How to Upgrade Your Visual Brand on Social with Ula Kaniuch

You're listening to the PT Profit podcast, episode number 195. Today I'm sitting down with ULA Kanu and we're talking all about how to upgrade your visual brand on social. Are you ready? Let's get started. Hi, I'm Beverly Simpson, former fitness manager turned online personal training business owner. And this podcast is where smart fitness professionals, including trainers and clinicians, discover how to increase client performance in movement, package and position their products and services and get out of their own way so that they can increase their revenue to live a life that they love without sleazy sales. Welcome to the PT Profit Podcast. What's up coach? Thank you so much for pushing play on another episode of the PT Profit Podcast. I'm your host, Beverly Simpson, and if this is the first time you're hanging out with me today, welcome. I'm super pumped that you're here today. I have a very, very exciting episode in store for you. I'm really excited to bring to you this special guest, Oola, who is the creator of A Vibrant mind and a vibrantmind.com. she has documented her life through photography and video and has also supported many brands helping them bring their visions to life. She has helped in supporting content libraries, websites, media, social, social channels, and even showing up for a couple of events. She has a background in graphic design and brand engagement, which she actually breaks down Inside of this episode we talk all about how you are communicating non verbally and verbally and visually. We talk all about inside this episode about what it means to show up visually and how it's more than just what you say and how you say it. Not only is she an incredible videographer and photographer, she is experienced in social media, visual design, brand identity, experiential design, and she brings a whole bunch of experience to the table when you connect. Not only is she a visual inspiration, she also loves the health and wellness space. You'll find her practicing or teaching yoga, sharing on her own socials about traveling with her partner in a blue van and telling her own stories on Instagram, as well as hanging out with her dog, consuming podcasts, and loving on her jungle of plants at home. So without further ado, let's go ahead and dive into that interview. What's up Oola? Welcome to the show. Thank you so much for being on. I'm actually so excited and eager to get into today's episode. So for those of you who haven't had the pleasure of being introduced to Ula's work, I'd love for you to share a Little bit about who you are, who you serve and how you got there.

Yeah, so I joke. I'm the Swiss army knife of creativity. I originally or my background is in design, so that's kind of like my formal education. Over the past basically decade though, it has shifted more and more towards digital work. So I have helped build brands, I have helped launch brands. I am also a professional photographer and I run social channels for multiple companies. So I have worked in house and now I'm doing primarily client work. I'm also a yoga teacher, so I have done it all. I have, you know, had to market my own classes, I have had to launch brands. So, yeah, I'm really excited to chat today. Just I think there's this like good synergy and crossover and I hope to bring some value to your, you know, your listeners.

Oh my gosh, there's no doubt about it. I mean, I just cannot wait to dive in. So when you say that you had a degree in design, design is because design's kind of broad. So just in the sense of like, are you talking like graphic design? Is it like interior design? What type of design?

So officially it's visual communication from University of Alberta. So basically graphic design. One thing that degree though taught me was actually client work, to be honest. And yes, there was a visual component, but thinking beyond that and now I have actually worked with teams to launch brands as well. So working into brand strategy also. So not just your logo. And that's kind of like the running joke I have with some of the ladies that I work with. We run directors of brand. It's a three woman kind of niche market group, but we basically pick one brand, then you take a quarter to launch it. And within that we do everything from your key messaging language, understanding your demographics and research, and then bringing that to life visually and then bringing that into kind of the real world. So whether that's like, hey, I own a store and I need to have a retail display or hey, what is my social media like look like? What should my website look like? Like, we bring it from the very beginning of research all the way to fruition and launching into the real world.

Oh my gosh, this is so exciting. And also I have so many questions and so bear with me because I'm.

Like, oh my gosh, I need to.

Get my pen and paper to take notes because here's the thing, right? And so for those of you who have worked closely with me and right before I hit record on this, you and I were discussing this, right? Is a lot of People have either or, thinking, myself included, when it comes to, you know, messaging and what to say and how to show up as a brand. And I am of the cloth of it doesn't matter what your business, you know, what it. What you. What your brand looks like. And I'm laughing only because the context is that I'm just not visually, I don't have that.

I.

But I know what to say. So now for me, and what I also tell my clients is that it really is a combination of both, and it's not a matter of either or. It's about using both powerfully. So I'm curious for you, you know, you started to break it down. Would you mind going deeper in, you know, what are some of the, like, basics of a brand? Because when people say that, what do they really mean?

