Through her company, Taken by Storm, Chelsé “Storm” Lilly has built a career as a visual ethnographer, educator, and creative strategist, working at the intersection of storytelling, community development, and design thinking. Inspired by a childhood gift of a camera from her father during the Gulf War, Chelsé has built a career capturing unfiltered truths that go beyond surface-level images to reveal the “why” behind human experiences. In this conversation, she shares how authenticity and trust guide her work with underrepresented communities, how technology like drones and mirrorless cameras enhances but never replaces creativity, and why her company is dedicated to helping people be seen in their passions. Chelsé also reflects on refilling her own creative cup through prayer, reflection, and personal projects, while envisioning her large-scale cultural pieces displayed in spaces where more people can connect with her art.
Music courtesy of Dealer’s Choice Sound Recordings, Inc.
Music artist: djezi
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Chelsé “Storm” Lilly: Taken By Storm
Welcome back to the show. Here’s a question I want to pose. What if the most powerful stories aren’t the loudest ones, but the ones hidden in plain sight? Our guest, Chelsé “Storm” Lilly, lives at the crossroads of storytelling, community development, and design thinking, and she’s built an entire creative brand around it.
She’s the Founder of Taken By Storm, where photography meets narrative design and visual ethnography with the goal of turning everyday moments into stories that mean something. We’re talking about how she earns trust in the community she works with, why ethics matter so much in this kind of work, and how technology is changing the way we capture and share stories. She’s got a gift for seeing what others might overlook and then helping the rest of us to see it, too.
We were so overwhelmed with everything that she had to bring an offer to the conversation. During her interview, she told us about the importance of identifying the why in the stories that she tells, and not only her why, but the why that’s involved in the stories that she tells. That led us to reflect on our why for the show. Sylvia, tell us what your thoughts are.
I am patting ourselves on the back because we are 40-odd episodes in. We are fast approaching our first anniversary. I’m so proud of us. Our why started out with telling untold stories of women like ourselves who are professionals or had different career paths, and how we could capture all that information and share it so that people understand that they are not alone. My why is that we want to share information so that people are inspired to make their own leaps. What about you, Angela?
I agree. You used my word at the very end, which is to inspire. We thought about what inspires us, what we like to listen to, what we like to hear, and what gives us some mojo to go out and do the things that we do on a daily basis. We talked about being inspired by our patients and those everyday stories that we hear about women making bold career moves, bold relationship moves, and bold decisions in their lives, leaping from one lily pad to the next and getting to where they feel like they’re meant to be.
Our overall why was to be able to share the stories in a format that felt comfortable to everyone. It’s comfortable for us, for our guests, and for our audience to feel like they were connected to the stories or could at least appreciate the stories being heard. Perhaps it’s something that would give them joy, inspiration, and motivation to do some of these bold career, life, or relationship moves themselves. We know that our guest has a clear and concrete why as to what she does in her life, and we cannot wait to get into it. Without further ado, Sylvia, we will introduce Chelsé “Storm” Lilly.
The ‘Why’ Behind Boss Leap: Untold Stories & Inspiration
Welcome back to the show. We have an awesome conversation with Chelsé “Storm” Lilly. Chelsea, welcome to the show.
Thank you for having me. I’m super excited to be here.
For full disclosure, because I didn’t add it in your introduction, I have known you all of your life. I am so excited to have you here. I’m so proud of all that you’ve accomplished in your personal life, as a mother, and in your career, and how it is taking off like a rocket ship.
We’d love our audience to know all about what you’re doing and who you are. If you would start by taking us back to the beginning. You are an ethnographer, correct?
Yes.
How did you get into visual ethnography? Was there a pivotal moment or a series of events that set you on this path? Was there someone who inspired you?
First, tell us what video ethnography is.
That would help.
I know it’s a lot, and a lot of people haven’t heard it. Visual ethnography is almost a research-based approach to photography, but not too much on the research. I like to document and interpret the cultural, social, and human aspects of community and culture. I do a lot of sports. I also do a lot of community work. It’s being around family and noting how the stories are told within the lens. I also write with photography.
It’s interesting because it’s rooted in anthropology. It’s also rooted in sociology. It’s something that I came across because taking photos has been great, but whenever I take photos, it’s like storytelling to me. I look for what’s behind the moment that we see. A good example to try to put it into a picture for you is I remember seeing a grandmother, and she was teaching her granddaughter how to braid her hair. The first thought that I had was, “Who taught you? Why was it so important for you to teach her? Was it just a need?” My brain goes a million miles per hour.
That’s the anthropology.
