Do It For The Story: Lean In. It's Worth It.

<html lang="" dir="ltr" xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, user-scalable=yes"> <meta name="format-detection" content="telephone=no, date=no, address=no, email=no, url=no"> <meta name="x-apple-disable-message-reformatting">   <style type="text/css"> /* Outlines the grids, remove when sending */ /*table td { border: 1px solid cyan; }*/ /* RESET STYLES */ html, body { margin: 0 !important; padding: 0 !important; width: 100% !important; height: 100% !important; } body { -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -moz-osx-font-smoothing: grayscale; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;} .document { margin: 0 !important; padding: 0 !important; width: 100% !important; } img { border: 0; outline: none; text-decoration: none; -ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; } table { border-collapse: collapse; } table, td { mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt; } body, table, td, a { -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; } h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, p { margin:0; word-break: break-word;} /* iOS BLUE LINKS */ a[x-apple-data-detectors] { color: inherit !important; text-decoration: none !important; font-size: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-weight: inherit !important; line-height: inherit !important; } /* ANDROID CENTER FIX */ div[style*="margin: 16px 0;"] { margin: 0 !important; } /* MEDIA QUERIES */ @media all and (max-width:639px){ .wrapper{ width:100%!important; } .container{ width:100%!important; min-width:100%!important; padding: 0 !important; } .row{padding-left: 20px!important; padding-right: 20px!important;} .col-mobile {width: 20px!important;} .table-between-col-mobile {width:100%!important;} .col{display: block!important; width: 100%!important;} .col-feature{display: block!important; width: 100%!important;} .mobile-center{text-align: center!important; float: none!important;} .mobile-mx-auto {margin: 0 auto!important; float: none!important;} .mobile-left{text-align: center!important; float: left!important;} .mobile-hide{display: none!important;} .img{ width:100% !important; height:auto !important; } table.three-columns-layout tr td.col[width="160"] img{ width:100% !important; max-width:100% !important; height:auto !important; } .ml-btn { width: 100% !important; max-width: 100%!important;} .ml-btn-container { width: 100% !important; max-width: 100%!important;} *[class="mobileOff"] { width: 0px !important; display: none !important; } *[class*="mobileOn"] { display: block !important; max-height:none !important; } .mlContentTable{ width: 100%!important; min-width: 10%!important; margin: 0!important; float: none!important; } .mlContentButton a { display: block!important; width: auto!important; } .mlContentOuter { padding-bottom: 0px!important; padding-left: 15px!important; padding-right: 15px!important; padding-top: 0px!important; } .mlContentSurvey { float: none!important; margin-bottom: 10px!important; width:100%!important; } .multiple-choice-item-table { width: 100% !important; min-width: 10% !important; float: none !important; } .ml-default, .ml-card, .ml-fullwidth { width: 100%; min-width: 100%; } } @media screen and (max-width: 600px) { .col-feature { margin-bottom: 30px; } } /* Carousel style */ @media screen and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 0) { .webkit { display: block !important; } } @media screen and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 0) { .non-webkit { display: none !important; } } @media screen and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 0) { /* TARGET OUTLOOK.COM */ [class="x_non-webkit"] { display: block !important; } } @media screen and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 0) { [class="x_webkit"] { display: none !important; } } </style> <style type="text/css">@import url("https://assets.mlcdn.com/fonts-v2.css?version=1778666");</style> <style type="text/css"> @media (max-width: 640px) { .ml-4 .ml-btn-wrapper { text-align: left; } } </style><style type="text/css"> @media (max-width: 640px) { .ml-6 .ml-btn-wrapper { text-align: left; } } </style><style type="text/css"> @media (max-width: 640px) { .ml-8 .ml-btn-wrapper { text-align: left; } } </style><style type="text/css"> @media screen { body { font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; } } </style><meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"> <title>Do It For The Story: Lean In. It's Worth It.</title> <meta name="image" content="https://storage.mlcdn.com/account_image/2172142/vb0Cteh5w7Ai2z2kxrzyuitIVKeO2nB59Jn95s1s.png" property="og:image"></head> <body style="margin: 0 !important; padding: 0 !important; background-color:#F4F7FA;"> <div class="document" role="article" aria-roledescription="email" aria-label="" lang="" dir="ltr" style="background-color:#F4F7FA; line-height: 100%; font-size:medium; font-size:max(16px, 1rem);">  <table width="100%" align="center" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"> <tbody><tr> <td class="" background="" bgcolor="#F4F7FA" align="center" valign="top" style="padding: 0 8px;"> <table class="container" align="center" width="640" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" style="max-width: 640px; margin-bottom: 0;"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center"> <table align="center" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tbody><tr> <td colspan="2" height="20" style="line-height: 20px"></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="font-family: 