Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Ever wonder why success doesn't always equal fulfillment?
Join Tim Salmans on "Powerful and Unpolished" as he challenges the status quo with this question: what if the key to fulfillment lies in recognizing and breaking free from energy-draining patterns? This podcast isn't just about success stories; it's about the unspoken challenges that high-achieving individuals face. Tim Salmans will unpack the complexities that cause frustration, offering tangible strategies to navigate personal challenges within professional landscapes while maintaining your authentic self. Subscribe now for a transformative journey - where authenticity meets success on your own terms.
Good day, everyone. Welcome back to Powerful and Unpolished. I, again, I'm Tim Salmons, I'm your host, and I have another, uh, very excited soul to have on the show this week. Um, it's Michelle... Michelle. That was my last... Um, Monique Ekis. Thank you, Monique, for, for joining us today. Um, Michelle, I was thinking of, like, one of our past guests about two weeks ago.
So but- Well, thank, thanks for having me, and that's actually my sister's name, so I'll take it. Michelle is? Yes. Oh, wow. Wow. Yeah. Any other siblings with the M name to start off? No. No? I've had friends before that have done the, the, you know, three kids and all, all their names were, like, Roger, Robin, and Rick- Yes.
kind of thing. So, but anyway, back to, uh, the show. I really was excited to have Monique on the show today, one, because what she does professionally, but two, just kinda to learn about her path and how she came to where she is and what she does. I'm gonna read your, her background, her bio a little bit here to bring you up to speed.
But Monique Ekis, she is the owner of Silver Paw Studios in northern Colorado. All of her work is rooted in one simple idea, helping people and businesses be seen, valued, and unforgettable through photography and video. She works with families, entrepreneurs, and organizations to create custom photos and videos and leads Silver Paw Studios with a focus on making proc- the, the whole process feel fun and collaborative.
The studio offers portrait photography, business-focused photos and video content, as well as providing podcast studio rental and production. Silver Paw Studios grew from Monique's background in the veterinary industry- From her years of photographing people with their pets. That mix shaped the way that she works today.
She helps people feel comfortable, guides them through the process, and creates images and videos that reflect who they really are. In addition to doing client work with the, the photography, Monique speaks at local and national conferences and volunteers her photography and video skills for animal related causes.
She's lived in Loveland, Colorado with her husband Steve, their dog Bailey, and a tank of freshwater fish. So welcome, Monique. Thanks. Yes, um- Great to be here ... what I like about this, uh, bio that I have on you is, um, you talked about doing some volunteer work. So tell, tell us a little bit about, um... 'cause I, I really am a big proponent of animal causes.
So tell me what's some of the video, the volunteer stuff that you've done? So, uh, a lot of the volunteer work I've done here in Colorado has been for animal causes, um, with primarily working with Animal Friends Alliance, which is a small, small-ish, getting bigger, private dog and cat rescue here in Fort Collins.
So for many, many years I went every single week to photograph their adoptable dogs and cats and any other campaigns or anything special they had going on, and a couple of different videos, fun videos I've done for them. But a couple years ago it got to be too much to go out to each campus every single week.
So now I primarily photograph campaigns. So if they have a Clear the Shelters campaign or something else like that, often there's a cool theme, then people come to the studio and we photograph everything for that fundraiser campaign. Okay. What got you into... Le- let- let's go, let's go back to the beginning at least of your profession.
What got you into photography itself? Uh, so photography, I like to say that I stole my sister's camera in high school. Okay. But she wasn't using it. She doesn't even remember that. I, I just, I took a photography class in high school and didn't have a camera, so I used hers and learned all the ins and outs, all the technical stuff of photography, and then, uh- Fast forward a little bit till I had kids and, of course, a camera.
You always have a camera out when you have kiddos and animals around. And then when I started working at a veterinary practice when they were in elementary school, then I ended up taking a camera there as well. Uh, they didn't always love that, but I got some really cool photos of people looking at X-rays and doing all kinds of things.
At last I knew, they still had some of my photos up on the wall there in Camas, Washington. Oh, wow. Yeah, I know. And so then, you know, I moved to Colorado, what, 14-ish years ago. Went right back to working at the vet industry 'cause that's what I knew in the front office, and then photography just kind of pulled me back.
So I went back to photography full time a couple years later, and, and I w- and I did what everybody does. Like, I'm a people photographer and, and I like to say so is everybody and their Uncle Joe. And so it was ... There was a ton of competition for just people photography, and I was missing all the animals, and one day I drove past the old, the old site of Animal Friends Alliance and walked in and said, "Hey, do you ever need a photographer?"
And they said, "Well, sure." And this is CSU town, so they get a lot of people who volunteer for the summer or for the term, and then they can't carry on, right? And I said, "Okay, let me try it out." And so I came in every Wednesday for, like, eight years, um, and that's b- when they had dog and cat separate. And then I went over to the cat shelter a year into that, and they're like, "Yeah, we wish we had the photographer over at the dog shelter."
