The Female Creatives Association

The Female Creatives Association - Business, Marketing + Mindset for Creative Business Owners

NEWS & REVIEWS

The FCA Is Growing… With Amazing New Partners!

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Once upon a time, a girl sat down, dreamed up a website that would one day help many thousands of creative people get through the endless struggles that we go through in our attempts to birth our visions, dreams, goals and ideas into the world, and created it.

It began as the Female Photographer Association and very soon after that morphed into the Female Creatives Association, as the dream began to take shape and grow.

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But I have a confession to make.

I didn’t know quite what to do with it.

I felt the burden of responsibility, but I had no idea really of how to run an absolutely MASSIVE brand. As the combined following staggered up to 25K, I began to feel insignificantly small.

Instead of realising everything I had achieved in business, I began to look inward, instead of out at the big dreams and visions of my own.

Instead of remembering how I could help people, I started to feel awkward, unconfident, not good enough. I’ve never been very good in the spotlight, always the girl who talks too fast that betrays the confident exterior.

And I began to shrink away. I wanted my own little corner of the internet again, and I made it, set up under my own name.

One that was more ME, more a home for myself, where I didn’t have to fit into a brand that had such clearly defined goals and objectives.

I needed to be me for a while, to dream and create and explore again.

But still… the FCA sat there like an unattended plant.

I ran my courses through it. Continued to post helpful posts. Relaunched my books for film photographers but still… never quite going full throttle on it. Never quite giving it my everything. Torn between the rapidly growing brand of my own and this business baby that I had birthed a few years earlier.

I still… could not let go of the dream and the vision I had for the FCA.. I couldn’t ever bring myself to close it down!

And then one day… in rode a knight. Two, actually.

Storytellers, like me, but bigger, brighter. Actually, that doesn’t do them justice at ALL.

It was actually two writers slash entrepreneurs (an ex-Yahoo editor and a Forbes contributor)!!! who swept in, shone a light on the FCA and saw it for its shining potential — indeed, its ability to continue to impact and help thousands of us creatives with our marketing, biz & skills.

ANNOUNCEMENT: The FCA will now expand under the guiding hands of a fabulous company that goes by the name of StoryCraft! Yes, StoryCraft.

Which, OBVIOUSLY I thought was totally heaven-sent, as for those of you who follow closely you’ll know about my successful course Storyteller-

And the tagline on their website?

We’re storytellers, makers and dreamers.

COULD THERE BE ANY MORE PERFECT MATCH FOR THE FCA?!?! –

More specifically, by the names of Phat (yep, I also wondered if his parents knew how cool his name would become) and Rochelle (whose career path from writer to entrepreneur will be very familiar to many of you).

Storytellers, content creators, creatives, and dreamers.  And a ton of talent and experience at shining the spotlight on businesses + brands.

Say hello to Phat and Rochelle….
Phat & Rochelle from StoryCraft

And I will be supporting and riding alongside them for what I know is going to be an incredible ride. I plan to stay on as an advisor to Phat & Rochelle — and continue to create new courses and content for them as my time allows.

With their leadership, in 2017, the FCA is going to become exactly as I intended; fulfilling it’s mission to help many more thousands of creatives and creative entrepreneurs across the globe to get seen, stand out, and shine.

So, that’s my exciting news for 2017. I’ve been literally dyyyyying to share it, but I’ve had to keep super-quiet on social media until all plans were confirmed.

I’m excited for what this means for the FCA.

I’m excited that a FORMER MANAGING EDITOR OF YAHOO IS NOW LEADING THE FCA!!! (what? Did that actually just happen?!?!)

I’m excited about the future plans we have all been excitedly discussing (and OH they are beautiful. Big, beautiful, inspired plans and goals for this year. MUCH MORE CONTENT + COURSES + INTERVIEWS + VIDEOS + ADVICE + TIPS)

And I’m excited about what this means for you.

2017 is going to be ALL about supporting YOU more in your ambitions and aims >>> don’t miss the next FCA mail.

Charlie, Phat & Rochelle @ The FCA.

P.S… Already purchased one of the FCA’s awesome courses or products? Don’t worry; there are ZERO changes being made for anything you have already purchased and access remains the same. Got questions? Email Phat & Rochelle directly at hello@storycraft.me, or leave your questions in the comments!

