Grow Your Video Business with Ryan Koral

I would guess that when you first launched your business you felt isolated, lost, and on your own. It's okay, I did too. Deciding how to advertise, what to charge, and how to get on your feet is new and uncertain ground. You might have felt pressured to be the best out there and stand out among all the competition right out of the gate. I bet that was exhausting! Today, Jeff Pickett is going to share some great lessons he learned when he got started to help you navigate your own journey. Jeff is the founder of Media by JP in Sioux Falls, South Dakota where he does video production for commercial social media content and weddings. Before recently reinventing his professional life as a video producer, Jeff worked in healthcare marketing and restaurants. Now Jeff makes videos that get right to the emotional heart of his subjects. In this interview, Jeff talks about how he transitioned to video production after working for years in other fields. Jeff wasn't too afraid to ask other video producers for advice about getting his business up and running. He talks about what it's like to stand out from the crowd while also learning from it and building a business that is true to his own entrepreneurial values. What did you struggle the most with when starting your business? How did you overcome those challenges? Let me know in the comments on the episode page! In this episode: Transitioning into a new career in video Deciding that you can't do it all on your own and getting help from the experts Why you shouldn't be scared to ask your "competitors" for advice Ways you can give back and help other entrepreneurs, even if you don't have much money Setting financial goals and celebrating the wins The importance of being patient when making sales and following up with something valuable to offer The value of sharing ideas within a community and learning from each other Quotes: "Confidence is just a pain in the butt. Why do we struggle with that so much? But that's really the big piece that I needed. I needed to know that I was valued." [17:06] "I think that there is something really tangible to providing emotional branding versus just 'buy, buy, buy.'" [29:55] "You gotta take time out to celebrate, but then you gotta get your head back in the game and you just have to keep thinking about how can I get better and better." [37:17] "When you hit a struggle, brainstorm all the different ways you can get around that and over that. Talk to other people, marinate on it, sleep on it, and then come back to it. The solution, often times will come." [54:25] Links: Build A Better Video Business With Our Exclusive Studio Sherpa Community Jeff's Website Follow Jeff on Facebook | Instagram | Youtube | Vimeo Watch Jeff's viral video Schoppert's Piano Gallery Relentless by Tim S. Grover Jumpstart Your Brain by Doug Hall Help us make our 100th Episode Spectacular super special by sharing how Studio Sherpas has helped you in your business! Check out the full show notes page Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas Tune into 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!

Have you been chasing one new idea after another so much that actually building and running your business has gotten away from you? Don't sweat it! You're not alone, and the good thing is there's help. You have to get focused and organized, and I've got just the guy here to help tell you how to do it! Smackdowner in chief Preston True helps entrepreneurs get organized so that they can realize their business' full potential. He has the superhero ability to bring people clarity in designing and running their business around the EOS model. As he puts it, "I simplify, strategize, and challenge in order to create clarity and action from chaos." We lay the collective smackdown on how to pursue your professional dreams without making excuses and getting distracted. We discuss defining and harnessing your unique ability to create value and move your business in the direction that it needs to go. It takes a lot of self-reflection and commitment, but the value you'll add as a result will be incredible. What unique ability to you have to offer? Let us know in the comments on the episode page! In this episode: Having the perseverance to see your vision through (and what Sylvester Stallone can teach us about it) The dangers of always playing it safe Creating a clear path of action to achieving your business goals Using EOS to help get your business in order Harnessing your "unique ability" to create value and avoiding the situations that don't take advantage of it Quotes: "If that business isn't going quite like you would want it to, then let's start with getting organized, let's start with getting a clear picture of a brilliant future you want to paint and work backward to today to figure out what are the small, incremental, completely doable steps to getting there." [04:00] "The bottom line is, the more I serve, and if it's aligned with my talents, passions, and energy, it's going to grow exponentially and grow in a way that not just benefits me, but it's going to create huge value in the world." [11:11] "You get paid to solve problems. If you aren't crystal clear on how you solve problems best, then creating value is going to be a little bit of a mystery. And if it's a little bit of mystery to you, it's going to be a huge mystery to the marketplace." [32:47] Links: Build A Better Video Business With Our Exclusive Studio Sherpa Community Preston's website Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business Rocket Fuel: The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want from Your Business Strategic Coach Unique Ability 2.0: Discovery Help us make our 100th Episode Spectacular super special by sharing how Studio Sherpas has helped you in your business! Check out the full show notes page Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas Tune into 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!

