Grow Your Video Business with Ryan Koral

In this gig-based business, it often feels like we're jumping from one job to the next just to keep afloat. But what if there was a system you could put in place that would eliminate this urgency? Today's guest has figured this out by discovering her unique value and it has given her the clarity needed to find and keep the right clients coming back over and over again. Diana Castro is the Co-Founder of ForProductions, a small but powerful video production company. She's focused on working with leaders and changemakers who are serious about making an impact by reaching thousands with the power of video. Today, Diana shares her company's journey into discovering what it is they can offer that truly helps her clients. She's built a system into her business so that her clients have a program that gives her repeat business. This saves her from constantly chasing down the next job as soon as the last one is finished. We also discuss how finding your tribe will not only give you clarity on running your business but will also help you identify who you can best serve. When you know your value and who you serve best, you gain the confidence to do the work that's best for you. Diana describes how this knowledge has helped her in numerous ways. From making connections with would-be competitors to creating personally meaningful videos, the payoffs have been huge. How can your unique identity be your company's superpower? Let me know in the comments on the episode page! In this episode How you can get your clients to come back to you on a consistent basis The power of workshops to bring in more business The ways in which finding your tribe will benefit you and your company Why passing work off to your competitors can sometimes be the right thing to do How discovering your own unique magic will set you apart Why your intuition is your best guide Quotes "By little baby-steps, you warm people up. Then once they know you, you win their trust." [14:41] "Because they don't understand their value, their behavior is contracting. They become a commodity. In trying to serve everyone, they devalue their service." [26:23 "Everybody goes through the same struggles and we all have to own our own space." [33:25] "How do you bring value? The only thing that's different between your business and my business is you. It's who you are." [40:10] "Be attentive to your intuition. There's infinite wisdom in it. If you listen to it at the right time, your path will unfold in front of you." [45:29] Links Find Diana Castro online Follow Diana on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Linkedin Holistic Chamber of Commerce Start With Why StrengthsFinder Join the next Studio Sherpas Workshop Additional Links: Check out the full show notes page Do you have something to share on this podcast? Fill out this form here. Be sure to take the Studio Sherpas survey for a chance to win some incredible prizes (if we do say so ourselves!) Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas Tune in to our weekly Facebook Lives Follow Studio Sherpas on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram If you haven't already, we'd love it if you would take 1 minute to leave us a review on iTunes!

As creatives, it can be all too easy to overlook our mental health and wellness. Sometimes we even feel that this better helps us tap into our creative side. Today's guest is not only a wildly successful filmmaker, but she also comes from a background of mental health counseling and helps others learn the importance of taking care of themselves. Shivawn Mitchell is a producer, director, and writer as well as the founder of Sam Studios and The Creative Outsiders. Since committing to her filmmaking career, Shivawn has gone on to work on production teams that have won the accolades of the Official Winner of Women's Only Entertainment Film Festival, Top Indie Film Award, two time Africana Independent Film Festival and the Hollywood Screenings Film Festival, Semifinalist. As a speaker, Shivawn focuses on developing the voice of other storytellers, using your influence as a filmmaker, and the mental health wellness of creatives. Shivawn covers many crucial topics in today's episode, starting with the effect of networking with people who are at the same level of success as ourselves. Instead of trying to work with those who have achieved a much higher level of success, working across the table helps everybody level up and grow together. As Shivawn explains, this gives everyone a chance to succeed and contributes to more talent and skill in your field overall. Shivawn also explains the importance of perseverance and focus in order to achieve success. Rather than being too caught up in what others are doing and thinking, we can all best move forward by focusing on doing the work that's most meaningful to ourselves. With her background in mental health, Shivawn shares some really important advice for how filmmakers and other creatives can support themselves in this area while still creating great work. The power of community, self-care, and practicing mindfulness are a big part of this and can help sustain your career in the long run. Do you regularly carve out time to focus on taking care of yourself? Tell me how it's going in the comments on the episode page! In this episode Why networking up is the wrong approach in business The power