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Daniel Wakefield

@danielwakefield_

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A founder told me this, before his next speaking engagement:

“I’m not confident I’m going to get the shots I need from this.”

If you’re trying to market yourself for more speaking opportunities, that’s a problem.

And it wasn’t just him. Almost EVERY speaker I work with tells me the same thing: “I have such a hard time getting a good shot of myself speaking.”

That’s what I want to solve for speakers.

Not just a couple iPhone shots, or having to rely on the general event photographers and hope you get something useable.

But intentionally creating marketing assets that help position you as THE go-to expert in your industry.

This is what Jason Sayen said about it:

“I speak at half a dozen conferences a year and also conduct over a dozen onsite workshops with clients. The photos I get are always...meh.

Me holding some awkward pose
A photo of me with my mouth in some odd position
A great shot of me and my eyes are closed
A great shot of the room but you have no idea it’s me giving the presentation.

And then when I do my onsite workshops with clients, all the photos contain them...and I’m no where to be found. No social proof.

If you are a speaker or workshop facilitator and need a better way to capture what happens when you are in front of the room...give Daniel Wakefield a call.

The biggest value for me wasn’t getting better photos.

It was finally having photos that tell the story of what actually happens when I’m in the room.”

THAT is what we do.

P.S. Shoutout to @ciaragravy for being one of the first people to help me out when I was developing my signature Keynote Portraits!

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KEYNOTE SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT

We’re excited to welcome Daniel Wakefield to the Elevate 2027 stage! @danielwakefield_

A photographer, entrepreneur, and author, Daniel is the founder of @toptier_headshots and the Accelerate Coaching Group, where he helps professionals and creatives elevate their brands and grow their businesses.

His book, Accelerate: How I Took My Creative Business from Zero to Six Figures in 12 Months, became an Amazon bestseller, reaching #1 in its category. His journey brings firsthand experience in turning creative talent into a growing business.

Beyond his work, Daniel is a husband, father of four, and wildlife photographer who loves heading into the wilderness with his camera.

We can’t wait for him to bring his experience and perspective into ONE ROOM, alongside leaders ready to connect, learn, and take their next step.

Help us welcome Daniel to Elevate!

March 18, 2027
Stage 954 | Dania Beach, FL

Early bird tickets are almost sold out. Secure your seat through the link in our bio!

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Scott

#personalbranding #headshots

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#BTS of The Daily Drip Magazine Vol 5 campaign shoot with the ever talented @danielwakefield and the @toptier_headshots team, the official Photography Community Partner of The Daily Drip 💥

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It’s that time again... another Top-Tier Headshots moment!

And yes, I picked BOTH. Same pose. Different blazer. Different glasses. But apparently I have a signature pose and didn't know it. 😂

But this is more than a pose.

Ask anybody who's ever sat across from me in a meeting. This is pretty much how I listen. Hand under the chin. Looking at you. Probably slightly amused. 😂 But LISTENING. I PROMISE! 😂😂😍

Because when I really want to understand what somebody is saying, I'm locked in. (I am ALSO fully capable of half-hearing something, filling in the missing pieces myself, and being confidently wrong about what you said. 😂😂😂)

But I PROMISE, I try very intentionally to seek to understand before seeking to be understood.

With my husband. (Don't let him convince you otherwise 😂😂😂)
My friends. (Ruthie, pipe down. I'm making a point here. 🤫😂)
My clients. (I know THEY believe me! 😁😇)
Anybody I'm sitting across from.

I really SO want to hear what you actually said. Not what I assumed you said. Not what I was preparing to say while you were talking.

What. You. Said.

So apparently Daniel Wakefield didn't just capture a pose. He captured my listening face. 😂

If you ever see me out in the wild, there's a pretty good chance you'll catch this exact pose.

And if the hand isn't under the chin... I promise I'm still listening.

Probably. 😂

📸 Top-Tier Headshots

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Okay... this one's my favorite. ❤️
This is how I think I look when I'm listening to someone.

I probably don't. 😂

But I love that I'm not looking at the camera.
It feels like I'm looking toward whatever comes next.

