Yvonne Heimann [00:00:01]:
I am so excited to share this episode with you today. I sat down with Lesle Lane who runs Studio 13, a photography business in Indianapolis. Now, Lesle's story is fun, cool and amazing. She is a third generation photographer who took over her family's business at just 23 years old, when her step dad happened to suffer a stroke, and get this: Her parents stuck a camera in her hands at the age of 6, just to keep them from driving crazy. She actually wanted to be a youth pastor originally but decided she wasn't good enough to be a preacher, which just made me laugh. We get real about what it's like being a woman in a mans world and Lesle shares this crazy story about getting fired from a job site actually celebrating one of her successes after she finished a tough project, while guys on the same site could just whistle at women with no problem, yep, talk about double standards. Though what I loved most about our conversation is how Lesle figured out to scale her business without losing what makes her so special as a photographer, she was like "I never wanted to manage people, I stink at it" and now she actually has a big team and is really good at it. Gotta love our personal perceptions, don't we?
Now, setting up those systems while accepting that every photographer has their own thumb print style was how she got to that and made it happen. So if you are trying to grow your business while keeping your standards high, or if you ever felt like the only woman in the room. This conversation is for you, let's jump on it.
Yvonne Heimann [00:02:18]:
And with that, I would love to introduce you to my guest today. Lesle Lane is the founder and lead photographer of Studio 13. And Lesle is a third generation photographer with deep roots in the industry, transitioning her family's legacy business into a modern, thriving corporate and commercial photography brand. As one of the few women in commercial photography in the in the Indianapolis area, Lesle's story is one of pioneering in both business and photography, helping companies enhance their brands through high quality visual content. And Lesle, we already had fun behind the scenes, so this is going to be a really interesting episode. I already know that and question my audience knows what's coming because your introduction just totally set me up for this. Did little Lesle know you are going to step into the family business and be a photographer? Or was little Lesle initially the sassy one? Like, I'm not doing this and you came back around? I'm curious.
Lesle Lane [00:03:37]:
It's actually a combination of both. So my parents put a camera in my hand at 6 years old because I was driving them crazy. So, like they took me all over the country taking pictures all the time and I'm like, this is boring. And they're like, here, take a camera, Leave me alone. And so I still have that first roll of film from that very first camera that I had. And I actually have pictures of my parents because what else was I going to take pictures of than my parents taking pictures? And so I did love having a camera in my hand from a very early stage. But I have to say, watching your parents work does not glamorize what running a business looks like. And the number of nights and weekends, especially that my father worked, my stepfather worked.
And so I thought I was going to go to school and be a youth pastor. I thought I'd be really good working with teenage kids. And then I realized I was not nearly a good enough person to be a preacher in any capacity. And so I fell back on the family business.
Yvonne Heimann [00:04:36]:
Oh my God. Oh, I'm like, I'm cracking up over here. I'm like, yeah, yeah. I'm like, I. We already connected behind the scenes before the episode where we are both got that sassy streak. I can see where that might not perfectly align with the preacher thing. Yeah. However, I also have seen some preachers that really have some sass to it.
So who knows? I'm happy. I'm happy you went the photography route. Now my next question is this. We often have this perception of personalities behind the camera and in front of the camera. So interestingly enough, yes, I do shoot behind the camera too. I've done a lot of that, more on the video side of things, but I'm like, yeah, you know what, there's people that have a better eye for that. I actually like the limelight, being in front of the camera. Make myself a podcast host.
Right. Can position myself perfectly for that. What about you being so much behind the camera, making others look great. How do you feel in front of the camera?
Lesle Lane [00:05:43]:
I am not a fan. I am not a fan at all. I really, even though when I go into a business, I kind of am the center of attention because everybody sees me come in and I've got equipment. I really don't like being the center of attention like that. So I do think that it gives me kind of an edge with my subjects because most people I photograph aren't comfortable in front of the camera, so. But yes, I'm one of those photographers that pretty much I hate many, many pictures of myself.
Yvonne Heimann [00:06:14]:
Oh yeah. And I'm like, don't get me wrong, I've definitely been there and there's pictures out, out there of me where I'm like, okay, but you know what, I don't care if that double chin shows in that picture. I'm building the story around it. But yeah, it's like working with a lot of my clients. Everybody is like, oh my God. And in front of the camera and looking good. And that angle is weird. And don't get me wrong, there is an angle of my nose where I look like Konish Drosselbart.
