Intro: [00:00:00] Hello and welcome to the Posers podcast, the place where we skip the fluff. Say the quiet parts out loud and dig into what really matters. This is where photography, psychology, and business collide. I'm Jody, your host, and I'm bringing you my raw takes, hard wins, and a whole lot of unfiltered honesty about what it takes to build a photography business that actually connects and makes money.
So ladies, grab your headphones and get your tits up and your ears open because we are going to build something really incredible together.
Episode Intro: Hello, hello, hello, my beautiful posers. Welcome back to another episode of the Posers Podcast. We are sliding straight into part two of this wildly unfiltered and maybe a little profound and definitely slightly off the rails conversation with one of my best friends, both in my personal life and in my business life.
Linley [00:01:00] Battle now. If you haven't listened to part one, go do that first, because in that episode we really burned down the idea that, social media should just be used in this way of like checking a box, that you got something up, that you posted, something that you posted behind the scenes or you posted some pretty pictures.
We talked about why your aesthetic, while it is very important. Your aesthetic by itself is not your strategy, and we looked at how so many photographers are doing. Really so much work to show up, but maybe not doing the work to show up in the right way that will actually lead to conversions. All right, so today we are talking about how to fix all of that in part two.
We are gonna get into what family and newborn photographers should be posting in order to build trust and authority. Why it's not about being like loud or trendy, it's about being really clear. And really consistent the subtle [00:02:00] shift from posting for likes to posting for leadership, how to use social media as an extension of your studio experience and your shooting experience and your client experience in general, and how to scale your business without feeling like you have to become an influencer for your own personal brand.
Okay, because let's get real. You didn't start this business to become a content creator. You started it to serve people, to create art, to build something that is lasting. But in 2025, that vision has to be paired with visibility, and Linley is breaking down exactly how to do that without losing your mind in the process.
All right? This isn't some theory. This is actual real life strategy that. Lindley's social media firm has not only tried, not only tested, but has proven that this is how you build social media [00:03:00] that sells. This is how you build social media that converts, and this is how you scale. Alright, so let me stop talking about it and let's dive straight in.
Jodi Anne: I Jody think that you already answered this and I don't wanna put, I don't wanna put these words in your mouth, but what you said a few seconds ago, it clued into my head as I was like, that's probably the biggest mistake that I feel like photographers make whenever they're thinking about their social media.
And I'm not gonna say the answer that I'm thinking because you already said it like a few sentences ago. So I don't want to like, I don't know, skew your answer to this question, but what do you think is the actual biggest mistake that photographers make whenever they're running their social media?
Lindley Battle: No, you gotta say it.
'cause now I'm not following the train of thought and that we're all gonna be in trouble. So say it then I'll start elaborating.
Jodi Anne: Well, yeah, I think you are, I think you already said it. I think that it's not thinking critically about what you're actually posting and what kind of traffic you're actually wanting to drive, and actually thinking through the actual content [00:04:00] strategy rather than it just being something that you're checking off the box.
Lindley Battle: And, and it's not just photographers, I mean, I know it's primarily photographers listening to this. We, I will have conversations with clients that have been with us for two plus years and they're like, oh, can you get this post up? And I'm like, yes, yes. And why? What, what do you want to come from this?
Like, what are you? And that's the thing, like, I think people, you're so close to it and you know, I, I think a lot of people in general don't know. I, I mean, and I was number one, I was a, I was a business owner for probably five years before I realized like, what the hell actually made me special? What the hell actually made people want to work with me?
And I think that's kind of like this pre-work and our onboarding questionnaire is intended to do that kind of make you think critically like, what am I offering? Like what makes me different in the competition? What have people said after working with me that, you know, was a unique experience in working with me?
Like, what do I believe that I bring to the table? Because that's, that's what we take and use to market, you know, it's not, oh, [00:05:00] she has pretty pictures. I mean, we've all got pretty pictures. Do it. Like if you have a nice camera and good at editing software and aren't an idiot, like you've got pretty pictures,
Jodi Anne: Perfect example of that right there in real time of like me being inside of my photography business, not my education business. Is that something that I think really stands out? Just exactly what Linley was just saying. Something that I think really stands out that I hear about my client experience from my clients is that the dads always say to me, oh my God.
Like whenever they're shooting with me for the first time, it's always like, oh my God, that was actually fun. And so then I'll ask them them, I'll be like, what do you mean that's actually fun? Like has it not been fun in the past? And obviously I know that they're gonna gimme that answer, but I wanna hear them say it 'cause it reinforces that.