'Inter', sans-serif; font-size:0px;color:#F4F7FA;line-height:0px;max-height:0px;max-width:0px;opacity:0;overflow:hidden;mso-hide:all;"> <div style="display:none;font-size:0px;color:#F4F7FA;line-height:0px;max-height:0px;max-width:0px;opacity:0;overflow:hidden;mso-hide:all;">  Before someone reads your words or understands your perspective, your visual identity has already shaped their first impression and intentional photography often becomes the moment that invites them to lean in rather than scroll past. </div> </td> <td align="right" style="font-family: 'Inter', sans-serif; color: #111111; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> <a builder-link-id="-1" style="color: #111111; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: underline;" href="" data-link-id="187428441759417974" data-link-type="webview">View in browser</a>  </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" height="20" style="line-height: 20px;"></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <table width="640" class="wrapper" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style=" max-width: 640px; border:1px solid #EAECED; border-radius:8px; border-collapse: separate!important; overflow: hidden; "> <tbody><tr> <td align="center">  <table class="ml-default" width="100%" bgcolor="" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody><tr> <td style=""> <table class="ml-default-border" width="100%" align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style=" ; "> <tbody><tr> <td class="ml-default-border" background="" style="background-size: cover; background-position: center center;" valign="top" align="center"> <table class="container ml-4" width="640" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="color: #515856; width: 640px; min-width: 640px; margin-bottom: 0;"> <tbody><tr> <td> <table class="container" width="640" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody><tr> <td class="" align="center" style="padding: 0 0" colspan="3"> <img src="https://storage.mlcdn.com/account_image/2172142/vb0Cteh5w7Ai2z2kxrzyuitIVKeO2nB59Jn95s1s.png" loading="lazy" border="0" alt="" class="img" width="640" style="display: block;"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="col-mobile" width="50" height="0" style="line-height: 0;"></td> <td> <table class="table-between-col-mobile" width="540" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody><tr> <td height="30" style="line-height:30px;"></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p style="font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; color: #515856; font-size: 16px; line-height: 165%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 10px;">Edition #003   |   May 2026<br></p> <p style="font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; color: #515856; font-size: 16px; line-height: 165%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 10px;"><br></p> <p style="font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; color: #515856; font-size: 16px; line-height: 165%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 10px;">Hi <span class="redactor-component" data-redactor-type="variable-ml"></span><br></p> <h1 style="font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; color: #000000; font-size: 36px; line-height: 125%; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; ;margin-bottom: 10px;">Lean In. It's Worth It. </h1> <p style="font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; color: #515856; font-size: 16px; line-height: 165%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;">Before someone reads your words or understands your perspective, your visual identity has already shaped their first impression and intentional photography often becomes the moment that invites them to lean in rather than scroll past.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> <td class="col-mobile" width="50" height="0" style="line-height: 0;"></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="40" style="line-height: 40px;"></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table>   <table class="ml-default" width="100%" bgcolor="" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody><tr> <td style=""> <table class="ml-default-border" width="100%" align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style=" ; "> <tbody><tr> <td class="ml-default-border" background="" style="background-size: cover; background-position: center center;" valign="top" align="center"> <table class="container ml-6" width="640" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="color: #515856; width: 640px; min-width: 640px; margin-bottom: 0;"> <tbody><tr> <td class="container" height="20" style="line-height: 20px; min-width: 640px;"></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <table class="container" width="640" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody><tr> <td class="row" align="center" style="padding: 0 50px" colspan="3"> <img src="https://storage.mlcdn.com/account_image/2172142/x4Gze1C3yGoct3DvS22sjduFw0fltC3Ev4o1Q8ld.jpg" loading="lazy" border="0" alt="" class="img" width="540" style="display: block;"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="col-mobile" width="50" height="0" style="line-height: 0;"></td> <td> <table class="table-between-col-mobile" width="540" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody><tr> <td height="30" style="line-height:30px;"></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p style="font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; color: #515856; font-size: 16px; line-height: 165%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 10px;">The first two editions of <em>Do It For The Story</em> touched on the depth, consistency, and courage it takes to create a powerful brand. </p> <p style="font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; color: #515856; font-size: 16px; line-height: 165%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 10px;">They covered the role of long-form content in building trust and creating seven hours of meaningful engagement across four platforms and eleven different touchpoints. Visual strategist, Michael Viljoen, explained how consistency in design compounds, turning disconnected moments into a recognisable and authoritative presence.