From DIY to Elevated: A Client Story in Creating Premium Spa Content
Meet Amanda & Ascend Beauty Lounge 🧖♀️
Amanda is the owner of Ascend Beauty Lounge, a micro-spa in Sherwood, Oregon specializing in advanced, rejuvenating facial treatments.
When Amanda first approached me about working together, she was already doing a wonderful job staying consistent and showing up personally on social media. She shared helpful tips and relatable reels… but there was still one area that she felt her content was lacking.
Amanda wanted the visuals she shared in her feed to represent the premium experience she gives to her clients. She had a vision of moody spa vibes and professional-quality images and b-roll clips – but she just wasn’t able to make this aesthetic a reality on her own, especially with just her phone and simple ring light.
Defining the Look: Creating Moody, Zen-Inspired Spa Visuals 🧘♀️
Before our first shoot together, I asked Amanda for reference images and chatted with her about how she wanted her brand to come across visually. I quickly realized that dramatic lighting was key for Amanda’s vision. She felt that darker backgrounds helped represent the relaxing zen state that her clients often felt while they were receiving treatments.
She wanted potential clients to take one look at her content and think, “I need to book that!”
Behind the Scenes: A Content Session Designed for Versatility 📸
Amanda went into our shoot day with a solid plan on which services she wanted captured. She quickly got in the zone, performing her work and letting me focus on the visuals. I took both still images and video clips, keeping in mind a variety of marketing uses, from social media posts to broader brand content.
I provided light direction for Amanda during the shoot, but mostly focused on letting her beautiful work unfold before me and representing it through visuals that finally matched the look and feel she wanted to convey.
The Results: From Beautiful Visuals to Real Business Growth 📈
After our shoot, I posted a few sneak peeks to my Instagram feed – and I could already tell that we had nailed the vibe. One of my followers replied back to me that she felt relaxed just watching the footage, which was exactly the feeling we wanted to get across.
I edited and delivered a content bank to Amanda full of repurposable images and b-roll clips, and the impact went even further than just “good vibes.” Amanda excitedly emailed me one day that she had boosted a post using some of the video clips from our session, and had three new clients booked in 24 hours. We had created more than just pretty pictures – we had set Amanda up with a content system she could use to communicate the high quality of her work any time she needed to.
“Working with Leanne has been a fantastic experience. She is organized, professional, exceptionally detail-oriented, and has a great eye. She understands how to bring a brand vision into stills and video that capture the quality and heart of your products or services.
Her gentle direction and easy-going manner put even the most camera-shy person at ease. I am thrilled to have partnered with Leanne on several shoots and look forward to continuing to make excellent, scroll-stopping content together.”
Why Support Matters for DIY-Driven Business Owners 💛
Entrepreneurs are amazing at self-starting, learning new skills, and DIYing – it’s one of the reasons I love working with small business owners so much! But there comes a point when leaning into support means you can showcase the quality of your work even better.
This is exactly why I do the work that I do. My job is not to replace my clients’ voices or post generic content on their behalf. I just help them translate the heart and hard work of their brand into content that they’re proud to share. It’s the perfect fit for small business owners who aren’t ready to outsource their online presence to a social media manager, but who still need support to create quality content.
Now, Amanda has total freedom to create a post of her own when inspiration hits. But when she’s too busy to film something or needs to evoke that elevated feel, she can head to her content bank, grab a video clip or image, and have a post ready in minutes.
Ready for Content That Matches the Quality of Your Work? ✨
If Amanda’s story resonates with you, a Signature Content Session might be the right next step to consider. This is my fully personalized content shoot offering, designed to set you up with your own content bank of go-to visuals and content. Get in touch if you’re ready for the quality of your content to match the quality of the work you do – I’d love to work with you!
Meet the Author
Leanne Miller of Leanne Miller Media is a social media strategist and small business content creator with over 15 years of experience in digital and print media. She helps women in business in the Portland, Oregon area create meaningful content that they’re proud to share through content strategy, on-brand visuals, and done-with-you social media support. Through working together, her clients are able to show up more consistently and more authentically online – while still having time for the life and business they love. As a fellow entrepreneur and mom, she brings real-life perspective into her work with clients. She balances a people-centered, connection-first approach to social media with smart, DIY-friendly content strategies – making her work a natural fit for values-led women in business who already have plenty on their plate but want their online presence to truly work for their brand. Leanne loves taking weekends off to explore the gorgeous Pacific Northwest with her husband and school-aged son, and loves a deep chat over matcha in a cozy Portland cafe.