And I always hear them say like, yeah, like other shoots that we've been on, they've been torturous, they've been like boring. It's been like I'm sweating and the kids are crazy and like, so then obviously I'm gonna take that information from what I'm hearing from the dads. I'm gonna create a whole [00:06:00] entire download inside of my photography business that then teaches, well that's more my education business, but then teaches exactly what I do with dads.
What I understand about the psychology of men, what I understand about influence in that behavior. That's a download inside of my business. Which then I can then create a whole entire mini chat and a funnel and lead into conversions in, 'cause it's part of my posing method. So it leads into conversions into the posing method.
You can do that as a photographer if you're getting that kind of feedback from your clients that is really specialized like that, especially gearing towards men, because I think men are the biggest cock blockers of photo shoots that, oh my God, yes. So. If you have that kind of, but to be fair, what
Lindley Battle: man wants to like, I don't care how much you love your family or your fiance or whatever, like what man is like, hell yeah.
I cannot wait to like put on some like cute looks and like go straight around. Exactly. Like, no, no, no. None of the men,
Jodi Anne: I think, I think a lot of men love the product but not the process. Right? Like for sure. I think [00:07:00] they want it to be five minutes would say that and come with beer. But in, but in all fairness, so do women, like women hate family photo shoot day two, the moms hate family photo shoot day because it comes with so much stress and so like I'm always in that mindset of like, how can I take more and more stress off of them in order to create that experience?
Right? But so inside of your photography business with what Linley was saying is if you're getting that kind of feedback from your clients, that is your content, that is what you harp on, that is the thing that you're saying, that is the thing that sets you apart. Not the fact that you shoot with two SD cards.
But I do wanna say that I have always sort of preached the idea that. If I don't wanna guilt anybody here, if you are in a place where you are posting a bit of LALA content, good, amazing. I want you to keep on posting. I want you to keep your face in front of people. I want you to keep your business name in front of people's eyes.
You are still creating neural pathways. You are still creating that like facial [00:08:00] recognition, that mirror exposure effect. You do still have those things happening, but are those things enough to actually convert people? I'm not sure. This kind of sticky content that you're creating that is so, individualized, right?
So specific to exactly what it is that you are an expert at and what you are doing and what sets you apart. That is what is going to convert clients because that's what's gonna hit home for them. That's what's gonna make them feel like they can live inside of your staged house that you're creating.
Lindley Battle: Well, and I think this hits on such a bigger point, and I know I should be here just like. Preaching how marketing is everything. And it, it might mean marketing is incredibly important, but Jody, I, I mean, you and I have talked about this ad nauseum, like you're, you are a business owner. Your business is a direct reflection of your sense of self, your mental health, your self-awareness.
I mean you, how you're showing up the. Like, I mean, not even like this is add this to the list of like podcasts in the future, but like [00:09:00] that, this is a whole tangent we can get on, but it's so true and I think that's something that, you know, for me, my whole life, I picked up a camera when I was 16 and I was a little fucking weirdo in high school and I just like toted my camera around and I became the artsy kid who took photos and that was my whole identity and I rode that identity until I was probably like 26, 27.
I mean, that was just what I did. I was just the like weird kid who just like did what she wanted and took photos and then. Finally, at some point in there I was like, okay, but what actually like makes this special? And it was a, I mean, it was a huge transformative thing in my life of who am I? Like how do I wanna show up in the world?
Like how, who do I wanna be to people? What do I wanna give into this world? And with that became so much clarity in my business. And. That changed my entire marketing method. You know, it was, it was not just, Hey, look at this cool photo I took of this like hot couple in like Rhode Island making out. You know, it's like, no.
Like what? Who, who am I in this process? How do I hope? I mean, I have some like great, great photos of some beautiful couples in Rhode Island making out for sure, but like, how do I, she does, [00:10:00] but how do I approach this process? And then once I have that answer, I know how I can market myself. And so that's the biggest thing, like just a little self-inquiry, like, don't, you know, this doesn't, don't take this as discouraging.
Like, oh my God, I need to build out email funnels. And I do that, I do that. The amount of times a day that I look at either my computer or my to do this is say, oh my God, I need to do that. Like, we know that, we know that loop. We know that feeling that like, oh, this is so much and I feel like I'm drowning, just like doing what I can as it is.