A German story with a where the dude, dude has a huge long nose. So the nice thing I've seen with photographers though, that often don't like to be in front of the camera is that understanding of that, that emotion of that stress and being able to get people out of that. And now when I specifically look at you as a corporate photographer, where that is all nother story, right? It's a whole nother layer than just family pictures where you can play a little bit more. I would love to dive a little bit deeper into this and starting really at the beginning of this. So you're coming in as a third generation photographer in that business, as a female in that business, and now also transforming that, that family legacy business that's been around for just a few years, right from that quote, I don't want to say old stuff. From that legacy style business into a 2025 business, into a female run business. What are some of the challenges that you have experienced taking that established business in a corporate sector and making it yours?
Lesle Lane [00:08:06]:
Boy, you know, I wish I could tell you it was a very smooth ride, but it was not and it has not been. And there are days that I still question my sanity for continuing to press this because I still sometimes are the only woman in the room. Just think about where people look for vendors in a networking type circumstance. And I'm trying to find these corporate partners that I can come alongside with. I'm not really looking for the mom and pops anymore. I'm looking for larger. I don't need a whale, but I certainly need a swordfish. And so there's still a lot of males that are making those decisions.
But it is getting better. Women are coming into power, into marketing positions and to CEO positions, to CFO positions. So it is getting better. But as a 21 year old, which is when I came into my parents business, I ended up taking it over when I was 23 because my stepdad had a stroke. I was the only female photographer in Indianapolis and I was already kind of tough because my mom was tough. So think about the women, you know, back, my mom was born in the 40s, my grandmother obviously 20 years younger than that. And both my grandmother and my mother were integral parts of the business. They worked every day while raising their children because that's what photography does for you, is that you can have both.
It just doesn't happen very often. But my mother, my grandmother raised me to be tough. So what's the first thing you get labeled at as a young woman in business? That's tough. It's the B word. I don't know how explicit your podcast.
Yvonne Heimann [00:09:50]:
Is, but it's always mark explicit. It's like anybody listening you, you don't see my eyebrow go up right now because my brain went through all of the words that you pretty much get bleeped out on TV for. Because I'm like, we've all experienced it, right? It's like even me, I started out as an electrician, so again the only female around. And fortunately I knew all of the games and all of the, the weird games they play on, on construction sites, white testing you the whole pick up that specific oil and it doesn't exist, that kind of stuff. But yeah, I'm like, you need to grow with thick skin, you need to speak up, you, you need to be assertive. And so often enough for us as women, when we own our position, we are proud of what we have accomplished, know and do that. We have been told to just be proud and get out there and we do it and we get smacked over the head being called all names under the sun because now suddenly we are doing what we are told to be doing.
And it's, it's interesting and I've seen some changes happening, but I would love to hear them from you because you are like literally boots on the ground in a situation where you mentioned aligning with other female managers and leaders. Because that's what happens, right? It's call it the broke out, call it just human nature. Everybody goes first to their known circles. So when you are working with management positions and the people that are making the decisions and they are men, they have their circles and it's, it's a habit. I'm like, on one hand I can't fold them because we often all just fall back to the people we know. But on the other hand I've been seeing some changes where that is changing enough of my experience. How, what have you experienced over the last few years? Changing, changing on male perception and the effort they are putting in being in a manager position making decisions. Has something changed there? Have you seen something? But also what have you seen with women stepping more into manager position and making those decisions?
Lesle Lane [00:12:19]:
Yeah, a couple things that I want to key on because it's funny that you mentioned construction because I think women are held to a different standard working in the construction industry. So much of the work that I do, architecturals, interiors, working on construction sites, going in, into industrial situation. Fifteen years ago I was given an impossible deadline in a construction situation. And I was so thrilled when I got done with that that I let out an explicit set of words to kind of celebrate that I had accomplished.
Yvonne Heimann [00:12:54]:
Let me get something like fuck yes.
Lesle Lane [00:12:58]:
I was fired.
Yvonne Heimann [00:12:59]:
You are kidding me.
Lesle Lane [00:13:00]:
I was fired for being unprofessional.
