Award Winning Headshot Clients

Congratulations!

I wanted to give a quick shout out to some recent award winning clients for their work in and around Rochester. These women do some amazing stuff and help make Rochester a great place to live and work!

Congrats to Cheryl Boodram of Chief Financial Credit Union and Maria Willett of the City of Rochester Hills. They were both included in Oakland County's Elite 40 under 40.

And, congrats to Kara Sears of Rochester Schools for winning Oakland University Educator of the Year.

Kara Sears

Maria Willett

Cheryl Boodram

These type of award nominations have a tendency to sneak up. So if you don’t have a headshot ready to go for the press release, give me a call! 

Meet the Troy Chamber of Commerce

Meet the Troy Chamber of Commerce

Recently, I had the pleasure of working with the Troy Chamber of Commerce as they updated their staff headshots. 

As a small business owner, the local Chambers of Commerce have been vital. So I asked Sheila Denstaedt, the Director of Member Services, to tell you more.

Scott Lawrence: Tell us about your organization.

Sheila Denstaedt: Established in 1959, the Troy Chamber has been serving the business community for more than 55 years. One of the things that has not changed over those years is the diversity of our membership, which ranges from sole proprietors and entrepreneurs to large corporations. Because of the layout of Troy, no downtown area, we are more of a business-to-business Chamber. However, we are very fortunate to have many fantastic restaurants and retail outlets within the Chamber and the City of Troy!

SL: What’s unique about how you do what you do?

Sheila: I think what makes us unique is that we recognize that we can’t be all things to everyone. Over the years we have listened to our members and tailored our events to meet overall needs like: networking, economic development and education. We constantly review and monitor our committees to ensure they make sense for our members. We don’t want anyone to feel they have wasted their time participating in these groups. 

We have also looked at ways to better incorporate our members into our events and presentations. We always look to our database first for event locations and speakers. We are very fortunate to have large scope of talent in Troy.

SL: What’s the one thing most people don’t know about your industry, but should?

Sheila: Chambers of Commerce aren’t a fit for every business. I say that in the most sincere way. To receive ROI on your Chamber investment you have to get involved. I think that goes for any Chamber, Association or membership organization. Take some time to research the group, attend a meeting, schedule a one-on-one with a member and then evaluate if it’s the right fit for you!

SL: Let's say I just made a move to Troy from a neighboring town. I have friends in Troy to help me find my bearings, but is it still worth calling the Chamber for recommendations and community tips?

Sheila: When moving a business to Troy I think starting with the Chamber is a must. Friends and family can give you suggestions (sometimes based on hearsay) on restaurants, potential office locations and potentially your competition, but the Chamber can give you boots on the ground insight. We have connections to City and County employees that can help you not only with your relocation but with making sure you have the best possible start at that new location.  The Chamber can also help you connect with vendors who can make the move so much simpler!

SL: What can you help with that social media recommendations might not cover?

Sheila: We can make the introductions - we can connect you with people who have actually used the recommendations and will be honest with their results. We have been fortunate over the years to have seen what works and doesn’t work for businesses of all sizes and we want to see our members succeed! So we are here to share that information. 

If you're a business owner in Troy, or you're thinking about starting one, don't hesitate to contact the Troy Chamber.

Thanks for Joining My Adventure

Thanks for Joining My Adventure

As we kick off the new year, I want to express my sincere gratitude to all my amazing clients from 2017. You recognized that your selfies aren't getting any better for professional use (even with the latest iPhone). So you took a leap and tried a new photography experience here in Rochester, Michigan, that's not yet not as common as it was in my old town, just outside Chicago. 

With your help, we're making progress.

I see it in my own LinkedIn feed. I see it on Instagram and your Facebook pages. And I see it in print too — on your business cards and local advertising.

In whatever you do, you are your biggest differentiator.

Authentic, confident and polished headshots are still not the norm. There is much work to be done to keep spreading the message.

I can't wait to see where your new headshot takes you in 2018!

If you haven't seen it yet, here's a little highlight video. Enjoy! 

Rochester Chamber Small Business of the Year

The Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce honors some of the community’s greatest contributors at the Sunrise Pinnacle Award Ceremony. This massive event is held each year at the Royal Park Hotel in Downtown Rochester. As a photography sponsor, I was excited to help the individual winners celebrate with a new headshot. A few had time for a quick interview.

Congratulations to Sandy Fiaschetti of Magnet Consulting for winning Small Business of the Year!

Wondering what Magnet Consulting does? I’ll let Sandy fill us in:

Scott Lawrence: Tell us about your business.