But this is the fun stuff and this will change the way that you run your business if you just really sit, sit back and think like, what is the feedback that I'm getting from people? And I guarantee you're getting good feed. I mean, you know, no matter what you're doing, even if you. First year in business, like proud of yourself for shooting on two SD cards, that's awesome.
But like, think about what people are saying afterwards, like, how do you make them feel? How do you, how do you prepare for this session? Do you have an amazing brain for psychology like Jody, where you can just like, like engineer the entire experience and make it this like really, really thoughtful thing?
Or are you more candid like me, where you just disarm people and just make them laugh and then like, they look, you [00:11:00] know, like, what is it and, and what do you do? You literally,
Jodi Anne: you're just like, oh, you guys are really hot in Rhode Island. You guys should make out,
Lindley Battle: oh, I, the amount of clients that I've said shit like that to, I mean, it's a, there I have, I have clients that like, they were like uncomfortable and I was like, all right, let's, let's go have some drinks.
Let's go have some drinks. And then they're like, wasted. And I'm just like, this is, and it's great. Yeah. Like, but, but that, like, to me, my, my special sauce in life is that I'm able to be completely present in any given moment. It. Backfires for me a lot because then like once the moment's gone, I'm just like a present in the next moment.
There's very little carryover, but that's like, that is like what makes me powerful as a person is that I am just like completely dialed into any given moment. And so I've learned to harness that in both of my businesses. And I mean, you know that and everybody has that. Everybody has that one kind of fundamental thing that's like core to them.
That's how they're gonna show up. And I think for photographers, sorry, this is really long and I'm forgetting to breathe again. But I think for photographers, like we all do beautiful [00:12:00] work. We all have great websites that probably came from a tonic template that we maybe tried to modify and probably gave up on and like forgot to modify mobile and like we all post like the pretty stuff on Instagram.
I mean like, let's be real, we all post the pretty stuff on Instagram and the reels and like the, here's the behind the scenes. I'm like, oh my God, POV, you work with me. It's so fun. Like we all do the same shit. And some of us charge $8,000. Some of us charge $20,000, some of us charge $40,000. And at the end of the day, if we are all putting the same shit out there with the same Canva templates and the same website templates and work that yes to us, like I could look at a photographer's work and be like, Hmm, their greens fucking suck.
My greens are better. But like the client doesn't care and at the end of the day they're probably going with the $8,000 photographer. And so the $40,000 photographer, unless you are really giving them a reason why you experience and your work is worth that $40,000.
Jodi Anne: I literally had one of my Mastermind students send me a DM the other day and she was, she sent me like two different edits and I looked at them and she was asking [00:13:00] me like, which one is better, which like direction should I go in and whatever.
And I just wrote back and I said, I really wish that you would spend your time doing something else. Like do not go back and we edit photos. Do not go back and try to like tweak this and tweak that, that I say this on the podcast all the time, Lynn. So I love that you're hitting on it because I say all the time pretty is not the same thing as powerful and 80% of your business should be spent doing the things that we're talking about right now on this podcast.
20% should be admin and making things pretty. So
Lindley Battle: million, trillion percent. Well, and I think that's, guys like Jody knows this. This was like, this was my dirty secret until today. For the first, I have since started, I have since revised my process, but for the first like nine years of my wedding photography business, I shot JPEG only.
And that's like, like bad to a lot people.
Jodi Anne: I know. I know a lot of your dirty secrets and so whenever you just said, you were like, this is my dirty secret. I was like, which [00:14:00] one is she gonna, it's not there. I know a lot dirtier secrets, but a lot dirtier
Lindley Battle: secrets.
Jodi Anne: I shot in JPEG for a very long time whenever I was first starting out.
And honestly, I think it did me such a service because whenever you shoot in jpeg you have to know your settings. You have to get good at really nailing. Exposure and highlights and everything like that inside of the camera so that whenever I made the switch to raw it almost, it sometimes I shoot like even going out on a family shoot, I'll shoot raw and JPEG at the same time because my shooting it inside of the camera is usually so spot on that the JPEG version of that is, it already looks like it's edited, right?
Like go having to go back in and fix the raw to make it look like the jpeg. So like a lot of times like I'll shoot that way and it's, it's so much more work. It is so much easier to just learn how to like use your camera on the inside and [00:15:00] shoot in jpeg. I mean granted if you're shooting in a very like low lit church somewhere, like back in my wedding photographer days, or if you're like, I don't know, struggling in some kind of lighting situation or whatever, then clearly shoot raw.
