Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Natalie Letona. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Natalie, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
My mother. Growing up I never knew how much she struggled financially and mentally, she made sure to always put my sister and I first. Making sure we had the things we needed and on occasion treating us to the things we wanted.
My mother made sure that we had a happy childhood. Not until adulthood did I realize how much my mom struggled. Learning how to “hide the bad” from my sister and I made me who I am. I know that whatever obstacle I am faced with can be managed. I May break down and have a good cry, but I know I can push through it with the love and support of those around me.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My career is in advertising, my passion lies with anything creative, specifically photography and writing.
I work with an agency based out of LA where I work directly with clients and also work hand in hand with my creative team to push out projects. These projects are on a national scale working with business audiences and require a lot of quick turn arounds and room for creativity.
So in my downtime and away from my home office, I love to focus on my photography business. I have built everything on my own from the ground up and am in the middle of re-branding and aesthetic. I love being creative and photography lets me do that. I love capturing an idea and seeing it come to life. There is so much beauty you can capture through a lens that it’s a great way for me to enjoy something creative while also running a business that I have complete control over.
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?
Patience, Ambition, Advertising.
Patience is key. We live in a world where instant gratification is a thing everyone wants. However, true good things take time. Trial and error, learning, frustration is always a part of anything new. And it will continue to be a part of your journey as time goes on. Be patient with yourself and your project/business.
Being ambitious is something that has always been embedded in me. I was lucky that I had parents that always supported my ideas in life and projects I had in mind. The thing with being ambitious, at least for myself, you do get burnt out. You have to give yourself breaks throughout your journey, to be able to continue to go for those ambitions.
Having an advertising background has definitely helped me build my brand. Making my own logo, owning my marketing and knowing how to market to my audience is a big thing. And the fact that I work in that field for my career I am up to date on trends which allows me to keep my brand relevant with certain audiences.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
Encouragement, belief, and support. My parents always want(ed) me to succeed in whatever I chose to do with my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lizettphotography.com/
- Instagram: @lizettphotography
Image Credits
@d0pleclick @lizettohotography