INTRODUCING- 3 INCREDIBLE WOMEN

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A short while ago I posted a notice to recruit an intern for the FPA and I was completely overwhelmed with the amount of people that replied!

A huge thank you to everyone who applied- every single one of you were amazing and I could have hired you all! It was SUCH a tough choice and it truly took me a long time to decide, but after a while these incredible applicants really began to stand out to me as being ‘the ones’.

And more than that – these ladies are so talented at what makes them special I couldn’t give them the name Intern anymore – it felt like I was completely under-describing them and their capabilities, as well as the role they are going to play in the FPA!

So I am so happy to announce you to the FPA Brand Ambassadors. Read on to find out who they are, what they will be doing, and how they will be helping you.

 

Cat Hepple

If any of you have witnessed Cat Hepple‘s progress recently you are probably a little in awe of her achievements – as am I!

Cat has recently launched her first book, an entire website dedicated to the art of persuading your clients (including posing but it is so MUCH more than that), has been appointed to teach a class on Posing at the Click Away conference over in Texas in September, and is now guest blogging for Professional Photographer Magazine.

Her own photography work is beautiful and she is now attracting more and more of the client she loves – and destination bookings too, which I know she adores! She is also a very valued member of the Shining Lights group and VIP program and her sharing and contributions to both are always generous and encouraging.

But not only that. Almost everyone who applied is accomplished in their own way. But I know the struggle Cat has overcome to be able to do what she is doing and be where she is right now.  I’ve seen her overcome a nasty car accident that even now, months and months later, still leave her in pain.  I’ve seen her fight the overwhelming emotions and physical injuries that have followed from that. I’ve seen Cat work through periods in her own business that have seemed overwhelming or stressful.

When Cat came to me for mentoring last year I saw a woman entirely ready for complete transformation in her business + life, and she has literally taken everything I have thrown at her (and I tend to throw quite a lot at my VIPs and those in my one to one programs)! and she has literally let nothing defeat her.

There has been no resistance, no struggling, no ‘well I’m not sure how this will work for me’.  She accepted, considered, reflected, applied herself, and is now seeing incredible results, because she has put in the work necessary.

I chose Cat because she is an inspiration – she works hard, is technically great, and has overcome probably more struggles than we truly know about in order to achieve what she is achieving now.  She has also constantly told everyone who will listen how great the Shining Lights program is, which obviously made her a natural contender, but it is the sum of all of these things that have made her a true Shining Light in her own right, and so I’m so happy to announce that Cat Hepple is the FPA Brand Ambassador for UK / Europe.

 

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Now Kendra Swall‘s application was a completely unexpected one for me.  In fact, I had almost decided on someone else, when right at the very last minute, Kendra’s application swooped into my inbox and stole both my heart + the position.

Kendra admitted on her application that she knew her business skills and photography technical skills need work (and part of the remit for the position is that the applicants receive one on one coaching with me to grow their business). (personally I think she was being modest, her work is really pretty)!

So why did I choose Kendra? Because of a few things I will describe shortly, and because I just had this FEELING like she was the one!

I know- a successful business based on a hunch, said no successful businesswoman ever.  And hunches don’t sell. And hunches aren’t ‘feet on the ground’ ‘solid business decisions’. Right?

Wrong. Being great at something is all about getting that idea- that hunch- out of your head and out in the world living and breathing and then WORKING at it until it becomes great.

These positions for me weren’t created for ‘the best photographer’ or ‘the best’ anything, other than the potential to be the best person in this role, for the FPA, at this point in time.

And for me, this person was Kendra.

I felt supremely connected to her as a person- I feel she is vibrant and alive and honest. And I feel she has a unique gifting at connecting people –

Kendra has set up a group specifically for female photographers in her local area, and that group has grown to over 300 photographers, and she is also a teacher.

I know how hard it is to grow ANYTHING to over 300 people! It takes a lot of work and Kendra has made it look easy!

And that is what make up part of the heart of the FPA – the strength that grows as being part of a group, and community.  Sharing hearts + minds + ideas + clients + knowledge.

Kendra already understands the power of a community in bucketloads, and that for me was definitely my tipping point in me choosing her- aside from the fact that we both come from teaching backgrounds and have a passion for encouraging others and sharing knowledge.

