Georgie-Ann (who also goes by Georgie) is an entrepreneur, a mom and the founder of GSD solutions, a branding and business development agency in NYC. Over 2020, her company’s top services have been virtual event production. She’s also an author, and very much about being productive, smart, strong and bold.

For Georgie, this photo session was not just about upgrading her brand, but also about overcoming personal confidence issues and showing up for herself. We did the session on a rare warm winter day on the High Line in NYC, walking up and down various spots along the path, eventually ending up in a gallery.

Here’s a summary of what she said about her personal branding session, with the full video of the conversation at the end.

Why did you decide to do this photo shoot?

Over the years, I’ve always done my own photos, or have photos taken at an event, but I have never done a committed photo shoot of my own for my brand. It felt like a really important thing to do to see myself, to highlight what I’ve been doing and to be more intentional about how I show up. I wanted to see what that experience would feel like; to intentionally plan, prep, get outfits and the whole nine yards!

When I was connected to you, I was going through a big shift in my personal and business life. I definitely needed new photos. It’s been two years since my current headshot. I don’t look very different, but I’m much more grounded in who I am. It feels like at this moment my financial, personal, business, family is all coming together, and all of this magic is happening at once. I definitely needed to take advantage of this opportunity.

What stopped you from doing an intentional photo shoot before?

Mostly, it was my own confidence. I kept making various excuses like, I’m too busy, or I don’t need that, or I’m not good at styling or fashion. I could go on and on. I’ve known and worked with dozens of photographers for my [branding] clients. So the opportunity was there, but I never pursued it.

When the time [for the shoot] came closer, the excuses started popping up again. Was my hair the way I wanted with these braids in? Did I have the right clothes? Did they all fit perfectly? Should I take the train?

I was like, just say YES. Let’s just make it happen. I went with the clothes I had, and got a cab to the shoot. It felt really powerful and lucid., and it all worked out perfectly fine.

How was the process for creating your Mood Board? What kinds of feelings did that bring up?

Initially, I was a little nervous because I hadn’t used Pinterest in a while. In addition, some of my insecurities started coming up: “Am I going to pick something that looks crazy, or will it flow together? What do I even like in fashion?” Most of the time, you’ll catch me in a t-shirt and shorts, and that’s my outfit.

But then I challenge myself to think more about what I DO actually like and what looks good on me, instead of what I should like.

Once I started going down that path, it was really exciting to see pictures of powerful black women wearing those things; tall women with darker skin, natural hair, women like Boz[oma St John] or Viola Davis. Whenever I saw a photo I liked, it made me think, “How does that look make me feel? Can I see myself wearing that, or doing my hair in that way?” It helped me put aside what people and society constantly tell me I should like or wear.

Ultimately, when the Mood Board was done, I looked at it and could tell myself, “Wow, I do have a sense of style!” I could fit really nicely in a suit, a dress or in t-shirt and jeans. I’m multifaceted. I could put on a pop of color and look nice. I could do my hair with a pop of color. It helped me retell my own story about my style and challenge myself to really think about ME.

How did you decide on the emotions you wanted to convey through your photos?

The process and conversation made me reflect on exactly how I wanted to show up. At some point, we were discussing about showing more powerful vs. softer poses. It made me think, “What does that even mean?”

As Black women, we’re expected to show up as strong, but no matter what we do, it’s seen as over the top. If we show up with nice makeup and popping colors, it’s too much. If we show up in all black, it’s an issue.

So I decided that if everything was going to be an issue, just do whatever you want! People are going to have a problem whether or not you settle or ramp up to your full potential, so why not ramp up?

I wanted my team and colleagues to see me and say, “When I saw your photos looking like this, I did this.” I want to influence a whole bunch of humans out there, especially my daughter. When my daughter saw me get my hair done, she asked me, “Mommy, can I have hair like yours?” I want to inspire my daughter to show her full truth, and really embrace her femininity and her Blackness.

How did the session go? Were your insecurities addressed?

We were on the High Line, which is a NYC attraction. There must have been at least a hundred people passed by. They know I’m not a model, but they treated me like one, ooh-ing and aah-ing and complimenting me. People were looking at me like I was a model. People were interacting with the space like I was a model.

I started seeing that if I show up how I want to, people will look at it that way.

So it’s just like when I show up in different rooms. If I show up as CEO Georgie, everyone else will get the memo. If I present myself as not confident, that’s the message people will pick up. It was a reminder for me to make sure I’m always sending the right message, even on days when subconsciously I might be asking myself if I’m good enough.

What did you think of the pictures? Do you have a favorite?

I loved them. I loved them. I loved them!

One of the photos was with my hair down in black and white. That was a completely new way for me to see myself.

The photos conveyed exactly what I was trying to convey. I look really beautiful, inside and out, like a strong leader with persistent confidence. Even the photos in the sweater where I was showing my softer side, there’s still that confidence, power and humility. It felt like a full, well-rounded photo set of myself.

Usually, when I’ve had photos taken of me in the past, it felt like I had to choose one intention or another. But here I can see it all at once!

I shared the photos with my team, and everyone echoes that feeling: seeing me in my fullness vs. choosing just one [aspect]. Before, I’d purposefully choose my appearance to make other people confident when I’m in different spaces, but in this shoot I just embraced it all. It’s like saying, you get all of this as a package deal!

Would you recommend this experience to a friend or colleague? What would you tell them?

Absolutely!

This is an opportunity not just to get some photos, but to capture your essence and get to a deeper understanding of yourself. We just don’t take enough time to ask ourselves the question, “Who am I?” Especially after 2020, it has become even more critical to think about who you want to be and how you want to show up in the world.

After all of last year, we’re all really thinking beyond what we were before, beyond just having a good job and making a family. What do I want to have in my home? How do I want to feel? How do I want to eat? How do I want to work? We’re all thinking holistically about ourselves as human beings rather than what we need in the moment.

That’s what this photo shoot really got me to do, and I would want other people to experience that as well.