But I don't think, I don't think that shooting in JPEG is like some sort of a dirty secret. I think it's a flex.
Lindley Battle: Oh man. So many people have been like, oh, you do what? Oh. But for me, and I still, I'll shoot dual and if I am on my shit. I will delete all the raw files and just edit the JPEGs. I mean, I still have 'em.
They're good, they're there. Everybody's safe. We're all okay. But like jpeg, like shitty film, so
Jodi Anne: easy. It's so easy. It's wild. And honestly, like people's skin texture in a jpeg is so smooth, so much better and so buttery. So it does, it has like a film sort of feel to it whenever you shoot in jpeg. Okay. This, that's what it's,
Lindley Battle: yeah, sorry.
Okay. Reel it in. Reel it in. So back to marketing, but, but I think just like all of this, I mean really like [00:16:00] authenticity is the name of the game. Figuring out what makes you authentic. I mean that, and this is all the pre-work. Like we, I could, I could sit here and tell you all about all the shit we do at Cultivate.
We do incredible shit. I have an incredible team. I have hired people who are so much better at me than so many different things. So that we have this great customer experience where we can just give, give the people we work with. The, the aesthetics, the strategy, the, you know, the, the intentionality that really helps them convert for their business.
But the point that I didn't realize that we were making here, but that needs to be made is before you start to dive into the rabbit hole that is marketing, really figure out what you're trying to say. That is the most powerful thing that you can do to help your business grow.
Jodi Anne: And honestly, think about what you actually that, that, like self-audit, that content audit, that like thinking really critically about what you want to say and what you want to put out.
It's. It's the, it's the [00:17:00] differentiator. It's the thing that's gonna set you apart 100%. And I hate so much that, that feels vague. 'cause I know listening on the other side of a podcast, I can go back into being Jody of like, you know, five, 10 years ago or whatever. And I would hear that on a podcast and be like, but what does that mean?
Like, what if I feel like there's nothing different about me? And like, I've seen photographers do this in even the simplest way. Maybe not with like authority content and things like that, but like, I remember coming across this photographer not even that long ago, and she wears if she's listening to this, I'm gonna love this so much.
But she wears like these green converse tennis shoes to every single wedding that she goes to. Oh, we love. We love, right? Like, I mean I didn't, I wore heels whenever I shot weddings 'cause I was freaking bananas. Nuts. I know, but like she makes a big deal out of every single reel. Like when she is out shooting on a wedding, there's like a shoe shot that goes into the reel.
And like even [00:18:00] just stories of her having to go into like the Converse store or whatever, I, they might not have been Converse, but they're green. I remember them being like a green tennis shoe. And I remember seeing her content and there being content about her green shoes and about the fact that she's the green shoe photographer and that she had to like go buy a new pair of green shoes and like all of this stuff.
And I'm like that sticky content, those things. It does not have to be this like. Huge, crazy. Like, oh my God, I do this big of a thing different. It very well could be. What sets your personality different? Because I've done that for literally 17 years in my business. I have run my entire Instagram story like life on the grounds of who I am as a person and my personality being like a huge piece of that and it sets me apart.
I do You remember back in the day whenever I was still dating Brian and I had all of my Costco series running whenever literally like it was before Instacart even like existed. So having to go to [00:19:00] Costco every other weekend was a thing in my life and I absolutely loved it and I would always make content.
While we were at Costco, the amount of traffic, the amount of engagement, the amount of just literal dms popping off every single time that anybody think thought about Costco or anytime anybody saw like. Any kind of like a headline of like, oh, you know, somebody gets married in Costco, or somebody gets engaged in Costco and how much they sent that content to me all the time and like I made a big, huge deal of the fact that like, I didn't wanna give Brian my Costco membership because I would rather marry him before I did that, because that was true commitment.
Like I made such a dorky, ridiculous, fucking like signature series out of Costco. Like, so I'm just trying to say, you don't have to overthink this. It doesn't have to be this content audit where you're just like, okay, let me dive into my soul. Let me go into therapy. Let me figure out like, what sets me apart from this person to the next person.
It might just be that you're wild [00:20:00] and you like, like a really like rare form of tequila and like that's your Ja, that's your jam. Like that's your whatever. Like you just have to take this sort of content. And make it to where it makes you memorable to where whenever people think about a photographer, their automatic association goes to do, I want you to do it with authority content.