Sure. You know, one of the running jokes I mentioned already was like, a logo is not a brand. And I think a lot of people, like, run to get a logo and they're like, I have a brand. We're like, no, you have a symbol, and you probably got for Fiverr or Canva, which means don't even own it. And like, I can go on and on about that, but really where we generally start is actually research. We actually figure out your positioning in the market. I work with a phenomenal lady named Ali, and she. She does a lot of that legwork. I support that as well. But we actually just want to situate where you are in the market. And I know let's say you're a personal trainer or something like that, you think, oh, that doesn't matter. It really does. Because, like, at the end of the day, like, who are you trying to attract to walk, you know, into your business or onto your online, you know, classes? I'm working with an online yoga school right now and did a lot of that work. Just understanding, like, hey, did you realize that, like, a lot of yoga schools use the exact same language? They're like, really airy fairy. I don't understand what the results are going to be like. Understanding really where you are in the marketplace. Then you basically take that and you build your. Start building your language and your story for your brand. So understanding, you know, what words are we going to use? What's your value proposition really going to be? How do you stand out from the market? And I'm sure you've seen this as well, where there's a lot of, like, brands that pop up in the trend phase and they all kind of start looking the same, and it's really Easy to jump on that bandwagon because it looks cool today and so it's trendy. Right. So you're like, I want to look like them. Well, two years from now everyone's going to look like you and you're not going to stand out. And that's part of having this really strong brand is understanding your positioning and then starting to think about the future future of your brand. So we call that future proofing. And we spend a lot of time with our clients talking about that, saying like, hey, today you are, I'll use like a product based company. Hey, today you want to sell tennis rackets. So you could, you could start a tennis racket company. But if you know in five years you're going to be selling pickleball brackets, you can't be a tennis, you know, racket company. You might have to be an athleisure company. So we're going to future proof you for that. Right? Or the yoga school is a good example of like, hey, today you're leading online yoga teacher training and workshops and classes, but from five years from now you want to be hosting retreats in Mallorca. What does that look like? Right. So we actually have to future proof you a little bit as well. And then from there we actually bringing it to life, to visual life. Like then we start comparing you to the market, how you want to come across is your audience actually picking up on who you're trying to attract. There's just this process that we like to go through. And honestly, I don't want to say it's the last thing, but one of the last things is going to be your logo. You know, like we actually want to get the core of who you are for those out there who are wondering about language and maybe they're not like super, you know, comfortable with it. One thing I like recommending is to looking into brand archetypes. It's a fascinating read and it might even help you realize what you sound like. And that's like a really basic thing to know about. There's basically archetypes and there's great examples of what kind of brands there are. So, you know, I always say like, I'm me as my personal brand, I'm very much the creator, I bring, you know, things to life. I'm a little bit out there, but that also comes with weaknesses I take on too much. Like, you know, I'm a little Jill of all trades kind of person. So even understanding brand archetypes is a good, good start. I've worked with a Couple personal trainers who, you know, we wanted to find that balance of, how do you sound authoritative while also being really open and welcoming and understanding that, hey, there's a brand archetype for that. You know, there's a ruler, and there's also a sage. There's a person that's, like, really strong and powerful in the boardroom, you know, thinking that type of person. But then there's also the guiding and the leader, and you begin to kind of craft your language around that and always, always, always focusing on the target audience. I will say one thing that we've also learned is people think that I'm all struck. They go, oh, well, I'm the target audience. And I go, oh, well, isn't that lucky that you somehow are the target? Wow. Seems like everyone's like their own target audience. And I'm like, but are you right? So, you know, we really dive into that, and we look also for opportunities in the marketplace. So, you know, not only who you want to attract, but also knowing who your competitors are not attracting. So finding that positioning, once again, it's all about research, positioning, and then language.

So I'm also curious. I have two questions. First, I'll start with this one, because I'm very curious, too, about your. Your how you navigate intention versus impact.

Right.

So I'll give you an example, you know, visually and communicatively, I guess, and I'll give you an example is sometimes, you know, we, you know, how we perceive ourselves as a brand is, and what we intend to show up as, as a brand is not oftentimes what we commun. And what is interpreted and what is, you know, the client lands on. So how do you. How do you identify that and navigate it?

Sure. We. We often start, honestly, with a lot of questions, and we usually do in depth interviews with any of the founders that we work with, leadership on a team, things like that. And you start to get a picture of who they think they are, and then we assess what they're actually saying. Yourself mentioned you're, you know, a wordsmith. It's pretty easy to pick up when someone's being, you know, an authority versus a guide or, you know, how you say things like, you should do this versus have you tried? Right. Like, so we get to pick up on that pretty quickly. It's always the, like, you know, the calls coming from inside. Like, we check in what your team is doing first, what you're doing first, and then we, like, evaluate your language and build out from there. And then I personally recommend, if anyone's going to take anything away from today's chat is send out questionnaires to your clients, to whoever it is, whether they're, you know, if they're leaving, that's, that's still a good time to be asking why they left. And I find especially in, like, the fitness world, most people will want you to be successful and they will answer your questions. So, you know, the yoga school I'm working with right now, one of the best things that they could have done is they have a wild depth of questionnaires that they have sent out. They just use SurveyMonkey. It's really easy to, like, go through that data, you know, just a little bit of work. But understanding why people left, why people stay, what they love about you, what they're getting from you, getting that, you know, that's like a perfect starting point again, that research. So if you're not sure about, like, how things are landing, I really do recommend actually doing some research and learning before changing anything. Because again, just like you said, impact versus the actual intention of something. Like, the intention may be, hey, I'm helping people, you know, get fed or be more mobile, whatever it is. But the impact is maybe you're, you're coming across a little too harsh or you're pushing away that ideal audience. So research, research, research. Get your surveys, you can do that for free. You can use survey monkey, things like that. You can keep it even simpler and just send an email and just log it however you need in your Excel spreadsheets. But honestly, a year out from now, if you're consistent with that, you will have just so much information that you could build on and work on and slowly refine your messaging and your brand and truly.

And it's so powerful. What you're talking about is because really what we're trying to do is connect and fully understand the ideal client because we all think you know, what their problem problems are. But I, you know, I'll just speak for me is that sometimes I have an intensity and, and a strong desire to give you everything that you want to need, that you'll ever need to, like, you know, make a million dollars.

But then everyone else check it, you're alone. You're not alone. Don't feel bad.

But then your client is like, like pinned up against. They're like, I'm overwhelmed. And you're like, oh, I know, mom, life's hard. And it's like, no, girl, you did that.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, okay, so that's really good. So kind of like, I guess I can bring up, I'm working with a cbd, cbg, CBN gummies company. So very health focused, non psychoactive gummies. Really like, you know, target audiences is women kind of like 30 to 50 years old in the Canadian market. And so we've done a lot of research on that and there's so much science behind these products. And so the easy thing to do for people that are knowledgeable is just to spew it all, to use jargon to like just give it everything. It's a flood. But I'm trying very hard to remind the team and anyone out there that has this type of like mindset, like, you love the details, you love diving into that stuff. You don't have to say everything in that one Instagram post. You don't trust me. You want give them a reason to come back. You want to create a series, you want to make it, you know, bite size, memorable, values driven. And you can trust me, like you will have content for years if you have that mindset of like just chunking it up a little bit more. So I don't know if you want to go into that side of things, but it's a very real thing. If you love long things in details, go start a blog and a YouTube channel and you'll do, do great. But don't post that to your, you know, quick bite social platforms, TikToks and Instagrams and such.

