Rafaella Pedroso Portrait Photography

I’m going to go on a limb and put my own spin on one of Jeff Bezo’s quotes. Wish me luck! Branding is what people say about you when you are not in the room. -- Jeff Bezos I agree, but I’m going to add something. Branding is what people say about you when you are not in the room and what you say about people when they’re not in the room. ... Your personal brand is what you’re known for, and there are so many ways to curate an image for yourself so that people know who you really are. Part of that is how you treat others. I’m still figuring out my personal brand (it changes every day!), but one thing I definitely know is I want to be known for being kind and for serving my clients well. Kindness is everything, and our world could use every bit of good that it can get. So, yes to Bezos’ quote: Branding IS what people say about you when you are not in the room. But when the tables turn and you’re in the room, let’s hope everything you’re saying is positive and lovely, just like YOU!

When was the last time you went to the spa? Or decided to pop into your favorite ice cream store for a dessert? What about the last time you gave yourself a me day just for the fun of it? Ladies, we all need to give ourselves some TLC every now and then. We work hard, we balance a lot, and we deserve it. Before I really got into photography, I never looked at photoshoots as a form of self-love. But when I work with amazing women like Gabriela here, I realize it is. Like g...etting a manicure or a blowout treatment, it’s something to mark on your calendar and look forward to. And you walk away from your session with a part of yourselfsomething that you’ll remember for a long time, something to look back on, and something to share with your friends and family. Let’s disrupt the notion that we don’t have time for ourselves. You matter; your self-love matters. There is ALWAYS time to #treatyourself.

Some people say that if you saw your exact clone, you wouldn’t even recognize yourself. Whether that’s true or not, I’ll never know. But one thing is for sure: We are our own hardest critics. Every woman who walks into my studio blows me away. I’m always so amazedhow did I get so lucky to work with such interesting, lovely women? Sometimes I find myself thinking, Wow. I wish I was like her. And that’s when I have to stop myself. How many of you have done the same thing? It isn’t always easy being a woman. We get competitive or jealous and we lose sight of how wonderful it is to empower each other, rather than bring ourselves down about it. We all have something to offer. Why not share it with each other and create a powerful force of love and empowerment instead?

Personal branding is more important now than ever. Here are a few tips I like to tell anyone who is trying to learn more about their personal brand: 1) Think about your roots. Where do you come from? What is your family like? What things have you always enjoyed? Your past is part of your now, which is part of your future. 2) Make a connection between your job and your passion. Your work may be your passion (lucky you!), but if it isn’t, that’s okay, too. You can have a lo...t of overlap between your interests, passions, and work. Find the piece that binds it all together because that’s what makes your soul sing. That’s what inspires you, and you’ll want to tap into that when curating a brand for yourself. 3) Decide how you want to speak to everyone. We’re mainly focusing on your target audience (your followers, clients, etc.) and how you want to communicate with them. Catarina here is a perfect example. She’s conversational and motivational with her followers. That makes up the language of her brand. Your language is super important because it allows you to show everyone the real you. Hope these tips are helpful! I’ll be coming at you with plenty more Changing up my brand to help out anyone I can let me know if you have suggestions on what else I should cover! Tell me in the comments: How do you show off your work with your personal brand?

Most of you probably don’t know, but my husband is also into photography. He used to do sports photography, creative portraits and photojournalism as a hobby. You probably guessed it, but he’s the one who took this photo of me! I normally don’t love when he photographs me because he loves to capture my quirky little momentswhen I make an awkward face or I’m doing something silly. I guess it’s those little things we do that we don’t even realize others are loving about us. I’m always very thankful for his support, even when he does capture my squirelly moments! (He calls me squirrel :P)

Meet Thaíris Pordes, a wife, proud mom of two, self-starter with a wicked knack for entrepreneurship, and a total sweetheart. I was blown away by her the moment I started working with her I’m always inspired by working moms, I don’t know how they do it! For this shoot, I really wanted to capture that. She deserves that credit, amiright? Ladies, channel who you are. Whether that is the mama bear inside of you or the world traveler. Maybe it’s your inner artist or your hard-working mojo. Channel that and be proud of it! That’s part of your brand; it’s part of YOU.

