We’re looking forward to introducing you to Caleb Norton. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Caleb, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What are you chasing, and what would happen if you stopped?
I think my mother has a great perspective on life, and that is to continue growing and learning every day. And to the follow up, I plan to never stop.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Caleb Norton, I am the owner and operator of Nortifly, a cinematic media production company. I have been a freelance media professional since 2016, but things really took off when I bought a mini drone in 2022.
A funny story about the drone, I bought it as an excuse to keep my backpack (that had the engagement ring in it) with me all the time on vacation. As we were hiking in Jasper, I asked my now wife to help me put away the drone. Once she turned around, I whipped the ring out of my backpack and got down on one knee to propose.
Since then, things have really taken off you could say. The unique draw of Nortifly’s services is the indoor drone operations. I have flown in 10 convention centers around the country, from McCormick in Chicago to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, we’re good at cutting through the red tape to get the incredible optic our brands love.
Nortifly does much more than just indoor drone ops though. From branding photos to long-form mini docs, we bring the vision and the gear for whatever our client’s need.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
On a missionary trip to the Philippines in high school, we encountered incredible disparities of wealth that was truly profound. On the beach, there were five star, extremely desirable luxury and accommodations – but less than five minutes walk off the beach, the locals were living in shacks with dirt floors and chickens running loose.
In the western world, we are so shielded from the enormous amount of poverty and adversity that most people still have to deal with in every day life.
I think keeping in mind our incredible blessings and conveniences we have on a daily basis is important to keep in perspective.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Graduating in 2016 with a media communications degree was pretty well worthless. Print media was dead, digital media had not really taken off in the way things are now, and I had impossible time getting a job as a writer. I think I had sent over 50 apps in 2016 alone, and over 150 between 2015-2022 for media related positions.
I started freelancing immediately out of college, like many folks. However, in 2022 after developing a niche with drone video, all of the work I had put into visual media started to come together into what Nortifly is today. And genuinely, working for yourself is so rewarding once things start to work out. Being creative in the ways I am able to pick and choose is legitimately amazing.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
Doing the right thing, both for yourself and your clients. Even when you have a bad experience, or a truly bad client, it’s a learning experience to grow from and learn to do better next time. I believe in the Bible and my world view and moral compass comes from my parents and my faith. I believe doing the right thing when it’s easy, when it’s hard, when it’s inconvenient is the only, and best path forward.
Doing the right thing for yourself means; continuing to improve, to push yourself and your team, and also to create time and space to recover.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. When do you feel most at peace?
I am most at peace miles deep into a mountain at a waterfall with my wife, a hammock, and (sometimes) our cat, Tuxedo.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Nortifly.com
- Instagram: @Norti.fly
- Twitter: jrnorty
- Facebook: Nortifly
Image Credits
Natalie Norton, Tricia Brown, Danny Mullins
