Ep86 Marlana Semenza - Teaching Others How to Think of Us

Jason Croft [00:00:00]:

Today on the show, strategy plus Action equals teaching people how to think about us. Great coaches and consultants like you have the ability to change people's lives and transform entire organizations. And your impact can often go far beyond the clients you work with. One of the reasons I love working with coaches and consultants is because of that ripple effect. This show is here to highlight your expertise and empower you with resources and new ideas to grow your business. Welcome to strategy. In action. Marlena simenza is on the show today and we're talking about being very intentional when it comes to crafting that image and how people perceive you. Of course, we can't be in full control of how others perceive us and what they think about us, but we can be very purposeful in what we put out into the world. And this isn't about manufacturing some made up persona, but it's about translating who we are at our core and making sure that that comes across to our ideal clients. And that takes the form of copywriting the words that we use. It also takes the form of photography, for instance. Like Marlana helps so many people with and really getting to the essence of them and that's what she specializes in. This isn't just about taking a nice photo so that things are professional. This is about getting to the heart of who they really are and finding something unique and making sure that comes across really the humanity of them comes across in this photo, but also taking into account who they're trying to get in front of and serve as a client, making sure that that imagery that gets created speaks to that audience as well. And so there's a nice bringing those two things together. That's the art form and that's what Marlena does so well. I'm excited to bring this interview to you. Let's jump in. This is going to be fun. I'm so anxious to dig into this topic. I really grabbed it, stole it from you in your 100th episode of your show. So congratulations on 100 episodes. Absolutely. And as a fantastic photographer that you are, and we'll get into that and what's led you there and how you're helping folks with that? One of the things that I think is so interesting and fascinating is that you have a podcast, you go out and reach out to folks and you're using that to build just a network. So many things, right? And that's such an extension. So I think that'll just from my own curiosity and what led you there, we'll dig into that some as well. But I love this idea of a quote from your 100th episode that I saw in there, is that we teach people how to think of us, right? And I love that so much because it's getting into that mindset as we think about Brand and really as we think about just walking through this world to be intentional with that, because whether we are or not, we're teaching people how to think about us. I really want to dig into this. I want to make sure that people have a little bit of background on you and what you're doing and how you're helping folks right now with their brand strategy, with visual strategy, photography, and kind of what's gotten you there. So I'll let you kind of bring us up to speed a little bit there.

Marlana Semenza [00:03:52]:

Well, it's interesting, that whole idea that we teach other people how to think of us, because recently I read something that said, in effect, that in the absence of you telling others what to think, they will make it up on their own. And so as we move forward as business owners, as entrepreneurs, as anything that you are in this world, if you don't teach people how to think of you, then they will make it up on their own. And I do think that it's really impossible to dictate what others think. But I do think that you can also steer the conversation. And that's what I endeavor to help people do. What I do is I am a photographer and visual strategist. I am one of those rare birds that graduated with a degree in photography and kind of ran with it from there. And now what I do is I help people create a visual strategy to help steer their reputation.

Jason Croft [00:04:53]:

How does that extend beyond the photographs that they maybe come to you for? Of like, I know I need some good photos, and you're like, well, let's even think bigger.

Marlana Semenza [00:05:03]:

I think what people don't do enough of is realizing that social media or anything on the Internet, it's really a conversation. You can choose for it to be a one way conversation, or you can choose for it to be a two way conversation, but there's still somebody on the other end. So if you are trying to steer your reputation or if you are trying to create a brand, you really have to dive into, who am I speaking to and what do they need to know? And so that's a lot of when people come to me, that's a lot of what we dig into first, because once we know who we're speaking to and what they need to know and what makes the person unique, then we can start to create images that have some kind of a plan to them.

Jason Croft [00:05:49]:

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense, obviously, getting into that know your target audience. And it's interesting because I don't think that conversation is there enough around this aspect of that we talk about it in terms of words and copywriting and hitting those pain points and all of that. I honestly haven't seen the conversation, heard the conversation going on out there around, okay, well, maybe the types of photographs, how you photograph yourself, what you put out there, should resonate with that target audience. And it's going to resonate with this group if you do this way or that group with that way? I guess to paint that picture a little bit, do you have some examples of if you have a consultant there who's ready to hit a certain vertical, a certain industry, how they would think about it?