I get it. Your passion is video, not the nitpicky ins and outs of business. But using that passion to put money in the bank is crucial to keeping your passion going. If only you had a roadmap to success. All you regular listeners know I used to struggle with productivity. Deciding exactly where to take my business was nearly paralyzing. Well, my guest today has her own passion for helping you find the clarity and direction you need so your business can take off. Lauren Goldstein is the founder and CEO of the internationally successful consulting firm Golden Key Partnership. For nearly ten years Lauren has been helping business owners make strategy both offline and online simple so that they can grow. She sees herself as a doctor for your business who will create a treatment plan for what ails your company. Deciding exactly where to focus takes clarity. Lauren shares some amazing strategies to identify what is most important to you and the success of your business so that you can ignore all the useless parts and get moving on what really matters. This is a tricky balance of doing what fulfills you as a filmmaker while not ignoring the income producing activities of your workweek. You have to be honest with your clients about how you can help them and how you can't. Once you're clear with your identity and what you can do, you'll see the results. What does success look like to you? Does it have a process? Let us know in the comments on the episode page! In this episode: When and how to decide when it's time to start your own business What you can do to increase your productivity when you can't decide what to do Taking control of your calendar so that it doesn't control you Building a healthy work/life balance that is centered on calm energy Identifying the income producing activities in your business Finding clarity on what you do so that you can find the right clients Quotes: "In business, generally we tend to overcomplicate the crap out of everything and then we don't move forward because we're overwhelmed and we get analysis paralysis." [20:54] "If you can pay your bills, and your business is consistently paying those bills as a side-hustle, it's probably time to just bite the bullet and say bye to that corporate comfort blanket." [28:12] "If you want to get serious about your business, you're going to have to put up a little bit of boundaries around distraction." [01:01:33] Links: Build A Better Video Business With Our Exclusive Studio Sherpa Community Get Lauren's Resources Golden Key Partnership website Follow Lauren on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn SSP 056 with Brett Culp Todd Herman and the 90 Day Year Basecamp! Rework It Doesn't Have to be Crazy at Work Help us make our 100th Episode Spectacular super special by sharing how Studio Sherpas has helped you in your business! Check out the full show notes page Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas Tune into 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!

Knowing your core values and implementing them into your work is perhaps the most important thing you can do to stay in business for the long haul. Your core values are the roadmap to getting the jobs and clients you're excited about while staying flexible enough to ride the inevitable changes in the market. Today, Krista Chapman is going to tell us how it's done! Krista is an event planner turned business and marketing strategist. She's the founder of Path & Compass where she helps creative business owners think critically about their audiences and appreciate what they create so they can be intentional about their work. In this exciting episode, Krista drops some truth bombs about the importance of valuing your self-worth as a business owner and creative. You have to understand that you are worth more than that nagging voice inside your head would have you believe. You also need to be adaptable. The world is changing and so is the market. Staying true to your core values while adapting to the changes around you is essential in order to keep your business thriving for the long run. What are your core values? How do they play out in your business? Let us know in the comments on the episode page! In this episode The number one struggle faced by business owners and why it's probably not what you think Creating routines and buffers to help you surmount doubts that get in the way of building your business Identifying your core values so you can build the business you're passionate about Being adaptable so that you don't get left behind as the market changes Why it can be essential to have a business partner Identifying your "super skill" that you can apply to everything you do Quotes "As creatives and as artists, we play a very important role sort above the layer of survival. We play a role in that layer of thriving which is so much more important and so much more meaningful in creating a life that has purpose and beauty." [22:04] "When it comes to being successful... it's not about how passionate you are. It's not about how skilled you are. It's about how well you know yourself and how resilient and adaptable you are." [33:16] "If we're not being mindful of the work that we're putting out there or how things are changing in the market, that's when things can fall apart without you even realizing it." [38:14] "The best thing you can do in business is to find the gap and fill it with another person that meets you halfway." [47:44] Links Build A Better Video Business With Our Exclusive Studio Sherpa Community Path & Compass Follow Krista on Instagram "Rocket Fuel" by Gino Wickman Help us make our 100th Episode Spectacular super special by sharing how Studio Sherpas has helped you in your business! Check out the full show notes page Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas Tune into 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!

