Elevate Springfield featuring Rob Staff: Elevating Through the Power of Collaboration, Showing Up for People, and Continuous Learning

Summary

In this conversation, Robert and Rob Staff  explore the importance of community support, and the personal journey of Rob from Romania to Springfield. The discussion also highlights the impact of social work, the power of listening, and the discovery of a passion for photography. The guest shares their experience overcoming health challenges while building a photography business and emphasizes the importance of collaboration and networking within the community. 

Takeaways

• Community support is vital for local businesses, especially through grants.
• Listening and being present can significantly impact someone's life.
• Local businesses benefit from partnerships and community engagement.
• Joining local organizations can provide valuable support and resources. Community collaboration is essential for local growth.
• Springfield has a rich history and vibrant events.
• Networking can lead to significant business growth.
• Photography can be a powerful tool for community engagement.
• Never underestimate the power of community support.
• Continuous learning is vital in any profession.
• Being a change maker can elevate the community.

Join The Elevate Insider:

https://bigdogbc.com/elevate

Facebook:  @robertferriell   @elevatespringfield

Youtube: @robertferriell

10X Health:  https://10xhealthnetwork.com/BIGDOG

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to Elevate Springfield, where we will dive into strategies and stories that help you rise to your full potential. Each episode, we'll talk about how you can take intentional steps to elevate your life and your business while making a meaningful impact on those around you. Along the way, we're gonna bring in the change makers from our community that are already elevating. We'll bring the actionable strategies, you bring the discipline and follow through, and together we can elevate Springfield. Alright, let's go, Springfield. Time to 10X your life, your business, all of it. Time to crush those goals, time to get after it. Let's go. You are listening to the Elevate Springfield Podcast. Robert Farrell here, certified 10x coach, speaker, and mentor here to bring you actionable strategies. You bring the discipline and follow through. And together, we're gonna Elevate Springfield. We're coming to you again from beautiful downtown Springfield in the big dog construction studio. Hey, we've got so much going on in Springfield right now. Make sure you are participating. Get out there, network with folks, be a part of the community, support local businesses, support local nonprofits, and let's go, we can all grow together. So, hey, another great episode for you today. We're gonna get right to our guest after the break. Hey, Springfield, when it comes to reliable, high-quality roofing, you don't want to leave things to chance. That's why you should reach out to Acosta Angeli Roofing, your local roofing expert serving Springfield and surrounding communities, from quick, dependable repairs to full replacement, from residential to commercial, they are your trusted pros. Call them today at 217-993-2748 or visit their website to book your free quote and inspection. Don't wait. A little leak now could lead to major damage later. Trust the local experts, protect your home, and get peace of mind with Acosta Angeli Roofing. All right, and we are back. Hey, joining me in the studio. You've probably seen him around town. We got Rob Staff with Portrait Perfect by Rob. How are we doing, man?

SPEAKER_02 2:24

I'm good. Thanks for having me. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 2:26

Appreciate you coming down. Yeah. Beautiful day in Springfield. Got the fourth, fourth of July weekend and all that fun stuff.

SPEAKER_02 2:32

So it's it's gonna be a good one, but it's uh certainly gonna be hot as well.

SPEAKER_01 2:36

So absolutely. We're gonna talk about your business in a minute, but let's uh learn a little bit about you, man. Tell us a little bit about your background.

SPEAKER_02 2:42

Yeah, so man, I grew up uh born in uh Romania, which is a country in Europe, and so had the life of living in an orphanage, and I was adopted uh uh when I was five from the orphanage there and then came to the US, and so I've been here uh almost 28 years now, and but I was adopted to an American family, two uh American siblings of their own. Um, but I've had the most amazing just life here. We talk about having a new life and just life in America is uh being richer in in those ways. So but I uh went through this uh school systems here and elementary all the way through Springfield High for high school and uh ghost senators.

SPEAKER_01 3:22

And uh, but yeah, and then beautiful new school coming up, or beautiful new parts of the school coming up.

SPEAKER_02 3:28

Yeah, they do. It's it's looking really great. And uh so then uh through college here as well. And I've just been so blessed to also work in a field um in social work where it's been such a blessing to be able to give my part of my story of being an orphan and now helping others that uh I've had such an incredible career path in that and so rewarding. But looking through all the lens of that is has really inspired me to really last probably six or seven years to continue what I'm doing in in the field of social work and get into this business that I've I've started as well. Very good photographies.

SPEAKER_01 4:05

So you were super young, but do you have much memory of Romania?

SPEAKER_02 4:09

I do. Parts of the orphanage, certainly I do. And uh, you know, remember the children, of course, some of the friends that I got to know there. But I was adopted through a church uh that uh my parents were going to, and so they did sort of a sponsorship thing. And so that really inspired them. My mom had taken a trip to India a few years prior to that, and she was like, I just see us doing this and talk to my dad about it. And they originally supposed to get a girl from India, and uh instead I I was the chosen as they were, and I'm so incredibly blessed by them. They live here in Springfield, so I'm I'm always over at my parents and just love family, love having that family unity in that way.

SPEAKER_01 4:46

So that's awesome. So when you came to the States, it was directly to Springfield that you'd been in Springfield the whole time after that?

