Shoot. Click. Shine: Headshot and Personal Brand with Paul Novak
I’m trying something new by kicking off Chatting with Clients, where I sit down with clients to talk about their headshot and personal brand—and, of course, their work. What I hope you’ll get is real insight into how folks move from wondering “How would I even use a headshot?” or “Am I going to feel awkward?” to walking away with a confident, excited, spring in their step!
In today’s chat, I met Paul Novak, who heads up CRM and performance reporting at DB Schenker here in Jacksonville. We first connected on LinkedIn, and he mentioned he’d never had a proper headshot—just iPhone snaps. When he walked into my studio, he said something that really stuck with me:
“I never had a professional headshot taken before. And as I’ve progressed in my career, I’ve reached an area where having a great representation of me online became pivotal and of extreme importance.”
— Paul
Why a Headshot Matters for Your Personal Brand
That moment set the tone for the session. We talked through his goals—how a single image can open doors or kickstart a conversation he isn’t there to have. Then, cameras and lights were on, and my studio dog Banksy curled at our feet for moral support.
What I think you’ll take away from watching this is you’ll learn how a professional right here in Jacksonville is thinking strategically about how he wants to advance his career.
He understands fundamentally, that your personal brand, along with your skills is the best way to move up the ladder.
Don’t just take our word for it. Have a look at Hubspot’s brand consistency guide for details on keeping your visuals and messaging aligned. And LinkedIn actually recommends you update your photo regularly—here’s how to adjust your profile photo visibility settings so the right people see your new look.
I recently read that by having a profile photo it results in up to 21x more profile views and 9x more connection requests. If you’re looking to advance your career, you can’t afford not to have a great headshot.
Paul’s big takeaway was summed up mid-session:
“How I see that fitting into my career is my headshot speaks for me when I can’t.”
— Paul
A “Super Easy” Online Booking Experience
That’s exactly why I built a smooth, mostly online process: from booking through to delivery, Paul never had to battle phone menus or wait for emails. He later told me it felt like a breeze:
“Super easy process …everything you had was available online, from the pictures to the process of booking the appointment with you.”
— Paul
Putting Your Headshot to Work: LinkedIn, Profiles & More
By the time he saw his retouched images, Paul had already swapped out his LinkedIn photo and updated his company profile. His boss even weighed in on the selection, and Paul printed wallet-sized copies for his family. When I asked him to wrap it up in a single word, he didn’t hesitate:
“Just one word is awesome. I could use a ton of other words, but the whole experience was awesome.”
— Paul
Hearing Paul describe the session as “awesome” reminded me why I love what I do. There is nothing like helping people along the way with their careers and connections.
Curious to hear the rest of the interview with Paul?
Grab a coffee and hit play—your next headshot might be your best career move this year.
Stay tuned for more Chats with Clients. More to come on my website and channels.
Thanks for reading/watching.
-Chris