What does it take to create a successful or viral video campaign? There are so many parts to the process, from selling clients on an idea, setting a budget, and assembling a creative team, that it might seem out of reach at times. Today, Daniel Harmon shares how he's been able to do it over and over again. Daniel is Chief Creative Officer at Harmon Brothers whose work you might be familiar with from their break-out hit Poo~Pourri campaign. All said, his projects have been seen over one billion times and Harmon Brothers has been consistently turning out smash-hit campaigns and winning awards for years. Daniel's journey into creative directing has been a combination of hard work, determination, and happenstance. He's a pro at coming up with creative ideas and putting them into action to create some unforgettable ad campaigns. We discuss Daniel's journey to creating a successful ad agency, he shares tips on growing a thriving business including dealing with staffing, putting creative ideas into action, and setting client expectations. He also talks about working within different budgets and moving up in the filmmaking world while staying true to his craft. Is creating viral campaigns something that you want to achieve, and if so what do you see standing in your way? Let us know in the comments on the episode page! In this episode What it has been like building a company that turns out one great success after another Surrounding yourself with the right people so that you can lead a team of fantastic creators How to quote a budget to a client and the importance of building in a buffer Why seeking constructive feedback is a crucial part of the creative process Creating a work culture that is fun, exciting, and productive How to get out of a creative rut (and why it might require spending more time in the bathroom) Quotes "You don't necessarily realize that you're doing something special except for in hindsight. I think that's the same for our own creative work as well as even reviewing other people's work. It's in looking back you realize that that was really amazing." [17:56] "When you come to a client and you have a really cool idea, or you're taking on a project of any kind, always make sure you have more than what you need [in your budget]." [29:43] "We're all human. We all make mistakes. We're all in a process of learning no matter how much mastery we have at any given thing, we're always pushing ourselves creatively." [30:44] "You know how much you love a job by how excited you are to go back to work on Monday. If you dread Mondays, you probably haven't found your thing yet or your company." [37:37] "If I have this gift for a reason, if it's to bless other people's lives, how is that going to bless their lives, how is it going to uplift and inspire if no one ever sees it? And no one is ever going to see it if you don't get the business side of it right." [46:22] Links Build A Better Video Business With Our Exclusive Studio Sherpa Community Harmon Brothers University The Studio Sherpas Budget Maximizer Tool Creativity Inc by Ed Catmull How to Get Ideas by Jack Foster The Big Picture: The Fight for the Future of Movies by Ben Fritz Poo~Pourri Help us make our 100th Episode Spectacular super special by sharing how Studio Sherpas has helped you in your business! Check out the full show notes page Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas Tune into 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, we often think we have to do everything ourselves. But there's usually too much to do without losing your sanity. I feel ya! I know I'd have so much trouble running Studio Sherpas without my own awesome VA. (Shout out to Tina!) What VAs give us is freedom, peace of mind, and the opportunity to slow down and remember what's important to us. Trivinia Barber is the founder and CEO of the boutique virtual assistant agency, Priority VA. Her company matches entrepreneurs with highly-skilled assistants who help them make the space to run only the parts of their business that they want to. Today we talk about why hiring a VA is going to free up so much more room in your life and business. There are things that you might not know how to do, don't want to do, or just don't have time for that a VA can get off your plate. There are a lot of reasons why you might be hesitant to bring on an assistant. Trivinia shares her advice on how to work well with assistants so you don't have to worry about having someone else doing the work you normally have done. A lot of this requires setting up repeatable systems. When it comes to managing your team, Trivinia always makes sure to encourage, equip, empower, and engage with them. That way they can get it done so you don't have to. Have you hired a VA? How has it helped you? Let us know in the comments on the episode page! In this episode How to identify your needs when it comes to delegating tasks to a VA Trivinia's tips for using a VA so you'll get the outcomes you need How to know when you're ready to hire a VA What to look for in a potential VA you are thinking of hiring The tasks that you are likely doing yourself that would be much better done by a VA Quotes "Delegation is like exercise. You have to flex that muscle. You'll get better at it and it's going to hurt initially because you're going to do it wrong and you're not going to give enough direction and somebody is going to mess up. But once you find it, magic is going to happen." [21:38] "You're ready for a virtual assistant when you realize that your time is better spent doing the highest leveraged activities in your business." [33:03] "Be open to defining what success looks like instead of being like 'go fly little birdie!' and then being pissed off by what comes back. You have to set expectations."[44:59] "What you're building is bigger than you. But if you don't take it back to the whole reason why you started this in the first place, you kind of lose sight of it and you only chase that status and significance and it just messes it all up." [53:32] Links Build A Better Video Business With Our Exclusive Studio Sherpa Community Get your inbox management gift here! Priority VA Loom The Five Love Languages Check out the full show notes page Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas Tune into 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!