of understanding that our skills are just as valuable as our experience The dangers of getting side-tracked by what others are thinking, saying, and doing The importance of taking care of your entire self in order to build a business that is better than just "good enough" Why you need to make time for yourself to avoid burnout Quotes "I found that there are people in your direct vicinity who are across the table from you and on the same level as you. They just have a different skill. Instead of trying to bypass everybody, why can't we just work together?" [14:15] "Sometimes we care too much about the crowd and not enough about the craft and doing the work. If I keep doing the work and putting in the time, success is going to happen." [19:46] "I think creatives think that they have to create from this toxic place in order to be amazing. I want filmmakers to recognize it's okay not to be okay." [27:41] "Say no. We say yes too many times to things we know we really don't want to do. That creates resentment and then we don't have time because we're always saying yes to other people. It's okay to say no." [38:00] Links Find Shivawn Mitchell at The Creative Outsiders Follow The Creative Outsiders on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter The Creative Outsiders Podcast SAM Studios Learn about our upcoming Studio Sherpas workshop Additional Links: Check out the full show notes page Do you have something to share on this podcast? Fill out this form here. Be sure to take the Studio Sherpas survey for a chance to win some incredible prizes (if we do say so ourselves!) Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas Tune in to our weekly Facebook Lives Follow Studio Sherpas on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram If you haven't already, we'd love it if you would take 1 minute to leave us a review on iTunes!

This may sound crazy at first, but humor me if you will. Doing nothing will help your business. That's right. Take a step back, start meditating, and don't get so caught up in that busy calendar of yours. As my guest on this episode is about to tell you, it will make you a better business owner and help your company succeed. Rob Dube is the president and co-founder of imageOne, one of Forbes' best small companies in 2017. He is also the author of Do Nothing, and contributor to such prestigious publications as Forbes, Thrive Global, and Octane Magazine. In this week's episode, Rob shares some great advice for small business owners. By valuing the people he works with, he has built a strong company culture that encourages his employees to best serve their customers. Rob recounts the story of his business' evolution and his realization that a bigger company is not always better. Throughout all this, Rob discovered better styles of leadership and organization for his company that have allowed it to weather the ups and downs of business and made it the success that it is today. Are there ways that you include your team members in determining your company's mission? Let's talk about it in the comments on the episode page! In this episode How putting a focus on the people in your company will lead to great things for your customers Realizing the advantages that a small company has over a large one The challenges of top-down leadership versus collaboration Letting go of control so that you can relax and focus on what's really important for you and your business Involving everyone in the company when it comes to setting your business' vision for the future How meditation and "doing nothing" will help you be fully present for your company Quotes "We found as we went along that people were really the key to what was making great things happen at the company. We had more fun caring about the totality of the team members' lives than looking at the, as a vehicle to making more money." [8:42] "We started to see how amazingly smart and talented our team was and that the decisions really didn't need to be made by us. They all knew the right things to do every single time." [18:38] "When people understand things they make better decisions because they are educated. You can't make good decisions if you don't understand the full picture." [24:23] "Often we may not see eye to eye with things with our team members. It's received much easier when you feel heard and when you feel like all that energy was being given to you." [39:11] "To know what something feels like versus knowing it in your head is a big difference. That allows you to slow yourself to pause between stimulus and response. In that moment we get to choose." [45:40] Links Find Rob Dube online Follow Rob on Twitter | Instagram Do Nothing by Robe Dube Learn about Rob's next retreat The Do Nothing Podcast Small Giants by Bo Burlingham The Great Game of Business Entrepreneurial Operating System® Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman Additional Links: Check out the full show notes page Do you have something to share on this podcast? Fill out this form here. Be sure to take the Studio Sherpas survey for a chance to win some incredible prizes (if we do say so ourselves!) Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas Tune in to our weekly Facebook Lives Follow Studio Sherpas on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram If you haven't already, we'd love it if you would take 1 minute to leave us a review on iTunes!