Sandy Fiaschetti: Magnet Consulting is a strategic people consulting firm and a certified Women-Owned Business. We work with client organizations across industries and size to assist in Organizational Culture, Employee Assessment and Selection, and Team and Leader Development. 

SL: What does winning a Pinnacle Award mean to you?  

Sandy: It's really quite a surprise and an honor to win it! We didn't actually even have any idea how a company won... we imagined you had to do a packet and nominate yourself like with other awards, and that's not it at all. Apparently, people in our local business community noticed our growth and the work we're doing with companies both locally and nationally and nominated us. That makes it all the more special! 

SL: What’s unique about how you do what you do?

Sandy: Well, in our space, a couple types of consultants exist and we believe we are different from both of those. One is the academic Ph.D. who doesn't really get the practicalities of applying our science to business because they've only ever been a consultant, and the other is the "I took a short online class and I can hang a shingle and do this." Although one of our founding partners is actually a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology, we aren't like either of those types of competitors. We understand the science of human behavior and the realities of the business world because we've worked in business for decades, not just in consulting. Our clients tell us that we bring a no-nonsense, fact-based but sensitive point-of-view to their people engagement issues. 

SL: What’s the one thing most people don’t know about your business or industry, but should?

Sandy: Probably that the industry even exists! Crazy as that sounds, we know there are many companies who think that people issues can be solved via their gut or with only the help of traditional HR. Many don't even know organizational psychologists, and their scientific approach to business problems, exist. One of the biggest specific things many don't know is how their hiring practices can land them in legal trouble if they don't involve an expert in creating them. 

SL: Where should readers go to learn more about your business?

Sandy: Visit www.MagnetConsulting.com or check out these posts where others have taken note of what we do: 

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20170119/NEWS/170119793/corporate-escape-room-with-a-twist-takes-aim-at-workplace

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20170829/custom/637561/how-to-make-your-company-a-cool-place-to-work-in-2018

Congratulations Sandy!

Meet Rochester Chamber Educator of the Year

The Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce honors some of the community’s greatest contributors at the Sunrise Pinnacle Award Ceremony. This massive event is held each year at the Royal Park Hotel in Downtown Rochester. As a photography sponsor, I was excited to help the individual winners celebrate with a new headshot. A few had time for a quick interview.

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Congratulations to Kara Sears, Rochester Regional Chamber's Educator of the Year!

Scott Lawrence: Tell us about your career.

Kara Sears: I have been a Social Studies teacher with Rochester Community Schools for 13 years.  I’ve had the privilege of working at Adams High School, ACE High School and currently at Rochester High School.

I was born and raised in Rochester Hills and is a product of Rochester Community Schools. I live with my husband and two sons in Rochester Hills. My education started at Brewster Elementary and went right through to Adams High School.  I then attended Oakland University where I earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree, with a Secondary Teaching Certification with a major in Social Studies and minor in Political Science and then went on to earn a Masters in Educational Studies from Oakland University as well.

I was fortunate to have grown up in a family that valued education and lifelong learning. EVERY family vacation was like a field trip during which we always learned something new. It’s a tradition I maintain with my family today.

SL: What does winning a Pinnacle Award mean to you?

Kara: I’m happy to accept this award on behalf of all the incredible teachers and mentors I’ve known over the years. Being nominated as Educator of the Year is an honor in its own right, but to be chosen to represent our community, one so filled with talent, is a true privilege.

I truly could not have been nominated for this honor without the support and assistance of my family, husband Brad, sons Jacob and Mark, my mom, my sister Laura and family, the students and staff at ACE and Rochester High Schools and the Rochester, Rochester Hills Community members. It truly takes a village!

SL: What’s unique about how you do what you do?

Kara: I tell students they need to bring their DTPL (Discipline, Patience, Tradition and Love an acronym for success) which was taught to me by a former Adams teacher, Dr. Tim Lentz.  I hope that my students will develop a love of learning, gain leadership skills, grow personally and academically and give back to the community.

As ACE Student Council Interact Club Advisor, my students were involved in the following Community events:

ACE Community Welcome Breakfast for students and staff

ACE Community Career Fair

Rochester Rotary Bake Sales

Rochester Prayer Breakfast

Raise and donate money to EndPolio with Rochester Rotary Club

ACE Interact Club along with Rochester High School Interact club collaborated to raise and donate $1000 to buy a Shelter box for Refugees.

Rochester Community House Food Pantry Annual ACE Can Drive

Rochester Community House Dinner Servers

 Rochester Hills Paint a Plow

 Rochester Christmas Parade

 Volunteered at the Paint Creek Center for the Arts.

 Participated in #Rochester200Project.

Congratulations Kara!