Daily Inspiration: Meet Ania Morton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ania Morton. 

Hi Ania, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My name is Ania Morton. I’m a former professional athlete (Alpine skiing) turned Pro Mom and Influencer to my 2 beautiful children Lucas (4) Lily (2) and I am due this Christmas with another baby girl. 

I grew up in the mountains of Canada, started skiing at the age of 3, and eventually made it on the National ski team. After a career-ending injury at the peak of my career, (Compound tip/fib – Broken leg) I retired from skiing. I then started up my own personal training and massage business in Vancouver Canada. I turned my knowledge of the health and fitness industry into a very successful business. After 12 years, I made the move to Aspen Colorado upon rekindling a relationship with my now-husband Patrick who is also a former pro athlete (Hockey) We now live in Vail Colorado. 

After slowly gaining a rather large following on social media I started to get approached by companies wanting to send the kids clothes and toys etc. to review and feature on my page, thus starting my at-home side business of being a “creator”. Now just over a year later, it has blossomed into something I do full time as well as being home with the kids. I get to combine my passion of photography with creating content for large companies that we love. Now we are proud to say we have worked with the likes of: Reebok, Amazon, Pampers, Duracell, PAW Patrol, Thomas the Train, and Walmart to name a few. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s never a smooth road… there are always bumps. Social media can be a very difficult space and choosing to put your family in the spotlight gives people easy access to criticize your choices as a parent and a wife. I struggle with having our lives so public and sometimes get caught up in a negative comment you read or a criticism on a choice you have made. You can get 100 wonderful comments and then read one that just hits a little harder than most. You can also get caught up in posting what you think people want to see vs the reality of what’s actually happening. It can almost be a facade of perfection and perfectly curated photos that don’t always speak to the struggles of life. 

I try to keep everything in perspective and try to balance things as normal as possible for the kids. If they don’t feel like taking a photo or video, then I make sure they know that it’s okay. I never “force” them to do a campaign. 

There are also the challenges of getting paid for your hard work. Companies that don’t follow through with contracts, or are using your photos without permission. Companies wanting to take advantage of your time and efforts as a creator. It takes a lot of work to negotiate a contract, read the fine print come up with a concept, and then shoot that content. I then have to edit the photos/videos, submit the content… potentially have to do a reshoot, come up with a caption that is approved by the company, and then post. From start to finish, it’s actually more work than people understand. There are often short turnarounds in deadlines and very specific briefs as to what you can or can’t do in a photo or video. 

It’s incredible to be able to do this but it is a lot of work. More work than what is shown in a simple photo, especially when it comes to shooting 2 toddlers LOL 

Sometimes I think I should start an Instagram page that features just the outtakes of shooting campaigns! 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I think I take a lot of lessons I learned as a pro athlete and put it into my day-to-day life. I strive for excellence; I’m a perfectionist and I always want to go above and beyond when capturing content for a company. My niche is in the motherhood, lifestyle, and health and wellness fields online. We also often document our travels. I am known for my photography, and my ability to capture products in a unique way. I keep things organic and not overly staged. 

I think I’m most proud of some of the contracts we’ve landed and just proud to say I turned my passion of photography into a full-time job that allows me to still be around my children for all of their special moments. They say find something you love to do, and then turn it into a full-time job, and that’s what I did. Although stressful at times, I truly love what I do. I’m proud when I see my work being used as advertising for a company and know that that’s my baby in that photo and that I also shot the photo! I think what sets us apart from others is just the time I dedicate to getting the perfect shot. I don’t just submit my content to hit a deadline… I keep shooting until I get that perfect angle or shot that companies love. 

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memory would be just being in the outdoors with my family. We were always camping or skiing just enjoying the elements. We were outside every minute of the day exploring the mountains. I was that kid that caught frogs and snakes and tried to keep them as pets. Wandering the forests and seeing bears and Elk and loving every minute of it. I’ve always been an outdoor/mountain kind of girl. 

I also have a lot of beautiful memories traveling the world with the national ski team and experiencing competition on a world stage. The friendships we made, the beautiful places we traveled and raced in, and the life lessons of winning and losing in competition. The lessons you learn growing up on the road are invaluable and shaped me into the person I am today! 

Contact Info:

• Email: aniamorton1@gmail.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/aniamorton
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/aniamorton1
• Other: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMRD3hnTs/

Image Credits
Brandy Lauren photography
Kellie Mckenzie Photography