As entrepreneurs, we have the opportunity to be true to ourselves in our personal lives and use that to shape who we are in our business lives. You are your business' brand and that is something to be cultivated. leveraged, and appreciated. Amina Moreau is the co-founder of Emmy Award-winning Stillmotion and Sway, companies that are committed to the meaningful impact of storytelling. As part of Muse, she helps others make a positive impact with their stories. With a background in psychology, Amina uses stories to help people connect on deep and meaningful levels. We cover so many great topics in this interview. Amina launches right into how we present ourselves and craft personal and business brands to showcase who we are. There's a value in knowing what makes each of us unique and making that an indelible part of your business. This won't only help you find the best clients for you, but it will help set you apart in a crowded field. Amina gives some great yet simple advice for how you can craft your business' image so that you attract your ideal clients. By only showcasing the work that you want to do, you'll find that you won't have to go chasing every possible lead. Instead, they'll come to you. We also discuss the ways that you can use your gift of storytelling to do good in the world by empowering others. Everyone has a voice and something to share. By helping others share it, we play a part in the process of bringing people together on so many different levels. How does your business represent who you are on a personal level? Leave a comment on the episode page! In this episode How we can craft the way we present ourselves in our business in subtle ways Knowing where your values stand so that you can find meaningful work for both you and your clients Why sales isn't about convincing people to hire you The power of storytelling to empower others The ways that your storytelling can have a positive impact in the world Quotes "If your personal brand also overlaps with your business brand, then that's kind of a cool thing and can go a long way." [3:55] "We built a friendship in a very short amount of time because it was about not just getting to know his business, but getting to know what makes him the man he is today." [12:43] "What if we look at ourselves as the main characters in the plot of our professional journey?" [15:40] "The more personal that you are, the more emotion-driven a story is, the more intellectual impact you can make with whatever your initiative is." [30:27] Links: Find Amina Moreau online at Sway Storytelling Follow Amina on Instagram | Twitter Stillmotion Muse Storytelling Additional Links: Check out the full show notes page Do you have something to share on this podcast? Fill out this form here. Be sure to take the Studio Sherpas survey for a chance to win some incredible prizes (if we do say so ourselves!) Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas Tune in to our weekly Facebook Lives Follow Studio Sherpas on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram If you haven't already, we'd love it if you would take 1 minute to leave us a review on iTunes!

If we didn't have to do sales in this work then everything would be so much easier, right? There are ways to make sales easier, more natural, and ultimately more profitable. Today's guest has only been in the video business for a short time, but his dedication to sales has led him to success after success. Jon Morgan's passion is selling. He is the owner and founder of JM Films, one of the top production companies in St. Louis. Jon has worked with such clients as Microsoft, Mastercard, and the NHL. He and his studio are passionate about producing engaging cinematic quality videos for companies and businesses that not only tell their stories but also get results. Jon takes us through the humble beginnings of his marketing business as he forged his own path in an already crowded market. Recognizing that an opportunity existed in making videos, Jon shifted gears and has been finding success ever since. Jon explains how he found the right sort of clients for him and how to assess the profitability of potential work. We talk a lot about how we learn and grow as entrepreneurs. Succeeding for Jon and me both came from learning from others and being open to receiving advice. It also involves putting yourself out there for others so that we can be of help to an entire community. Finally, Jon lays out some great advice for managing all your potential customers and using a CRM platform. This allows you to keep track of the customers who may not be ready to buy right now but will be in the future. How do you followup with clients who are not ready to buy from you at the moment but might be later on? Leave a comment on the episode page! In this episode Finding the right niche for your business in a crowded field What it means to be "front of mind" in your work The value of finding community and mentors to learn from How to stop wasting time and energy selling to the wrong audience Why it's important to have a clear plan for your business from the beginning What CRM is and why it's crucially important for your business's growth Quotes "I realized early on that selling video services to someone who's a lot more expensive than you are is a lot easier of a conversation than selling to someone whose product or services are a lot less expensive than yours." [14:42] "If I know that it's easier to sell a video to an industry that we've already worked in, then why don't I just focus on these industries more instead of trying to pioneer new paths in every possible industry out there?" [17:12] "Really try to soak up as much information, learning, and wisdom as you can from other people. You're going to learn a lot, not only from your mistakes and what you do well and maybe didn't do well but also from asking others." [30:51] "Whether or not you have a plan, you're still going to make a lot of mistakes…. Things are going to evolve. You're going to have to be able and willing to adapt." [40:09] "Only 3% of the market is ready to buy right now. That means the other 97% is not now. A lot of people make the mistake of only looking for that 3%." [43:10] Links: Find Jon Morgan online Follow Jon on Instagram | Linkedin Learn about the upcoming Studio Sherpas workshop here Additional Links: Check out the full show notes page Do you have something to share on this podcast? Fill out this form here. Be sure to take the Studio Sherpas survey for a chance to win some incredible prizes (if we do say so ourselves!) Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas Tune in to our weekly Facebook Lives Follow Studio Sherpas on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram If you haven't already, we'd love it if you would take 1 minute to leave us a review on iTunes!

