Grow Your Video Business with Ryan Koral

What does your marketing strategy look like? So often as creatives we spend all of our time creating and never end up marketing those creations. Caleb Peavy is not only a creative like us but a master at marketing as well, and in this episode, he walks us through the five mistakes he sees creatives making in our marketing and how to fix them. Check out the full show notes: http://studiosherpas.com/59 Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas: http://www.studiosherpas.com

If you're a corporate or wedding filmmaker, are you setting yourself apart with your style? A lot of filmmakers, especially wedding filmmakers, feel they don't have the freedom they want with weddings, but that doesn't have to be the case. Today we're talking with luxury wedding filmmaker Kevin Shahinian about having a vision and being directorial as well as finding high-end clients who are willing to pay you what you're worth. Check out the full show notes: http://studiosherpas.com/58 Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas: http://www.studiosherpas.com

How are you approaching growing your client base? Are you focusing only on what your needs are? Often when world searching for our ideal clients we tend to focus solely on what we need, and not what we can do for others. This is a big mistake. Today we're talking about the power of community, and how there are more important skills than simply being good at your craft that will keep your pipeline full. Haley Akins is a motion designer with 9+ years of experience which includes 4 years at Google's internal production company in the UK as Senior Motion Designer. She's worked with clients from the BBC to the United Nations, and has made the shift to a thriving freelance business, most recently launching the podcast and community Motion Hatch. We get into why choosing clients who match your values can lead to amazing (and lucrative) relationships, how putting yourself and your work out there will help you build a community, and why we should never be afraid to get paid what we are worth. It can be scary to raise your rates but the more open and honest we are within our communities about pay scale, the more power there is in doing just that. When was the last time you raised your rates? If you haven't recently, what is the biggest thing standing in your way from raising them? Leave a comment below! In this episode: The power in peer and community referrals, and why you shouldn't be afraid to recommend a "competitor" How to reach out to the clients you want to work with to start a relationship How to stand out from the crowd in whatever you do Hayley's "Occupy Inbox" strategy for getting in front of big potential clients Quotes: "I think it is really important to get the message out there that you should build your client base up so that you can say no, so that you have opportunities to do projects that you really want to work on." (18:36) "Building your business up isn't just about making money, it's definitely about improving yourself and then if you have more freedom to choose your clients, then maybe you can choose clients whose values align with your own and hopefully have a more positive impact on the world." (19:10) "The most important things that I think about in freelance and business is to not just go out there and do things for yourself, try and think about other people because you will find that people will want to help you and they will want to work with you. Just be a nice, cool person." (37:29) Links: Motion Hatch Follow Motion Hatch on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Email Hayley at Hello@MotionHatch.com Hayley Akins Follow Hayley on Facebook | Twitter Bingomation http://www.bingomation.com/ Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas

Have you ever put any thought into where you're allocating your time as a business owner, and how that investment will help you continue to grow your business in the future? As creatives we're often either hyper-focused or scatterbrained, which, if we're not careful, can lead to stagnation or subpar work. This episode is chock full of good information, but among the most important topics we cover is the 80/20 rule of growing your business, and why it might piss you off. Brett Culp is a filmmaker, social entrepreneur, cinematographer, and speaker whose passion for charity and documentaries has lead to his work being featured on Netflix and Hulu in addition to having a chapter of a college textbook dedicated to his production style (wow). He is also the co-founder of The Rising Heroes Project which produces amazing films that focus on uplifting, real-life stories with messages of hope, courage, and commitment while also allowing them to be screened around the world with proceeds go to charity. We talk about how he continually evolves as a filmmaker, discuss why you need to find a way to move past the need for external validation, the reason you should always question why you think you need that new tool or gadget, and how to not take things personally in any situation, especially when sharing your work with others. You may not always feel comfortable hearing what Brett has to say but that doesn't mean that we all don't need to hear it. He is honest and upfront with no BS, and he's helping us kick off the new year right. There's so much in this episode we'd love to hear what stood out to you the most! What did Brett say that motivated or challenged you? Leave us a note in the comments! In this episode: The art of reinvention and hustle, and how Brett ensures he is constantly evolving How to not take things personally when sharing your work and why it is imperative The importance of being involved in communities that are safe places Brett's life hack for the quickest way to get your 20% to become your 80% When & why you should hire on additional contractors Quotes: "My general practice is that with my heart, my energy, my time, my resources, my money, whatever it is, I put 80% of it into my main hustle, which is the thing that us paying my bills, but I reserve 20% of it for my side hustle. And, my side hustle is whatever is next or whatever I am excited about." (19:16) "I don't need the external validation of a five thousand dollar camera to feel like I am doing good work." (47:37) "What I have learned over time was that the good leads never came passively. They always take work and hustle and aggressiveness and relationship building and contacts." (56:27) Links: Brett's website Follow Brett on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn Legends of the Knight Look To The Sky A Voice That Carries (Coming in 2018) The Rising Heroes Project

