In this episode of the Polestar Podcast, host Kevin Parton speaks with Nicole Smith, founder and CEO of Flytographer — a global marketplace connecting travelers with local photographers in over 350 cities. Nicole shares how a spark of inspiration in Paris grew into a worldwide business, the lessons she carried from her years at Microsoft, and how resilience and conscious leadership helped her steer Flytographer through challenges like the pandemic. Her story is a masterclass in building with purpose, embracing risk, and creating a company that helps people remember their favorite stories forever.
This episode is packed with insights for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, leadership, or turning an idea into a global success story.
About the Guest – Nicole Smith
Nicole Smith is the founder of Flytographer, the world’s first global marketplace connecting travelers with local photographers for short, fun vacation shoots. Since launching in 2013, Flytographer has become a profitable, multi-million dollar business and captured memories for 100,000+ travelers across 350 cities. Nicole won BC Business Magazine's 2025 Woman of the Year (Innovator category), has appeared twice on Dragons’ Den, was named an EY Winning Woman, and is also an angel investor focused on women-led startups. Before founding Flytographer, she spent over 13 years at Microsoft in global marketing and consulting, and worked as a product manager at a Seattle tech startup. Learn more at flytographer.com.
About the Host – Kevin Parton
Kevin Parton, CFP professional, specializes in personal and business financial planning, tax reduction, and estate planning. Kevin is diligently concentrating on client education as a powerful strategy for building financial certainty. As no financial situation is the same, Kevin and his team monitor clients’ plans and implement personalized strategies to reduce their personal and corporate taxes, and protect their income, assets, and loved ones against the financial consequences of a serious illness, injury or death, ensuring clients maintain financial certainty and peace of mind. To read more, please visit the VELA team page.