Grow Your Video Business with Ryan Koral

Do you ever find yourself struggling to justify your pricing to clients who just don't seem to get it? As returning guest Sean Low shares, not only might you be conveying the value of your work in the wrong ways, but quite possibly you shouldn't even be talking to these clients in the first place. In 2017, we hosted Sean on Episode 18 of the Studio Sherpas Podcast, and our discussion was one of the most talked about episodes of the year! Now he's back to share round two of his expert creative tips. As the founder of The Business of Being Creative, a consulting company and online network, Sean helps clients from all around the world tackle the tricky world of creative businesses. Today we dive into what to do if you're struggling with how to price your services, are worried about how to get potential clients, or don't fully understand how to help your creative business thrive. Linking design, decision, and money, Sean, and his BBC Collective are a guiding light for anyone in the creative industry who needs a bit of help on the business side. Do you have a specific niche you operate in? If not, what would it be if you had to operate in only one area? Let us know in the comments! In This Episode The stages and transitions every creative business goes through on each project Why you should be asking (and expect) to be paid up front for your costs Why itemized pricing is a poor method of conveying value, and what to do instead How to get people to invest in your brand How (and why) you should be making outrageous promises to your clients Quotes "I think that really the principle reason I started [BBC Collective] is because I just don't believe in the status quo of the way things are and I don't believe in incremental change because I think it's an oxymoron. If you're not going to make radical change and embrace where we are, you aren't going to see the effects of that." (4:12) "When you try to use dollars to create the difference in feeling, it just doesn't work. We have better tools to communicate value today than using money." (17:50) "Being unshakeable in how you do things and what really matters if fundamentally different than being inflexible." (35:01) Links Join me for a live web class on the apps I use for my sales process! The Business Of Being Creative The BBC Collective SSP Episode 018: The Business Of Being Creative w/ Sean Low 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 If you haven't already, we'd love it if you would leave us a review on iTunes!

As a business owner, you will eventually come to a point where if you want to grow further, you need to stop selling your product and start selling your company in order to thrive as a business. Instead of injecting your creativity into your product, you need to use that creativity to sustain and grow the company. John Warrillow explains exactly how to make this transition. Productizing your creativity is what John and his company, Built to Sell, are all about. John has put over 20 years of research experience into his Value Builder System, and shares what he knows through his podcast, Built to Sell Radio and his best-selling books. Today we are highlighting the difference between being creative and creating a business, and how to make sure your company's model is teachable, valuable and repeatable, so your brand can continue to grow. Are you willing to give up creativity in order to build a business of value and substance? Did this episode grind your gears a little? Let us know in the comments on the episode page! In This Episode The struggle between being creative and owning a successful business How creative business can run into trouble and how to find the solutions The secret behind benchmarking and adding recurring value to your clients Creating a more valuable business through the Value Builder System Quotes "You realize at some point you can't go beyond this ceiling that you have put in place for yourself, because what you are selling is creativity, and by definition, you can't replicate or scale creativity. It's the conundrum that virtually every sort of artistic person binds themselves in." (7:54) "The secret out of this hamster wheel is figuring out and doing one thing better than everyone else." (11:39) "It's always stuck with me that, in particular, creative businesses, are in a lot of ways are the hardest to make the transition, because by its very nature creativity is not something that scales to everybody well." (20:38) Links Be sure to take John's 13-minute questionnaire and get the Value Builder Score for your business. The Score (avg is 59) will let you know how you're doing as measured against the 8 drivers of value. The goal is to get to at least an 80, the ideal is 90. Built to Sell Website Selling Like a Sherpa 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 If you haven't already, we'd love it if you would leave us a review on iTunes!

