Meet Robert McGowan | Realtor & Photographer & Stunt Driver

We had the good fortune of connecting with Robert McGowan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Robert, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Let me start off by saying, I have worked for many different people doing so many different things over the years. I have always absorbed certain parts of management styles that I liked and disliked and its really helped form who I am and how I do business today. My family have always been folks that work for themselves, I am a much better manager of others and myself than I have been a good employee for sure. I find it more motivating working in silence and having strategic partnerships at my disposal as opposed to having someone looking over my shoulder and critiquing things before they are finished. The opposite side of the coin however is to make sure you’re always moving forward and never becoming stagnant, there is noone else to motivate you but yourself so it is a double edged sword. I’ve always been a “Learn from others mistakes” kind of person so I am super observant of other people and business around me at all times absorbing what I can. Even when a business has nothing to do with yours, you can always learn something new from how people interact with each other, any business is relationships first and foremost. Also always diversify; Never put all your eggs in one basket ;|

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
So I have been blessed to be able to work in so many different industries. I really love that every day for me is something new and different while still providing creative challenges. I think one of the things that sets me apart is the Gemini in me; I feel like I am able to switch between things and compartmentalize better than most people can, it’s kind of hard to articulate that exactly. Showing a condo for sale in the morning, training someone a the gym in the afternoon, and going to shoot a Toyota commercial that evening, they are all very different things but to me they have their own sort of creative needs to accomplish the job. I love working with people to find their dream home and the search is always one of the most fun parts. Seeing all these different homes in different areas you would never find yourself in otherwise, and it’s so interesting to see how people layout their homes to meet their individual needs, some are super creative and inspiring. I’ve always loved physical fitness and helping people accomplish their goals they have set for themselves. Each person you have to inspire and motivate in a different way to keep them hungry and I really enjoy seeing them progress and feel better after each session. I coached hockey for a number of years from ages 5 all the way up to college; I was assistant coach at USC and UCLA, it’s so inspiring to teach and watch players absorb and become better as a direct result of your coaching, that has always been one of my greatest passions. I know I’m jumping all over the place but I can’t narrow down my job to any single thing. Photography wise I’ve never liked staged photos with false lighting so I have always tried to do lifestyle shoots with only natural light. Ive been blessed to be featured in some pretty amazing places, I always have had trouble talking about myself and any accomplishments but given this platform to share it kind of makes me feel good about them. My Vogue and Bazaar shoots I think have been the ones I am most proud of, I was asked to do some photos for a friend, Abdulrahman Hamdi, who is also the reason I was able to do this interview which brings it kind of full circle for me, but those photos we’re actually featured in Vogue and we did a followup shoot that were featured in Bazaar and I am beyond excited about that. It was never exactly easy to be able to do the work I love, I was and still am told NO a lot. Which is kind of funny, I love to be told no, it makes me try even harder to change your mind. I have also failed a lot of things a lot of times, but I learn so much from each and never fail in the same way twice. I think that has been a thing that sets me apart in any industry, I find creative work arounds to accomplish whatever I am trying to do, I never get discouraged and quit, that just means you didn’t want it as much as you thought. My best advice is to try never to burn a bridge, relationships are the best thing any business can have, way more valuable than anything else you can have going on.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Hmm so I think everyone needs to see the standard touristy things once and only once; the star walk and hollywood sign and Chinese theatre. After those things are done I love to take people to rent bikes and ride from Santa Monica to Venice and back. Grab some food at Le Petit in DTLA, they have the best Truffle pasta ever, they bring out a giant wheel of cheese and light it on fire and mix the pasta right there by your table, its amazing. Taking in a kings game (Even tho I’m a Rangers fan) at Staples, sorry I wont call it Crypto… Sometimes you can get tickets for $20 and it’s so worth it. I’m not so much a go to a club person, or go out partying, but I love Arts District Brewery for some brews and burgers. One of the joys of being a Realtor is having access to some of the coolest rooftops you can find and taking my friends to hang out in different hottubs that overlook the city. Most of my friends are motorcycle people so I might take them out to the desert and do a dirtbike day, CA has so many places to ride and explore. Everyone has to go to the Gentle Barn atleast once also! In Santa Clarita, on Sundays it’s a lot of fun to go hang out with the cows, horses, and pigs; They have so many rescued animals that are so worth the drive!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Honestly; Ive always kept friends around me that know I’m a little bit crazy, and they embrace it and just cheer for whatever I am trying to chase and accomplish. We are all the a reflection of the company we keep and I am proud to say I try to keep very good company. Negativity is one of the biggest killers of success, always surround yourself with positive individuals if you want to accomplish something. I’ve had the privilege to work with so many fun amazing folks who know who they are and I will share this with them since there is far to many to name who continue to support me to this day.

Website: www.BobbyMcgowan.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bobby_mcg24

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/rmcgowan3122