Every Brand Deserves a Face

Why Showing Your Face Matters

How trust, visibility and real photos help the right customers choose you

When someone lands on your website, LinkedIn profile or Instagram page, they’re asking a quiet but important question:

Am I in the right place?

Before they read your words or fully understand what you do, they’re looking for reassurance. They want to know who’s behind the business and whether they can trust you to deliver the product or service they’re looking for.

We welcomed the brilliantly talented Nikki and Jenny from PhotoJenix to deliver this month’s masterclass in The Future-Proof Club®, and together we explored why showing your face plays such a crucial role in building trust – and how to do it in a way that feels authentic, human and achievable.

1. Trust starts before the conversation

People don’t buy purely on logic. They buy when something feels safe, familiar and aligned.

Seeing a real person:

• reduces uncertainty

• humanises your business

• helps people imagine working with you

We’re hard-wired to read faces. Within seconds, people make subconscious decisions about whether to keep going or click away. That decision often happens before they read your copy or click your links.

Showing your face – and letting people see who’s behind the brand – helps the right customers feel they belong and quietly filters out the ones who don’t.

2. Visibility attracts the right customers (not just more of them)

This isn’t about being everywhere or shouting louder.

It’s about helping people recognise:

• your personality

• your values

• how you show up

When your photos reflect the real you, they act as a shortcut. People begin to feel like they know you and trust that they’re in the right place.

This makes conversations easier, sales more natural and relationships stronger.

3. The real barriers to showing your face

Almost everyone finds this difficult at times. Some of the most common barriers shared in the workshop were:

• Feeling exposed – being seen feels vulnerable

• Imposter syndrome – “Who am I to put myself out there?”

• Perfectionism – waiting for the right time, weight, confidence or budget

• Control – struggling to hand creative responsibility to someone else

• Discomfort with photos – especially when you are the brand

These are very human responses – and ones even experienced leaders have to work through.

4. What happens when you don’t show your face

When your business stays faceless, a few things quietly happen:

• potential clients hesitate or move on

• trust takes longer to build

• your work is judged without context

• you blend in rather than stand out

People are still making decisions – they’re just doing it without you in the frame.

Avoiding visibility doesn’t protect you; it simply makes it harder for people to trust you and, ultimately, choose you.

5. “Just do it” – action builds confidence

One of the clearest messages from Jenny was simple but powerful:

Take action. Take the photos.

Confidence doesn’t usually come first – it comes from doing the thing. Waiting until you “feel ready” often means staying stuck for longer. A few imperfect but intentional steps build familiarity, ease and momentum over time.

6. Be yourself (the hardest bit, but the most important)

“Being yourself” sounds easy, but it’s often the hardest part.

Take time to get to know:

• your body language

• your natural gestures and mannerisms

• how you hold yourself when you’re relaxed

• what genuinely feels like you

Simple practices help:

• sitting in front of a mirror

• recording yourself on video

• noticing how you move, smile, speak and gesture

• asking trusted colleagues, friends or family what they see

The goal isn’t perfection – it’s recognition. When you look at a photo and think “yes, that’s me”, it becomes far easier to use and share it.

7. Be in situ – let your work tell the story

Sometimes the easiest way to feel comfortable is to stop posing altogether.

Photos taken while you’re:

• working at your desk

• in conversation

• using your tools or equipment

• behind the scenes of your business

often feel more natural and more powerful.

You’re doing what you do best and allowing others to see it. This kind of storytelling builds trust because it shows people what it’s really like to work with you.

8. Light matters more than you think

You don’t need fancy kit, but lighting makes a huge difference.

Simple tips shared in the session:

• stand near a window

• avoid harsh sunlight

• cloudy days are ideal

• use a white piece of paper or surface to bounce light back up

Good light softens, flatters and instantly lifts the image.

9. Preparation is key

Before taking photos – professionally or DIY – pause and ask yourself:

• What do I want people to think and feel when they see my photos?

• How do I want to come across?

• Am I fun and approachable, calm and reassuring, professional and precise – or a blend?

Being intentional changes everything.

10. Use props and brand assets to add depth

Small details tell big stories. You want people to recognise you and your brand easily.

Think about:

• books, notebooks, pencils

• tools, products or equipment

• subtle brand colours

• textures, stationery, posters or workspace details

These cues help your images feel cohesive and recognisable without being forced.

11. If you invest in a photographer, comfort and ease matter

Being photographed is personal and can feel intrusive, which makes us tense and unlike ourselves.

Finding the right photographer or team – people you trust and feel at ease with – matters just as much as technical skill. The best images come when you feel relaxed, understood and supported, not rushed or judged.

Showing your face isn’t about ego or self-promotion.

It’s about clarity, trust and connection.
It’s about communicating your brand and helping the right people feel they’re in the right place.

In a world full of filters, AI images and faceless brands, being real isn’t a risk – it’s an opportunity and a genuine advantage.

And of course, it wouldn’t be right not to mention Nikki and Jenny from PhotoJenix.

Their work is a brilliant example of everything shared in this session. Time and again, they create images that feel real, relaxed and full of personality - whether that’s for me, my family and friends, or the clients I introduce to them. They have a real gift for helping people feel at ease and capturing them at their best.

If you’d like to find out more or enquire about working with them, you can get in touch or follow the link below. PhotoJenix