Do you struggle with being a starving artist? Or maybe you have trouble taking yourself seriously as a creator? Today's guest believes that the stories we tell ourselves have a major impact on our success, which means we can change those stories, too. Jeff Goins is a best-selling author and speaker, focusing on writing, life, and creative work. His books include The Art of Work and Real Artists Don't Starve. He also teaches writers to hone their craft and get the attention they deserve in his course Tribe Writers. Today, he talks to us about the difference between starving artists and thriving artists and the importance of the stories we tell ourselves. We also discuss the power of practicing in public as a way to commit to your art, as well as the power of "stealing" from other artists. Are the stories you're telling yourself limiting your success? Do you feel like a starving artist or a thriving artist? Let us know in the comments on the episode page! In this episode: The biggest difference between starving artists and thriving artists How to practice in public to become the thing you want to be How to call your own bluff on what you really want How a particular common "flaw" in creatives can actually be a strength The importance of being a thief Quotes: "Whatever you think you are, you essentially become. We are not just what we do, but we become what we practice. Everyday you're practicing being someone." 16:29 "If you make this kind of commitment to your art… you call your own bluff." 25:32 "Almost all art is commercial." 37:12 Links: Pick up a free copy of Real Artists Don't Starve on Audible! Jeff's Website Follow Jeff on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Pinterest | Instagram Real Artists Don't Starve Pick up all the bonus material to Real Artists Don't Starve 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 If you haven't already, we'd love it if you would leave us a review on iTunes! Find out how Video Blocks can save you thousands on your productions!

Are you a creative with a process, or do you worry that systems would detract from or even destroy your ability to be spontaneous and creative? Doug Darling makes a case for us today about how having a process and method will help empower your creativity and create better projects for your clients. Doug is the Founder and Executive Director of Tripwire Media Group, a media company focused on using storytelling to get their clients the results they need. Today he talks to us about how he's seen storytelling improve everything from his emails to his client projects, and on the flip side, the importance of having a process and structure in order to make that creativity and storytelling flourish. He also talks about how to get client buy-in on creative ideas, as well as how he approached hiring to grow his agency. What processes or methods do you use to help give structure to your creativity? How do you get your clients on board? Let us know in the comments on the episode page! In this episode: How having a process helps improve your creativity, not squash it How to get your clients to buy into the creative storytelling ideas The pros and cons of having a small operation versus hiring a team How to get started with that first hire Quotes: "It doesn't cheapen it to have process or structure to how you approach both the relationship side, the creative side, and also the sales side." 7:25 "Continuously reinventing yourself, after 9 years, is what keeps me excited." 24:03 "It was one of the first times we realized, Hold on, we can do better than what they're asking us to do." 34:25 Links: Tripwire Media Follow Tripwire on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn Muse Storytelling Stillmotion 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 If you haven't already, we'd love it if you would leave us a review on iTunes! Find out how Video Blocks can save you thousands on your productions!

Do you have any passion projects that you've been dreaming of creating for years, but never had the money to make happen? Most of us have projects we'd love to work on, but without a client to fund them these types of projects clearly require a different approach to financing. Brandon Adams is the executive producer and co-host of Success In Your City, a reality show currently in production all about success and the different ways that different people define it all over the country. He also has a background in crowdfunding and serves as a consultant or advisor for various companies. Today he talks to us about how he has found smaller sponsors in each city that they film in order to bring his vision of the project to life, as well as how to get creative about what's received in exchange for that sponsorship. He also discusses his unique approach to creating a show, and what it takes to run a successful crowdfunding campaign. How have you used crowdfunding or creative financing to produce projects? Let us know in the comments on the episode page! In this episode: The importance of being exposed to different definitions of success Brandon's alternative way of finding a network for the show How he finds small sponsorships in each city What to do or avoid when crowdfunding Quotes: "When you think of success, you think of power, success, money. But it's more than that." 7:53 "Leading up to each episode, it is somewhat stressful, it is a grind, it is a lot of work, but when we're in those 4 days of filming, it's like a dream come true." 18:01 "I believe [success is] being the best you can be, and enjoying what you do, and always growing." 10:39 Links: Success In Your City Follow Success In Your City on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram Connect with Brandon on LinkedIn 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 If you haven't already, we'd love it if you would leave us a review on iTunes! Find out how Video Blocks can save you thousands on your productions!

