How Angelia Malbrew Quit Her Corporate Job To Become A Powerhouse Networker & Photographer

Summary

The Portrait System Podcast: Episode Summary Title: How Angelia Malbrew Quit Her Corporate Job To Become A Powerhouse Networker & Photographer
Host: Nikki Closser
Guest: Angelia Malbrew
Release Date: October 14, 2024

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1. Introduction

In this compelling episode of The Portrait System Podcast, host Nikki Closser sits down with Angelia Malbrew, a dynamic photographer who made the bold decision to leave her corporate career behind to pursue her passion full-time. Angelia shares her inspiring journey, the challenges she overcame, and the strategies that have propelled her success in the competitive world of personal branding photography.

2. Angelia's Journey to Photography

a. Early Passion and Inspiration

Angelia's love for photography began at a young age, sparked by her first camera gifted by her late father. She recalls, "[...] having the art and the opportunity to be a photographer since I was 14 is something that I don't take lightly" (04:45).

b. The Pivotal Wedding Incident

A turning point in Angelia's career occurred during her wedding in 2017 when the photographer she hired failed to show up, sending unqualified associates instead. This disappointing experience led her to, "[...] I wanna go do brides and babies. And I just decide that my calling is definitely in the branding space, it's definitely women empowerment" (07:40).

3. Transitioning from Corporate to Photography

a. Leaving JPMorgan Chase

After nearly a decade at JPMorgan Chase, Angelia felt trapped despite the financial security her job provided. She shares her internal struggle: "I have to bet on me this time. I cannot continue to tell everybody else to go after their dreams and be great and then I'm over here [...]" (11:19).

b. Overcoming Fear and Prioritizing Mental Health

Angelia discusses the fear of losing insurance benefits and the uncertainty of client acquisition. However, she emphasizes the importance of mental health over financial security: "What if the cancer comes back? [...] I have to bet on me this time" (11:37).

4. Building a Successful Photography Business

a. Focusing on Personal Branding and Women Empowerment

Angelia transitioned from traditional bridal photography to personal branding, aligning her work with her passion for women empowerment. She highlights the significance of this niche: "Personal branding is where the rubber meets the road with me. I absolutely love it" (23:03).

b. Comprehensive Service Offerings

Her services extend beyond photography, including content strategies, brand identity consultations, and digital content creation. "I design content for them that is aesthetically pleasing and it also incorporates everything about them" (33:41).

c. Strategic Pricing for Sustainability

Angelia adopts a premium pricing model to ensure sustainability and exclusivity. Her session fees start at $890, with comprehensive packages ranging up to $30,000 for VIP experiences. "I price myself in industry standard [...] my session fee is $890, and it does not include images" (37:56).

5. Effective Marketing and Networking Strategies

a. Proactive Networking

Angelia emphasizes the importance of active networking over passive client acquisition. She attends large conferences like the International Leadership Summit to connect with high-caliber clients: "These people are really making money and they're not out there networking just for giggles" (44:08).

b. Importance of Follow-Up

Following up with potential clients is crucial. Angelia advises, "Don't go in there talking all about your business, but let them talk to you" (31:07).

c. Creating and Leveraging Communities

She launched the Elevated Brand Society, a network focused on female entrepreneurs supporting each other: "This women's network is going to be called the Elevated Brand Society [...] we have to build a business that we love" (29:17).

6. Current Projects and Future Plans

a. Personal Branding Tour

Angelia is embarking on a personal branding tour, visiting seven new cities to expand her reach and connect with diverse clients: "This year I decided to go to multiple cities [...] that's where we're going" (52:04).

b. Utilizing Multiple Platforms

She leverages various social media platforms, including Threads (referred to as "Twitter for Instagram"), to attract clients and collaborators: "I have over a hundred replies when I put something out there [...]" (53:40).

7. Advice and Recommendations

a. Invest in Personal Development

Angelia highly recommends Sue Brice’s Personal Brand Course, which transformed her business approach: "Personal Brand Course by Sue Brice [...] it will change your life because it is" (58:43).

b. Embrace Creativity and Efficiency

She encourages photographers to offer comprehensive services that add value, such as pre-designed content templates: "I design all of that stuff for them. [...] it's worth its weight in gold" (35:59).

8. Conclusion

Angelia Malbrew’s story is a testament to the power of following one’s passion and the importance of strategic planning in building a successful business. Her proactive approach to networking, commitment to quality, and dedication to empowering women set a remarkable example for aspiring photographers and entrepreneurs alike.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Angelia Malbrew (04:45):

  "If there's something that you could do for the rest of your life and not get paid for it, photography would be the thing for it."

• Angelia Malbrew (07:40):

  "I wanna go do brides and babies. And I just decide that my calling is definitely in the branding space, it's definitely women empowerment."

• Angelia Malbrew (11:19):

  "I have to bet on me this time. I cannot continue to tell everybody else to go after their dreams and be great and then I'm over here."

• Angelia Malbrew (23:03):

  "Personal branding is where the rubber meets the road with me. I absolutely love it."

• Angelia Malbrew (31:07):

  "Don't go in there talking all about your business, but let them talk to you."

• Angelia Malbrew (44:08):

  "These people are really making money and they're not out there networking just for giggles."

• Angelia Malbrew (58:43):

  "Personal Brand Course by Sue Brice [...] it will change your life because it is."

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Final Thoughts

Angelia Malbrew’s journey from corporate employee to a thriving personal branding photographer exemplifies dedication, resilience, and strategic innovation. Her insights into pricing, service offerings, and networking provide valuable lessons for photographers aiming to elevate their businesses. By prioritizing mental health and personal fulfillment, Angelia demonstrates that success is achievable without compromising one's well-being.

For more inspiring stories and actionable business strategies, subscribe to The Portrait System Podcast and join the thriving community of photographers dedicated to excellence and empowerment.

Transcript

[Nikki Klosser]

Hey there, it's Nikki Klosser and I want to let you know about an awesome free giveaway for people on our email list. If you haven't already, click the link in our podcast description or go to theportraitsystem.com signup to get on the list. If you sign up, you'll get a free posing 101 PDF to jumpstart things. It's an epic PDF, so you'll definitely.

[Angelia Malbrew]

Want to get this.

[Nikki Klosser]

Also, just by being in our email community, you'll get deals, sales and information about any of our upcoming events and activities. So head over to theportraitsystem.com signup and sign up.

[Angelia Malbrew]

Today you're listening to the Portrait System podcast.

I just got to a point where I just got stuck like sticking in the space saying, oh, I have to stay here for the insurance and what if the clients don't come? And I say, you know what, I have to bet on me this time. I cannot continue to tell everybody else to go after their dreams and be great and then I'm over here like oh my gosh, do I have to log in at 6am on Monday?

[Nikki Klosser]

Welcome to the Portrait System Podcast. I'm your host Nikki Klosser, and this show is here to help you succeed in the world of photography and business. To help you learn to become financially free, doing what you love and so much more. With over 1 million downloads, countless photographers have taken what they've learned from both our episodes and from theportraitsystem.com and they.

[Angelia Malbrew]

Have grown their businesses, quit their day.

[Nikki Klosser]

Jobs and are designing a life of their dreams.

[Angelia Malbrew]

We keep it real and share stories.

[Nikki Klosser]

About the ups and downs that come with running a photography business. You'll hear real life stories of how other photographers run their business and you'll learn actionable steps that you can take to reach your own goals. Thank you so much for being here. And let's get started.