And I'm like, "Well, that's me." And so then for years and years, I photographed everybody every week, but that's kinda how ... And then when I really, really got into my photography business, I, I had separate brands actually. I had a people photography and a pet photography, and after a minute I'm like, "Wait, this is too much work.
Double the social media, double the blogs, all the stuff. I'll just combine them." 'Cause I always thought my people photography would bring the pets, but it was opposite. And then when I merged everything to Silver Paw Studio, everyone's like, "Well, duh." That's funny. So, uh, yeah. That's kinda how the wa- waving path of how I got here.
Well, I wanna, um, I just told you before we started the recording, um, I checked out your website, and what I love about her website is the photographs, the animals. I mean, the, the char- You can see the personality of these dogs, you know, and the cats, and, and it's just like, wow, I, I, I don't know. I'm a fan.
Well, let's just say I'm a fan. Oh, thanks. Um, because- The kind of work that I do- For me too, it's, it's- ... is very much about opening people up and, and, you know, that, that journey between your head and your heart, right? And when we think about these creatures, when we think about, um- You know, not only just our pets, but animals in general, the gift that they, they give so much to us.
And, and to see people start to embrace, I mean, uh, even to see, uh, or hear about laws around the country or around the world where they're really starting to... You know, if it is something that is a pet, it's not just a piece of property. It's, you know, it... Right? And so for you to honor the family member who happens to have four legs or, or, you know, or, you know, our next-door neighbors have snakes and turtles and, you know, bearded dragons, and so- Oh.
it's, it's that kind of thing. It's, uh... And they're near and dear to them, and so they are family members. So I just appreciate what you, what you're doing there. Oh, thank you. Yeah. Keeping animals has evolved so much just over my lifetime, and I can remember backyard dogs were kind of what you had, and people weren't used to bringing them in the house.
And then when I first started, you know, working in animal care of any kind, it... People were a little nervous and shy, like, "Oh, you know, this is my dog," like that they loved as much as their kids, and it was kind of like, "I don't wanna let people know that I'm this weirdo who loves my dogs and cats as much as my kids."
And now it's just right? And now it's just accepted. Like, even some companies have, um, you know, grieving relief. If your pet passes, you can take extra time off work. Like, people are really understanding that. And there's a lot more, um, studies that happen here in CSU. We have HABIC, Human Animal Bond in Colorado, and that's run through the School of Social Health, I think, and this is where you take your, your dog or your cat and you train them, and you, you become a team to do therapy work, which is kind of go into kids' story time or de-stress events on campus.
Like, people are really understanding the place that animals play in our lives. It's, it is very heartwarming. Absolutely. There's, uh... This was years ago. I'm, I'm talking 10, 15 years ago. But we, uh, we have a friend who, um, as the universe works, right, works its magic and stuff like this, came to her, um... A l- a, a lawyer, an executor of a trust, of a will, came to her to interview her.
And, uh, she ended up getting the position, and the position was this, was the, to move into this home and take care of these cats and have your, um... I think, uh, the woman who had the, the home set it up in her will that, um, they were, the cats were gonna stay in the home until they lived out the fullness of their life.
And so, um, our friend actually got, I don't know, 10, 11, 12 years of rent-free- Living. And it was like, wow. Some people thought that was extreme, but I was, like, going, "Why not?" I mean, if these are the animals that loved you in your lifetime and, you know. 'Cause so often they, they get left, left behind and stuff like that, so.
For sure. Yeah. I have a, actually have a friend who's an estate attorney, and there are special documents just for caring of your animals. Yeah, that's pretty cool. It is very cool. It's... So how did you get, uh, I asked you about the photography. You stole your sister's camera even though she wasn't gonna- How'd you g- how'd you get interested in the v- veterinarian aspect?
Well, I had pets. We always had dogs at least growing up. And so of course once my kids got to be a little bit older, we got dogs. And I had a golden retriever that I, I thought I would do therapy dog work, and then I ended up not 'cause my kids were young. It was, it was tough. And then, uh, one day in the newspaper, in the newspaper, uh, there was an ad- Mm-hmm
for I know, a receptionist position at the veterinary office that I took my dogs to. And I thought, "You know, that sounds kinda cool. Let me apply for that." And so after, you know, a little bit of time I ended up getting that job and worked at the front office of the vet office, and it was awesome. I ended up being the office manager, so I got to build my hours around my kids' school schedule.
Uh, and there was a lot of freedom in this small practice. And it was really cool to see both sides. Like, in the veterinary industry there's the front and the back. Um, and so, you know, the medical staff versus the admin staff up front, and I got to work in all of that, uh, which was really fascinating 'cause I love science-y stuff too.
