Getting introduced to new businesses and nonprofits like Guiding Star Project is one of my absolute favorite parts of being a photographer! Their president, Lisa Canning, invited me to join them at a working retreat in Saint Paul, Minnesota to capture headshots for their executive team of directors and build a library of headshot images for their president, Lisa, and their founder, Leah Jacobsen.

Our goal was ensuring that we took a variety of images that were warm and approachable that could be used on their website, social media, and submitted for featured articles in medical journals. We picked a spot within one of their facilities that was already equipped with leather couches, fiddle leaf fig pants, and neutral decor that aligns with their brand. It made the perfect backdrop for these images.

While the women were getting their hair and makeup done on site, I got to hear about the initiatives they were working on during their retreat. It absolutely blew me away to discover the depth of services they offer to women (of all ages) to support them in times of crisis and beyond. Their retreat was focused on reviewing their customer journey, taking inventory of the touch points that already exist and brainstorming new ways to reach their ideal audience. You could truly see the vision and hear the passion they have for bringing these resources to women everywhere. One of these initiatives includes educating young girls going through puberty about their cycle in a more comprehensive than school ever did, instilling a deep understanding of what is happening within their bodies during each phase of the cycle, not just their period. This was something that I didn’t even learn until my mid-20s and WISH something like this had been made available to me a decade sooner! It is one of the most empowering things to understand how our bodies and hormones change from week to week.

I also got to take a tour around their facility to see how they serve women when they enter into an unplanned pregnancy. There are consultation rooms, ultrasounds provided, and a free shopping area where complimentary products are provided to support the women who choose to keep their pregnancy with the essentials they need such as clothes, diapers, toys, etc. They facilitate small groups for women with babies and toddlers so that women don’t feel so alone in this new frontier of motherhood. And so much more.

It brings me immense joy to work with companies that have strong missions, especially those who support other women. Thank you Guiding Star Project for the incredible work you do. And thank you for inviting me to capture the heart of the people who make it all possible!

Learn more about the Guiding Star Project.