Being able to tell the story within the lens. I’m taking this picture of them. It’s her braiding her hair, and she’s smiling. The little girl is listening to her tell these stories about when she was younger and how her mother used to do that for her. I try to tell that story through photography. You can do it within film and audio as well, but, for me, it’s the photography part.
I love that.
The Evolution Of Visual Ethnography: Past, Present, And Future
Is this a relatively new field? Certainly, anthropology is old, but moving pictures were a 20th-century invention. How old is this discipline?
I could not tell. I wish I could tell you. I came across the title of visual ethnography, doing the research, and trying to find where I fit in with the way that I saw things when I went to take pictures. I used to tell people I was a street photographer, but I don’t always have the same aspects that street photographers have. When you’re talking to someone who’s not into visuals or photography, they’re like, “What’s the difference? I don’t get it.”
With events, it’s something that’s already curated. You’re coming into a gathering, an activity, or concerts to shoot what is already being put together. With street photography, it’s unscripted. It’s more candid, but you’re taking the public spaces, like urban settings, and you’re trying to make sure that you see something cool. With visual ethnography, I’m searching for the stories. I’m doing the research on the area that I might be in and looking at buildings that might be 100 years old. I’m trying to find the stories within them, but also capturing that with the lens.
When I heard of it, I was like, “There is something that I fit into. There is something that I do.” It’s an evolution of sorts for me with my work, personally and professionally, because I do a lot of community-based work for my career as well. I’m still learning. I need to do a little bit more on when it started and how that term came to be. Personally, I have not heard many people refer to what I do as visual ethnography. They go, “You’re just an event photographer. You do branding.” I’m like, “No. It’s a lot deeper.”
With visual ethnography, we are searching for the stories. Share on XIt’s different. Where do you think that comes from? I’ve always known you to have a camera in your hand. In terms of the investigative, the inquisitiveness, and the curiosity, I already know that’s in your family. We know your family. Did you feel like you had that at a young age, or did you have an a-ha moment when you were in college or thereafter?
Honestly, I came to it, and I kid you not, when I was eight years old. I’m sure you’re aware that my father was in the Navy and the Military, so I grew up a little Military brat. I say eighth birthday. It might’ve been seventh. On my 7th or 8th birthday, he sent a camera over. I remember my mother telling me it either took 4 to 6 months for it to get to our doorstep for my birthday. I remember him writing, “Take pictures of everything that you think is beautiful.”
I don’t know how I can remember that that was drilled in my head. It wasn’t like a task I had to do. It was like I was immediately falling in love with all of these things that I saw every day. I wanted him to be able to see because I knew he was out on the water, and he wasn’t going to be able to see it. That has translated through my lifetime that I have a unique perspective. We all do, honestly. We all have a unique perspective. I wanted to be able to share mine with the world in some type of way.
I feel like I’ve always tried to find myself and find my place in the world. That’s where my place seems to be. That’s where my passion is and where I feel like my purpose is. It is not only for me to share my perspective, but for you to see that your perspective is just as valuable, or even more valuable, in a lot of different ways that we don’t consider. We think that we have to shrink ourselves or that we can’t, you know, oh, everyone has seen that. Maybe there’s a way that you are showing them that they’ve never seen before, or maybe it’ll resonate a certain way. That’s how it came to be. My father sent me a camera.
Shout-out to Ben Woods, who was a part of creating Storm and her photography.
Hey, Dad.
That is awesome. I’ve never heard that story. I love that. Thank you.
I’m sorry. Tell us. How did you come to the name Storm?
I didn’t come up with Storm. I used to be involved, and still am, with everything arts and culture. At one point in time, I was a music manager. I worked in the music business for a little bit.
Anybody that we know or you can share?
I worked with some people that maybe you might know, but I was a little lowly intern.
You were still in the room.
I wanted to be Sylvia Ro. I wanted to be Hype Williams. I wanted to be a music video filmmaker. I wanted to do music videos and do all that. When I was in the music industry, I ended up doing something on the side. I was a serial entrepreneur. I wanted to have my own brand and do this, so I had my own little label with some good friends of mine.
A record label?
It was a little indie label. We focused a lot on the A&R aspect, like finding talent and developing talent. We would see people who were getting these record deals on the radio. No offense to them, but I was like, “I know somebody down the street that knows how to sing better, but they probably didn’t have the direction.” Here I am, at 18 or 19 years old, thinking, “I can give somebody some direction,” like I knew what was going on. I didn’t know anything now that I look back at it, but I had the drive. There wasn’t anything that I could navigate at the time.