Absolutely. Do I want you to do it with all of your content rolling out? Yeah. In some kind of way. Sure. Like the stuff that I'm talking about, that's your la la content. That's your top of funnel. That's your funny, that's your entertainment content pillar. Like all of that. Engage.
Lindley Battle: Yeah.
Jodi Anne: Yeah. That's your, like, relatable.
That's your stuff. But that's a thing that's a, like I get so heated right now because like everybody is still touting this idea of like, like, no, and trust, like, no, and trust and social media has changed so much that like, no, and trust is not enough. Anymore. And I don't want that to feel overwhelming because what it actually does is it puts a little bit of the power back in your court for it to just be like, no, I get to just be my authentic [00:21:00] self and also just show how much of a badass authority I am in this market.
So, okay, let me, yes, and hang on real quick. Go. Can I, I was gonna say, lemme step off of my soapbox. You go. Yes, Anne.
Lindley Battle: No, I have a yes. And for that, yes. And the biggest thing that I think needs to be said regarding that is that you are still, if you choose to run a personal brand, you are running that personal brand like it's a damn business.
You are. Yeah. And that's I think where most people get stuck because there's a lot of like, I mean, I, not to take things to like a deep personal level I ran LBP like a personal brand. I mean it still is, I just am hiatus in running that personal brand. Yeah. But I ran LBP, like it was a personal brand up until last year when my little sister passed away and I.
Was just physically unable to show up and run a personal brand. At that point, I was like, there's no, there's no person here. So I didn't take my own advice. And guess what guys? I haven't been booking weddings because I, because I fell off on that. And so I think that's the thing that's really important to say [00:22:00] here is that like, if you were gonna make it your personality to talk about your relationship online, then you are gonna have to be fucking responsible if that relationship doesn't work to still show up and talk.
I mean, you like it is so many people. Think that they can run a personal brand and forget that. Like no, that is its own whole separate business. Like you have got to continuously show up. If you're gonna share with people that you got together with this guy and you're gonna make him super invested and dah, dah, dah, then when that guy fucking breaks your heart or when, when shit hits the fan, you also have to show up with that.
And so I think that is like the, the biggest thing, a personal brand is not for everybody. And that is okay. It business, it's not, is hard
Jodi Anne: to do
Lindley Battle: it. I mean, you and I have talked about this there, there were so many times that when I knew you did not wanna go show up and be like, Hey guys, on your story. But you have to because you made that your business.
So I do think as you're in this like self-inquiry phase and like, you know, I mean that, like I made a huge part of my identity at one point that like I was the girl who drank a ton of red wine and like I had a client who hired me based on like, I'm the girl who drank a ton [00:23:00] of red wine. And then I went for six months where I didn't drink after my sister passed away.
'cause I was like, I need to like soberly process this. And, and I still had to show up and be like, oh yeah, red wine. Like, thanks guys. And I was like, I'm, you know, it, and it just, it's, it's hard because as much as we're preaching, be authentically yourself, you also are still running a business. And so like, don't, don't write a check.
You can't cash, like think really long and hard about like what you want and like, and if it's something that you can, and that's not to say if you make your connection point, the Costco series that like once you stop shopping at Costco, people are just gonna dip out. But like, you are gonna have to replace that with something else that, that fills with equal value.
So like, if you are, if you're creating your brand based on yourself, that means that your ass is gonna have to show up every single week as yourself, rain or shine, whether you like it or not. Worlds people are gonna lose interest. So just, yeah, you know, I don't know. That's more of just like an old person life lesson, like 10 years in business.
Just like think about what you wanna create your business around and what feels good to you and what feels [00:24:00] like it really fills your cup before you just start creating content.
Jodi Anne: I feel like I know that more than anybody. I mean, obviously you just shared something like really vulnerable mm-hmm.
About your sister, and I don't wanna to like go into that too deeply that like, you don't wanna go into Please. But I, I just feel like similarly, like I started running Instagram stories when my divorce hit really hard, and so I had to commit to the idea of showing up during that whole entire process. It meant that some days, whenever I didn't want to be on the internet, because I was like in my bed crying, I had to show myself in my bed crying.
And that was really hard, but. I mean, there's so many other like examples that I can give you, like throughout the process that I've showed, I've shared so much about my world, something more simple than like trauma that, like I used to show my kids a lot whenever we were younger, always like whatever vacations we were taking.
