Burnt Out & Underpaid? Why Most Videographers Stay Stuck (Until They Do This) EP #370

You’re working 70-hour weeks, juggling clients, edits, marketing, wondering why it still feels like you're barely keeping your head above water.

Sound familiar?

In this deep dive with our new hosts, Kai Mercer and Blake Juno, we unpack exactly why so many talented videographers get trapped in the feast-or-famine cycle, and how you can break free without turning into a pushy salesman. 

If you’re an introvert or just tired of the hustle, this one’s for you. 

We’re diving into the systems, strategies, and mindset shifts behind real, sustainable growth. 

Let’s get into it

Learn more at www.videobusinessaccelerator.com 

Transcript

 Welcome to the Deep Dive today. Uh, we're really digging into some resources aimed squarely at you, the video professional. That's right. We're looking at insights from scale, your video business, and also the video business accelerator. Trying to unpack how you can, you know, move beyond that feast or famine cycle.

Yeah. Build something more stable. More profitable. Exactly. So if you're a video creator and you're feeling. Maybe a bit overwhelmed by the hustle. Mm-hmm. Or you're just curious about building a more sustainable business model, maybe looking for insights into the, uh, the business side of things. Then this is definitely for you.

We've gone through the Video Business accelerator website, looked at their about page, the founder's story, the program's philosophy. Basically trying to pull out the key ideas Yeah. And the actionable stuff too. Definitely. So our mission for this deep dive really is to pull out those core principles, the practical advice that they offer video business owners who are looking for that consistent growth, and importantly, a better work life balance.

Yeah. We know that's huge for a lot of people. Absolutely. And we're kind of focusing a bit on those who maybe identify as, uh, introverted. Mm-hmm. Or perhaps not. Natural salesy types, right? Those who prefer maybe a different approach. Okay, so let's dive in. What's the um, the fundamental problem here, the core challenge that so many talented video people seem to face?

Well, it's something we see a lot, isn't it? You have these incredibly gifted videographers, I mean, real artists. Yeah. Amazing creative skills, but they struggle with the, uh. The business side, the foundation just isn't always there to support that talent. Mm. And the scale, your video business resources, they acknowledge this directly.

They literally say, many talented videographers struggle with building a sustainable business. It's that gap. It really is. That freelancer curse people talk about Exactly. You know, unpredictable income, never quite knowing where the next project is coming from, which just leads to burnout eventually. Yeah.

Yeah. And the website mentions it too. Those crazy long hours working what? 70 plus hours a week. Just juggling, filming, editing, and all the marketing and admin just to keep your head above water. Does that sound familiar to you? Listening? Ever felt like you're just, you know, stuck on a hamster wheel constantly chasing that next gig, and that's really where something like the Video Business accelerator positions itself as a potential solution.

Okay. It's set up as a coaching ecosystem, a support system really. And specifically for those introverts or non-salesy types we mentioned? Yeah, that's a key part of their messaging. Hmm. The focus is on getting clarity, building confidence, and achieving, uh, consistent growth. I. So not like a get rich quick kind of thing?

No, not at all. They actually frame it as a specialist MBA for video production companies. Ah, okay. That implies something more long term, more foundational. Right. It's about stability, strategic growth. And they seem to work with everyone from, you know, solo freelancers, right up to established boutique companies.

Interesting. So what are the sort of key ideas or methods they use? Well, they talk about these eight unique growth accelerators. Eight. Oh yeah. It's designed as a kind of holistic approach to scaling operations. It's not just one silver bullet. So what kind of things do these accelerators cover? A lot of it seems to be about systems and processes.

Yeah. You know, learning how to delegate effectively, which is hard for a lot of creatives. It really is. And creating repeatable systems. Following processes so things don't fall through the cracks. Also, marketing and lead generation is a big piece, right? Actually running successful campaigns, getting new inquiries consistently.

Exactly. Not just relying on word of mouth, and then what happens after you get the lead. That's covered too. Sales strategies, client relations. Specifically how to close more sales, but also how to attract, um, higher quality clients. The ones with bigger budgets. Ah, the better clients. Yeah, Uhhuh and the money side.