I, I mean, for real, we could.

Talk about this for days.

Is true. But I am curious. I do want to segue real quick because I want to talk a little bit more about the visual components that we can bring to our socials, to our, you know, how are the ways, what are the, Let me see, how can I concisely say this, but what are the ways that we can make visual impact now into our.

I mean, I feel like I'm probably not going to shock anyone when I say consistency. I think one thing people have a very hard time sticking to is the brand that they decided they're going to use. So first of all, determining what that is. If you're going to pick blue, know which blue it is. Like, honestly, I know that seems very basic. I just did an audit though, and I asked the business owner, I said, hey, did you notice that your all your social channels have blue, but your website is teal, right? And it seems like so basic when you say it out loud. But we're human, we will gravitate to something that, oh, I like the look of that, right? Like we want to actually remove I actually say it's like removing decisions and, like, reduce your decision fatigue. So, like, choosing your font that you're going to stick with. Choose your color you're going to stick with. I know it seems really basic. And then if you're editing photos or video or if you're hiring a photographer, just choosing those parameters. So let's say if you are hiring a photographer or videographer, you know, sharing things like, hey, I only want to use natural light, or, hey, I only want to use studio settings and just, like, really sticking to it. Because what we want to do is build brand recognition. There's a reason when we see a, you know, let's say a Nike ad, we get it right away, right? Like, oh, this is Nike. They're powerful. They tend to be intense. They often have, like, rich colors. And you think how big Nike is. It's, like, massively broad. Right. But we've just begun to recognize that they use very similar music. They have a clear brand archetype, and they're just sticking to it. So if you're just like, hey, I don't know where to start. I'd be like, honestly, pick a color, a font, and an editing style and stick to it. And just don't pick the same color as everyone else is using. I know that's the easy thing to do. Like, we all went through that minimalist phase and where everything is white and black and airy and fairy. Now we're moving more into, like, that, you know, bold color kind of vibe. And will you want to look this way two years from now, or is this a trend? And that's, like, a really easy start. So if you're building a, let's say carousels or blog posts, then you have to have graphic elements that are visual. Hey, it's gonna have to look the same way for two years. Let's just say that. Okay? Like, are you gonna love this for two years? And that's where sometimes simple goes a really long way.

Okay, so I do want to talk a little bit about color, because I'll just give you my context as I share, you know, as I go.

Yeah.

Just to give context, I'll give my experience to give context to the question, because sometimes, which I've shared with you, is that, like, I don't know that something's off or why, or let me rephrase. I don't know why it's off or why I don't like it. I just know that it's visually, like, cluttered.

I'll say things like that.

I'll be like, this is off. This is cluttered. This looks and feels amateur. But then I don't know why. I just know that, like, there's 300 million fonts, there's 600 kajillion colors. And while is in the style guide and I'm putting that in quotations, it still doesn't have an elevated professional polish. And I don't even really know what I'm saying or why I'm saying it, but that it's true.

Does that make sense? Yeah, totally. Totally. And I. I don't want to have a, like a cop out comment here, but, like, honestly, that's why there's designers. It's the same thing. Like, I can go to the gym and, you know, I can run through a workout and not see results and not know why, but I'm not a professional, right? Like, I could do the best I can. So I will say there is a lot for the ability to communicate in the language used around design. And it's very common not to have that language. So you are not alone in that feeling. And the other side of it is being a designer or a photographer and having a client come to you and say, can you make that pop up? Like, the amount of time like, that is a running joke amongst designers is like, what does that even mean? I was gonna ask you, does that mean, like, bigger, brighter? I don't know. So you're not alone. And not having developed that language around it. One thing that we sometimes ask our clients to do is to create mood boards for us. Like, many of them already have a Pinterest board, things like that. So pulling together a visual representation of the language that they may not have. So if you don't have the word for it, could you show what you mean? And then we can kind of work towards that feeling that you're trying to, you know, articulate, but maybe are just missing the word or things like that. Like, we don't, as a designer, I think, expect someone to be able to do a design critique. So we're going to try to work with you to kind of like, help you build that language and arrive at something that works. Another thing I will say is your personal preferences may not actually be the correct ones for your business. So that's another thing I think people need to kind of just let go. Like, we've designed brands where, you know, the CEO was like, I don't like pink. And we're like, it's not about you. Right? Like, it's not about you. And you Just have to let that go. I know it's very difficult because your business is your baby. It feels very personal. It does. And another thing I say to people is business. You're building your business to either retire or to sell. And it may not feel that way right now. You may be like, you know, mid career, beginning career, whatever, or maybe you've been going at this for a very long time. But the reality is it's not about you. It's for your ideal client. I think for a lot of people, the dream scenario is to be able to pass this on or create a passive income of some sort. So really is honestly, at the end of the day, let's not die on the hill of I like this color or not. Let's design a business that's successful. So a year from now, when you want to take a vacation, you can, you know. And that's another thing for having a brand guide, a brand book. You know, this is the work I'm doing with that. The yoga school I'm working with right now is actually just saying, don't you want to take a vacation? If you want to take a vacation, the person you bring in or hire, even if it's for two months or one month or two weeks, needs to be able to speak like you, needs to be able to create visuals like you. And all those things need to be decided on. So we don't have decision fatigue. You can literally turn on your auto office and head out for a vacation. So I hope that kind of answered. I was a little bit rambly there. But guys, it's not about you.