</p> <p style="font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; color: #515856; font-size: 16px; line-height: 165%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;">This edition explains how, before someone reads your words, listens to your perspective, and commits their time to your story, the initial visual interaction often determines whether someone <strong>leans in</strong> or scrolls past.<br></p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> <td class="col-mobile" width="50" height="0" style="line-height: 0;"></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="20" style="line-height: 20px;"></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table>   <table class="ml-default" width="100%" bgcolor="" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody><tr> <td style=""> <table class="container ml-8 ml-default-border" width="640" bgcolor="#ffffff" align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="color: #515856; width: 640px; min-width: 640px; margin-bottom: 0;"> <tbody><tr> <td class="row" style="padding: 0 50px;"> <table align="center" width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody><tr> <td class="col" width="250" valign="top" align="center"> <img src="https://storage.mlcdn.com/account_image/2172142/aI1gQv04pf8paf7R6yZUHG9K128rmFvbWQrBAO3D.jpg" loading="lazy" border="0" alt="" width="232.66666666666666" class="img" style="display: block;"> </td> <td class="col" width="40" height="30" style="line-height: 30px;"></td> <td class="col" width="250" valign="top"> <p style="font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; color: #515856; font-size: 16px; line-height: 165%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;">Professional photographer and Ten & Co dream team associate, Camilla Blomfield of Freshshoots, writes about how a photograph has the quiet power to reach through a screen or a page and say, “This is worth your time. Lean in.”</p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table>   <table class="ml-default" width="100%" bgcolor="" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody><tr> <td style=""> <table class="container ml-10 ml-default-border" width="640" bgcolor="#ffffff" align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="color: #515856; width: 640px; min-width: 640px; margin-bottom: 0;"> <tbody><tr> <td class="ml-default-border container" height="20" style="line-height: 20px; min-width: 640px;"></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="row" style="padding: 0 50px;"> <p style="font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; color: #515856; font-size: 16px; line-height: 165%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 10px;">“An exquisite coffee table book, ‘Art of Nature’ by Heinrich van den Berg captured my eye the other day. The cover was magnetic. I was so drawn to the photograph on the front – a blurred flock of birds in mid-flight above turquoise water - I simply had to sit down and turn the pages. I had to lean in, and this is exactly what great brand photography can do for your business. It doesn't just show what you do, it tells people who you are and why it is worth taking the time to connect. Your brand has a distinct energy, and photography helps capture it.</p> <p style="font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; color: #515856; font-size: 16px; line-height: 165%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 10px;">Marketing creates noise while branding creates emotion, and the same is true of photography. A technically sharp, thoughtfully composed image communicates warmth, professionalism, and authenticity in a glance - before a single word is read. When someone lands on your website or social media profile, they are making a decision about you in seconds. If purposeful and considered, your images are doing a lot of that heavy lifting, reinforcing and clarifying your story with every scroll.</p> <p style="font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; color: #515856; font-size: 16px; line-height: 165%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 10px;">The difference between an image that stops someone mid-scroll and one that gets glossed over often comes down to intention - lighting, colour palette, outfit choices, poses, backgrounds are all brand decisions.</p> <p style="font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; color: #515856; font-size: 16px; line-height: 165%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 10px;">Photography is one of the most powerful creative tools available to a brand - it freezes a moment, holds a feeling, and invites people in. It instantly makes your audience realise why your brand matters.” - Camilla</p> <p style="font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; color: #515856; font-size: 16px; line-height: 165%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 10px;"><em>“Art is a kiss on the brain. Nature is a poem scribbled on DNA. A photograph is time torn. It is a rip in memory’s blindfold. Through the millisecond gap, we can get a glimpse of an earlier version of the present. Spy on our own youth. Tune memory.” - Heinrich van den Berg</em></p> <p style="font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; color: #515856; font-size: 16px; line-height: 165%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 10px;">Visit <a href="https://www.freshshoots.co.za/" builder-link-id="6" style="color: #8da9c1; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none;" data-link-id="187428441767806587">https://www.freshshoots.co.za</a> to find out more about how Camilla uses her craft to tell the stories that matter.