We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chase Sweger a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Chase, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents have been important roles in my life and have shaped me with the values and character I have today, I have learned many lessons from their guidance but learning the value of the dollar is probably one of the most importaant. The value of a dollar, not just the idea of exchanging your time for money but how you as a person can be valuable and putting a dollar sign on that value had been key. Whether it was picking up walnuts in the back yard and earning $0.50 a bag or learning to budget with my $5 weekly allowance, those fundamentals have carried over to owning a business. Money is an important thing to comprehend. Understanding how money works and how you can make it work for you, instead of you working for your money has been pivotal.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m Chase Sweger, a photographer and videographer from Frankfort, Kentucky, currently studying Business and Marketing at Centre College. I got into media work back in high school — what started as just messing around with a camera turned into something I really loved. That passion opened up opportunities I never expected, like interning with the Kentucky Governor’s Office of Communications and the Tourism and Heritage Cabinet, where I helped manage social media and create content. Since then, I’ve worked on all kinds of projects — sports coverage, portraits, wedding films, and even a short horror film I made with one of my best friends that ended up winning a contest. Somewhere along the way, my work started showing up in galleries in Frankfort and Danville, which still feels kind of surreal.

Even though I spend a lot of time making sports highlight reels and short-form content, what really drives me is telling stories about the people I’m connected to. There’s something special about shining a light on someone else’s creativity or showing a side of them that might otherwise go unseen. It’s not just about capturing a cool shot — it’s about understanding who someone is and helping others see that, too. I love using my camera to amplify the people around me, especially when it means giving their story or their art a place to be seen and appreciated. That’s the part of this work that feels the most meaningful to me.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

the most rewarding aspect of my journey as a creative is seeing everyone’s reaction and joy from a well done photo and actually knowing my craft. Knowing the difference in where someone stands for nice light in a photo and someone going “oh my gosh that does look so much better”. Little things like that as a reminder that this craft takes time and hard work to master and that I have started my journey to being a master of the craft.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Books. Reading books, although I dont have the most time as a college student to read for my own enjoyment, when I do read I am picking up a book on how to grow a business and how to be resilient or be a better athlete, be a better creative. Reading books that I can learn from or be inspired from to chase my dreams has been a very impactful resource for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://chasesweger.com
• Instagram: chase_sweger
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chase-sweger-51a2802b3/