It's not uncommon to feel that your business needs to do many different things to be profitable. Being able to offer all sorts of services or products sounds like it would lead to more opportunities. But without clarity on what you specifically offer, you're just going to struggle more. Today's guest has become wildly successful by being clear and specific in what his businesses really do. Matt Giovanisci is a serial entrepreneur, website wizard, podcast producer, music maker, video veteran, and alliteration addict. In 2006, he started the website Swim University and the site now makes over $250,000 a year! Since then, he co-founded a personal finance brand and podcast called Listen Money Matters. His current project, Money Lab, was started in 2016 to help brands grow and make more money. Matt and I discuss what it takes to refine your business savvy in order to turn an interest into a profitable business. Matt describes how he recognizes opportunities as they appear and always experiments with them as he goes along. Matt makes it clear that success comes easier when you are incredibly specific about what your business actually does. This clarity keeps you focussed on what it actually is that you do and defines your business better for your customers. We also talk about the freedom that comes from outsourcing. By setting up clear operating procedures and handing off the parts of the job you don't need to be doing, you'll find that you'll have more opportunities to help your company grow. With that in mind, Matt explains how he's done it for his businesses. What do you do to find clarity in your business? Leave a comment on the episode page! In this episode What it takes to turn an interest into an actual business Recognizing the potential in the different ideas and opportunities you have and deciding if they're worth it The freedom that comes from being very specific and clear about what your business does Advice for how to effectively outsource parts of your business by building processes Quotes "You need to have focus and express your creativity within a certain boundary." [11:17] "Once you get incredibly clear on what your business does, you can easily say no to everything else and then you can find opportunities in what your company does." [22:16] "Now I don't answer emails and every email becomes a soft sales pitch for our product. So now, not only do I not have to do it, we actually make money." [56:05] "You're not special. You might think you are and you might think you're the only one and you're going to care more, but if you give somebody enough leeway and ownership, they might out-care you one day." [1:00:59] Links: Money Lab Swim University Brew Cabin Matt Wants to Be a Guest on Your Podcast Traction by Gino Wickman The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber I Will Teach You to be Rich Additional Links: Check out the full show notes page Do you have something to share on this podcast? Fill out this form here. Be sure to take the Studio Sherpas survey for a chance to win some incredible prizes (if we do say so ourselves!) Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas Tune in to our weekly Facebook Lives Follow Studio Sherpas on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram If you haven't already, we'd love it if you would take 1 minute to leave us a review on iTunes!

