a fun shoot with lea turner, the linkedin trainer par excellence (chef's kiss)
I’ll say it how it is: if you’ve never heard of Lea Turner before, it probably means you need to up your LinkedIn game!
With over 166K followers (and counting), she’s known for showing up authentically, redefining the meaning of being professional on LinkedIn, and teaching others how to use this platform to generate organic leads.
Lea and I have been following each other for a while, and I’m part of her incredibly beneficial business membership the holt. So, seeing her in person for this shoot felt like meeting a friend and… a celebrity, at the same time!
However, despite her frequent PR appearances and launches, Lea hadn’t got any professional brand photos.
Here’s how we fixed this together.
“I will be recommending Rosie to every opportunity with my community. I can't wait to share the pictures online and tell everybody about how amazing she is to work with (and also the bonus of the cute animals you get to cuddle).”
introduce yourself and what you do
My name is Lea Turner, and I am a LinkedIn trainer.
I work with individuals and corporate companies to help them use LinkedIn better so they can generate leads for their business… without sending sales messages.
I also offer a range of digital products, PDFs, and a course to help people who are on a limited budget.
I have a business membership community called The Holt, too. It provides support and masterclasses to help ambitious founders and solopreneurs learn new business skills from the experts I bring in.
where have you come from today?
I've travelled down from Manchester to Exeter to see Rosie today!
Thankfully, my mother lives in Cornwall, so my son is off for a week of fun in the sun (hopefully 😂) with his grandparents.
We met halfway in Exeter, which meant I had the perfect excuse to be here and see Rosie.
how are you feeling about being in front of the camera?
I absolutely HATE being in front of the camera. I turn into a rabbit in headlights, especially when it comes to posing.
I'm much more comfortable behind the camera or when I'm speaking to people on camera. But when it comes to actual photo shoots? I tend to avoid them as much as possible.
However, I've been using the same three photos for about a year and a half on LinkedIn and on my various socials. So, it's about time I updated them.
And who better to do it than Rosie?!
what was your biggest anxiety about having a shoot before coming?
Looking fat.
I think I've always felt really insecure about my body. Not that I don't like it, but it’s more about the way my body looks on camera. I'm very awkward in how I position myself, and I don't know what looks good.
So, I just see my pictures and go, “Oh, do I really look like that in person? Does my face look that wonky? Are my eyebrows one higher than the other?”
All of those normal insecurities that I think everyone has, but I feel they're always amplified on camera.
why do you think professional photos are important?
I think it's a really nice way for people to see who you are properly. That’s why you should have a brand shoot that actually represents what you're about. For me, it's fun, brightness, and… not taking myself too seriously 🤭
It’s important to get someone who really brings your personality out, especially if you're posting on socials. Showing your face builds familiarity, which then builds trust when you're using these photos on sales pages and websites.
People want to know the person they're working with! So, having photos you feel confident about—and that really represent who you are—allows your audience to see a lot more of the person they're going to be collaborating with. And that's really important these days to make you stand out.
“It's the first time I've ever been on a shoot where there were more than two images I liked!”
where and how will you use your new photos?
On sales pages for upcoming products, events, my social media (LinkedIn and Instagram, in particular), my WhatsApp home screen… Maybe even a new profile photo?
The possibilities are ENDLESS, really!
I'm all over the web so often, so maybe even PR features. I get asked about podcasts and news stories regularly. For example, I was in the Metro last month: they asked for professional shots, and I was like, “Oooh, I don’t have any. Here are some holiday pictures? 😅”
So, it would be nice to have a set of photos I can confidently hand over to media appearances and not go, “These were taken in my bedroom during COVID… after about three glasses of wine. 😂”
how was your experience?
Incredibly fun!
I thought I was going to be super awkward… and I was, but not unbearably so. I don't think I've laughed as much in weeks, either.
and what did you think of your photos?
I love them! We had about 50 that I really liked and that we've trimmed down to 25. So, I was spoilt for choice. I’m thrilled.
It was an honour to shoot Lea’s first professional brand photos. If you haven’t been following her on linkedin, do your business a favour, and start putting her advice into practice!
lea turner, LinkedIn trainer
Interested in having your own shoot with me? Book a call!