[Angelia Malbrew]

Hey everyone, it's Nikki Klosser here and my guest this week on the Portrait System podcast is Angelia Malbrew. After realizing the walls were closing in, Angelia recently left her job in the corporate world to do photography full time. And she tells us why this is one of the best decision she's ever made. Angelia is a powerhouse networker with so much energy and tons of great ideas and she shares how she does it all. Angelia lives in Arizona, but she gets a ton of personal branding clients from out of state and she talks about how she finds her target clients even when they don't live anywhere near her. I'm so excited for Angelia, and I'm happy to introduce this beautiful photographer in person to you. Let's get started with Angelia Marlborough. Angelia, welcome to the Portrait System podcast. How you doing?

I'm good. How are you, Nikki?

I'm good. It's just so nice to talk to you because we just actually got to see each other for one of Sue's workshops, like, what, two weeks ago? Yes.

It was so good to see you, as always.

Yeah. It's like you build these online friendships with people, and then to be actually able to hang out in person and just catch up a little bit is so great. And, you know, which is extra awesome for our listeners, because we were like, oh, we got to get you on the podcast, and there you are. So.

Yeah, because I was. I remember telling you that I had been meaning to reach out, and then you was like, yeah, let's do it. And so to get the interview is just a complete blessing to me. I'm so grateful for it.

Oh, we're so lucky to have you. And I know you've been working on so many different things that I know our listeners are going to love to hear. I feel like. Like, you're just, like, crushing it right now with so many new ideas and new spins on your business. And so, yeah, we have a lot to dive into.

We should do.

Okay, let's move back a little bit. I think you've been a photographer. Did you say eight. Eight or nine years, something like that?

The crazy thing, Nikki, I've had a camera since I was 14 years old.

Oh, okay. So you've always loved it.

Yeah, so I've always had a love for photography. Like I was telling one of my friends the other day, I was like, you're not gonna believe what I found. And I literally went and found a picture from when we were in the seventh grade. I took pictures, everybody. And so it's something that I have always loved. And I don't know if you guys had a chance to catch my podcast with Matt Stagliano. If you haven't, please go listen to that. I kind of told him about my starting point with my camera and how my father gave me. Well, my late father, he was tragically taken from me when I was 18, and so he gave me my first camera, and that was a turning point in my life. And so having that camera since I was like, you know, having the art and the opportunity to be a photographer since i14 is something that I don't take Lightly, like, I love it so much. And if, you know, they always say, if there's something that you could do for the rest of your life and not get paid for it, photography would be the thing for it. Now I want to get paid, but I'm just saying that is the one thing that really, really lights me up besides, you know, creating, because I am a creator.

Well, two things. One, I'm so sorry about your dad.

Thank you.

It's so hard. My dad was tragically taking from us on when I was 24, so I feel you on that. I mean, 18, that's a. That's a tough age. To lose a parent is very high. And then second, you mentioned you were on that podcast with Matt Stagliano. We love Matt. He's such a great, great guy. And his podcast is called Generator. So I just wanted to throw that out there for people who might not know the name of his podcast. But. All right, so you have always loved taking photos and all that good stuff. At what point did it become your career?

Oh, my gosh. I would have to say. And let me just give you a quick story, which is really how I ended up becoming a professional photographer. Like, for real. For real. A lot of people don't know this, but I hired a quote, unquote celebrity photographer for my wedding. And I had known him probably since 2000. Sheesh. 2011, 2010, something like that. I got married in 2017, and he didn't show up for my wedding. Yeah, he didn't show up. He sent some guys I didn't know. They are amazing guys. But I ended up getting nothing that I asked for, none of the pictures that I needed. I probably have maybe one image of me and my mom, and that was hurtful. And I got like 200 pictures of one of my bridesmaids and all of that crazy. I ended up getting 1600 horrible, horrible images that you may or may not have seen one or two of them since 2017. Since I got.

And you didn't know that he wasn't coming. Like, he didn't say, like, I'm sending associates.

No. Let me tell you the conversation we had. Like, I can go back to it. We were doing a lot of conversations through instant messenger because I'm like, oh, you know, I've been following this guy. You know, he's been a friend. I call him a friend. But, you know, he's been somebody that I have done photos with. I took my family to do photos with him, and I felt really comfortable with him. I even gave him like an extra 350, $400 to come there. I'm like, you know what? I know this is your rate, but let me give you a little extra stipend. Cause I know you're coming. Cause he had moved. He was, you know, in Atlanta at the time. And I told him, I was like, hey, I really want you. He was like, no problem, Angelia. I'll be there. And then the guys get there and I'm like, who is that? The lady at the wedding venue. She knows that I'm a jokester and I like to laugh a lot. And so she's like, angelia, your photographers are here. I was like, no, they're not. She was like, angelia, seriously? I was like, no, they're not. Seriously. And she was like, are you serious? I was like, yes, I don't know them. And they came up and they was like, well, we are on behalf on, you know, him. And I said, he didn't call me. So immediately I go into panic mode. And I'm calling him. I'm like, I've never seen these guys work. What is this about? He never, until today, he has not returned my phone call.

Wow.

So I said that day, I don't want anybody else to go through that experience. I said, that is a non negotiable on your wedding day. And so immediately I was like, oh, I wanna go do brides and babies. And I was like, nope, babies are my kryptonite. When I see babies, I just wanna hug on them and love em. And I stay all day and it never works out. And I decided that with the bridal thing though I have photographed a couple of weddings, I don't show it on my page because it's not something I promote. Cause like, sue says, what you show, you sell. Right? And so I said, I don't like the chaos. I like the one on one. I like to get to know a person. And though I can do that with the brides, the day of is complete chaos. And for me, totally, yeah. And I'm like, it's too many opportunities to, you know, miss for me. And for me, even though I had great opportunities with the brides that I did photograph and they love their images and I think they're beautiful and they did too. I just feel like for me, my calling is definitely in the branding space, it's definitely women empowerment, but it's more so around branding. So I kind of evolved since then, but now, like, I found something that I absolutely love.

Yeah, it's amazing. So you Know, obviously we want to love what we do and we want to feel passionate about it and, you know, just go to work doing something that lights us up. And it's so awesome that you found that. Now, is this something that, like, how long have you been doing this full time, you know, supporting yourself? I know you're married and you know, I don't know if you have double income or whatever, but like, for your, for your income, how long have you been doing this?

Well, let me go back a little bit. So I started in 2017 officially, and then I was still working at JPMorgan Chase at the time, which I had been there for nearly 10 years. And then I decided to take my severance because I didn't want to move back to Tornado Alley, AKA Texas. Never lived in Texas, but that's the, that's the tornado area. And I didn't want to move back. We had just moved here. I had just got, you know, through cancer and everything. And so I decided I didn't want to move back. So I decided to stay here. Took my severance, took a nine day vacation and 2019, I officially started my full time photography business. And then I went back to American Express for a little bit and then I came back and so I officially fired my employer on 725 of this year again. Wow.

Okay. All right. Now this is the dirt I was looking for.

Yeah.

2019, you officially started, you know, while working in the banking industry on the side, you know, as a job. And then let's see, we're in 2024, so five years later, here you are. You fired them?

