different location or like travel times and that. Essentially goes up.

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:12:23

The benefit of having a signature session is that it allows your client to you're building trust essentially and what tends to happen when you have a package where you're able to say this is what I recommend. This is my recommendation as the expert, as the brand photographer, you tend to get fewer clients who have that pushback of Oh, but can we actually just shoot for a half an hour or can we, I really only need 10 images. What about that? You get a little bit less of that.

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:12:49

right? Yeah. And that with this client, it was. There was nothing. She's okay, let's do this. I said, this is my prize for my signature session. This is what I would include. You would get so many images. But I told her, I said, because of the, she is an esthetician, so she does a lot of like injections. And I said, because of the nature of your job and your content that you, like you are putting on social media, I would recommend adding a video. Because people will stop and watch the transformation, whatever you're posting. And so she's yep, let's do this. It was, there was no pushback. And I was like, Oh, that was easy, but it wasn't, it wasn't just like at one text message. Like you said, I, there were steps and I have had the relationship with this person for a while. Like she is my esthetician. I love her work. I have been involved on her social media for months. I cheer her on. I go see her once or every other month and have conversations with her. And That's just building that relationship,

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:13:51

and that's a part of personal branding too. That's a, another way to make sure that like, when people are considering brand photography, that they're thinking of you and being in the comment section. And if you're able to like, Patronize these people, right? Like actually be a client of theirs or go into their shop or whatever. They're going to be more likely to think of you as opposed to somebody else. I think it's also important to note that this was a really ideal client for a bougie brand session. This is something we've been talking more about in Rebrand lately. Working with those champagne clients. The clients where when they have really killer images, the ROI is insane. As someone who does injectables or aesthetics she's gonna be able to get so much ROI out of those photos. So selling her a 2, 600 session is an investment that actually makes a ton of sense for her business. It maybe wouldn't make as much sense for like a shop that sells cookies for 2 a piece. And so understanding who are the best candidates for brand photography and how can you make sure that you're making connections with those people and like making sure that they know who you are and that you're good at what you do.

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:14:57

absolutely. She has done a brand session prior to a year ago with a portrait photographer and when I started talking to her about What I am doing and how my process looks like. And when I said, I, out of a signature session, you will get a hundred on brand photos. Like you are able to have six months plus like content. You don't have to worry about that. She was just like, it was just mind blowing to her. She couldn't believe. And I said, you know what? I'm going to reveal your photos in two weeks, like two weeks after the session, you will get your highlights the same day. Like I will send them to you and you will start using them. And then you will get it. Like you will get those photos two weeks later. And she was like, what do you mean? I'm not going to be waiting for six months for him. No no, it's two weeks.

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:15:50

So how was her experience different from working with a portrait photographer to working with

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:15:54

I think that the turnaround with the photos was longer than what she maybe wanted. And I think that's a common thing

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:16:03

yeah,

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:16:03

portrait photographers who who do those kinds of sessions. And prior to that prior to rebrand I think the, and I had, I hit that one spot when I I think it took me four weeks to deliver a gallery and I did not feel good about this. And then as I'm learning more in rebrand, like it, is a reason where there is a value in this, because then I don't have to take 20 shoots a month to pay my bills and pay myself. I can do two or three. And then I can deliver those photos. And I'm going to tell you something. This is something that I'm just learning. I think last week when I did a shoot with my my esthetician that does my facials, she said that she's been hearing everywhere, and this is a small town. We, that you get your photos from Malvina so fast.

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:16:51

Really?

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:16:53

Damn people are not gonna remember what kind of, camera I'm gonna whip out of my backpack. They're going to remember that they got their killer photos right away. And they're going to remember that I delivered them right away as well.

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:17:06

A hundred I think that there are, listen, you need to deliver good photos, but I don't think that people understand that that is expected. It is expected that you deliver good photos. And so you also need to do it quickly. And I think so many photographers get so precious about their editing and spend so much time because this is their. Art and look, I respect it, but there comes a point where you're running a business. And if you are not delivering your photos and making sure that like your client is so pleased with them and not just the photos, but the turnaround time, the communication, like understanding the next step, you're leaving so much to be desired with that experience. Cannot tell you how many friends have complained about slow turnaround times or lack of communication from a photographer. That's what people remember. It doesn't matter how good the photos are. And I don't think people understand

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:18:00

and I think it's so common and it's so common and it ruins this for us too, because then we have to like, no, this is this is actually possible. Like we can do it, we can do it fast. And another thing is, you are teaching us in rebrand how to plan. The shoot, because again, like showing up and doing, and this is not going to work. This has to be planned. I am not the most organized person, but this keeps me really like on track and having the tools to be able to create the session guide. when I did that last shoot. She said, this cold, calmed me down so much knowing that we are not going to miss anything like everything I wanted is there like we're good.