Like little things that they're teenagers now and they've said to me like, I don't [00:25:00] wanna be on that. And so then I can't. So if you're doing that also and thinking like there's this huge content pillar of like family and like what my kids are doing or like showing my kids whatever, you have to realize that there's going to come a time whenever that's not going to be part of your story and it's then your job.
Like I always sort of preach having like five storylines running through my Instagram stories at any point, right? So like back in the day, like Costco being one of them behind the scenes from weddings being another one of them, my relationship with Brian as I was like dating him. Actually, before Brian, it was all of my dating series, like through being divorced.
And I would go on a date and then I would like literally heckle the man on my Instagram stories and I'd be like, that was horrible. And like talking about how online dating sucks so bad and all that stuff like. So I was always like keeping signature series that were like running through my my Instagram stories, knowing that if one of them fell off, there was gonna be another [00:26:00] one that could come up and sort of like take the slack.
But then also knowing that I was gonna have to like, figure out some Cooper escaping my house, my dog escaping my house and running through the neighborhood, I would literally make like such a big deal about that as if I would literally be like, Cooper is the mayor. People love it though. They love it.
They're like, I, I would be like, Cooper is the mayor. Uh, he's literally speaking to all of his constituents in the neighborhood. Like he is collecting votes. We need to give him some, like, some privacy during this time while he is having these intimate conversations with his peoples. Like it was, it was a bit, it's a thing, but knowing that like Cooper's old now and he doesn't run outside of the house, like I still have to be able to make sure that I am creating so.
Storylines through my work that's going to keep people invested because I built everything as a personal brand. But I will also say that I think that a lot of, like, a lot of success on the internet only happens if you run things like a, like a personal brand. [00:27:00] I think it's hard not to this day and age.
Lindley Battle: Yeah. 'cause because people don't care. I mean, road wouldn't be road without Hailey Bieber. Like people don't care, unfortunately. I mean, people want to connect to people and it sucks. And, and that is like a big part of why, I mean, a lot of our clients like wanted that feeling and don't have the capacity to run anything as a personal brand.
So, I mean, I think that that's a huge piece of, of why outsourcing is so helpful and so important. But I mean, it's, and it's interesting, like there's, there's so many different ways to do this. Like I am personally an incredibly private person when it comes to what. I am actually doing in life. Like I'm very, I remember one time that one photo I posted from the back of a Vespa in Paris and everybody lost their mind because they were like, I mean, there are people there and think because you're
Jodi Anne: on the of a beautiful man on a Vespa in Paris.
Are you kidding?
Lindley Battle: You're, but I don't share that kind of content. I mean, there are like people that think that I've been married for like 10 years. There are people that think like, I mean, nobody knows [00:28:00] about my personal life. Nobody knows where I live. I get that question all the time. Some people are like, where do you live?
And I'm like, that's a great question. I really kind of like, don't live anywhere. So there's the, yeah. You know, but it's, I, but I. Prior to Marky passing, it's been something that's been really hard to, to kind of repo out of myself. But I was really, really good at creating content that made people feel really connected with me without sharing something about, like, without sharing what I was actually doing.
And I think that's really important here. 'cause Jody always impressed me. I mean, she just like got on, like, she ran like the real Housewives of Jodi. Like, it was just like amazing to me and she was so authentic, the biggest compliment
Jodi Anne: I've ever had in my life.
Lindley Battle: Good. I got Colt and Col bag. You got Real Housewives of Jodi.
We are, we are doing phenomenally goals achieved, but but seriously, like she was able to get on there and be so authentic with like the good, the bad, the dates, the stuff like I would personally rather die. I that is just like, so not for me. That is not who I've ever been. I like people not knowing what I'm doing or where I am.
That's like important to [00:29:00] me. But I can still show up and connect authentically with people without having to be like, oh my gosh, look at this guy I'm dating, and like, look at this like thing that I'm doing. Like that's just like never. So no more Vespa content ever. Guys
learned one and done.
Jodi Anne: I like that you're saying this because I literally have said the same thing before, like anytime I'm talking about the way that I have done things and that I have built things, there is always a segue that is like, you do not have to do it this way. You do not have to be me. Do I think that a personal brand is like really, really powerful, especially whenever you're running a creative business like this?
Yes. But what Linley is saying is that she also has a personal brand. It's just not tied to what she's actually doing in real time, which. Is that maybe a little bit more work? Sure. Because I just love more work. I find it easier. I find it easier for me that like my content has to follow my [00:30:00] life. It has to follow what it is that I'm doing.
