Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Haukom.
Hi Lisa, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve been in the branding and visual space for about 25 years now, although it wasn’t until 2020 that I launched The Goldenbrand Studio to focus exclusively on photography.
My first career was in museum curation working at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Although I learned valuable skills that I still use today, it didn’t take long for me to realize that I would be happier in a more creative role. A few years in I signed up for classes at the Culinary Institute of Los Angeles to follow my passion for food as a creative outlet. I was working at the Getty Museum by day and attending classes by night 3 to 4 times per week. Since I was working a very traditional day job, the kitchen was where I could take risks, express myself, and connect to others by sharing a good meal. I learned many lessons about myself through food and cooking.
After working in pastry for several prominent Los Angeles eateries, suffering third-degree burns on my arms while the head chef screamed at me to get back to work, I knew I needed something different. That’s when I launched my first business, a catering company where I could set the tone for a supportive, inclusive culture. It was so much fun in the early days, catering intimate in-home events, cooking the food I love, and working with an incredible staff. It was also exhausting, and I was completely unprepared for the intricacies of running a business while fulfilling the roles of chef, client support, bookkeeper, food sourcing, and event planner all by myself. What was a fun time quickly turned into serious burnout. I was staying up all night to get everything done and then on my feet during the day, hustling to meet deadlines. Physically and mentally drained, I made the decision to sell the company. It was then I also learned that it can be a slippery slope turning your love for something into a career.
This is why I was so slow to embrace photography — it took a pandemic to motivate me to go all in. With the sting of burnout still fresh in my mind, it took fourteen years for me to launch the Goldenbrand (there was a clothing line in between) and name photography as my focus.
Often when I am pulling images for a client project, I’ll come across an image that I just have to recreate for myself — whether it’s inspiration for a self-portrait or a delicious palate of food that has me running to the kitchen. For me, it’s all connected. And as much as I loathe the term, I am a multi-hyphenate at heart for better or for worse.
The Goldenbrand started as an account driven by my dual loves: photography and creative development. These two interests offered me a sense of purpose, a creative outlet, and a deep sense of accomplishment. The business was born out of my own self-discovery, self-education, and curiosity. At the time, all I wanted was to learn, to share, and to find a community of like-minded people. With the Goldenbrand, I found all three.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There are always challenges when growing a business, even if they aren’t the more expected struggles such as scaling, hiring or financing. My struggles were more internal, specifically self-kindness and mindset. I found myself in the process of launching a business and trying to figure out who I was while also needing to be visible at the same time.
You never forget the first moment you truly see yourself.
What once began as a secret self-portrait journey with a tripod and my iPhone has transformed into a return to self-kindness and acceptance with all parts of myself finally at ease. They have also given me community, friendships, and creative growth. They have allowed me to become an educator, mentor and have been a highlight of my journey so far. Self-portraits taught me how to care for myself. They taught me I was worth caring for.
I will never stop reaching for them when I need reconnection. I will never tire of seeing a woman transformed and in awe of truly seeing herself for the first time.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I want to make professional photography more accessible and help women see their inherent worth and creative voice through the art of self-portrait photography. In 2020, I opened The Goldenbrand Photography Studio, where I conducted intimate virtual photoshoots for those looking to feel seen, valued and treated to a unique photography experience, either in the comfort of their own home or dream photography location.
I shoot images exclusively on my iPhone and work with clients virtually to capture digital imagery for their personal brands. In my membership program, where I teach women to love, heal, and trust themselves through the art of self-portrait photography, I have a strict “no selfies allowed” policy. Instead, we see ourselves as we truly are through the back camera lens.
Up until this past year, I was reluctant to share how my approach is different. I felt so much shame about the fact that on paper I didn’t look anything like other photographers.
For me, photography is a tool to understand someone’s story on an emotional level. When I teach members of the Self Portrait Studio community, we focus on healing our relationship with our own image first. The technical aspects of the photograph come second. While their skills naturally evolve with continued practice, my priority is supporting them to shift their thoughts around being in photos to be more gentle and kind about their own image and more present in their portraits. I have helped hundreds of women learn to heal through the art of self-portrait photography in this way.
I use this same approach when styling a room for an interior shot and working with editorial photography clients — the story and the person always come first. The way in which I photograph is also distinct. I don’t have a physical studio, instead preferring to work with clients all over the world virtually. We meet inside of a private online studio where I am able to use their iPhone shutter and photograph them as though I am there in person.
These are things you don’t see a lot of in my industry, especially when working with brand and portrait clients. I realized early on that I prefer focusing on the digital photography space rather than selling prints. That business model is great, but it’s not for me. I want to remove that barrier and make photography more accessible to anyone, anywhere. Many of my ideas go against societal norms and are not commonly found in the photography space. It has taken me years to talk about all of it transparently.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I launched the Goldenbrand during the pandemic which was a time when the entire world was learning to love new forms of technology. This is also when I decided to specialize in virtual photography. My clients needed photos to take their brands online, so the first virtual sessions I did were actually over Zoom! Although the method I use for photoshoots has since been upgraded to a private virtual studio, those early Zoom sessions were very casual and a lot of fun.
The Covid-19 crisis and resulting changes in the way we live and interact with one another showed me the importance of healing our relationship with ourselves and others. We just celebrated the first-year anniversary of the Self Portrait Studio membership community. What started as a small, self-paced course called “Confidence on Camera” launched as a free community during the pandemic, has grown into a movement and membership called the “Self-Portrait Studio.” When I sat alone in my bedroom taking those initial self-portraits years ago, I had no idea my personal experience would develop into something worth sharing with others. I could not have predicted how it would transform the self-perception and self-love of so many women. I have found so much joy in watching the studio find its groove over the past 12 months, made stronger and more abundant by each of the 100 women who have passed through its (virtual) doors.
Pricing:
- Single Session $1300
- Self Portrait Studio $67
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thegoldenbrand.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegoldenbrandco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lfoleyhaukom/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisahaukom-1b58091a3/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/thegoldenbrand
Image Credits
Lisa Haukom, Goldenbrand Photography