I did, I did. I was like, I can't do this anymore. And I remember telling sue it was. I can't remember what day it was, but it was one of the days we had the workshop for content curator. And I remember telling her she was running out of the door and she was getting ready to go to, I want to say Beverly Hills or somewhere, maybe la. And she was going to rent a beach house. And I was, sue, I have something to tell you and I know you have to go right now. She's like, say it quick. And I said, I'm getting ready to quit. She said, that's a good girl in her Australian voice. And I said, she said, I know, serious Kiwi. Kiwi, not a sweet Kiwi. Cause she's gonna get me for that. But definitely she was like, angelia, that is so great. When are you doing it? And I gave her a date. I said, it's 11. 11 had no idea it was gonna be 7:25. But on 7:25, I decided, you know what? That's it. I can't do it anymore. That job was literally sucking the life out of me because I felt just trapped. And I don't know if anybody out there that's listening has been in a situation where they felt like the walls were closing in on them. That's what I felt every day. Even though I worked from home, made great money, and I didn't have, like, to go in and deal with a whole bunch of, you know, craziness in corporate America, but I was still dealing with it in a sense. But I knew it wasn't the place for me. And I tried to deal with it as long as I could. And I told my husband and I think the issue that made me stay so long, because I could have quit a long time ago, I was trying to hold on to a false sense of security. And I felt that that was because of what I went through with the cancer. And I kept in the back of my head saying, oh, well, what if the cancer comes back? You're going to need that amazing insurance. And I kept negating the fact that, hey, you can buy your own insurance. And so I just got to a point where I just got stuck, like, sticking in the space saying, oh, I have to stay here for the insurance. And what if the clients don't come? And I say, you know what? I have to bet on me this time. I cannot continue to tell everybody else to go after their dreams and be great. And then I'm over here like, oh, my gosh, do I have to log in at 6am on Monday? So, yeah, I was over it. It was time for me to make a change, and I did it.

Yeah, you sure did. I have the biggest smile on my face because I think so many people out there listening can resonate with what you're saying about being in that job. Lord knows I can relate to that. When I was in a job that the walls were closing in. And I feel like you really summed that up perfectly.

Yes.

Because the question that I was going to ask you, that I really wanted to ask you today was, at what point did you really decide it was time? Because some people, I feel like everyone has their different kind of level of comfort or risk, you know, associated risk. Like, you know, when I. When I quit my social work job, I didn't have a ton of savings. I was still in debt. Right. But my risk tolerance is quite high. Whereas I had the clients coming in. So that Was great, yes. But I still didn't have the savings yet. I was still paying off a lot of debt and all of that kind of thing. Whereas some people won't quit until they have 100 grand in the bank and some people won't quit until, you know, they have the insurance bot or you know, whatever. So I know everyone has a different risk tolerance. And someone had asked me before, make sure you always ask people what was it? At what point did they decide it was time? So you had clients coming in, you were making a great income from photography, but it was just the logistical part that you were hanging on.

It was everything. And I don't know why I got so nervous about it because before I went back to. And I didn't necessarily, like I wasn't a banker or anything, like I was the analytic data. And so I have always been a person that the numbers have to make sense. Things have to just make sense for me. And so I was thinking, if I continue to stay, what is this going to do to my mental health? And I remember something you said and I've told a lot of people this over the years and I never had a chance to tell you, so I'm so glad I'm here today to tell you. I have to pay homage to you because you said something years ago and I cannot remember what podcast it was on, but I remember you were talking about when I think it was maybe setting pricing or something. And I remember way back when I first started listening to sue in 2019, I remember you saying, how much does it take for it to be okay for you to be away from your kids? And I don't have kids. I have, you know, my fur baby, Cody, everybody knows him. But I thought about my husband and I said, how much money is it going to take for me to be away from them any point of time? And I said, I can't wait until the numbers are perfect, I have to go now. And I decided one day and it was during our mid year term and I remember the manager, her and I, we were friends at some point and I remember her saying, oh, we have to have your mid year, we have to do it today. And I don't know everything in me, my blood was boiling. I was like, I am so over this. And I don't know if she had been watching my social media or what, but you know, I always schedule my posts and everything. So she was like, you can't do anything but this company stuff on this company time. And I waited till she got done in the most beautiful fashion. And she was like, do you have any questions? I was like, I do. And she said, what is it? I said, what time are you leaving today? I said, I see that you're in the office. And she said, oh, about 3:30. I was like, okay, I'll see you in an hour. And she was like, wait, what? And she was like, is everything okay? I was like, everything is fine. And I got there and I gave her the laptop. And I just remember them having security there for me. Like, I was going to go, you know, angry black woman or something, but I didn't do that. I was like, no, I'm not going to do this. Why do I have to do this? Because I came in with a smile. And so he was like, angelia, this is. This time is for you, and I am here for you. And so I remember putting the laptop on the desk and I walked through the little security thing, and we were talking, and he was like, no, I want you to be making. He said, I really want you to make peace with this exit. He said, because a lot of people don't do it. They stay and stay and stay. And they get to the point where they're just done and they're mentally exhausted and they have nothing else to give. I said, you know what? I chose my piece. I said, and my piece is doing what I love. I said, and that's being a photographer. He was like, I am so proud of you. So he gave me a fist bump and he walked me outside. He said, you have encouraged me today. And so just knowing that everywhere I go, I try to leave a little piece of me, and I try to encourage people, you know, no matter what the situation is, I try to offer, always be a light to people. And so me being able to be in a place where I'm like, okay, this isn't a horrible job. And my friend was like, girl, you quitting this job, you making six figures. I said, it's not about the money for me. I said, I can make that on my own. I said, the deal of it is I want to be able to set a tone in my family, in my life, and for my legacy. I don't have children yet. I said, but I want to be able to let people know it's okay to choose you.

Gosh, you just sum that up so beautifully. So. And it sounds like, too, in your particular situation, at least, it sounds like from the way that woman was speaking to you, there wasn't a whole lot of respect. Like she was trying to take Your integrity away by accusing you of, you know, oh, posting during working hours and watching what you're doing and that sort of thing.

Yeah.

No one wants to live. You don't deserve that.

No, no one does.

You know, like, and so, you know, again, just speaking to people out there, like, whatever it is that is pushing you over, like, for me, it was also my mental health. It wasn't that I was disrespected at work or anything like that. Like, I worked with a great team, but my mental health was just not great. And we talk about this a lot. And, you know, on this podcast, I know you feel like this too. It's just the freedom of time and the freedom to design your life how you want to live it. It just is very difficult to do when you are in this super regimented 9 to 5. You only get so many vacation days. This is as much money as you're ever going to make.

Yeah.

You do the same thing every day. You're banging your head against the wall. Like all of those things. It is. We give one life, you know, it's like.

And you have to live it. And I feel the same way you felt when you said you had to leave because of your mental health. And I had got to the point where, I don't know if you guys know it or not, but I lost my grandmother. She turned 94 in 2022. And I remember losing her. And I almost felt like they used that against me. They was like, oh, we don't want to give you work because you were dealing with stuff with, you know, deaths in your family. And then last year, I think it was the end of last year, I lost eight family members in two months.

Oh, my God.

