Categories: Podcasts

#084: Nice Girls Finish First

EPISODE #084

Nice Girls Finish First

Guest: Nadine Priestley

Nadine Priestley Photography | Owner
Palo Alto, California
nadinepriestley.com

DATE: March 23, 2023

You’ve heard the old saying that nice guys (or girls) finish last.

Today’s guest is proof-positive that that is a myth.

I’ve noticed that portrait photographers, in particular, are creative individuals and most are overwhelmingly kind and sensitive.

Trying to always be “nice” can set us up to be taken advantage of when trying to run a business. Difficult experiences then leave us feeling frustrated, and they can harden us from being our true selves with our clients because we go into self-protect mode.

Every now and then, I meet a sensitive soul who, instead of letting the hard knocks make them tough, has, instead, turned their kindness and sensitivity into a SUPERPOWER. Today’s guest is Nadine Priestley, a portrait photographer working in Silicon Valley, California.

When Nadine isn’t photographing families and children, you’ll find her in the C suites of tech companies photographing editorial or commercial work of high-powered executives and she’s equally comfortable in both scenarios.

It hasn’t all come easy and she’s had some challenges along the way, but whether she is working with a CEO or a toddler, Nadine has learned to stay true to herself, her brand and her business while keeping her kindness and sensitivity intact.

I know you’ll find inspiration in her story.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

The value of the services you offer is more than a pretty photo.
How consultations change the way you interact with clients.
The level of joy that you and your clients experience with relationship building.
How to handle tough situations while staying true to yourself.

Learn what to say so clients get what you do and why they need you with Allison Tyler Jones.
Register now for our free masterclass: ReWork Your Words

Here’s a glance at this episode:

[04:34] – Welcome, Nadine! Nadine shares her background and a bit about herself.
[05:54] – Soon after she started her business, she realized her passion for connecting generations.
[08:41] – Clients don’t always feel good about their appearance, but Nadine’s empathy makes them feel comfortable.
[10:01] – We live in a very complex world, but when families make time for photos, they are slowing down to have a memorable experience.
[11:25] – Nadine admits that she has always been a good business person for others, but she learned how to see bigger and value what she, herself, was providing in her own business.
[12:27] – When she valued her services and priced her work appropriately, she saw huge changes in her business.
[14:02] – Don’t let anything get stale.
[15:54] – Nadine shares some of the joys she experiences with repeat clients.
[16:51] – Having a consultation ahead of time is a game changer for Nadine.
[19:40] – Kind people can be taken advantage of. Nadine tries to eliminate any surprises and is always on a journey in communicating clearly.
[21:34] – Sometimes clients experience sticker shock because they haven’t had enough time to get used to prices. We have to prepare them upfront.
[23:35] – Nadine feels that the area she is working on getting consistently better is her website and social media.
[25:43] – We gravitate toward what we know and love.
[27:05] – Nadine suggests finding out exactly how much time you have with somebody so none of it is wasted.