Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rotimi (Timi) Ibidapo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Rotimi (Timi), thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Yes, I earn a full-time living from my creative work today, but it definitely didn’t start out that way. In fact, my journey looked less like a straight line and more like a GPS that kept saying “recalculating,” but somehow still got me to the right destination.

My creative story started back in Nigeria when I was a teenager spending all my after-school hours at my uncle’s graphic design company. While most kids were outside playing, I was inside learning Photoshop. I had a great mentor who taught me the ins and outs of design, and that early exposure planted a seed I didn’t realize would grow the way it did.

When I moved to the United States for college, that seed became survival. As an international student, you quickly learn that working off campus is not an option. So I leaned on what I had, which at that time was a laptop, Photoshop, and a willingness to hustle. I started designing flyers for campus organizations, charging fifteen to twenty dollars per flyer. It wasn’t glamorous, but when you’re in college and someone sends you thirty dollars for two flyers, you feel like you’re running a Fortune 500 company.

That small side hustle led to an internship in the school’s media department. Then came the moment that changed everything. One homecoming day, the school photographer called out. My manager tossed me a camera and said, “Here, grab that camera and take pictures… you’re smart, you’ll figure it out.” It was both motivating and slightly terrifying, but I figured it out. And more importantly, I loved it. Soon the same organizations I designed flyers for started asking me to take the photos that went on the flyers. That was the unofficial beginning of what would one day become R7 Studios.

After graduating from Lincoln University with a degree in Computer Science and a minor in Financial Accounting, I did what seemed logical. I went into corporate, focused on data analytics and internal controls, and climbed the ladder for nearly a decade. Photography slipped into the background until fate intervened again. A friend’s wedding photographer canceled last minute, and he remembered I “used to do photography.” I dusted off my camera, shot the wedding, and the spark reignited itself instantly.
People loved the work. More jobs came in. And at the time, having just purchased a house, the extra income didn’t hurt either. I formed an LLC, made it official, and kept building R7 Studios on nights and weekends.
Then came the plot twist. After COVID, my department at my corporate job was dissolved during a company-wide layoff. We were given the chance to apply for internal roles, but nothing felt exciting anymore. Something in me kept saying, “This is your moment. Take the risk.” So I did. I chose creativity full-time, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life.

So no, it wasn’t like this from day one. The journey looked more like: day one, confusion; day 200, “how do I turn passion into income”; year 3, “okay, we might have a business here.” But every stage prepared me. The slow seasons, the late nights, the last-minute opportunities, all of it shaped the creative and entrepreneur I am today.

Could I have sped up the process? Probably. If I knew then what I know now, I would have:

_ Charged my worth much earlier;
– Built systems instead of improvising;
– Outsourced sooner;
– And trusted my talent without waiting for permission.

But honestly, every step and misstep gave me resilience, humility, and the confidence to build something meaningful.

Today, R7 Studios is a full-scale media company built on storytelling, creativity, and impact. And I’m grateful that a journey that started in Nigeria with a curious teenager and a copy of Photoshop CS3 brought me here.

Rotimi (Timi), before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Rotimi, but everyone calls me Timi, and I am the founder of R7 Studios. My creative journey started as a teenager in Nigeria, spending my after school hours at my uncle’s graphic design company. That early exposure to Photoshop and visual storytelling followed me to the United States, where I continued designing flyers in college as a way to support myself as an international student.

One day, the university’s photographer called out and my manager handed me a camera saying, “You’re smart, you’ll figure it out.” That unexpected moment introduced me to photography and opened the door to what would eventually become R7 Studios.

After graduating with a degree in Computer Science and experience in data analytics, I spent nearly a decade in corporate before returning to my creative roots. A friend asked me to photograph his wedding last minute, the work resonated, and the requests kept coming. I formed an LLC, built the brand, and eventually transitioned into running R7 Studios full-time.

Today, R7 Studios is a one stop media company serving Delaware and the Philadelphia region. We provide photography, videography, live streaming, audio engineering, graphic design, and branding services. Our clients include nonprofits, small businesses, and individuals who want to tell their stories with clarity and impact.
What sets us apart is that we bring everything in-house. Clients no longer need separate vendors for photos, videos, audio, and branding. We provide cohesive media, consistent quality, and storytelling that feels intentional across every platform.

At our core, we are storytellers. Whether we are capturing a wedding, documenting a nonprofit’s mission, or building a brand campaign, our goal is always to help people be seen, heard, and remembered.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

R7 Studios did not begin with a big loan or any outside investors. It started with small beginnings and a lot of resourcefulness. Back in college, I designed flyers for student organizations to make money as an international student. I saved every dollar and eventually bought my first camera from those earnings. That camera, combined with the photos I took on campus, became the foundation for everything that came after.

Right before I photographed my first wedding, my sister gifted me her professional camera. She had been using it for her jewelry business, and she passed it on so I could step into photography at a higher level. That gift changed everything for me. It gave me the confidence and the quality I needed to walk into that first wedding prepared and deliver work that opened new doors.

From there, I took every job I could, saved aggressively, and reinvested everything back into my equipment. I would buy gear, sell it, trade it, upgrade it, and repeat. Every upgrade represented growth. Each new piece of equipment was funded by the work itself, and at times supported by my full time job. Sometimes you need your full time job to pay for your side hustle until the side hustle becomes strong enough to stand on its own.

The real story of how I funded my business is simple. I started with what I had, accepted help when it came, reinvested every dollar, and worked my way up one camera and one opportunity at a time. It taught me to build sustainably, work with intention, and grow through consistency rather than shortcuts.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele has always been simple. I treat every current client like they are my next client. Once someone books me, that booking is already secured. The real opportunity is in how well I perform on the job I am standing in. If I show up fully, create with intention, deliver quality, and make the client feel valued, their experience becomes my marketing. Someone always sees the work. Someone always asks who captured it. And that is how the next booking happens.

Relationships are also a major part of my growth. I believe in building trust, not just transactions. Some creatives focus on trying to make a huge profit from the first gig. My approach is different. I focus on charging fairly, ensuring I am not at a loss, and building a long term relationship with the client. I would rather work with someone multiple times over the years, learn their story, understand their goals, and grow with them, instead of squeezing as much as possible out of one job and never hearing from them again.

Consistency, humility, and genuine connection have carried R7 Studios far. When clients feel respected and taken care of, they refer you, they return, and they bring opportunities your way that marketing dollars cannot buy. For me, that has been the most powerful strategy of all.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.R7studios.com
• Instagram: Rotimi7
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ibidapotimi/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@R7StudiosDE
• Other: Tik Tok: @rotimi7