We were lucky to catch up with Crystal Whiteaker recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Crystal, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I’ve joked that I’m a corporate trained creative hippie since I spent over a decade in roles across a few industries including nonprofit, private education, and corporate spaces. Most notably, my time as an executive recruiter is what sent me in the direction of entrepreneurship. It was a lot like getting paid to get and MBA, though I didn’t realize it at the time. I left corporate in 2016 after I reached a point where I felt like my soul was dying, and I just wanted to be creative. I bought a Canon Rebel the year before and taught myself photography, learning from various online sources and taking pictures of everything. Offering photo sessions to friends and acquaintances gave me the practice I needed as I began to build my portfolio.

I originally began as a wedding photographer and I was quickly frustrated by the imagery & lack of diversity I saw in the in the mainstream wedding industry. I also noticed the huge opportunity that the event industry had to actually make an impact in communities, so from the very beginning it was important to me to make sure all people felt welcome & that my brand had a social impact component. As I shifted towards brand photography in 2019, I recognized that inclusion wasn’t a big part of the conversation & I wanted to help change the way people positioned their brands in the market. If you’re serving people, you can’t separate human experiences from your business & representation or lack thereof is a huge part of the human experience.

I started mentoring people about inclusive branding and leadership; and I found myself combining my corporate experience with my creative passion. Brand photography became a service people wanted from me, because I was able to bridge the gap between the written and visual messaging with an inclusive lens. This expanded to working with other inclusive business owners to help them convey their message to draw in their ideal community. This has been important for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC business owners to have a message that resonates with people who are aligned, creating more harmonious connections and environments. As my business evolved, I phased out wedding photography to focus on working with leaders and brands that care about making an impact.

Openly sharing my opinions about inclusion brought a lot of attention in 2020 for unfortunate reasons, following the murder of George Floyd. People started inviting me to speak about inclusive business and leadership. This initially terrified me, because public speaking was not my thing at the time. I remember my best friend sitting with me on Zoom for over 2 hours while I practiced my first webinar with him. What was evident is that I love teaching and quickly embraced workshops and speaking as an additional component of my business. I created my signature program, Empowered Branding in 2021 which was the catalyst for The Aligned Values Framework™ I use with clients today. Now, I offer a range of inclusive branding support, including brand coaching, brand photography, DEI and leadership development training, and custom brand consulting. My work centers around The Aligned Values Framework™ to ensure a cohesive brand experience across all written, verbal, visual, and behavioral elements.

Crystal, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Building on my previous answer, my personal mission is to inspire more communication, compassion, and understanding. I want to create space for connection and collective growth that results in safety and belonging for all people. My vision is to inspire leaders, educators, and disruptors to embody their values and their purpose to create environments that are brave, collaborative, and inclusive.

In February 2023, I published my first book, Brave Leadership is a Choice: An Inclusive Guide to Creating Belonging. I’m really proud of this book because it’s an accessible, actionable, digestible resource for anyone who wants to begin or continue their inclusive leadership journey.

For the clients that work with me directly, they benefit from my commitment to co-creating containers where people can show up as they are and feel seen in their humanity, so I take a holistic, trauma informed, collaborative approach. I know that when people feel seen, heard, and understood, they’re more likely to feel comfortable opening up to share their challenges, talents, curiosities, and contributions in ways that are beneficial. I’m also a certified yoga teacher so I incorporate mindfulness and breathing elements in all of my services to help my clients connect and get grounded to the present, which is something people really appreciate.

My unique approach is rooted in The Aligned Values Framework™ I developed to help ensure that every facet of their business and leadership approach is clear, connected, and streamlined with an inclusive lens. Clients receive support through 1-on-1 coaching, custom brand consulting, brand photography, as well as branding and leadership workshops and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging trainings.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I was contracted to work with a long-term client on a series of projects for their brand. This client experienced an unexpected loss of their projected revenue that led to unexpected budget cuts. As a result, I was informed that they needed to terminate our contract. This was a huge challenge, because it would result in a significant revenue loss for my business.

I had been working with the client for an extended period of time, when I received an email from the CEO informing me of their revenue challenges with a notice that they would need to terminate their contract. I remember feeling panic wash over me as I spun into thinking of ways to recover the projected revenue I was apparently losing. I offered some alternative solutions that were still beyond what the client could accept and I had to terminate the contract. I resolved to consider the real value of the relationship to the client, which included people I respected and enjoyed working with a great deal. The CEO is someone who is very much a person of their word and I knew them to be someone who considered all elements in any given situation. I also knew that had they been able to continue that contract, they would have. Several weeks later, when I needed a reference for another project I was being considered for, they provided a glowing recommendation to help me secure the project. Since then, I have been invited back to work on other custom projects for their brand and our relationship has only gotten stronger. The experience was a poignant reminder that challenges in business are inevitable. The key is learning how to navigate them with grace and trust that the value and depth of the relationships you cultivate will take care of you over time.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Operating through my core values and being my authentic self. This might seem like a basic answer to some people, but the thing I’ve heard most from people is that they appreciate how I show up and that I’m consistent in my behavior. I also know when to talk and when to listen, and I try to listen more than I talk. Someone told me that my being an introvert is a benefit, because I listen so well and I’m able to offer deeper insights as a result of paying close attention. So, I believe being values-aligned, true to myself and my beliefs, and an appropriately outspoken introvert is what’s helped me build trust within the communities I’m a part of.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.crystallily.co/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crystallilycreative/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalwhiteaker/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@crystallilycreative

Image Credits

The following image credits go to Tamiah Bantum:
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Virtual Coaching.2
Book launch

The following image credit goes to Bernadette Marciniak:
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The following image credit goes to Paige Ray Creative:
Crystal Whiteaker (Main headshot)

The following image credit goes to Mallory Paige Photography:
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The following image credits go to Crystal Whiteaker/Crystal Lily Creative:
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Casey Goldberg Therapy_Crystal Lily Creative_Copyright 2024-42