I mean, honestly, something that you just said that I thought was that it's worth reiterating is that you were just saying that like the color that you like doesn't matter if you like it or not, as long as, as long as it's about and speaks to and for the ideal client. And I just think it's, it's just interesting because I say that all the time, but then I miss the importance of visual communication. 95% of what we communicate is not through verbal and written. It's through the subconscious and what we're communicating in our body language and in our visuals.

So it's, you know, you're building like your brand is also a brand promise, right? You're showing people what they can expect from you. And if you are chaotic, indecisive, cluttered, all these things, that's the energy they think you're going to bring to your work with them. So if you come across as just like, pure minimalist, cold white blues. Okay. You're going to be to the point and, like, maybe not very personable. Like, maybe you're not the person I want to go to. If I'm, you know, a mom that has three kids, maybe you're not going to be as friendly and understanding. So you really are communicating to your client, like, what they can expect with you and that brand promise.

And I'm. I'm laughing. I'm laughing because I have been described as, you know, intense and cold, and I'm a mom of two kids, so I'm like, I'm not that warm, fuzzy.

Mom that's like, hey, let's get the.

Cupcakes from the pta.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's the thing that we're not. We're not telling people to not be who they are, you know, like, we're not telling you to be different, but just to be clear on what you're showing. And you're allowed to be an intense, you know, all these things, that's totally fine. But, like, again, there's that disconnect that sometimes can happen where, you know, you're maybe on social media feeling really shy and subdued. And so you're, you know, you're never talking on social. You're never, you know, showing your face. You're just like, graphic posts and super minimalist, and you attract a certain type of client, and then they walk into your gym or they start your online, you know, class, and you're like, out there and verbose and bubbly and loud, and they're like, whoa, whoa. Yes, totally.

And I.

You're. You're absolutely right.

So true. One of the things I wanted to ask you as well, when it comes to the visual components, especially social media, I want to talk a little bit now. If you've been on Instagram for a while, and when I say you, I mean you as a listener, and you've been in the game for a while. You've seen Instagram go through progressions of, like, when the feed was supposed to be this aesthetic mood board in itself, and now it's kind of starting to move away from that, and they're really looking towards, you know, the. The more casual feeling of, like, you know, point and shoot and whatnot. I'm curious your thoughts on how you still show up visually so, you know, as a contextual, direct question. Right. I can look at different people's profiles and it will look like, cohesively organized or, you know, or it'll look like, you know, I, I, it has that feeling of like, it took 10 hours to look casual.

Right.

You know, or that, like, it took me three hours to look like I rolled out of bed. Right. That kind of feeling versus where it really just looks chaotic and disorganized.

Right.

So as you know, as you're setting up Instagram of today, what would you consider and recommend the visual appearance to.

Look and feel like? To be honest, I think you can go both ways. I don't think you need to be like, okay, so Instagram says, or the vibe Instagram is giving is only like, casual. If that's not you, that's not you. I'm not going to tell you to force it. I will say you should figure out a way how that comes to life through video, because that is a reality of it. So reels and TikTok, all that is like a very big reality of it. I'm also encouraging clients to be posting to YouTube shorts. Those are being rewarded currently. And if you're like, already creating reels and you're already creating TikTok, there is nothing stopping you from getting on YouTube. I personally am like a huge fan of YouTube. It is a search engine. If you feel like frustration around creating content that disappears very quickly, I would consider YouTube for yourself as well. It is going to live a lot longer. People are going to Google search and you're going to pop up one day because you hit the right keywords for them. When it comes to visuals, I don't think you need to 100% always be casual or here's a good example. So I have a friend, she's based out of London. Her name is Des Isles. She's a professional photographer. She specializes in fitness and wellness. She does, for example, like, campaign shoots for Lululemon, you know, like, so she does that type of style. Very beautiful. Like, when you talk about, like, curated images, yogis, runners, aspirational, inspirational kind of feeling images, and you know, she has a thr business because, trust me, not all yogis and fitness instructors feel comfortable just setting up their phone on a tripod. It is like, you are not alone if you feel that, like, hey, I don't think I want to just have like phone photos of me. That's fine. My, my question for you then is, great. How else are you engaging your, your clients? Right? So if you are investing in getting a photographer to do work for you, which I do think at some point you should, because even on social, if you're keeping it casual, you probably need some type of content for your website. You probably want to have some form of email marketing with a nice, like, header, things like that. Like at least once in a while I think you should do a good photo shoot so you will need those images regardless. So if you're not going to be talking at the camera, being super casual, hey, can you do carousel posts? Those are performing very well right now. Like, could you teach me something through words? Are you creating something I could save? Right. And if you're like, you know what, I am comfortable doing video, but how do I make it, you know, look a little bit cleaner? Things like that, just creating that space in your home or gym, you know, for consistency. I follow a lady that does, you know, she's, I believe, a physio. She does a lot of run rehab. She, you know, lives in California, I'm pretty sure somewhere warm because it's in her backyard. She has her yoga mat rolled out, she has her green hedge behind her and it's very simple. She'll just show, hey, for ankle sprains, here are three things you could do. I literally, I save almost everything ankle related because I have bad ankles and it's so simple. I don't think we need to overcomplicate it. You don't need to have a production team. Just go get a good tripod, you know, with a little Bluetooth clicker and you'll be good for a while. But when it comes to like aesthetics, don't, don't worry about chasing the trends. Don't, don't chase the trends. I want you just to decide what your brand is, make it authentic and something replicatable that you can stick to. And like I'm really, right now kind of like switch, not switching, but, you know, kind of talking a little bit about like going back to YouTube. Chasing trends on Instagram and TikTok is going to feel very, very exhausting. I'm sure you've felt that as well. So my, my challenge to you is like finding ways, channels and tactics that help you think longevity. So encouraging you to build your email list. Maybe it's YouTube, maybe it's your blog, things like that. So if you like, I always ask if Instagram left tomorrow, if it crashed and burned and you couldn't get to it, how else are you speaking to your clients? Like picking a couple other tactics because yeah, chasing trends is exhausting. You just need to pick your brand and stick with it. Of course, be aware of them, but don't chase them.