Marlana Semenza [00:06:47]:

Let's just say that I am an entrepreneur. And my clientele and the people that I'm trying to reach and the people I'm trying to have this conversation with are high powered attorneys that work on Wall Street, live in New York City, don't have a car shop at Neiman Marcus, no know, eat at the finest restaurants, travel the world. That's one conversation. Now, let's say my clientele are moms of five who drive a minivan, shop at Target, live in the suburbs. There is nothing wrong with either conversation. But what those people care about is going to be different. The people that they are going to relate to are going to be different. The things that they aspire to may be different. So it's really digging into who is on the other end of this conversation.

Jason Croft [00:07:39]:

So in that scenario, let's say if you're building out the look of your full website, including photos and all of that, already I can imagine the different looks that you're going to present, right? How does that manifest itself? How do you approach that?

Marlana Semenza [00:07:58]:

Then take the attorney. If this person doesn't have children and they are world travelers and you're a traveler, you may want to hit some of that in your images because it creates commonality. And same thing with the mom. If you're a parent, you may want to show and speak about your time with your children and why that's important and all those types of things because once again, it creates commonality. And what we're trying to do too is we're trying to kind of build a friendship, or at least a pseudo friendship, that when somebody looks at us they think, oh, I could hang out with that person, I could be friends with that person. Well, we hang out and we are friends with people that are like us generally. So it's finding those commonalities and stressing those commonalities.

Jason Croft [00:08:52]:

Yeah, I like that too. That makes this point of this broader topic as well. And one of the things that I think people have issue with as they go down this road, right. Teaching people how to think about them being intentional with how you want to come across and all of that. I love it. I think it's fantastic and I think it's so incredibly important for the folks that go well, if you go one step down that road, oh, that's manipulation, that's this, you're not being your true self and all of that. I have my thoughts on that. How would you address those folks?

Marlana Semenza [00:09:33]:

One of the most cringy words to me is authentic because everybody talks about oh, being authentic, being your authentic self. If you show the things that you are, how are you being anything else? And sometimes, too, where we are may not be where we want to be, but there's a place we want to get to. So as you're striving to that, you're still being authentic to the journey and to who you are. So that word kind of strikes a little nerve with me.

Jason Croft [00:10:12]:

Yeah, I put it in the same category of giving yourself your own nickname. If you have to say that you're authentic or being authentic, that's a result that's just I'm going down this road. So I agree with that completely. What's interesting is that for me, I put it in the same bucket as developing people skills, understanding other people, finding these different ways to relate to other people better, because all of these things are skills, and I can have the best intentions in the world. I can be whoever I want to be on the inside, but if I don't have the skills to convey that in words, imagery, presence, well, then it's not going to get received. And then I'm here. Well, why doesn't anyone understand me? Well, because this is what you're putting out. And for this person, this person, this person, it means these three different things, and it's not what you intended.

Marlana Semenza [00:11:18]:

Yeah. And you know another thing that drives me absolutely insane is fake it till you make it. Because if you are faking it and you know you are faking it, that is going to play right into impostor syndrome, because you know, you're a fake. So I think a better way to look at it is, okay, I may not be where I want to be right now, but I am taking the steps to get there. And each step that I take and each time I plant my foot, I am solidly where I am. And so, yeah, it's a whole thing.

Jason Croft [00:11:56]:

No, absolutely. And we can get into nuance here. And there is something to shifting your identity on the inside and moving and taking action from that place. Exactly what you're talking about, even though the external world may not reflect that. Right now, if I feel in my soul like I'm a published author, it's just a matter of time. Right now, the best way to get there is to shift that identity. Like, oh, yeah, I'm an author. That's what I do for a living. Right? If no one's paid me a dollar, that's still what I do. I'm not successful. I haven't reached this goal and this goal and this goal with it yet, but that's who I am. And so what does that mean? Well, I write every day. Obviously, I present that out. You do those things, and those are the subtle shifts that you're talking about here. It's not fake it. And I think that that's the thing, too. This is interesting. It's just coming to mind, but it's external versus internal, right. The fake it till you make it is a very external thing. Let me tell everybody I'm a published author instead. Let me know internally that that's my true self, and move from that. And then the rest of the world just like, being authentic, they'll see the results, right?

Marlana Semenza [00:13:20]:

And that's growth, that's growth, that's personal growth, that's brand growth. And growth is never static. It's a fluid journey.

Jason Croft [00:13:29]:

When someone comes to you for help on these different things, what's kind of step one for them once they come in, like, here's who I want to reach. These are my ideal clients. What's that step one? Like, I know I just need all the stuff, right? I know I need a revamp because it's not working right now, or it worked ten years ago. I need a revamp. What's step one with them?