Have you ever worked hard to create an amazing video for a client and then nobody sees it? Maybe it's not placed well on the client's website or the client just doesn't follow through effectively with their campaign. When this happens to me, I know my job isn't over, but just how can we help? In today's episode, I speak with Mike Schmidt, CEO, and founder of the digital marketing agency Anchor Wave based in Tucson. He and his 20 person team build websites, run Facebook ad campaigns, handle SEO, and all sorts of online promotions for many small, local companies. Mike has always enjoyed helping other businesses achieve their goals using technology. In this sense, what he does is not dissimilar to video production. We discuss how to build those important early client relationships that are so crucial when getting your business up and running. Once those trusted connections are established you can go back to the client time and again to offer them your services - a much easier prospect than hustling for new work. The key to keeping these relationships going is not just making great videos for your clients but helping them get results from that video. That way they'll come back to you again and again. What do you do to get your clients small wins? Let me know in the comments on the episode page yo! In this episode Why hiring a team of employees will make you more money instead of costing you more Deciding if joining a chamber of commerce is a good idea for you How helping businesses get 5-star reviews is the perfect opener for introducing your services to clients The impact of reviews on a client's business and how you can help them Why you need to help your videos produce results for your clients so they come back to you again and again The benefits of sharing your knowledge and expertise with others in your field Quotes "In order for someone to do business with you they've got to know you, they've got to like you, and they've got to trust you, and going to a chamber of commerce is a way to potentially build those three things." [36:21] "Most every local business has a problem with reviews that's easy to spot, easy to point out, and then when you can show up to the party with a solution, at a bare minimum they'll be willing to listen to you." [54:24] "That's really the economy we live in today. There are no trade secrets. There's nothing that someone can't do the research to figure out, so I challenge everyone to be on the side of being open, on being giving." [1:07:24] Links Build A Better Video Business With Our Exclusive Studio Sherpa Community Anchor Wave Mike's Training Ray Edwards "Profits Aren't Everything, They're the Only Thing" Check out the full show notes page Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas Tune into 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 your business up and running when you have 1,000 ideas and expectations of what to do, but no real roadmap to work with might be the most daunting task imaginable. Deciding what clients to work with, prices to charge and staff to hire is enough to scare many people away. Caleb Maxwell, the co-founder of Hebron Films, has figured out a way to work with clients he is truly excited about, that align with his values, but that also can pay the bills. Caleb's company produces high-quality films in Bendigo, Australia. Although Hebron Films is only five years old, Caleb already has a process nailed down for working with the best clients for him and producing stellar videos. He started by literally walking into his favorite businesses and asking if they wanted a video. Now his company makes all sorts of videos from TV ads to charity camp videos to art films. Today we talk about what it's like to be a small business working with other small businesses. We discuss how to create your business from the ground up while focussing on building the best processes you can for growth and sustainability. Caleb is also a Selling like a Sherpa "graduate" and he tells us what it's like to put its lessons into practice. We also get real about why you need to be true to your own identity, interests, and values to be the best you can instead of comparing yourself to others and trying to be someone you're not. Do you have systems in place that allow you to focus on being a company that is true to your identity? Leave a comment on the episode page! In this episode: How to find clients that you are truly excited to work with instead of the ones you dread Why being passionate about your work as well as that of your of your client can get you the best type of work out there What it means to make videos that influence your community The messy business of having employees and why you need to be good at "cleaning up" if you're going to be a leader Having an effective and repeatable process to landing the right clients and delivering a project Advice to filmmakers who are just starting out to help them decide what they are worth Quotes: "As we developed a little bit and we got past getting dazzled by the big numbers and we were down in the nitty-gritty of day-to-day business, we were like, wait a second. Maybe what we need is not more people. Maybe what we need is to develop who we are, what we do, what our process is so that we can actually have a firm foundation to build upon if we want to build." [39:24] "Wherever there are people, there will be mess. So if you aren't a professional mess cleaner then you have no business in getting a lot of people around you. Because more people just equals more mess." [41:18] "It's chalk and cheese from where we started. We went from sort of plodding along and getting a few things here and there to now having a solid and implemented process that we follow with every client." [1:02:11] "Find what makes you tick, where you want to work, where you want to invest yourself, and then chase after that area." [1:10:20] Links: Build A Better Video Business With Our Exclusive Studio Sherpa Community If Studio Sherpas has had an impact on