We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Danielle Hazelton a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Danielle, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
Resilience is a learned skill that is achieved in the darkest of opportunities. From growing up in a lower-income family with divorced parents in a rural town, I knew that taking care of myself was not a job solely for my parents. From an early age I took on a responsibility as a problem solver—for my family, for my friends, my colleagues, and for myself.
My past is full of experiences that are some of the toughest and most stressful things that humans will deal with during their lifetime—death of family members who raised me, caretaking for those who were supposed to take care of me, bullying and hatred from others who couldn’t didn’t care, and ultimately being told “no” to every dream and goal I had.
Growing up in situations where the majority of the people around you don’t believe in you means you have to develop the ability to believe in yourself regardless of what others think of you—and prove them wrong along the way. Maybe that’s just me being stubborn, but having a “bitch, watch me do it” attitude has been the secret sauce for growth and resilience my entire life. This, paired with the skill of problem solving on the fly, and creating the most out of every unexpected situation, has been the key to honing resiliency.
To be resilient, you must adapt to difficult situations and overcome challenges—while still maintaining your own emotional well-being and sanity. I have created my own self-practice of emotional caretaking; being generous whenever I can, making time for things that bring me joy, and setting healthy boundaries now that I am “grown up” and have the power to do so.
Resilience is an act of rebellion: to push against the tough situations that you were given and push through not just to survive but to thrive. Like the dandelion that grows through the cracks in the pavement, resilience is not an option—but a necessity for survival.
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?
I like to think of myself as a “renaissance woman” because my career and skillsets have spanned a bit of everything. From my early days working in hospitality as an innkeeper to my years spent as a commercial film producer, I’ve always loved creating meaningful experiences and working with good people to produce something bigger than myself.
I’ve been behind the lens of a camera since my early teens. I started my creative career as a freelance filmmaker, working on productions for commercials, narrative shorts, and have had my work shown at film festivals across the globe. I’m also a 3x Telly Award Winner (2024 + 2025), and Emmy Award Winner (2019) for my directing and producing work.
Today, I am the Creative Director and Photographer for Hazelton Creative. I am a storyteller: creating magical, soulful imagery by holding space for my clients to immerse themselves in authentic moments, raw emotions, and natural landscapes. This includes intimate and non-traditional weddings, elopements, and fantasy portraits.
I understand the emotional impact photography can have, and provide the energy and encouragement needed to create beautiful art of every person I work with. I curate exceptional experiences for my clients—creating intimate rituals to give people the support, resources, and grounding energy they deserve to allow magic moments to happen naturally and be photographed authentically. Most recently my work was published in Rock n’ Roll Bride Magazine: https://www.rocknrollbride.com/2025/05/witchy-autumn-equinox-wedding-in-vermont/
Looking forward, I’m excited to continue to grow and expand my business by building out a team to support my incredible clients and my own big goals over the next few years. The people who choose me as their photographer are at the heart of my business, and I strive to continue to build a flourishing business that keeps them at the heart of what I do.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Creative Problem Solving: no matter how intricately you plan, something unexpected will always happen. It’s not a matter of “if” but “when”. To be able to creatively think on your feet, have backup plans on backup plans, and see every situation as an opportunity vs. an obstacle is a skill that I value more than anything. This ability has carried me through every single job, educational opportunity, and life experience I’ve ever had. Practice it every day.
Resilience: As I grew up and met more people with similar backgrounds as me, I learned that you need to create your own magic and never fall victim to your own circumstances. We can sit in our feelings and wallow for a while, but then be ready to brush yourself off, create a plan, and move forward with an attitude of “I can” vs. “I can’t.” Life has a funny way of giving you the good and the bad all at the same time—finding a way to move through it, take care of yourself, and taking steps towards your goals every day is all you can do.
Empathy: Humans just want to be seen and understood. It’s in our nature. Being able to empathize with others, especially those who are very unlike you, is a skill that is becoming more rare than ever. Especially with how divisive the world has become over the last several years. Be more in tune with yourself and the people around you—instead of reacting harshly and immediately to something bad, sit with it, listen to it, and think about why your reacting the way that you are. I like to say I let the world wash over me like rain—I let the good cleanse me, and the bad fall away. From warm summer rain to devastating storms—either way the rain will always help the plants grow.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
I like to think of them as my “personal board of directors”. These are the people who have mentored me, taken the time to teach me, shared their knowledge and experiences, and have always said “yes you can” to any wild dreams I’ve ever had.
Neil Freebern—for carrying me through my high school years and creating a space that allowed me to discover my passions, thrive under pressure, and flourish regardless of others telling me it wasn’t possible.
Julia Swift—putting me in my place (kindly) and letting me know that your skills always have room for improvement and growth. And for showing me how badass women in the filmmaking industry can be.
John Lindblom—for guiding me through a career transition that ultimately led to the creation of my photography business, and always advocating for his people, no matter what.
Sarah Porter—who taught me that you don’t need to be the person for everyone, and that those who truly value what you have to offer will be drawn to you in spades.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hazeltoncreative.co/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielle.hazelton/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellerosehazelton/
Image Credits
Luna Munn Photography
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