I'm constantly just like sitting in my car telling you what I'm about to do for the day, and then you're seeing the behind the scenes of what I'm doing during that day, and then I'm walking to a shoot and you're hearing me talk about the shoot, or I'm walking into a wedding, or I'm walking into wherever.
Like that is, that only works because I have such a crazy busy life that I don't have the time to sit and think like, okay, how else am I gonna make content? It's so natural for me to just let the content follow exactly what I'm doing with my life, but it doesn't have to be done that way. And there's so many ways that you can still do this without your face ever even having to be on the camera with just, if we are out on a photo shoot, you could literally get testimonials from your clients by turning on your camera and saying.
Hey guys, did you have fun on your shoot? And then they give you the answer and then you're able to post that and the people feel as though they were behind the scenes on the shoot with you. They feel as though they got to be a part of everything with you. And you never once put your face on the [00:31:00] camera.
You never once put yourself into that position. So like, there's just ways that you can do it to where you don't have to be like, here's my personal life and here's stuff that I don't wanna share. Like, you can still get away with doing it in whatever way you feel the most comfortable is my point.
Lindley Battle: Well, and I think, I think making those lines, like, I think, you know, a, a lot of what we've been talking about in this a DD spiral has been like being authentic.
And I do, being authentic is, I mean, if you are not authentic one, people are gonna feel it. Two, you're gonna lose your fucking mind. I mean, that's just like, like we are all way too busy to be inauthentic. I think that that's like. Yeah. Kind of a fundamental thing. Like lying takes a lot of time and like, ain't nobody got time for that shit.
And people feel it. Yeah. People feel like, I was listening to this whole podcast about like, it's so woo woo, but like vibrations and how like they're an actual thing that people feel. God,
Jodi Anne: Linley I, oh, I cannot, you've gone, woo. No, no one. I've always been a little
Lindley Battle: woo, but I haven't gone Woo. But I been really notation.
Woo. No, not by, [00:32:00] no, no, not vibrations. No. It was like, oh, I don't know. This girl's a scientist. I don't know. Anyway, it was interesting. But she was talking about how like you can actually feel the energy that people are putting off. And I do agree with that. I don't think it's like a, I mean, you can, if somebody's sitting there bullshitting, like, you know, if they're, whether they're on their story, whether they're on a podcast, whether you're talking in person like it, you may not be able to be like, oh, that's like you're full of shit, but something feels off to where you just like, don't feel that inherent human connection because they're not coming from their authentic self.
So just to like, clarify what I was saying, which is like, I'm not saying sit here and plan out your like, day in the life stories for a day that isn't today. And like give people like a false sense of who you are. But I'm just saying you can be really curated with what you share. Like I don't share my dating life.
I don't share much about my family life. I don't share much about my home life. But I do share a lot of my office, I share a lot of my travel. I travel a ton. So I share a lot of like, here's my camera gear set up. Like here's what I'm like doing for weddings. I also share a lot of, like, I have really fun interactions with my [00:33:00] clients because I just refuse to do anything other than that.
So I share a lot of like that where like, you know, what goes into the shot, like let's talk about if it's a wedding couple, like I'm like heckling them. I'm like, make out, make out, make out. They make out and they start laughing. Like that's the kind of video content that I'm sharing because it's about them.
It's not about me. And it's also, you know, it's, it's fun. It's fun, it's relatable, like it's who I am. I mean, same thing with cultivate, like, you know, we do, I have my whole team do like weekly day in the lives. 'cause I think it's so important for people to understand one, what the hell we do. I mean, like, I, I get that question lot.
People are like, what the hell do you guys actually offer? And I'm like, oh, buckle up. But then also too, like the cool people that are a part of it, like I've hired really amazing women who are so stupid, talented and like, have such an interesting way of approaching what we do for our clients. And it's all so different.
And like, I want that showcase because I want people to understand what it is that we bring to the table and, and why. So I think there are ways to be really authentic online without necessarily having to be like, here's this and this. I totally like Jody, I would [00:34:00] kill to be as transparent as you when it comes to personal life.
Uh, just not today.
Jodi Anne: I wish that like I would squeal whenever, whenever we, whenever I'm listening to you talk, I always have this like commentary running in my head and I think about like a funny thought, but like, whenever we're here on this podcast, like if I talk over you then it creates like jbl little like audio things.