Marlana Semenza [00:13:59]:

The first thing that we do is we have a conversation and see if we're a good fit. Because I don't think that photography is a one size fits all. And I have to fall a little in love with everybody that I work with, because that's the only way I can get other people to fall in love with them, too. And I'm not saying that from the standpoint of, oh, well, I don't like you, or, that's not what I mean. But what I mean is sometimes there's going to be somebody else that is a better fit to tell the story than I am. So we start with that. It's just kind of interviewing each other and seeing if we're a good fit. If we are, then there's a questionnaire that they have to fill out. And once they have gone through that questionnaire, then we sit and we have a conversation about everything that they wrote down and try and form a plan from there. And some of it is, I also want to see where they are with their images and are they reflecting what the intent is. Is there a gap? What kind of gap is there that I need to fill? Is it a complete redo? And also one of my favorite things to ask people is, tell me some fun facts about you, because out of that can come some of the best images, because things that they didn't think would be of relevance and matter wind up being, wait, how come we're not showing that? That's great, and this is how we can use it. That's some of what we go through that's good.

Jason Croft [00:15:36]:

And I think I imagine there's kind of a Venn diagram, right, of the overlapping things of their uniqueness, what their target clients need to see, want to see, and then maybe a little mystery of neither one would ever think that would be a great thing. But that's kind of what you bring in to be that third component to go. Like, you just got to trust me on this one. We're going to go shoot in this abandoned place. It's going to be amazing. No client would ever ask to see someone like, I need to see people in an abandoned site. And you would never think of it, and it doesn't even relate to you, but visually or man, there's this component that just when I saw you describe it, it lit up. And we're going to bring some of that in there.

Marlana Semenza [00:16:26]:

To give you an example, there's a gentleman that I know, and one of our initial conversations was and this was pre pandemic, and then we all got thrown into captivity, and it became a whole different world. But he was a sport fisherman in his prior life, and now what he does is he restructures businesses to keep them out of bankruptcy. And so he said, you know, I've had people tell me I should take the sport fisherman off my resume. And they said, not only are you not going to do that, but we're going to lean into that, because let's think about the things that a sport fisherman does. He needs to know where to go to find the fish, what bait to use for the fish when the fish is too small and needs to be thrown back when it can be released, all these kinds of things. So how is that any different than business? So it's finding those things and leaning into it. So now you can create great imagery of him in his suit with no shoes on, on his boat, and speak to all of that, how these things are related and how the skills are related. So it's that type of mindset and that type of process.

Jason Croft [00:17:33]:

Oh, yeah. And to have a visual hook like that, if you do come across that, you're going to remember that as opposed to the other ten people you've scrolled past. Right. It's such a unique thing. And again, it's those overlapping components because there are enough people out there who need that help, who are interested in fishing or just sports in general. And they're going to relate a little bit more because of that. Not to mention the association we have with success, right. Oh, he was crazy successful in this thing. And he says he's successful in this. There's external and he says he's this I just buy it a little bit more. Right. Even if there's no logic to it. We as humans, the more success we see from someone like, oh, okay, let's have that conversation.

Marlana Semenza [00:18:22]:

Right. And I know you can relate to this as a creative, too. It's our brains work that we see things in visuals. So as somebody's telling you a story, your brain is processing the image, and then it's just creating that image. I had another client that she has spina bifida has had it throughout her life, yet she is also a champion kayaker. And so one of the things that she wanted to convey was to be able to see past your disabilities to the things that you can do. So we did an image of her wheelchair flopped over upside down on the dock, and we shot through the spokes of the wheelchair to her in her kayak. Like I said, it's just letting your brain kind of be like Pop Rocks and go all over the place and then grounding it back down in an image.

Jason Croft [00:19:17]:

It really is. It's the difference between a documenting approach I need photos here is your photo. To a creative, a storyteller approach. Here's what I do and I want to convey on my site awesome. Here's how we're going to tell that story in an image, in six images. And that's really strong. It's a more, again, more engaging, more human approach, and it comes back into that intentionality. Right. I want to convey the fact that these seven things are really important to me. Here's what I do for a living. But these things are so important and integral into how I work with a client. Yeah, let's throw all of those in there. And I think that's powerful. It's more interesting. And that's what we need, that to break through the noise on both sides. As someone trying to generate a client, we need to break through that noise. But as consumers, we want someone to break through that noise to get to us because we're trying to sort, okay, I know this thing needs to get done. Who in the heck do I choose for that?

