Redefining Leadership with Charla Storey

Jul 9

In this episode, I sit down with Charla Storey, an entrepreneur balancing multiple businesses, motherhood, and self-care. We dive into the raw, unresolved parts of leadership, discussing how to navigate uncertainty and redefine success. If something in this conversation resonates with you, stick around. At the end of the show, I’ll share how you can join our monthly leadership training.

Guest Introduction

Charla Storey is the CEO and founder of Charla Storey Photography, a luxury wedding photography team recognized among the top 50 photographers worldwide by Brides, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Over the Moon. As a wife and mother, she's built a global photography business over 13 years, traveling to capture celebrations worldwide while creating "effortlessly editorial photos that will still look damn good in 50 years."

What started as a single mom building a career has evolved into a dual-purpose mission. As co-owner and CEO of Develope Academy, Charla channels her passion for mentoring into comprehensive education for photographers. She helps fellow creatives develop both their technical skills and business acumen through practical, no-nonsense courses and a supportive community—proving you can scale expertise while staying grounded in authenticity.

Charla's work has been featured in Vogue, The New York Times, Harper's Bazaar, and Good Morning America. But what she's most proud of? Helping photographers and couples alike feel confident, valued, and heard—whether she's behind the camera or in front of the microphone.

Key Takeaways

Balancing Multiple Roles: It’s not about perfection; it’s about navigating the tension of juggling business and motherhood without turning yourself into the villain.
Redefining Success: Success markers from the past may cloud your ability to see what a win looks like today.
Living in Uncertainty: Real leadership involves living in uncertainty and redefining growth when things aren’t progressing as expected.
Changing Connection in Business: The traditional ways of launching and marketing don’t hit the same anymore; connecting in new ways is essential for business growth.
Action Over Certainty: You can’t chase certainty — you need to build momentum through action in the present moment to scale your business.
The Business That Needs You: Sometimes, the business that needs your attention the most isn’t the one you want the most, and understanding this tension is key to prioritizing effectively.
Perception vs. Reality: Leaders must check how they’re showing up in the world — perception rarely matches reality, and managing this discrepancy is crucial for long-term success.

Themes We Explored

Balancing Roles

Running multiple businesses while raising toddlers and managing an adult child.
The mental loops of feeling like a good parent but struggling as a CEO — or vice versa.
Finding peace in knowing that sometimes less growth creates more space for life, which is essential for maintaining sustainable business growth.

Redefining Success

Success can’t be solely tied to past benchmarks.
The difference between chasing certainty and accepting hopeful action when scaling a business.
Writing down today’s wins as a reminder that they count — especially when success is more about progress than perfection.

The Reality of Multiple Businesses

The tug-of-war between businesses, where one often drains attention from another, is common when managing more than one venture.
The insight that sometimes your “end game” and your “favorite game” aren’t the same, and recognizing this can help you make more strategic business decisions.

Key Quotes

“When all of them are struggling, it’s really hard not to look in the mirror and think — well, they have something in common. I wonder what that is.” — Charla Storey

“Sometimes how it feels feels true, even when it isn’t.” — Charla Storey

“Success right now is peace. It’s the certainty that my effort is building the long game.” — Charla Storey

“Certainty is not always possible — belief plus doubt plus action equals results.” — Rocky Garza

“You can hydrate to survive, not to perpetually hold more water.” — Rocky Garza

Resources Mentioned