Grow Your Video Business with Ryan Koral

If you've been hanging around Sherpa land for a while, you know how passionate we are about building teams around ourselves so that we can live the lives we want and not be overwhelmed by our work, no matter how much we love it. Jordan Bunch is an Austin-based wedding filmmaker, and host of the Wedding Film Academy Podcast, who realized early on that by hiring a team, he could free up the time to be a better husband, father, neighbor, and person, focussing on the things that are really important to him in life. He didn't stop there though. After hiring his first editor and seeing the impact on his business, he ran with it, and created two separate wedding film brands, both with unique approaches to the business. He shares today which roles in his team he feels are most important, how to build a team that you can trust and rely on, and getting over the fears a lot of us have around letting go of doing everything ourselves. In this episode: Why Jordan created a second wedding brand not associated with his name How to get over the fear of our employees leaving us to start their own businesses after we've trained them How Jordan gets his name out there for both of his brands How to build a healthy team culture and support them in their growth Quotes: "Doing this team model really supplies me with an opportunity to live the life I want to live." [5:02] "Positive reinforcement is just so much more effective than negative criticism. I've really been working on, as much as possibly to hardly ever say anything that is negative to my team… People live into the reality of what you paint them to be." [12:21]

Have you ever heard the phrase "content is king"? It's a phrase that is sold to creatives the world over encouraging them to continue to put their best work. We're told that if we do, sooner or later, we'll catch our break and get discovered. The thing is, it's not enough. Sure we need to be putting out quality work, but our work alone, no matter how good it is, will rarely get us where we want to go. Joe Simon has been working as a filmmaker and DP for 20 years. He transitioned from starting out as a professional BMX rider and filmmaker focusing on action sports, to a successful and in demand wedding film company, and then again transitioned into a commercial and corporate film brand. He now travels the world shooting TV shows for networks like CBS and CNN, and workign with brands such as Norwegian Cruise Line, TD Ameritrade, Oakley, and many, many others. Today, Joe shares how even after 10 years working in film, when he started his commercial brand The Delivery Guys, he still fell victim to the creative bias, and quickly found out that great work alone wasn't enough to attract the clients he wanted to work with. He tells us how you should be getting your work out to the right people to see, how to build a killer reel by utilizing your current jobs, and a whole bunch more. If you're looking for advice from someone who's lived it, Joe is the guy. In this episode: • How to handle hiring freelance editors to get the best results • Joe's approach to capturing extra content on your current shoots and repurposing it to pitch to corporate and commercial clients • The ups and downs of travel jobs and how to prepare for them • Where Joe would begin if he were starting over again today • How to effectively market your work and get the right people to see it Quotes: "The Delivery Men was created off of b-roll content from weddings." [18:27] "I think in general you just have to really hustle a lot, and to get work, it's hard. When I first launched this company in 2012, I built the website and built the reel, and I thought that work would just show up, and it didn't. It was a realization that no one knows who we are in this world, and so really having to get out and hit the street and build a network." [25:00] "You have to have a network first before you can just get people to watch something." [28:29]

Do you ever find yourself watching TV, and when a commercial for a big national or even international brand comes on, find yourself thinking, "I could've shot that." Many of us believe we have what it takes to produce that same quality of work, but we have absolutely no idea about what it takes to break into the world of commercial advertising. If that sounds like you, do we ever have a treat for you today. Raj Dhillon is a freelance commercial TV producer from Toronto who works with some small brands you might have heard of like Heineken, Toyota, and oh, yeah McDonalds. Today she joins us on the podcast to walk us through everything we need to know if we would like to get established in the world of commercial advertising. She breaks down the entire process from concept to finished product, the people involved, and where we fit into the puzzle. She also lets us in on who exactly we need to be networking with, what producers like her are looking for in the reels we submit, and she also shares her story of barging her way into the advertising world. Trust me, you're going to want to be paying attention to what Raj is sharing with us today. What's your experience with commercial work? Have you managed to land any clients big or small? Is this something that you aspire towards, and if so what do you see standing in your way? Let us know in the comments! In this episode: What large agencies are looking for in your demo reel Exactly who you need to be networking with in the ad space The entire process of creating a TV commercial, and where video producers like us fit in Some incredible tips on how you can develop an applicable reel even if you've never been hired to shoot a big commercial Quotes: "I finally just was like, 'This guy's never going to hire me unless he meets me.' Because he just kept kind of dragging it out. So I booked a flight, flew out, stayed with an uncle and just showed up at their office basically, and forced myself into an interview." [20:53] "You could edit together a beautiful 2-minute or 5-minute reel, but it doesn't really necessarily show me that you can tell me a story in 30 seconds." [32:54]