And so what's cool is that all those skills and all the things I learned there, even though I wasn't technically part of the medical staff, I learned from them and I get to use that in the photography work that I'm in. Nice. Very nice. Now, is there, um... Let me ask you this, uh, 'cause your expertise is, is in photography.
So do you prefer to do still photos? I mean, it's a, it's a different thing, but do you prefer to do still s- still photos or videos? Oh, don't make me choose a baby. Uh, uh, well, stills is what I've done for a super long time. I love stills. I love taking that one moment that you'll never see again. Even if people are standing shoulder to shoulder looking at the same sunset, you're still those two inches apart and looking at something different.
And same with people. You're never gonna see that exact expression again. I love freezing that moment to really appreciate forever. And so I really love still photography for that aspect, and I've just studied it for so long that, uh, what's, what I love about- The still photography at the level I'm at now is the technical piece is automatic.
So I really can just work on that communication with my subject and really making it the best day ever and everyone comfortable and having fun, and I don't have to worry about the techy stuff at this point 'cause I've-- I kinda know that. Um, um, I mean, you're always gathering skills, but the basics are there.
I don't have to fiddle with my camera or my lights. I just kind of know what to do. Um, so I love that about stills. What I love about video is that, of course, you can show the story and hear the story, all of that, and I don't do that as much with my pet and family photography. I've tried adding it in, but it's so much better to just take those photos and put 'em up on your wall.
People don't know what to do with them for their families. So that's mostly what I do for other businesses and, and like the shelters and nonprofits as needed. Uh, so I do love the video aspect partly because of the tech side. You know, you gotta worry about lighting and audio and, you know, everything in there, but you can do so much in a short amount of time.
And so when I started doing YouTube, so I started YouTube like 2019-ish to teach other volunteer pet photographers 'cause there wasn't any resources out there. Like, okay, if you're in this small space at the shelter, how do you get enough light and set up, you know, a safe environment to photograph a cat at the shelter?
Nobody was talking about that. And so I did YouTube for a super long time, and, uh, so then I just took all that equipment, all those skills that I learned, and that's kinda how I got into offering video production for businesses as well. I thought I could just-- I could use all these skills to help all the businesses around too.
So I can't, I can't really choose a baby. Uh, I like photo and video, but I think photo has got a lifelong hold on me. Absolutely. Wow, that's awesome. I, um, the reason why I ask the question is, one, to make you choose a baby. No, I'm just kidding. The reason why I ask the question is this, is, uh, I know that you do a lot of work for businesses and, and nonprofits, and sometimes the benefit, especially in this day and age, everything is...
I, I mean, you're telling stories, whether it's a still photo or whether it's a video. Now, videos obviously capture people a heck of a lot easier. You know, I mean, we're getting so groomed and accustomed through social media, you know, YouTube, s- stuff like this. I, I love the heck out of it, but at the same time, you know, the difference between a love and a doom scroll your soul away is, you know, an interesting process.
But with you being able to do the video and, and see it as the storytelling, is there a lot of, um... Do you-- I know you have the, probably have the capability, but is there a lot of post-production after you capture the footage? Do you have the ability to kinda articulate it? Um, tell us a little bit about that if that's something that's of interest to your clients.
Yeah. And, and I think that what's h- that is the part that really holds a lot of businesses back 'cause there is so many options for editing. But with photo and video, the best way to get the best results is pre-production. So, like, with my photography clients, we always have a consultation meeting first, whether it's in person, on Zoom, on a phone call.
We talk through all the details of what's gonna happen at the photo shoot. So the same thing happens at video production level, but even more so. So you gotta know exactly everything that you're filming. You know, there's different levels of that. If we're gonna be a lot of different scenes and B-roll and locations, that's even more planning.
Um, but that is really what makes the day of the shooting and the editing go so much faster. If you kind of know the pieces that you need, it's way easier to build the puzzle. Uh, I know a lot of beginner videographers wanna just go out and film everything, and then they'll figure it out later. And there is a tiny aspect of that 'cause you never know what's gonna happen on set the day of, even as much as planned.
There's some cool things that happen. Uh, but it is way better to have at least some kind of outline and direction. So that, I think, is the really the key to the post-production. But a lot of what happens in post-production is puzzling the story together. I might have filmed everything out of order, just like movies and TV shows do, and then you have to puzzle it back in an order.
Uh, any other additional footage, which, you know, is called B-roll, which is not the person talking to camera type of stuff, it's maybe them doing something or the area. So extra footage has to be planned out. If you miss any of that, it's hard to go back and do it again. Absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah, and it's, it, I'm very detailed, so I'm down in the s- second or the millisecond like, "Oh, I don't like that little spot there," and I'm detail editing on videos.
And a lot of them are fairly short. If they're for, say, an ad, you gotta make sure it's tight. You do a, you do a mix of, of professional business and then personal. Um, with the personal stuff, maybe it is with the business, too, uh, what is, what is a missed opportunity that you commonly see? Is there, is there something that people either don't consider or, um, just don't even realize that they, that they...
