Drone to 1K Podcast by Drone Launch Academy

In this episode of the Drone to 1K Podcast, we sit down with Jeremy Proctor, owner of Central Texas Aerials. Jeremy shares his remarkable journey of turning a therapeutic hobby into a thriving drone business that generated nearly $70K in revenue during his first full year. After being laid off from his corporate tech job in July 2023, Jeremy transformed his drone side hustle into his primary sourc...

Join us for a conversation with Michael Lilley, founder of Wet Dog Drones, as he shares his journey from drone enthusiast to successful construction site documentation specialist. Michael reveals how he built a thriving drone business while working a full-time job in the construction industry. In this episode, Michael discusses: His unconventional 1AM workday schedule and how he manages his drone...

In this episode of the Drone to 1K Podcast, host David Young talks with Cody Retlich about: Acquiring a drone service business (MKE Drones) for minimal upfront cost Growing revenue by 30% through strategic business acquisition Tips for new drone entrepreneurs on client acquisition Building a successful drone service business from scratch Key Insights: Negotiated a 2-year payment plan with the prev...

In this episode, we dive into Jon Jeffress's incredible journey from weekend car show photographer to a successful real estate media production entrepreneur. Learn how he transformed his business, navigated the challenges of growth, and built a half-million-dollar company in Mobile, Alabama. 📸 What You'll Learn: How Jon pivoted from automotive to real estate photography The power of networking an...

Our guest for this episode is Brandon Beal of Elevation Aerial Application.  🚁 Highlights from this episode: Getting Started: Brandon came from a traditional aviation background working with helicopters before transitioning to drones in 2017. He moved to Virginia during COVID to pursue his dream of agricultural drone operations. The Business: Starting with a $50,000 loan, Brandon and his business...

In this episode, we sit down with Matt Nugent, founder of Wing Walker Aerial Photography in Seattle, who shares his journey from reluctant police drone operator to successful drone business owner. Matt reveals how he built a thriving side business generating $5,000+ monthly while maintaining his full-time career in law enforcement. Learn how Matt: Transitioned from basic police drone work to speci...

We're excited to announce that Season 7 Episode 1 of the Drone to $1K Podcast is out! Our guest for this episode is Chris Knipp of Sky Media 423 .  Highlights from this episode: Unexpected Beginning: Chris's drone journey started with a Mavic Mini purchase in late 2019 for his church's kids ministry during COVID, creating engaging online content by incorporating aerial footage into their productio...

We're excited to announce that Season 6 Episode 10 of the Drone to $1K Podcast is out! Our guest for this episode is Juan Quinones of LuxyDrone . https://www.instagram.com/juan.c.quinonez/  Juan Quinones, founder of FPV Creator Pro and Luxy Drone, shared his journey, highlighting his transition from videography to FPV drone flying. 🚁 Highlights from this episode: Discovering FPV: Juan's fascinati...

We're excited to announce that Season 6 Episode 9 of the Drone to $1K Podcast is out! Our guest for this episode is Guillermo Wenzel of Drone Sky Visuals . Guillermo, founder of Drone Sky Visuals, came back to the podcast to talk about how he's been doing since his last appearance on the podcast in 2019. 🚁 Highlights from this episode: Juggling Jobs: At first, he was working both his drone busine...

  Season 6 Episode 8 of the Drone to $1K Podcast is out! Our guest for this episode is Noah Ruiz of Soaring Eagle Technologies . Noah Ruiz, founder of Soaring Eagle Technologies, transitioned from capturing photos of houses to specializing in infrastructure inspection with drones. 🚁 Highlights from this episode: Inspiration and Early Ventures: Noah started his drone journey after witnessing the p...

Our guest for this episode is Zach Pieper of Quantum Land Design and Arrowview Services. Zach worked for Caterpillar in civil engineering and then ventured into entrepreneurship by establishing Quantum Land Design and Arrowview Services. These companies specialize in services for contractors and civil engineering, respectively. 🚁 Highlights from this episode: Drone Integration in Construction: Za...

Our guest for this episode is Matt Harvey of Edge Drone Services.  https://edgedroneservices.com/ Here are the main highlights of this episode: Matt's journey into the drone industry began while he was still in college, sparked by a conversation at a construction company where he was employed. He and his friend formed a partnership and started their own drone services company. Initially, they focu...