Literally, it was back to back. One, two of them we lost in 40 in 24 hours. Like, one died in the morning on Friday and one died in the afternoon the next day. And I was like, this is in insane. So rather than, you know, they say, you know, we, we love you and we want to be open to our policy and all of these things that we're here for your mental health. To be honest with you, the only people that were really there were the people that were designated to be there. Right. Like, they didn't send a card or anything like that. And I just wondered, like, what type of people am I working for? And with. And I knew a long time ago that I should have gone, I shouldn't have gone back because I worked for them before. And then I said, you know what? I was working on a contract it was great money I was making. And I said, why am I going back? But I went and did it because I'm like, oh, well, what if the cancer comes back? But this year, I am 10 years cancer free. And so that was another thing. I kept telling myself, this year I'm going to do something really, really big. And for me, that was taking my piece back because I had got to the point. I told my husband, I said, I haven't posted in a week. I said, I feel like I am drained. I say, and if I can't be myself, important to other people's, which I know is my ministry to do is to be a light and help other people. I said, what is the use of having this life? And I said, I never want to get to this point where I feel like I don't know myself again. And that's kind of where I ended up. And I was like, I'm tired of the rat race. I'm tired of waking up every Sunday morning, going to church, and then Sunday afternoon I'm depressed because I have to go clock in. Not that I have crazy work, but I'm like, gosh, do I need to do this again tomorrow? And so I was just over it, and it was time. And I think that was the best thing that I could have done was take my piece back. Because I immediately felt like I was getting my life back.

Yeah. It's so powerful. Yeah, I know. I know. Let's talk about how you did it. I mean, obviously you were growing your business while you were working full time.

I never quit.

Yeah. So were you shooting, like, evenings, weekends? How did you make that all work?

This is the crazy part. So when they called me to come back to that job I had when I. When I left, like I said, I was on contract and I came back and it was like, well, Angelia, we really want you to come back. We know you have a business, so if you need to shoot or do anything like that, we'll work around your schedule. That's how it was in the beginning. It was like, we really need you. And I'm like, okay, cool. So I was just scheduling whenever clients need me. Like, I typically don't work on the weekends unless it's something where I'm going out of town and, you know, I have a shoot, like on a Saturday or something for a client that just can't get a Monday through Friday with me. But other than that, I do not work on Sundays. And I was working, you know, Monday through Friday under, you know, either after Two. Or if they needed something in the daytime, they adjusted my schedule. And so, I don't know, management changed a little bit and so everything kind of went downhill at that point. But, yeah, I was still working, like, whenever clients needed me. That's. That's when I would do it. But I wasn't, like, consistently, like, continuously, like every single day as a shoot. No. Because I learned to price for profit. And so I was okay if I only had one shoot a week, because honestly, that's all I really wanted. Because the way I price and how much I pour into every session, it takes about 30 hours of my life, of my time. And so from beginning to end, it takes time. And so if you are running, like on a shoot and burn method, you know, I should say it's not going to matter to you as much with the time because you have a whole lot of volume. But for me, I only want one client a week. I don't. I don't want anything other than that. If I do two, that's going to be my max. And I'll see you again week after next.

Yeah, yeah, I'm with you on that. Yeah.

I choose me.

Yeah. Well. And so you must price yourself. And before we get. We're going to get into pricing, but you must price yourself in a way that allows you to be sustainable and only have so many clients per month. I'm assuming you price yourself in industry standard for sure.

Oh, no, more than industry standard.

And we're going to get into that. But tell people what you mostly focus on now and the services you offer.

Absolutely. So right now, I still love 100%, everything I do for women empowerment, but personal branding is where the rubber meets the road with me. I absolutely love it. And if you guys have been following my social media, you'll know that every single week I go live and I have a webinar every Thursday night. And so I focus on how I can help other business owners to see the flaws in their business. And I talk about, you know, the business of, you know, being in business and how to build a personal brand the right way and how to show up the way you want to be interpreted by people and also how to connect with the people that you really want to do business with. Because it's one thing to do business with people that have the money, but how does that feel to do business with people that you both are in alignment with? And so for me, that's important.

Yeah, I want to back up a little bit. So when you say you're still into, like, women's empowerment. Before, the shoots you were doing were focusing solely on, like, one woman, maybe, like, someone who's turning 50 or who just wants to feel, like, really beautiful and that sort of thing. And I know there's a time and a place for those, you know, for those photo shoots. And I know you transfer that into your personal branding, but. But you and a lot of others are kind of moving more into personal branding because there is that. One, there's such a high need for entrepreneurs to have photos and content. And two, it's really fun. Three, it's no evenings and weekends.

Right.

Four, you also get to empower people, and you also get to help people make more money through those images and through what you create for them. So there's so many reasons that I know personal branding is amazing. You know, it's my bread and butter. You know, I've loved it forever. Now, something that you offer that I think is so cool is when you're doing these lives and webinars and workshops and things, you are specifically focusing on other entrepreneurs and how to build their brand using your images and your content that you create for them. Did I get that right?

Absolutely. Absolutely.

It's brilliant.

And I took Sue Brice's personal. Not personal, but a content curator course a couple of months ago, and I realized something. She was like, by the end of this class, you guys are gonna realize some new things about you that you never even thought about. And she was 100% right. Like, I have been a creator my entire life. I used to draw. I have written poetry as long as I can remember. And I just remember sue saying, what else can you create? And I went to my Canva account and realized that I literally had just gotten an award for over 10,000 designs in Canva alone. That's not including anywhere else, you know, that I design.

That's amazing. That's a lot of designs.

Yeah, because I'm always creating stuff. Like, I do stuff for my friends, my business. I call them business partners because they're in business as well. And so we bounce ideas off of each other. We have accountability meetings and stuff. And so I try to create an atmosphere with people around me that, you know, good friends don't let friends have bad content. Now.

I love that quote.

I just try to help other people. And like I said. I said before, like, helping people is my ministry, and that's what I'm supposed to do. And so being able to just sit down and just get in front of my computer and, like, literally just have my way and just be creative, that's something that resonates with me. And so when I'm doing my webinars and I'm talking to them, because every single week, I have something related to branding or analytics or something that's going to help them to, like, tie the pieces together. Because a lot of people, you just don't know what you don't know. And I don't try to go in it feeling like, oh, everybody knows every single thing, but I don't. I also don't make it a situation where they feel like, oh, you're talking to me like I'm dumb. Like, I want everybody to feel like they're empowered and I'm giving them valuable content and information that they can use to build their brand and to build, you know, the brand that they love and something that somebody else is going to know, like, and trust. Because, you know, that's. That's the key. You have to have those three things in order for it to work.

Okay, let's talk a little bit about how you market. Because, you know, a lot of people will say, like, I don't like getting myself out there. I don't want to go to networking groups or there's no networking meetings near me or whatever. But from what I'm hearing from you, it's like you are making it happen. You're not just sitting back and waiting for a meeting to show up on your doorstep.

You can't. And I'll be honest with you, Arizona is a different market. Arizona is a little weird to me, and I grew up in Mississippi. So for those of you that don't know who I am from the South, I am a Southern girl to my heart, and I know things there were different. I didn't have a business there, but I knew a lot of people. And so I feel like you have to be willing to put yourself out there, whether that's doing a live, whether that's inviting people to your live. Because some people you may be friends with on social media, that may be your target audience. You can go a plethora of ways to find clients. But me, I like getting out. I am a in the streets type of girl. I'm gonna be at the networking events. I'm going to figure out who has a space open. I even do workshops. And so I did a workshop recently, and I ended up meeting a ton of great people. I met a lady that, you know, she teaches basketball for, like, you know, the colleges. And I met love coaches and love doctors and financial coaches.

There's so many.

[Nikki Klosser]

Yeah.

