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Meet Roberto Cordero Jr of RC Creative Media Co in Tempe

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Roberto Cordero Jr.

Roberto, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My creative journey as a photographer & videographer started in early 2013 – when I first picked up a point and shoot camera. It began when I was just snapping random landscape photos, dance videos, and portraits of my friends. I didn’t think much of it long-term at the time, I was kind of just doing it for fun and developing a hobby. I was living in a small town that didn’t really offer any creative art classes so I took it upon myself to learn it on my own. I’ve developed my skill from trial and error, reading the manual, and simply doing my research online. YouTube helped me a lot on my journey. From watching another creatives workflow, behind the scenes videos, learning more about the technical side of things, reviews, lighting, etc. I always recommend this to self-starters or anybody who is looking to pave a path into the creative arts, or anything at all. Find the patience and passion within to self-teach yourself and use your resources online; it’s free!

As time went on, I started getting my first clients through Facebook in 2014. It was so insane to me that someone wanted to pay me to take photos, but that’s when things started up for me. Being self-taught, I had to dive deeper in the business side of things considering it was just me doing it all. I had to set prices, figure out what other photographers/videographers were charging hourly in my area, and work around that. I never boxed myself into one category, I ventured in all genres from music videos, weddings, fashion, events, senior portraits, family portraits, interviews, commercials, etc. I’ve always been the type to constantly learn and evolve and till this day I’m learning something new. Throughout this process, I worked for a few school photography companies, doing school and sport portraits. I also worked alongside a company that specialized in weddings in which I got most of my wedding knowledge and experience from.

As the years went on & continuing my craft as a side job, I landed a video production gig for two years, and this helped me build my cliental and further my skills. After two years, I decided to make the move as a freelance artist and go all in on my company. May 1st, 2020 will be the first year mark as a full time creative. It definitely is a process – you have to trust in it to the fullest, and constantly strive to do better. Nothing worthwhile is created without time and effort. I’m grateful to say my business is doing well and I’ll ensure that it stays that way by making timeless work and being a good human being to my clients. This year, I’m working on some personal goals to become a full-time creative director in both music videos and editorial work, as well as honing in on my craft as an actor which also started within the same year as my journey in photography & videography.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There’s a quote by Mario Andretti that goes “Desire is the key to motivation, but its determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal — a commitment to excellence — that will enable you to attain the success you seek.” This is absolute truth. We can have the desire and that will motivate us to a degree, but if you are not committed and determined, you will not reach your full potential. The cost of success are late nights, early morning, very few friends, not much social life, feeling overwhelmed, questioning your sanity, being your only motivator, and you will be misunderstood. You have to be okay will all of this. A lot of people tend to view “entrepreneurship” as glamours and give it this ‘cool’ title, but it is far from that. It definitely has not been a smooth road, I’ve faced major struggles and challenges on the way, but I wouldn’t change it for anything.

Because of those struggles, it taught me endurance and it helped me grow as a person. There have been times where I felt I wasn’t gonna be able to pay my rent, certain bills, constantly overthinking/suppressing my emotions, questioning my worth & value. I’ve gotten to the point where I even submitted to get a 9-5 job, but once I received that call for an interview, I declined it and snapped myself out it. I believe that the first truth that MUST be told is that entrepreneurship is NOT for everybody. The reality is that many entrepreneurs are not cut out to cope with the pressure, inconsistency, and self-motivation that is required to be successful. It’s all a mind-set for me. I know how bad I want this and I’ll do anything to obtain it, no matter what.

Please tell us about RC Creative Media Co.
RCJR or RC Creative Media Co is a small media company, specializing in fashion, music videos, portraits, family, weddings, events, lifestyle, interviews, commercials, real estate, etc. My company is only a year old but I am very proud of how far it’s come within this amount of time. What truly sets me apart from others is how personable I am – I love to get to know my clients and I do not charge for consultations. I’d rather meet a client who is looking to hire me than hopping on a phone call. I enjoy meeting and speaking with others and getting to know them on visceral level. This helps me get a sense of who they are, their interests perhaps, and helps me when we film or shoot. I go above and beyond for my clients – sometimes it doesn’t matter the photo or video package they choose, most times I go over the time they booked with me or I send more photographs because I’m truly enjoying capturing these moments for them. I’m passionate about what I do, I strive to ensure my clients are comfortable, and that they love the final result. It’s more than just a check to me, it’s about building long term relationships and creating something timeless.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memories from my childhood were the ones where I was just being young, wild, and free. Til’ this day I try my best to hold on to that and just live in the moment. Flashbacks go through my head where I’m just running in the streets with my cousins and friends, playing, getting into mischief, and just expressing ourselves in the wildest ways. I think those are my favorite memories because they were so genuine and freeing. I’ll never let go of the child in me, that’s where most of my creativity and wildness comes from, as odd as that sounds haha.

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