Intentional Insights

July 21st, 2025

Insight

I was just on a shoot with photographer Colton Jacobs and he brought up an interesting point.

By the time someone that's in a position to hire you (whether it's a creative director, producer, agency, etc.) sees your website they already have an idea of who you are and what you do. They aren't there looking for reasons TO hire you, they are looking for reasons NOT to hire you.

What's the thing that would stand out and give someone in that position a reason to look for someone else or stop considering you?

Maybe it's not showing your best work, broken links, unclear what you do (weddings, food, events, commercials, films), not showing the work you want to get hired for, bad grammar.

How you show up matters. Are you making a good first impression? Are you coming across as professional? Do you seem like someone that would be fun to work with?

Your digital presence is often the first and only chance you get to make an impression. Make it count.

Resource

Mood Boards

One of the best ways to study effective branding and positioning is by creating mood boards of people and brands you admire.

I use mood boards to collect and analyze what I like about websites, emails, pitch decks, and overall visual identity. It lets you identify what you like or don't like. Plus, it gives you a creative starting point for your own projects and visual references when working with others.

Tools like Milanote (what I use) and Figma make it easy to organize the inspo you collect.

Action Step

This week, do a Digital Presence Audit:

Review all your digital touchpoints (website, social media, portfolio) and ask:

• Does this positioning match what I want to be hired for?
• Is my messaging consistent across all channels?
• Are there any broken links or outdated information?
• Am I showcasing my absolute best work?

Unsure? Get a second opinion - have someone review your profiles and give you honest feedback about the impression you're making.

I'm doing this audit myself this week.

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Until next week,
Cobi

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