A New Chapter: From Boardrooms to Living Rooms (and Bedrooms, Kitchens, and Backyards)

By Don Hazelwood August 9th, 2025

Working the floor, seeing a colleague and friend.

The last few months have been a time of decompression for me.After four years of leading a multi-million-dollar sales organization through double-digit growth, my day-to-day life changed dramatically. For years, I was focused on quarterly targets, strategic accounts, and the long game of building international relationships at scale. My calendar was full, my phone was never quiet, and my mind was always on the next big opportunity.

Then, I took a step back.

I wanted time to think, breathe, and focus on the things which matter the most to me closer to home. The first big moment in this shift? Marrying my best friend of the last nine years. This alone was worth slowing down for. Beth and I married about two weeks ago in a small gathering in front of a judge! The party is coming up - look forward to seeing you there! 

Marriage has a way of making you reflect, not just on your relationship, but on the bigger picture of life. What do you want it to look like? How do you want to spend your time? Who do you want to impact?

Those questions have been at the front of my mind for the past couple of months.

Still in the EdTech World ... Just in a Different Way

While I’ve stepped away from running a large sales organization, I haven’t walked away from EdTech entirely. Education is too important to me. I’ve seen firsthand how it changes lives, how it opens doors for people who might never have had a chance otherwise.

These days, I’m channeling this passion into consulting with EdTech companies, helping them navigate growth and strategy. I’m also working with my business partner to help startups build their first sales motions, those critical early steps where they figure out how to take an idea to market, connect with customers, and build revenue from scratch. This work is still a big part of my life, and I’ll share more about it in the future. But today, I want to talk about something completely different, something which is pulling me out into neighborhoods, empty homes, and wide-open spaces with a camera in my hand.

My Leap Into Real Estate Photography

When you go from being responsible for a company’s sales numbers to being responsible for your own creative output, the shift is dramatic.

In sales leadership, success is measured in deals closed, targets hit, and teams performing at their best. In real estate photography, success is measured in a fraction of a second the moment you press the shutter.

Every photoshoot carries its own weight. Each image matters. Not just the total package, but every single photo has to stand on its own and tell part of a story.

The story isn’t about me. It’s about the home.

The goal is to answer a single, silent question in the mind of anyone who looks at the listing:  "Why should I want to live here?"

And sometimes, this question becomes even bigger: "Why should I make one of the largest financial decisions of my life and buy this home?"

This is a lot of pressure for a set of images, but it’s also what makes the job exciting.

Why “Perfect” Matters in Every Frame

Something I’m learning quickly is in this world, good enough isn’t good enough.

You can take a beautiful set of images overall, but if even one photo feels off, maybe the composition is awkward, the lighting is uneven, or there’s distracting clutter in the corner, it can break the flow. The one imperfect shot can make the whole home feel less inviting, less polished, and less worth visiting in person. One less than perfect photo can have this impact.

Real estate photography is unforgiving in this way. Each frame is a piece of the puzzle, and if one doesn’t fit, it will stand out immediately.

Why is this so critical? Because people shop for homes with their eyes first. We are visual creatures. We’re wired to respond to images in a way which is immediate and emotional. Before a potential buyer ever schedules a showing, they’re scrolling through photos online, making snap judgments about whether a property is worth their time. They are doing this looking at the photos a realtor has trusted you to put forward for them.

This means the photos you are making have to do more than document a space, they have to sell it.

The Photographer’s Role in Selling a Home

I’ve started to see real estate photography as one of the most important parts of the sales process for a home.

Think about it:

• The listing description might be a few paragraphs long.

• The showing might last 30 minutes.

• But the photos? They live online for weeks, sometimes months. They’re the front door of the marketing effort.
  

If the photos are uninspiring, potential buyers may never even click “Schedule a Showing.”

This why real estate agents hire professionals. A great photographer can make a home feel warm, open, and inviting. We can emphasize its best features and make sure no detail goes unnoticed. We can help buyers imagine themselves in the space.

We can also do the opposite, if we’re careless.

The Complexity Behind a “Simple” Shot

On the surface, it might look easy: walk in, set up a camera, take a few photos, send them over. But in reality, there’s a lot more happening.

Here are some of the aspects going into making a single image:

1. Composition – Where you stand, how you frame the room, and what you choose to include (or leave out) can completely change how the space feels.

2. Lighting – Natural light is great, but it’s not always enough, or consistent. 

3. Vertical and Horizontal Lines – If the walls are leaning in your photo, the viewer’s brain picks up on it instantly. Getting these lines straight requires a steady tripod, careful positioning, and often a geared tripod head for precise adjustments.

4. Decluttering – A stray trash can, tangled cords, or even crooked pillows can pull the viewer’s attention away from the main subject. Part of the job is spotting and fixing these little distractions before you shoot.

5. Telling the Story – Every photo should give the viewer a reason to keep looking, to imagine themselves moving through the space.

Multiply this process by every room, every angle, and every property, and you start to understand why “perfect” is a big ask. But it’s the standard we’re working toward, because anything less risks losing a potential buyer’s attention.

Feeling the Weight, Embracing the Challenge

I’ll be honest: this level of precision can feel daunting. When you know every shot counts, it’s easy to overthink. And let me tell you, currently I am overthinking each shot. I start out in the morning with one thought in mind - let’s go create art and let’s be perfect about it. This being said, I’m learning to treat this pressure as motivation rather than a burden.

In sales, I always told my teams consistency beats perfection showing up every day, doing the right things, and getting a little better over time. Iterate - always move forward each and every day. I think the same applies here. Perfection may be the goal, but the real progress comes from refining the craft, one shoot at a time. Some days you feel you might have regressed, but keeping the forward momentum is important.

There’s something deeply satisfying about walking away from a shoot knowing you’ve done your best work, not just to meet a deadline, but to help sell a home which might be the dream home for someone else. 

Why This Feels Different (In a Good Way)

The biggest shift for me isn’t just the type of work, it’s the proximity to the impact.

In my sales leadership roles, I was often several steps removed from the end customer. I knew we were making a difference, but I didn’t always see it firsthand.

In real estate photography, the connection is immediate. I can look at a set of photos and know they’re going to help someone fall in love with a property. I can see the agent’s reaction when they get the images back. I can hear the excitement in their voice when they say, “These are going to make a huge difference.”

This direct feedback loop is addictive, in the best way.

Looking Ahead

I’m still early in this journey. I have a lot to learn about the finer details of architectural and real estate photography. I will be documenting these lessons here for a couple reasons. I truly love helping others and if anything I have learned and documented helps someone else starting their journey into Real Estate Photography all the better.This first post is just a starting point. In the coming weeks, I’ll talk about specific skills I’m working on, the gear making a difference, and the little tricks helping me turn a good image into a great one.

For now, I’m just grateful for where I am, for the chance to explore a new craft, to keep making an impact in the education world, and to bring the same passion and discipline I had in sales leadership into a field challenging me in entirely new ways.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you. Whether you’re in EdTech, real estate, photography, or just figuring out your own next chapter, I hope this resonates with you. The skills may be different, but the drive to create something meaningful is the same.

I’ll be sharing these posts on BlueSky and LinkedIn as I go, and I’d love for you to follow along.

Here’s to the next chapter, one frame at a time.

— Don