Jason Hales is a creator, a photographer, a husband, a father, and one of the most intentional people I know. In this episode, we talk about the long arc of becoming who you want to be - from leaving corporate sales, to building a family-run creative studio with his wife Natalie, to raising daughters with grit, independence, and imagination.Jason opens up about the early days of discovering photography, the whirlwind of wedding work that launched his career, the adventure years of taking any kind of photography job he could get, and the creative studio he’s built out of his home alongside his wife, Natalie. We also talk about the power of photos in shaping memory, navigating screens and boundaries, and a vasectomy story that’ll leave you without words.

I walked away from this conversation encouraged and grateful. Jason’s life is a reminder that being a great dad isn’t about perfection, it’s about presence, intentionality, and choosing (again and again) to build a life around the people you love.

As always, chapter markers and relevant links can be found below.

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🔗 Links:

Jason’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hales_photo

Hales Photo: https://www.hales.photo Wild Dingo Studios

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wilddingostudios

Wild Dingo Studios: https://www.wilddingostudios.com

Dad’s World Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dadsworldpodcast

Calico Sonder: https://www.calicosonder.com

📖 Chapter Markers:

00:00 Intro

01:34 Welcome

02:05 Elevator pitch

03:14 The power of a name

04:10 From corporate sales to creative life

05:06 The power of a spouse

06:36 Creative spark

09:23 The engagement shoot

11:09 Meeting Natalie: a love story

13:57 Fitness, aging, and refusing to be “the old dad”

15:21 Running a business from home as a family

16:37 Parenting in the early years & remembering through photos

19:19 Pulleys, dinosaurs, and nurturing curiosity

20:50 Social growth & the landline idea

22:22 The Vasectomy Story

25:19 Raising strong, independent girls

28:00 What do you want your kids to know about you?

29:30 Closing Thoughts + outro