You know, 'cause it's so easy to think that, uh, there, there, the, you got this phone, right? And how many thousands of pictures do I have in my phone, right? And so there's a definite missed opportunity there. I have it if I ever wanna go back and look at it, but- So for you, in your background, in your expertise, do you feel that there's, amongst this culture that we're in, do you feel that there's missed opportunity that people aren't quite recognizing or are taking for granted?
So missed opportunities, so on the pet and people photography side, it's printing and your photos. Um, so I don't know how many times people have lost their phone or their cloud backup didn't work, and they don't ... And everything's gone. So really printing your most cherished images and displaying them.
There's a little bit of study, and I don't remember where it's at, especially like, say, you have young people, your children in photos, that it just boosts their, their sense of belonging when you hang a picture of your child up on the wall. Obviously, your dogs and cats aren't gonna know that, but you are.
The second you walk in your house and you see that, that photo up on the wall, wow, that is just this, um, amazing little jolt of happiness. So I think that's a missed opportunity for a lot of people with their ... I mean, I say all the time, "Just take a million cellphone photos," of course, but there's a big difference between the quality and the printability of those, especially larger size, than there is with, you know, my big camera, quote, unquote.
Um, so I think that's a missed opportunity. And unfortunately, one of the things I hear from my pet photography clients a lot is pets don't live as long as we do, and so once they're gone, people often will say, "Ah, I wish I'd have done this." So and that's kind of my job, is to let people know that this is a thing that you can do.
There's still a large portion of the population who doesn't, doesn't know you can include pets in your family portraits or do just your pet portraits. Uh, so there's a lot of education still happening that this is even an option for you. So I think those are the two missed opportunities for pet and family photography.
Um, and I can talk to business if you'd like. Yeah. Um, for, for business content, obviously getting a good headshot, and I know that sounds very basic, but it is shocking how many people have just a selfie with a lot of stuff happening in the background that has nothing to do with their industry. Uh, so I suggest either setting yourself up a much better business portrait headshot or just going ahead and getting one from someone like me or whoever's in people's areas that really reflects who you are and how you wanna be seen.
I feel like your business portrait's your receptionist, especially if you're an online business. If you were to walk in and you saw this receptionist on the front page of your website, you immediately have an expectation of that person. And so make sure that your receptionist on your website it, which is your headshot, looks how you want it to look, how you want to be portrayed.
I wanna jump in on that, too. Um, I, I You, thank you for saying that. I just endorsed that. Someone said that to me years ago, and I always wanted to use one of my old headshots from the acting days and stuff like this, and it's like going, "Yeah, that's when I was younger and stronger and healthier," and, you know, all the other things, right?
And, um, yeah, I just... If you're doing a business out there, g- get an updated headshot, you know, from Monique or someone in your area that is qualified. I mean, just snapping headshots, you can make anything work, but people will look at you and be like, "You can tell the difference between a quality professional headshot and just, you know, 'Hey, I got a good picture.'"
Right? Yes. And also, I mean, I know AI is kind of the newest craze and it's fun to play with, but, um, I would restrict AI to maybe taking out a distr- distraction in the background of something or a stain off your shirt. Like, use it for those fine-tune editing, but please, if you have a business that you say you are, quote, "authentic," don't use an AI image of yourself.
That is a complete contradiction. So there's my soapbox. No, we're both climbing on the soapbox. I'm gonna climb on the soapbox with you 'cause- Okay ... I, I, I've said this for years. Yeah. So you, you- Yeah ... you know the movie The Hunger Games, right? So I, I've said, uh, said to my wife on a number of occasions, I swear to God we have, uh, you know, when The Hunger Games came out, I was like, "Wow, what an interesting concept."
And I swear every year it seems like we're getting closer and closer to The Hunger Games. I mean, between everybody's taking shots and, you know, doing, uh, the eyelashes, the, the, the everything looks perfect kinda thing, I'm like going, "Wow." You know, now with AI, AI's enhancing everything. It's like people are so caught up in the illusion that they wanna project, but it's like, but that's not the experience that people have of you.
Like- Yes ... I'm on that soapbox with you. I agree. Like, however you show up in real life, that's h- how you could show up in your headshots. I know it's very tempting to glam everything up or dress very different than you normally would, and, you know, if you wanna do that for some of them, you can rotate headshots.
You don't have to use the very same one forever. If you want a glammed one, do that. Uh, but really, like, often I will look at someone's, say, LinkedIn photo bef- right before I go walk into a coffee shop to meet them, and if they don't match, I'll never see them , uh, you know? And so that's, like, a real-world example of dress how you would normally dress in the world on a professional day.
