Hello - The changing seasons are a great time for new introductions and you rarely get to see my face here IG so I wanted to give you all a little reintroduction to kickoff October. My name is R.J. (That’s short for Richard, but I’m the third, so I’ve adopted the initials throughout my life.) I’m an entrepreneur, small business owner, and award winning photographer from St. Louis Missouri. For the past six years I’ve been helping brands big and small think about their audience and visual voice online. I’m quick to chat with you about a lot of things - editorial photography, advertising and brand building keep my creative brain happy while topics like manufacturing, civic development, and strategic management engage my more nerdy passions 🤓. For the past four years I’ve had the pleasure of helping tell great stories with my #STLMADE family here in St. Louis featuring so many amazing people, businesses and programs happening in our region. It’s though this lens that I’ve been fortunate enough to craft what I think is a truly unique perspective about the city I’ve always called home. I also own and operate @smallcirclerecipes, a startup project my wife (@Maryvdh) and I launched just before the pandemic that focuses on creating great products and telling powerful stories though food. Outside of our professional pursuits we love our neighborhood (dogtown) and our sweet pup @josiesonvacation so much. You can probably catch us taking walks in #ForestPark or having a bonfire and grilling in the backyard! I’m a graduate of Saint Louis University School of Business where I fostered my love of new ideas working in the entrepreneurship center as a student. I’ve also spent time working as a product developer, consulting for various startups locally. I may have sold you a computer at the Apple Store in my youth (shoutout to these foundational first jobs!) What else... I’ve been to the mountains of Colorado, the streets of Paris and have seen Seattle from a helicopter with no doors. I think traveling is one of the best educations. I hope we can meet again soon or make a new connection. Thanks! DM me to reconnect or reach out [email protected] 📸 @seekupaj