your life or business, I would SO love it if you would take a minute to leave us a voicemail for a compilation we're putting together. You can do that here! Hebron Films Follow Caleb on Facebook | Vimeo Selling like a Sherpa course Check out the full show notes page Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas Tune into 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 anything like me you probably started your business because you love making videos. Being creative might come naturally to you, but authentically selling your value to clients may not be your biggest strength. Sometimes we might put on a persona that isn't true to ourselves, or we show up unprepared. It's often a deal breaker, but all too common. My longtime friend, Jason McCullough is an expert communicator. He started +1 because he wants people to find clarity in what they do. Through his articles, courses, and coaching he helps people communicate better so that they can maintain the best client relationships that they can. He joins me in the studio today so we can discuss how creative entrepreneurs can communicate more effectively. We share some stories of when we've struggled to communicate well with our customers. If you are a person that needs to be able to sell better and more authentically, if you ever have a problem critiquing something or receiving criticism, or have ever been in an argument, you're going to love this conversation. Did you do your "homework" and identify the problem that you are trying to solve that is central to your goals? Let me know in the comments on the episode page! In this episode: How to respond to customers when they are unhappy with your work What can go wrong as a result of miscommunication and the best form of damage control Why being your authentic self is perhaps the most important thing to do in order to communicate effectively Why preparedness is the best way to avoid verbal diarrhea The importance of having a structure to the way you communicate with your clients so that they will buy your product over and over again The benefits of picking only the problems that you want to solve Quotes: "There's an art and a skill to communicating. A time and a place; the method by which you communicate to somebody or you respond to somebody. There's no hard and fast rule. And I think that skill in today's day and age is lost."[14:32] "When you're not yourself, people can sense that. When you're trying to communicate something that isn't authentic, it just doesn't work, I don't care who you are." [18:13] "Focus on the things that you really really care about, and figure out all the rest of the stuff some other way. Somebody else can do it, or don't do it at all." [34:17] Links: Build A Better Video Business With Our Exclusive Studio Sherpa Community Become +1 Follow Jason on Twitter Ascend Method The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Check out the full show notes page Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas Tune into 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!

Scaling up your business without sacrificing quality and customer service is a complex, daunting challenge facing any business owner (yup, I've been there). You have the potential to grow, make more money, find new clients, and create a larger impact in the world, but setting up the systems you need to do so is a minefield. It doesn't have to be though. Kate Erickson knows just how to help you implement these systems. She is passionate and gifted in project management and has lived the entrepreneurial journey herself. Kate knows that this is one of the hardest parts of scaling up a business. As a creator, engager and implementer at EOFire she helps break down this process so that you can build the business that you always wanted have. On today's exciting episode, we discuss how you can grow your business into something you are passionate about. We discuss what it means to take hold of your dreams and how to grow your business while also discovering how to effectively provide great customer service. I personally know the struggle of growing a business without sacrificing quality service. I sure wish I knew then what Kate talks about today. What are you doing to grow your business these days? What challenges are you facing? Let me know in the comments on the episode page! In This Episode The challenges of scaling a business and how to overcome them How to break out of your routine in order to find the ideas that you are truly passionate about The importance of setting time aside to reflect on your business and your career Why scheduling really provides you with the freedom to do what you need and want to to do for your business Why it's crucial that you delegate the tasks that you don't want to do yourself Quotes "I like to think of a project manager as being an orchestrator. It's different when it's you as the video producer who is responsible for that." [6:35] "The motivation or drive that I think people need to dig down and find is wanting to serve your clients bad enough. The awesome thing is is that when you can do that, you get to start charging more money. You're going to be setting yourself apart from the other people out there." [8:26] "Are you living your perfect day? When you get up in the morning and you go to your studio and you do what you do, is that your perfect day? And if it's not, then I challenge you to figure out what your perfect day is." [14:15] "Challenge yourself. Take a step back. Get outside of your daily routine and think about what it would look like if you did something different one day" [15:25] "For every time you have to do something that you don't want to do, it's taking time, bandwidth, energy, emotion away from what you're truly meant to do." [21:53] Links Entrepreneurs on Fire Kate's Take podcast 3 Hours to Your Big Idea Check out the full show notes page Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas Tune into 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!