Those that know me, know that I am passionate about being all-in on whatever it is that I do. When I know what it is that I'm after, I go for it. This is true in how I do business and also with how I interact with my family and a key part of living my best life. This is a bit of a personal episode. I want to share with all of you a little about me and what motivates me every day. A lot of it became clear during a recent trip I took with my son. During our time together I was very intentional about making that time meaningful, and that got me thinking about what it means to live our best life. Asking yourself if you are living your best life should apply both to your personal and professional life. It involves asking yourself the serious question of what's going well and what's not. Defining what your best life looks like, knowing how to achieve it, and understanding who shares your goals are essential parts of this process. What can you do today to start building your best life? Let's talk about it in the comments on the episode page! In this episode Bringing intention to all that we do and never being satisfied with the status quo Why we need to stop and ask ourselves if we're truly living our best life The questions you should be asking yourself about your business and life Understanding the power of community to support you in achieving your goals Quotes "I don't want a moment to go by where I'm not intentional. When I see in my life that I'm not having the kind of impact that I want to have, whether that's in my personal life or my business life, I want to do something about it." [5:21] "Sometimes we're not living our best life because we haven't really defined what it even means to live your best life. What would that look like?" [11:29] "If you're all by yourself, if you're doing all of this work on your own, if you're not asking other people if it's a good idea … then you are in a vacuum and you're going to struggle. You are better with other people." [24:57] Links: The High Performance Planner Learn about the upcoming Studio Sherpas workshop here Storyblocks Additional Links: Check out the full show notes page Do you have something to share on this podcast? Fill out this form here. Be sure to take the Studio Sherpas survey for a chance to win some incredible prizes (if we do say so ourselves!) Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas Tune in to our weekly Facebook Lives Follow Studio Sherpas on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram If you haven't already, we'd love it if you would take 1 minute to leave us a review on iTunes!

Sometimes things go wrong. The footage gets lost, equipment breaks, clients get angry. That doesn't mean it's game over for your business. How you respond to your clients makes all the difference and, if done right, can salvage almost any situation. That's just one reason why it's crucial to make client relations one of your top priorities. Wes Wages is the director and janitor at Armosa Studios which specializes in commercial videos. Wes oversees client relationships and is passionate about each client's experience. When not at work, Wes enjoys tacos, airplanes, messing with telemarketers, and trying to remember the names of his four small children. Today, Wes and I discuss how to best take care of clients. Focusing on managing great relationships with clients is often the key to having a great business and shouldn't be overlooked for any reason. Wes explains how he makes this a priority for him and his company and how it pays off time after time. Wes even shares the story of the time he had an epic fail with losing hard drives after shooting in four countries. But he took care of the client and they called again the next year! As we discuss, things go wrong, but it's how you handle it and the responsibility that you take that keeps it from turning into an actual disaster. Have you ever had to avert a business disaster? Tell me how you did it in the comments on the episode page! In this episode Finding meaning and joy in transitioning from shooting video to handling client relationships The resilience and patience necessary to grow your business Advice for how to handle and keep upset clients when everything goes wrong Recognizing when your passion has the potential to be your career The importance of understanding costs and numbers The real payoffs that come from attending conferences and workshops Keeping your priorities front and center by creating healthy boundaries Quotes "If you have that gift of shaking hands and talking to people, you're going to do well in business." [8:47] "Solutions always follow problems, so come to anyone with both." [24:28] "Just listen. Listen to the problems they're having and then find a solution to those problems and present it to them in video." [35:28] "Do what you feel should be done in your own way, but make sure to keep physical and mental health the top priority." [36:16] Links Find Wes Wages online at Armosa Studios Follow Wes on Instagram TedTalk: James Veitch: "This is what happens when you reply to spam email." Join the Studio Sherpas Business Academy Additional Links: Check out the full show notes page Do you have something to share on this podcast? Fill out this form here. Be sure to take the Studio Sherpas survey for a chance to win some incredible prizes (if we do say so ourselves!) Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas Tune in to our weekly Facebook Lives Follow Studio Sherpas on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram If you haven't already, we'd love it if you would take 1 minute to leave us a review on iTunes!