I also love that Kendra’s love of being a Mother shines through in everything that she does – it’s the first thing I noticed about her facebook profile. Again, that’s not a strictly business decision, but it’s a connection that speaks strongly to who I am as a Mother, and how this beautiful business of photography can be so easily bent and shaped to suit family life, or other great loves + passions.

I want the FPA to help you to understand that ANYONE can make a success of their business, and that our pathways + purposes are unique. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to work, but there is a huge wealth of knowledge out there that helps to make our journeys easier, and with the help of Cat + Kendra we plan to make sure that we help you as much as possible to get what it is you need from the FPA.

 

Maxeen Kim

I also appointed a Summer Internship to the lovely Maxeen Kim Duncan.  Maxeen is another member of Shining Lights whose work for the beautiful lifestyle blog B.LOVED impressed me – plus last year I mentored Max and her business and have seen her whole business direction + style evolve and change as a result. I am very proud of Max and her achievements!

She is smart, hard working, and loyal, and I am very much looking forward to working with her over the summer, right here in beautiful Cyprus! Oh, and her work is so beautiful!

 

How These Incredible Women Will Help You

The exact tasks for the Brand Ambassadors are still in planning for now, as it is a mainly self-directed role-  you will be updated of all the progression!

But right now I CAN tell you that if you are in (or can get to) the UK or Texas in the US, you might want to keep an eye on your inbox – details of official Shining Lights Meetups will be announced soon, as this is something that Cat + Kendra + Max are keen to get underway, and that many of Shining Lights have been requesting! Well, your wish is my command.

{Not a member yet? Join us here}

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Please do join me in giving these gorgeous girls a warm welcome to the FPA, I am beyond blessed to know them + be working with them, and I hope that they are going to be bringing great things your way very soon!

Welcome Cat, Kendra, + Maxeen!

The FPA Supports Snap Photography Festival (+ PRIZES inside)

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When I was relatively new to the wedding photography industry, I couldn’t help but notice somebody in particular.  Laura Babb was the photographer behind Babb Photo, and she was vocal, opinionated, confident, and successful. And honestly? terrifying.

To me she was like that super-cool girl at school who seems to know something that you don’t, and in comparison there was me hiding away in a corner fiddling about with old film cameras.

Where do you even start with somebody who seems so far ahead of you in business and in the cool-ness stakes that you don’t even dare say hi to them?

Uh, you go say hi. And then you go your own way and become successful and confident in your own right and your own style and with your own clients. And then you look at that cool girl not with fear any more, but with a massive dose of respect and admiration, because you KNOW, you truly KNOW that the thing that she knows that you didn’t? Is about being confident in who you are and then taking that directly into your business.

And so then you go to them, and you say hi again, and you sit + watch + learn from them. Not because you want what they have. We are all unique with our own strengths + purpose.

But because you know that gaining that strength and confidence and knowledge and passion in an industry which can sometimes be tough- well, you can never have enough of it. Always aim to want more of it – you need more of it.

And whatever level you are at within your business, there is always more to learn, and to be inspired by, and inspiration is like water to us creatives – we always need more of it.

One thing Laura and I have in common – we are incredibly passionate about, and devoted to, photography.  So when I saw that Laura was creating an entire photography FESTIVAL, I knew that she had created a work of genius.

I knew it came straight from her heart and I knew that this festival would give you everything that Laura knows + believes in + loves + is passionate about + inspired by.

But more.

I knew that this festival would give anybody that attended it that massive confidence boost that comes with knowing who you are within the industry; confidence in your visual style + your body of work; of knowing who your target client is, + a billion and one other incredible things. 

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Oh- wait! I think forgot to mention something. Did I mention there will be beaches, campfires, glamping, music, digital escape-ism, marshmallows, mindfulness, and yoga at this festival? AND you would be staying here, in this dreamland?

fforest glamping

I’m not done. You also get  the opportunity to learn from an entire array of incredibly accomplished photographers as they share + present their fabulous skills + talents + giftings to you?? DID I MENTION THAT?

{See that image up there of the girl in the white skirt? And this gorgeous one below? From one of the speakers we are most excited about, the ridiculously gifted Andria Lindquist}

// © Andria Lindquist 2014

Yes. I know. Snap Photography Festival sounds exactly like my idea of heaven too.

And that is why the FPA is incredibly proud to be partnering with and supporting Snap Photography Festival this year.

SNAP VECTOR

It is going to be one incredible event. Based in the UK, Snap is now selling tickets to attendees worldwide, and I’m so excited to watch this go global.