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:18:40

Yep. And you talk about trust building, like that's what does it as brand photographers, we're really lucky. We have usually like a couple of weeks, maybe even a month or so from when we're booking somebody to when we're shooting with them. And that time can be really valuably spent building trust with the client. But if you're not communicating with them, if you're not planning, if you're not doing any of those things, your client is sitting at home going, I just paid this person a thousand dollars and I haven't heard. And so by using that time valuably, you're building trust. But to your point for I am not a naturally organized person at all. You should literally see the state of my office right now. That's why I plan the way that I do, because like I'm going to forget the shot, but if it's on my list, I'm not going to forget the shot. And if I've, Done the research on my client and who their clients are and what they do. Then I'm not going to forget. So the planning process, like for people listening who are not organized and you're like, that sounds really overwhelming. It is actually the key to going to your shoot and feeling free to like, be creative because you're good. You're going to get what you need to get.

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:19:47

Exactly. And I love those. I love those. I absolutely adore them. And, it show up with this. Paper beautiful with all of these, pictures there and all of the list and like automatic like 10 points to like professional Like yeah, I'm sure I'm showing up. I'm prepared. Let's do this.

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:20:04

And again, going back to what you said earlier, this is the stuff people are talking about. Your fast turnaround times, your professionalism, how you plan the shoot. Are they talking about how great the photos are? Yes. But again, that is expected. You're a professional photographer. It's like, how are we going above and beyond to really be the person that people talk

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:20:22

Yeah, absolutely.

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:20:24

Another thing that you and I have worked on a lot, both in rebrand and on our one on one calls is your messaging. Inside of rebrand, we've gone through the dream framework. And then you and I went through the dream framework specifically for you and your clients. Talk a little bit about how your content is evolving and how you're figuring that out. Cause I feel like you, you do a really good job with your content. You're very present on social media. I feel like you're really hitting your stride.

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:20:50

I had those waves like I can't create something and I'm have like, a better day. And then I'm just hit a few days that I cannot. I cannot. And so this like the dream framework, the challenges that we do. It keeps me like, okay, you don't have to think about scrolling through social media, it's just, it's going to kill it. It's going to kill it. And so now I have this dream framework when we worked on my ideal clients, like all of these different things that I I just need to pick one thing and just put, just put a picture on it and put a caption on it and I'm good. And it just saves me so much time. And I know some people say a bridge doesn't mean anything, but yeah it's 12, 000 and I think in January when I talked to you or when we had last call and it wasn't even a month ago, it was 2000.

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:21:38

Yeah.

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:21:39

And is That's crazy. So it works. When you start speaking to your ideal client people start paying attention, they respond. It just works magic.

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:21:49

So here's the thing. I know you said Oh, I know people say reach doesn't matter. And yes, totally. Like to an extent I'm like I get it. It's a vanity metric, but also those are real people. Those are people with eyeballs who have businesses and need to hire you. And you just, you have no idea where you're next shot is going to come from, like truly. And so when you're able to really spend time building your brand and making sure your content is speaking to dream clients and your photos are fire and your messaging is great and you're working so hard on getting your website live, all of these things. It's like dominoes. It just starts to fall,

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:22:26

starts converting at some point. We have two male photographers that have been in town for, since people can remember essentially they have. Naturally monopolized the services for photography in town. And here I am, this girl from Poland that everyone is talking about. And I keep just blasting my face all over everywhere. And I'm like, that's exactly what I need because then it starts converting and people start reaching out to me and asking my prices and what I offer and now I'm able to go full time. So like it clearly is working. Like it is working.

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:23:04

Yeah. I have to say one of the coolest things about working with you is how scrappy you are. And I think that is a, almost a skill that is it's difficult to teach. Like you can pick up on it certainly, but there are some people who are just scrappier than others. And I feel like every roadblock that you've hit, you're like, okay, How do we figure this out? How do I get through it? How do I, you're not one to take no for an answer. Even with this esthetician, you had like initially sent the proposal, you didn't hear back right away and you're like, okay, what, like, how do I get this back? How do we figure this out? You just don't take no for an answer and you don't sit at home feeling sorry for yourself because there's going to be times in business where you're hearing no, or it just feels like things aren't working. That is incredibly normal. And the fact that you're like. Tomorrow's going to be better. I'm going to figure this out. I think that's a, that is a skill that will serve you very well.