When they called me Storm, they didn’t describe it that way, but that’s how it came to be. They were like, “You’re like the X-Men character Storm,” who was also one of my favorite Marvel characters. I did the hair after. She had it first. I loved it. They used to call me Storm because they were like, “There’s nothing that you can’t navigate.” Shout-out to Storm. That’s why.
Intersection Of Storytelling, Community & Design Thinking
That is drive and grit. You are a true example of what we call Boss Leap in terms of how you have made these leaps, but you started at such a young age, driven by your dreams. That is exactly what our readers love to know. Can you describe living at this intersection of storytelling, community development, which you’re involved in, and design thinking? What does the intersection look like in your daily work?
Authenticity is how I live my life. It's not just something I say because it sounds cool, or to get people to talk. If I'm speaking with someone, I'm genuinely interested in what they have to say. Building trust takes authenticity. Share on XThat was one of the questions I was like, “That’s a good question to think about.” I look at it like a part documentary, part strategy, almost, and a lot of curiosity, innovation, intrigue, collaboration, and all those things because I hit so many different spots, personally and professionally, in and outside of photography and visual work. I am a hired educator as well. I work for Prairie View A&M University. You know the stories and the depth of being at an HBCU, especially a 1890 land-grant university. It’s immense. I’m an extension agent. As an extension agent, I work for the College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources.
In A&M. I didn’t know it still existed. I was like, “Why do we need that?”
With Prairie View Extension, a lot of what we do is give a lot of free resources to the community, like mentoring, coaching, and development on a wide variety of topics to better help our communities. To do that, I have to go out into the community, and I have to learn those stories. It’s hand-in-hand. One day, I might be hosting or doing a small business workshop, or I might be teaching branding or financial literacy. The next moment, I’m taking pictures at this cultural event, and then later on, I’m mapping ideas with community leaders on how to tell their organization’s story.
Using all of that and design thinking also shakes how I approach these problems. I try to listen deeply. I do a lot of prototyping with situations. I do a lot of testing, refining, and things of that nature. It’s at that intersection. I do storytelling, community development, and design thinking because they all support one another.
It’s such a beautiful melting pot of not only my story and my passions, but also what the community, where I’m working, and what I’m doing with my life is pouring back into me. Hopefully, that answers that question. I’m able to touch on pretty much everything between those intersections, and I love it because they piggyback off one another.
Certainly, trust is important. You are a part of Prairie View A&M. You’re going out to the community. Sometimes, the relationships between higher ed and the communities in which they live and serve are not always great. How do you make certain that you maintain the relationship and build the trust so that you can then do the work in service of the community?
I remain authentic throughout everything. I feel like I’ve been that way my whole life. It has come full circle for me, more so in the last few years, in that you have to show up exactly as you are where you are in that moment. Authenticity is how I live my life. It’s not just something that I say because it sounds cool, or because that’s how you get over, talk to people, and get them to talk. If I am speaking with somebody, I’m genuinely interested in what they have to say.
Building trust takes authenticity. It takes me showing up and being there. When I speak to community members or families that are in communities, they don’t just see me one time. They’ll see me multiple times. I’ll sit down and have coffee with them. I’ll be in the areas that they’re in. When I ask them how they’re doing, I don’t want them to give me a quick answer.
I don’t want them to tell me they’re okay because there’s something there that allows me to be able to work with them, and also show them that I’m truly invested. I’m not just trying to get a paycheck, a story, or a picture. My true passion is to show others that they are valuable, that they are beautiful in all ways, and that they are powerful in all ways, as I’m learning how to be that myself. That’s how I try to do that.
Translating Moments: The Art Of Powerful Storytelling
That’s very cool. In your mission to translate these everyday moments into meaningful narratives, how do you decide which moments have the potential to become powerful stories? Is there a feeling, a gut, or a formula?
It is very much like a tingling. It’s like Spidey senses, in a sense.
Storm senses.
I have come across so many different people in different situations within this work and within my life. What’s important to me, also, going into the authenticity part, is I look for moments that hold truth and hold emotion. I look for things that make me feel. When I say I got that tingling sense, it’s because I feel it. Don’t make fun of me, but I will watch a commercial and start tearing up if it makes me feel the way. That’s so embarrassing. I probably shouldn’t have said that, but it’s fine.
I do the same thing.
We like authenticity.
I’m sitting there like, “It’s a Downy commercial. What is happening? What is going on?” I then go through everything, and it’s like, “I’m getting older. It’s hormones.”
It shows that you’re present and that you are in the moment. Truthfully, the advertisement director is like, “That’s exactly what I was going for.” Keep feeling your feels.