In celebration of the launch, Snap are hosting a marathon giveaway right now in collaboration with their partners – you absolutely MUST pop over to their blog to check it out and win some of their prizes, including mentoring sessions, software, portfolio reviews, lighting courses AND – one year’s membership to the FPA. So if you have been hovering on the edge of booking your Shining Lights membership for a while but haven’t quite gotten around to doing it yet? You need to head on over here to enter.

Because that strength and passion and inspiration and uniqueness that I was talking about earlier? About how to gain it from others who already have those inherent qualities about themselves + within their business?

Snap Photography Festival is one place where you are going to get that, I would pretty much stake my life on it. Go; be inspired, learn, challenge yourself, dare, do, be, grow. Just go.

Because in my opinion, there is nobody cooler than someone who understands the magic + beauty of sharing knowledge and information with others.

Thank you to Laura + Snap for enabling the FPA to be a part of that.

Find out more about Snap here and book your tickets while you can.

 

What I Am Really Thanking You For

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Yesterday we hosted our first live event, a fabulous webinar together with Heidi from Evolve Your Wedding Business, designed to teach you how to find + attract your ideal clients.

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Lots of you joined us and the chatroom was filled with a little buzz of excitement, as we all sat and shared our stories + helped one another with our problems + listened to Heidi’s words of wisdom.

For those of you who were unable to make it, this is what you missed-

Heidi opened the chat with such a valid point; that so many photographers are still stuck with traditional methods of promoting their business.  We see so many people around us setting up as photographers who follow the ‘old’ ways- thinking that having a website, business cards, holding promotional offers and flyers is the fast-track route to success.

But it isn’t.  Marketing your photography business has changed so much – the old way is all about outbound marketing – how you can sell yourself better than anybody else.

The new way of marketing is to let your clients come to you– and our exclusive FPA event gave you a little insight into how to do just that.

Don’t worry if you missed it – I will be sharing the link in just a second.

But first of all, I wanted to say a big thank you. If I could send all of you who attended flowers + chocolates + rays of sunshine + hugs all the way from here, I would.  Because I was overwhelmed, and today I am thankful.

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When I started the FPA, I knew that it would make a huge dent in my photography business.  I knew that I would have to dedicate my time to writing posts like this, organising events like yesterdays, and ensuring that this all reaches enough of you to make a difference.  I knew that my profits from my photography business would drop and that was hugely scary.

Having built a business that my entire family relies upon it was quite difficult to walk away from that and once again take the road less travelled.

But I felt called.  You know when you just feel as though you are ‘meant’ to do something?

I was a teacher before I started my photography business.  I covered classes and I taught photography to my own little class.  I loved it.  When my students faces lit up as they became absorbed in photography and I showed them photographers like Corinne Day and Man Ray and Cartier-Bresson and everything inbetween, I lit up inside.

I knew I wanted to create a huge resource to help other female photographers to succeed, but when I first had the idea, I felt terrified.  I told my husband-  But I can’t do that! Why would anybody listen to me?

He pulled the face of patience and kindness and here we go again and he said

‘because you have done it! I was able to leave my job because of your hard work and we are all moving to a house by the sea because of your business, and if that isn’t enough then I don’t know what is’.

I knew I had the credentials, and the knowledge.  Business experience, years of accumulated marketing knowledge, 3 years at university studying photography, client testimonials, a fully booked diary.  I knew that if I didn’t know the answer, I wanted to pull together people that did.  Just like Heidi joining us yesterday.

But still.

What if nobody listens? What if nobody even wants to know about how to grow their photography business? What if nobody actually cares?

It was scary.  And that’s why last night I was so thankful.  Thankful to all of you who turned up and said at the end – yes! that was SO helpful!

Because that told me that I am on the right path.

Because just like when I became a teacher, all I want to do with the FPA is make a difference.  I said if I can help just one photographer, then it is worth it.  It is worth the pay drop and the huge time commitment + the fear of ‘what if nobody cares’. It is entirely worth it.

Thank you to all of you who showed up last night; who shared, chatted, viewed, listened, commented, fed-back to us; and above all, for showing me that I did the right thing by founding the FPA.  That is what I am thanking you for.

I am forever grateful to you for making our first event a success.

With love + gratitude,

Charlie

For those of you who missed it, you can watch the replay online here.

