A Trip to Geekdom

Last Thursday I had the opportunity to visit Geekdom and take professional headshots of some its members. Geekdom is a cool space in downtown San Antonio where entrepreneurs, creatives and developers rent space to work, collaborate and create magic. Members of Geekdom share a community space for $50 a month and private office spaces starting at $250 per month. Membership goes well beyond the free Wi-Fi and the rental spaces, too. They receive access to conference rooms along with mentorship from those in the Geekdom network. If you’re self-employed and live in the San Antonio area, I suggest you check it out! In fact, many cities across the U.S. have similar concepts.

My trip to Geekdom last week came at the invitation of my good friend Nancy Reed, from Nancy Reed Design. She asked me to share my photography skills with those in the Geekdom community, after discovering many of her peers were in need of an updated professional headshot. She asked if I would like to come for the day to take LinkedIn portraits of those who needed the service. Of course I said yes, and was happy to help some of San Antonio’s finest entrepreneurs create a professional image to match their talents.

An Updated LinkedIn Photo

If you’re self-employed, work in sales, or are in the job market, chances are your LinkedIn profile is being viewed by potential customers, business connections, or employers.  Like it or not, your photo is likely the first impression, and in the age of selfies and social media, it may be easy for those visiting your profile to pass judgement.

I have a friend (let’s call her Mary) who used to have a selfie as her LinkedIn photo while she was searching for a job. Although the picture was completely reflective of her easy-going and quirky personality, Mary was having trouble landing interviews. She had the background and skills necessary to land her dream job, but realized a small tweak to her profile could portray her talents even better – a new, more professional headshot. Mary eventually changed her LinkedIn profile picture – a move that I believe will be critical to her job search success moving forward.

Sometimes you have to step back and observe how others perceive you as a potential employee or as someone others would like to do business with. A very small change can truly make all the difference.

Using a Professional Headshot in Your Marketing Materials

Recently I wrote an article about the pros and cons of adding a photo to your resume (check it out). As an entrepreneur, however, there are many ways a nice headshot can amp up your marketing efforts. For example, if you’re in sales, a nice photo of yourself on business cards has the potential to make more of an impact than a simple graphic. Have you ever noticed that many realtors will include a picture of themselves on yard signs, business cards and even billboards? There is a reason for this. Clients want someone approachable, someone they can trust with a big decision such as purchasing a home. Believe it or not, a photo can say a thousand words. People tend to remember a smiling face better than a name or a logo.

Do you have an email newsletter for your business? Try adding your photo next to your electronic signature. A photo creates a personal connection that is sometimes difficult to achieve in the digital world we live in. Similarly, don’t forget to add a photo on the “About” page on your website. These days, most businesses (small and large) have a team page on their website. This is where they share a photo of their staff members, or company leaders, along with short biographies to match. If it’s just you, a photo in your About page would work perfectly.

Enjoy some of my favorite photos from my Geekdom trip!