Robert Theodorow is the CEO & Founder of Stormfront Productions, a Lafayette Indiana based online media consulting company. He graduated from Purdue University in 2001 with a degree in Computer Graphics Technology.
Rob has consulted with Fortune 500 companies, government institutions, top universities and currently serves on the advisory council for Dawson College as well as the marketing committee for the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra. His work has received top recognition from the American Design Awards, Purdue University, Design Firms, the Better Business Bureau and the Creative Public, amongst others. Check out Rob's work and his company at stormfrontproductions.net
Tell me a little about how your company got started?
Stormfront Productions was started from a personal portfolio site I created
(www.sfp.cc/v1). Our first client was for a fire door company in Atlanta,
GA.
When was the first time you said "This is working"?
When we landed our first recurring client, Willowbrook West. Before landing
them, I just did side projects here and there. After we started doing all
the marketing for such a large college housing community I noticed my
part-time freelance gig was bringing in more money than my current full-time
job.
Was there ever a time you wanted to quit?
Not yet. Times have been stressful and we seem to get the occasional problem
client. Overall, everything seems to even out in the end and we end up
landing some really sweet projects to make up for the stressful ones.
Did you ever do any freelancing? If so, what was that like?
Yep. I freelanced for 2 years before officially incorporating Stormfront
Productions and bringing in employees.
What advice would you give to a young entrepreneur who is thinking about
freelancing or starting their own business?
Find a niche product or service in your market and capitalize on it. Also,
lots of SEO doesn't hurt either!
Were there any major turning points?
Two years ago we started leasing office space downtown. This was big as it
turned us into a "real" company rather than just a guy working out of his
house.
Looking back, is there anything you would do differently?
Take more risks earlier on. I was very conservative and wish I would have
got the ball rolling earlier. But as an entrepreneur you always have to
weigh the potential risks vs. rewards and determine what you are personally
comfortable with doing.
When did you graduate from Purdue and what did you see yourself doing
then?
I was CGT class of Dec. 2001. I graduated right after 9/11 when the job
market was pretty bad. I was just hoping to find a paying position and not
have to move home and live with my parents! It took two months, but I
eventually landed a position at Purdue's Discovery Park.
Where are you at now? How many employees? Clients? Awards?
We are located right across the river from Purdue in downtown Lafayette.
Stormfront Productions currently has five employees (all Purdue alumni and
students). We can boast a 250+ client list including fortune 500 companies,
government institutions and non-profits. We recently won small business of
the month through Greater Lafayette Commerce for November 2008.
Interview conducted November 2008
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