SPEAKER_02 4:52

Yeah, my parents had come from uh Champagne, Urbana. They were living there at the time with my other two siblings, and then my dad's job he was in pharmaceutical sales, so he picked up uh Champagne and his uh territory moved Springfield Southern region, so he had uh basically everything Springfield South. So Springfield was what made sense for him. He was working at St. John's at the time, some some time in that, and then got on with with the company he was with uh with Bristol Meyer Squibb. Okay. Awesome. But yeah, Springfield's always been the main hub as far as as far as living here.

SPEAKER_01 5:26

Yeah. So when you were going to Springfield High, did you know at that point that you wanted to do some social work? Was that always part of the plan, or did that come later?

SPEAKER_02 5:34

I think that came later. I I was at Lincoln Land at the time. I was at CACC, Capital Year Career Center at the time, both uh sophomore year into junior year, and and uh uh as I was getting into my senior year with with CACC, it was law enforcement, criminal justice was like, okay, you help people. This could be a really great way to really make an impact. But I'm like, man, to have to carry the weapons they do and things. I don't know, just you have to tackle people, you have to know how to like de-escalate. And I'm just like, oh okay, this okay, this is wow. But it was like, okay, I have such an impactful story. Like, I want to use that to really help others. And that just led me through as I was wrapping up high school into college years and really looking at okay, what kind of major do I want to do? And it was just really encouraging to work in those fields too. So starting out with the district and working with students and then moving on to, you know, other companies, working sexual assault prevention, uh, which I know it is such a big topic to really cover and uh really just to know what the right things to say and to help people in that way too. But then uh through DCFS um and working with them for a little bit, and then uh it's cut into to now with uh prevention and uh substance abuse prevention and all that. So it's been a a wide range of different things in between also volunteering for different organizations and uh being a big brother for big brothers, big sisters for many years at one point, and just the gratification in helping people has always just been such a blessing for me. Yeah, I feel like I can give that back and and uh yeah, it's it's been amazing.

SPEAKER_01 7:12

Yeah, in that type of role, you can have a tremendous impact on people's lives. Just amazing. Yeah, every day.

SPEAKER_02 7:18

It may not seem rewarding uh in the grand scheme of things with the work and the the case notes you have to do or whatever it may be, but you know you are making an impact for that individual or that family by just being there for them. Oftentimes we tell people if you are just there to listen, that's oftentimes what they need. And in this role in social work, it is very much being there for them at their most vulnerable time to just listen, to just be there, right? Show up. I know many people are big on that. Just show up and be there for them.

SPEAKER_01 7:51

Right. Would that be the biggest thing for somebody? Somebody out there listening right now, and somebody's going through something difficult, just to be there for that person, would that be a big takeaway for them?

SPEAKER_02 8:00

Yeah. Be there because they matter, right? Be there because in a time where they feel like nobody is there, you are there. And uh, like I said, they matter, you matter, right? You're working together um in that way, and uh oftentimes those people want people who care for the same things you do, right? And uh slowly that will get them out of their comfort zone to be able to right open up and talk about what their situation is. But you first have to build that trust, and oftentimes that's just that's just being there with them and and sitting and it's it's not a stare-off, but it's just I'm here when you need me. I'm here when you need me. Absolutely. So when's the first time you picked up a camera and is like, man, this is really cool. I like this. I was in a film club at Springfield High. Uh shout out to Dave Heinzel and his team with uh the film club back over the so many years now, they don't even have it anymore. But at the time they had this film club going, and uh it was my freshman sophomore year, and part maybe beginning of junior, but they had this club, anybody could join. Dave was a huge uh multimedia geek, he had cameras, he had the whole lighting and backdrops. We were using the place off of uh Stanton at the time, which is the technology office for the district, and so we were using their back garage, and anybody listening to this knows like that was the place to be for the film club, and uh it was uh a great time, and uh it was a movie that we were featuring a uh a small feature film for the contest we were gonna do, and uh Dave brought his digital cameras, and uh it really was just like one of those things where it was like, Oh my gosh, wow, the body of this camera, and at the time it looked big to me, but of course they were just cannons and Nikons, just kind of their own little thing, and so I was like, This is sweet, and it just blew up from there. I was so intrigued with his lenses and the fact that he was taking them off and things, and so then we were able to take cameras home. They had to sign them out and stuff, but I would take cameras home, I would take pictures of my dog and my parents and my sister. My brother was off at college at the time, so it was just the four of us. But I was just like, this is so cool. It just inspired me. And then for a while I stayed with it and it inspired me through just taking pictures of flowers and things like that, little things in between. Up through college, I didn't really do a lot with it, just kind of left it be. But then it really picked back up 2019. 2020, of course, was COVID. 2021, we're still inside, and it's really getting around. We still don't know a whole lot of what's going on with coronavirus and all that. We moved forward about another two years, 23. I got married to my beautiful wife, and uh had cancer in 23. And so while trying to develop what I wanted this to be as a small business during COVID, so 21, uh, I had to stop all that because I was getting treatments and I was being treated for a blood cancer, it was a lymphoma, okay, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. And so while doing that, it was just you don't know what you don't know. We weren't sure about all the answers. So I picked up the camera again and I was uh trying to learn how could I I had bought a camera off of a buddy who gave me a couple lenses with it, and and uh I was like, How can I really develop this? I knew what I was doing with a camera, but I was like, okay, how can I go from there? And uh I got through my treatments, everything was still very hard, but while I was at home in between sessions where I'd have to go to the hospital to have treatment, I'd come home and I'd start working on my camera. I'd start working on uh picking up some clients. And the first client I ever had was a a uh couple out near Champagne, Urbana, and they wanted me to do some senior pictures for their grandson at Allerton Park, and uh it was it was amazing. My first client, my first paid job. And um, I took a step out on faith to kind of like we've talked about to see where this was gonna go, and it has boomed Robert. It has been so inspiring, it has been amazing. I bought my EIN, I bought my name for the company, all of which I was like, this this is crazy. It's like that's actually happening. Yeah, it's real. So for five 24, 25, 20, you know, now we're in 26 clients. I mean, it's week after week after week, it's creating partnerships with businesses that I never thought would pick me up. Having one of my biggest ones with DSI and just really getting to work with uh Jay Shanley and the team there, and and they have been such an amazing group, but other businesses too, and um organizations, nonprofit organizations, sojourn has been amazing. I've done their uh fundraiser now. This will be my second year for them, and uh just really cultivating that and um and of course along the way being able to purchase what I can in the business and my lighting and and more lenses, and it's it's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 12:59

