Clearing the Past, Planting the Future
A Walk in My Woods + Reflections from 30+ Years in Media
Spring has officially arrived in Rhode Island, and with it comes that brief window before the vines, poison ivy, and thick foliage reclaim the land. I’ve just returned from two weeks of travel. I can’t wait to get back into our woods—cutting fallen trees for firewood, transplanting ferns, mapping new trails, and placing a picnic table by the creek to create a quiet little getaway spot for reading, eating lunch, or simply listening to the sounds of the forest and water.
It’s become a ritual of reclaiming and renewal, and every hike seems to unearth pieces of the past—old tires, rusted car parts, broken glass.
That rhythm—of clearing out the old to make space for the new—feels familiar. It mirrors my work at Indermaur Media, and honestly, my entire 30-year career.
From Arizona to Kansas: The First Leap
After graduating from Northern Arizona University in 1992, I worked for the local Flagstaff newspaper, Arizona Daily Sun, and then shifted into freelancing for publications. I then packed up my car and took a leap of faith—heading to Kansas without knowing anyone in the industry. I had a dream of working at a newspaper, and while no staff jobs came my way, I ended up doing something even better: building my own freelance photography business.
In those early years, I shot black-and-white film for newspapers and slowly expanded into color negative and slide film. I worked for the Associated Press, The Kansas City Star, and The Wichita Eagle, covering everything from hard news to sports to corporate assignments. I was fortunate to photograph influential figures including Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius (serving as her photographer for two terms), Alan Greenspan, Bob Dole, President Bill Clinton, and then-presidential hopeful Barack Obama.
I also began to work for national magazines like Sports Illustrated and People, and produced imagery for annual reports that took me across the U.S. and abroad. It was a period of growth—and a lot of hustle.
Letting Go of Film, Embracing the Digital
Eventually, the shift to digital arrived. I sold my film cameras, leaned into Photoshop (which I had purchased back in version 1.0), and embraced digital photography and editing fully. My early love of technology made the transition a smooth one—I had a computer starting in grade school and even studied computer science in college for a time. That curiosity later led to building my first website, which set the stage for the web work I do today.
From Plains to Coastlines: Another Leap of Faith
In 2007, I made another bold move—this time from Kansas to Rhode Island. I’d always felt drawn to water and sailing, and the idea of starting fresh in a coastal state felt like the next right step. I didn’t know anyone here, but I believed in the vision of a new life—and that vision has more than paid off.
Since then, I’ve grown Indermaur Media to focus on corporate and commercial work. I’ve led productions of all sizes—sometimes solo, sometimes with a team of 50—hiring actors, producers, directing videos, and managing logistics for clients in biotech, finance, higher education, and more. I completed the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, which helped sharpen my business strategy and solidify my long-term goals.
Tending to New Growth
These days, I’m diving into new tools, including AI, and producing short-form video content using a smartphone that help clients connect with their audiences in fresh ways. I still love the roots of what I do—telling real stories—but now I do it across platforms and with evolving techniques.
Back on our land, I see the same story playing out: clearing debris, restoring beauty, preparing for what’s next. The work never really ends—and that’s the point. It’s a process of tending, of listening to the environment (or the market), and responding with care.
This spring, I feel the ferns beginning to rise again—both in the soil and in my work. The roots are solid. The vision is strong. And the path forward is full of possibility.