We were lucky to catch up with Natalie Miller recently and have shared our conversation below.

Natalie, appreciate you joining us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

I am a very intuitive person when it comes to handling life. I am not logical or pragmatic in any way. I listen to how things make me feel. It’s actually taken me years to learn this about myself and to lean into it for my good.

As I was managing a small family owned business for someone else in my late 20s, I began to feel a little lost. I was in the health industry and doing something I loved- connecting with and getting to train people to reach their health goals but I couldn’t get away from a sense that I was missing something larger.

I am a wing of a 3 on the enneagram so maybe this played into it all but I just kept having a sense that I had more to offer, more to do and more to engage in. After all, I was running a business for a great couple that poured so much into me but at the end of the day I just wanted more.

I took a week off from the gym and gave myself some space to dream and think. It was during that week that I had an overwhelming sense that life is too fast and will pass us right on by. It was evident to me that I had to do what I felt like I had contemplated so many times before and just step out. I had a minor in photography from LSU and I knew if I could just start shooting some pictures for family and friends I could probably make a decent website. I started there. Just one step, trying to create a pretty website.

The whole thing evolved rather quickly. It didn’t take me long to find people willing to get free pictures and for me to get some practice. Within a couple of months the site was up and beautiful! I was then able to take steps from there- paying for advertising, learning about SEO and sharing my work on social media. Literally within that year, a whole 15 months later, I had to leave the job at the gym because I was already being sustained off my new income from photography. This was 10 years ago this past summer.

My business emerged from discontent. I didn’t run from the discontentment or try to dismiss it, I leaned into it.

I think we all have those lingering ideas brewing. I think in the back of our minds we all have those “what if” scenerios we are a little timid to try. For me, learning to listen to that started a whole new chapter in my life and gave me my career.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Art has always been a friend of mine. I didn’t know which avenue of it I would want to pursue as I was younger but I knew it was something that brought me a sense of purpose to life. Figuring out of to use my art to provide people with a product has been the greatest joy of my life. I don’t take for granted that taking a risk is always part of paving a new way.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think the number one thing that brought my business to the level it’s at is connecting with the client on a very personal level. Nothing will ever bring more value to my work than that. I am selling them a product, I am marketing myself as the professional in my field but the number one piece that I believe has driven my business over the past decade is connecting with people on a more personal level than my product.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

It is better to be kind than to be right.

When you are working with such a large demographic of people you will find it difficult to make some people “happy”. And even though I might have given my all, worked very hard and done all I can- there can still be some frustrations from the client and those need to be heard and served.

I have just found that I much rather be kind than be right.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nataliesmiller.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natalie.s.miller/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nataliesperamillerphotography
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-s-miller-a83196150/

Image Credits

Katie, my second shooter