Interview with Sherrie Higgins

Sherrie (of Shots By Sherrie) is a free-spirited, professional photographer born and raised in Glasgow, who now travels between her home town, London and Dubai helping female business owners step in front of the camera and get comfortable being the face of their brand.

With instantly recognisable, colourful hair you can spot across the room, she's no stranger to personal branding. She is passionate about showing entrepreneurs how to connect to their ideal client and make a great first impression using their brand's visual story.

It's her mission to empower women everywhere to feel confident and powerful, and capture images that scream "This is me".

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What inspired you to start your own business, and what challenges did you face in the initial stages of entrepreneurship?

I always say “my hand was forced” when I talk about starting my business. I trained as a teacher but circumstances pushed me off that path and I found myself wondering “what the hell do I do now??”. I had always been the person who documented, the one with the digital camera on every night out. I had already started playing about with a new DSLR camera and some people were taking notice and asking me to come and take some photos for them. After a run in with a particularly unpleasant boss, I was unemployed again. Luckily my husband was fully supportive and encouraged me to go into photography full time. I couldn’t have done it without him.

One of the hardest things about starting your business is the learning curve. There is SO much information to try and absorb (and a lot of it is conflicting) that it can be overwhelming. Combine that with the mindset shift from being an employee to a “business owner” and it’s very easy to feel like you’ll never make it.

How do you maintain a work-life balance while running a successful business?

Great question ha, when you find the answer will you let me know? In all seriousness, I’ve actually always been quite good at prioritising my life and my relationships. On occasion, this does mean the business suffers or that it doesn’t grow as fast as you’d like. But for me, I’d rather sometimes drop the ball on my business if it means I can show up for myself and those around me. We have one life, and if catching up with my friends and showing up for the people I love means a few less pounds in my bank account, then so be it. Work is always something you can pick back up again.

Can you share a significant milestone or achievement that you are particularly proud of in your entrepreneurial journey?

Oooh, I think being asked to appear on a local TV show in Dubai is up there! I was asked to come and do an interview explaining the importance of photography when building your personal brand. I was really nervous but we got the whole thing in one take and everyone who watched said they were surprised I hadn’t done it before. It really pushed me and so I’ve made it a goal of mine to do more public speaking and share my knowledge with others.

Have you experienced any gender-related obstacles or biases since starting your own business?

I have to say I’ve been extremely lucky and haven’t felt that my gender has stood in my way particularly. If I have had any interactions like this they haven’t stayed with me. The majority of my clients are women though and I find that creative spaces and industries seem to have far less sexism than maybe more traditionally masculine industries. I also haven’t grown to the point of needing investment, pitching to corporations or having to outsource or hire. So that’s also something to keep in mind.

How do you empower and support other women in business?

This is entirely what I do! My brand shoot packages are aimed at women who have businesses and know that they need to step out and be the face of the brand. It’s my mission on shoots to take women from “Oh god I hate having my pictures taken” to “Oh WOW is that me?”. When you feel confident and empowered, you step up and make bolder decisions that grow your business and show your customer how great you actually are. A big part of that is learning to get comfortable being visible.

I also do a lot of work with women’s networking groups, capturing professional images of the events and showing the world that they are worth taking seriously.

What role has mentorship played in your career, and how has it influenced your growth as a business owner?

I think having a great mentor is almost invaluable in business. Finding one though is the key. I have had sessions with one or two different coaches over the years, but for various reasons, I haven’t yet invested in consistent mentorship with one person. I do seek advice within the fantastic networking groups that I am a part of, and even just hashing things out with other women in your position is so energising and inspiring.   

How have you found marketing your business – has it been easy for you, or have you found it quite difficult?

A combination of both? I lived in Dubai from 2017 to 2023 and when I was there, I was able to grow organically fairly quickly by just coming to networking events, taking people’s photos and then booking them as clients. I established myself early on as a great brand photographer and word of mouth just did the rest. 

Since moving back to the UK last year, I’ve had to start that build up again. It’s also a different market here, and people aren’t quite as familiar with brand photography and just how important it is for your business. So, getting that message across is something I am still learning how to do.

What are your main marketing activities, and what do you find works best for you?

I’m still trying to figure out exactly what works best for me, but I know that showing up and speaking to people most aligns with who I am. Coming to networking events, going on podcasts, speaking at events and doing interviews (like this!) comes pretty naturally to me.

I totally get the importance of showing up on socials and email marketing… but sometimes it does make me feel a bit icky. When I post, I want to do it because I am moved to share something… not “to stay front of mind”.

Can you discuss a time when you had to pivot or adapt your business strategy?

I’m sure everyone will say this, but the pandemic sure did a number on us. Of course, I couldn’t go out and shoot on location anymore, so instead I started offering headshot sessions over Zoom! I wasn’t sure if it would work at first, but after a couple of trials it actually went pretty well. It’s something I still offer to people who work remotely and it was a great way to push myself out of my comfort zone.  

Looking ahead, what are your future goals and aspirations for your business?

I want to educate people on the importance of the visual elements of their brand. I would love to grow my masterclasses and courses so that this knowledge could be accessible to brands at every level. I want to work with women who want to push themselves and step into the power and influence they can have in this world, in a way that is true to who they are. I’d also love to grow a programme training corporate workers on how to think creatively and how that can apply to your every day.

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This is one interview in a series with inspirational women in my network. If you would be interested in participating, please drop me a line!