But whenever you went back, whenever you are saying, like, I just, I just heckle people. I yell at them to make out, I yell at them to whatever. In my head, I was like, okay, you're either like, in a past life you were like the director of a porn star video or something. God, I hope so. Or you're, you were an exhibitionist or a voyeur or like, whatever.
Whichever one of those things just literally wants to make, like watch people, like making out on the streets like you're that person.
Lindley Battle: Which is so funny because I'm so not like a PDA person all, you're so not like, I'm like, you're so like, because it's so like out of my comfort zone. So that's really [00:35:00] funny.
Yeah, I think, I think it's just the like cheerfully aggressive thing. I'm like, let's fucking go, let's make this fun. Like cheer, you know, cheerfully
Jodi Anne: aggressive. Okay. We've literally talked about a jacket you bought in Aspen. You being a porn star director in a different life. You being cheerfully aggressive and we've talked a lot about marketing too, so I think we've covered.
All of the points that we needed to hit for today, Linley. I literally, I'm so excited to jump into, cultivate with you. We knew, like we actually said this, whenever I like reached out, I was like, Linley, it's time. And you were like, oh God, like it's time for what? I was like, it's time for us to like do business again.
Because in the mastermind I feel like we were always so connected and now that it's like come full circle, it's like, no, I need to hire your firm. I need to like actually like hand this off to you. Both of us were just like jumping with joy at the idea that we get to be like inside of each other's businesses again.
So thank you so much. I'm so excited to be a part of like the Cultivate cult and [00:36:00] I love that I came up with that. And really quick before we wrap up, tell everybody how they can find you and what they need to do. If they want to just like, I don't know, bite the bullet, jump in and be like, yes bitch. Go run all of my social media for me.
Like tell, tell me how my people can find you.
Lindley Battle: Love that. Yes, please. Uh, my personal, like wedding photography business is Lilly Battle on Instagram. You can follow me there. Don't go look at my website. It is like, I am so guilty of not the cobblers, the cobblers children have no shoes, guys. But follow me on Instagram.
Sometimes I post it's, it's me right now, which I don't, we, we just did a whole thing about not doing, but I'm kind of trying to figure out some brand clarity there. So, that's, that's okay. That's me. That's where you can find me personally. Sometimes I just pop off on stories, on random things. For, for Cultivate, it's a lot more of a curated experience.
You can find us at cultivate cc Jody. Will you link it in show notes?
Jodi Anne: Yeah, I'm gonna put it in the show notes. Okay. I'm also gonna put your contact form like directly [00:37:00] linked into the show notes there because I hope more than anything that like they have felt how authentic you are coming through this podcast and how much Cultivate is just so big on like the strategy piece.
And that really is, it's the way of, of what Instagram is in the future. So like I just, I hope that they're able to like, come over and jump in with you and get something going for themselves. And so I'm gonna link that for sure. Plus like websites and like all of that sort of stuff too. But
Lindley Battle: yeah guys, let's get on the call.
I will keep it so real with you. If you're not a good fit for us, I'll tell you, I will probably just give you, she will
Jodi Anne: cheerfully, aggressively tell you no.
Lindley Battle: Aggressively tell you, no, tell you what you should be doing, tell you when to come back to us. So, I mean, yeah, conversations, connections, like that's what makes the world work.
So, this was awesome, Jody. Thank you for I, you, this was so much fun.
Jodi Anne: I love you. I love it that like most of this whole entire podcast, we both just had like a huge smile on our face and we're just both like nodding while the other one is like going off on a, [00:38:00] on a business. We're both just like, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
I love you so much and bye for now.
Episode Outro: Okay. I hate to say it because I would continue this conversation with Linley for several more hours, but that is in fact a wrap on my conversation with Linley Battle. If your brain is buzzing and your notes app is full, I am sure that you are not alone because this really is how you scale your business.
So if you are ready to turn visibility into real bookings. Please make sure that you're on the newsletter list and keep your eyes open for the next round of the Mastermind. There will be a link inside of the show notes here and inside of your emails to make sure that you're on that wait list. And that's it for today.
Bye for now. Closers.
Outro: Okay, so that is a wrap on this episode of the Posers Podcast. If you loved it, please subscribe, rate, and review [00:39:00] because honestly, algorithms are needier than all of our ex-boyfriends combined. And ladies, I need all the help I can get. If you've got thoughts, questions, love letters, even hate mail, please send them my way.
I actually read every single one of them. So until next time, stapled, stay messy and don't let the bullshit win. Tits up. Ears open and go build something. Incredible. Bye for now, friends.
