06/01 Unpack&Chill How I landed a $5k Corporate headshot flyout in New york

Just wrapped a solid session in Geneva, NY – and figured I’d share the full breakdown: the gear, the setup, how I got the gig, and why networking > everything.

🔌 The Setup

• Location: Geneva, NY (an hour from Syracuse). Not much here except a lake and one weird hotel bar that only opens for events 😅

• Client: A company called Flippa – shoutout Sunny for plugging me in.

• Quote: $5K all-inclusive (travel, stay, gear, food, etc.). Could’ve gone higher, but I wanted the content and the connection.

🎒 Gear + Travel Game Plan

I packed a whole studio in one case:

• Carried-on: Pelican case with my cameras – never letting that out of my sight.

• Checked: GoDox travel case with lights, stands, backdrop setup, modifiers.

What I brought:

• 3 lights (plus a backup)

• Strip boxes, umbrella, reflector (with clamp)

• 70" neutral blue backdrop (clean, versatile)

• C-stands, extra heavy-duty stands

• Mic + DJI RS Mini (for video b-roll)

• Ray-Ban Metas for BTS content

Had a minor scare when TSA tossed the gear around, but everything survived thanks to proper packing and foam inserts.

🎯 How I Landed the Gig

Not a cold call. Not an ad. Just networking.

• Sunni (a friend from years back) remembered me, pitched me to her team.

• I hadn’t worked with her in 3–5 years — still came through. That’s the power of real client relationships.

Also used ChatGPT to write every response/email professionally. Literally:

• Took their email,

• Pasted it into ChatGPT,

• Asked for a polished, confident reply (even had it help me quote).

This system helped me close fast and smooth.

💡 Pro Tips for Y’all

• You don’t need 3 lights for headshots — one good light will do. I brought extra to be safe (and extra).

• Add gear into your quote – bought a new stand and backdrop on their dime.

• Use AirTags in your luggage, especially for checked lights.

• ChatGPT is your secret weapon for responding to clients and building pitch decks.

• Follow up with BTS + reviews – get testimonials, build content, and market yourself better.

🧠 Final Thoughts

If you’re not getting gigs like this yet, you gotta go find them. Pull up on local businesses, get emails, and hit them with offers (via GPT if needed). Ten visits can easily land a couple leads. It works.

The job is the easy part. Marketing, showing up, and being visible — that’s the challenge. But if you stay consistent, people will remember you.

And when that happens?

They fly you out, pay you five bands, and you end up ordering Domino’s in a random NY town — plotting your next move 😎