When did you last set aside some time to think strategically about the direction of your business, assess what you've been doing well (or not) and set goals for where you want to head in the future? We know that this can be a difficult commitment to make, but Matt and I both believe it's one of the best things that you can do for both your business and your personal life. We're guessing that if you're anything like us, once you start the goal-setting process, you'll quickly get addicted to it. Today, we are talking all about what did and didn't work in 2017 and what our goals are for 2018. We break down how to come up with them, how to achieve them, and how clarity and reflection can ultimately help you succeed and move your business forward. We also dive into the necessity of accountability, whether that comes from friends and family, community-driven, or a coach. Whoever it is, having accountability is one of the best things you can do to keep moving forward and progressing your business in the way you want. As always, we give some real-life examples from our businesses to help illustrate the do's and don'ts, so you can avoid some of the hurdles we have struggled with. If you want to push your business to the next level, this episode will lay out the game plan that we've used to gain traction with our businesses and grow consistently. Do you write out your goals? If so, do you prefer yearly or quarterly? How have they helped your business or life? Leave us a comment below! In this episode: Why both goal setting and reflection are essential for the success and growth of your business How to come up with goals, and what makes a good goal. The four questions to answer for clarity on any subject matter The importance of having accountability to your goals Quotes: "When you can create these goals, whether its every 90 days or once a year and say "what do I want to achieve this year and who can I invite alongside me to keep me accountable for these things?" That is how we move forward as people. That's how we grow as people. When we work on our person instead of just in our ordinary lives." (7:54) "Set some goals that are achievable, attainable and start small. That's okay to do if you're not used to setting goals." (10:40) "If you want to build a business that is sustainable and that's growing, you have to be learning. You have to be growing. You have to be moving forward. You have to be figuring out what am I doing that's not working as well as it should. If you're not creating that time and that space then what's going to happen is fast forward a year, five years and you are going to be the business that is out of touch." (23:16) Links: Studio Sherpas 90 Day Plan Find Traction on Amazon or Audible Check out Studio Sherpas Episode 43 with the author of Traction, Gino Wickman * Some of the above links are affiliate links, but as you know by how much I gush about this book, I really believe it can help you and your business!

Have you allowed fear held you back from pursuing your passion? As creatives we often find ways to talk ourselves out of diving into passion projects, despite our, well… passion for them! While he certainly faced challenges and doubts, especially as the scope of his project ballooned in front of him, today's guest Jason Aron stuck with it, and the resulted documentary Back In Time became the top-ranked documentary on IMDB, and distributed through Netflix. Jason was a wedding/corporate filmmaker and drone pilot who had also done a few short documentaries, when an amusing addition to a Bar Mitzvah video struck a chord in him that propelled him to dive into creating a documentary about the cultural impact of his favorite trilogy of all time, Back To The Future. He doesn't hold back when discussing the challenges they faced daily, the struggles that their naivete around the business of making a big-time doc created, and how this passion project that he had set out to make for himself has actually positively affected people all around the world. We also get deep into the business logistics of creating a full length feature documentary which includes tips on getting distribution, the various legalities at every turn, and what the budget expectations and constraints might look like for you. I took a ton away from this interview and received a huge kick in the butt when it comes to jumping into a passion project like this smartly. What is your project that you have been to scared to jump into? What are the fears that are currently holding you back? Leave us a comment! In this episode: Some of the struggles and politics that you may face when shooting and editing a project like this Tips & Tricks to make the process easier, including things Jason wishes he had thought about from the get go How to budget for a large project like this if you don't have any experience What you need to know about the business and legal side of creating a feature length project like this Preparing for the sacrifices you will have to make Tips on getting distribution Quotes: "I think there is a big difference between criticism and failure, those are two totally different things. Failure is just something that doesn't work while criticism is more of you put something out there and people tell you they don't like it. It's more of an active hatred then a passive one." (14:25) "[Some of the big challenges were] not knowing that we needed these different insurance things, not knowing how much a colorist would cost, not knowing the process of doing a sound mix, not knowing that when you're done and you want to get it distributed, you probably need 6-8 months. Not knowing all those things, we were working from behind a lot because we were kind of chasing our tail very often." (29:14) "From a strict dollar and cents standpoint, there were plenty if shoots that we went on for this documentary where I could have been doing a paid shoot back in New York or wherever else that I had to say no to because of Back In Time. Dozens! So I did give up a lot of money-making opportunities to do this documentary but nothing would have yielded out the professional success that came from this documentary so I definitely don't look twice at it." (35:56) Links: Back In Time Follow Back In Time on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram On Board Follow On Board on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Frequent Traveler University

