Meet Mitch Miller, the owner of FotoFunSpot.
Tell us a little about your business. – FotoFunSpot (www.fotofunspot.com) is a premier photographic experience and activation provider serving the Midwest. We have the area’s largest collection of photographic experiences including our very popular 360 video booth, photo booths for social events, and event photography for galas and VIP events.
How did you get started in the business? – Over 20 years ago, I started taking photos of my kids in elementary school as they participated in sports. Several years later, I started booking weddings as a photographer. It was about that time that photo booths started gaining popularity, so I pivoted my business from wedding and portrait photography to photo booths and event photography.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced professionally? – As a solopreneur, I have to wear a different hat almost hourly. One minute I’m preparing for a specific photographic experience and the next I’m paying bills or carrying out marketing efforts. As the business has grown, I’ve had to learn to depend on others to do the things they do best, so I can focus on what I do best.
What has been your most important achievement professionally? – FotoFunSpot has been recognized by the Omaha community with a Best of Omaha Award. The Millard Business Association also recognized me with their Professional of the Year Award this past April.
Tell us a little about your family. – My wife Angie and I have been married for 35 years. Both of us are Nebraska natives. We met in North Platte and moved to the Millard area 23 years ago to raise our family. We have two adult sons, Matt and Shaun, who still live close enough that we get to see them regularly.
What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? – I’ve long been an electronics nut. I remember being in middle school and studying a friend’s college-level electronics textbook. At the time, I was working on a way to capture and store the static electricity created by thunderstorms. As computers started to become popular, I began to learn programming and eventually started building accessories to “wire up” to my computers. I still love finding ways to integrate electronics into my projects, including photo booths, and FONEtastic, our new audio guestbook.
What is the most unique or interesting thing about you that most people probably don’t know? – I’m related to Dorothy Lynch (of the salad dressing fame). Dorothy Lynch was my wife’s aunt’s mother-in-law. Although I never had the pleasure of meeting her, my wife remembers her and their family from her childhood.
Who inspires you? – The owner of Smash Booth in Las Vegas, Jason Whaley. He does amazing work.
If you could choose only one descriptive word to be remembered as, what would it be? – Innovative.
What is your greatest talent that you don’t utilize in your daily work life? – Electronics engineering. They say it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill. As a youngster, I probably spent all of that (or more) learning and reading about electronics design.
What local nonprofit organization(s) are you passionate about or involved with, and are there any special reasons why? – For the past several years, we have partnered with the Ribstock BBQ Festival as part of their annual fundraiser event. Ribstock directly supports Food Bank For The Heartland, Project Wee Care, and also provides scholarships to students from Millard Public Schools and Skutt Catholic School. We also support the Boys & Girls Club of the Midlands.
If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? – (402) 915-1386; mitch@fotofunspot.com; www.fotofunspot.com; and follow on social media (@fotofunspot).