Yeah, that's so powerful.

Right?

And I think that, that, you know, we have to Always remind ourselves and clients that, that it's just one avenue and it's borrowed space and we've all had that experience or Instagram shuts down or I've, I've actually started my Instagram over and, and the only reason I had the courage and confidence to do that is because I knew that my audience were living in, in multiple places. So when people say that, that give you that age old advice of like just double down on one platform, master one thing. I know and understand why they're saying that because we don't want to be context switching all the time and own and honing in a skill. But that's dangerous business advice because if you lost it, then, then what?

Yeah, yeah. Like I have had someone get their TikTok shut down for no reason. Like, like we literally could not get it back. Like there was, we were given zero reason. It was very positive. They were like celebrating clients and all these things. And we were even paying for audio. So we were not using any copywritten audio. Like all of these things. And you know, it wasn't their main channel but it was just a really good reminder of like, right. This is why we've been building your email list. This is why we've been building your blog. This is why we have you on Instagram. They're, they're a video heavy platform for their like online stuff. So they already have a ton of videos. So we're now choosing what could go to YouTube for them and like reviving that. So I think like, don't get too caught up in like the visual trend of today. Like there's a lot out there right now that like trends in general are just moving so quickly. They're basically like collapsing in on themselves. It's like.

No, true.

It's exhausting. Don't just, don't just. You need to develop your brand.

It's so true. And honestly, people forget too that that's what magnetizes you. When you really can just step into the fact that you are your own niche just by crafting the message of being you, it's gonna magnetize the people that you're meant to help serve and connect.

Absolutely. Like I, I. So I did something called City Yoga. This was like before the pandemic. And I had this like, I don't want to say negative because I don't think that's fair. I just had like not the most ideal experiences with like teaching in Edmonton and yoga studios. I am too, I'm too entrepreneurial to put up with certain things. And then I also experienced, it was really unfortunate, the shutdown of a yoga studio. Right. And just that feeling of like, that's like an income stream and it was just wiped out from underneath me. So I actually did start like another Instagram channel for city yoga. And I struggled with like, I just like tossed it up, like, literally, as a designer photographer, I was just like, I just need something. I need to communicate. Like, I haven't posted on that channel and since the pandemic started, I think, to be very honest. But I chose something that I could be consistent with and it was very like black and white images. It allowed me to bring in guest teachers because anyone could send me a photo, I could make it black and white, and it was just consistent and easy to follow. I wasn't following a trend. I was able to then enroll people and like, hey, can you send me a photo? Or if I was at a class and I wanted to take a class, pick, it still made sense within the, like, visual representation of the brand online. So I think, like, you don't have to make it complicated at all. I think once you have those couple key, you know, like visual pieces, you can bring that to life across multiple platforms and then from build from there on. But I do think language will be very, very important.

So true. So I'm curious, in your opinion, you know, for someone who's maybe new or just starting out to this whole experience and showing up on social, what would you recommend to be some of the key technical basics that they would need to show up, start showing up online?

Sure. I would get clear on how you want to sound. So whether it supports you to look at something like the brand archetypes, just to give you like a kickstart and kind of working within that framework, you know, like, how do you want to sound is very important. And the next thing I would decide is your key, like messaging or pillars of communication. So bucketing. I usually get people to start just with like three, maybe four. You don't really need more than that. And so, like, let's say an example is like the Gummies brand that I'm working with. You know, we talk. There's a lot of rules and regulations in that market. So we had to be very strategic in what our pillars are. And one of them is lifestyle. You know, and the point of lifestyle is to show how something fits into someone's routine, to teach them how you can create health in their life through these types of products. You know, the products are often related to stress management, anxiety and sleep. So talking about Sleeping tips or creating like bedtime routines or things like that. So it's like, that's one bucket, another bucket is straight product. And I, and I always encourage people to be aware that they need that product or converting pillar. So when it's time to talk about your product, you've actually thought about this, you know what's going to happen. You're not going to shy away from it, you're going to build the language around that. But we're not going to talk about that 100% of the time, right? Like, if you have three to four buckets, that's like a 25% of the time thing. So the other three times you're adding value. So let's say you're doing lifestyle. The other one could be, let's say, like for this brand, they're doing a lot of like, sciency stuff. So we're teaching people about the science behind it, like the terpenes, the impact, like the research behind it, right? So we have a good mix of it and we're beginning to like, build the story of this, like brand and product. And I tell people, like, if it's not inspiring, if it's not educational, like, don't post it. Like, you have to truly bring value if you're not bringing value. And I always say, like, why would I follow you? That's, that's it, right? So what do you want to sound like and what are you going to talk about? At the bare minimum, you need to figure that out. So, you know, as a yoga teacher, for instance, I'll use myself as an example. I could say, obviously my convert is my classes. It's like my workshop, it's my classes. My inspirational, aspirational kind of thing is going to be about the lifestyle of yoga and being like, hey, yoga isn't just on the mat. Yoga is like how it impacts me in a work meeting. Yoga is like how I feel at the end of the day or my energy levels. Like, that's why I practice yoga. I don't practice yoga because I want to touch my toes. I practice yoga so I'm a better human being. And then maybe the third pillar is like the true technical education of yoga being like, hey, are you nervous to go to a class? Like, here are the three poses I want to teach you today. Warrior one, warrior two, and we're going to end on Shavasana. So when you hear those words, you know what you're going to be, you know, and so you're adding value in different ways and you can still Sell without selling all the time because honestly, no one's going to follow you to be sold, period.

