444. Why I'm Building My Video Business to Sell Even Though I Don't Want To

Jun 30, 2025

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Episode notes

Ryan opens up about his nine-year journey of building the wrong kind of video business and his recent pivot toward creating something sellable. He shares candid insights about hitting seven figures, the challenges since 2020, and why he's now focused on packages over custom work while addressing a filmmaker's concerns about AI taking over the industry.

Key Takeaways

Building a business that can run without you creates more freedom than being the indispensable creative at the center of everything
Package-based services with predictable pricing are more scalable and sellable than endless custom projects
Position yourself as a strategic partner who offers workshops and thinking partnership, not just shooting and editing services
AI won't replace filmmakers who differentiate themselves through strategy, storytelling, and client partnership rather than just technical execution

In This Episode

[00:00] Welcome to the show!
[03:12] 10xFILMMAKER
[04:46] New Goals for a New Season
[14:05] Adjusting Your Direction
[19:13] Built To Sell
[28:39] When AI Impacts Our Work
[31:03] Marketing Yourself
[36:42] Mastermind Community
[41:40] Outro

Quotes

"It took me nine years to realize that I was building the wrong kind of video business. I always thought freedom meant doing everything myself, being the creative, the editor, the salesperson and the project manager." - Ryan

"If the only thing that you're offering is showing up for somebody and filming B-roll type stuff and just following the directions that somebody has for you, it's going to be really easy for that same client to have a machine follow directions for them." - Ryan

"If you're positioning yourself as shooter editor, that's not as compelling and that's not as helpful for a client that needs somebody that understands more, that understands how marketing works or why it works." - Ryan

"We just landed a $20,000 gig a couple of weeks ago with a client that wanted to spend $5,000... I somehow talked them into doing this workshop, a paid workshop that was going to take half of the budget that they had set aside." - Ryan

"I still believe that this work is so powerful. I believe that it can make a massive impact and that's why I feel compelled to stay in it even if and when I sell this company." - Ryan