[Angelia Malbrew]

If you don't feel that the networking spaces you're going to are fruitful, if you don't feel the chamber of Commerce is working for you, or maybe B and I is working for you, sometimes you have to create your own space. And so I'm glad you brought that up, because I actually just started my own network. And so it's going to be for women. And this women's network is going to be called the Elevated Brand Society. And this is going to be a place where women actually support each other. And we come together and we build and we promote each other. If somebody's having something, we're going to share it and we're going to talk about it and we're going to do podcasts together and live together, because we are all in this thing together. And we have to build a business that we love. And if you can't do it with the people that are around you, then what's the point?

And people are going to feel that. They're going to feel your. Your genuine, positive energy that you want others to succeed. And we. I say this all the time. We hire who we know like and trust. And just through all of that, maybe someone isn't going to need photos right now, but six months, a year, even two years from now, they're going to think, okay, it's time for me to do photos. Who do I know like and trust?

Yeah, it's you.

It's Angelia, you know, so.

And I'll be honest with you, you bring another point up that I meant to add earlier. A lot of people are doing networking wrong. And so that's something I'm going to talk about, you know, within my group is when you go to these networking events, are you even following up with these people? Because some people, they just go to these networking events and they get a bunch of cards and a bunch of flyers and stuff like that. If they even give that. Or maybe they'll just scan your QR code and they'll add you to, you know, the contacts in your phone, but you never contact them for me. I immediately. And I'm just giving y'all this free tip the day after or that afternoon if I go to, like, a big one, because I'm always at conferences and stuff. But I meet a lot of people at, like, bigger conferences and things like that that are actually ready to buy. They just don't know that they're ready to buy. That's why you have to have a conversation with them and say, hey, when was the last time you updated your branding? And then you follow up with the email or text message. Hey, it was great meeting you. I would love to get some time on your calendar or can I send you my link? Let's do a coffee chat or something. Let's talk about your business. Don't go in there talking all about your business, but let them talk to you. And so when people get an opportunity to speak and they want to be heard, they're going to be more apt to like, say, you know what? I like what this girl is talking about. Let's see what her business is. And now they're asking questions about you. Now here's your way. Hop right on in there and tell them what you do and you say it with every ounce of passion you have and make them understand why they need you.

Yep, you nailed it. Absolutely nailed it. Yep. Everything you're saying is exactly how I, how I grew my business. It's, it's like in, in my personal branding course, it's like there's five steps to nailing network, nailing networking, and so much of that is building that connection and following up like this.

It is, you have to follow up.

It's crucial. Yeah. So we. Will you talk a little bit about the services that you are offering. So if someone's like, okay, I'm ready, you know, because. Because I think you offer more than just photos.

Absolutely.

Talk a little bit about that.

Yeah, So I do content strategies because a lot of people, they don't know when to post or they don't know how to post. For instance, like with my elevate your brand package, I sit down with my clients and we talk about who their actual. Who their client really is. And so we figure out when the best time for them to post and we put all of their stuff together. I give them a content calendar. So it really just depends on each individual person. But when it comes to personal branding, is everything about getting them out there to the right people at the right time and making sure that they're making an impact, because nobody wants to make content and nobody sees it. So I'm going to go look at your data because I've always been a data girl. Let's go look at this data and let's see when people are actually visiting your website, when are they actually visiting your social media profiles? Because, you know, we have that in the backside of the analytics on Instagram, so you can literally see when your people are looking at you and looking for you and what are they clicking on. On your website. So I try to go deep. I. I don't do surface level stuff. I give them something that their money like, is just priceless. Chef's Kiss.

Mm.

[Nikki Klosser]

Hey, just a quick break to tell you that since you're here listening, you have access to a really great offer for our listeners only. We have a special promo code you can use to get 50% off the cost of membership. Just go to theportraitsystem.com or click the link in the description and use the promise promo code podcast50 to get 50% off of a membership. We rarely discount membership, so this is a big deal. As I hope you already know, the membership is how I and so many guests on this podcast reached our success. And it gives you access to countless amazing videos, an awesome community, and all the tools you need to build a massively successful business. So use the code podcast50Now to join the community and to start building the business of your dreams.

[Angelia Malbrew]

I'll see you there. Now is that, I mean, I know you're looking into, like, the, you know, the back end of things, but like, you're like Canva Designs and all of that. Are you including any of that in your packages or is it just the photos and then the strategy?

So with my big Elevate youe Brand package, the new one, it definitely comes with, like, content. So I design content for them that is aesthetically pleasing and it also incorporates everything about them. Their brand, colors and their slogans and things like that. And so when they get ready to relaunch this new brand, because it's a brand new, brand new situation. And so when they launch this new them, everything has changed. Like I tell them, hey, let's archive all of those old posts. If they're not speaking to your clients and they're helping those people to be distracted and they're just scrolling by. Let's. Let's archive that stuff. Let's not take it down, but let's archive it because you want to come out new and fresh and you want everything to be aesthetically pleasing. And you also want to show up as yourself, the person that you are authentically. Let's not hide behind these, the bad images and the bad logos anymore. Let's let that go. And so that's just one of the big things that I include. I have an brand strategy to tell them, okay, let's not do this Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Maybe your days are Tuesday, Wednesday, or Tuesday, Thursday. So I go through it all with them. So it's a very intense process. Yeah, that. And then you know, whatever other content that they may need, whether it's banners or things like that. Like, I design all of that stuff for them.

That's so great. I feel like it's such a great add on kind of upsell situation or to create a specific package around it. Like, especially if you're someone who enjoys doing the design part of it. And if you're not, maybe you could find someone to help you out with it. But if you approached a client and say, you know, you study their brand and you're going to be doing their photos and then you come at them with like, I don't know, 10 to 20 designs that they could do with Instagram stories or, you know, posts or for their email newsletter or whatever where it's like pre designed.

Yes.

I mean, that could be. I mean, if it were me and someone came to me and said, here, Nikki, I've designed you 20 different things that you can post and then you drop your headshots in there so that your face is in there. All we have to do is swap out the photo. I would be like, sign me up. How much is that? Like, it's worth its weight in gold?

Absolutely. Like the. I had a broker recently that flew here from Louisiana to be photographed by me. And I took her and you guys can go check it out on my social media, but I literally took her and gave her like the VIP experience. Because when a client flies here to see me, that's important to me. Like, all of my clients are important, but those that actually take the time to fly here and still spend thousands with me, like, that's everything. So I literally rolled out the red carpet for her. And so when I created her content, like, she didn't have to do anything to it, like, anything. Like, I put her images in there. All she had to do was go on social media and engage with her people. Because we. Even with the new package that she purchased, the scheduling was included. So she got her content scheduled for the next 30 days.

Oh, wow.

Yeah. So for me, that's something that I enjoy doing. And I know everybody doesn't like to do that but me, I'm a creative and I like to make things work and I like to make them efficient. So if a client is new to certain things and they're not comfortable with it, maybe you guys need to be explaining like, this is the way you do it. Or maybe you should send a little video and show them, hey, this is how I did this for you. This is how you can do it going forward. So I just make it easy for my clients. And I like to give them experiences, and I tell them all the time. I take the worry out of the photo shoot and the entire experience. For me, because it's different. You can go to anybody else, and I can guarantee you, you may get it for a cheaper price, but for me, I'm gonna give you the best quality. I'm gonna give you the best service that money can buy. And so I live by that, and I stand by that. And I do my best to make people, like, understand, okay, she does this with her heart. She does it with passion. And it's not just, oh, this is a whole bunch of junk. Cause, you know, people will throw a bunch of junk at you to try to get your money. But for me to give something that's going to add value.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

Speaking of. Speaking of, you know, you might charge more or that sort of thing. Talk to us a little bit about pricing, session fee packages, that sort of thing.

