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A brand borrowed from everyone else won't ever feel like your own

About Rachael

I've worn a borrowed brand, twice

Hi, I'm rachael

Borrowed brand #1

I got my start in wedding photography. It trained my artist’s eye fast—and handed me my first borrowed brand, back when I copied my heroes because I didn't yet know my own way.

By the time I'd untangled it, one thing was glaringly obvious:

So in 2020, I went all in on brand photography.

I got my start in wedding photography. And it trained my artist’s eye fast. But it also handed me my first borrowed brand, back when I copied my heroes because I didn't yet know my own way.

By the time I'd untangled it, one thing was glaringly obvious:

So in 2020, I went all in on brand photography.

I'd been more brand-obsessed than wedding-obsessed since Day 1.

catch the old pivot reel →

My “I thought I should be an educator era.”

Pretty quickly after jumping into brand photography, my pattern-spotting senses were tingling. On just about every project, my clients couldn't quite see the depths of their own brands. Let alone articulate it to me so I could create from it.

My solution? Create a course-meets-coaching program that I dubbed The Brand Plan.

Now enter borrowed brand #2

my YouTube journey

TBP Class Photos

For 3 years, I walked arm-in-arm with business owners as they defined, refined, and sometimes completely reimagined their brands. And that part? I loved it.

The education-business model though? Not so much.

I did the launches, programs, lead magnets, low-ticket offers, YouTube channel, newsletter—the whole shebang. Anddddd wound up perpetually tired and spending less time doing the work I loved.

I’d wrapped deep, thoughtful work inside a high-output education model that asked me to launch, scale, and cast a much wider net than I’m naturally wired for.

Which was pretty ironic for someone teaching people to build brands in alignment with their own strengths, values, and vision.

So, I've pivoted again, in a way.

And I'm embracing that linking arms with my clients, putting my brain on their brand, and going deep with them to figure it out makes a whole lot more sense for me in 1:1 strategy and consulting.

Right alongside the brand photography I already love.

TBP Class Photo

my YouTube journey

- Jim Elliot

“Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt whatever you believe to be the will of God”

postmarked FROM:

Everyday Life

from: my cute lil' coffee bar

Find me making a honey cappuccino every day at the start of my workday.

from: the rock climbing gym

I climb 2x a week. The problem-solving and the challenge of it are my fave.

from: my love [obsession] for england

I went to England once and it still feels like the epitome of my personality.

from: Hiking & Nature

There's nothing better than a hike with my phone on silent in peak summertime

from: Jesus is why I am who I am

I wouldn't be in business or be able to function without Jesus. He steadies me, heals, and guides me.

they call me

I have worn lots of titles in my biz, but my favorites are the ones given me by my people.

Sounds obvious enough—until you're up to your eyeballs in inspiration, trying to decide the next iteration of your brand, and forget what made the first one as good as it was.

did you know?

Your brand can grow up without becoming someone else entirely

It's really easy to believe getting where you want to grow next calls for gutting and renovating the brand you have.

Often, that discontent sends us outward—to borrow from what everyone else is doing well and do our version of that. (Staying relevant, you know?)

But I propose a different way...

What if growing your brand didn’t mean gutting the good stuff?

I go deep, like embarrassingly deep, on your brand to see what's true, note where you're headed, and figure out how to play up what your people already know and love. Then I'll translate it all into a set of brand images that fill every corner of your business.

KIND WORDS —

“Rachael has an obsessive compulsion for excellence, and she views photography as an art form for play. It's different, magical, impressive, and, albeit, an enigma.”