Profitability, absolutely fundamental. Helping you understand your numbers. Mm-hmm. Increase profit margins, achieve that financial stability so you're not just living project to project. Makes sense. What else? Well, if you're growing, you need a team. So team building, creating a good company culture to attract, you know, A players, right?

Getting the right people on board. And finally, circling back to that burnout issue, time management and work life balance, crucial. The goal is genuinely helping business owners work less. But achieve more. Getting some of that personal time back now looking at their about page, the founder story is, uh, pretty interesting.

Gives a lot of context. Yeah, it does. They graduated from the Scottish Film School, then went into tv, worked for some big names. Reuters, BBC, London News Network covered some major stories too, didn't they? Like done Blaine, the Soho bombing. Even won an award for it. Yeah, an RTS award. So real high pressure news background initially that probably teaches you a lot about efficiency in delivering under pressure.

Definitely Then moved into freelance camera work. Mm-hmm. On shows like Wish you were Here, watchdog, kind of broader production experience. But that phase ended unexpectedly. Yeah. Apparently due to an accident on set, which is quite a turn. Wow. But then pivoted towards the business side seems so. Help pro cam television with revenue generation.

Then business development at CVP. Setting up CVP tv. So that's a clear shift from the creative execution to like business strategy. Absolutely. And that led into founding F-Stop Academy, which started out focusing on DSLR training when that technology was taking off. Ah. But what's interesting is they stayed really involved in the industry, collaborated with Sony on camera development.

The FS 100. FS 700. Oh, wow. Okay. Worked on music videos, industry shootouts, filmed big artists, so still very connected to the practical side of video production. So putting it all together, it sounds like this really wide ranging experience from news camera work to freelance to business development camera tech.

It all kind of funneled into this coaching focus. Yeah, it looks like it driven by maybe wanting to help more people achieve a better balance themselves and uh, clearly a passion for teaching. And the why seems to be because they went through those struggles too. That's the narrative. Yeah. I'm thinking felt that pain of the hustle and wanting to help others find a better way, which, you know, adds a layer of credibility for sure.

It's not just theory then it's lived experience. Exactly. And there's some evidence, this approach. Is hitting a nerve. Their podcast, how to scale a video business has apparently had over 100,000 downloads. That's pretty significant shows there's a real appetite for this kind of advice. Definitely. And the VBA program itself isn't just content, they stress the community aspect.

Right. Support from other video business owners going through the same things. Yeah. And the website naturally. Has testimonials, praising the strategic thinking, the marketing focus, the mentor support. Any specific examples stand out? Well, they feature a case study. He films reporting a 400% revenue jump in eight months.

Wow. 400%. That's quite a number. It is. It serves as that sort of social proof showing the potential results if you implement the strategies. Okay, so for you listening right now, maybe thinking, alright, this sounds interesting, but what can I actually do? Do they offer concrete first steps? They do, they mention a free training video pretty prominently.

Ah, like a taster session. Yeah. Something that gives you immediate tips you could potentially use right away, let's you see their style. Good starting point. Anything else? I. There's also an option to fill out a questionnaire and then schedule a free consultation call. Okay. So a chance to talk about your specific business.

Exactly. To kind of diagnose where the growth opportunities might be for you. And they mentioned a book too. Yeah, the Little Black book A Video Business Secrets, another resource they offer. So multiple ways in depending on what feels right. Got it. So wrapping this up, what's the main takeaway from looking into these resources?

I think the core message is that building a thriving video business, one that doesn't rely on constant hustle is possible. It's not just a pipe dream, right? But it requires a shift in focus towards systems, towards strategic growth and maybe learning from mentors who've, uh, navigated these waters successfully.

And the video business accelerator seems to offer one structured way to get that kind of guidance. Yeah. Specifically for video pros looking for more control. More profit, less stress. Well, we really hope this deep dive has maybe given you, our listener some clarity, sparked a few ideas, perhaps ways you could approach your own business with a bit more confidence and maybe a bit less of that day-to-day grind.

Definitely. Mm. Which leads us to a final thought for you to consider. Mm-hmm. What part of your video business right now feels most like that hustle? Where's the friction point? Good question. And thinking about that, what's maybe one small practical thing you could do this week? Just one step towards building a more, uh, sustainable controlled model for yourself.

Yeah. Maybe checking out that free training they mentioned could be that simple first step for someone just exploring the possibility.