Quick question for you. If you wanted to take 8 weeks to volunteer in South America with limited wifi, is your business set up in a way that you could do it? If you're anything like me, and most small film companies out there, I'm guessing the answer is no, and if that's the case, then this is the perfect episode for you. Shannon Avery is the founder of Hoo Films, a California-based wedding film company currently shooting around 75 weddings per year all over the world. In addition to traveling for work however, Shannon routinely will take a few weeks off at a time to travel and recharge her creative batteries. Oh, and yeah, she's planning on taking that 2 month trip to South America this winter, managing her team remotely. She didn't always have the flexibility to do this however. Over the past 5 years she's built her team in such a way to allow her the flexibility and freedom that she needs. She shares her secrets and processes that have allowed her to create the business that she always wanted (and the one a lot of us aspire to). We also dive deep into why it's so important to take time to recharge and disconnect from work, whether that be for a couple hours a day, one day a week, week long vacations, or more. Recharging doesn't always mean traveling the world like it does for Shannon, and it's vital that you find out what that means for you. What activities allow you to come back to work fresh and ready to create? How have you set up your business to allow space for those activities? In this episode: •How Shannon was able to market herself to attract destination work •Why you need to define your systems and processes even if you don't currently have a team, and why it's even more important if you do •How to be intentional about building a team that will give you what you want from your business •The practical difference that being fresh and recharged has on your business •How Shannon's business allows her to travel for 2 months at a time while the business carries on as usual Quotes: "I'm fine with being a workaholic, but I'm not fine with not having a life." [12:57] "The minute that you decide to take a paycheck for this, is the minute that you really should start asking yourself how you are going to be the most efficient." [26:30] Find the original post at: podcast.studiosherpas.com

Ok, so first off I want to share that Matt and I were called out by one of our followers a couple of weeks ago about the lack of women we have on the podcast. This was by no means an intentional decision but rather a result of us just being better networked with male filmmakers and educators. We're super appreciative of the feedback and we're going to be making a much greater effort to find talented, strong, female filmmakers who can bring a different perspective to what has traditionally been a male-dominated industry (although not for long!) Jennifer Moon is the founder of Northernlight Filmworks, as well as The Posh Retreat, an annual conference focussed on women filmmakers and photographers that is going into its seventh year this fall. After 11 years in the film industry, she noticed how at pretty much every conference, the majority of speakers were male, and if there was a woman on stage, she was likely accompanied (and perhaps talked over) by her husband. As a passionate educator, she realized that there was a gap that needed filling and the annual retreat was born. Today we talk about the importance of continuing to educate ourselves as our businesses grow, some of the struggles female filmmakers face working in this industry, the first task you should be outsourcing when you're starting out, and a whole lot more. We'd love to hear from our female listeners. What challenges do you come up against on a daily or weekly basis in this industry? Which women in the film industry do you look up to that we should be reaching out to to have on the show? Let us know in the comments! * For all of our female listeners, you can get a $50 discount off of The Posh Retreat by using the discount code: sherpa50 * In this episode: • Why education is one of the most important investments we can make • How to find a good bookkeeper and why this might be the most important task for you to outsource • You'll never believe how long Jen waited to upgrade her cameras, and her mentality behind it • Some struggles women in the industry face that men might not be aware of Find the full post at podcast.studiosherpas.com

Ok, so to be completely honest, I don't even know how to sum up my conversation with today's guest, Dane Sanders. I left our call completely jacked up, inspired, and motivated to be better, and I have a feeling this episode is going to do the same for you. 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

We're going to try something a bit different on the podcast this week, but I think you're going to enjoy it. Since launching the Studio Sherpas podcast we've received a ton of questions both from listeners, as well as members of our Selling Like A Sherpa course, which we recently relaunched. In this episode we wanted to address some of the most common questions we get and give our take on how we approach the different challenges that come our way, and what's worked (or not) for us. The questions in this episode come from a live Q&A call Matt and I did with Selling Like A Sherpa Members. We wanted to share one of the perks of being a member with the rest of our community and we hope that this episode answers some of the questions that you've been asking yourself! What do you think, should we do more Q&A type episodes? What are you still wondering about that we didn't cover? Let us know in the comments! In this episode: • If you have an existing film business, how do you diversify your brands operationally and structurally? • Can you give us some advice about working with agencies, what are some of the downsides to be aware of? • Do you ever try to pitch companies that already have a video service provider • How should I approach hiring an editor on a per project basis • How do you deal with getting discouraged when comparing yourself to others? What helps you get through? Links: Voice Nation https://www.voicenation.com/ Ring Central https://www.ringcentral.com/ Selling Like A Sherpa http://my.studiosherpas.com/freedom/

