Ellie Lillstrom

Give her a follow and say hello!

1. Tell me a little bit about you, who is Ellie outside of work?

Welp, I’m an Ennegram 3w2, and a new mom trying to keep up with my sassy, funny and talkative toddler, Colette! When I AM able to score some down time (so few and far between these days!), I love to nerd out hard on my plant collection, interiors, French TV shows, planning my flower garden, and baking all the things. I also enjoy going on walks with our family pup, an Airedale Terrier called Edie, and also endlessly scrolling through Netflix every night, looking at a bunch of previews and never actually watching anything with my husband, Cassady. I'm a proud, first-generation Filipinx American, and my current hobby in this phase of quarantine is trying to learn as much as I can from my mom about my favorite comfort food dishes and regional recipes she would make for me as a kid!

2. What do you do for work?

I’ve been a full time commercial, editorial and interiors photographer for almost 9 years now! Time flies when you love what you do for a living.

3. As a female entrepreneur and business owner working in a competitive industry, what are some of the biggest obstacles you have faced within your industry / the workplace?

Well, for me, any challenges I face in the photography industry as a woman, I also face as woman of color, which I feel genuinely set me up at the start of my career to have to work that much harder to be taken seriously and respected than the rest of my peers. The varying degrees of sexism and racism I’ve experienced over the years have always been intertwined; I rarely experience one without the other. I’ve shown up to a shoot for a hospitality client at a hotel and been asked if I’m there for domestic worker training, or, quite a few times, I’ve brought along one of my assistants on a shoot who is a white male, and been mistaken for HIS assistant when we both show up on location side by side. I have tried my best to never let those experiences shake me, or steal any of the joy I get from being fortunate enough to do something I absolutely love for a living! Those instances have pushed me to not only continue to grow in my craft, but also to strive to be as inclusive as possible in who I hire and who I work with, and to always keep an open mind!

4. What women in your life inspire you and why?

Oh, gosh! I find myself endlessly inspired by all of the incredible women in my life…so lucky to be continuously motivated and encouraged by my closest friends, who are all in such different fields. My bestie Kelly is an insanely talented graphic designer whose work is always so ahead of the trends. She has the best instincts when it comes to bringing her own witty sense of humor and exceptionally good taste to all her projects as a designer! My good friend, Jess is a badass, trailblazing guitarist and songwriter who has conquered a lot of obstacles in her own career while navigating the male-dominated music industry. Her talent, creative vision, and unparalleled work ethic have gained her massive amounts of respect and have paved the way for other young women to rise up in the music world. My friend Lisa is one of the founders of Aurora Commons, a local nonprofit that serves the unhoused community along Aurora every single day, even in the midst of the pandemic. They way that she and the staff show up and advocate for Seattle’s most marginalized and vulnerable communities day in and day out truly blows my mind. Their work is essential. My friend Sarah, who is a labor and delivery nurse, has been on the frontlines during the entire pandemic, bringing babies into the world, giving it her all…and somehow she still manages to show up for her people! She gives of herself and of her time like no other. I could go on and on about all of my friends, and how much I admire them and am inspired by them, but I don’t think there is enough time for that…

But, I can’t wrap up without saying that my mom inspires me, too. When she was even younger than me, she left behind her whole life in the Philippines—her home, her family, and everything she knew to come to America and start a new life on her own! She lived in Alaska for a few years, and even learned to catch salmon in the streams out there with her bare hands…and after that she became a nurse, and worked to take care of people for 35+ years. And she’s a wizard in the kitchen to boot; my grandmother was a restauranteur and started teaching my mom how to cook when she was just 5 years old! She’s taught me everything I know about making sure everyone is fed, happy and looked after.

5. What advice would you give to women who want to pursue a new life direction -- whether that be moving to a new city, pursuing a new career path, starting a side hustle or choosing a new major in school?

As cliche at it sounds…enjoy the ride! The journey to achieve an end goal is equally as important as the objective, itself. Change, and starting something from scratch, can be scary, but it also means there are endless possibilities and so much potential lying just ahead of you! Make sure to hold on tight and learn to embrace the growing season, and not just long for the goal is accomplished.

6. How do you balance a job, personal life and passions? Is there such a thing as balance?

Is it balance if I don’t know what month it is and you only wear elastic waist pants? Lol

7. What are some ways you implement self-care?

Investing in quality skincare, keeping up with my reading list (even if it’s at the mercy of my baby’s sleep schedule), long baths, making time to bake, even when it’s late and everyone else is in bed, gardening and landscape planning for our huge yard, a good splurge, daydreaming and scheming about where and when my next vacation will be

8. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders, movers and shakers?

Trust your instincts above all else, and find a way to spend your days doing a job that brings you joy (in some form or another)! More importantly—community over competition…a saying that a lot of my fellow lady photogs in Seattle like to live by. Find ways to connect with and encourage your contemporaries, and build a network of trust instead of a track for competition.

9. How can women advocate for each other?

The only way women will truly ever be able to show up and advocate for each other is if they know how to advocate for and love THEMSELVES first—that includes all the flaws and messy bits. This one took me a long time to learn, but makes all the difference in the end. Being willing to take ownership of and work though your own shortcomings and insecurities will allow you to be a more complete, whole self, and free you up to rally for and encourage all of the women in you life! If you’re too busy feeling threatened or inadequate because of what all the ladies around you are doing, you’ll never have the time or energy to show up for them meaningfully. Let empathy and kindness lead the way...

10. What is your power color and why?

Totally predictably, its pink! I love using in it in my wardrobe and in my home in unexpected ways—using its outdated symbolism of “femininity” as a juxtaposition, in ways that can feel counterintuitive at first…but end up feeling more right the longer you let it settle in!

11. What is your female anthem – the song that hypes you up and makes you feel like a girl boss and that you can take on anything in the world?

Honestly, few songs can get me truly pumped like “Call Your Girlfriend” by Robyn. Or, on a totally different side of the spectrum, the entirety of “Seat at the Table” by Solange. That’s the album that played start to finish while I was in the hardest stages of labor, and it ended just as my daughter was born, so it will forever hold a place of power, ferocity and tenderness in my heart!

Portrait illustrations are by Hailey Coral.

WOMEN ARE MAGIC | Ellie Lillstrom