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:23:58

thank you. I feel like the resilience is part of it too. But at

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:24:02

Yes. It's resilience.

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:24:04

Hearing no is important. You have to hear no, like you have to hear no because you're going to and that's okay. Tomorrow is going to come and tomorrow we're going to start over again. Yeah.

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:24:13

Yep. And you figure it out. If someone is thinking about joining Rebrand and maybe they're in a similar spot to you, they're just getting started. They, they're like, okay, brand photography looks like something that I'm super interested in, but am I ready to invest in this way? What would you tell them?

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:24:28

Yes, you are. Because Maddie offers payment plans and think about if you think about the price that maybe is a little bit out of your reach right now, and it's okay, you can break it down. By month two or three, you're able to get the full return or more seriously, there is just like this, like I said, and I have comment or commented on social media before this is basically free. Like the amount of stuff that you're giving out can I just like rejoin? Cause I want some more stuff. No, I'm just kidding. But literally this is this is basically free and. What we sometimes forget is that nobody's going to open those doors for you. You're going to have to open those doors for yourself, and it's just, it just, once you start being around those women that are doing what you want to do. And are super good at it and they are high achievers. And they like, that's when you are going to follow their footsteps. If you're not going to surround yourself with people who do those things, you're not going to get there. It's just science. You were placed by high achiever, your achievement is going to go up versus if you're, it's just what it is. So This is the opportunity for you to surround yourself with people who been there. Now they're somewhere else and they can show you how to get there.

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:25:48

Every time I launch, I think about my ideal rebrander and it's always two people. It's either, the person who's like just getting started with brand photography or like they're newer to it, or it's someone who actually has been doing it for a while. Maybe they've already charged four figures, but they're looking for some sort of an elevation. They want higher paying clients. They want more consistent income, better marketing, whatever. And I'm sure that every. marketing coach and their mom would be like, pick one, pick one and just talk to that person. For the love of God, that's what I tell you guys in rebrand, right? Pick one ideal client. But I will say the cool thing about having people like you in rebrand and people who like, like me, people who've been doing this for for, Five, 10, 15 years is the collaboration that happens when you have people at all different stages of the game. Like how cool as a new photographer to be able to step into a group with experienced people and how cool as an experienced photographer to be able to not only get a higher level of coaching, but also act as a mentor to some of these newer photographers. Like I, the collaboration that happens among you guys is one of my favorite

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:26:56

Yeah, I love it. I love it. And the fact that I could just go to slack and put a some sometimes feels like a stupid question to me. And then I get like within minutes, I get responses from everyone. I'm like, Okay, great. Perfect. Cool. Yeah. And everyone is cheering you on. And yeah, I just love it. I just love it.

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:27:15

thank you so much for being here today. This was so fun. I want you to tell everyone where they can find you so they can see your absolutely fire personal brand.

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:27:25

You can find me on Instagram Malvina brand photographer.

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:27:29

Love it.

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:27:30

And then I'm also on Facebook, but I feel like Instagram is like My heart is on Instagram.

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:27:36

And your new website is first name, last name,

malwina-_1_02-06-2025_121004: 00:27:38

Yes, Mavina Aviles. com and it's launching this week.

maddie--she-her-_2_02-06-2025_121005: 00:27:44

Yes. So by the time this episode airs, it will be live. So I will make sure to link your new website and social media in the show notes so people can go check you out. And you're in, like you said, Woonsocket Huron area. So if you're in like middle South Dakota and you're looking for a brand photographer, Malvina is your girl.

undefined: 00:28:06

Thank you so much for listening to Take It Personally. If you haven't already, would you head over to iTunes and leave us a review? This is the best way to let other photographers know about the show and help keep us creating content you crave. And if you want more tips and tools to build your personal photography brand, head over to my website, MaddiePichon. com. Here, you can access my downloadable ultimate personal brand session shot list to get your clients singing your praises and browse my blog for more trade secrets to help you hone your craft and grow your business. Love to learn while you listen, visit MaddiePachon. com and click on podcast for all things. Take it personally. From show notes to recent episodes and incredible guest profiles. Remember friend, the most important part of any brand is the people behind it. Branding and business is personal, so let's take it personally.