Yeah, it's that concept of, you know, people love to buy things but they don't like to be sold to. So you have to be able to navigate what those differences are inside of your business. And you know, that's, that's what I remind people when they come.

The idea of the pillars is really important as well is, is that the pillars might actually come to like the, in different ways on different platforms. That's why it's important to know what those key messages are. Right? Because like on Instagram, it's like a really good, nurturing platform right now. So like, this is where you have, you know, great conversations, you can go in depth on things, all that kind of stuff. Wonderful. But on TikTok, it's like a different ecosystem. It's very like casual. Please don't use filters. Nobody wants to see filters on your face anymore, like those types of things. But it doesn't mean I can't talk about Warrior One on Instagram. Instagram and I can't talk about Warrior One on TikTok. It just might come to life a little bit differently. But I'm always going to stick to those messaging. So again, kind of going back to the idea of the brand promise. If you're a, if you're, if you're showing me recipes every day and I follow you because I'm learning how to make, you know, plant based meals every day and then out of the blue you start selling me, I don't know, a, like a random book about meat. Right? You broke the meat, you broke the brand promise. So just being clear on that brand promise.

Oh, so good, so good. So now in terms of, you know, the visual components, like one of the things you, you were talking about, you know, how you communicate something on Instagram, both visually and, you know, writing is going to be different than say on TikTok, you can do the same thing. But what are some of the, you know, rules of thumb when it comes to photo creation and, and video creation and editing that even base beginners could understand and need to put into their content?

Sure. I'm, I mean, it's so funny. I was having this conversation with someone yesterday because I'm posting, I basically make sure I'm on all the platforms when I speak of them. I can also talk about the frustrations or the good things and all that kind of stuff. If you're editing video, I do recommend grabbing some form of like, app to edit with even if it's on your phone just to save your sanity. So you can edit something once and maybe do a slight tweak on it and put it across multiple platforms. Sometimes editing in app can be very frustrating for people. So unless you're someone that's like posting, you know, like a ton of tech talks and you feel very natural and you can just like hit that button and record and post, having a form of way of editing might be very, very helpful. And then picking a preset or a form of like, hey, these are the tones I'm going with. I'm doing editing right now for some trainers in Edmonton and they work out of a gym that has like very, very weird colors in my opinion. Like, like not just turf green, but like neon turf green and like very bright oranges. And we've just chosen to mute some of that green so when you go to their, their page it feels a little bit more like adult, you know what I mean? It's not like primary colors. And so we've just chosen that feeling and we're, we're sticking to that preset and they're able to record on their phone and still edit. Like you don't need to have like a wild crazy setup. So just like picking your preset, I would recommend having an app that you can either edit on your phone. If you want to do on computer, you can as well. And then the same thing for picking an editing app for your, your photos if you're going to be editing yourself. Like Lightroom is a really great phone app that you can use. You can shoot even raw images which gives you even more capacity to edit that photo on your phone. So just picking those same presets, I will say like you can buy presets, but please know that a preset is not the same as editing a photo. So if you open a photo and it looks really bright and you add a preset, like you're still going to have to adjust just a little bit. But apps like Lightroom, they make it pretty easy on your phone. You can just fix the exposure. It's fine. It's fine.

What's your favorite video apps that you like to use?

Well, to be honest, I use Final Cut on my computer primarily because I struggle with small screens when it comes to editing. I get really frustrated. That is not a free app. It is, I believe $500, but it is a one time thing. So you are, you're not paying a subscription. I do also have Premier Rush on my phone. So when I do want to Be, you know, editing on the fly. I can. It's an Adobe one. I don't know what the breakdown of costs are. I do obviously have just like the, the whole suite. So that's why I have that. Yeah, so I do use that. I know a lot of people like Cap Cut and things like that. I personally don't use them because I already have really great editing apps of my own. So I prefer Adobe or, or Final Cut. So those are the two that I prefer. And there's lots of really great resources on YouTube, honestly, just to like, you know, you just need a couple of basics to help you get there. And my biggest thing is like building a library. You will thank yourself. Even with like the trainers that I have, you know, weird green in their gym, I basically ask them to send me videos. Like, they'll just send me videos. And we're at the point where like, yes, we know what we're going to be talking about, but we have enough of a library of, I don't want to say random, but sometimes almost random shots and video that we're like, hey, we actually want to talk about getting to your first pull up. We have a sequence of this already. Let's break that. A series or hey, we want to talk about core exercises. Hey, we already have five of these in our library. We can reuse these as well and it'll allow for that consistency and ease and not feeling that fatigue for creating, creating for, you know, for social media.

So good, so good. I mean, this is, this has been so amazing. Okay, I'm also curious. You know, some people will use, you know, camera, camera usage as, as a barrier to creating content. So what are some of the ways that people can elevate their content with the tools that they have? Like, what are the best, you know, should they, you should, should they upgrade to the iPhone? What's the iPhone or the Android? Like, what do you recommend?