That's my advice. I think it's great advice, and I just want to add to it where it doesn't... You know, we're so caught up in the exterior I mean, the whole idea, like if you look at a quality photograph, you can see, you can capture the nuance of someone, and it's not just because, oh, their skin looks perfect or their hair looks perfect or their clothes look perfect.
It's like when you can see that character, when you can see the, the essence that's in them. That's why actually having a, a quality professional photographer is a step above because, you know, of the quality photographers that I have crossed paths with, um, they really do capture the essence of the person, not just that they look good.
And, you know, trust your photographer. Well, that's something that we should do too as photographers. I know I'm using the should word, but as photographers we need to be cognizant of the things that are distracting. Like I- if people want to look very tidy, that's perfect . You know, like that is totally fine, however you want to look.
If you want to get the eyelashes and all that, and that's normally how you show up. But one of the things we all should be looking for as professional photographers is, is the clasp on your necklace showing? Is that distracting? Is ... I will help people through their clothes selections. Is this what you would normally wear like on stage at a networking event with a client or, um, or could we maybe tone down the stripes, 'cause sometimes cameras don't see stripes the same way.
You know, so I will help people through those decisions as well. What do we put in the background? Not everyone's gonna cut out the background. Do you want it colorful? Do you want it outside? We as photographers help people through all those decisions to really reflect your brand and who you want to show to your clients and potential clients.
Do you, uh, this is sort of shifting gears here a little bit, but do you ever like work with training or- Mm ... have you worked with educating newer, um, photographers or do you do anything like that where you pay it forward in that way? Yeah. So I had a pro pet photog YouTube channel and website for a really long time, and I was helping pet and people photographers through that for a super long time.
I, it's just n- I'm, I'm spread too thin to do that anymore. Um, but I definitely do occasionally have classes here at the studio or I'll go on people's podcasts like yours or I'll talk at conferences and I'll help people through that. I've done a variety of things over the last, over a decade where I will teach at maybe a business conference like, "Here's what to do in your business portraits," or for other photographers.
Yeah, I'm available to mentor anybody, and I'm actually good friends with a lot of photographers in the area. Nice. Very nice. Yeah. Did you ever meet Tricia Turpinoff? Once. Yeah. Yeah She was a, a delightful soul. Yeah Bless her, bless her heart, bless her essence. Um, love, love and miss her dearly. So, um, but yeah, since you worked with so many, I was, I was like going, "Did you guys cross paths?"
Um, so quick question on shifting gears back. So we're talking then kind of about the video aspect. We're talking about capturing quality videos. Tell me about testimonial videos 'cause I know that you had mentioned something around that, so I wanna dig into that a little bit. Okay, testimonial videos are my new obsession.
Okay, new as of last summer, so almost a year. I am loving, loving, loving testimonial videos. So here's the thing. At my studio, I can do all kinds of content for people. I can make their hero video on their website. I can make a meta ad. I can do all kinds of things, how-to videos, and that's great, but what's, what happens is when I talk at, say, a networking event, I can do any kind of video for you.
Well, when you can do everything, you really can do nothing. So I really started thinking about that, and like I kinda wanted somewhere that I could easily say, "Hey, here's a great idea to start at if you're... if it's all just too much, too big," 'cause video can be very big for people. And I really started looking into, with my business coach, we started looking at the research behind testimonial videos and came up with pages and pages and pages of data showing how amazing testimonials are, and especially in a video format.
And I thought, "Oh my gosh, this is me." And I call this win-win-win marketing because, number one, a lot of people that I talk to don't wanna be on, on camera. They don't wanna be the person in front of the video camera. You don't have to be for testimonial videos. Uh, they want to highlight their clients.
They love on their clients. Great, this is a perfect way to do that. And, uh, number three, we can highlight that client's business too if we want to. I mean, there's ... And the last time I spoke about this at a conference, I just said, "Oh, and that's a win, and that's a win." I should've called it win-win-win-win-win marketing.
Like it just kinda keeps going, uh, because it's a collaborative effort. And I think there's, there's huge companies that do testimonial videos, very polished and everything, which is fine, but I'm finding like individual smaller businesses around town just aren't doing them. We're pretty, pretty good about getting reviews from, say, Google or Facebook or whoever does the reviews with the stars, but that's kind of a reaction.
So when I give this class on testimonial marketing, I ta- uh, I say, "Reviews are reactions, and testimonials are intentional." Because review is pretty much all the way at the end of your client journey. Great. We've worked together. Can you say a few nice things for me and let your friends know? Here, here's the link to my Google reviews.
Great. Um, and then you kind of let them go. There's really no- nothing beyond that, and they'll say a line or two. Great. Perfect. You wanna keep doing that. But with testimonials, it's a lot more intentional. You wanna talk to your clients that you want to clone. You want more clients like that, well, this is who they're gonna talk at.
