Amber Smith shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Amber, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? When was the last time you felt true joy?
For me, I always find the most joy in the summertime, especially when I’m near the water. Growing up in North Carolina, my family spent every summer at the beach. It’s a tradition we’ve continued, even now that I’m a mom myself and our families have grown. Those beach trips are sacred. They’re where time slows down, I remember how to breathe, and most of all, I am reminded of what is truly important in life.
Even as a little girl, I was happiest in the ocean. I used to tell people I must have been a mermaid in a past life. I always felt like a little fish, completely at home in the waves. Some things never change. To this day, being in the ocean makes me feel free and deeply grounded, all at once. There’s something about water; its honesty, its envelopment of your whole body, its constant movement. It just strips away the noise. It reminds me that I don’t have to push through everything. I’m allowed to pause, rest, and just be.
This past summer, I completely lost count of the number of times I went to the coast. Most of the trips were about rest, but there was one for work. Each time I returned, I felt a little more like myself. With each additional trip, it made my husband and me daydream more seriously about building a life by the water one day. It’s been a part of our “ten-year plan” for far longer than ten years. There’s just something about the slower pace, the deep connection to nature, and the community that exists in those beach towns that feels like home.
I also find joy right in my backyard…literally. Tending to my garden, hands in the dirt, watching the seasons turn through the things I grow, it’s all part of the same grounding rhythm. Whether it’s the pull of the tide or the quiet hum of the garden, joy for me lives in the freedom to pause and reconnect with what matters most.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi! I’m Amber Foster Smith (she/her), a branding expert, photographer, educator, and creative small-business owner behind Amber Foster Smith Photography. With a background in branding, marketing, and education, I help entrepreneurs build authentic, purpose-driven brands that connect deeply and convert strategically. I’m fiercely passionate about empowering entrepreneurs to do their most impactful work while building the freedom-filled business that aligns with their deepest values.
I’m also the owner of Studio 557, a creative co-working and studio space that brings together photographers, creatives, and business owners to collaborate and grow in community. Alongside my client work, I’m currently expanding my education and mentoring offerings, most recently working on launching a new course focused on helping entrepreneurs create a values-based personal brand. It’s all about showing up with clarity, confidence, and heart in a way that truly resonates.
On a personal note: I’m a mom, a wife, beach lover, and a proud rescuer of both puppies and plants. My heart is to empower others not just visually, but wholeheartedly—to show up in both business and life with authenticity, confidence, and heart.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Instead of asking who I was before the world told me who to be, I’d instead ask: who did the world expect me to be, before I finally chose to be myself? For a long time, I lived as who I believed the world expected me to be. Growing up, I felt pressure to do it all: the perfect grades, the extracurriculars, and everything in between. I filled my time with achievement, believing that success and busyness would prove my worth.
That all shifted when I became pregnant with my first child while still in school. Overnight, everyone saw me differently, and I immediately felt the judgment from the world around me. There were assumptions, doubts, and whispers that said I would never make it and was bound to fail. For years, much of what I did felt like a way to prove myself. I had to prove that I could defy those narratives. I graduated, then earned a four-year degree, landed a great job, and somehow I still felt that some of it was just to silence those old voices.
Then life threw me another curveball. Seven years later, my second pregnancy was plagued by a massive health condition. By the time I gave birth, I felt physically and emotionally depleted, like I had nothing left to give. That time forced me to reset, to peel back expectations and ask: What do I really want? Slowly, I began to let in more room for who I am, apart from what others expect.
Several years later, when I launched my business, the pressure returned. That relentless entrepreneurial “hustle” ideal, the pressure to check all the boxes. But over time, after pushing myself to the brink a few times, I realized: my best version is not someone who does more — it’s someone who is more. Who shows up honestly, who sets boundaries, who leads with purpose over performance.
Today, I measure success not by how much I achieve, but by how much space I create in order for others to feel seen, for myself to breathe, and for joy to flourish. Legacy, to me, isn’t about expectations met, but lives touched, truth lived, and love left behind.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I’d tell her: You are enough.
For so long, I felt like I had to prove my worth. I had to be more, to do better, to silence the doubts of others and myself. Truthfully, even now, those closest to me will tell you that the instinct to prove myself still shows up in my stubbornness sometimes. I’m a work in progress.
There was a time I even started writing “You are enough, by grace” on every planner and journal I owned. I hoped the repetition would make it real, and over time, it did. I’ve come to believe that grace gives us the gift of starting over, again and again. We don’t need to be perfect. We just need to show up with what we have and who we are.
I wish I had believed in myself more when I was younger. I wish I had spent less time doubting and more time living. If I could go back, I’d remind her that her worth was never up for debate. She didn’t need to try so hard. She already was—and still is—enough.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the most pervasive lies in entrepreneurship is that “if you hustle hard enough, success will follow.” We’ve been sold the narrative that more hours, more sacrifice, more grinding equals more results. But in reality, this “hustle culture” often values burnout, comparison, and the illusion of constant productivity over sustainable growth, clarity, and meaning.
For many of us, especially early in our journeys, it’s easy to equate worth with effort. Believing we need to do more just to prove we’re capable or worthy. We fall into the trap of chasing every tactic, showing up everywhere, doing everything, all in pursuit of a success that often feels elusive or hollow.
I once believed that lie wholeheartedly. I hustled to fill every day, chasing a version of success that never truly aligned with who I am. It wasn’t until I began doing things on my own terms, choosing boundaries, prioritizing rest, and working more strategically, that I found what I call aligned success. That kind of success is quieter, more intentional, and far more fulfilling.
So if there’s one lie I’d challenge, it’s this: that hustle is the only path to success. Chasing hustle only left me chasing more. Now, I build success at the pace of purpose, not pressure.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I’d stop letting work take up more space than it deserves. If I only had 10 years left, I’d be working as little as possible, just enough to sustain my life and meet my needs. The rest of my energy would be spent living. In my work with clients, I always encourage them to look forward: to ask what they want to leave behind, not just what they want to build right now. Because nothing about legacy revolves around revenue or busyness. On someone’s last day, no one says, “I’m so glad I spent all those extra hours building my business.” They talk about the love they felt, the friendships that endured, and the memories that made them smile.
I’d still create. I’d still serve. I’d spend my days soaking in the sun, swimming in the ocean, and making dinner for the people I love. I’d give back more with my time, my hands, and my heart in the places and with the people who need it most.
I’d carve out more space for spontaneous adventures, dirt from the garden under my fingers, laughter around the table, and quiet mornings without an alarm or an agenda. I’d stop striving, and instead, I’d choose presence. Because when you only have a limited amount of time left, enough becomes more than enough. And life — real, rich, connected life — becomes the only thing worth chasing. Isn’t that how we should be living every day of our lives, even today?
Contact Info:
- Website: https://AmberFosterSmith.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/amberfostersmith
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/amberfostersmith
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/AmberFosterSmithPhotography
Image Credits
First Headshot: Amber_Smith_08_23-128 (Photography Eh)
Amber_Foster_Smith-01 (Aimee Sue Photography)
Amber_Foster_Smith-02 (627 Photography)
Amber_Foster_Smith-03 (Photography Eh)
Amber_Foster_Smith-04 (No credit necessary)
Amber_Foster_Smith-05 (Photography Eh)
Amber_Foster_Smith-06 (No credit necessary)