How'd that feel? That dig in a little bit more on that, that Allerton client, though seeing your picture, that first one, that's just a special feeling, right? To get, hey, this is my first paid gig.

SPEAKER_02 13:10

Yeah, it uh it was interesting because I was still going through treatments at the time, so I had to be really careful with my white cells because right when you get you know treatments, your uh you know, your white blood cells are all everything in your system is just eradicated. But so when showing up to the park, getting to meet the family and and their grandson ultimately was it was that feeling like, okay, I I'm doing this. I get to tell him where to stand, and his pictures turned out amazing. I brought us like a stool ladder for me so I could take some pictures pointing down of him and oh my gosh. First of all, the space at Allerton Park is just beautiful. Oh, yeah. Up in and around the mansion and up near kind of the long side of the park is amazing. Man, it was it's such a great feeling. And it it was an hour and a half, and the whole session just felt like a dream, really. But it was great. And then to receive my first payments, right? I was like, okay, you know, I wasn't really sure, like, okay, this is not a whole lot, but I'm gonna do something with it. And with the years, you just start to build up more of your budgeting needs and what you need for your business. And of course, over these last four or so years, I've had to raise my prices more and more. But it is amazing. I feel like I I'm living a dream every time I get to work with someone new.

SPEAKER_01 14:20

Come on, love it. So cleared through all the treatments and everything, all good to go there.

SPEAKER_02 14:25

Yeah, got cleared from uh treatment side of it a day after my birthday, so February of twenty-four. So this happened in twenty-three, so I had roughly almost six months uh of treatments, hard, hard treatments, and we were talking very aggressive type uh treatments. And then it was a dream come true to hear the doctor we've done it, you know. It was a very uh treatable. I don't want to make it sound like that's never uh right. If you think it's impossible, it is possible, right? I mean um so this was a very treatable type and and uh just thankful to to God every day that we get to live on this earth, you know, another day, and and certainly we take a lot for granted. And so that really put into perspective my health and just really working on my health better and just getting into the gym and things like that. So that's that was definitely amazing to hear the doctor we've done it. Right. He looked straight at me and said, We've done it. Oh, come on. And that was uh it's hard not to get emotional hearing. Oh, I bet and the doctors, you know, just give you every sense of hope that they can for you. It's never a negative outcome, right? We we don't quite know, but we're gonna find out kind of answers. And I heard that through my entire team, Dr. Shaw and and Robert Metarnik and all them at at SIU, and it was it was amazing.

SPEAKER_01 15:40

So you've grown significantly since that first Allerton gig. You mentioned DSI. What are you what all are you doing for them?

SPEAKER_02 15:47

Yeah, so we've done just a couple of things in between with some projects that they've asked me to come on in the last year or so, and then uh recently did the uh project for the opening of the farmers market in collaboration with St. John's Hospital, and uh so that that was a lot of fun, uh tons to to be able to pick from there and and be able to do DSI is actually started with their uh Friends of the Farmers Market dinner that I did, and it it just really kind of grew from there and being able to talk with Cassie and and you know they had a different director at the time then, but you know, Cassie was really a great uh impact and really believing in my work and bringing me on, and since then having uh Jay Shanley step into the role and and he's been incredible, and so uh yeah, so I've really enjoyed them and other businesses uh that have come on uh that I've been able to work with and picking up a couple restaurants. I've done a restaurant or two in the past, but having more of that, so for like uh being able to do small lighting uh menu options for some of their marketing needs, but also nonprofits, so working with organizations, headshots or team shots. Uh, I use Christy Mitchell's studio, got to give a shout-out. Oh, yeah, Christy, yeah. She was on here not too long ago ago. She's been awesome in letting me use her studio space for things. And as a baby photographer, you want to be able to reach out to people and network. So people like uh Lauren Tompton, um, Christy Mitchell, Zach Adams, who I think of it as really a guardian angel kind of surrounding me, and those three people have been amazing. The insight, the input, just the advice, uh, where to go, how to do it, um, what kind of camera you need for that. And it's it was it's been amazing.

SPEAKER_01 17:25

So I'd love to hear that too, because we talk about that a lot on the show, the collaboration piece. Uh, we always talk about you compete at the bottom, you collaborate at the top. So when you're in there with the folks that are in your same industry and collaborating and help each other out, that's how we're all growing together. We love that.