A fun throwback to the day Catarina (@professionaltraveler) came to the studio Catarina is originally from Brazil and moved to the U.S. a little over 4 years ago. After working for Google for 6 years, she moved to San Francisco to pursue her dreams of creating content full time. She couldn’t be happier! As soon as she walks in the room, you can feel her energy and optimistic spirit. She’s always itching to travel and blames it on her zodiac sign she’s a Sagittarius! What’...s your zodiac sign? She’s a big-time foodie who loves ice cream and has recently been obsessing over soup dumplings. Yum! And when she isn’t creating content, she’s playing the guitar. It’s a newly acquired hobby, but she’s loving it. You go, Catarina! Supporting me means supporting lovely ladies like Catarina. It was a wonderful time working with you!

Say hi to Raquel. What an amazing photoshoot! Raquel has such great energy. She is a mom, a wife, is a working woman. We ran into each other at a CafeKind event the other day and ended up dancing all day. You know those people who light up a room just like the sun? That’s her.

Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light. J.K. Rowling Pamela Luise can attest to this quote, having previously been in her own dark times through homelessness, depression, and eating disorders. But she found that light! Let us know about some of the personal challenges you’re proud of overcoming! It’s time to celebrate and channel that inner boss lady!

I couldn’t decide between color or black and white so I decided to post both. Why not, right? Color (or lack thereof) can really impact the way you capture your brand. A lot of people have an idea of what they’re going for but can’t quite set the mood for it. I recommend thinking about your personal brand who you are, what you’re into, what inspires you within the framework of colors. Warm tones or cool tones? Bright and cheery or cool and calm? Who would have thought colors could be such a game changer?

A ray of sunshine. No matter what has been thrown her way, she never loses excitement for life. She’s one of those women who has a contagious laugh truly a joy to be around. I feel like I learn something new from every client that walks through the door; from Érica, I learned the value of joy.

Not all headshots show the real YOU. Jacqueline came in with a mission: She wanted a headshot that would really capture her personality without being cheesy. She already had professional headshots from her work, so I was honored to work with her to help her create something she was really happy with. So grateful for these words. It was a pleasure working together! I purchased Rafaella's professional headshots package and could not be happier with the five-star experience fr...om start to finish. Prior to the shoot, Rafaella and I discussed my goals for the photoshoot, including how I wanted to look and the ways in which I intended to use the photos (LinkedIn, publications, etc.) Based on our discussion, she provided specific recommendations for outfits and how to look my best. On the day of the shoot, Rafaella and her extremely talented make-up artist, Paula, were complete professionals and put me at ease right away. Paula provided me exactly the look I wanted, and Rafaella gave excellent direction, down to how to hold my hands and curl my fingers. She has some amazing tricks she uses in her shoots that only someone who is truly dedicated to her craft would know. The results were fantastic. The photos are fresh and different from the typical corporate headshot, without being cheesy or overly editorial. I love how I look - like the best version of myself - and the fact that I now have several looks I can use in a variety of professional contexts. I cannot overstate how impressed I am with Rafaella's talent for listening to her clients and giving them exactly what they want without losing her own voice as an artist. I recommend Rafaella and Paula without reservation. Thank you both so much!

A day in the studio with CafeKind. CafeKind is a non-profit with a mission to support, educate, and empower women of all backgrounds. These inspiring women came in for a day of champagne, laughter, and headshots. We spent our time having fun and getting to know each other so that we could nail the photoshoot. It was like a slumber party with lights, cameras, and champagne! What more could I ask for in a job? In all seriousness, I loved this opportunity because it was a fun ch...ance to work with a group of amazing, talented women an experience I’ll never forget. After some snacks and bubbly, they were ready to rock and roll. Everything always seems to fall into place once the models are comfy in the studio A little more about CafeKind: CafeKind is a nonprofit organization based in Silicon Valley whose mission is to inspire, empower, and educate women. They connect women with opportunities to help them develop economically, socially, and emotionally. They mobilize resources and people around themes such as education, career advancement, wellness, and entrepreneurship.