You know, this is who they're gonna attract. So, you know, one of ... the person I've done, uh, a testimonial for me, uh, is a client who is in the dog world. She's a dog trainer. She has done, well, at that time, I think four sessions with me. I think she's done six sessions with me now. Loves all her printed and her digital images.
Uh, loves her doggos. You know, a very Colorado-y person, which is, you know, out and about with her dogs, is basically what I mean by that. And so she was the perfect person to do a testimonial for me because that's exactly who my ideal client is and I'm attracting, and in her words. So, um, I think we're both affiliated with, um, Sandra Yancy with Ewomen Network, and, you know, a lot of the, the experts are saying we're in a trust recession right now.
So what's the best way to get that trust recession is to talk to people. Just talk to them. If you're not ... Y- you know, if people don't know you, they can't do business with you, and so a good way to get to know you is through other people. So I can stand here all day and say, "I'm the best pet photographer in town."
That doesn't count for anything. But if my clients say, "Oh, I'll trust her with my dog any day of the week," that's more powerful by a long shot. And I make the process really streamlined, really simple for everyone, so you can get these out there working to draw in the clients that you want. Thank you. That, that is such good information.
Um, and I, I like how you differentiated, you know, the reviews versus the testimonials. That's a big deal. And reviews, even though they are after the fact, they can be a huge asset. They can be ... I- I'm a review person. I mean, it's like, you know, if I, if I'm looking at buying a service or a product, I will go and I will not only research the product, I will research the reviews of it, and almost to nauseam.
But- But, you know, I- Yes. And that's, that's awesome. Yeah. And this is just a step above that. Wow. So, um, how do people set up a, a, a testimonial review? I mean, because it's like ... All right. Say I have a business, and I have a, a, a client or a customer that's willing to do it Um, do they have to come to you, or is there a way that you can do it over, like a, like a Zoom call or...
I mean, ideally, it's better in person, I get that, but tell me the options. Well, for me, um, doing a testimonial video through Silver Paw Studio, I do them in person. I've been trying to rack my brains on how to make the audio come across really nicely and the lighting nice, everything come together on, like a Zoom recording for this, um, level of production, and I'm just...
I'm struggle bussing it because there are so many different microphones. There's so much different lighting. The internet's, you know, an issue. Um, so I prefer to do them in person. That's me personally. Um, and so for me, I just start with a f- you know, a phone call with that client or a Zoom with the client who's thinking about doing it and talking through, okay, all the different options, but that's how I do it.
And a lot of times, if it's another business... So, okay, so let's say one of my clients owns or is a salesperson at Centennial Leasing and Sales Auto, auto leasing, right? And sh- her great client was a couple that needed a new family vehicle. So when we did their video, we brought them to the car showroom, and they sat in front of all these family cars and the sign for Centennial, and I did the interview questions.
And then when we edited this, we tell... We gave the link to their business too, the client's client. Oh, nice. You know? Um, so even though I'll do them here at the studio too, it's always fun to go to their location, um, if they want to. Um, I have one coming up for a construction company who rebuilt this family's house, and we're just- we're gonna go to the house, the finished house, and we are gonna add in some more footage of the house, that extra B-roll, which is really cool.
Um, so that's, that's how it works with me, and I have this really great system. I can, I can give you way more information. How much more do you wanna know? Well, first of all, it's, it's great that, you know, you're willing to go out on location, 'cause I think it, it would, it would be challenging. I mean, you know, some people...
We're, we, we live in a busy world, right? Everybody's busy. Everybody's... right? And trying to get someone who has good intentions to take time and effort out of their day, it gets challenging, so the fact that you go out on location's great. So I don't know. Give me a little bit more. Tell me a little bit more about what you, your wisdom here.
I think, I think we can appreciate it. Okay. Uh, I wanna add one more thing to that, is often my clients aren't there when I do the video interview. So you don't even have to go to the interview. So really, we just do all the planning ahead of time. They invite their client, I go out and interview them, I edit the video together, and then they see the first proof.
Um, so which is kind of... Which is a relief, because when you try to do a testimonial yourself, it feels maybe a little bit awkward, where they're telling you to your face, like, "This is great, and you're awesome," and like, oh gosh. It can be difficult to process that and ask the questions and do all that, so it's nice to have me as a third party go out and ask the questions.
Um, but can I tell you the secret sauce to the questions? Yes. Okay. All right. Here's the secret sauce, and this is not really a secret, but it's just something I've come up with. I use this in all the testimonials I do, and I tell people, "If you're gonna do testimonials on your own, you can do 'em on Zoom.
However works for you, just do them." Um, the secret sauce to the questions is just to have them follow your journey, and by that I mean... And this is, this is a, this is a sticky point for people in finance, because they can't say a lot of specific things on a testimonial, like specific numbers. So instead, this is for any industry, you just walk the cl- the, the questions walk through your journey.