Yvonne Heimann [00:13:06]:
And I'm like, but, but you guys, you guys on the construction zone get to whistle after my ass and make. Really?
Lesle Lane [00:13:15]:
Yes, yes. I was given a dressing down by a female for being unprofessional on the work site. And I sat there and I was so angry. And you know what I hate about being angry is when you cry when you're angry. And I was so angry that I couldn't even keep my tears from slipping out. And she looked at me and she goes, you seem shocked by this.
Yvonne Heimann [00:13:33]:
Oh fuck you bitch, you as a female that has the same struggles, Are you kidding me?
Lesle Lane [00:13:42]:
And I just looked at her, I said, you know, I've been called a lot of things. I've been called a bitch, I've been called bossy, I've been called all kind of things, but unprofessional this is a first. And so it, that was 15 years ago. And so what I figured, you know, that that was a time and a place. Hasn't happened since, haven't had anything like it happen since. But about seven years ago, you know, you gotta raise your kids, you gotta, you're raising kids, you're going to PTAs, you're doing all that stuff. And I was really working in a silo. I was really not hanging out with women like me.
I didn't really know women like me existed. And so because I do so much work construction, I started to network at a group called Crew Network. It is, they have regional clubs, but it is a global industry of women in commercial real estate. You want to talk about rock stars, you want to talk about women that get shit done and thick skinned and they're around men all the time. It changed my life to be able to go to those groups and see these women not back down and to see them stand their ground, to see them go in for pay disparity and to listen to their stories about what they've endured at that table. And then those groups also welcome male advocates. And that's what I feel like has started to truly change the men that love, respect and honor women both at work and at home show up for women at work and at home. I'm not saying they're growing on trees and they're everywhere, but if you go to places like that, you can find them.
And that's what I feel has made the biggest difference in my life. Also. I met an incredible gentleman that I ended up marrying who has let me know in no uncertain circumstances that he's, he's been in corporate America for 35 years. And he said, I've had male bosses and I've had women bosses and I would take a female boss any day. So to find these men, they're just like, you know, women tend to lead with a little bit different mind. And we are different, we're wired different, we're just different. We need both the strengths of men, women and people that don't even associate with either gender. We need all kinds of people, all kinds of colors.
Because we all come to it from a completely different perspective of our nature and our nurture and our experiences. Three different things that we bring to lead. And Crew Network has definitely been something that changed my life in that aspect.
Yvonne Heimann [00:16:26]:
Oh my. And I'm getting, I'm like, I'm getting goosebumps over here. I'm like, especially when it comes to supportive men so found found myself a similar one right swiping, swiping right on a tourist when, when I was still living in San Diego. I'm like swiping right on a tourist. I'm always joking with him. I'm like cool, I'm in Vancouver island right now. I'm in Victoria. You are still in Michigan, we'll get it taken care of at some point.
But it's this, it's this understanding and the change that I have seen again they unfortunately don't grow on trees yet in men where it's like there is different approaches, there is advantages to each of those approaches. Why limit ourselves to. To that little bubble that we see that we know, that we perceive, receive rather than opening that bubble up and allowing different opinions and different viewpoints in that help us be better too. It's like it's not that cutoff. We all can coexist in the same realm and we don't have to thousand percent agree with each other. We just agree each other with enough and communicate where it's like live and let live. Two different viewpoints, two different perceptions can coexist. And similar to you, unfortunately just on a not even a handful of men, I, I'm happy to report I.
I have seen more and more of these too but unfortunately I've also seen the ones that do not want to adjust and do not want to learn fight back big time. Having said that, having said that, I'm curious coming back around to, to business. So you talk about how photographs you are creating works of art designed with a client in mind. So it's this visual storytelling with you actually working pretty much with global clients. How do you maintain that level of quality you have set for yourself while growing the business, while changing the business? How do you, how do you balance all of this out? Because I'm like it's not like you can just take a screenshot. It's. It's you, it's your creativity. How do you scale something like that?
Lesle Lane [00:19:10]:
It has not been easy. This has been something that as far as the scalability goes. So I had a really awful first experience as a young business person with working with people. I mean who's going to take a 23 year old seriously as a manager? Nor should they have taken me seriously. And so I basically took my parents business and I said nope, nope, nope. And I got it down to me and one other person. And so I'm like I am never going to have more than myself because I don't want to manage people. I Stink at it.