SPEAKER_02 17:40

Yeah. And it's not that one person's up here because they do more work and X, Y, and Z, and I'm somehow down here doing no, it's not that kind of mindset. When you are in a collaboration like that, you are in it to be like, and I I tell Zach all the time, I want to learn from you. Be humble in that way, and really learn from people like him and others who can really take you under their wing and help you and uh draw near to that.

SPEAKER_01 18:06

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 18:07

Absolutely. Draw near to that, draw near to networking groups like Land of Lincoln, which I have hands down. Join if you need, I don't know if I need to do a promo for this, but like Land of Lincoln for sure, join. Um, if you if you're on the fence, join. Local first is is one of those that also want to join soon and uh look forward to joining. So it's been incredible and gotta give uh all the glory to to God, but all those who've been in there and helped and and just really taken me under their wing.

SPEAKER_01 18:34

Love it. So you were talking about the restaurant shots. So are you talking talking about maybe doing their menu or are you talking about doing stuff for their social menu?

SPEAKER_02 18:41

Yeah, so both uh did Taste of Soul when they were here, and uh Kim Simone's an awesome chef and owner, and she was great at promoting the restaurant really well. And so being able to work with her and and that after, of course, uh Buzz Bomb and and Taste of Soul both shut down. But being able to have that partnership for her was awesome. But uh now working with uh Creole Smoke and being able to help out with some menu ideas for her, and we'll do some small light table lighting ideas to draw in dishes that she can use for both DoorDash and for her menu, and then trying to be able to put that out for her website and for her media, Facebook, all that you know that she wants to be able to my uh friend somewhere over there who owns it with she and her family, and and uh it's really uh uh it was a idea that uh she and her family kind of took on, but they're really giving it to her daughter, and and I think that that's really great to uh really carry that tradition down and to be able to help others and and she's she's been a great light. She's been at Levitt uh camp this summer, being able to collaborate with her at Levit um and talk about what her ideas are and and so I can't wait. I can't wait. This it's gonna be great to work with her. Love it.

SPEAKER_01 19:52

You enjoy Levitt?

SPEAKER_02 19:53

You've been down all summer so far. Yeah. I'm on the volunteer committee, so we've had uh the joy of coming out and helping set up with other partners, and of course, uh yesterday was a hot setup boy. We got through it, and uh it's it's always fun just coming out there and being able to help out and and then to watch it. Seeing all the performers that come out is just awesome. So having the Levitt Foundation here and being a part of such a bigger picture for Springfield has been awesome, and I've had a lot of fun in helping out with them and uh yeah, it's a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_01 20:24

It's drawn some especially big crowds this year, hasn't it? They've had some big numbers at the on those Thursday nights, haven't they? Yeah. Attendance-wise.

SPEAKER_02 20:31

Yeah, they have, and I think this last one where they had the drone show the week before last, this one at least the week prior, uh, where they they had an incredible turnout for um of course because uh Visit Springfield was doing their uh partnership with a drone company at Celebrate Route 66 and the 50th, and it's just it's awesome. It is awesome. That was the most as far as attendance I had ever seen. Um, and they post it every week. So it's wow, these crowds are getting bigger and bigger and bigger.

SPEAKER_01 21:01

It's good to see. It's good to see people coming downtown, going to the events, the whole thing. I love it. Absolutely love it.

SPEAKER_02 21:08

Right. You say that, and that's funny because when we were looking at 2020 with everything shut down, and then how were we going to, and that was one of the big things talking with DSI is like, how can you help us in really growing? It's not that people aren't coming down, but like we want people to want to come down, right? And so doing events like the dinner and the farmers market and you know, things like that, and working with other small businesses down there, showing that through photography is anything downtown. Old State Capital, they're another big one I've worked with, showing that Springfield is not boring, right? There's a lot of great rich history here. No doubt about it. How can we really put that together to really to make it lively? And uh it's been amazing to see so many businesses have come down to Springfield since then.

SPEAKER_01 21:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:57

And and come back into the to the folded great to. See.

SPEAKER_01 22:00

Now you've been in Springfield most of your life. You go to a lot of these events. Do you have a an absolute favorite Springfield event that you like to go to? Or maybe even a couple, if you don't want to say just one.

SPEAKER_02 22:10

Okay. Certainly the the 11 amp is a great event that I really enjoy going to. The Lucky Horseshoes is I've been down this season, but I've usually gone in the past with groups or church groups, and we usually have an evening to go see them. And so uh watching some good baseball is really fun, especially right here in Springfield. So certainly the Lucky Horseshoe is probably be another great big event. They're fun, aren't they?

SPEAKER_01 22:34

They've got to actually have a drone show coming up here soon, too. I think it's in about a week. I know I've got tickets to the game.

SPEAKER_02 22:39

Oh my gosh, good to know because I've I've got some people that definitely would be interested in friends that usually come with me for Levitt, and I know I could take them right down to the stadium and do that too.

SPEAKER_01 22:48

So yeah, check it out. I think it's coming up real soon. I think it's within a week. Don't quote me on that, but I think it's coming up real soon.

