Anya Romanova (Coach of The Week)

Don’t dim your light to fit in. Take a page out of my dear friend Anya’s book and lead with your heart, your truth AND your magic.

I will forever be indebted to Anya because she gave me a gift that changed my entire photography process. Something so powerful and special that I now consider it one of my secret weapons as a photographer.

The first time we shot together we sat and we chatted and one of the questions I asked Anya was, “How do you want people to feel when they experience these photos?” She thought for a moment, and then unapologetically blurted out:

I’m quirky. I don’t want to hide from that. I want people to see that right away because that’s what’s true for me. It’s a part of my magic. And yes, that might turn some people off, but that’s way better than taking pictures that aren’t real and then people booking me and meeting me in real life and realizing, “Oh my God, I can’t work with her.”

In the moment, this seemed very subtle and simple: quirky is something that was true for her, and she wanted that captured. But as I let the deep wisdom of this moment sink into my consciousness, it eventually became one of the foundations for my HEARTshots Photography process.

The real reason that traditional headshots don’t work in 2019 is because they all look the same.

People can’t feel into the real you when you are trying to be like everyone else. And if they can’t feel into your your truth from your photos, they can’t trust you from them either.

Quirky was one of Anya’s words. And now in my process, we always list out 5 words before we start shooting. Your words might be fierce, wise, playful, sexy, kind—the list is endless. The point is that whatever they are, they shouldn’t hide or distract from the REAL YOU.

I love you on Anya. You’ve changed my life in so many ways. Here’s a little snapshot of Anya, including some of the photos we took with her and her beloved.

8 QUESTIONS WITH ANYA ROMANOVA

How would your mom/dad describe what you do for a living (their words, NOT yours)
Unemployed. Get a real job.
Describe your coaching approach in 2-3 sentences.
I like to reveal patterns to my clients that are driving their life and decisions, but they are not aware of. I do it through my 1-on-1 work or through Recognizing Unconscious Bias interactive training that we bring to organizations all around the GTA.
Who is your favourite type of person to coach?
I love helping people create products such as live events, workshops or trainings to showcase their brilliance and build their visibility with the goal of leading to more work/clients.
Share the name of one coach or mentor that has impacted your life:
Carey Baker. She gave me full permission to speak my truth and even though it might hurt in the moment, the truth can help people grow. I am often the one to give feedback to my clients that nobody else is willing to give.
When you were 10 years old, what did you want to be?
Pre-school teacher. I thought I loved kids, but really I love all humans.
Name one book that changed your life:
The Will to Change (by bell hooks)
Name one thing that you are super excited about:
To take my partner on a trip to Russia. It will blow her mind ;)
What's 1 training program that you can highly you highly recommend to coaches looking to level up?
CTI 10 month leadership program. It will change you and how you live your life forever.