I don't want to manage people. And then, of course, life laughs at you and life throws you a huge curveball. And my assistant and editor of 25-30 years died unexpectedly. And there I was with nobody but me, and I can't do it all. And so my daughter, God love her soul, she came into the business and she said, mom, I'll give you two years of my life to help you figure this out. She was out of school, she was a new mother. She didn't want to go back to work full time. And so she came in and she took all the administration off my plate.
And she's like, okay, now what can we take off next? And so she kept working with me to chop, chop, chop all the things that I could not do anymore. And then I'm like, well, you know, if you're going to chop all this stuff off my plate, certainly I can now grow my business and I can train people, and I can train people to shoot like me. And so she started helping me put together standard operating procedures. This is the way we're going to dress, this is the way we're going to act, this is how we're going to talk. Here are non compete agreements. She made me a manual of every client that I have. Here's examples of what we've shot for that client, here's how we lit for this client. Here's everything you need to know.
Lesle Lane [00:21:02]:
But you know what's funny? You're right. I'm still struggling with my photographers being like me, because they're not. And so I start telling my clients, even though we're going to do everything we can to have it imitate my style, it will be an imitation. Because every photographer is like a thumbprint. And even though we are, you know, the kind of business, you can find them around every single corner. My people that come out to work with me, we build relationships with our clients. So even though I'm the photographer, I take the same half a dozen assistants on jobs with me all the time. And they grow their relationships with my clients so that when I'm not available, I say, are you okay with photographer A taking over this job? Absolutely, Lesle, absolutely.
And I said, you understand? It won't be perfect, it won't be like me. It'll be perfect for them. And so I kind of try to spin it because photography is so much about the relationship, it's so much about the client knowing we're going to be on time, we're going to be professional no matter what that lady said and we are going to deliver on time, invoice on time, quote, on time. And you are going to be happy you chose us. And so it's a little bit more. And I think because I don't build widgets and the widget's not the same every time, people expect that there's going to be a little bit of diversity, a little bit of flow within that.
Yvonne Heimann [00:22:32]:
Creativity and I want it's completely agree. So interestingly enough, I have found my personal photographer in Sacramento. When I was living there, she came to San Diego and actually drove up with me to Vancouver island and is going to do the road trip with me from here to Wichita again too. And it's just I love Monica to pieces. She is the run and gun, no major lighting. She is that golden hour photographer, hippie, boho style. I love her to pieces and she just catches me. And it doesn't matter if it's action shots on the beach or it's the sexy one on the bed.
Love her to pieces. So I completely get where you are saying it's like it's that style. I even tried a local photographer for my business shoots and I couldn't get what I wanted because it's completely different. However, in your situation, I also see part of it as an advantage where it's like, okay, we have the base down, my team is going to be on time, you're going to get high quality delivered. We know all of that now. We are looking for an advertising campaign maybe. So we want a little bit more active. We want a little bit more in, in our sepia tones.
We want to have it a little bit more fluid. I sound like a website client telling somebody to make it more pop. But you get what I'm going for. They if, if there is, if it's more an active, more an event type thing, thing, you might just have a photographer that is perfect for that with their own style while having the perfect base knowledge and skill and trust with the client. And then you maybe have more of a stage shooting photographer there and more of a headshot still. We really need full on corporate on that one. So I'm like, I see it kind of as an advantage of it's not just a carbon copy. They have their own personality and their own twist with it where now not everything looks the same.
You have a little bit of a different personality in the imagery. Am I wrong with that?
Lesle Lane [00:24:52]:
Yes. Oh no, you are not wrong at all. Because I don't shoot events. I hate events. I'm bad at events. I Get bored to tears and lose interest. Like that's how bad I am. I don't do video, I don't do drone.
Well, I have people that do that all day long. In fact, I have three different event shooters, each one of them having a different style and different things that they're successful at. What it allows me to do is to not only take on this work that up until three years ago I wasn't, but also it allows me to say, okay, I had an ad last week and if it's an ad, I'm going to do it. That's something that I need to be involved with the art directors, I need to be involved with the creative process. Well, guess what happened? Like what always happens, Somebody else wanted the same day. And so I've got people that I can take and they can do that job. We don't miss the work just because I'm doing something that requires my gifts and talents. There might be something else that's not quite as difficult or doesn't require the same, you know, hand holding that certain clients require.