SPEAKER_02 22:53

So hopefully tickets are still available. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 22:56

Yeah, you should, yeah, you should be fine. So no, those are fun. We did the legends game a few weeks back. That was a good time. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's right. That was fun. That was super fun. Yeah. I played in it last year and then I coached this year, coached against, well, we were talking before, coached against my business partner in the coaching. So we were the we were dueling dueling coaches that time. Only that time, right? But other time the rest of the time we're together. That night we were button heads, subscribers. But yeah, no, that was that was a really fun night. And Jamie and Melissa, their entire crew out there, they just do a phenomenal job. And we talk about bringing things to Springfield and having more opportunity for people to do stuff and fun and lively stuff. It's just another option for people to get out and have fun in Springfield. And that whole corridor there is being transformed with Lanfier being redone and then Pillsbury going down and the rail line getting moved. It's just it's really cool to see that area also getting redeveloped while adding cool stuff to Springfield.

SPEAKER_02 23:52

Yeah, that is big because it's not just what's downtown, right? It's it is you can look uh by Lanfair and see the stadium there, right? For for Lucky Horseshoes and there's Riverside with the BMX. And there are things to do, there are things you can put your children in, the YMCA on both sides of town. And I I go to both, obviously, but uh there are events happening all the time. Those are the kinds of things that I'm showing up to. Those are the kinds of things that people will call me and say, Can you come cover this or come cover that? And it's it's inspiring to see like wow, there are things going on. You can look through a Visit Springfield magazine and see what to do, but right here within it's usually 15 minutes within Springfield, you can kind of get anywhere. If you just drive 15 minutes east and 15 minutes south, there are things to do. Yeah. A Passfield Golf Course. You know, they've also got a lot of events going on or golf outing for different uh charities and things like that. I know you guys just wrapped up the memorial one. Yeah, that was super fun to go out there too. And uh again, if you're into golf, you're doing that kind of stuff for a great cause. Yeah, it's great. There's so much to do. And um, I feel like I can't hit everything, right? But the two I mentioned are two big ones during the summer that you can definitely do baseball and then get some music in every week.

SPEAKER_01 25:04

So completely agree. No, the idea is to have the whole community to be vibrant. We talk a lot about downtown, but the idea is to have a vibrant Springfield, whether that's downtown, north side, south side, east side, west side. We want the whole place to be vibrant and things to do and events and people prospering and thriving, because that's when we're gonna elevate Springfield, right? That's when we're gonna all grow.

SPEAKER_02 25:27

We have all those things. And you certainly having elevate and other businesses that help to businesses in that and the growth. But having the networking is so important and just to really develop getting others on board who may not know about what's going on around town or even just within the state of Illinois. But Springfield itself, and there's so much history that uh you can always find somebody to take to the museum. But that networking part is is so important and just really creating camaraderie and just the the friendships that you then you start over time, and it's it's amazing. And Springfield is for me, and especially in the business with photography, hands down has been one of the best ways to create friendships, lifelong partnerships with people promoting so certain events. I am the sponsor, so big board of big uh names. You will see my name on most, if not all, of those events that I've done where they're like, we want to sponsor you because we we love the work that you're doing. I just wrapped up Paint the Street with Springfield Art Association. That's always a fun one. It is, and it was great to be able to capture the images that people like artists are so talented, first of all, to be able to come down and paint like I didn't even know you could do that with street the concrete, it's uh gravels. You have to like brush it away. So people are very detailed about how they're sweeping that stuff away. But then you start seeing their paint brushes start to hit the the street, and it's uh those images turned out beautiful. So that was definitely uh a great project to be on, certainly to be sponsored by, and uh so stuff like that where community brings people. I very much believe in that. Community brings people.

SPEAKER_01 27:07

You mentioned networking, how big that is for everybody. Just about to hit six million in in revenue generated in terms of referral revenue, right? So just about to hit that. And we did a little more business this morning, so I think we're gonna be probably pushing over that six million, and that's all in about 16 months now. So not bad, not bad.

SPEAKER_02 27:28

So that is amazing. And we talk a lot about in our group with Land of Lincoln, referrals with just within our group and referrals going out to to those businesses right there, and it's uh it's awesome. And uh, I've had the pleasure of when we're in those meetings of talking to Jane Hayes and and their group that comes out, and of course, uh getting a lot of insight from Dalton, a mender who's got uh Amender Media and just really looking at like how to really collaborate on uh growing and being together in that and just partnered with agility, uh be doing some headshots for them and so the again that referraling is so important and just within our organization is it's amazing. It's amazing to see how people are truly taking every opportunity and uh running after it. It's awesome. Six million is huge. Congratulations.

SPEAKER_01 28:14

Well, it's everybody doing business together, it's everybody taking to heart. Hey, let's refer folks to each other, let's do business with each other when we can, right? And that's just when we do that, when we work together like that, we're gonna grow together. So that's that's the whole point of it.

SPEAKER_02 28:28

So yeah, Jeff uh and give out shout out to Jeff. He's great. He and Will for me are definitely been a great uh dual partner in within Land of Lincoln and certainly having their business to uh really look at in terms of how they've grown, and even as as far as not just them being in our networking group, but how they're even spreading the message out from their company and doing so much business for people around Springfield. And uh Jeff just he leads a great team and um certainly will have a huge impact on the people he meets.

SPEAKER_01 28:59

So completely agree. Y'all know Jeff Dillman, he's on here quite often. So everybody out there know that that's a listener of Elevate or watcher of Elevate, they know Jeff Dillman. So with your services, what's your what's your main one right now? Is it is it working with groups, is it headshots, is it seeing your pictures, is it weddings? What it what's your main thing?