Yeah, I honestly don't think you need to be. Get caught up on that. Like, you could literally Google like videos or movies shot on iPhones. Like, there's, there's creators out there that are using iPhones to make content better than people using professional cameras. Like as a photographer, videographer, the worst thing anyone could ever say to me is like, oh, your camera must be so good because it's, it's like, it's not. Yes, okay. And that's not like what makes a great photographer or videographer. Like, I shot for the longest time and like, I don't know if anyone cares about this, but like, on a crop frame lens, right? And it was wonderful. It was a Sony camera, you know, and you can. I even recommend for, like, clients are thinking about doing YouTube and things. You can get it like a great Sony camera for a thousand bucks, right? And it's cheaper than a lot of phones. So if it really, truly is, like, hey, I have a flip phone, like, I can't upgrade or whatever, sure, you can get a camera, like a Sony camera, but at the end of the day, I really, really don't think that having an expensive camera is what's going to suddenly make content easier for you. If anything, it's probably going to make it more complicated because you're going to realize that, oh, I now have to get extra cards. I have to get an editing program. I now have to watch YouTube videos on how to edit and all this kind of stuff. Stuff. Just, just let that go. Like, most people on social are using their phone. Like, we just tend to be like, we follow the professionals, right? So if you're like, but everyone's using a professional camera, be like, no, no, they're not. Like, trust me. I don't know the stats behind it, But I'm sure 90% of the people that are posting are not using a camera. And most people on social media aren't even posting. So, like, honestly, if you're posting, like, you're already ahead of the competition.

That is so funny. Oh, my gosh. Most people, they're not posting.

They're not like, most people are voyeurs on, on these platforms. They're there to ingest. They're there just to, like, be inspired, be educated. Going back to YouTube. Actually, this is like a really good point. If you're, if you're not posting to YouTube shorts, now is a really great time because there's not a lot of content creators there. So like, like, you might actually stand out because it's not a saturated market. And not saying that, like, and this is another question I get is like, is it too late to start an Instagram? No, it's not. Is it too late to start a TikTok? No, it's not. Like, don't, don't get caught up in those things. I just want to encourage people to just start creating and don't get caught up on your phone. Like, if I were to say, what are some basic things that, to, like, help you produce better content? Like today, I would say use natural light. Like, find a really good window in your home or in your gym or outside. Use, like soft, natural light. Of course you can use harsh light, but generally it's not as flattering for people. So, you know, there's a reason photographers shoot at sunset and sunrise. Because it's beautiful. It's warm shadows.

Like, people wait for high noon and then it's like shadow shadows.

Yeah. So I'm sitting in my. Like, I have this tiny little office and I love it for life because I have two windows and rarely get direct lights. I was like indirect flight. So having that and then honestly, probably just getting a decent tripod. I have one that I order from Amazon and I bring to photo shoots with me. So I have behind the scenes. So while I'm shooting, I have my tripod set up. It's like, it looks like a. It's basically a stick that expands. It's very simple. It was 40 bucks. It has a button on it, a Bluetooth button, so I can, you know, click on and off for when I wanted to record. So I'm not walking up to it. And between those two things, like, you're. You're already going to be, you know, it's going to be a lot easier. I think, like, when I see people setting their phone up on books and shelves and it's like weird angles. I'm like, dude, just like, go get a tripod. It's. It's 40 bucks off Amazon prime delivery. Go stand next to a window with indirect light and your light years ahead. Yeah, yeah.

So true. It's so true. I'm curious, I wanna. Have you started using any of those, like, stick things where you could, like.

No. I'm so curious.

I'm so curious because sometimes when you're in a gym and you're doing gym stuff.

Yeah.

I mean, I'm not going to be that. I would. I am that person that's like, oh, don't buy my tripod. Tripod. You could just walk around it, right?

Yeah.

But I want to get kicked out of the gym. But I am curious. Like, I do want to test those, like, magnet things, but I have.

I have not tried them. You're gonna laugh. I don't want to step away. I literally have a box with a second backup tripod that I bought. Yeah, that's like the one I tell everyone to buy. Because I like, truly. I'm like, these guys should give me an affiliate link at this point. Everyone to get it. It is like, when they see it, they're like, oh, it's so small. It's like you could carry it in your hand. I take it hiking with me. It's small. It's not awkward when it's extended. It's like a pole. Like I've used it at events when I'm shooting and I hook it up against the wall. Okay, hold on. I literally have to. We're gonna do an unboxing. I'm gonna walk off and get a knife here.

Okay, look at this. If you're listening to the show, so you're not going to be able to hear how awesome this is, you're gonna have to go to the YouTube link to watch this on unboxing.

So it's a classic Amazon box special.

Delivered from my unaffiliate link.

You know, funny enough, I. I bought it because someone else recommended it on. On Tick Tock. Right. So here we go.

Hashtag influence.

Two of them. Now I'm probably going to give this one to a client because I lose my mind all the time. I'm like, just please go get a tripod so you can see it.

Okay. That's a very interesting looking tripod. Let's.

I know, don't say it button. You open it up. I didn't want to describe it of what you're thinking, but anyways, so that's it. Right. And then this extends all the way up.

Okay. Does that. Is that for your DSLR or just your iPhone?

Your phone? Yeah, yeah. So it holds my phone. So you can see it has a little spring loaded. So you know, you can use it for any phone. It rotates, has different angles and it has a little Bluetooth button.

Oh, that's cool.

So this, this is a remote that I can remove and, you know, Bluetooth connect to my phone. So, yeah, so this pops right out. So I honestly think, like the point I'm trying to get at is you don't need a lot to be able to start creating content. I think you just need some good light and a way to get your phone out of your hand. And there's of course, space for having that selfie look, but maybe that's not what you're needing. Maybe you need to show movement. Maybe whatever. A full body or in situ. Yeah, just like make life uncomplicated. Yeah.

Does that also function like. Like a gimbal? And a gimbal is where the mo. It stabilizes the, the actual like so you don't get the shakes. Does that work like that or do you need that?