Or maybe you've got both an ad agency and a client that are both there, art directing. And you don't want to put a photographer in that position that's just not comfortable in it. You know, sometimes the younger photographers just carrying on a conversation is harder than it used to be. And so you just put the right photographer with the right client with the right kind of work so that we can handle it all and our clients don't have to go looking for another photographer. Because vetting that out is so difficult. It really is.
Yvonne Heimann [00:26:29]:
Especially when you don't have time. It's like, oh yeah, marketing is wanting to do this. It happens in a week, we need it now. I'm like, I'm like, yes, coping is usually a little bit better planned than, than small businesses, but it still happens right where it's like, oh yeah, this fell through the cracks, we need you tomorrow. But I love, I love how you and your business are the perfect example of replicating yourself and scaling your business doesn't have to be and I don't think should be a full on carbon copy. It's set the boundaries, set the standards and then there is room to play. You know exactly what needs to be taken care of, how it needs to be taken care of.
And here is 25% 50% of the job is go play, go have fun. And especially with something as tangible as being a photographer in an imagery and that creative. Thank you. Thank you for bringing me the perfect story of Guys, when you are scaling, it doesn't mean everything has to be exactly. You don't have to micromanage. You don't have to be this. It has to be exactly like this 80% is enough.
Lesle Lane [00:27:50]:
That is such a good reminder because we've just had a lot of work coming in lately. And being that I am ocd, my mother says that I'm a little bit of a control freak. I can tell you that it crossed my mind many times over the last few weeks. Well, that wasn't close enough. So I think you've just given me a good reminder that. Especially because we send a survey and we ask our clients, how did it go? What did you think? Did they do everything they're supposed to do? And my clients are thrilled. And I'm sitting behind the computer going, well, they could have done this differently and they could have done that differently. So it's a really good reminder that it doesn't.
You're exactly right. It does not have to be a carbon copy. That people are buying the consistency and the relationship more than they're buying somebody that's a Lesle clone.
Yvonne Heimann [00:28:45]:
And I think, same, same here. It's like, I used to be. I used to waste so much time on this specific little thing, and I wanted to have it the exact spot and right there. And I'm like, I am. I am detail oriented. I am specific. And yes, I even goddamn travel with my own coffee maker, mu mug and spoon. Because I'm so specific in how I want things.
And the thing that I keep telling myself to step away from it is my 80% is somebody else's 120%
Lesle Lane [00:29:23]:
Wow. Yes. That's very powerful.
Yvonne Heimann [00:29:27]:
It's fine. Nobody sees the details as much as we do. And I'm like, my 80% is somebody else's 120%. Just take a breather. It's fine. I'm the only one who sees this. As long as the client is happy and everything worked out how they expected, my ego doesn't matter. And that's where.
That's where I have been able to work with the same kind of. We are detail oriented, right? We are. We are showcase. You're showcasing people's personality. You are making sure. Sure they show up in imagery, how they want to show up. You are telling their story. Sure thing.
You are paying attention to the details.
Lesle Lane [00:30:07]:
Yeah, you're exactly right. But it's just, It's. It's so interesting being in this field because sometimes I go in and I get like a half a dozen people. They let me go from desk to desk or office to office, and that's great. Other times, I get 30 people that all have to be done in the same environment or they all have to be done the same. And so this week, I had a gentleman that was having a rough time, and he just wasn't. He wasn't there. He wasn't feeling it that day.
And I put my camera down, and I took a moment to talk to him. You know, not asking prying questions, just letting him know that I'm listening to him. Do you want to schedule this for another day? And sometimes. And we ended up getting great photographs of him because I stopped because I didn't feel like I had to go fast and to get to the next person, even though we were on a scheduled timeline of 10 minutes per person, and I'm like, nope, it stops right here. And so sometimes getting the person to show up on the camera is just simply acknowledging that you see them, where they're at. And I think that we can all remember that in our business, in everyday life, whether it's photography, marketing, podcasting, you know, where are you today?
Are. Are you okay? Because I think a lot of people aren't okay right now.