SPEAKER_02 29:17

Yeah, so I I don't do weddings, I don't do uh a whole lot of senior shots. Right. I do advertise uh family and children. That's a lot of uh private stuff, but a lot of my niche in how um I've grown is working with uh businesses, nonprofits, and then working with uh local individuals with smaller uh type businesses, I guess. So like artists. So I I've picked up a couple artists that are gonna be coming into um the studio to do some art-related headshots and artwork for branding, so getting them started for their businesses. I'm working with a couple magazines. Some of my work actually is is being featured with um Afro House and then the Aviator, which is now Black Artists Matter. And so the Noir Six uh exhibit for all of Juneteenth, I was their media sponsor for the Juneteenth Inc. committee. And so getting out to do all their events this this summer was a lot of fun. But the Noir Six uh was coverage I I did that will be featured in a Black Artist Matter magazine, which is a huge honor. That's awesome. Uh and it's a yearly uh magazine they do. So to really feature um, you know, some incredible artists that came to that. Certainly Zach had a piece in that as well, and uh just the curators and and being able to for them to really come together with uh the Illinois State Museum and and partner with that was awesome. And so working with individuals who have some really great talent, um, there is really a lot of uh satisfaction working with with artists who want to showcase their work. I mean, one who came to me and said, I've wanted to do this for years, but I don't know how to do it, or I don't know how to get it out. And I'm like, I got you. So I'll be working with her to get some pieces. She is in the Noir Six as well exhibit. I encourage everybody to get out there. It'll be running through uh September and uh it's amazing stuff. So And if if people haven't heard of that yet, where's that at? It's at the old state capitol. You can go anytime between, of course, now when they did it for Juneteenth, of course, was the opening exhibit, but uh through now and then through September. I can't remember the exact date, but and it'll be displayed at the top level, the second level of the old state capitol, and then down below they've got walls that also circle around with uh people's artwork. And there's pieces from painted stuff all the way through photographs. Uh everybody's got something there that matters to them and that was beautiful around. So right now that is kind of big my bigger thing is working with individuals right now. So some creative shoots and working with people that really want to spotlight some of their work, and that that has been uh very good for me, as well as continuing to work with some businesses as well um this summer, which is which has really picked up as well. So and I'll be still working with the old state capital. Got a couple events coming up for them too.

SPEAKER_01 32:03

So awesome. So is most of your stuff with these individuals or businesses is it very much individualized, or do you have standard things that you do for for companies or individuals out there?

SPEAKER_02 32:15

Um it's individualized. I always tell people just let me know what kind of shots you're looking for, um, and we can kind of go there from there. Or I can help build some certain shots I want to see. But uh for these individual people that are coming in, a lot of times they'll look at me and and they're like, I just don't know how to stand, or I don't know how to uh you know, I don't know how my uh piece is gonna really show out. And I'm like, I've got a couple things that we can look at as far as poses and different uh angles, right? So you want to work with the client. A lot of times I will have a client meeting before we even do the shoot. So really talking to them about what their options are, because some of them come in and they're like, I have no idea, like I'm trusting you, you know, right? So uh it's really being able to work with them to like really make what I feel is gonna be uh best and what's gonna look great. And uh for the businesses, they a lot of times if uh if they come in, I bring a lighter or two with me. But for the most part, they know like they've worked with some others before, whatever. They're like, oh, okay, like this is gonna be I'm gonna sit on a you know a bench, a tall bench, or a chair, uh, or we'll do a large team, like wide shot of them. Those kind of businesses work well because they know what to expect, so it's not as hard for them. Um but uh individuals, I always say you want to make them as comfortable as possible, especially when you're coming into a studio setting. Like I said, they don't they may be meeting you for the first time. I've done some of that where I've had a couple people come in, meet me for the first time. We've maybe talked through phone or email, but like that first handshake was the first time we met, and it was like, now I need to be able to make this sort of show for them that they they want to be here, like that they're comfortable, letting them see the pictures as we do it. So, like turning my camera so that they know like this is how you look, and this is how the lighting looked, and and it's always fun. In the end, it's always fun. You wanna you want to create that fun atmosphere for them regardless. Set aside all the peer pressure and set aside all the you know nerves and you know come in and they're like, Well, I don't know how to stand or whatever. You know, it's like let's just have fun, let's just make it a fun shoot. Yeah, and with my creative shoots that I do, just just make it fun. Bring in your art, bring in your whatever it may be. I've got a guy I'm working with soon, he's a poet and an activist here in Springfield. And I he's like, Can I bring some change of outfits? I'm like, Yeah, yeah, let's go. Bring some change of outfits, let's do it. He's got a microphone because he's a poet, so he writes his own stuff, and he's really big into really activating uh words that he says and to really magnify it. So I'm like, okay, let's get a picture of you with the mic so that we can use that uh a certain way or whatever. So you tell me what's gonna be fun, and my job is to make it happen. There you go.

SPEAKER_01 34:49

What do you love most about the process from that time you meet them and kind of get an idea of what they want to the finished product? What do you love most about it?