Oh, yeah. So my session fee is $890, and it does not include images. That is hair, makeup, and the slide on my calendar. What I will do, depending on the package or, sorry, the collection, because I don't sell packages anymore. The collection that I sell, I may give them an image credit, depending on know the more you buy, the more you get. So I may give them the credit back. But if they're just coming in, like, for a headshot or something, it's $890. My collection start at 3690 and go up to 30,000. I have a $30,000 package now.

Nice.

Yeah.

Tell us what is in that.

Oh, that. That's the VIP experience. When I tell you it has all the bells and whistles. It has black car service. It has a day. It's more like for the people, the people that purchase, the business owners that have, like, big companies, and so they will spend that and then that. That'll take them for the year, because that has everything. So I don't want to get all the way into it, but I'll tell you a little bit about it. Like I said, it has, like, our service, it has a. Some VIP extras, and it also has over a hundred images. It literally has everything. It's the creme de la creme. Like, I will actually fly for that part price.

Wow, that's incredible. Very cool.

Yeah. I just knew I wanted to give them something a little bit different that they haven't seen in the industry. And so for me, that's what I. I created. And I said if I were a Fortune 800 executive, what would I want? And so that. That's what I put. I put together everything that appealed to me, and I haven't had any, you know, haven't had any pushback about it. Like, I saw a few people say, oh, that's. That's a lot.

It is. If you don't put it out there, you never know. That's someone, like, who knows if someone's going to. That's, you know, it's kind of like shoot for the stars.

It's like you don't show it, you can't sell it.

Yeah. And maybe that's not the package that you're going to sell all the time. No, you know, why not? Why not put that in there, you know?

Yeah, but it's. It's everything, though. It is literally everything a person would need or.

Yeah, it sounds like it. So. So 890, that includes hair and makeup.

Yes.

Style consultation. What else does that include?

Style consultation, wardrobe consultation. And we create everything for them so that when they show up the day of the session, they don't have to worry about how they're going to look because everything is literally put out on a beautiful board for them.

That's awesome. Very cool. And it relieves a lot of stress. That is, if, I bet if you were to ask a lot of people, including high school seniors, for personal branding, you know, for family photos, one of the stressors is, what am I going to wear?

Exactly? What do I wear and what do I do with my hair? And I feel like a lot of times the people that are complaining about that is because nobody really just sat them down and took them through the entire process and kind of like laid. Gave them the lay of the land and made it easier for them. And I hate that because I feel like every photographer should, you know, open the door for a client and help them to take the stress off. Because it's a lot when you're trying to look for somebody to do your photos or do your videos and stuff. And I'm saying that from a consumer standpoint because I was recently looking for a videographer to go with me on tour. And when I tell you I had the hardest time finding somebody that could not only travel with me, but also be professional. And so that's a big thing with me. Like, I can't bring you around my clients if you're not gonna be professional with me. And so I feel like a lot there's a miss in the community for, you know, the people actually doing the right Thing, like, it's so hard. Sometimes they don't even follow up. And sometimes you can call and they won't even answer the phone. And people are always saying, oh, I'm not getting clients, but are you answering the phone? Like, they're calling, but are you answering? And so that's another big thing, too, because I've had a lot of people that have called me here since I've been in Arizona. I was like, oh, my gosh, you're the only photographer that answered the phone. And I'm like, I don't understand it. I don't understand it at all.

So now for your. For your other packages, the ones that aren't that, you know, not the $30,000 one. Right. What other packages do you offer? Like, what's your most. Most top selling? I guess, package?

I would have to say I moved my middle package to something that I typically get from my branding packages. So my branding package is 7,500, but last year it was 5,000. So people normally land on my middle package, which is 5600, and they get images, they get an upgraded folio box, they get the online gallery, and they also get a small wall art glitter.

Oh, okay. So even though it's personal branding, you're still including the print products?

Well, that's for my regular packages, so. But with my personal branding. Yeah, it's just digital. They only get digital. I don't do any prints for that. But typically anytime people purchase from me, they get prints and digitals.

Okay, got it. That's what I was going to ask you is if you got any pushback on, like. Well, I don't need the prints because that's, you know, initially with personal branding, I've always started with digitals, but people have said that when people will get pushback. Well, I don't want prints. Like, could I get more digital or something like that? So, yeah, just curious about that. All right. Wow. Okay. So do you have your own studio?

I did have my own studio here in Arizona, and I decided it didn't make sense for me because I realized.

Yeah.

That I make more money outside of Arizona, and so that's why I'm always traveling. And it just made sense for him. Like, why would I have a studio just sitting there there paying 2, $3,000 a month, and it's just sitting there. Most of my clients are out of state, so it doesn't matter.

How are you getting clients out of state?

Oh, that's what a lot of people ask me. I go to a lot of Big networking conferences and events and stuff. And sometimes these conferences have 10 to 20,000 people.

Okay, so yeah, you're going outside.

Absolutely. Smart here is just not for me. I don't know. I feel like that. And on top of even the ladies here that I have photographed, every one of them are from outside of Arizona. It is so weird.

Wow.

It is so weird. But yeah, I love it.

So you're looking for, you know, just large networking groups or conferences for entrepreneurs in other states. States where it's, I'll be honest with.

You, where I found my biggest bulk of clients. And I don't know if a lot of people know about this conference or not, but it's called the International Leadership Summit. And so I go every single year. And it's normally, well, last year it was in Dallas. The year before that it was in Orlando. And so every year you're going to meet new people. Those people have been the most giving. And I don't know if because it's faith based or not, but it's not just faith based. People that come, like the CEO of the Dallas Mavericks is always there and it's always a lot of big names there. But it's also a lot of people that really want to do business. They're like, these are people that have six and seven figure businesses. And so these people are really making money and they're not, they're not out there networking just for giggles. Right. They are really trying to make connections and they are all about following up. And so I've met some of the biggest clients that I've had. Even the lady that flew here from Louisiana, like, that's where. That's where I met her.

Wow, that's cool. I mean, that's really thinking outside of the box is going to these. Yeah. Because, you know, that's where you're going to find the clients that are going to spend $30,000 on a package.

Absolutely. And they do it without questioning. Do you have a payment plan? And you know what they ask Angelia, how can I pay you? And so when you get to the point of people saying, how can I pay you? Versus oh, that's a lot. I wasn't expecting it to be that much or I hadn't planned for that much. Or do you have a payment plan? And which I do. I do have afterpay. And. But if you go over $4,000, like, that's not going to help you unless you pay, you know, the bulk of it upfront. But yeah, for me, I think it just makes sense to Connect with people that are your target and then it's easier to sell to them. Like, you don't have to work as hard. So go where your people are. And that's what I decided to do. And so every year I find multiple big conferences to go to. Not just like Portrait Masters, but like other places where my people would be. Now, my people at Portrait Masters, we don't climb. Yes, right. That's.

Yeah, there's two separate things there. There's the, you know, your own photography education and networking and meeting friends and all the things. Parties that we do at those events. But you're talking about conferences to build relationships with people that will hopefully eventually turn into clients and that will grow.