There are certain discoveries we all make in our filmmaking process that stand out as milestones, and mark a new level of quality in our films. There are few level ups as drastic and impactful however, as incorporating professional-level sound design and music placement in our productions. As today's guest explains, this an area of film production that truly separates the pros from the amateurs, and yet most of us (I'm guilty here too) put off making this investment for way too long. Dallas Taylor is the founder and lead sound designer of Defacto Sound, and is a respected thought leader on the narrative power of sound. He is also a sought-after speaker, a contributor to many industry publications and the host of the massively popular podcast, Twenty Thousand Hertz. While Dallas is the guru of all things sound, he also gave us a lot of insight into the mindset behind running a successful business, the power of sound design within any project, and why giving yourself a break when it comes to your goals is imperative to finding balance. If you have ever felt stumped by how to start experimenting with sound design into your projects, Dallas has you covered. Do you currently utilize sound design in your projects? If not, what is the main thing holding you back? If so, what have you noticed about your productions? Leave a comment below! In this episode: How to start thinking about and experimenting with sound design The importance of time management and hiring accordingly What to look for when hiring a sound designer What types of projects should you be budgeting sound design for, and how should you budget for it? Why you need to be ruthless in the curation of your portfolio Quotes: "Thinking about sound, in and of itself, outside of a music perspective, makes a huge difference in the way that you approach and the way that you tell a story." (19:50) "There is a big problem with people who expect that they're going to put that camera up to their eye and that their masterpiece is going to come out. You have to make a bunch of garbage before you get anywhere close to anything that is even respectable, no matter how talented you are." (32:45) "You can't control the result, all you can control is the process. All you can control is how you treat other people. And, the older I get the more I really try to cherish the people who are around me through that process and just be thankful for that. Then we put out the work and let the rest of the world decide all that stuff, but it doesn't matter." (34:41) Links: Defacto Sound https://www.defactosound.com/ Follow Defacto Sound on: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/defactosound Twitter https://twitter.com/defactosound Instagram https://www.instagram.com/defactosound/ Twenty Thousand Hertz Podcast https://www.20k.org/ Studio Sherpas Budget Maximizer Tool https://training.studiosherpas.com/store/CPFSzJZu 7 Habits To Consistently Land 5 Figure Jobs Freebie https://studiosherpas.clickfunnels.com/7-habits-to-5-figs Studio Sherpas Ascend Method Training http://ascendmethod.com

For many of us as storytellers, we have ideas for passion project documentaries that we would love to get out into the world one day, but don't really know where to start. Today's guest is the go-to documentary filmmaker for women's rights and is always shining the light on the strength, courage, and dynamism of women around the globe. Her latest documentary, Little Stones follows four women who are using the arts for social change, and she presents their stories in a truly heartfelt and honest way. Sophia Kruz is an Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker and TedX speaker, but the accolades don't stop there as she's won many more awards at some of the top film festivals in the world. She's also the co-founder of Driftseed, a nonprofit seeking to empower women and girls both in the U.S. and around the world through the art of documentary storytelling. Sophia is a firm believer in the power of following your passion and shares some fantastic advice on how to choose your passion projects, and how to find the perfect partners to bring those projects to life. We also talk about the importance of networking as you fundraise for passion projects, and how those connections will have far-reaching benefits for your films beyond the initial monetary contributions. If you have ever struggled with the thought of having to network or don't know where to start, then this episode will give you some tips that you can use from the beginning of your next project. Do you have a documentary passion project kicking around the back of your mind? What are the struggles you've had in getting started? Leave us a comment below! In this episode: Advice on how to narrow in on your passion projects and choose the right ones to commit to Why your project partners are crucial to the success of the project The extreme and far-reaching benefits of networking The timeframes of making a documentary Some of the benefits to working for yourself or freelancing Quotes: "This is hands down the hardest thing I have ever done in my life but also the most rewarding." (22:32) "Finding partners that are truly engaged and believe in the project is another word of advice I would give to people." (28:59) "I don't enjoy fundraising, but it is a great way to have a lot of people learn about your project because you are constantly asking for meetings and getting in front of people and honing your pitch and then they remember you. They are aware of your project and waiting for it to come out, whether or not they ended up donating." (34:05) Links: Sophia Cruz Productions Follow Sophia on Instagram & Twitter Driftseed Follow Driftseed on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter Little Stones Follow Little Stones on Facebook & Twitter Little Stone Project Panmela Castro Sohini Chakraborty Sister Fa Anna Taylor Zonta International

