Grow Your Video Business with Ryan Koral

When I first started out with my business, I thought that branding meant little more than having a cool label and a good looking website. Yeah... I was wrong about that. Through the years, my branding has both hurt and helped my business, as I'm sure it has for many of you. Today we're diving into the art and strategy of branding, and how you can put it to work for your business. In this episode,...

You know that feeling of hitting a brick wall with your business. Like you've tried everything to do more for your clients and stand out from the pack but nothing seems to stick? Maybe you're overwhelmed and know you need to bring on more help but don't know where to start? Danny Gonzales joins us today to share how he's been able to set his business apart in the crowded world of video production....

Have you ever felt like there's more you could be doing for your clients than just delivery beautiful work? Going above and beyond and providing additional value to your clients is something that will set you apart from your competition and keep clients coming back to you again and again. Today, Marley Baird is going to share with us exactly where to get started. Marley is a video branding expert...

When you hear the phrases "multi 6-figure film business", or "celebrity clients", do they sound like unattainable goals from your current vantage point? If so you're going to want to hear what my good friends Chris and Toni Wheaton of Heart Stone Films and Portico Pictures have to share with us today. Married in 2008, Chris and Toni are a power couple of film business gurus. Heart Stone Films bega...

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...

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 creat...

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 Do...

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 usin...

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...

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 al...

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 + Clari...

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...

  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-...

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...

Do you find yourself dreading doing something that you're supposed to love, something that you originally got into because of passion that's now faded? As Zack Arnold explains on today's episode, there's more to leading a successful life, putting out great, original work, and just plain feeling good than the work itself. Today he's going to share with us how to optimize our lives and cultivate our...

If you've ever participated in a business partnership, you know that it takes a TON of work to make sure all partners are on the same page, mitigate conflicts, divvy up tasks, and on and on and on. In this episode, Matt & I dive into our experience as partners in Studio Sherpas, and share a big announcement about the future of the community. We've always seen each other as friends first, business...

Today we sit down with someone I've looked up to in the production world for a long time, Jem Schofield. Jem created TheC47 , a full-service production company and educational resource focused on teaching the craft of video production and filmmaking. He has a 22-year long career, beginning by creating brand focused web content and eventually finding his passion in video production. Jem has a wide...

Are you willing to be weird, risky, and brave enough to make films you produce come alive? Today's guest does all of those things plus a lot more when it comes to the documentaries she directs, produces, and, sometimes, edits herself. She shares with us what it takes to create moving feature-length films, from the artistic to the funding, and everything in between. Mo Scarpelli is a director, prod...

Most of us think we know what marketing is, and are all too familiar with the not-so-great feelings many of us as creatives feel in the pits of our stomach when thinking about how to "market" ourselves. But what if we have it all wrong? Today's guest flips the notions we have of what marketing means and what it entails on their face, and boils it down to two very simple but powerful words. Human C...

If you've been listening to Studio Sherpas for long, you know we believe that the greatest investment you can make is in the people you surround yourself with. As creatives, many of us get an uneasy feeling when we hear the word "networking" but as today's guest explains, real networking can be filled with heart, personality, and true, genuine connection. Mike Kim is a marketing consultant, commun...

It's safe to say that as creatives, most of us absolutely we love what we do. But how much time to do we set aside to work on our businesses and not just solely focus on the work inside of our business. We would all love it if our work sold itself, but the fact of the matter is that we need to put just as much work into promotion, marketing, and maybe most importantly relationship building, as we...

You know how your to-do list just seems to keep growing endlessly, to the point where you know you'll never get everything (or even anything ) on it done? Many of these tasks you know would move your business forward if you could only get to them, and yet there are never enough hours in the day or days in the week to sit down and knock them out. We feel ya, and today, we (Matt & Ryan) want to shar...

What are your tried and true ways to gain new clients? We're often so desperate for income that we grab at anything and everything without really asking "Is this project right for me?" or "Do I even really want to do this work?). Caleb Wojcik shares some tips on lining up work with clients you really want to work with, in his case, Pat Flynn and ConvertKit. Caleb Wojcik is the founder of the DIY V...

How much do you focus on relationship building, not just with potential clients but with other vendors, filmmakers, and photographers? Do you use collaboration as part of your business strategy? Today we're talking to Josh and Serena Gooden about being a couple who works together, the power of collaborations, and setting yourself apart as a luxury brand. Josh is a luxury cinematographer and Serena...

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.co...