Ep. 24: Finding Confidence & Overcoming Photo Shoot Fear w/Crystal Rojas

Note: This is the intro of episode 24 with Crystal Rojas.

Have you ever been in this transitional time in your life where you're like, I'm not really sure who I am as a woman right now, or as a human, or in my career? I know I'm going to the next level…but I'm just in kind of this messy phase where I'm trying to figure it all out.

But at the same time, maybe you're trying to build a business or you're trying to launch something like a podcast, or maybe you're just going for that dream job of yours. Whatever it is, there's something big that you're going toward, but you're like, is this right for me? Am I capable of this? Am I like confident enough to actually go for it?

Well, that's what I've experienced pretty much the whole past year of my life because I launched my business, The Happy Marketing Co. exactly a year ago. And it's been a wild transition for me because not only did I leave my corporate career behind, and we're talking like 13, 14, 15 years of corporate work and startup growth and all of that — I also left behind a safe zone of having a consistent paycheck, getting benefits, being behind a founder. I now became a founder. I became an entrepreneur. And rather than being like in team photos with other team members, I was by myself in everything that I was doing. I was by myself on my website, on social media, and also in actual photos.

And so today's podcast episode, I interview Crystal Rojas of The Creators Collective, who is a badass photographer in Denver, Colorado. And I worked with Crystal to get my cover art images for this podcast, but also images for my website, for my brand, all the things. And let me tell you, reaching out and saying, “Hey, I'm interested in doing a photo shoot for my business” — that was one of the scariest things that I've done in my business so far, because I had this safety net from the past. I remember taking headshots for a company, but taking photos on my own that represent everything that I'm doing made me feel self conscious and I felt like an imposter.

And to be honest with you, I've been on a journey with my body and my health, and I wasn't feeling super confident, but I was like, if I don't get photos, I'm not going to have a podcast cover. But I got my shit together and I reached out to Crystal and we were connected from my good friend, Ali Hicks-Wright. So I sent her a message on Instagram.

I think the photos are really what I needed to take myself as an entrepreneur to the next level was to be like, okay, I have official photos. I look like an entrepreneur. I sound like an entrepreneur and I am acting like an entrepreneur because I am. And so I wanted to interview Crystal because she could feel my sense of feeling uncomfortable. When we did the photos, she put on some Beyonce and she's like, “I just want you to dance a little bit.” So she put on some music and then she also like flipped around the camera so that I could see myself and kind of realize like, “Lindsay, you are beautiful. You are a badass. You just need to pose for the camera, woman.” Crystal helped me overcome so much that I brought with me from the past, like toxicity and from relationships and, you know, these situations that have stayed with me. She helped me release that. And so I was like, “Crystal, we need to record a podcast episode. Yes, the podcast that has your photos on the cover.”

And when you listen to this episode, you're going to feel so much more confident and empowered too, because more than a photographer, Crystal helps you understand your brand and helps you understand your vision as an entrepreneur and as a woman. She helps you feel sexy and beautiful. And she's also had this journey to find that for herself. And so without further ado, I'm so excited for you to hear this episode, hear this conversation with Crystal. You're going to love it.