Customer Portraits

Right-Brain Business Plan Exercise: Collage Your Perfect Customer Portraits

"Flip through magazines you think your potential clients might read. Find pictures of people who represent your perfect customers. Look for images that evoke their lifestyles. Cut out words or phrases that describe what they are like or what their needs are." page 81, Right-Brain Business Plan

Cadence & I sat down and did this exercise together.

Below are my target market cards to add to the value cards & the mission statement card.

Small Business/Start Ups Front

Small Business/Start Up Back

Work-at-Home Mothers Front

Work-at-Home Mothers Back

Non-Profits/Churches Front

Non-Profits/Churches Back

I haven't finished my Young Families card yet for the photo shoots I offer. I am planning on using my own images for that one. So it will have images like these ones or some of these on it.

Cadence's cards are below. She loved making them!

Cadence's Cards. She only did one side on each.

More this Christmas

I was sitting in a worship planning meeting for my church last week I found out the theme for the advent sermon series is "More."

More? I cringed. Christmas starts for our family Thanksgiving weekend & runs until the weekend after Christmas. The influx of toys & holiday calories is already giving me an anxiety attack.

But then I listened. More hope, more peace & most of all more Jesus.

Jesus. The guy who started this whole Christmas thing. Why not focus on Him?

Jesus was a relationship guy. He poured his life into His followers. Why not follow His example? Give gifts like conversation & a helping hand this year instead of toys & neckties. Who knows, maybe we'll start 2013 richer & skinner.

And closer to being like Jesus.

Happy Halloween!

Unfortunately, our little pumpkin, Gavin, was napping during dress up time.

Fall Photo Shoot Highlights

After the initial Capture the Moment photo shot, I've had the opportunity to photograph more families this fall. A couple celebrating their 18th wedding anniversary, a family with a new baby and an energetic family of four. I also used my new capturing skills this past weekend while Cadence enjoyed a corn maze & trick or treating with her cousins. Enjoy a highlight photo from each shoot.

 

 

If you are interested in scheduling your own Capture the Moment photo shoot by Jessie Marie Studio (think Christmas gifts!) the prices are below.

Capture the Moment Photo Shoot Pricing
$150 for 1 hour & an edited CD of photos (up to 5 people* & 1 location)
$200 for 2 hours & an edited CD of photos (up to 5 people* & 2 locations)

*$5 for each additional person

Marketing Jessie Marie Studio

Moving onto Chapter 4 of the Right-Brain Business Plan.

Read the chapter. It's all about marketing. Exactly what I do for others.

I have found there is a fine line between spending too much of my limited time marketing Jessie Marie Studio & doing my clients work. This past quarter I finally came up with a plan that compartmentalizes when I do my marketing. The most genius move I've made in regards to time management.

You may not understand the chicken scratch above, but this magic calendar has kept these blog posts coming, Facebook statuses filled & the quarterly newsletter published.

Since I'm always a girl who loves her goals. Below is the playsheet from Chapter 4 of the Right-Brain Business Plan.

Buy Photos. Fight Human Trafficking.

Anyone who has been following my work over the past year knows about my Morning Meetings. Time outdoors with God & my camera. Last week I announced a local show where Morning Meeting photos taken at Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve are being shown. This week I'd like to announce a Featured Artist spot with ART for FREEDOM where 30 Morning Meeting photos have been donated to raise money to fight human trafficking.

Buy one, two or all the photos and 100% of the proceeds will go to Remember Nhu, a non-profit organization that saves at-risk children from being sold into sex slavery in Asia and assures freedom and provision: physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Head over to the ART for FREEDOM website to make your purchase today. We thank you. Our missionary friends, Beth & Brian Woods thank you. And most of all the children thank you.

Self-Portrait

Right-Brain Business Plan Exercise: Create a Business Self-Portrait

"Here you'll be creating a Business Self-Portrait by looking at your own strengths, challenges, and opportunities... Sometimes it's hard to hold a mirror up to yourself, so why not ask for help from ... customers... trusted friends or colleagues." pg 66-67 Right-Brain Business Plan

First, the Self-Portrait exercise gave me a list of questions to answer about myself & my business. Going through the questions helped further clarify my brand & my services.

Next, I was to ask people to fill out one of two surveys. (If you haven't filled one out yet please do. You can find them here.) The kindness & encouragement from clients, friends & colleagues was enough to make a girl blush. And the constructive criticism was oh-so-helpful.

Then I thought to myself, "What do I do with the answers?"

Make word clouds of course! The more times a word is used the bigger it is. A pretty awesome way of seeing a slew of answers visually.

own answers to the self-portrait questions.

What three words would you use to describe me and/or my work?

Clients Question: What benefits did you receive from working with me?

Friends & Colleagues Question: What would you say are my natural gifts, strengths and passions?

Make your own word cloud at www.wordle.net. I'd love to see what you come up with! Please post any you make on the Jessie Marie Studio Facebook page.