I look for moments that really hold truth. Share on XThat’s what it is. That’s the emotional part. In holding that truth, there are situations where I will go into an event, and I will see a story that probably has nothing to do with the event or has nothing to do with why I’m there in the first place. Those moments, truly, in life seem so small to outsiders and other people, but they carry weight to the people that’s living them. You never know when you’re coming across somebody, and the moment that they’re in is a moment that’s changing their lives.
I try to be aware. I feel a lot. I feel more as I’m progressing through life, but I’ve always been extremely empathetic. I extremely want to help others, but also, I can tell when I need to move away from somebody who might be going through a moment and when I need to come back. I can tell when I need to grab somebody’s hand, if it’s within a consensual space where I can do that, and I’m with somebody who will allow that. It has to do with translating those moments into what holds that truth and emotion. I feel it in that moment.
Deep feeling is important in being present. Certainly, I sense that with you, even through our virtual conversation. How do you let the camera, the videotape, or the technology not get in the way of those moments?
I’m extremely stealthy. I can navigate around my environment. Honestly, I don’t let it get in the way because I show up. I spend time listening. Truthfully, I don’t have any hidden agendas when I go and do this work. I’m not there to take something from them. I’m there to share, and I’m there to listen. If they want to share with me, great. If they don’t, I know when to move around. You might not be ready to talk to me or take a picture, or you may not want that. There have been some great pictures I have in my mind that I never took with a camera because it wasn’t the time nor the space for me to take them in. That’s how I don’t let it get in the way because I don’t go trying to take.
Along those lines, how do you navigate your clients, if you will, when you have clients or companies that you’re working for and you’re navigating these spaces? I’ve had the opportunity to work with you in taking some photos for my website. I had an idea of what I wanted. I love the water and all these things. None of those pictures was wonderful because I wanted them.
You were wonderful in how you navigated. You were like, “Let’s look at this. I’ve got a place here.” I’m pretty mild in terms of being able to work with, but I can only imagine some of the clients you may work with. You know what looks good and what will look good, but somebody else has another agenda or maybe a hidden agenda. How do you work with that?
It doesn’t always work, but my success rate in working with the people that I work with has been great, for the most part, because I don’t insert myself as someone who wants to take over. I come as a collaborator. I listen. You should have seen my wedding planning. I had lots of stuff in my head that I wanted to do.
Your wedding was stunning.
Thank you. Shout-out to Waverly Coleman, one of my best friends and my wedding coordinator. She did all of that. She also was like, “That’s great,” and had all of that taken care of. When you’re in a creative space, and a lot of creatives will probably have similar stories, you have to listen to your clients and know what they want, but you also have to be accepting of what they want. You then find that middle ground to work with them in.
I have had some clients before who were extremely a lot. We’ll put it that way. They had a lot of very strong personalities. I have no problem with a strong personality. I come from a family full of them. For me, it was to step back a little bit, do what they want you to do, and then offer them some extra. The extra normally works.
It turns out to be what you use.
You don’t want to shut someone down because they have an idea. My work and my passion are having others feel valuable and know that they’re valuable. I can’t show you or be truthful to that if I’m shutting you down because I know what something looks like in my head. That’s not fair. Let me show you that maybe what you want to do is cool, but this might be a little bit better. I do that. Also, moving forward, I’m extremely selective with my clients.
As you should be.
I’m very selective. I do my research ahead of time. That feeling that we talked about comes back. I don’t do sets, so sometimes, that happens when I come to wherever the space is.
What do you mean you don’t do sets? I don’t know what that means.
I don’t normally go into a studio to shoot. As a matter of fact, I have decided that’s not where I want to be. I try to avoid that as much as possible. I’m not saying that I won’t go into a studio and shoot, but for me, that’s not where I feel the story is. I’ve taken some great pictures and some beautiful pictures in a studio. Portrait photography is great. I love working with the people that I’ve worked with in those studio sessions, but it almost feels a little claustrophobic to me.
I like to go where my clients feel comfortable or where their work is, or where the story is. I might go to a site where we’re going to shoot. If I have a bad feeling about it, or if the attitudes are high that day, I try to troubleshoot it. I don’t run away. I try to troubleshoot. I try to be very authentic and honest, pulling someone to the side, telling them how I feel, and seeing if there’s a way that we can make it better.
If it’s not, I have no problem giving full refunds. It’s like, “Here you go.” I also have no problems doing partial refunds because you have to put a deposit down. I don’t have a problem with that. It is important for me to do my best work and to feel good in where I’m at and who I’m with, and I want my clients to feel the same way.
Tech & Creativity: Navigating The Digital Frontier
We’ve talked a lot about the energy, the emotion, and the feeling behind your work. Can we spend a little time on the technology? Share with us how technology has changed visual ethnography, and if there are specific platforms or tools that you use.