Getting stuck in a funk can happen to any of us. Other times the work pours in faster than we can keep up with it. Being an entrepreneur and business owner is unpredictable. It has its ups and downs and you don't always know which way the wind is blowing. My guests on this episode know what it's like to navigate this uncertainty and have some great advice that all of us can use. My two amazing and hilarious guests on today's show are brothers and video producers. Ross and Jacob Hamil have done incredible work for some big brands like Shell, Penzoil, and AutoNation. They've been involved with MZed/Cinema Sound and run their own studio where they help all sorts of people and brands produce outstanding videos. Today we examine the importance of making great video and how to make it meaningful throughout your career. We discuss how to find the clients that offer you the type of work you want for the pay that makes it worth it. Ross and Jacob talk about the challenges and benefits of their entrepreneurial journey and how they keep a clear head throughout it all. How do you know when to say yes or no to jobs? Let me know in the comments on the episode page! In this episode Why it's usually more important to have great sound than great video Why it's crucial to be proactive versus reactive in order to maintain your sanity How to use a vision board and why it could make a huge difference for how you plan your projects How your passive voice could be killing your sales The kinds of people you want to have working for you so that you have the best team possible Three tips to having a better life as a business owner Quotes "If you want to up your game, start with sound. It's not the easiest way, but it's definitely one of the biggest impacts you can make." [4:04] "Just say no. Figure out what you want to do and what you like doing and what you want to make money doing and then say no to everything else." [12:31] "When things get tough, don't do something dumb." [20:10] "Surround yourself with people who are better than you are." [38:51] Links Find the Hamil Bros online Follow the Hamil Bros on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube MZed/Cinema Sound 1 Million Cups From Poop to Gold by Chris Jones Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull Cine Gear Expo Learn about the upcoming Studio Sherpas workshop here Additional Links: Check out the full show notes page Do you have something to share on this podcast? Fill out this form here. Be sure to take the Studio Sherpas survey for a chance to win some incredible prizes (if we do say so ourselves!) Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas Tune in to our weekly Facebook Lives Follow Studio Sherpas on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram If you haven't already, we'd love it if you would take 1 minute to leave us a review on iTunes!

If you're like me, you started off in this business to make films, but now you find yourself as more of a business person. Priorities change and now you spend more time doing operations, sales, and marketing than filming. But, as you'll hear today, that doesn't mean you have to surrender your creativity. Chris Sharpe is many things. He's a writer, director, producer, and digital content strategist. He is the CEO and co-founder of Yoga with Adriene, which has over 5 million YouTube subscribers. Chris is the author of YouTube Black Book which is an incredibly useful guide for helping people grow and monetize their YouTube presence. In today's interview, Chris takes us on the journey of how he built a career on YouTube. It may have taken some time before it became the success it is now, but today it's more profitable than he ever thought it could be. Chris details his day to day responsibilities running a YouTube-based business and how his company is structured. We talk about how to sustainably manage your business as it grows, such as hiring the right people and putting repeatable systems in place. Much of this involves removing yourself as the bottleneck of your company so that the work that needs to happen can take place. Chris also lays down some sound advice for figuring out where your niche is so that you can find more and more business. What do you do every day to foster your creative side even as you systemize your business? Share it with me in the comments on the episode page! In this episode Key ingredients for building a successful video business How to be creative even inside the boundaries of a process When and who to hire as your business grows The advantages of being a filmmaker first and an entrepreneur second Putting processes in place to make your job easier and allow the work to flow easier throughout your business Advice for narrowing down your focus so you can find more work Quotes "Our mission is to reach as many people as possible with high-quality free yoga videos, and YouTube is such a great platform for that." [11:23] "If you're sitting there, fine-tuning edits, your business is probably getting away from you in other areas because you're so focussed in this micro-level and you have to be able to step back and see the big picture for the health of the business and the employees that you have." [19:45] "Look for ways to turn everything into systems so that you can replicate it and keep moving forward and not get bogged down on the little stuff." [45:07] Links Find Chris Sharpe online Follow Chris on Twitter | Instagram Yoga With Adriene YouTube Black Book by Chris Sharpe 30 Days of Yoga: Free Case Study Studio Sherpas Episode 121 with Tom Martin Learn about the upcoming Studio Sherpas workshop here Additional Links: Check out the full show notes page Do you have something to share on this podcast? Fill out this form here. Be sure to take the Studio Sherpas survey for a chance to win some incredible prizes (if we do say so ourselves!) Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas Tune in to our weekly Facebook Lives Follow Studio Sherpas on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram If you haven't already, we'd love it if you would take 1 minute to leave us a review on iTunes!