Marlana Semenza [00:20:35]:

Yes, I understand that you need a headshot. There's a time and a place for it. There's applications for it. But that's one of the things that makes me a little crazy, too, is when people equate headshots with branding. Because all you've done is show me what you look like, but you really just haven't told me anything about you. So that's where the branding comes in. It's the storytelling part. It's the telling me who you are, not just what you look like.

Jason Croft [00:21:06]:

I love that. So speaking of that, of branding and storytelling, why have you chosen to have a show? And I think you've had other shows in the past, right?

Marlana Semenza [00:21:16]:

I did. I had one that I dabbled in prior to being thrown into captivity. And then as soon as COVID came about, I was watching everybody kind of flounder, and I thought, you know what? Tips. Everybody can use tips. So I grabbed 100 of my friends who were in various industries, and we did just a series, it wasn't even a podcast, just sits on YouTube called Move the Needle. And each one of these people, they worked in branding, they worked in marketing, various stages of business. Everybody's job was to give one tip to move the needle on your business or brand. And I think the average one was three minutes long. So after I was never really comfortable on video, but after 100 episodes of that, you get over yourself real fast. And so when I was kind of restructuring my own brand a little bit. Somebody said to me, well, you should really have a show. And so the point of the show was as a value add to whoever wants to build a brand because it still speaks to people who have built brands. Or there's one on Impostor syndrome. There are all the things in there that I think would be helpful for people. And so that was the idea behind.

Jason Croft [00:22:48]:

The show is your iconic image. It's great. I've heard a couple of interviews. There one with onshore past guest and it was a surprise to me that not that you were a photographer and photographers can't talk. Wasn't that surprise, but it was that such a good interview because I'm critical. I sit there and I analyze what's the next question? What's the interaction? And all of that, of course, with anything I listen to. And I really had that distinct memory of like, oh, this is so good. I love her line of questioning and all of that. So before I even knew you, I was impressed with you and the show.

Marlana Semenza [00:23:35]:

It really just comes from being naturally curious. People fascinate me. Photographing people is a way for me to get to know people and I don't know, I love when people let you in. I love to watch people and see what their quirks are and their tells are and things like that. Like I said, people fascinate me.

Jason Croft [00:24:15]:

You can go through the motions and you can have a ton of reasons to do something like a podcast or a show. But when you don't have that one, I think there's a ceiling to how good it can actually be and interesting and everything. I just think it's so fascinating because I'm right there with you. And I think that's something that you and I related to a lot. When we had our first call, it sits back to that intentionality. It's like, I love all this stuff meaning how people work and make decisions and all of that, how they're influenced, how I'm influenced.

Marlana Semenza [00:24:51]:

I read somewhere it went something along the lines of how people it's a beautiful thing when you give people enough space to be who they are. And that's one of the reasons why when I go out and I work with someone, it's usually just them and me. It's very rare that I have hair and makeup person there. I almost never have an assistant unless I need them to do some crazy thing that I can't do on my own. I don't use a lot of equipment because I run and gun a lot. But it's that one on one interaction, it's that developing that rapport and them knowing that they're safe and I've got them no matter what. Some beautiful things can happen when you create that kind of a space.

Jason Croft [00:25:50]:

There's a level of presentation and acting that has to go into having your photograph taken, right? And the people you're working with are not that in most cases. Some are. Some are performers and some are yeah, absolutely. But folks who coach a consultant comes to you and they need these things done. It's like a good director, right? It's like having that rapport and getting to the humanness of that other person is so critical so that they can relax and lean into that and you can get their best. It may sound funny to say, but their best performance and it's a lot.

Marlana Semenza [00:26:34]:

Of trust because once you create that image, people come to you because they expect you to make them look their best. And like I said, the people that I work with, I've got them and they know that I've got them.

Jason Croft [00:26:53]:

I'm sure 90% of the folks show up and just like, all right, what are we going to do? How do you convey that you got them?

Marlana Semenza [00:27:02]:

I think it starts in the rapport that we build before we even show up for their session. And because by the time that there's so much that has gone into it before I press the shutter for the first time, we have had a lot of conversations. We know each other at this point, and so they know that I wouldn't put them in a position that would make them look odd or weird or anything like that. They know that I know how to pose them to make them look their best. I know how to move them so they're going to look their best because I've been on the other side of the camera, so I know what they want. And I think that helps a great deal when you have that kind of understanding.

Jason Croft [00:27:49]:

That's such a great parallel to anybody working with any client. I don't care if you're selling insurance to them, if you can take that same approach, that the end result is they know I've got them. And if that means putting in three extra steps to your onboarding or your first sales conversation with somebody to just again, let's be human for a minute.

