Meet Nadia Pandolfo | Creative Director & Photographer & Writer

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

Hi Nadia, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
My work life balance has evolved over the span of my career. As the years advance, I notice my body takes longer to recover. I have less physical and mental stamina. So it is more important than ever to prioritize self care to maximize my peak performance. One of the things I have done is remove things that no longer serve me. I’m talking about a glass of wine to relax after work. Now, instead I might enjoy a mocktail. Coffee, excess salt and excess sugar are also things I try to limit. Good time management is key to delivering on my deadlines. Los Angeles has no shortage of fun things to do. I can’t say yes to every event I’m invited to. I also seldom scroll on social media. I recently discovered red light therapy, which is great for aches and pains and also for building collagen to keep you looking and feeling younger. Scheduling time to recharge your batteries helps to avoid burnout, injury and sickness. This means making time for yoga and meditation every day and carving out personal hours that are smart phone free and time for vacation, staycation, nature, hiking, time with loved ones and other things that cultivate joy and gratitude in life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My brand is authenticity. Being honest and trying to bring out the best in others is my guiding light. Whether as a photographer or a creative director, I try to connect with my fellow humans on a soul level and set a mellow tone where we can achieve a productive creative flow together. Many days before I set out on my day, I pray to God to point me in the right direction and help me to create something good for my clients. Integrity is something I am not willing to compromise on. I have had to walk away from jobs and clients that expect me to sacrifice personal values. There are some jobs that no amount of money can make it worth it. My integrity is everything. It is because of this that many of my clients have been loyal to me over many years. And also I can feel good about myself and my contributions. One thing I have come to understand that a lot of success is about timing.. It is like riding a wave. Sometimes, if you have timing just right, everything just falls into place with very little resistance. There are other times where no matter what you do, the timing is just not working out and it is more of a struggle. I don’t think you have much control except to be ready to go when the timing is right. And when the timing is not there, just keep on trying and keeping your awareness level up so you can recognize your moment to get in there again. The biggest lessons I have learned along the way are: to remain centered in my own truth, be kind and generous when it is in my power to do so, not to act out of fear, to sleep on big decisions, and to have faith in my own talents and skills.

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?
One of my favorite places to take friends is on the Wisdom Tree Hike in the Hollywood Hills. Pizzeria Sei is LA’s best pizzeria. Sushi in Little Tokyo. Window shopping and people watching on Abbott Kinney. Amazing art exhibits at the Geffen Contemporary and Broad Museums. A concert at the LA Phil or Hollywood Bowl. Great theater at the Geffen Playhouse. Cocktails at the lobby bar at the Intercontinental Hotel in DTLA because of the amazing sunset over the entire city. Biking on the strand in Manhattan Beach. Walking at Terranea in Palos Verdes and and enjoying a cocktail by the firepit as the sun goes down at Nelson’s. Hiking in Catalina. Sam First Jazz bar near LAX will not disappoint for incredible live music. If there are any free concerts put on by KCRW they are definitely worth going. Whiskey and Poetry events are awesome, where you can learn about all things whiskey and read your own poetry and listen to others.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Frank Yablans was a mentor and partner to me and taught me some of the most important lessons about life including not to be afraid to be hated. People only hate people they see as powerful, so take it as a compliment. Some books that I would recommend are Inner Compass by Margaret Silf and Awareness by Anthony DeMello. I love these two books because they help teach a practice to remain centered in spirituality and centered in personal truth and one’s own moral compass to guide decisions.

Website: http://www.nadiapandolfo.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadiapandolfo01/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nadia.pandolfo.7

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/nadia-pandolfo-photography-hawthorne