We recently connected with Natalie Chiles and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Natalie, thanks for joining us today. Looking back on your career, have you ever worked with a great leader or boss? We’d love to hear about the experience and what you think made them such a great leader.
Before I started my photography business I was a booking agent. It was a great job for me as a new mom. I had young kids at home, had left teaching, and wanted some connection to adults. Steve Denyes, better known in San Diego as Hullabaloo, a children’s musician, hired me to help manage bookings. Everything from birthday parties to concerts and festivals, Steve coached me through how to communicate with clients so that they felt cared for and informed about how everything worked. We sailed through many months of error-free days, but it was bound to happen. I messed up. And I messed up big. A weekend evening, my phone rang and I could hear the hum of a crowd in the background. A very stressed out voice asked if Steve would be arriving soon- folks were getting antsy. I panicked, told them I would call them right back, and called Steve. As soon as he answered the phone, the first thing I said was, “I screwed up.” “Where do I need to be?” I gave him the details, we hung up and off he went. I spent the remaining hours of that evening pacing, nearly throwing up, and pacing some more.

The next day, Steve called me. He told me everything had worked out fine, he had smoothed things over with the venue and it was lucky that he was sitting around doing not much when I called. He told me he knew things like this were bound to happen, that we are all human, and that he hoped that it wouldn’t happen again, but it would be ok if it did. He also did confirm that it was his recurring nightmare to not show up for a gig, so thankfully we came close, but luck saved the day. I was certain Steve would fire me that day, but instead, he acknowledged a frazzled mom’s tired condition, gave me some helpful feedback and we moved on. He never held it over my head or made me feel bad about it.

This transferred to my business many years later. Having hired assistants to accompany me on shoots, I often liked to pick them up early so we could go over the details of the shoot, I could give them the background on the client, etc. One of my assistants was not home when I stopped by to pick her up. When I called, she did not answer her phone, and I ended up having to shoot the session solo. After I returned home I got a series of texts apologizing, saying that she had completely blanked and felt terrible. I could have been upset, and it was frustrating to adjust, but the reality was, at the end of the day, I could choose to give her a memory of me being mad and threatening, or I could follow Steve’s example and be kind, forgiving and understanding. It’s one of my core beliefs now.

Natalie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
After teaching elementary music for 13 years, I left my teaching career to have baby #3 and a few years later pivoted to photography. Nearly 10 years later I have a studio in La Mesa, CA, and love providing portrait photography in the forms of high school senior portraits, family portraits, headshots and branding, modern school portraiture and more.

My favorite problem to solve is to take the mystery out of getting ready for photos. It’s so easy and fun to help others go through what they have, find gems, and show them how awesome they look. In addition to this, I love taking modern school photos. School portraits do not have to be poorly lit, poor quality with awkward expressions. They can be joyful, fun and reflect a child’s true personality.

I am proud of the connections I have made with my clients. I have some families and business owners who have worked with me for nearly my entire photography career and it’s amazing to just pick up the camera, get to work and make beautiful, fun, memorable images.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
Word of mouth referrals have built my business. You can read online reviews from any website, look at thousands of portfolios, and compare social media grids, but at the end of the day, if a friend recommends someone and gushes over their experience with someone and tells them why they loved it and how easy it was…. that speaks volumes. I am so thankful for all of the clients who share my info with others!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I love being able to give back to my community through photography. One of the biggest ways I do this is by donating my time as a photographer to Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, providing remembrance photography for babies who will never go home. Stepping into a place of service for no other reason than because I can is something that gives me peace.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nataliechiles.com
• Instagram: @nataliechiles
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NatalieChilesPhotography
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-chiles-4b105562/
• Twitter: @nataliechiles

Image Credits
All photos by Natalie Chiles.