Yvonne Heimann [00:31:22]:
I felt that one. I felt that one. And I think for us to step out, I think we all, to some level, are struggling. There is fear, integrated. There's so much going on right now, and I think just taking a second step, stepping out from our every day and just be like, hey, I got five minutes. Let me know what's going on with you. And just hearing them and seeing them leaving our baggage aside for a second can make such a big difference. And I'm curious, what's in the Future for Studio 13? How.
How do you continuously make a difference? What's your plan?
Lesle Lane [00:32:09]:
Well, I will not be having a fourth generation come after me, so I will not my children, unless my grandchildren decide that they want to come. In the industry, I have to make my impact differently than the way that my family did. And so I've been very blessed that I get to work a lot in higher education. So I not only serve on the board of directors for my alma mater, Butler University here in Indianapolis, I'm on their alumni board. But I also work with several colleges around the region. And every time I go to one of those colleges, somebody always says, hey, can I talk to you? Can I talk to you about your business? Can I talk to you about what you're doing? And I try to always say, yes. Yes is something that you have to balance really well. You have to know when to say no, and you have to know when to say yes.
And. And Impact meetings are meetings I try to always say yes to, especially when we're talking about women, and even more if it's in a marginalized group. And so through all these different universities, I have a mentee that I meet with regularly, and then I have young women that I have brought onto my team to teach them how to be assistants, because they have a joy of photography and they'd like to learn more. So, you know, I say my legacy is hopefully going to be impact. Whether that's. That's my word for me, whether it's through my business and the people that I meet, clients, or whether it's with my children, my grandchildren. But everything I do behind the camera, when I'm away from the camera, it's so that when I close my eyes at night, I know that I've made a difference in somebody's life, even if it's small, even if it's very, very small, and they don't even remember my name when it's over. If they can go home and say, you know, she was really nice to me today, I feel like that that's impactful.
Yvonne Heimann [00:34:07]:
Ah, yeah. This is a Goosebump episode again. It's like I'm. I completely identify with that. It's sometimes on bad days, I'm wondering, I'm like, what am I actually doing here? I don't have kids. Build the business, grow the business. What's happening? And like, yes, death is always on the front doorstep for me. It's always in the back of my mind, having lost my husband to cancer, where it's like, what am I doing here? So hearing you how impact is going to be your legacy, I'm like, yeah, I can identify with that.
What are we building here? And that has been our journey. My journey, as well as including my team this year, of how can we make this, this impact? And one of the reasons why the podcast is what the podcast is now, and focusing on women and giving everybody the platform. So, yeah, I. When we already chatted before the episode, I knew this was going to be a good one. Maybe in my travels, I make myself find my way to Indianapolis at some point, because, man, you are on my list of wanting to meet in person at some point.
Lesle Lane [00:35:20]:
Well, I travel a lot, too, so if I. If I go west, I'll let you know. Well, we'll meet up.
Yvonne Heimann [00:35:27]:
Like, I'm Vancouver island right now, going to find my way to Wichita probably at some point, Austin in between. So we'll, we'll stay in contact and see if we can make this happen. Lesle, for everybody else, for everybody else is like godamn. I love her as much as Yvi loves her. I want to follow her. I want to figure out what she's doing. Where can people people find you?
Lesle Lane [00:35:49]:
Sure. My website is studio13online.com. You can see my work. You can see we've got tons of educational pages to learn more about photography, to learn more about marketing. It's not just about my photography, but of course the images are incredible. You can also find me on Instagram, studio13indy, you can find me on LinkedIn, Lesle Lane and studio13. And you know, if anybody out there, you know, if you want to talk photography, if you want to talk about how to run a business like photography, I'm happy to chat. It's just, it's been a great ride and I am so grateful that I've had this opportunity to share it with you and it's been, it's been a great, great time.
Yvonne Heimann [00:36:25]:
Thanks so much for being on. And again, you guys know what comes. All of the links are going to be in the description easily for you to just click on. Lesle, thank you so much for joining me today. And everybody, if you haven't subscribed yet, go hit that button because I got a lot more amazing women like Lesle come on pretty soon. So you don't want to miss out on that. Lesle, thank you so much. And everybody, I'll see you soon.
Bye.
Lesle Lane [00:36:55]:
Thank you.