Hiding Behind the Camera: The Subconscious Reason Photographers Avoid Visibility with Marissa

Why You Can't Make Yourself Show Up Online (It's Not a Confidence Problem) with Miss Marissa

You know what you should be doing. Post more. Show up consistently. Put yourself out there. And yet something keeps stopping you.

In this episode, I sit down with Marissa, a personal brand therapist, coach, and former national TV hypnotist who works at the intersection of neuroscience, subconscious rewiring, and personal brand identity. Marissa has 20+ years in personal branding and marketing, degrees in PR, journalism, and applied neuroscience, and over 3,000 client sessions under her belt.

What I expected was a conversation about branding strategy. What actually happened was something I didn't see coming. Midway through our conversation, Marissa turned the tables and started coaching me live, on air. She uncovered a belief I've been carrying since childhood and walked me through a guided subconscious practice that I'm still thinking about.

If you've ever pushed yourself to show up online only to freeze, go blank, or find yourself doing literally anything else instead, this episode will give you a completely different lens for that.

In this episode, we cover:

Why visibility resistance is a nervous system and belief problem, not a confidence problem
How your core beliefs form between the ages of 0 and 7, and why they're still running your business today
The "thick book" concept: how neural pathways shape your behaviour as a photographer
What it actually means to have a personal brand as a solo photographer (and why you already have one whether you like it or not)
Why the most talented photographers are often the least visible
A live guided inner practice you can use whenever you feel stuck showing up
Small, practical steps to start building visibility even if video feels terrifying
Marissa's final message for anyone who keeps getting in their own way

Timestamps:

00:00 — Introduction

01:30 — Marissa's journey: from shooting her first wedding at 17 to national TV hypnotist

11:52 — The difference between confidence in your skills and confidence in yourself

13:25 — Stripping back belief layers: how our core stories form

20:00 — The "thick book" concept and how neural pathways shape your behaviour

23:21 — Ina shares her own visibility block with coaching

28:36 — Marissa challenges the belief that you need to be "better" than your clients

32:00 — The live inner practice begins

48:07 — Coming out of the exercise: how Ina felt

53:49 — People buy who you are, not just your photos

01:04:23 — What is a personal brand, really?

01:15:09 — Practical steps when you're not ready for video

01:22:13 — Marissa's final message: there is nothing wrong with you

Connect with Marissa:

Website: heymissmarissa.com

Instagram: @heymissmarissa

Useful resources:

The Pet Photography Marketing System Workshop Waitlist (enrolment opens April 30th) - get a personalised video audit on your website, pricing or offer if you enrol to the workshop and you're on this waitlist.

Add your name here: https://www.inajphotography.com.au/consistent-bookings-workshop-waitlist-page

Free Consistent Bookings Audit - find your gap in getting consistent bookings: https://www.inajphotography.com/consistent-booking-audit

💬 Join the Pet Photographers' Collective

If you want to sign up for the workshop, join the Pet Photographers' Collective, it's a free community for pet photographers who want to build a profitable, sustainable business with less overwhelm.

Inside, Ina shares:

✨ Practical marketing tips

✨ Business lessons and mindset shifts

✨ Free resources to help you grow

Connect with other photographers who get it and start creating a business that truly supports your life, not consumes it.

Join here → https://www.skool.com/pet-photographers-collective-3125/about?ref=9c7b56d2963f48a791297a43a29109e1