First, let me start off with, technology is constantly changing. We know that. Unfortunately, there are people who are losing their jobs because of AI, all of these different things, and automation. I have a very hard time with how I feel about technology now because I studied technology. I have a degree in educational technology. I also studied AI, AR, and VR.
Is that your Master’s?
That is, yes. It’s because I love new things. I got that from my mother. My mother was a computer teacher, so all the technology stuff, I hold in this fascination. Also, I see that it can be limiting to creativity sometimes.
How so? Tell us more about that.
We know our ChatGPTs. We utilize AI in a lot of ways because it can help, especially for people who get stuck in their creativity. We have those moments. Sometimes, writers have writer’s block. Photographers have photography blocks. Sometimes, we can’t see it. We don’t feel it. We’re not getting it. There are a lot of obstacles that we all have to overcome as creatives, but then we’ll see tools like AI and go, “I don’t have to think so hard. Let me type this in, let it spit out what it needs to spit out, and I’ll do that.”
There are so many people at one time doing it. They’ve become aware all the way. They’re aware of the tools that are out there. We talked about collaboration. Instead of collaborating with them, they’re using them fully for their ideas. They’re using them fully for the work. That can be problematic in how we express ourselves and the power in how we express ourselves later down the line.
As far as visual ethnography, I love research-based tools. I still will pull out an encyclopedia. It’s crazy, but sometimes there’s stuff in there that’s not on the Internet. I’ll do that. Also, I like to check sources for my sister. I’ll go in and check all these different sources in different mediums to find what fits what I am trying to do research-based. I rely heavily on my eye and my feelings going into a space, not trying to take anything, but trying to be present in how I do the visual ethnography.
For the technology aspect of it, usually, for research, I’ll use Google and AI. I will pull out books. I like to go to Barnes & Noble. I like to have a physical book. I have to have a pen and paper, write down, and be out there to do that instead of just utilizing the answers from AI to shoot out what I need for this work.
With the cameras, I have my little camera here, but I do not use that anymore. A 35mm film is still king over the queen. My favorite camera so far to use is a Sony A7R V. R is in Resolution. It has a higher resolution. I like to take fine details. I like for you to be able to blow up my work and still be able to see stuff in the background. I use that a lot. I also use Fujifilm cameras. I have an X-T5. That’s my carrying camera. It’s small. It’s a little compact for me.
You asked a question earlier on how I navigate the clientele learning environment. Small cameras are great. Cell phones are wonderful, but there is something about cell phones that doesn’t feel as authentic to me. I’ve seen some amazing cell phone photography. They work that, but it doesn’t do it for me, being able to take a camera, hold it in both my hands, be able to shoot, and then come back, process those images, and do all that.
I’m also getting into drones. I’m looking at getting my drone license. I’m getting into that a little bit more. I love being able to take some aerial footage. I became aware of underwater drones. I was like, “That is cool.” The Military is using those, and then also engineers are using those. I learned about that not long ago, and I’m already on it. I’m like, “Let me figure out how to get into that.” Mirrorless cameras are a big thing for me because of the way that I process those images.
What does that mean?
With mirrorless cameras, you’ll have your 35mm or film camera. You have your rolls of film. There are other cameras. You have your DSLRs. Some of them do have mirrors where they are reflecting. It’s the way that the camera takes the pictures. Sometimes, it will take a little bit longer. Mirrorless cameras seem to be a little bit faster.
I will use a mirrorless camera to get a shot fast. I shoot all the time. Sometimes, I’ll make sure that my ISO, my lighting is correct, and my sharpness are correct. I need something that’s going to take the moment right when the moment is happening, not take a moment and then take five seconds to get to the next moment. When we talk about technology and all of that, that’s what I use.
With innovation, as things are coming to be and as we are learning about new tools for research, for photography, for film, and for creativity, I try to stay on top of that and learn as much as I can. I try to get ahead and find what works for me in what I’m doing. With the visual ethnography piece, that’s more going to be photography and a little bit of film. I try to use my mirrorless cameras. Those Sony cameras are great. There are a lot of great cameras. With the Sony, I’m able to take video and photos with that same body, the way that I like to take them. That’s why I use that. What were you asking?
Technology changes the 'how' of what we do, but it doesn't replace the 'why.' Share on XWhat I’m hearing is that you clearly are a creative. You’re very accepting of all of the technology and what’s coming on board until it starts to hinder the actual creativity part. You’re cautioning that as we move into this new AI, do-it-for-you type of system, we may start to lose some of the creative process. I truly appreciate that because I love the creative process that I see you go through.