We've talked before on the show about how to start landing high end weddings and corporate clients, but I don't know if anyone has ever laid out the strategy in such simple terms as today's guest, Caleb Lee. Don't be fooled by Caleb's age, he's been doing this for a long time and knows a thing or two about not only filmmaking, but running a successful business. At 16 he sold his landscaping business to invest in film gear before traveling the world for a year helping a charity produce videos of their projects. His first film? In the Himalayas in Nepal, no big deal… He now primarily focuses on high end destination weddings and shares with us how he was able to break into the world of celebrity, politician, professional athlete, and Fortune 500 company events and weddings. His secret? It's all about networking with the right people, and he shares exactly who he was able to network with and how he approaches working with wedding vendors to keep booking big budget weddings, and getting to travel the world while doing it! How do you approach working with other vendors in the wedding industry? Have you found a way to leverage those relationships to help you book larger weddings? Or do you feel like there's a missing piece in there? Let us know in the comments. In this episode: How to approach working with vendors to create a cohesive final product for the couple Caleb's simple approach to buying new gear Why you absolutely need to network with others in the industry if you want to land better jobs How Caleb draws inspiration from photographers, and how he shaped his style by studying their work. Some of the standout locations from Caleb's destination events Quotes: "For me, my story changed when I started working with planners. That's almost my whole business model now. I don't book clients directly very often, almost always I'll have a list of 20 to 30 planners across the country that know and love my work, and when they think I'm a good fit for a client, they bring me along." [11:17] "I think the industry always makes room for talent" [20:10] "I had a bucket list when I was a kid, and so many of those locations that I always wanted to visit have been knocked out by wedding clients, shockingly. Anyone looking to get into the industry early on, I think if you put your values out there - the things that you appreciate - I think those clients come and find you, they're looking for people who they have shared values with." [23:29] Find the original post at: https://studiosherpas.com/category/podcasts

Have you ever thought about moving past the solopreneur, one person band, or maybe husband/wife duo business model and build up a team around you? Those of us who have made the leap to hiring a team often only realized that we needed one after nearly working ourselves to death trying to do it all ourselves. Part of the reason is that most of us have absolutely no idea what makes a creative team click or how to hire a team where each member complements the skills and personalities of the others. David Aguilar of Archaius Creative, a SoCal post-productions house, started in the same place as many of us, wearing a ton of hats working first as a filmmaker before moving to a freelance editing role. He quickly realized however the drawbacks of doing it all himself, including backlog, stress, and a resentment of the work he once loved. Since then, David's put a lot of thought into how to structure and hire a successful creative team, and the post-production house now has a staff of 11. Today he shares with us how he thinks about hiring, his "less is more" approach to both editing and shooting, the test he gives all of his new hires on day one, and a TON more! Are you currently operating as a solopreneur or freelancer, or as a part of a team, including running one yourself? Leave a comment and let us know! In this episode: How to hire to ensure your team works well together as a creative group The importance of knowing the strengths and weaknesses of yourself and your team members The "less is more" approach to shooting and how it can benefit your films How to determine which tasks you should be outsourcing, and how to take the leap into hiring someone on Quotes: "One of the best things we've done has been to build people from the ground up. A lot of my first hires had very little to no experience, and now they're the project managers and really honing in the final product. Really what was more important than editing skill, were some of the intrinsic traits of being humble, moldable, open to critique, and just hungry for always knowing that there's a better tier of their skill set that they could get to. [7:17] "It's not about promoting me or my successes. It's about the team and what we do collectively. My role here is not for the team to push me up, but for me to really elevate them, and provide them resources for how they can best execute their job." [23:04] Find the original post at: https://studiosherpas.com/category/podcasts

Let's face it: It can be hard being a self employed filmmaker. Not only do we have to worry about how to run our businesses better, find new leads, and keep the lights on, but we also need to continuously improve our craft and the finished products we deliver to our clients. Oh, and don't forget that many of us have families and lives outside of our work, as much as we may love it. My conversation with Matt Thompson on the podcast this week took a bit of a turn from where I thought it might go. But Matt being Matt, he delivered some incredible insight as the theme of managing our relationships emerged over the course of our chat. Matt is the CEO of Blade of Grass Holdings, an umbrella company for SongFreedom, Fyrfly, Luna Music Group, and U Management. As you can imagine, with this many companies straddling the music and film worlds, Matt knows a thing or two about the importance of working with, and learning from other people. Furthermore, he's proof that if you master this skill, success will find you in whatever field you're in. We talk broadly about how we balance our businesses with our home and family lives, collaborating with other artists and creatives, the one essential skill to successful business partnerships (and all of our other relationships), and how to find time to recharge our batteries while juggling all of our other responsibilities. How do you manage to balance your business with the rest of your life? Are you able to find time for yourself to recharge and stoke your creativity? Let us know in the comments! In this episode: When to say "no" to projects that might be good ideas but don't play to your strengths How to balance your business with the rest of your life -- including your family Why don't we as video producers collaborate with each other on projects like in the music world? How Fyrfly is going to change the way we host our videos online! The single most important factor to which Matt attributes all of his success Quotes: "There was a period of time in my life where I was afraid and I made decisions based out of fear, and I was afraid that we wouldn't get the job and I was afraid somebody might steal my ideas. But that idea of abundance is just more overpowering in my life today. I don't want to approach life with clenched fists, I want to approach it open handed." [27:45] "I think having a little bit of humility - it can be difficult at times for sure - but we're talking about collaborating with other people, and you want to go do that, not only because it's fun, but also maybe, just maybe you can learn something from somebody else." [42:46] Find the original post at: https://studiosherpas.com/category/podcasts