Your business if you go with the right mindset and you, like, listen and go to the right rooms. Because with that conference that I was mentioning earlier, like, they had different. So many different breakout session rooms. So I didn't just go to the AI room because I love AI, but I went to the AI room and I met people. Like, I met a designer in there and he and I have been talking about creating a few things that we're going to put out later. So just always put yourself in a position where you can meet the people and don't always make. It doesn't have to feel weird. Just go in there and be like sue says, be human. Like, talk to people and it's okay. Like, it's every time it's going to open up doors for you. And it may not be, like you said, it may not be a client today, but you keep nurturing them, stay in contact with them. Like, you know, send them an E card, you know, not saying you got to go buy something for Amazon or Starbucks, but, you know, send an E card. Hey, I'm thinking about you. Hope your week is going well. Just continue to nurture them just like you do your email list, which I hope everybody's nurturing the email list, but that's what we do.

I love it. It just seems like you have really, really shined in the area of market. And I don't want people to think this is a fast game. Like, it's a long game. You have to put, you know, you have to put it in in order to get it back. I mean, that's just how it goes. But it, it can work and it does work.

Yeah. And I will say, like, I remember days being just watching on repeat marketing, marketing, marketing in the portrait system. And I'm like, gosh, like this, it can't be that hard. But I've always been a person. Like, I'm like my dad. Like, he never met a stranger. So I don't mind going to networking events. I don' Mine, I'll go into a local business and have a conversation with them. I go talk to the cops because we have a coffee with a cop on Tuesdays here in my city, just so you can. They can get out and get to know the community. And so I make it an effort to just get out and talk to people. Like, you know what? And I'll be honest with you, closing deals, sitting in Starbucks is the best. Take your computer and take your lab. I mean, take your computer and take your camera. It starts conversations. I'm telling you, it works. Do that. Go to, you know, Barnes and Noble. Go to somewhere you think your people may be.

Yeah, I actually booked someone on an airplane on a flight before.

Yes.

I was working on my website and I don't have, like, the blackout, you know, thing on my laptop, which I guess, you know, maybe I should. But in this situation, it actually worked out.

Worked out.

I was updating the photos that I have on my website and the personal branding, like gallery or whatever, and someone was like, ooh, are you a photographer? And we were flying back to Detroit, and, you know, this client is an interior designer, and she was looking for a photographer. And I was like, sweet, you know, and it's just funny. Like, I never would have booked her if I didn't. Exactly. I don't know. And that's kind of a different situation.

But no, it works.

And just being open is. It's important. It's so important. Important, yeah. People are not going to knock down your door if they don't know who you are and what you do and the services you provide.

No, if they don't know you, like, they're. The calls are not gonna come, the emails are not gonna come. Like, they're not gonna be waiting in your DM for you to wake up in the morning. I mean, you may have a few in there, but nine times out of 10, what I have found, and this is just for me, like, I have never, ever booked a client for Mr. Instagram, ever. I've had so many people to reach out to me on Instagram, but the bulk of my clients, like, I have made five figures off of clients from Facebook because I know who my clients are, right? And so I'm in the groups that they're in, and people are tagging me in groups that I didn't even know existed. So when you build your Network people are going to look out for you and they're going to tag you and they're going to recommend you and they're going to refer you. So just make sure you are spreading a little joy everywhere you go and, and just always being able to share something, give something, help somebody else out. Because I don't mind referring somebody else. A lot of people, they don't want to do that. But if it's a photographer and if it's something that I don't do, I will refer them 100%. Because when you get in alignment with who you are and what you're supposed to be doing, oh my gosh, it will eliminate all the fuss, all the craziness, and you can focus on what you're supposed to be doing. And if you don't do events, maybe it's somebody in the group you can refer, refer them to and say, hey, if you have a client or if you, if you come across somebody and they're looking for XYZ and you know, that's what I do, I would love your referral. And so when people are referring you, it's okay to send them a gift or send them a thank you or something. Like, just make it nice. Because if people are going out of their way to refer you, it's okay to give them something in return. And that's the way I like to roll.

Yep.

Like to get back.

I'm excited for you. You actually, you have a, a tour coming up, right?

Oh, gosh, I am.

So tell us about that before we get to the last four questions. Yeah, tell us about that.

So my personal branding tour, I love personal branding so much and, you know, in my Angelia fashion, I have to get out and meet more people. And so my goal this year is like, I wanted to be a traveling photographer for the longest time and I really want somebody to fly me to Dubai because I'm ready for that. But seriously, I really want to be flying to Dubai. I'm not even saying I'm putting this out there. I'm putting it out, out there. So get me to Dubai. But yeah, so I wanted to do something different this year. I didn't want to just sit here and just, you know, go through the whole, the last quarter of the year and just because normally around December I shut it down. Like, I don't typically take clients in December because we normally fight to Louisiana for my f. With my, with my husband's family. And so we spend time with them. And so I don't typically work during December. And so this year I'm like, you know what? Before, before the chaos starts and before I shut the whole thing down, I want to be able to go to multiple cities. And so I just landed on a number seven because you know, seven is number completion and I love it so much. And I said I want to just do places that I have never photographed people in. I have photographed people in Atlanta now, but I've never photographed anybody in dc. I photographed people in Maryland. And like I said, most of my clients are from out of state. So they are putting the word out for me, they are letting people know. And I don't know if you guys have been doing this, but definitely don't miss out on thrifting threads. I've posted on threads about my tour and the people that have come out of the woodwork.

Really important on Instagram in the. Not the actual Instagram. It's like Twitter on Instagram, right?

It's like Twitter for Instagram.

Yeah, yeah, but not the Instagram platform. It's an equally different platform. Yep.

But it is connected. It is connected to Instagram and the people that have come out of the woods to help me and to support me and hey, Angelia, I'm in this state, I want to collaborate with you. You know, let me know what you need. Oh my gosh, it has been so overwhelming and I put on there one day that I needed an assistant and I had over a hundred replies. It's just crazy. So just. And I don't even be over there all the time. It's just when I put something out there, I put it out there and I attract the right people. So with this tour, that's what I'm doing. I'm going all around. And I even had had a request to come to Miami and a request to come to New York since posting about my seven city tour. So I may be landing in a city near you for sure. But I'm definitely going to Minnesota. I'm going to Dallas, I'm going to Atlanta for sure. I'm going to Chicago, which I've already booked clients in Chicago. Did I say Minnesota? Louisiana. Louisiana is kind of a toss up. I don't know if I really want to do la, but it's on the list so we'll see how it goes. Because people are are requesting me in other cities and it's more demand. So I'm going to go where my heart leads me. But as of right now, LA is still on the list. But other than that, that's where we're Going. And I'm so, so excited. So every city will be a two day tour, and I'm only taking three clients per city with the exception of Chicago. And I'm only taking two there in Atlanta. I'm only taking two in Atlanta because I'm only going to be there for one day because I have a workshop that's going to be three days.

Oh, this is so cool. You'll have to let us know how that goes. That is absolutely so exciting, especially if you love to travel. And that's really great.

I love to travel. So me and my little Angelia Malbru bag is going to be on the way.

I love it.

Yeah.

All right. Very cool. Well, thank you for sharing all of this. I just, I love your. You have, like, fresh, new ideas, and it's just. I can feel your excitement and your passion, and it's so great.