Welcome back to the Drone to 1K podcast! In Season 6, Episode 5, host David Young catches up with Pedro Silva of Drones by Dro. Pedro shares his journey from part-time drone enthusiast to running a thriving drone business full time. Tune in for valuable insights on starting and growing a drone business, including Pedro's transition to full-time drone work and his success with search engine optimiz...

Welcome back to Season Six, Episode Four of the Drone to 1K Podcast! 🚁 In this episode, David Young sits down with  Blake Skor of CT Aerial Photo, LLC. Blake, at just 18 years old, shares his inspiring journey into the world of drone photography and videography. One highlight of the conversation is how Blake fearlessly pursued opportunities, showcasing the power of strategic outreach and overcomi...

Our guest for this week's episode is Jeff Hughes of Campfire Video Solutions. https://campfirevideos.com/  Jeff's journey started from a job where he made videos to promote a home inspection company. Then, during the pandemic, he tried out drones for real estate photos and videos and became a licensed drone pilot. Here's a quick look at what we talked about: From Making Ads to Flying Drones: Jeff...

Join us as we chat with Cody Retlich of Midwest Aerial Productions (MAP) and DroneAdair.  In this episode of Drone To $1K, Cody shares his stories and experiences, giving us a peek into the exciting realm of aerial innovation. 🔍 What to Expect: College Spark : Cody's interest in drones took off during a college project on drones and agriculture, sparking a passion that reshaped his career. Changi...

We're excited to announce that Season 6 of the Drone to $1K Podcast is officially here! Our first podcast guest of season 6 is Brian Koester of Southbay Drone Services . Brian's journey began with real estate photography, evolving into a broader range of drone services.  Brian shares insights on: Transitioning from real estate to diverse drone services. The role of digital marketing and websites i...

Welcome to the final episode of Drone to $1K, Season 5! In today's episode, we have a special guest, Thomas Wasinski from Ariel Agents. Thomas shares his fascinating journey from starting drones as a side hustle to turning it into a full-time career. He has worked with renowned companies like HBO, the NFL, and even the Cleveland Browns. Thomas's story is truly inspiring, as he went from an unrelat...

In this episode of Drone to 1K podcast, David interviews Robert Nix, a drone business owner of RE Drone SC. David and Robert discuss Robert's journey from a hobbyist drone pilot to a full-time drone business owner, offering tips and tricks for those starting from scratch. Robert is from South Carolina and took a drone launch course several years ago. He and David connected and have stayed in touch...

This week’s guest is Curtis Kloc from Inspections Over Coffee. Inspections Over Coffee is an inspection company that uses drones to help inspect roofs. The company also sells franchises, and Curtis says that everyone that purchases a franchise also has to get licensed and learn how to use drones to inspect roofs. Curtis also works with real estate agents and agencies and educates them about inspec...

Our guest this week is Pedro Silva from Drone by Dro. Since getting his Part 107 license, Pedro has worked on a variety of drone photography and videography jobs, including construction work, real estate listing photos and videos, and even a video for a hospital that recently did a huge renovation. (The video he created for the hospital actually won an award!) Pedro's been able to quit his job as...

This week's guest is Chris Francescani from Sunset Beach Films. Chris was a journalist and reporter for 25 years. Now, he uses drones to create marketing and promotional videos for local businesses in Eastern Long Island. Chris has been able to find new clients by joining chambers of commerce and networking with business owners who could use social media drone videos to promote their businesses. B...

Our guest this week is Grant Puckrin from 19th UAS Precision. Grant's drone business started out doing real estate photography and videography. Now, Grant wants to expand into the agriculture industry. Growing up on a farm, Grant experienced firsthand the hard work and long hours that farmers put into their jobs. He wanted to find a way to use drones to help them save time and resources. Grant bou...

Our guest this week is Joe Morgan from Eyes Above Texas Imagery. Joe's been a Part 107-licensed drone pilot since 2017. Since then, he's gained tons of experience in the drone industry. He's skilled in photography & videography, mapping & photogrammetry, and inspection work. Over the past several years, Joe's built a reputation as a safe and professional drone service provider that always...