So if I was interviewing one of your clients, I would say, "Oh, okay. So what was happening for you that you needed to hire Tim?" And then they would talk about that. And then I'd say, "Okay. Well, how'd you find him?" Oh, and then they'd talk about that. And then it was, "So what was it like working with Tim?" "Oh, this and that and this and that."
"All right. Well, what's life like now?" "Oh, this and this and this." "So if a friend was asking about working with Tim, what would you tell them?" And that's the whole thing. You just walk 'em right through the entire journey. We're not necessarily talking about numbers or outcomes. We're talking about what it was like to work with those people.
The experience. And so I love the secret sauce. Yay. That's good information. And you know, it's, it's... I just had this discussion in a meeting a couple hours ago, and so, um, we, we do. We live in this culture now. We live in this time now, and I only highlight it because these are the things that we deal with day in and day out.
And so our culture right now has... You talked about the trust factor, right? We're, we're in a trust recession, which is sad and unfortunate, because, you know, we keep looking to the outside world to trust it, but the question is is have you done the inside work for yourself to tr- to truly be trusted, right?
We think, "Oh, you should trust me," you know? And but it's, it's sort of like we're in this- This day and age where are we... What am I trying to say here? Um, are, are we in a position where, you know, wait, like, your s- your secret sauce adds to the trust, it adds to the awareness, the experience. I think a lot of times when we're dealing, especially when we're dealing with business in this world, and even individuals, and I am absolutely guilty of it, where I spend money, sometimes a lot of money, and I'm paying for the result, but I'm not really in a awareness of going, "I have to be in relationship with it.
I have to create..." You know, even though I'm paying a professional, I, like, I'm... Here's the example. Let's say I'm paying you to be my photographer, and I wanna look good. Um, so, uh, I'm gonna show up, and my clothes aren't gonna be ironed, and I'm gonna be 20 pounds overweight and all this kind of stuff, and I want it to look this way, you know?
And, and we kinda live in this world. And it doesn't matter what industry you're in. It's like if I'm working with a financial advisor, it's like, you know, I wanna make sure that I, you know, I always have wins and no losses. I, you know, it's... And it's not really kinda realistic. You know what I'm saying? And so I, what I love about your testimonial, your secret sauce, is it really does walk people through the real experience of how you're feeling.
Yeah. Agreed. Agreed. And, you know, sometimes there is a tangible outcome. With the car dealership, they were able to get this car and this creative financing that they hadn't even know was a possibility. Um, so sometimes there is tangible. Sometimes it's, you know, I felt an identity shift. That's not tangible, right?
So that's probably the kind of clients that you work with, right? At the end, they might say something more like, "Wow, I really feel like I'm stepping into myself." Right? And you can't really quantify that, but we get it when they say that. And one of the things about gathering testimonials is even if you've only had one or two clients, instead of asking chat who your ideal client is, just ask your clients.
Even the few clients you have, they'll tell you, and they don't know they're... You don't even nece- know they're saying it. But it's such valuable information. Well, and if you, you know, for the listeners out there that are, that are listening, it's, um, you know, if, if you can get a testimonial from any of your clients, that's a great step in the right direction.
The video step is just a, a, a complete elevation to that experience. Complete, you know. And, um- I, I'm glad we're talking about this today because I-- you don't hear about it a lot. I, you know, I see them every once in a while, and I see people who are constantly videotaping themselves or, or events that they do to kind of hype themselves up, which is not a bad thing.
It's promotion. It's marketing. Um, but at the same time, it's like going, where's the heart and soul of it, you know? Can we get some heart and soul to it? And that's what I love about your approach. And, you know, a testimonial, no matter how you do it, um, it shows the real side. You have real clients, you know, who have really walked through the process, even if it's only just one.
You know, that's one of the main questions people ask me too. "What if I don't-- I'm just starting out and I only have one or two clients?" I, um, that's great. And you can have them write out these answers. You can have them send you a voice memo of these. Um, there's a lot of ways you can do it. You can record it with your phone if you're just starting out and you maybe don't have the budget to hire someone like me.
It's that powerful. Um, and then, you know what I'll do too as, say, we had the big summit for eWomen recently. I'll bring my little video camera and my handheld microphone, and I'll just ask people right on the spot, "Hey, can you come over and tell me what you thought of the summit and what you thought of eWomen Network?"
So I'll just go and do that. I'm on, I'm on leadership there, so I thought, this is great. Even in the groups you're in, if you pulled people aside and said, "Hey, what has this meant for, to you? What is this..." And like you're saying, when people are at an event, instead of just saying, "This was fun, and here's all the highlights," you could just go around and say, "What did this event mean to you?
How did this change your perception?" Um, so those are all testimonials too. There's a lot out there that, you know... And I would say this is it, like you said, if maybe they don't have the budget to invest in you, and what I would also ask is, "Remember, what are you investing in?" Because it's not just a picture.
