Meet Lance Thorn | Narrative Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lance Thorn and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lance, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Most of my work life has been working with small business owners. I felt I was a sounding board for their dreams, fears, wants, passions, everything. In each situation, my role was always a developer in my different roles. The end goal has always been creating an experience for their customers that is enjoyable, easy and highly personalized. I’ve been told I can at times be a catalyst for others.

Being a catalyst for myself, that is certainly a different beast! And so, I I wanted to find a way to connect with people on a personal level through photographs and video that reflected my past experiences in something I an passionate about.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My work is personalized to the people I photograph. There is a bit of ‘me’ in it for sure. Portraits are the most favorite part of my work. I want to further develop what a portrait means and how it can be useful to others. It’s a way to bridge people together, to deepen our understandings of ourselves. It’s documenting the timeline of people, their story of arrival, what they experience, the experience of othering, a dignity-focused practice of celebration and empowerment.

When people see me, they want to express their longterm vision, be seen, to give appreciation to their story. Like a moment everlasting. It’s a goal I strive for with them. Of course, it’s a huge goal but always worth aspiring for in the execution.

It’s taken me years to get to where I am starting out and there have been a lot of lessons in humility along the way. I’m thankful for my years of experience in retail sales, management, working on the ‘lowest’ rung to being a person in charge. All aspects have taught me a lot about what it means to be take ownership of my business. Every time I’ve hit a roadblock, sometimes it feels like it’s time to stop. But I break through because when I have a goal, it’s more about adjusting the path towards it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
For sights, of course Mt. Lemmon or any park nearby for nature. Breakfast/Brunch would be the Coronet, then Lunch or dinner, Fatman. At night, we’d certainly start at the Mercado San Augustin for drinks or appetizers. It’s a fantastic place for people watching and has a great mix of all people in Tucson. The Owls Club is great for a dark, moody night or the Nightjar for a trip to world of romanticism.

To chill out, movie nights at The Loft, performances at the Rialto.

Tucson has so many people creating things or coming from amazing careers to start something new here. It’s a great place to mingle and make connections. or have a unique experience. The list goes on, really.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am shouting out to my dear friends Heather Zinger, Memphis Barbree, Hernandez Family, Edward Cruz & Alec Laughlin. They have been a big support in helping my grow my business in so many ways. A sounding board to the tough days, booking gigs, figuring out what works and doesn’t work. Sharing my excitement, talking me off ledge and showing me positive examples of what it’s like to step forward and then some.

Website: www.lancethorn.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/lancethorn