Marlana Semenza [00:28:20]:

Once somebody becomes a client of mine, it's more than just images to me. I will advocate for them. I will look for opportunities for them. I will recommend them in any situation that I feel is appropriate, all those kinds of things. So it becomes a lot more than just image creation. It becomes a long lasting friendship in a lot of ways. And we're working toward the same goal, and that's to grow them and make them bigger and better.

Jason Croft [00:28:50]:

Are there any systems in place?

Marlana Semenza [00:28:53]:

I guess you would say not really, because everybody is so unique and their industries are unique and their goals are unique. And so if I know in speaking with them, oh, you know what, I know somebody that you may want to talk to making the introduction. Or if I know that they want to be on television, oh, you know what? I know somebody that might be able to hook you with an agency. It's those kinds of things. So it's helping them at the level that they are and where they want, the next steps that they want to take. So it's not necessarily something that you can pre plan.

Jason Croft [00:29:36]:

So I imagine that a lot of your new clients come from referrals from other clients just from that connection. I can only imagine is that kind of the main way folks are getting to you right now?

Marlana Semenza [00:29:49]:

It's interesting because right now I have a lot of clients that I work with in person. I do work with some virtually also so there are clients that I've never actually met in person but because of the pandemic you had to find workarounds because photography is an in person sport and when we weren't allowed to do it in person I can't not do it. So it was interesting to find the workarounds because when you work with somebody in person what the images can be used for, the type of images that can be created, all of those types of things are different than what can be done virtually.

Jason Croft [00:30:33]:

How are you kind of walking them through that?

Marlana Semenza [00:30:35]:

In a virtual virtually there's an app that allows me to take over the camera on your phone and so it only allows me access to the camera, nothing else. So nobody has to worry about that kind of thing. But I am then able to take your photos using your phone. Definitely a step above selfies and things like that because I'm going to see things different. And also you don't have to worry about finding the right light or the right background or any of that kind of thing because all I need you to do is kind of show me around and I'll tell you where we need to be. And then the images after I take them, they come to me. It's better if there's a second person on their end, somebody that I refer to as a VAT or a voice activated tripod just to hold the camera and go up, down, left, right when I ask them to, because things that. And once again, you know, as a creative where we would place the camera, the lenses we would use, the angles we would choose are automatic to us. They're not automatic to everybody. And so it's easier if I have somebody that I can direct as opposed to having the client get out of the scene, adjust the camera and then get back in the scene, which I have done, but it just goes a lot smoother the other way. But in a case like that when you're doing virtual images, you have to be a really good communicator and very specific on your direction because if I say lower the camera, they may tilt it where I just want them to take it and actually lower it. So you have to be very specific that's.

Jason Croft [00:32:22]:

Good though. But that is a great workaround. And again, for folks, it is a step up from just throwing their camera up and trying to get a couple of selfies to put on LinkedIn or something like this is a step up.

Marlana Semenza [00:32:36]:

Right. And the good news is it doesn't matter where you are at that point. I just did images for a woman over in Greece. Never better. I would love to go to Greece now after seeing it. But you can be anywhere and get the images that you need. They're primarily for social media, but that will get you through and create content for.

Jason Croft [00:32:58]:

Needs to who needs to reach out. What's going on with them right now that I need marlana startups are not.

Marlana Semenza [00:33:06]:

A good fit for me. You need to have a little momentum behind you and a little idea of who your brand is and what your brand is about. If you're teetering on the next tier, I can help. If you are looking to make the leap into something bigger, I can help also people who have a visual piece to their brand. So for example, if you are an accountant, let's say, and all you plan on doing is sitting in a room and crunching numbers all day and that's your intent, this probably isn't the process for you. I'm not saying that you still shouldn't have some kind of a brand because I do think that it's important no matter what industry you're in. But if you are going to invest into visuals, you usually need a visual piece of your brand that you are seeking to make bigger.

Jason Croft [00:34:20]:

That makes sense. So how do people find you reach out?

Marlana Semenza [00:34:22]:

The best way to reach me is probably just go to my website, which is Marlenasimenza.com, because any way that you need to reach me can be found there. And you can also see samples of in person work, you can see samples of virtual work and podcast is on there. Everything's on there. All my social media is on there.

Jason Croft [00:34:44]:

I love it. I encourage everybody to do so. Thank you so much for being on. Well, thank you and we'll see you all next time. Thanks so much for tuning in and being a part of this show. If you want help creating authority, building video content or even a client generating show of your own, go to medialeadsco.com and let's connect. I'll talk to you soon on the next strategy. And action.