Chloe Enos
Got some killer news..Chloe Enos is with us for this week’s Dreamos Round Table, and we’re completely stoked. Chloe’s a great friend and brilliant fashion photographer building her dreams in Los Angeles, CA. While spending most of her days absolutely killin it as the in-house photographer of Show Me Your Mumu, Chloe’s had the opportunity to bring apparel to life for some of the biggest brands in the world...yep...the world.
Her story of faith and perseverance to do what most have said would be “impossible,” is incredible. We know you’ll be encouraged as Chloe shares more from her story, heart, and her pursuit.
What dream are you currently turning into reality?
My dream for the longest time was to be a photographer for a fashion brand. Most photographers are freelance, but I wanted to be a full time in-house photographer. This is a highly competitive field, especially for someone right out of school. I was told all throughout college that this may not be a reasonable career path. I would need to freelance for a while, and maybe once I had connections I would have a chance. But despite what everyone told me, I was able to get the exact job I wanted. I was hired as the Assistant Photographer at a company called "Show Me Your Mumu."
After one year, I am stepping up and am no longer the assistant. I am in charge of all ecommerce photography, and do most of our studio and content shoots. It is exactly where I am supposed to be at this moment. In the future, I would love to step into more of a creative director role, and have more say in the overall look and aesthetic of the brand’s image. But for right now, I am growing and learning and am looking forward to all the things to come.
When did you first realize you discovered your dream?
It takes some people a lifetime to realize their purpose and what they want in life. I have been one of the lucky ones that have known what I wanted for a long time. My dad owned a media company when I was younger, and made commercials. I realized then that I could be creative for a career. I knew specifically I wanted to be in fashion. I thought about doing design, buying, or merchandising, but eventually realized my passion was photography.
I love the clothes, but my favorite part is making them come to life in a photo. When I was younger, my dad bought me a camera, and I would do full photoshoots with my sister. I think it was then that I knew that was what I loved.
How does your faith go hand in hand with pursuing your dream?
For as long as I can remember, I have been a big dreamer. I think because I am such a creative person, my dreams have always been extravagant and larger than life. Sometimes I like to go to sleep a little bit early, so I can just lay in my bed and dream up new ideas and things I want to create. My best ideas come to me right before I fall asleep. I realized pretty early on that those dreams were so big that I wouldn’t be able to accomplish them on my own. If the things I want to happen are going to happen, it will take God’s hand. I know they can happen. When it came time for me to graduate high school, I knew that I wanted to attend an art school for college. This school was so out of our budget that my parents kept telling me it would not be possible.
But I had this crazy peace every time I thought about it. I knew I would go. I did not know how, but I just knew I would. It was getting close to the time I was going to have to either enroll or choose a different school. I sat my parents down one day and just told them, “Hey, this is where I am meant to be, and I do not know how we are going to finance it, but God is going to make a way." Reluctantly, they trusted my gut and we enrolled me without any plans on how we would pay for it. Soon after I enrolled, a family member called my dad and told him they would pay for it completely. So, I was able to go to my dream school and leave with no loans or debt. I think my dreams actually strengthen my faith. The bigger the dream, the more faith is required. Having faith and a relationship with God allows me to dream and not be weighed down and discouraged about how "out of reach" those dreams seem.
What encouragement would you give someone who’s going after their dream?
Your dreams are possible. I feel like I was always told to have "realistic" expectations, especially being in a creative field. I was told we could not afford to send me to the school of my dreams..that getting a job out of college would be difficult..that I would not be able to make enough money to support myself..that I should maybe consider choosing a different career altogether, and so on.
Obviously those are valid concerns, and there will be challenges, but your dream can still happen. God has called us to live extraordinary lives that will glorify Him, so He will equip us to be able to do it.