Do you know how prospective clients view you and your work? Have you placed everything you have ever created on your Vimeo or website? You might be unwittingly making some mistakes that are keeping you from presenting yourself and your capabilities in the best light. But today we're going through all the dos and don'ts of how to present your body of work. Cody Dulock is the Director of Content for Film Supply and he sees the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to stock footage. His insights and advice on what to include in your portfolio and what to hide from the public is essential to making sure your prospective clients see the best version of what you have to offer. He has a ton of experience in film production, wedding, and corporate videography prior to his position at Film Supply, so it's safe to say this guy knows the in's and out's of the filmmaking industry. We also talk about the importance of spec work and how these types of projects can lead to opportunities you might have otherwise missed out on. If your portfolio is currently a display of almost every film you've ever made, Cody's got some fantastic insights that just might convince you to reconsider. Have you ever done any speck work? Was it a passion project or self-funded? Did it turn into future paying gigs? Throw us a comment on the show notes page! **Do you want to pair a heaping dose of inspiration with a crazy fun time? Film Supply has an incredible conference focussing on both film and music. Check out the stellar keynote lineup for 2018 plus the breakout sessions!** In this episode: The importance of curating your portfolio in all public arenas How spec work can lead to doing the type of work you're dreaming of What 3 things can help you decide if you should take on that job you're debating Why defining your culture & values right from the start is necessary to be successful Quotes: "People really need to connect with each other but they also need to be challenged." (10:41) "At the end of the day, your worst piece of work is what is going to define you, if it's public" (24:34) "Pinpointing what your culture is going to be about [is essential], even if you're a one-person team." (37:27) Links: Film Supply Film Supply's Film Productions Film + Music Conference Follow Film Supply on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Well, we've made it to episode 50, and what a ride it's been thus far. When we started Studio Sherpas in 2015 and this podcast a year ago, we had no idea the impact that it would have on us and our own businesses. We were driven by a desire to share our stories and knowledge to help struggling filmmakers to run better businesses and bust through obstacles that were keeping them from producing the types of films they wanted to, at the budget they wanted to. But as it turns out, we've ended up taking away as much as we've tried to give. So in this, our 50th episode, we want to look back at some of the most important lessons that we've learned from both our amazing guests, and the inspiring community that Studio Sherpas has become. Whether you're a new or long-time listener of the show, we know that you'll find the lessons we discuss in this episode as relevant now as on the original episodes, so let's dive in! We would absolutely LOVE to hear from you on what your favorite episodes have been and some of your biggest takeaways from the show. Let us know in the comments! In this episode: A look back at our favorite episodes, and the key learnings we took away from them The importance of community and learning from others What it means to be a Sherpa for your clients How your mental fitness is affection your business How to approach doing the work YOU want to do, and create opportunities for yourself Links: Check out the full episodes that we mentioned today (in order of mention) Episode 28: Does Your Business Allow You the Freedom to Take Smart Risks? w/ Abraham Joffe Episode 1: The Importance of Story w/ Patrick Moreau Episode 40: How is Mental Fitness Affecting Your Creative Business w/ Adrien Kohler Episode 18: The Business of Being Creative w/ Sean Lowe Episode 46: How to Create Your Own Dream Job w/ Whitney Powell Episode 34: Why You Need To Ditch the Shortcuts and Do the Work w/ Dane Sanders