No, this one does not. Actually. It's funny enough that you. You brought this up. So my friend Des out in London, she. She also does like. So. Okay, so this is a Good. This is a good point. So Lululemon hires her to also do real style TikTok style content. So she is literally, like an international professional photographer. And Lululemon, this massive company, hires her to create basically reels on her phone, not on her camera.

Yeah.

So if it's good enough for them, I think it's good enough for you. Okay, so she did invest in a DJI gimbal for her phone. Right. She, I think, has an iPhone 13. So do I. They just came out with the iPhone 14. And the stabilization on that thing is, like, so insane. I have. I am that geek that has watched all the YouTube video comparison. It is, like, wild. Like, to the point where I was like, oh, my God. I wouldn't. I think I would, like, upgrade my phone over buying a gimbal for my phone at this point.

Okay. So I'm so glad. Like, that has been the biggest takeaway, because I just got the iPhone, iPhone 14.

Okay.

I had the iPhone 11. And. And here's the thing for.

For.

Listen, what Oola is describing is literally all these common traps I fell into when I first started. Okay. I thought I had to have all the best stuff before I could even show up. And it didn't matter because if you go back. Because I leave it up, I leave it up for myself and I leave it up for my clients because I want you to remember that every single person has a day one. And so when I go back, like, it didn't matter that I had this awesome gimbal, which, by the way, sucks. Like, I'm always like, wait, find me. I'm here.

I'm here.

So I had a gimbal for my phone, and I hated it. I hated it. And I still, like. I keep, like, trying to like it, but I don't like it. But I actually upgraded to the iPhone 14 because, listen, I'm. I'm watch TikToks, and I know that that's recorded by a phone, and I'm like, dang, that's. That's better than any other camera.

Yeah. So. So I would say, yeah, don't get caught up on that stuff. Like, I literally have a gimbal for my camera, and I get frustrated by it. Like, I do. I am often, like, on site doing, like, a varied content kind of collection moment. So I'm shooting. I need to have photography, video, all the things. And, like, switching from, you know, photos to video to setting up your gimbal is like, this whole thing. Like, you're never, like, I never want to go Back. It's like so frustrating and I cannot express how many times I literally am just like, you know what? I'm just gonna use my damn tripod and set that up. Like, and we end up using that content all the time. It is totally fine. And like, you know, I was, I was in Edmonton a couple weeks ago because I was there for a beer client, actually. They're a brewer and I was there on their canning line and I was shooting photos and I just kept moving the tripod, just being like, okay, here 10 seconds, here 10 seconds, there 10. And it was great. And we're using this content and just helped build our library. So yeah, please don't get caught up in like the whole equipment. It is a cop out, to be very honest. It's a way to like, explain why you cannot do content versus, like, here are 50 reasons why you can. Like, it's fine.

So true. So true and so good. Also with the.

I was gonna.

You said something that I. It's all right, It'll come to me.

It'll come to me later. I was gonna say the iPhone 14 though. I'm so tempted by it. I'm gonna hold off though. So there you go. I have an iPhone 13. I'm not gonna upgrade to the 14. It is perfectly fine the way it is. It's. I, I'm not gonna be like, suddenly get FOMO because I don't have the most recent phone. It's fine. It's literally, guys, I bought this last year.

Well, so, so I really glad that you're bringing this up because I had the iPhone 11 and I. My iPhone. I had the iPhone 11. Like when it first upgraded to those three, the three lenses, I kept it. I kept it for years and years and years because it was fine.

No one's gonna ask. No one's ever gonna be like, what did you shoot that on? I will say there are settings in. On Instagram and I believe on TikTok as well. I'm just trying to remember where you can toggle to upload high quality content. So before you're like, my phone sucks, maybe just like double check your settings on how you're uploading because it might be. It might be uploading in a lower quality. And that's why I also will share that for something like Instagram. Like your pixel width for that post is, you know, 1080 if it's a static post, 1080 by 1350 or 1080 by 1920 if it's like a full screen, like story style post. The reason, like you can Google this, like, whatever. Like, you can look up the standard sizes. The reason I'm saying this is if you're uploading something that is like 5,000 pixels wide and then you're asking Instagram to make it 1080, it'll mash it up. Like, it'll be like, compressing it, right? So again, you're losing quality. So when I work with a client, I send them the full size and then I ask them, do you need this for social media? So if they need it for social, then I'll. I'll send them a smaller file so it's not being compressed when loaded. So, like, there's these, like, little things where it's like, it might not. It might not be your phone. It really might be you uploading, to be honest. Let's check that first. Yeah.

So good. And also I. You, I want to also share because this. When I was buying the iPhone 14, Apple does. Apple does all these free classes on how you can use your iPhone.

Really?

Like, I learned some really cool things is just by waiting for my phone to update while I was listening to their free class. Like, there's so many resources out there that you can really just, you know, gut check yourself. Like, am I really maximizing the resources that I have right now to show up, or is there something deeper that's preventing YouTube University? And that am I. All right, well, I really want to be mindful of your time. Thank you so much for sharing your depth of knowledge and wealth and pouring into me and into the community. I really appreciate it.

Oh, you're so, so welcome. This was fun. Anytime you want to talk social, I'm here.

I love it. So for those of you who want to learn more about you and learn more about what you do, what you offer, like, where are the best places I can send them?

Yeah, you can find me on Instagram. A vibrant mind. I am the same name across all my channels. So that's also. If you want to email me, it's oola@a vibrantmind.com. it's my website, vibrantmind.com so that's the easiest way to track me down. I do do work with directors of brands. We have our own website on that. So if you're curious, hey, I'm launching a brand. Where do I begin? You can also reach out to me and I can connect you kind of to our group and brand work that way.

Cool. I love it. And I'll be sure to. To link all this up. So thank you so much.

You're so welcome. Oh my gosh. Have a fantastic day.

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