You said it perfectly.
We needed the color.
What I would say for sure is that I’m mindful that technology changes the how of how we do things, but it doesn’t replace the why. You’ve got to keep in mind what the why is and not let the technology take over the why.
The Golden Rule Of Storytelling: Knowing Your Why
Here’s a follow-up to the why. Give us your best storytelling advice that you’ve ever received and how it shaped your approach. Is there one, or is there a collaboration or a collection of tidbits that you’ve collected along the way?
Let me think.
If you can’t think of who may have given it to you, what would you give to someone else?
I’ve gotten a lot of advice. All that advice wasn’t always the greatest advice, but there’s some advice that resonated with me when it came to storytelling. “If you know who you are, you don’t have to worry about anything anymore.” That wasn’t from anybody. That was from Nikki Giovanni. That’s something that I try to keep with me and try to be mindful of. When I’m in a space and I’m trying to tell someone else’s story, how can I tell it truthfully and authentically, and be able to do it justice if I am not aware of who I am, why I’m there, and what I’m doing?
Show up as your full self, as much as you possibly can. That would probably be the best advice that I would give somebody. With visual ethnography, don’t tell people what happened. Show them why it matters. Show them why you’re doing this. Show them why this moment matters. Don’t be surface-level. That’s the easy way.
Anybody can pick up a camera and take a picture. If you’re going to be a creative, a photographer, or a storyteller, understand there’s a difference and a uniqueness in all that we do. Show people why it matters and show up as your full self. Know who you are to the best of your abilities. You have to be authentic when you show up. That’s what I would say.
Great advice. Going back to the truth and what Sylvia was asking about with getting people’s trust, that’s a good lesson for anybody across any discipline at any stage in their life. If you are authentic, people believe you and can trust you. Learning your authenticity or learning how to be that way takes years. Some people come out and spout what they think is on their mind at all times, and others learn how to do it with grace. I appreciate that piece of advice.
Meet people where they are.
Refilling Your Creative Well: Self-Care & Passion Projects
You are in service because you are authentic. You’re helping us see the why because we’re not always seeing the why. How do you refill your own cup? You’re in service to the communities. You’re in service at Prairie View A&M and to your family. You’re a mother and a wife. How do you then refill your cup?
I pray, and I do this. I finally feel like I’m at a place where I feel like I’m doing what God wants me to do. I spent most of my life avoiding it and trying to do everything else because I thought I was supposed to be doing other things in a certain way. To refill my cup, whenever everything is loud, I get quiet. I try to listen, and I try to rest the best that I can. I am not someone who shies away from a good nap.
It’s restorative.
In a moment. For me, it’s that prayer part. It’s taking time to sit in, cancel out the noise, breathe, listen to my breathing, pray, and go do something that I’m passionate about because it makes my heart feel good. It makes my mind feel good. We get tired. The equipment is heavy. It’s hot.
All of those. You’re in Texas.
If you know who you are, you don't have to worry about anything anymore. Share on XI’m in Texas. It’s hot and you’re out there sweating, but there is nothing like leaving a shoot or an event with that camera. No matter how physically tired I am, my heart is jumping for joy. I’m not playing. It is the best feeling to know that I’m doing something that I’m passionate about completely, and that I’m allowing myself to do it. I didn’t allow myself to do it before. I would half do it.
I make time for this, and I make time for myself in doing it away from what everybody else wants me to do. For creatives, as a whole, we’ll get clients that will tell us what they want. We offer a service, and we make sure that we do the service to the best of our abilities. There are moments when I do not work for the client. I will just work for myself. I will take myself out with my camera and go and shoot some flowers because it’s going to make me happy. That’s what I do.
Storm’s Eye: A Glimpse Into The Business & Brand
That’s the sign of someone who’s what I call walking in your calling or in your purpose. When you love what you do so much, you do it even when nobody’s paying you to do it or requiring you to do it. We know you work for Prairie View A&M as a professor. Tell us about your business because I know our audience would love to know how they could work with you and what that looks like.
Not a problem. I own a business. It’s called Taken by Storm. I focus exclusively on visual ethnography. I’m immersive and culturally aware. I do storytelling for everything from events to entertainment and concerts. I do sports. I love sports. I do sports brand culture and all that great stuff. It helps others be seen in their work and in their passions. That’s why I love entertainment. I love sports. I love community events as a whole because you see the passion of the people as well. I shoot it through more of a professional and urban aesthetic, in a sense. I like a very dark contrast. I have a style to it.