 

 

The FPA Wants YOU

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the female photographer association wants you

 

We are so excited today to be announcing a brand new feature to The FPA.  As you know if you have been following us since our launch just over two weeks ago, we are striving here at the FPA to create an online resource to help you to grow a wildly profitable photography business; one which enables you to feel fulfilled creatively and to live the life that you desire.

We specialise in free, online photography business education – but we are more than that.  We want to be able to raise your profile, increase your social media presence + following, and bring your work to the attention of those who could change your entire career.

And so we are introducing our newest addition to the Female Photographer Association site; the Saturday Feature. You’re going to love it.

What Is It?

The Saturday Feature is, quite simply, a showcase designed to promote beautiful work.

Why Do I Want To Submit My Work?

The Female Photographer Association is now reaching some of the most influential organisations within photography the world over.  We are followed and read by leading galleries and photography organisations in London, New York, Paris + Shanghai- the leading global hubs of photography, arts, and creativity.

We have quickly gained a beautifully diverse following, from the most beautiful wedding blogs and stylists, to alternative fashion magazines, through to contemporary private galleries.   If your work is featured on the FPA, your work could be seen by those that matter.

Not only that.  If your work is featured by us, not only will we support you and your work throughout the day and the following week over our social media, we will seek to permanently uphold your career.   You will be welcomed into the FPA with open arms! If you need help, advice, or someone to sit and sit virtual lattes with, we will be here for you.

Your work will also be considered for inclusion in our magazine, launching 2015.  This luxury publication will be distributed to media channels, galleries, blogs, editors, publishers and pr companies worldwide.

Plus, in addition to the above, we will send your our super-shiny FPA badge for you to feature wherever you wish- from your website to your email signature.  This badge acts as a mark of quality and recognition- we will only be featuring shoots from those who have clearly demonstrated talent, vision, control over their medium, and originality.

Who can submit?

Absolutely all genres and styles are welcome.  We consider fine art to weddings to boudoir to reportage to contemporary portraiture; fashion to to editorial to documentary to travel to maternity and newborns.  We want to see your personal projects and your professional ones.  If you think your work deserves to be seen- send it to us.  We don’t demand exclusivity and we don’t charge for our features.

Surely you are looking for a particular style?

We don’t hide the fact that we do have a personal penchant for pretty shots with a feminine aesthetic, with a great love for film photography and also bright, clean, editorial sessions! But our true belief is that as photographers we can all be inspired and uplifted by all genres.

Every genre from newborn photography through to fashion to social documentary has its purpose and place- all are entirely beautiful in their own right, and all should be upheld and celebrated.  All are styles are welcome here.

What do I need to do?

Send us 5-15 images from one shoot, series, or body of work

Images must be sized at 600 px wide.

Mark your submission ‘Saturday Feature Submission’ in the subject field.

Include a few words about yourself and your work

Send to; charlie@thefemalecreativesassociation.com

What happens next?

If you have been successful, you will be notified within 10 days with an email about what to do next.  We are sorry but we can’t contact everyone who submits; as a very tiny team it is impossible to reply to everyone.  We will however try to provide constructive feedback for you if requested.

We can’t wait to see and share your work. 

The Saturday Feature launches September 2014.

Welcome To The FPA!

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Welcome to The Female Photographer Association!  A big thank you for joining us.  The FPA is an online resource designed to inform, inspire, motivate and promote female photographers worldwide.

There has been a huge amount of work gone into creating this site and now that our launch is finally here we can barely believe it! It all started with the story of one photographer who wanted to share her photography business marketing expertise, and her aspirations to make this industry a happier, wealthier, prettier place to work in; but that is a story we will share in a later post.

Right now we don’t want to stop you from having a look around and finding out more about what we plan on doing here at the FPA – why not start with our Manifesto?

We have so many exciting collaborations and events coming up, and we just can’t wait to share them with you! To find out how you can participate, check out our submissions page; and make sure you follow us here for all the latest updates – trust us, you won’t want to miss out on anything we have coming up!

A huge thank you to those of you who have already supported what we are doing over on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram – your support means so much.  (Don’t forget to keep tagging your images with #thefpa for your chance to feature).   We truly want to make this a valuable resource for you – and we can only do it with your support and interest.

We can’t wait to bring you more.

Love,

The FPA.

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