Before the Camera Comes Out| Mad Lad Visuals

Heart of Elk Grove. Xulo Coffee in hand. Where it started.

Some client relationships start with an inquiry form. This one started with coffee.

I met Lilian Ofoma, the owner of Lily'z Catering, through an online networking group. She had just joined as a new member, and I was there as a guest. She put an inquiry through my website shortly after, and instead of just responding with pricing, I asked her if she wanted to meet for coffee first. I wanted to learn about her and her business before anything else, because part of my job is knowing if we are a good fit for each other.

We met at Xulo Coffee Bar. She had never been there. When she walked in, she was immediately struck by the atmosphere. Airy, warm, locally owned. The kind of place that feels like it was built for exactly this type of conversation. The smell of fresh coffee and sweet bread filled the space. A young guy worked behind the counter, moving quickly as people filed in. They sell sea turtle-shaped conchas and brunch items like chilaquiles. It is the kind of place that surprises you.

We sat down, and I asked her about her business. Her goals. Where she sees herself in five years. How she started. She told me she is from Nigeria and that it all began with family parties. She would cook and people would come. Then more people would come. Then they started asking her to cook for their events. Birthdays, weddings, community gatherings. That is how Lily'z Catering was born. Not from a business plan, but from a love of feeding people and a love of community.

We talked about faith. About how God has a way of connecting people who are meant to meet. Two strangers sitting across from each other at a coffee shop in Elk Grove, both with a passion for serving others, both finding that the work they do is about so much more than the transaction.

These are the conversations I love to have with my clients. Not about deliverables. About what makes their business uniquely theirs.

Lilian told me she wants to open a restaurant right here in Elk Grove. Nigerian cuisine. Something this city does not have. Honestly, I am not sure Sacramento has it either. When she talked about it, her whole face changed. That kind of passion does not need a marketing strategy. It just needs to be seen.

That conversation is why I said yes when she asked me to come photograph her at the Taste of Elk Grove. Not because it was transactional, but because it mattered.

Mad Lad Visuals was built on faith, trust, and personal relationships with the people we work with. Lilian is exactly the kind of client that reminds me why.