SPEAKER_02 34:56

Working with them, the start to finish working with them. Oftentimes, if it's someone that I know I'm gonna have to meet first to get an idea of what they need and you know how to work through the contract and everything, that uh is a great time. But then when you actually get to doing it, and or I'm at a a dinner event or a fundraiser, and it's like, okay, hi, how are you? Okay, we've met, and then you're talking with them through the event, and you get to see even I've been to some events where I know people there, and it's like, oh my gosh, how you doing? Like, so you you get to be able to really interact with these organizations or businesses or whatever, and just have fun with it, and then to the very end where it's like, okay, you know, I have a really great time. And a lot of times they're like, We want to see you next year. Let's do it, let's create a partnership from that. And uh, it's from meeting them to the end of the night, and it's it's a lot of fun. I would say that's the biggest uh gratification is being able to have that fun time and being able to uh interact with my clients. But the editing photos is also very uh neat. It's it's a lot of fun to go through and see the pictures you took. And of course, on a little screen on your camera, you can't really see all that well, all the details. So to really magnify it on my Adobe and go through it and start to go through contrast and lighting and the white and black and the sharpness and everything. Oh, it's that too, is fun.

SPEAKER_01 36:13

It's funny you say that too, because I a lot of people may think of editing as the the tedious part, right? But I I'm similar to you in that aspect. I like the editing side. I like going on like when we're done here, I'll go through and edit and they're like, I like doing that part. I enjoy the enjoy the editing, right?

SPEAKER_02 36:28

Uh I do too. Because you, I mean, it's not like I sit there and start to critique my work, but in a way it's like, okay, how could I learn from that image? Like you take something from each image, and it's like uh okay. So then you start to kind of break down that part of it, and you know, mentally, but then it's like, oh my gosh, that is such a great shot. You see a shot, oftentimes, and I know other photographers will know this, you are doing a candid shoot or something like that, and you're like, okay, you don't want to get them squinting because then you know that's not a great shot to get back to them. But you see someone who's got their eyes open and they're laughing like this or something, and you shoot that, you only have seconds to see how that image is gonna turn out. And I often will keep those kind of images because those are the best kind of images to give back. And they're like, Oh my gosh, I'm I literally did not know you caught that because you're in the corner somewhere, right? And you're able to, of course, with wide angle lenses, you're able to zoom in quite a bit from far distance, and it's it's amazing. Yeah, it's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 37:27

Yeah, and that's the part where you as a photographer, you're thinking, Man, I want to make my client look phenomenal. And I'm thinking the same thing when I'm editing this because you know, this episode is not about me, it's about you. I want to make sure that you look phenomenal over there. So we know when you're going through the editing process, I'm always that's always in the back of my head. Make sure I'm spotlighting you. This isn't this isn't me. And then you're doing the same thing, right?

SPEAKER_02 37:49

Exactly, exactly. And that is hands down one of the most important things going back to what we were talking about as far as how individual clients versus businesses want to what their biggest thing to get out of it is, and it is really to showcase them, put them in the front. They may tell you, oh my gosh, you did such a great job, and thanks for being out here, and oh my gosh, we can't wait to see it. No, this actually, this whole event was about you. Thank you for letting me be out here. I tell all my clients that thank you from the bottom of my heart for for letting me come out year two, year three, year, whatever it may be that we've done this. Thank you. Yeah, and I appreciate it's like with Sojourn, you know, this this will be my second year with them, and it is doing something like that is is inspiring because you're covering uh a mission for them. It's like thank you for letting me be part of your mission, and uh it's amazing. And so no, truly, they they're the ones that really get all the credit, and I'm just I'm there to make you look good. And I I really I appreciate you letting me do that.

SPEAKER_01 38:48

There you go. So, completely selfish question here. So, my daughter, I know you listen to the show and everything. So, my daughter seen her on a Tuesday episode with me. She's taken up photography a little bit, she likes photography, so any maybe underrated or lesser-known spots in Springfield, indoor or outdoor, that she could hit.

SPEAKER_02 39:07

First of all, the art alley here downtown is is amazing. If you ever bring her downtown and just to get alleyways and shots like that is a great way.Anywhere downtown, first of all, is gonna be a great spot to get shots in around the old state capital. But as far as just really capturing moment, really great moments in a wide space, Lincoln Memorial Gardens. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I've done some family shoots out there. It is absolutely beautiful out there. You go as far as the entryway, but then you're inside the park and then out toward the other end of the lakeside. And oh my gosh, there are huge circular sanctuary-looking things, and it is amazing. So definitely there, there's tons of just uh secluded areas, Jim Edgar, or she likes kind of wildlife stuff, but uh even within Springfield, just getting uh shots on the west end of town. Oh my gosh, first of all, getting shots of old buildings or abandoned buildings near downtown, near sort of the uh north end of town, north end, I mean like North Grain coming on to Fifth Street, those kind of areas where there's some old abandoned buildings. But uh there is so much building space that if she likes uh just getting rustic look kind of feel. Old farm. If you ever just drive out into a rural area of kind of near Athens or even those areas out there, old farm pictures are beautiful. You just capture like an old abandoned barn or a barn that maybe is still up and going, but there's a lot there that you can take in. And so, yes, those would be my recommendations for for her and really just getting out there and playing with her camera, you know, and just practice, practice, practice, and it makes perfect. And uh so I'm I'm glad to hear I didn't realize she was I heard through other videos she's done, but yeah, I didn't know uh how involved like she really gets with really hearing her, and it's uh I really commend her. She's coming into a time where I was very much like that through high school when I did the film club and stuff. So have her join different um, you know, film clubs, or if there's groups that are get together and do like a network thing of like photography, or if a group of friends go out with her and do some some photography, man, that's the best way. I mean, she's she's on the right path.

SPEAKER_01 41:23

And so well, so much good business stuff so far, Rob. Let's flip over to the personal for a minute. What are some ways you elevate your life personally?

