Most founders are still using a photo that is three to five years old. It no longer matches who they are, so they show up less and quietly shrink the vision. Laverne Wyatt fixes this for a living, and as this conversation shows, it is rarely about the photos. It is about closing the gap between who you are inside and how you appear to the world.
Let's Dive Into the Highlights
- Shame sharing: When your visuals do not match your ambition, you post out of obligation. That image carries an energy of shame, reads as amateur, and pulls in clients and revenue at that level.
- Like attracts like: A four-year-old photo shows a half-capacity version of you, so it draws opportunities at that level. Raising the price or retweaking the landing page does not fix it if the image stays the same.
- The invisible founder: Smart, ambitious people talk themselves out of being seen. The real barrier is fear of the camera and the risk of a result they cannot use.
- Discomfort is the signal: If a pose feels comfortable, you are probably slumping. The slight strain of holding it right is the first sign you will look good on camera.
- She cannot make you like yourself: An hour into a shoot, a client kept hunting for flaws. Laverne named it. She can handle the styling, posing, and lighting, but not the self-criticism. The client shifted, relaxed, and the photos changed.
Behind the Breakthrough
Laverne Wyatt is a brand photographer and strategist and the founder of Onbrandia. After more than 23 years in brand design across Norway, South Africa, and global markets, she saw that what founders were missing was not better photos. It was a process built around who they are becoming.
She shoots on location across Europe in natural light, with no filters and no AI editing. Her work combines brand strategy, styling, and direction so the result is a set of usable assets, not just nice pictures. She is known for making the process fun and for helping founders feel safe in front of the camera.
The Guest Said It Best
“You need to look like the price you want to charge now.”
“My job is to hold a vision of who I see them becoming.”
“I can put makeup on you, help you, show you how to sit, what to wear, all of those things. But I cannot help you to like yourself.”
“The only reaction that matters to me is, wow, is that me?”
“Technology is not a miracle, it's not going to save us. Everyone thinks a new technology is going to save them. You have to focus on emotions.”
Key Takeaways
- Audit your assets for gaps. Review your website, LinkedIn, posts, and speaker sheets first. The goal is a usable shot list, not 30 nice photos you cannot use.
- Plan before you shoot. A good shoot starts weeks earlier with a strategy session and a founder questionnaire. That work sets the location, wardrobe, and direction so the day itself feels safe.
- Build a signature look around your brand colors. You do not need a whole new wardrobe. Add a few core pieces and brand-colored accessories so you still feel like yourself while sending the right cues.
- Practice your poses in advance. Run through poses in the mirror to build muscle memory. Expect mild discomfort on the day. That strain means you are doing it right.
- Do the inner work too. Styling cannot replace self-acceptance. Deciding you are worth showing up as your best self is what makes everything else land.
A Question for You
Think about the photo you keep using because updating it feels risky. What is that old image costing you in visibility and opportunity, and what would change if you let yourself be seen as the founder you are becoming?
Take the Next Step
Laverne creates founder photoshoots planned and shot on location across Europe. Visit her site to download her guide to professional poses, then book a Photoshoot Strategy Call.
Website: https://www.onbrandia.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laverne_ws/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lavernewyatt/
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