40 Under 40: Adam Schluter

Adam Schluter is the founder of Hello from a Stranger.

He has been a professional photographer for half his life.

"I started when I began traveling the world and wanted to show people the beauty I was finding in it," Schluter said.

He credits that travel experience for providing the majority of the education that shapes his world. He said college taught him how to be an entrepreneur, but not an artist.

"When I was in my early 20s, I just ran and started traveling around the world by myself," Schluter said. "I didn’t have much money, and it was almost entirely spontaneous, so I really had to interact with strangers as I traveled and had nothing but incredible and special experiences. Because of that, I still try to focus my work to show the authentic beauty of the world around all of us. 

He hopes to find himself with a family and a home in the mountains in five to 10 years, as well as still searching for beauty all over the world.

If he could give his younger self advice, he would say: "To not look for advice or guidance but learn to trust my intuition and follow it. That no one can understand our dreams the way that we can so, rather than look for validation or permission, just pursue your purpose and watch the world open up to you."