I was recently asked to photograph Steve Johnson, president of The Next Level consultancy, eating an ice-cream cone near the Manhattan Beach Pier for the cover shot of last month's Research Magazine. Kind of a funny request, but if that's what my editor wants, that what he gets. Not-so-friendly security guards wanting permits to shoot near their location, bright sunlight, tough parking conditions and a total of 25 minutes to get my shot for this story made this shoot a challenge, but as Nietzsche says, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

A fairly tall guy with a great big smile and a super positive attitude, Steve was thrilled to have to eat not one, but two scoops of strawberry ice cream for his lunch that day. As president of The Next Level, Steve helps big companies hire and train their sales force and sales managers. A very impressive guy who was happy to do something a little different than the usual corporate cover shot. Looking forward to more strawberry ice cream soon!