Your Headshot Is Your First Impression (Whether You Like It or Not)

Most people don’t mean to judge you based on a photo. They just do. Someone clicks your LinkedIn profile. Opens your website. Sees your face in an email signature before they’ve read a single word you’ve written. And in that quiet, half-second moment, something lands. Trust. Uncertainty. Professional… or maybe not quite. None of this is dramatic. It’s subtle. Almost boring. But it’s real.

The decision happens before the conversation

We like to think we’re logical. That we’ll read the bio, skim the experience, really take someone in.
But most of the time, the first decision has already been made.

Do I trust this person?

Do they feel credible?

Do they look like someone I’d want to work with?

Your headshot does a lot of that work for you, long before you get a chance to explain yourself. And no, this isn’t about looking impressive or polished for the sake of it. It’s about clarity.

What your headshot is quietly saying

Every headshot sends a message, even the ones people haven’t thought about in years. Sometimes that message is:

“I care about how I show up.”

“I’m established.”

“I’m approachable, but I know what I’m doing.”

Other times it’s more like:

“I haven’t really looked at this properly.”

“I’ll get round to updating it one day.”

“I guess this will do.”

Neither is a moral failing. Life’s busy. Cameras feel awkward. It’s rarely a priority. But if your work relies on visibility, on trust, on people choosing you over someone else, that message matters.

This isn’t about ego

This is the bit people get stuck on.
Getting a headshot can feel self-indulgent. Like you’re making a fuss about your face. Especially if you’re not someone who enjoys being photographed. But a good headshot isn’t about you admiring yourself. It’s practical.
It’s about making it easy for someone else to understand who they’re dealing with.
To feel grounded. Reassured. Clear.
In the same way good branding isn’t about showing off, it’s about removing friction.
A strong headshot does that quietly.

Where it shows up more than you think

People often assume headshots are just for LinkedIn.

But they sneak into places that really matter:

Your website’s About page

Pitch decks

Email signatures

Speaker profiles

Press features

Zoom avatars

Once it’s out there, it becomes you online.
Which is why an old, rushed, or slightly off-feeling image tends to linger longer than it should.

You don’t need to look like someone else

One last thing.
A good headshot doesn’t mean stiff posture, fake smiles, or trying to look more “corporate” than you are.
If anything, the goal is the opposite.
To look like yourself, on a good day.
Grounded. Present. Open.
When that comes across, people feel it. Even if they can’t explain why.
And that’s usually when they decide to click, reply, or get in touch.
Without overthinking it.