STUDIO3TWENTY recently had the opportunity to do some volunteer photography for the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, and it was truly an amazing experience.

During the last 6 weeks we went behind the scenes to document all the hard work and dedication that goes into a production like “Hello, Dolly!” Our photos range from the nightly rehearsals to the finishing touches on stage.

Below are just a few or our favorite photos. If you want to see more of the action, check things out on Facebook.

And, be sure to do yourself a favor and get out and see see a show and at The Grand Rapids Civic Theatre. They have some amazing productions yet to come this season.
 

Hello, Dolly! is on stage through March 20, and its definitely worth checking out. Performances run Wednesday through Sunday.

The Grand Rapids Press recently did a week long series featuring young entrepreneurs in the West Michigan area, and you can only imagine how thrilled I was to find out that STUDIO3TWENTY was going to be among the businesses featured. The call from the reporter was just the start of wonderful things to come.

6 days after our initial conversation we were seated in our office with Cami Reister, a business reporter for The Grand Rapids Press. She and I spoke on the phone various times over the previous week, so it was great to meet her in person. She had a bevy of questions for us, inquiring about everything from our backgrounds to our clients to our spare time. I admired how quickly she was able to write notes. One of the many skills of reporting, I suppose.

Up next was our photo session with Press photographer Cory Morse. We thoroughly enjoyed this portion of our 15 minutes of fame, considering we have a particular interest in photography ourselves. It was interesting to be on the other side of the lens.

We had to wait almost 2 weeks to see the actual article in print, and honestly, we were a bit nervous and excited. When I purchased that day's paper I was surprised to find that we were pictured on the front page of the Grand Rapids Press. We quickly turned to the article and were so pleased to find that Cami did a wonderful job accurately portraying STUDIO3TWENTY, the way we do business, the way we think, and where we had come from. It truly was a very accurate and positive article. We were also really pleased with the way the photos turned out. Cory has a great eye and a knack for interesting angles.

The response we got from the article was nothing but positive and we've had a number of potential client interactions due to the coverage. Above all, we are truly thankful that Cami and The Grand Rapids Press saw potential in our business and felt we were worthy of covering.

You can read the entire article here. All photos included in this blog post were taken by Cory Morse of The Grand Rapids Press and can also be found at the article link.

Over the course of the last few years, we've seen a bevy of local restaurants go under. Just this week we saw the Adobe sign in Allendale get covered up, while the McDonald's right next store was swamped. We asked, what's wrong with people? Buying local keeps money local, which makes a community thrive. A year ago we found ourselves not helping the situation by dining at any one of the numerous chains in town. We asked ourselves, what can we do to make a difference, even if it was just a small one?

Welcome the arrival of Local GR Eats (or Local Greats, depending on how you write it.) Since the inception of our concept, we can honestly say we have not had dinner at a chain restaurant. We even gave up my fave, Fajita-Rita Monday at Chili's, which was a regular hot spot for us. In return we've been rewarded with great food, wonderful service, and the opportunity to genuinely support the local businesses that make West Michigan great.


The idea was to use social media and word of mouth to find great locally owned restaurants, visit them with a group of friends, then spread the word. We started a blog and began using Facebook and Twitter. We never imagined what would become of it. Within weeks we had hundreds of hits a day to our blog, and we had 200+ Facebook fans, 90% of which were people we didn't know. They just liked the idea and wanted to support it. If you "like" Local GR Eats on Facebook, you can see where we're going next, and you can check out our blog to see where we've been.


Each time we dine out we make an attempt to speak to the owner, who is almost always working, and what we find are hardworking people who are passionate about what they do. They truly appreciate the fact that we bring a group in to their restaurant, then tell everyone we can about them. We've had fantastic experiences, wonderful food, and great service at places we had never been to before. Authentic Mexican fare is right in our backyard at Maggie's Kitchen. Never been there...read the post, its phenomenal. Looking for quirky decor with an incredible menu? Kopper Top is the place. The cutest restaurant with the most adorable owners goes to none other than Marie Catrib's.


We felt great when people would send us messages saying they had never heard of Angel's Thai Cafe, but after reading our blog they had to try it and went there for lunch the next day. Are we changing the world? No, but we're happy if get just a few more people to think about supporting local business and trying some of the many fantastic places in their own backyards.

Eat up...and do it locally!

Got a great restaurant we should visit? Send us a message on our Facebook page.

Excitement came recently in the form of an email notifying me that I had been selected as one of the Grand Rapids Business Journal's 40 Under Forty. According to GRBJ, they are looking for those who lead the community in one way or another, provide business and community leadership, and make a difference. To be recognized among such an elite group of young professionals was truly an honor.

To start the process I had to get a professional head shot taken for the publication, which I found to be a pretty exciting ordeal, even though the whole photo process only took about 2.5 seconds. After directions to tilt this way, turn my chin that way, and smile, we ended up with what you see above. Thanks Johnny Quirin, for making me look nice:)


The 40 Under 40 recipients were honored at a reception held at the Goei Center. It was a beautiful facility and the reception was top-notch! The keynote speaker was Mike Jandernoa who spoke about the state of Michigan's economy, as well as how Grand Rapids has the opportunity to thrive. Very interesting stuff.

Each recipient received a framed piece with their article and photo. 


It was not only a special night for STUDIO3TWENTY, but also for one of our clients, IT Resource, of Coopersville. Their sales manager, Carrie Borchers, was one of the 40 Under 40 recipients as well. Here we are, happy together:)


Being recognized as one of Grand Rapids Business Journal's 40 Under Forty was truly an honor. I thank those that thought I was worthy of the recognition, and I thank the other recipients for all they do for our community. Grand Rapids is a great place to encourage business to thrive!

See the Grand Rapids Business Journal 40 Under 40 publication in its entirety here. PS: Take a look at page 22:)