It's, it's how you're communicating to your potential client. And so, you know-- And believe me, I'm someone that was very good at rubbing nickels and dimes together to try to get them go as far as they can go. It's, you know, if you read my book, there, there's a little thing in there and, you know, I went through a bankruptcy, and I, you know.
But I'll tell you this, it's like I don't throw money away. I do a lot of reviews, but I also know that you've got to invest in what you're trying to do, the value that you're trying to create, not only for yourself, but for your clients' and customers' experience. And that's why, you know, stepping up and working with someone like Monique is, is an asset.
It, it is, is a, a real asset, so. Agreed. And even just, you know, when you're talking about a headshot, that's pretty minimal cost. That's very minimal. Maybe you could even work out a trade with someone. Um, we're all out there wanting to help each other, so you never know. Um, and that's one of those things we always say, "Oh, sorry, it's an old headshot."
Well, that's easy to fix. Way easier than like, "Oh, my website's out of date." That's gonna take a little time. A headshot's a very easy thing to fix quickly. And I will, uh, I, I, I'm gonna throw myself on the, the fire here. So get a headshot that, that looks like you currently are because people need... You know, the...
This doesn't need to be the dating, uh, app kind of, you know, switch and bait kind of thing or bait and switch kind of thing. It's, um, you know, 'cause that, that, that expresses to your clients and your customers that you may not be as trustworthy as you think you are. Um, and, and when I say I'm gonna throw myself on the fire, so I am currently working my way through, I, I call it the Jabba phase.
This is my Jabba the Hutt phase. I'm, I'm, you know, I have several extra love pounds on me from everything and life and, you know. And, uh, you know, it goes up and it goes down, but it's like I'm in the process of getting back to who I am, right? But I look at these pictures and to me it's like rather than focused on what I don't like or what I don't want or all this kind of stuff, it's there, people.
They see it. You know, no matter how much you wanna deny it, people can see what's there. And so the fact that it looks like you and your personality can still come through and you can still be a genuine powerhouse, be that genuine powerhouse, and get a picture that actually has you embracing that and owning that.
And even if it is just a simple headshot. Yeah. Agreed. 'Cause let's be honest, our weight is our least interesting thing about us. You know? Uh, it just, it just is. Like people are gonna look at your eyes, they're gonna look at your expression. Um, even if you're like really extra camera shy, bring your dog, bring your cat.
Have them in your headshot. Why not? And it doesn't, it, you know, and, and the thing is, is this is, this is part of your, your, your journey, your life's journey, your life path, and, you know, this is where you capture this and, you know, you had, you had this love and this ex- you know, the, for, for your work, for your clients, for your animals, whatever it is.
Right. And it's especially prevalent with women. Women are very self-conscious of all of that, and to work with a good photographer and you will get good photos. Yes. Um, go ahead and give us, uh, what, what's the best way to get ahold of you, Monique? Well, I'm at Silver Paw Studio, no plurals, everywhere. So silverpawstudio.com, my email monique@silverpawstudio.com, all the places.
So Instagram, uh, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube. Nice. You can find me all over the place- Well, I, I- ... just under that ... you know, that's how we, we, we ended up meeting through networking, through marketing, through doing business, right? And it's like- Yeah ... you know, it's just we kept crossing paths, and it was like, "Wow, you wanna be on the show?
Let's check this out. Let's see what, what there is to discover," 'cause this really is, you know, slice of life with some business, right? Yeah. And, you know, if, if businesses are listening and they wanna hear more from me, if you want, I have, uh, an email freebie that's once you get a testimonial, where in the world do you post it?
Uh, so I have an email PDF that people can grab and be on my list if that's something they're interested in, if you wanna let them know. That's excellent. Thank you. Yeah. Um, do me a favor. Make sure... Send me that link- Will do ... um, to the freebie, and what we'll do is we'll put it in the description so that- Okay
anybody who has a business- Yeah ... can access it. And we'll do that. And, um, we could actually go down some other branches, but right now I think we're gonna go ahead and wrap it up. A- at least for this time we'll wrap it up. Um, so I just wanna say thank you very much for, for taking the time, being on the show, and sharing- Yeah
your wisdom with us. Thanks so much for having me on. Oh, I lo- I love it. This is great. This is fun. Um, so just so you know, this is, uh, uh, Powerful and Unpolished is created and sponsored by me, Timothy Salmons, and also Insights for Choice. Insights for Choice is my business that actually hosts and honors this and all walks of life, all paths, and really it's about restoring power to purpose for individuals, for leaders, for teams, one interaction at a time.
So for anybody who's out there listening, please know that we are here to explore the possibilities, to learn about divine souls like Monique or any of our other guests who have been on the show, and, uh, we look forward to having you listen to future as well as these episodes again if they interest you.
And until next time, we wish you all the best. Have a wonderful day. Cheers.