An Inspired Chat with Chris Noel of West-Midtown

We recently had the chance to connect with Chris Noel and have shared our conversation below.

Chris, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The first 90 minutes of my day look starts with gratitude and coffee.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Chris “Noel” Elder, and I am the owner of 1154 Studios, a creative hub dedicated to storytelling through photography, videography, and visual branding. What makes my work unique is that I do not just create visuals; I help businesses and individuals uncover and tell their authentic stories in ways that connect deeply with their audiences.

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with small businesses, entrepreneurs, and public figures, helping them refresh their brand identities and showcase themselves with confidence and impact. Right now, I am focused on expanding 1154 Studios into a powerhouse for visual storytelling and branding, while also exploring my passion for dark media, horror, sci-fi, and supernatural narratives that I plan to develop into series and film projects.

At the heart of it all, my mission is simple: to empower people and brands by giving their stories the quality, creativity, and authenticity they deserve.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
What often breaks the bonds between people is a lack of trust, empathy, and communication. When pride, misunderstanding, or unspoken pain enters the space between us, distance begins to grow. Sometimes it’s unmet expectations, sometimes it’s betrayal, and sometimes it’s simply life pulling us in different directions.

What restores those bonds is usually the opposite—honesty, vulnerability, forgiveness, and intentional connection. When we take the time to truly listen, to admit when we are wrong, and to extend grace, the walls start to come down. Shared experiences, especially in difficult times, also have a way of reminding us of the value of each other.

In the end, bonds are broken when we forget to see each other as human. They are restored when we remember.

What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear that has held me back the most is the fear of not being enough. Not good enough, not experienced enough, not successful enough. It shows up as second-guessing creative choices, avoiding big risks, and shrinking my offers so clients will say yes more easily. It also kept me from chasing the darker, riskier projects I love because I worried they would fail or make me look unprofessional.

How I fight it now: I treat progress like a muscle. I ship work even when it is imperfect. I break big risks into small experiments. I remind myself that judgment and rejection do not equal truth. I lean on honest feedback from collaborators and I celebrate small wins so the story I tell myself starts to change.

If you want, I can turn this into a short personal essay, a social post about vulnerability for 1154 Studios, or a list of practical steps I use when imposter feelings strike. Which would help you most?

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
In my work with 1154 Studios, I see fads as loud and fast, while true shifts move more quietly but leave a deeper, lasting impact. Fads often show up in quick trends—styles of photography, social media aesthetics, or even marketing buzzwords—that fade as soon as something new takes their place. Foundational shifts, on the other hand, are the changes that actually transform how people connect with a brand and how stories are told. I pay attention to whether something creates real value for clients, helps them be seen in an authentic way, and becomes part of how they operate long term. For me, fads are like waves you can ride for a moment, but foundational shifts are the tides that reshape the entire shoreline of how businesses present themselves and build trust with their audience.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What will you regret not doing? 
The thing I will regret not doing is fully telling the stories that matter most—the bold, daring, and unconventional narratives that scare me but have the power to connect, inspire, and leave a lasting impact. I would regret staying safe, only creating work that feels predictable, and not using 1154 Studios to help brands and people tell their truest, most authentic stories. I would regret missing the chance to explore experiences, ideas, and collaborations that push boundaries and reveal new perspectives. At the end of the day, I’d rather risk failure telling meaningful stories than achieve comfort creating work that doesn’t truly reflect who I am.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.1154Studios.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1154studios
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1154studios

Image Credits
Image Credits: 1154 Studios