Laura Stanley | Head of Business Development & Partnerships, Pexels
A Toronto native, Laura has more than 13 years of experience as a professional photographer and photo editor. She developed an affection for adventure and storytelling after an Arctic expedition at the age of 15, landed an internship with National Geographic Adventure magazine, and has worked with some of Canada’s top publications and brands since. Today, she’s the head of business development and partnerships at Pexels, and a content advisor for Canva. She’s equal parts talented and ambitious, and she’s creating the career of her dreams, one photograph at a time.
The Interests:
A woman you admire and why?
Melanie Perkins, founder of Canva—an easy person to admire when her vision is this clear and kind: Become one of the most valuable companies in the world and do the most good we can. This year Melanie and our co-founders announced they would donate the vast majority of their equity (30% of Canva) to do good in the world. What a woman!
If you could go anywhere in the world to take photos, where would you go + why?
So many places! But I’m really drawn to the idea of Turkey right now. It looks warm and colorful. I’d also really love to get to Antarctica. After being so far north in the Arctic, I’d love to be just as far south in the Antarctic. Also, penguins.
Any hidden talents? If not, any you wish you had?
My current hidden talent is interior designer and general contractor; I’m currently doing a whole house renovation, and while I’m not doing the work, I’m managing a lot of different trades. I think if I wasn’t in the field I’m currently in, I would have studied a trade.
Go-to coffee or adult beverage?
Go to coffee is an americano, black. Nothing added. Favorite cocktail: paper plane.
The Hustle:
Tell us about your hustle.
My role at Pexels is to lead and drive strategic partnerships for our photo and video community. What that really means is I get to spend a lot of my time coming up with creative ways to collaborate with people and companies around the world through imagery. As a free stock photo community, we look for partners who may be able to support our community by amplifying their creativity and sharing it freely. We also look for nonprofits, causes and people that we can support with the help of free, diverse and relevant imagery that truly reflects the world we live in today. My role is to connect these two worlds. We believe we have a responsibility to showcase and share imagery that can help make the world a better place. And when creativity is shared freely, everybody wins. At Canva, my role really is to share the knowledge I have around photography, licensing, and content partnerships.
What has your journey as a photographer looked like?
Growing up, my dream was to be a photographer—specifically for National Geographic. During high school, I did a co-op placement with a professional photographer, and on weekends I would assist on different sets and shoot weddings. In college, I decided to join a two-year photography program, and once I completed it, I had my own business shooting weddings, editorial portraits, operas, and even pets—whatever I could.
After two years on my own, I found it to be hard work that didn’t pay much, and didn’t leave a lot of time to enjoy photography creatively anymore. I was uninspired. I began looking for work where I could still be around photography but have a steady income, and perhaps find my love for it again. Around that time, I noticed that National Geographic Adventure magazine was hiring photo interns in NYC. They only had spots for two interns per semester, and applicants needed to be enrolled in a college program. I spent the next year and half learning journalism while pestering Nat Geo’s assistant photo editor to choose me.
When I managed to get through to her, I was devastated to learn that their Spring placements were already filled. But during one of my many calls to the assistant photo editor, she finally said to me, “I gotta hand it to you, you’re quite persistent. If you can get your school to approve a summer with us and get your visa sorted, the placement is yours.”
I pitched my teacher, the program coordinators and the dean, reminding them how valuable it could be for the program to have a student placed at Nat Geo. They agreed, and I had the most incredible summer in New York City. My time there sprung my career forward, and I ended up working for several Canadian magazines, and later became the photo editor for Canadian Geographic Magazine, followed by five years with 500px.
How did you find yourself at your current positions, at both Pexels and Canva?
While at 500px, someone from Pexels reached out and asked if they could buy me coffee. We became great friends, and a few months later, I joined their team to help grow their community and presence within the stock photo industry. I joined about a month after Pexels was acquired by Canva, so they played a big role in my hiring, and one caveat of my joining the team was that Canva got to ‘borrow’ me for a short time for a few special projects. I spent two months with them in Australia before making my way back to Pexels. I still sit very closely next to Canva, and their various content and partnerships teams.
If not already covered, what exactly are Canva and Pexels? How do they overlap?
Pexels is all about making high-quality, diverse, photography accessible to everyone, and Canva is all about making design accessible to everyone. Pexels’ free stock imagery can easily be found right within Canva. The quality and diversity in the imagery that we’re able to source through partnerships and directly from contributors plays a critical role for Canva users, who also have the ability to access design tools for free.
Your photography portfolio showcases a wide range of content (portraits, weddings, scenery and landscape, lifestyle, and products, etc). Is there an area of focus you prefer?
Weddings and portraits mostly helped pay the bills. They were never my favorite. I always loved taking photos of real people and places. I also find that some of my favorite shots I’ve taken are of people I really care about or took time to get to know. I love showing people the beauty in themselves.
How have your past professional and academic experiences and lessons prepared you for the work you do today? How have they not prepared you?
Every course, trip, job, partnership, and business meeting has prepared me for the work I do today. I connect with people, I listen, I ask questions, and I take a genuine interest in finding things in common. When I’m working with people and making connections, I get energized. I feel open and when you’re open to anything, you leave room for possibilities.
How did you end up on an Arctic expedition at age 15? What lessons and experiences did you take away from that trip?
Back in 2001, I ended up on an Arctic expedition after discovering an organization called Students on Ice. This trip, and the people I met there and along the way, really changed me. I weirdly felt so comfortable being out of my element and comfort zone. I knew no one, and hadn’t really traveled much. Doing it alone forced me to talk to people, make friends, learn things and do things I’d never done. I guess I thrived in an environment with so many unknowns. I carry that experience and time with me today. I stay open, stay curious and seek the unknown.
How has being a woman impacted your professional experiences? What can we collectively do to support and empower women in your industry today?
When I was younger, I never really thought my being a woman would impact my career. I always worked really hard to get to a place where I felt I had accomplishments. It wasn’t until I started working in business development and sales that I noticed I had to work twice as hard as my male colleagues. I had to send twice as many emails and have twice as many leads as they did in order to reach my targets. I’ve been purposely left out of meetings, left off email threads, and have had direct reports go above me. But these things didn’t deter me, just made me more aware. What we can do collectively, is start trusting women. Trust their knowledge, experience and voice. Give them a seat at the table, and make room in the conversation. You may be surprised to learn something.
What’s something you hope to accomplish in the next few years, either professionally or personally?
I’d really like to own a boutique motel. The photos on the walls would be A+.
Who are some women in your field that you look to for inspiration?
One of my all-time favorite business and sales leaders, Jaimie Buss, is a former partner at Andreessen Horowitz and now Chief Revenue Officer for Articulate. She’s the real deal!
What would your advice be for someone interested in applying for a role at Pexels or Canva?
Take the time to really learn about what we both do, who our users are, and what we’re trying to accomplish in the world. Make a meaningful connection.
Career and/or life advice for other babes?
Be open! Be open to opportunity, trying new things and meeting new people. Be curious and don’t stop learning.
Connect with Laura:
Pexels Photos // Website // Instagram // Email
This interview has been condensed and edited.
In partnership with: Pexels
Pexels aggregates the best free photos, all in one place. In honor of Women’s History Month, they’re currently celebrating women photographers around the world with a photo and video challenge, Through Her Lens. The Pexels curation team will be choosing five photographers to win $1500 in prizes, and the top 100 winners will be featured in a special collection and included in a Reel posted to the Pexels Instagram page. Click here to learn more + enter the contest—good luck!
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