Things are...changing isn't the right word. Evolving?

People ask me all the time, "What do you do?"
The answer has changed over the years... and somehow, it hasn't.

Yes, I still help businesses build brands and grow through relationships.
But somewhere along the way, I've realized I'm really just in the business of business. (Shout out to Deirdre at The Peach Rose Connection. 😂)

So today, "what I do" looks like helping businesses grow, creating communities like The Room Where It Happens, providing affordable housing through our PadSplit homes, marketing for an online wellness store, serving in ministry alongside my husband, and somehow still making dinner most nights. 😂

On paper, those things don't seem connected.
To me, they all are.
I've never been interested in building something that's just about me.
I've always been interested in building things that help other people grow.

That's what I hope this picture captures.

Not someone looking at herself...
But someone looking toward what's possible for someone else.

📸 Daniel Wakefield | Top Tier Headshots

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I like to call this one... "The Back of the Book I Wrote." Or maybe the inside flap of a hardcover. I don't know... it just feels like that's where it lives. 🤷🏾‍♀️😂

Most people don't know this, but I'm actually a self-published author.

Years ago, before we were married, my husband Michael Bryant created a comic book called S Infinity Saga. One of the characters, SKORN, wore a wedding dress all the time, and her entire backstory was:
"She got stood up at the altar."

I was like... "Sir. That's it? Trauma has layers. Character development matters." 😂
He said, "Then write it."
So I did.

I wrote the companion novella about who she was before the wedding dress... before the bitterness... before everyone only knew her by her pain.

Then... because deadlines and I have a complicated relationship 😂... my friend of MANY years, Davona Hall, wrote the final chapter. (Yes, I gave her creative credit. 😂) (My first call was to my bestie, Ruthie Carter. She was absolutely no help. She said, "Call Davona." 😂😂😂)

If you ever read it, you'll know exactly where I stopped and she started. You'll also wonder why it suddenly becomes a sci-fi story halfway through. 😂

Looking back, it's probably why I love branding so much.
Branding isn't making someone into someone they're not. It's helping people see the story that's already there.

People ask me all the time when I'm going to write a book.

Maybe one day.

Or maybe all these long social media posts are the book. 😂

Until then...
I guess you'll just have to keep reading the chapters as they happen.

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Had a wonderful time speaking with the young adults at Brown’s Harbor about building your digital footprint.

Your digital footprint tells a story.

Thank you to everyone who participated, asked thoughtful questions, and engaged in the conversation. 💙

#PersonalBrand #ProfessionalGrowth #DigitalFootprint #NextGeneration

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Most photographers are trying to take the best photo of who you are. Daniel Wakefield is trying to show you who you're about to become.

It's a subtle difference that changes everything — the way he runs a session, coaches a client, and built Top Tier Headshots from scratch into a premium studio serving founders, executives, and attorneys across South Florida.

In this episode, Daniel talks about the real engine behind his growth: not gear, not lighting, not location — genuine connection, and the discipline to make it the center of every client interaction.

🎧 Tap the link in bio to listen.🔗

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Castbox, and Google Podcasts. Just search for 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐁𝐈𝐆 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐘 𝗪𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃

#HeadshotPhotography #PersonalBranding #PhotographyPodcast #PhotographyBusiness #ProfessionalHeadshots

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Libraries left an indelible mark on me.

Joey Crawford shares that feeling. So when he told me he had been appointed chairman of the Broward County Library Board, I told him we had to do something special.

Growing up, I lived just a couple blocks from our local library. I would walk there every week, returning a stack of books and getting a whole new stack.

One of the librarians inspired me. Old enough to be my grandmother, we shared similar interests in nature, wildlife, and fictional stories. She always perked up when I arrived, and was eager to show me new titles and introduce me to new stories.

We kept in touch and remained friends until she passed away a few years ago.

When Joey shared with me his passion for libraries and what they meant for him, I was all in.

I always have been.

Thank you Broward Public Library Foundation for helping us make this photoshoot happen.

This weekend, ditch the screens and take your kids to the library.

Thanks to @justusmartinphotography for being a fantastic sidekick!

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