Storytelling, Patience, and UNBLOCKED Impact with Hilary Gauld | Finding Clarity in Career Paths and Career Pivots

In this episode, we sit down with award-winning photographer, storyteller, and community builder Hilary Gauld for a conversation about creativity, advocacy, patience, and the power of images to change how we see ourselves and each other.Hilary’s journey didn’t begin with a lifelong dream to become a photographer. After a corporate career and raising young kids, a series of circumstances nudged her toward picking up a camera. What started as a few family shoots quickly grew into a thriving business that has now spanned nearly two decades, with her work featured in People Magazine, CBC, Breakfast Television, and even displayed on a billboard in Times Square.But photography for Hilary has never just been about taking pictures. It’s about memory-making, storytelling, and using images to shift narratives. From her long-standing work with the Down Syndrome community to powerful campaigns for women’s shelters and breast cancer awareness, Hilary shows how portraits can create conversation, representation, and lasting change.We talk about how curiosity and connection drive her work, what it means to be a “super connector,” and why patience is essential in both business and life. Hilary shares what it means to treat a career like raising a baby—nurturing it, sticking with it, and letting it grow at its own pace. She also opens up about channeling her creativity into art therapy programs, mentorship for young women, and a new chapter of impact.Here are just a few of the themes we explore with Hilary:How circumstances (not a grand plan) sparked her career in photographyThe difference between being a “picture taker” and a “memory maker”The power of portraits to change narratives for underrepresented communitiesBehind the scenes of the 31 Faces, 31 Days Down Syndrome Awareness campaignWhy representation in media matters and how advocacy through art creates changeWhy patience and consistency are key to building meaningful work that lastsWhat she’s building next: art therapy programs for kids and mentorship for womenHer advice for anyone feeling stuck or ready to step into something newThis is a conversation about storytelling, connection, and the patience to build something meaningful from wherever you are.Enjoy this conversation with Hilary Gauld.Episode Links:ONE FOR THE WALLHilary Gauld (Commercial)Hilary on Instagram31 Faces, 31 DaysShe Is Your Neighbour CampaignWaterloo Wellington Down Syndrome SocietyWho Moved My Cheese by Spencer JohnsonWe’d love to connect with you. Here’s where to find us: Vienna Waits WebsiteSubscribe to Vienna Five NewsletterWaypoint RetreatVienna Waits on InstagramGreg’s LinkedIn Whitney’s LinkedIn Every other Thursday, we talk to people who got UNBLOCKED. You'll hear stories about finding clarity, career paths, career pivots and living with intention. Our guests tell us how they realized something had to change, made bold moves, and built lives that feel more aligned, more alive, and more intentional. We’ll share some of our own stories too, because we’re right here, figuring it out like everyone else.