Greetings Y'all,
Matt Davis from Life Stage Videography in Wilmington, NC here with ya. Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!
Tell me if you know someone that fits this bill:
A lot of videographers are really good at the art of what they do. They become popular, they start getting more and more referrals, and yet, they find themselves mired in a job they've created for themselves instead of having the freedom of owning their own business.
Sometimes studios work 7 days a week for months, just to reduce their backlog incrementally. So many of us are 1 or 2 person operations, so we ask "How in the world do we expand our team when people request MY work, MY way of shooting weddings!?"
Do you know someone like that? Has it been you? Is it you?
Hopefully this short video can point us all in the right direction, of building a business that begins to live without you.
More later!
MD
Related reading: The E-myth Revisited
Love it! You are right on!! Thanks for sharing, can’t wait for the next post :)
Hey Matt – bummed I didn’t get to talk to you more in Austin, I was overwhelmed with all the knowledge there. Curious, how many people work for you? How many weddings do you guys do a year?
Thanks :) Meg
wow…. you just hit the right spot for me… as i was thinking about starting this business, i thought 1 wedding per week was maximum for me, and couldn’t think of a way to grow the business. I’m looking forward to what you have to say next…
Matt,
I’ve been following your blog and website for the past six months after finding out about Lifestage through a google search. Your work is exceptional and your knowledge of the business very detailed. I started my own video production company in October and now am in the stage of trying to figure out how to get everything done while taking on enough business to make a few bucks. My primary business is shooting and editing sports highlights, but I am also getting into the commercial side of things as well. This video you posted offering your insight on how to move forward with your business was very motivating and informational. If I lived in NC I’d be asking you for a job. You seem to really have your ducks in a row. Thanks again for sharing your experiences and knowledge of the business.
Aaron Spragg (Ohio)
Loved the intro. What you said is SO true. Its so hard to let go and leave an enormous responsibility with someone else. But the rewards of taking the time to find the right people is a great step in the direction of growing your business. Great info.
John and Jen
I really enjoyed the video. I found it to be very informative. Look forward to future posts.
Great post Matt! I enjoyed the content and the editing of this video and how you stressed leveraging your business. Great stuff.
Matt,
I’ve been following your blog and website for the past six months after finding out about Lifestage through a google search. Your work is exceptional and your knowledge of the business very detailed. I started my own video production company in October and now am in the stage of trying to figure out how to get everything done while taking on enough business to make a few bucks. My primary business is shooting and editing sports highlights, but I am also getting into the commercial side of things as well. This video you posted offering your insight on how to move forward with your business was very motivating and informational. If I lived in NC I’d be asking you for a job. You seem to really have your ducks in a row. Thanks again for sharing your experiences and knowledge of the business.
Aaron Spragg (Ohio)
Wow! Thanks for all the positive responses from this post! I am thrilled it was useful.
Meg – We have 2 Teams of shooters (4 total people) as well as a guy we use from time to time for single camera, basic shoots. 2 of our shooters are our editors although 1 of them does the majority of the work, including myself. Our editors and shooters are all on a per project basis and are not full time at Life Stage. Although our next goal this summer is to hire her on full time. We have an intern coming on this summer to handle all the logging/capturing and rough cut editing. We also have a full time Studio Manager that handles all the sales and marketing. And of course my Wife and I are involved. :) Last year we shot 43 weddings, with my wife and I shooting 22 of them ourselves.
Thanks for the feedback Matt – that’s a sizable crew. I could have double booked almost 10 dates this year but didn’t push it because I’ve been to scared to “hire on” or commit to provide work for a 2nd shooter consistently. I wish I could start this year over again so I could reconsider my options. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it as a per job pay scale – do you always have to check with your 2nd team before committing to the date or do they work for you exclusively??
Thanks again :)
They work for me exclusively (in terms of wedding videography). They let me know ahead of time any scheduling conflicts (in ShootQ!) so I know whether I can book a 2nd job or not. It’s definitely not easy, but important. There is always training going on.
Muy buenos puntos, la informacion muy asertada. Muchas veces uno de los puntos claves en la empresa es el trabajo en equipo que es esactamente de lo que hablas Y’all. En mi caso somos una familia de 6 hermanos los cuales 2 nos dedicamos al video y los otros 3 a la foto, pero valla que el trabajo en equipo hace la diferencia.
Love the post Matt – you’ve shared some great info.
I agree, it’s hard, especially in the early stages of getting things up and running, to remember to take time out for family and yourself as well – however, successful businesses are those that have balance and owners who know it’s best NOT to try and do it all themselves.
Looking forward to your next post.
Wanda
Excellent Video Matt!!! I am planning to hatch my business to a full time thing soon when I relocate from NYC. I listened to the E-Myth revisited while stuck in NYC traffic going to my day job and alot of excellent info. Right now I am reading the 4 hour work week book recommended by no other than Mr. Chris Jones
Spot on, Matt! Spot on! I couldn’t have said it better myself.