SPEAKER_02 41:30

Elevating my life, I think it's different for everyone, certainly, but uh really just being an impact for the people around me and and just for me with my story, it is being able to share that. Whenever people have questions, it's like, you know, where are you from? And it's like, and then they start to kind of listen to you and it's like wow. So being able to make that difference in somebody is is just really important, and just helping others see we all come from different backgrounds and we can all learn from each other in that. So um, I would say that would be one of them for sure. That would be probably a mo the most important way for me to elevate my life and to really uh to let others in with that and and to really uh help me grow and things in in that way too. Personally, I I very much rely on people to personally help me grow in that way.

SPEAKER_01 42:14

So absolutely. Well, so much great stuff. Congratulations on the growth so far in the business. I really continued growth that I know you're gonna have. Thank you. Let's close with these last couple of things. Let's give the audience a piece of advice. One on the personal side, one on the professional side to help them elevate their life or business.

SPEAKER_02 42:32

Okay. Um, I think one on the personal, take time for yourself and take time to work on being the best you. I think that's so important. I think that is often not said enough. And I think that that it really truly elevates me when I can work on myself, physical, mental, spiritual, and and that shines in so many ways. So really look at that and you matter. You've got so much potential in being able to do that. So helping others to to be able to do that has really helped me. But on the business, really just I I would say the piece of advice there is never say never, never say never, never sell yourself short. I know that's one thing Zach Adams talk all the time, and and I always I'm like, oh, I don't know if I'm capable of doing that, or I'll go up to him and I'm like, I'm so sorry. It sounds like I'm complaining all the time to you. And he's like, man, that's you aren't doing any of that. He's like, I appreciate you know your heart because someone who is who's willing to see themselves and to learn and grow, take that, take that initiative to learn from others. And for me, I guess in that way, I'm also talking about myself in this way too, is never stop growing. You could be in the business for forty five years and there is something you still have learned in photography. And uh I I just appreciate hearing people tell me that like, never stop learning. You're have a learner's heart every step of the way, and that to me I will always carry. So let's go.

SPEAKER_01 44:00

And is there anything we can do community wide to help all of us here elevate Springfield and the surrounding communities? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:06

Be be involved and be a change maker. Be a change maker with each other in the community and grow together. I think it's very easy for us to have that mindset of I'm just gonna do this and my ideas to grow on my own and I can do this, and then we kind of see ourselves fail. And if I had community around me, if I would have had more people there standing with me, we could have done this together. Right? The motto at Green Toyota, we uh we're all in this together, right? Yeah. I hear Miles talking about that all the time. It's like we're all in this together, and community is so important in that way. So help each other to elevate and help each other to grow and be impactful, be the be that impact for the community. Let's go.

SPEAKER_01 44:50

Well, Rob, if an individual or business is out there and they want to do some work with you, where they go, man.

SPEAKER_02 44:55

Yeah, they're gonna go a lot of places. Uh guys, social media is on most of the platforms. Uh, I'm not on X, but I am on Instagram, Facebook, uh Thread Threads. And so you can uh look it look it up, Portrait Perfect by Rob. It's like a lot of people get tongue-twisted with my the business name, but it is Portrait Perfect by Rob on those uh social media platforms, and then my website is portraitperfectimages.com. You can have a gander, see all my projects and pricings, see all my community partners and and sponsors that have have done great work with me. Uh, my contact info as well. Email is portraitperfect by rob at gmail.com. If you want to get a hold of me by email, I know some people are very old school and don't have a lot of the same uh understanding with with technology, so they can always get a hold of me through email at portraitperfect by rob at gmail.com.

SPEAKER_01 45:50

There you go.

SPEAKER_02 45:50

Well, appreciate you coming down and visiting with me today, man. It's been fun. Thanks for having me, and thank you to the uh elevate community. And just really uh a pleasure to be on with you, Robert, and to be able to talk about this.

SPEAKER_01 46:01

So happy to have you, brother. Keep on pushing. I love it. Appreciate it. All right, we're gonna let Rob get back to Elevate in Springfield, but for the rest of y'all, we'll be right back. Looking for expert tree care with hometown integrity, look no further than Sangamon Tree Service. They're your trusted local pros, delivering quality workmanship, exceptional customer service, and fair, honest pricing every time. Whether it's trimming, removal, or storm cleanup, their team brings professionalism and care to every job, big or small. Call the name your neighbors trust, Sangman Tree Service, or visit them today at SangamentreeService.com. Sangaman Tree Service, rooted in quality, built on trust. Looking for personalized insurance with hometown care, David Hilst, American Family Insurance Agent is here to help you protect what matters most: your family, your home, and your dreams. Whether it's auto, home, life, business, David and his team are proud to serve the Springfield community with trusted advice and reliable coverage. Local service, real relationships, peace of mind. Call today or stop by their office. They can build your dream protection plan together. Call 217-726-6343. Well, thank you for joining us today, everybody. Appreciate you making us a part of your day. Hey, don't forget while you're out on social, check ours out. You can check my personal one out at RobertFarrell at everywhere. Check out those Elevate Springfield pages, those big dog business coaching pages as well. Check us out over on YouTube. Give us a subscribe, give us a like or a follow on any of those channels. We would certainly appreciate it. So hey, take what you learned today. You bring the discipline and follow through and together. That's right, y'all. We're gonna elevate Springfield. Be great.

SPEAKER_00 47:58

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