Josh here! I’m the Studio Manager for Steph Grant Studios, and I guess now guest blogger? Fancy, right? This shoot was the third time we’ve worked with WBL, but it was my first time at the summit and my first time on location with SGS for a summit in general, so I wanted to give you all a peek behind the curtain by sharing some of my experience.

I’m sure you all know by now that empowering one another as we work towards a more inclusive culture is the bread and butter of Steph Grant Studios, so it’s no surprise that our immediate response when Lauren asked us to capture their annual summit again was, "YES!" The cherry on top this time around was getting to know each member of the leadership team prior to the summit during their Executive Portraits and then spending some one-on-one time with most of the attendees during their headshots. Capturing the events themselves are always a fun time, but having the space to be intentional in our connections with attendees and organizers adds that extra personalized element to the story we get to tell through the images. It’s like ice-cream, honestly. Eating ice-cream is always a great experience, but adding hot fudge and sprinkles just gives it that extra, “oomph.” Know what I mean?

I was only there for a few of the Executive Portrait sessions with Steph, but it was so fun seeing their personalities really come out as they chatted between shots. Steph has this incredibly smooth way of connecting with others that helps them feel safe enough to let their guard down, and I’m always really impressed with the transformation from posing to authenticity between the first and final shots she gets. I know we say this word a lot, like… a lot, but it really is all about the connection. I also think it was the ease in which they connected with us and their clear passion for their work that really set the stage for what we could expect the rest of the week. Even still, I’ll admit that I was nervous going into the first day of the summit.

Years ago, I pitched my position as Studio Manager to Steph by leveraging my people skills, event planning experience, and adaptability. I told her I could be her #2 at summits and conferences… and then the pandemic happened. Everything shut down, in-person events were cancelled, and we had to pivot pretty hard. This was the first time I was going to step into the role I promised I could do, so I felt like the pressure was on to be able to pay the bill, you know? Steph and I had planned and planned again. We had walked through every detail of the summit from start to finish multiple times, everyone on the SGS team is an experienced badass, and the WBL team had been a dream to work with. There really wasn’t any reason to be as nervous as I was, but I guess that’s part of imposter syndrome. By the time the summit started on Wednesday morning, I was confident but uncertain what the day would bring.

Frank, our headshot photographer for the summit and all-around incredible human, and I were set up in a room and ready for the first of the attendees to make their way to us. We had tethered his camera to a monitor so each attendee could see their photos in real time and pick a few they loved, so I was pretty interested in how they would like seeing an untouched photo of themselves. While Frank and I had never worked together in this capacity, we quickly fell into a seamless flow of laughter and encouragement with each of the attendees. So many came in expressing uncertainty and discomfort with how they look in photos, so my role quickly pivoted from selecting favorites to helping them relax and see themselves as we saw them. Getting your photo taken is a vulnerable experience, and we wanted to honor the trust they showed us by showing them the strength and beauty in each of their photos. I think many of us tend to forget that being a trailblazer often means facing challenges alone, so the inner critic gets a much bigger platform. It was an incredible experience seeing so many women leaders laughing, supporting one another, and drawing closer as a community of leaders. I feel fortunate to have had 10 minutes of conversation with many of them while we captured their headshots, and I'll never forget how empowered they were after leaving their session.

Seeing Steph and the team in their element was so fun for me. Frank’s ability to adapt in the moment is unparalleled, and EJ’s wit and giving spirit gave me life each time I saw her throughout the day. I’m still relatively new to this field, so I have a ton of questions. EJ took every opportunity to teach when I asked. I love to learn organically; watching and listening as professionals go about their work, but sometimes you just gotta ask a thousand questions! Luckily, Steph, Emily, and Frank seemed to enjoy answering mine while dominating their shooting. Knowing how much I learned from this single event and having my contributions validated in such an honest way makes me so excited for what may come next.

Lauren and her team really did something incredible with this summit, and Steph Grant Studios was so lucky to be a part of it. Can't wait for next year!

How long have you been involved with Women Business Leaders, and can you give an explanation of what WBL is for anyone that may not know?

I’ve been with WBL for 12 years – I started as an Admin Assistant in grad school and am now the Director of Events. WBL (Women Business Leaders) is a non-profit association for senior-level executive women leading healthcare companies. We provide executive education, a chance for members to meet their industry peers, and opportunities for cross-industry collaboration.

Why are the annual summits an important part of Women Business Leaders' mission?

Our members often find themselves as the only woman in the room, whether it’s the board room or the office. We host the Summit as a safe space for women to meet each other and “find their people”, since they share much in common and need to not feel so alone in healthcare leadership. We also promote gender diversity on corporate boards, and provide training and education on that part of our mission.

What was your favorite part of this year's summit?

My favorite part of this year’s Summit was the dance party! The 2022 Summit was our first in-person Summit in 3 years and it felt like a true celebration of togetherness and fun. What better way to celebrate than letting it all go on the dance floor. You just can’t have a dance party like that on Zoom!

Why offer headshots to your attendees?

Since our attendees are executives, they are have to promote themselves as an asset and resource for potential new roles and board seats. The headshots offer them a way to update their LinkedIn profiles, and they also included them on their Executive and Board Bios.

How do you hope they feel after attending?

I hope they leave the Summit feeling refreshed, re-energized, hopeful, and restored. The amount of intellect in the room at the Summit is inspiring, and the women should be proud to be a part of that group! I truly believe there’s no problem they can’t solve, if they work together, and I hope they feel inspired to do just that.

Why did you choose Steph Grant Studios?

I first worked with Steph in 2015 when we hosted the Summit in Dallas. It’s important to me, as an event planner, to choose someone local so as to support the local economy, and to reduce the effects of travel on the environment. It’s also important to WBL to support women-owned businesses. We love Steph and her team so much – they make everyone feel so comfortable being photographed, and are like photography ninjas! You hardly even know they are there! The work is incredible and we are always so pleased to see the final shots. Somehow, they are able to capture everyone’s true life and aura. I don’t know how they do it, but it’s why we will always keep coming back!