I do like to work with brands. That’s what Taken by Storm is. I do videography work as well. We’re not just documenting with photography, but we also do it through some small video work, like some stuff you can throw online or throw on your Instagram or something. With Taken by Storm, it’s TakenByStorm.co. TakenByStorm.co will lead you to a lot of what I do with events, entertainment, sports, and branding. You’re able to book there. There are services that I provide that are laid out. My professional portfolio is also listed there, as well as my social media and all my works.
Do you travel?
I do travel. I love to travel.
I know you travel personally, but I mean for work.
I’m trying to get more into that as much as possible.
Do you like Atlanta?
I do like Atlanta. I have a brother in Atlanta. He can tell me all the time. I haven’t seen him. I do travel worldwide. I don’t think there’s any place that I won’t go. I do love my Aussies, but maybe Australia.
Once you get there, it’s pretty amazing. Go there at least once. New Zealand’s amazing.
I’m going to trust you, but I saw those camel spiders.
You’ll be alright. In the city, you’ll be okay.
I’m just playing. I will come anywhere. I do love to travel. I don’t have a problem with that. Normally, I’ll do a consultation if someone is interested in something. I have worked with big brands. I have worked with politicians. I have worked with community leaders. I’ve touched on everything a little bit, and I will continue to do so.
Future Visions: Expanding Reach And Impact
A follow-up question. I could ask you a million, but I am curious. Do you have any vision of where you would see yourself, maybe five years from now or ten years from now?
The 5-year and 10-year question, I do these for mock interviews.
You should know. I’m throwing it out there.
Even in teaching my students or clients when we’re doing the mock interviews, I try to think of what I would say in that moment. They’re giving me the answers and I’m like, “I don’t even know.” I hope that I am still able to do this. I don’t know if I want to be on this grand skill or not. I would like my work to be more accessible. I would like the work to be seen more. I am, even now for the future, looking more into doing prints, like design prints and large-scale prints. One of my dreams is to have my work in hotels and big businesses.
There is nothing like leaving a shoot or an event with that camera. No matter how physically tired I am, my heart is jumping for joy knowing I'm doing something I'm passionate about. Share on XI’ve seen a lot of your work, even on your website. I would automatically think that that would come.
I hope so. I don’t know why it’s like a big thing to me, but I would love to be in some hotels. Do you know the entrance when you go into a hotel? I would love that. I’m looking into how I can network and get into that, or learn more about large-scale printing.
I love that goal.
Chelsé, here at the show, we’re about intentionality. What we see for you is that your large-scale prints are at the Marriott Company of the world. Marriott includes all of those brands. We’re also going to put you at IHG because they have a whole list of brands as well for their hotels. We may have you at some other places. We’re going to be intentional about you being at all of the major hotel companies, such that your work is seen and, most importantly, the why of the photo is seen.
That’s what’s important. That would be great. Hopefully, in the next five years, we will see that.
I see that. That’s wonderful. Thank you so much. I can go on and on, but in the interest of time, we know you are a busy woman. Is there anything that we have not mentioned? Is there anything that you’d like to share with our audience before we have to say goodbye?
I want to thank both of you for the opportunity to even be here. I’m a big fan.
Thank you.
It’s so necessary and needed, the conversations and the interviews that you guys have done. Even the wisdom that you both have that you’ve been able to impart onto the community and into these spaces has been, if you don’t know it, impactful. I’ve shared some of the episodes with some of my students and the community and let them know when they need a boost or if they want to know something. Please continue to do the work. You have a why as well. That is the most powerful thing about being a boss. I want to thank you guys. I also want to thank my family and everyone who has taken a chance on me. I want to thank all of my clients, whether it be former, present, or future. Thank you. That’s it.
Miss Chelsé “Storm” Lilly, until we meet again, may you be well. Thank you so much for your time and for being you.
Thank you.
Thank you, Chelsé.
Thank you.
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Reflecting On Authenticity: Key Takeaways & Wisdom
Angela, that was a fantastic conversation with Chelsé “Storm” Lilly. She is a visual ethnographer. I will be truthful. I had no earthly idea what that was before our conversation.
I feel the same.
I was so excited to hear about what I’m going to call photography with a purpose, or photography with a why that’s steeped in anthropology. There were so many takeaways from our conversation with Chelsé “Storm” Lilly. I was so taken by her intentionality around moments and capturing those moments, but also being authentic and present in those moments.
She also reminded me how important listening is. We know that. We’re in a listening profession, which is medicine. We had that reminder of being present, listening, and being authentic. I was so moved when she pulled out the camera that her dad sent her at 7 or 8 years old.
Isn’t that sweet?
That was great.
It’s that common theme that weaves through the stories of not necessarily that one moment, but those small things that people do in our lives that sometimes create the path or spark the dream. That was beautiful.
