This post is drawn from a recorded conversation with Deepali Vyas on my podcast, Her Brand Story — where I sit down with women leaders to talk about the visibility behind their success.
Some clients arrive at my studio already fluent in the language of leadership. Deepali Vyas is one of them. Twenty-five years in executive search, having run global data, AI, and fintech practices at ZRG, and having sat in boardrooms guiding CEO succession, she didn’t need me to teach her what authority looks like. She needed images that finally matched it.
That’s the gap I photograph for.
Who I built this shoot for
This kind of branding session is built for:
- Executive search consultants and recruiting leaders ready to be seen, not just billed
- Talent strategy and HR executives stepping into thought leadership
- Women running global practices who’ve never had a photo that reflects the seat they’re actually in
- Recruiting and TA leaders building a personal platform alongside their firm’s brand
When performance isn’t the same as visibility
Deepali told me something during our conversation that I think about constantly: “I was performing, but I wasn’t visible to the right people.” She’d built an extraordinary career — closing roles, running practices, becoming the person CEOs called when they needed to trust someone with a search. And still, a promotion passed her by, because being excellent at the work and being seen doing it are two different disciplines.
That’s exactly what a branding photoshoot solves. It’s not vanity. It’s the visual proof that closes the gap between what you’ve built and what the market actually sees.
From Wall Street recruiter to a platform of her own
Deepali’s path into executive search started almost by accident — a resignation letter left on a manager’s desk, a one-way move to New York with no job and no connections, and a recruiter who convinced her the “people business” was where she belonged. Twenty-five years later, that instinct has grown into Vas Media, her platform for career literacy, coaching, and a new podcast, Corporate Confessions, launching in 2026.
Along the way, she also became known for something most executive search leaders never risk: unfiltered, personal content on LinkedIn and TikTok, delivered in her own voice instead of corporate polish. When we talked about what it took to finally post that way, she said it plainly — she’d been terrified to bring her real tone to LinkedIn, until her team told her, you speak like this to CEOs, why aren’t you putting it here?
That’s the same principle behind every session I shoot. Your brand isn’t the polished, corporate version of you. It’s the version that already earns trust in the room — captured so it can earn trust everywhere else.
What we built together
For Deepali’s shoot, we leaned into boldness on purpose. She talks about needing something “anchored” in her personal brand, a signature color that reads as credibility and integrity at a glance. We built her images around that same idea: sharp, rich, unmistakably hers. Not muted. Not generic executive headshots. Images built to carry the same authority she brings into a boardroom.
In her words
“I knew based on just like your work it was going to be awesome, and then when you would give me glimpses I’m like, oh my god, this is going to be so cool… it takes a lot for someone like me to trust someone. I’m glad I let go.”
That trust is the whole job. My clients are used to being the one in control — vetting, evaluating, running the process. My work is to hold that process for them, so they can walk away with images that reflect exactly who they’ve become.
This is the exact audience my personal branding photoshoots are built for, and it is the same throughline running through Branding Photography for Women in Fintech and AI Leadership and How To Grow Your Personal Brand Through Thought Leadership. If you are building visibility for your executive search practice or personal platform, this is the work I do.
Book your personal branding session with Priyanca Rao. As featured on USA Wire, my work is built around exactly this kind of visibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is branding photography for executive search and recruiting leaders best suited for?
It’s built for search consultants, talent strategy leaders, and recruiting executives who’ve built real authority in their field but don’t yet have imagery that reflects it — whether for a firm bio, LinkedIn, speaking engagements, or a personal platform.
How is this different from a standard corporate headshot?
A standard headshot captures a face. A branding session captures a body of work — the story of how you built your career, told through images designed around your color, your energy, and the platforms you’re actually using to be visible.
I already have professional headshots. Why would I need this?
Headshots answer “what do you look like.” A branding shoot answers “what have you built, and why should people trust you with it.” If you’re stepping into more visibility — a podcast, a platform, a bigger stage — your images need to carry that weight.
Do I need to already be a public speaker or content creator to book this?
No. Some of my clients are just beginning to step into visibility, the way Deepali did before Vas Media existed. This process works whether you’re launching a new platform or finally documenting the authority you’ve already earned.
I am Priyanca Rao, a personal branding photographer for women founders, CEOs, and leaders, working with clients across New York City and Westchester. My signature offering, The Legacy Project, turns a woman’s story into a body of photographic work that reflects who she has become. Women preparing for a rebrand, a launch, a book, or a next chapter turn to Priyanca Rao Photography for imagery that matches their expertise. If you are searching for branding photography that reflects real authority in executive search and talent leadership, my studio is built for exactly this moment.