Yeah, you got to think outside the box. And you can't let you know the odds or anything, defy who you are or what you're going after in your business or even in your life, because it will. So don't let road bumps and setbacks, like, take you down. Like, you really have to get out there and just go for it. Like, who's going to tell you no? And if they do go to somebody else, it's okay. Look for the no every day, like sue said. Because I do. I look for people every day to tell me no. My goal every week is to get 100 people to tell me no.

Because that means you probably asked, like, a thousand. Yeah.

And it's okay.

Yeah. It's law of. Law of averages. Some people are going to say no, and some people are going to say yes.

Absolutely. But you know what? They're going to know me when I leave.

Yep, exactly. Because it's really not. No, it's not yet.

That's right.

I love it. All right, well, it is time for me to ask you the questions that I always ask at the end of each episode.

All righty.

And the first one is, what is something you can't live without when you're doing a photo shoot?

Ooh. I would have to say outside of my camera. Cause I am a Canon girl. I would have to say my custom photography bag, because I had it designed just for me. And I knew that when I designed it, I had to create something for the girls. And I wanted something that was cute and something that was fashionable. And so everywhere I take it, somebody's always asking me. Even people that are not photographers, they want that bag so that's one thing I have to have with.

Who designed it for you?

I did.

Oh.

I told you, I've been a designer my whole life.

Honey, I thought you meant. Okay, so I guess who made it for you?

Like. Oh, I have vendors. I have vendors, so, yeah, I have my own.

Okay, that makes sense.

Photography bag. Yeah. Yeah, I was just kind of everything looking, like, manly. I wanted something that was girly, and I wanted something soft and something that was nice and, like, you could pull it through the airport, and it didn't look like a photography bag. Like, it looks like anybody can. Yeah, I'll make sure I post it so you can see it.

Yeah. Tag me. Yeah. I wish I would have looked at it when I was with you a couple weeks ago.

I know, right? It was in the car. I never leave on without it.

Well, we didn't shoot, so.

Yeah.

All right, number two is how do you spend your time when you're not working?

Oh, I would have to say podcast reading. I'm an electric kind of girl, so I have a Tesla, so I love just getting in my car, just driving and just. Just being. Just be. You know, sometimes you just have to just be. So I love listening to music. I'm a music girl, and I like to drive. Well, not so much here in Arizona anymore, but there are a few beautiful places here with the red rock and stuff. I just love to drive and just listen to podcasts. And if I'm not doing that, I'm reading or letting Cody manipulate my life.

Furry beast.

Yeah, he kind of runs me a little bit.

All right, number three is, what is a photography specific product that you would recommend to people?

Oh, gosh. I would have to say personal brand course by Sue Brice. And I know it's not photography specific, but it will change your life because it is.

Okay, so just to be specific, it's not a photography course. It's about building your own brand. Like, yeah, about building your own brand. And you can be a photographer and build your brand, obviously. I just don't want people to confuse, like, the personal branding system with a bunch of people ask me that. So this is why I want to clarify. Like, mine is for shooting as a personal branding photographer and getting clients that way. Hers is, like, literally building your brand and your business, and there's so much thrown into it. Like, there is self value, goal setting, money, creating your brand identity. Like, all of that is thrown into it.

And I think a lot of people, they really don't know who they are yet. And so for Me, I feel like had I had this course a few years ago, a lot of steps that I had to take, I probably would have skipped them.

Interesting. That is. Yes.

Because it helped me to identify, like, yes, you love the elegance of styling and making a woman feel absolutely beautiful, but you can do that. And personal branding. Right. And so getting, getting that has, like, literally changed my life. And I'm not even fangirling over here, but I'm just saying, like, that course is. Is like, it's monumental. Like, seriously, like, I. I feel like just. And I know everybody's gonna ex, you know, have a different way of doing it, but being in that class, those two days with her. Oh, my God. Gosh. Everything, Everything about my business changed. And Content curator was great too. And I think content creator kind of helped me to identify that I didn't want to just be a women empowerment photographer anymore. I'm still women empowerment, but it's not all about that. So if I had to say anything outside of those two courses, I would have to say definitely the portrait system, like, get connected. Because that changed my business. Like, I remember when I was scared to say $800 because I was so used to giving everything away for free. But being a part of the portrait system literally changed my business 100%. If I wouldn't have came across Su Bryce sitting in my loft playing with my camera in 2019, I probably would not be able to sell with such certain and clarity. And to be able to stand up in a room and speak, because I speak too. I wouldn't be able to do that had I not connected myself with this group. I don't post in there a lot, but I have gotten so much from the education.

Wonderful. That makes my heart so happy. Thank you for sharing that.

Yeah. Cause you guys do a lot and I really appreciate that. We don't get a chance to say it enough, and I know we say a lot in the group, but it really makes a difference. Cause you guys don't have to do it. You don't have to take time out, away from your business to help us. So I just wanna say on behalf of everybody, you are appreciated and I appreciate you guys so, so much for all that you bring to us.

Thank you. Thank you, Angelia. Oh, that makes me so happy. It's such a great community. It's such a great program. It's such a great education. It's just empowering and all the.

Yeah, I've been in a lot of groups, but this group, hands down, like, I have never felt so welcome. And I have never been in a group of people that really wanted you to win. You don't see that a lot. Some people are out just to take your money. But this group is not that. Yeah, you can find that anywhere. This is not that.

Sue's so great about creating communities like that, community building. Like, she just. She sets the tone. She wants people to succeed. And that's just. Yeah, that's how it goes. And if you're not going to be someone who's going to be supportive and whatever, you're out. It's true.

And I love that. I love that so much because we have enough of that on social media. We don't need the bullies and we don't need the people that are not uplifting. Like, if you're going to be that way. Like, it's so many other groups for that. But this group, people are very vulnerable and they're at a place. They're either at a place where they're scaling and are growing outside the group or they are just coming in the group and they don't know what they don't know. And so you never know when a harsh comment could really make somebody just throw away the entire business that was meant to change lives.

Yeah, yeah, it's hard. Social media is hard. But, yeah, we. Yeah, we try to be. Yeah. The supportive face opposite of the. The horrible social media part, so.

Exactly.

Awesome. All right, where can people find you online?

Oh, I am Angelia Malbro, photography on all social media platforms and I am at the ELE Elevated brand on my podcast.

Sweet. Oh, yeah, your podcast. I want to make sure people listen to that as well. Very cool. Well, thank you again, my dear. I hope to see you soon. Are you going to wppi?

I don't know yet. It depends on what else I'm doing with this tour, but I definitely.

Because I plan well if you do. Yeah, if we do, let's meet up.

I will definitely do that. Thank you so much.

Sweet. Well, thank you again for being here and I will talk to you soon.

Anytime. Nikki, thank you so much.

[Nikki Klosser]

Thank you so much for listening to the Portrait System podcast. Your 5 star reviews really help us to continue what we do. So if you like listening, would you mind giving us a review wherever you listen? I also encourage you to head over to sue brice education.com where you can find all of the education you need to be a successful photographer. There are over 1000 on demand educational videos on things like posing, lighting, styling, retouching, shooting, marketing, sales, business and self value. There's also the 90 day startup challenge, plus so many downloads showing hundreds of different poses. We have to do checklists for your business, lighting, PDFs, I mean truly everything to help make you a better photographer and to make you more money. Once again, that's Sue Bryce education dot com.