Client


Stephanie Olano knows that conversations about money can be, well awkward. That is why she founded Awkward Money; her financial trauma coaching and digital products business based in the the San Francisco Bay Area. Her background as a trauma-informed, decolonized therapist and her certification in the Trauma of Money Method gave her tools to support the emotional, somatic and psychological aspects of money for her clients. 


Stephanie came to Laancla Creative wanting culturally relevant images that represented her brand and showed her as a welcoming and empathetic financial trauma coach for folks who feel anxiety and uncertainty about their financial situation. 

Previous Website

Two stock photos showing people interacting vertically stacked as article preview thumbnails for online content.
Stock image of a woman wearing glasses works at a kitchen island with calculator. Text is titled How I can help.

Screenshots from awkwardmoney.com

A screenshot of a webpage with an illustration of someone on a ladder looking at a money tree, text titled services offered.

Challenge


Stephanie was reliant on older headshots, stock images and stock graphics for her website, social media, blog and YouTube channel thumbnails. She wanted a more cohesive look that was more aligned to her brand and attracted her ideal clients.


We developed concepts based on her business goals to expand her brand awareness and engage her audience. We reviewed her upcoming launches and developed concepts for each in addition to a list of relevant personalized “stock” images that she could use across platforms. She had an upcoming launch of her digital Money Safety Plan, a 4-challenge with journal prompts on Instagram in addition to her one-on-one coaching. We made sure to show she is a digital product creator rather than a traditional financial professional using paper or physical workbooks.

Someone in a purple sweater smiles while sitting with notebooks and a bright green textbook.

Vibe


Stephanie isn’t your typical financial advisor and didn’t want the slick suit or money gun feel. She sent a mood board that set a tone that felt authentic to her and her style of coaching. Stephanie wanted a 90s punk vibe with cultural elements that incorporated her Nicaraguan and Salvadorian heritage.


She wanted to attract creatives, gig workers and others with inconsistent income who need support in their financial lives and the emotional stressors the inconsistency might bring. In addition, she wanted to bring in folks who are financially successful but whose lived experiences made them seek out a more non-traditional financial coach and healer when their past experiences with money undermined their current reality.


The details make the difference when planning for clothing, location, and props. A diner-style mug with Danny Trejo on it communicates ideas about class and culture to create a sense of connection between Stephanie and her ideal clients. Branding stickers and tools of the trade like calculators and money are prominent in stock photos. Books such as The Financial Anxiety Solution communicate what Stephanie values and offers her clients. Her model is dressed as many of her Bay Area young adults clients do. All the details add to the feeling, message and vibe that makes the Awkward Money brand what it is.


In post-production a more contrasty and slightly dark edit completed the look. Several portraits were edited as Black and White to lean into the edgier vibe. Our young model to shows the kinds of connections Stephanie makes with her clients to help prospective clients imagine themselves hiring her for support. Our model also took direction to create the expressiveness needed to communicate what potential clients might be feeling so Stephanie could replace more generic stock photos she had across her website.

A person in purple sleeves writes in a notebook next to a coffee mug and water bottle on a wooden table.
A black and white portrait in dramatic lighting shows a thoughtful pose with dark curly hair and bright lipstick.
Someone wearing a black Nike Air sweatshirt holds their head while looking stressed at a laptop.

Location


A weather related pivot brought us to Leland Tea in Burlingame, their semi-outdoor patio offered protection from the weather and ample natural light and space to create multiple looks and scenarios for Stephanie.

The owner, William Otero, was generous with his space. Being able to order his delicious custom tea blends was a great bonus. Highly recommend! A location with the ability to do multiple setups and lighting setups was key to using just one location.

A Coconut Colada bottle sits on a table in focus while two people have a conversation in the background.

Stephanie now has a library of images to use across her content and marketing channels. We completed the process by reviewing her images and brainstorming how to use her library to support her marketing and content creation always with the goal of utilizing her custom brand imagery to achieve her business goals. Awkward Money has two groups to support folks on their money healing journey, Grief & Grit: Post-Tax Season Resistance Circle (paid) and Dinero & Chill: Co-working Circle (free).


Book an envisioning call today to discover how custom branding photography can elevate your business presence and attract your ideal clients.