Meet Ben Adams

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ben Adams. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ben below.

Ben , we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

I developed my confidence and self esteem by doing hard things long before I felt ready. I did not grow up with a ton of natural confidence or a silver spoon. Everything I have today came from learning to show up, try again after I failed, and keep moving even when I was terrified.

I have built several businesses from scratch and every time it started the exact same way. I was scared, I felt like an imposter, and I worried about what people would think. But I learned that confidence only grows through action. You do the thing, survive it, and suddenly you realize you are capable of more than you thought.

The biggest example is when I moved my family from Ohio to Wilmington. I left behind every relationship I had spent more than a decade building. I showed up in a city where nobody knew my name, nobody cared about my past success, and I had to rebuild everything from zero. That experience forced me to rely on self belief instead of external validation. Every outreach message, every introduction, every new idea took courage. And little by little it stacked. Confidence is built repetition after repetition of doing the uncomfortable thing.

So for me it came from getting back up when life knocked me down, working harder than I wanted to, and proving to myself that I can figure out anything. That is where my confidence comes from. Not from perfection, but from resilience, faith, and action.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

am a wedding photographer and entrepreneur, and I have photographed more than 400 weddings over the past fifteen years. I built my career around creating emotional, story driven images and helping people experience their memories in print. I believe photos should be held, seen, and passed down, not just stored on a phone. Every couple I work with receives a custom wedding album and a reveal celebration experience where they see their images for the very first time in print. It is the most meaningful part of what I do.

I also help run Freedom Print Lab, a print lab dedicated to helping photographers serve their clients through albums and wall art. We produce handcrafted products and also teach photographers how to sell printed artwork with confidence. Seeing other photographers grow their businesses through print has become a huge passion of mine.

Outside of photography, I own a beauty salon called Cove, which is focused on creating an amazing culture and a supportive environment for stylists to grow. I also own The Den, a coworking space designed to bring entrepreneurs together and build community.

Recently my family and I moved from Ohio to Wilmington, North Carolina, and I am rebuilding my wedding photography brand from the ground up in a completely new market. It has been exciting and stretching and it pushed me to walk out real courage and creativity again.

I love building things that help people grow. Everything I do is built around people, community, and creating something that matters. And I am excited for what is ahead.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, the three qualities that made the biggest impact on my journey were building real relationships, not being afraid to fail, and becoming unoffendable while being unreasonable in the best way when it comes to hospitality.

First, relationships. Everything good in my career came from relationships. Referrals, opportunities, partnerships, and growth all came from investing in people and treating them with genuine care. My advice is to focus more on serving than selling. Learn how to listen well, remember small details, and be someone people are excited to talk to again.

Second, not worrying about failing. I used to be scared of messing up, but I learned that every failure was just a step forward. You grow faster when you try big things even if you are not totally ready. Do the thing, learn from it, and keep moving. Nobody remembers the mistakes, they remember the person who keeps showing up.

Third, become unoffendable and unreasonable about hospitality. Choose not to take things personally and always lead with kindness. People will say things that hurt or misunderstand your intentions, but staying calm and positive builds trust and respect. And when it comes to hospitality, do things that feel almost unreasonable. Go above and beyond for people, surprise them, and make them feel seen and valued. That will change everything.

If you are early in your journey, build strong relationships, try boldly, and love people well. The rest will fall into place.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

When I feel overwhelmed, the first thing I do is slow down and come back to the people who ground me. I have a very tight circle of people I trust. They believe in me when my own head gets loud, and I believe in them just as much. Drake, Alex, Blake, and Ben H are the people who always remind me of who I am and what I am capable of. And most importantly, my wife Lacey. She is my anchor. She keeps me steady when life gets chaotic and helps me see clearly when everything feels heavy.

I have learned that you cannot carry everything alone. Overwhelm usually comes when I start trying to do everything by myself or when I focus too far ahead instead of one step at a time. Talking things out with people who truly care about me always brings me back to center.

My advice is to build a circle you can be honest with. People who will challenge you and not just agree with you. People who celebrate your wins and stay close during your lows. When you have that kind of support, overwhelm turns into clarity and momentum. You remember that you are not alone and that everything is figureoutable one step at a time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.storytelleradams.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storytelleradams/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/storytelleradams

Image Credits

Storyteller Adams – https://storytelleradams.com/