</p> <p style="font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; color: #515856; font-size: 16px; line-height: 165%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;"><br></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="20" style="line-height: 20px;"></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table>   <table class="ml-default" width="100%" bgcolor="" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody><tr> <td style=""> <table class="container ml-12 ml-default-border" width="640" bgcolor="#ffffff" align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style=" width: 640px; min-width: 640px; margin-bottom: 0; ; "> <tbody><tr> <td class="ml-default-border container" height="10" style="line-height: 10px; min-width: 640px;"></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="row" style="padding: 0 50px; line-height: 1;" align="left"> <img src="https://storage.mlcdn.com/account_image/2172142/JDsaiyAa0UkFQ8xc4z8EXHILdGWjFuvAHip47XIX.png" loading="lazy" border="0" alt="" width="201.6969696969697" class="" style="display: block;"> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table>   <table class="ml-default" width="100%" bgcolor="" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody><tr> <td style=""> <table class="container ml-14 ml-default-border" width="640" bgcolor="#ffffff" align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style=" width: 640px; min-width: 640px; margin-bottom: 0; ; "> <tbody><tr> <td class="ml-default-border container" height="40" style="line-height: 40px; min-width: 640px;"></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="row" style="padding: 0 50px;"> <table align="center" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tbody><tr> <td class="col" align="left" width="250" valign="top" style="text-align: left!important;"> <h5 style="font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; color: #000000; font-size: 15px; line-height: 125%; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; margin-bottom: 6px;">Ten & Co.</h5> <p style="font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; color: #515856; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6px;">6A David Road, Gillitts<br>South Africa</p> <table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tbody><tr> <td height="16" style="line-height: 16px;"></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <table class="**$class**" role="presentation" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center" valign="middle" width="34" ng-show="slink.link != ''" style="padding: 0 5px 0 0;"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tenandcompany" target="blank" builder-link-id="1" style="text-decoration: none;" data-link-id="187428441775146622"> <img src="https://assets.mlcdn.com/ml/images/icons/default/round/color/facebook.png" width="34" alt="facebook"> </a> </td><td align="center" valign="middle" width="34" ng-show="slink.link != ''" style="padding: 0 5px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ten_and_company" target="blank" builder-link-id="2" style="text-decoration: none;" data-link-id="187428441782486656"> <img src="https://assets.mlcdn.com/ml/images/icons/default/round/color/instagram.png" width="34" alt="instagram"> </a> </td><td align="center" valign="middle" width="34" ng-show="slink.link != ''" style="padding: 0 0 0 5px;"> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tenleyvoogt/" target="blank" builder-link-id="3" style="text-decoration: none;" data-link-id="187428441789826689"> <img src="https://assets.mlcdn.com/ml/images/icons/default/round/color/linkedin.png" width="34" alt="linkedin"> </a> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> <td class="col" width="40" height="30" style="line-height: 30px;"></td> <td class="col" align="left" width="250" valign="top" style="text-align: left!important;"> <p style="font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; color: #515856; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6px;">You are receiving this email because you opted in on the website or in person.</p> <table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tbody><tr> <td height="8" style="line-height: 8px;"></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left"> <p style="font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; color: #515856; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0;"> <a builder-link-id="-2" href="" style="color: #515856; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: underline;" data-link-id="187428441796118146" data-link-type="unsubscribe">Unsubscribe</a> </p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="40" style="line-height: 40px;"></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table>  </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" align="center" width="640" style="max-width: 640px; width: 100%;"> </table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </div> </body></html>

Be Part of the Conversation