Have you ever made an awesome video for a corporate client, only to later find that it did very little for their business? Ben Amos got tired of realizing he wasn't providing a lasting solution for his clients, and did something about it that changed the way he runs his business and the impact his work delivers. Ben runs the video production agency Innovate Media in Brisbane, Australia, and is also the man behind the Engage Video Marketing Podcast. In both businesses, he's all about helping clients use video content strategically to help their business goals, rather than making video for video's sake. Today, he talks to us about how he sees more clients bypassing agencies and going right to the video producers, and how that is impacting the evolution of our role as production companies. He also discusses the three parts of a marketing funnel, how he qualifies clients, and the three circles of strategic video marketing that need to be considered. Do you talk strategy with your clients? How has that impacted your business? Let us know in the comments on the episode page! In this episode: How the role of video producers is shifting to video strategists The 3 portions of a marketing funnel and how video can fit into it How Ben qualifies clients before their discovery session Finding opportunities to diversify your offerings and increase your revenue The 3 critical elements of video marketing Quotes: "The ability to educate a potential client on the strategy side of what we can offer allows us to position ourselves as a better choice... because we care about the results of the video and care about their business." 14:20 "When you start to look at it strategically the sales process becomes so much more effective and simpler." 21:11 "When you're clear on what the strategy is for any given piece of video content, chances are, it's gonna be more effective and it's going to align more closely with the actual goals the business has." 28:37 Links: Be sure to check out Ben's exclusive Gift for Studio Sherpas listeners! Innovate Media Engage Video Marketing Podcast 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 If you haven't already, we'd love it if you would leave us a review on iTunes! Find out how Video Blocks can save you thousands on your productions!

We may specialize in filmmaking, but we're still entrepreneurs, and we struggle with all the same things that every other entrepreneur struggles with, too. Steph Crowder gives us tons of mic drops about some of those same struggles that she's faced and how we can work through them. Steph is Head of Member Success at Fizzle.co, co-hosts the Fizzle podcast as well as her own podcast Courage + Clarity, and is also a business coach for people who are hungry for meaningful, independent work in their life. Today, Steph talks with us about being present in the journey and appreciating the now, as well as dropping some truth bombs on imposter syndrome and how to get past it. She also talks about building community, and gives us some very concrete, actionable tips on getting amazing interviews in our corporate and documentary films. Do you deal with imposter syndrome and impossible expectations of yourself? Share a story on the episode page about how these feelings have held you back or how you get through them! In this episode: The importance of living in the present and some ways to remind yourself to do so Mega truth bombs about imposter syndrome as a filmmaker and entrepreneur What kind of leader you should be if you want to build community and make an impact Steph's strategies for getting powerful responses from interviewees and hooking your viewers Quotes: "If you don't love it now, if you don't feel that feeling of gratitude now, you're not gonna feel it when you reach some arbitrary goal." 7:17 "If you're coming to the table with that not-enough-ness, I think it's a sign that you're expecting too much from yourself" 16:44 "People tend to wait for clarity before they take action, but something that I've realized is that clarity comes from action" 30:31 Links: Steph's gift to us: The 15 Minute Weekly Planner Courage + Clarity The Courage + Clarity PodcastFollow Steph on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter Fizzle The Fizzle Show podcast Follow Fizzle on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter Check out these productivity tools that I use to help me sell more effectively! 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 If you haven't already, we'd love it if you would leave us a review on iTunes! Find out how Video Blocks can save you thousands on your productions!

This week we're throwing it back to one of our all-time greatest hit episodes, and one that personally had the some of the greatest impact on me and my business. We're talking with Dane Sanders all about what it means to ditch the shortcuts in our businesses and do the work we need to do. Dane spent 12 years as a professional photographer before a "leadership book [he] snuck into the photography community" took off and helped him realize that he had more to offer the world. He now works as a speaker, coach, has written two best-selling books, is the founder of Fastermind.co, hosts the Converge Podcast, and organizes the annual Go Summit. Yeah, he's a busy guy with a ton of insight and drive. With so much on his plate, Dane has realized that maybe the most important skill to develop is understanding how to prioritize your time effectively. We also talk about why good coaching is essential, and what to look for in a good coach, how he hacked his way to leveling up his friend group and why you should do the same, and why you should be focussing on the process and your body of work, rather than individual successes and setbacks. In this episode: How to prioritize your time effectively Why we need a strong community as freelancers and business owners How Dane was able to dramatically level up his friend group Why the most important thing in your life and business is actually knowing what it is you really want So so much more! Quotes: "If you're going to be 'yourname.com' in any category, you ought to think about who you actually are, and get the becoming right before you get lost in the doing." [6:35] "I think when people realize that they have a scaling problem, they come up against themselves. They have to make some hard decisions as a leader and an owner and really get clear on what is their value?" [10:30] "The myth of the shortcut is so prevalent in our world. You have to almost violently fight against it."[14:04] Links: Find Dane Online Fastermind Converge Podcast Go Summit Fast Track Photographer Books Recommendations: E-Myth Revisited Permission Marketing Tribes Boundaries For Leaders Deep Work So Good They Can't Ignore You Letters To A Young Poet - Rilke translated by Charlie Leuth 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 Find out how Video Blocks can save you thousands on your production

