Grow Your Video Business with Ryan Koral

As entrepreneurs, we have the opportunity to be true to ourselves in our personal lives and use that to shape who we are in our business lives. You are your business' brand and that is something to be cultivated. leveraged, and appreciated.  Amina Moreau is the co-founder of Emmy Award-winning Stillmotion and Sway , companies that are committed to the meaningful impact of storytelling. As part of...

If we didn't have to do sales in this work then everything would be so much easier, right? There are ways to make sales easier, more natural, and ultimately more profitable. Today's guest has only been in the video business for a short time, but his dedication to sales has led him to success after success.  Jon Morgan's passion is selling. He is the owner and founder of JM Films , one of the top p...

It's not uncommon to feel that your business needs to do many different things to be profitable. Being able to offer all sorts of services or products sounds like it would lead to more opportunities. But without clarity on what you specifically offer, you're just going to struggle more. Today's guest has become wildly successful by being clear and specific in what his businesses really do. Matt Gi...

Those that know me, know that I am passionate about being all-in on whatever it is that I do. When I know what it is that I'm after, I go for it. This is true in how I do business and also with how I interact with my family and a key part of living my best life.  This is a bit of a personal episode. I want to share with all of you a little about me and what motivates me every day. A lot of it beca...

Sometimes things go wrong. The footage gets lost, equipment breaks, clients get angry. That doesn't mean it's game over for your business. How you respond to your clients makes all the difference and, if done right, can salvage almost any situation. That's just one reason why it's crucial to make client relations one of your top priorities. Wes Wages is the director and janitor at Armosa Studios w...

Getting stuck in a funk can happen to any of us. Other times the work pours in faster than we can keep up with it. Being an entrepreneur and business owner is unpredictable. It has its ups and downs and you don't always know which way the wind is blowing. My guests on this episode know what it's like to navigate this uncertainty and have some great advice that all of us can use. My two amazing and...

If you're like me, you started off in this business to make films, but now you find yourself as more of a business person. Priorities change and now you spend more time doing operations, sales, and marketing than filming. But, as you'll hear today, that doesn't mean you have to surrender your creativity. Chris Sharpe is many things. He's a writer, director, producer, and digital content strategist...

Some clients just can't give up creative control over a project. I and many of you know how frustrating this can be. Of course, they want an amazing video, but sometimes people get in their own way. Regaining and keeping creative control is so very important to delivering an amazing product, but just how do you do it? This episode is all about getting back your creative control. Having clients who...

Could your voice, your actual voice, be one of your best sales tools? This might sound strange since many of us feel that our voice sounds weird or annoying. But the reality is, most other people don't think that about your voice. It really is an overlooked asset that most of us are ignoring. This episode is all about how to make your voice into something that can work for you! Roger Love is one o...

If someone asked you right now, "What do you do?", how would you answer them? How confident would you be in your answer? How salesy would it sound? Would your answer be boring? If you've ever struggled to answer this common question, then you are far from alone. My guest today makes it his mission to help people like you and me explain what they do better so that we can find better clients and bet...

There often comes a time in every business owner's career when it feels like it's time for a change. That's why I'm here by myself today to talk about one very important but difficult topic -- whether or not it's time for you to pivot your video business.  Maybe you're feeling stuck, frustrated, or confused in some part of your work. Maybe it's lost the excitement that it once had. There's no need...

One of the biggest struggles for filmmakers is that we are in the business of trading time for money. But if we can create some passive income streams, then that naturally frees up more time for us while still helping us put bread on the table. Today, I have Sean Cannell on the podcast, someone who has had just a phenomenal amount of success in doing just that.  In case you didn't know, Sean Canne...

There are many moments in business and life when we are confronted with a situation where we just don't know what to do. However, these are often truly defining moments for us because, if we persevere, we almost always come out better on the other side.  Rob Booker , one of my new best friends, is many things. He is a former commodity trading advisor who managed a small hedge fund. Today he hosts...

Are you ready to launch a business or service but are worried that you're not good enough -- that you're not really expert enough? What if I told you that the solution is just confidently to be yourself? Today's guest has made authenticity his habit in all he does and the payoffs couldn't be greater. Graham Cochrane is one of the most talented and successful business owners that I know. He's a bus...

Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a commercial director? If I told you that it takes a lot of losing would you still be interested? Today's guest has honed the perfect mindset for turning his rejections into personal wins and his career has been taking off ever since. There's a good chance many of you have heard of Ryan Booth . He's a prolific young filmmaker who has worked as a DP and di...

Today I'll be interviewing….myself. That's because I want to tell you all about the recent Studio Sherpas Onward Summit . It was an amazing experience full of incredible takeaways that I need to share with all of you. So I'm going to discuss the three biggest ideas that came up over and over in at the summit. First of all, the power of community to spur action was front and center at the event. It...

Even if you don't think of yourself as a marketer, you still have to market your business. Marketing comes in many forms, but pretty much all great marketing involves having great copy. As today's guest told me, being more mindful in how you write and present your copy will make all the difference and set your brand apart from the others. Ray Edwards is a communications strategist, copywriter, and...

So much of our success in this business stems from the community that we build around us. It allows us to tap into each other's skills, share our work, and be there for one another in when we need it most. In this episode, I sit down with a good friend who explains just how he has benefited from the power of tribe and how you can too. Chris P. Jones is the founder and owner of Mason Jar Films in W...

Sometimes our biggest challenge as video producers is identifying what it is that our clients really need and want. You might have all sorts of skills that you can offer, but if it's not what they're looking for than it doesn't really matter. This is not always the easiest task. Jody Mayberry has discovered how to use his unique story to help clients realize how he can help them. Jody Maberry is a...

Do you get stressed out at tax time? What about budgeting for retirement? Does bookkeeping give you migraines? All these are essential parts of being a business owner but I doubt they're anyone's favorite parts. Today, I have Mike Michalowicz here who understands these topics and also understands how to help business owners like you and me take control of these daunting parts of your business. Mik...

So you've made an awesome film and now it's time to launch it. Sure you could go through a distribution company, but what if you could cut out the middleman and do it yourself? It's a good thing that I have a guest today who lays out the blueprint on just how you can do this while maximizing your profits! Today we welcome Rob Hardy back to the podcast. He is a filmmaker and entrepreneur who runs F...

Knowing what your talents are worth is perhaps the most important part of finding success. It can be very easy to undersell yourself, especially when you're just starting out. But you're not going to get very far if you don't hold yourself to your value. Chris Odom has learned this important lesson over his long and successful career. He is an incredibly talented business owner, drone pilot, filmm...

Getting likes and followers on social media is nice, but it's not what's going to define the success of your business - sales are. However, making sales depends on a well-crafted marketing strategy which may not be what you're interested in spending your time and energy on. I'm really excited to have Chris Smith here today to help break down this daunting topic. Chris Smith is the co-founder of Cu...

If you're at all like me, you may have been resistant to jumping on the YouTube bandwagon. But YouTube can be incredibly helpful for both you and your clients and you ignore it at your peril. If you've been thinking about optimizing your channel, you're not going to want to miss this!  Tom Martin is certified by YouTube as an expert in audience growth and digital rights. He has led YouTube strateg...

Reinvesting your time, money, and energy in your company is essential to its growth and longevity. But just where do you decide to focus? How do you determine what's most important right now? Today's guests, the ReelBros , have asked themselves these very questions and the answers have been invaluable. Brandon Main, John Hebrank, and Alex Schreer run a full-service production house that has recent...