Like many of us, I was given the “sensible” career talk: get a steady job, something that pays well.

So I did.

I went into corporate insurance – because nothing says creative ambition like policy documents and risk assessments. And for a while, I did what I was supposed to do. Built a stable career. Climbed the ladder. But I never stopped wanting more.

In 2006, my husband bought me my first DSLR, and that was it – I was hooked. I started photographing families and kids, then (because I apparently love making things harder for myself) moved into weddings.

Meanwhile, I was still working in corporate insurance, juggling photography on the side, and slowly realising I couldn’t do both. In 2014, after shooting 30 weddings in a year while working full time, I finally took the leap, left my job, and went all in on photography.

By 2017, I found what I truly loved: personal branding photography and helping women show up confidently in their startups and businesses.

Why brand photography matters for women in business

After years of working with female entrepreneurs, I’ve noticed something: we’re brilliant at what we do, but we struggle to show it.

• We downplay our success
• We hesitate to put ourselves forward
• We second-guess whether we’re “good enough” to be the face of our business

I get it. I’m 47, peri-menopausal, and know what it’s like to feel self-conscious in photos. But I also know this: your brand needs you to be visible. Clients don’t just buy services – they buy trust, credibility, and connection. And that comes from showing up.

That’s why I make brand photography as easy and un-cringeworthy as possible. No awkward posing. No forced smiles. Just images that actually look (and feel) like you.

International Women’s Day and visibility

We talk about empowering women, but here’s the truth: you can’t be empowered if you’re hiding.

Studies show that girls are ten times more likely to doubt their leadership potential than boys. And that doubt follows us into adulthood. We shrink ourselves, hesitate to put our names forward, and play small - even when we’re more than capable.

For years, I put myself at the bottom of the list. I’d tell my clients to be visible while avoiding it myself. It took time (and a bit of my own medicine) to realise that if I wanted to grow, I needed to step up too.

So this International Women’s Day, I’m doing something about it. I’m launching The Visibility Project: Women Who Show Up0–- a photo and video series featuring female entrepreneurs answering one simple but powerful question: “What does being visible mean to you?”

Because every woman in this project has one thing in common: they chose to be seen. They didn’t wait for confidence. They showed up - and their business grew because of it. 

And, if you’re interested in what they have to say, you’ll be able to see some of these businesses on my Instagram feed in the lead up to International Women’s Day.

For more startup news, check out the other articles on the website, and subscribe to the magazine for free. Listen to The Cereal Entrepreneur podcast for more interviews with entrepreneurs and big-hitters in the startup ecosystem.