If you're anything like me, there are times where you get tired, worn out, and uninspired by the direction of your creative business. Yup, I've been there, many, many times. Life is constantly changing, and it is easy to find yourself burying your passion underneath frustration and all the mundane tasks associated with running a profitable business. It is not until you put your foot down and re-evaluate why you are doing what you are doing and how you are doing it, that you can rediscover your passion. Today, I want to share my top 3 ways to re-energize your business and take back control. Here at Studio Sherpas, our number one goal is to help you grow your business. I want to make sure you are getting the right kind of clients and doing the right kind of work that inspires you, while also being able to pay the bills. We didn't start making videos and creating movies because we thought it would be a lucrative career, we do it because we are moved by the work we create, and to keep putting out creative, moving, fulfilling work, we need to be engaged and excited by the projects we're working on. I just got back from an amazing conference put on by past Sherpas guest Mike Kim, and aside from some amazing new personal connections, I took away a ton of new knowledge and inspiration that I want to share with the rest of the Sherpas community. Let me know in the comments on the episode page which of these 3 strategies resonated with you the most and why! In This Episode How to put your foot down in the name of creativity The importance of finding your tribe and being part of a community Why you should force yourself to practice in public and how to get started How intentionally choosing to slow down can actually help your business The necessity of understanding what it is you are chasing and why Quotes "I want to keep the world the same – said no entrepreneur ever" (4:40) "We have all gotten into this line of work because we wanted to impact and influence the world, even if just in a teeny tiny way" (5:21) "There is something that happens when a group of like-minded people get together for the common purpose of wanting to become better and wanting to help others become better" (9:03) "What's more important than me trying to prove to the world that I've got what it takes or that I can do this than providing for my family. And creating a business where I can help these incredible people that work for me provide for their families and create their own legacies" (24:17) Links Trivinia Barber – VA priority Selling Like A Sherpa Course & Community Episode 64 w/ Mike Kim Episode 69 w/ Zack Arnold Episode 70 w/ PJ Accetturo 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 Find out how Video Blocks can save you thousands on your productions!

Do you ever feel like the walls are closing in due to competition, and there's not enough work to go around? In this episode, PJ Accetturo discusses the importance of thinking out of the box and breaking the creative bias, competition and community, what makes a good reel, how knowing how to correctly network can be a game changer, and how to keep pushing your boundaries as a filmmaker. PJ is an award-winning filmmaker currently working as a freelance director based out of Tampa, Florida. He was published by National Geographic at the ripe age of 18 years old, and has continued to work on inspired and globally conscious projects. We talk about our passion for filmmaking and how the ability to take a story from your head or heart, and translate it visually to create compound change is at the core of our role as filmmakers. We also dive into why community is so essential to our success, why a 30 second reel can be more impactful than one 2 minutes long, why PJ thinks that at least 30% of what you create should be a passion project, and ways you can engage and inspire your own community. In This Episode Why you should almost never do videos just for exposure How you can support other studios in your hometown and get over the competitive mindset that could be holding you back The difference between networking for clients and networking for connections How a side hustle can balance your need for creativity and open up future opportunities Things to think about including and avoiding on your reel Quotes "Feeling like you're not alone is honestly one of the biggest things that a community like SS offers, it is very validating. Being an entrepreneur is a lonely road and I really think a community like SS is very validating to know other people go through the same struggles." (8:19) "If you can find a culture that really embraces 'we are all in this together, we are not trying to make our studio the best name, we actually care about our city and the filmmakers in our city and we want to work on some fun projects that make great art for everybody.' I think people can get behind that" (15:01) "There becomes a gap between the work you want to do and the work you are currently doing to make money. And I think you have to take moments where you step out in faith and say I am going to do this based on spec or as a passion project because I know I am capable of this and I know I have a vision for this because nobody is going to pay me to do something like this until I've already done it" (33:50) Links PJ Accetturo Follow PJ on Instagram Director's Table Facebook Group Director's Table Podcast PJ's Vimeo Meetup Video charity: water Video Piece 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 Find out how Video Blocks can save you thousands on your productions!