Leveling Up with Holly: A Strategic, Soulful Brand Session

When your client is also a dear friend and total powerhouse, something incredible tends to happen. Holly, founder of Ladies Level Up, is building something truly special: a space where smart, ambitious women can grow, connect, and evolve as leaders without losing their humanity in the process.

Holly came to her brand session with clarity, confidence, and a big vision: to visually communicate the multidimensional energy of her brand. Together, we mapped out a creative strategy that would bring her story to life in a way that felt polished, real, and unmistakably her.

A Visual Language for Soulful Leadership

The day unfolded in distinct phases, each one telling a chapter of Holly's story:

• The Feminine Executive: Structured blazers, clean lines, and that effortless look of "I run the meeting and bring the calm." We captured her in motion, mid-laugh, grounded and strong.

• The Visionary Speaker: With her pink mic in hand and a glint in her eye, Holly showed up as the engaging, confident communicator she is. Think TED Talk energy with a touch of joyful rebellion.

• The Empowerment Coach: These images were all about connection. Holly in cozy textures, scribbling notes and brainstorming. The coach who makes you feel seen, not sold to.

• Your Wise Fun Bestie: Here came the sparkle. Think fuzzy slippers, lipstick laughs, and laptop hustle. This was the side of Holly that says, "You can be brilliant and wear a tiara."

• The Celebratory Woman: We ended with confetti, champagne, and the kind of confidence that only comes from doing work that aligns deeply with who you are.

Every outfit, setting, and expression was designed to reflect not just what Holly does, but who she is. These images will now live across her website, social platforms, digital products, and speaking materials. They build consistency and trust while still feeling human and approachable.

Hair and makeup ahead of time by Valerie Hammer Makeup Artistry brought the confidence and allowed her true beauty to take center stage.

Strategic and Soulful

This shoot was about more than pretty pictures. It was a brand alignment session. Holly's audience, ambitious women navigating growth, pivots, and reinvention, will see themselves in these images. Her clients want to follow a leader who is grounded in both intuition and strategy. These photos invite them in.

If you're a thought leader, coach, or creative entrepreneur looking to tell your brand story in a more authentic and cohesive way, reach out. Let's create a session that not only looks like you, but feels like you.

Check out more here:
IG: Ladies Level Up, Holly Wiggins

Portraits of Purpose: Julie’s Story

Every so often, a session reminds me that a headshot can be so much more than a new LinkedIn photo.

Julie came in for one of my discounted sessions for federal employees that have been effected by the current administration, and from the moment we started talking, I just loved Julie. She had such charisma and was just fun and up for anything. She really leaned into the posing and just having fun. She exuded joy and grace during such a stressful and uncertain time in her career. >>And those blue eyes!

She currently serves as the Director for Publishing Programs with the National Archives, overseeing grants that help make historical documents available to the public. Think letters from George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, preserved and shared for future generations because of the work she directs.

Now, she’s exploring how to pivot toward leadership roles that connect her expertise in education, humanities, and philanthropy.

She also had a discounted mini makeup session with Valerie Hammer Makeup Artistry so she looked amazing and camera ready!

It was an honor to photograph someone who has spent her career preserving stories from the past while courageously writing her own next chapter.