It’s the little things. What resonated with you?
There are so many. The backstory of Chelsé “Storm” Lilly is that she is my best friend from middle school and high school’s little sister.
Bridget Lewis.
She is Bridget Sims Lewis’s little sister. I’ve known her since she was in her mom’s belly. To see everything that she has accomplished in her life and how she overcame a tragic accident. She had so many things that happened, but she continued to leap through and jump on these lily pads. To see the progression of who she’s become in her career, as a mother, as a wife, as a daughter, and all of those things.
The pearl is that people are amazing, resilient, and beautiful. I have to give a nod to her mother, Carolyn Woods, as I give the shout-outs, because that anthropology part and that curiosity stems from there, and then the beauty of her dad giving her the camera. It’s beautiful the things that people do in our lives, and the things that you can do in someone else’s life by being intentional. I won’t go on about that. I loved her quote from Nikki Giovanni, “Once you know who you are. You don’t have to worry anymore. Some of us know that early, and some of us learn that later in life.
Knowing it, acting on it, and living it are different things. That does require evolution and age to be comfortable in our own skin.
It’s wisdom. There are two other points. She wants her work to be accessible. That resonated with me. In medicine, the things that we impart sometimes are so high-level. Where I am and what I want to do is to make the message of good health resonate with people on a lay level. Someone doesn’t need to have knowledge of the word hypertension and all the medications. Know that you need to take care of yourself. Know how you can take care of yourself and what is proven to help you along the way.
That’s via health styles, correct?
It is through health styles. It’s making it accessible so that anyone who sees it, reads it, or hears it can be helped by it, hopefully. She also talked about showing up as your full self. That’s wisdom. It’s being comfortable in your skin, being comfortable with yourself, and showing up authentically, which she certainly did. I am full at the end of this one. Anything else that you wanted to add?
This is one of our best conversations yet. I know that people will have lots of things that will resonate with them. Hopefully, they will share, like, subscribe, and follow.
To our audience and those who may be reading, we are very grateful that you were with us and joined us on this episode. We hope something that was said inspires and motivates you. We would encourage you to share with someone in your life who you think might get some inspiration or knowledge from this.
If you would, we would love for you to share, like, and subscribe on YouTube. You can find us at BossLeapPodcast.com. Please feel free to share with us anything that you’d like us to share in the future, ideas for future episodes, or anything that you think might be helpful along the way for us. Sylvia and I are appreciative of you and grateful. Until we meet again, may you be well.
May you be well.
Important Links
- Taken By Storm
- Chelsé “Storm” Lilly on LinkedIn
- Chelsé “Storm” Lilly on Instagram
- Boss Leap Podcast on YouTube
About Chelse’ “Storm” Lilly
Chelsé Storm Lilly is a visual ethnographer, educator, and creative strategist whose work lives at the crossroads of storytelling, community development, and design thinking. She currently serves as the Prairie View A&M University Extension Agent for Tarrant County, where she delivers hands-on guidance in business planning, branding, marketing strategy, and entrepreneurship, helping historically underrepresented communities launch and grow sustainable ventures.
Chelsé brings a human-centered approach to her work, using video ethnography and community storytelling to document real challenges and successes, ensuring programs remain rooted in lived experience. She thrives on building partnerships across nonprofits, government agencies, and local organizations to connect clients with resources that spark economic growth and long-term resilience.
In higher education, Chelsé is a Branding and Identity Instructor at East Texas A&M University (formerly Texas A&M Commerce), guiding students through the action-oriented process of personal brand building, career exploration, and engagement management. A certified Career Coach and Life Design Fellow, she has coached learners of all ages in aligning their professional paths with purpose, passion, and authenticity.
Beyond the classroom and community programs, Chelsé is the founder of Taken By Storm LLC, a creative brand specializing in photography, narrative design, and visual ethnography. Her lens follows authenticity, capturing unfiltered stories of identity, history, and transformation for artists, institutions, and purpose-driven brands. Whether documenting a performance, protest, or sporting event, her goal is always the same: to translate everyday moments into meaningful narratives.
Chelsé holds a Master of Science in Educational Technology – Leadership from Texas A&M University-Commerce, a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (Business Communications) from the University of Texas at Arlington, and an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences (Digital Media and Communications) from Navarro College.
Outside of her professional roles, she is an avid creator, a “wannabe” traveler, devoted wife and mother, and lifelong learner. Her camera is never far from her side ready to capture the people, places, and experiences that inspire her. At her core, Chelsé is passionate about authenticity, creativity, and equipping others with the tools to design the life they envision.