Latest / Studio B Sessions / The Business Owner Mindset

Transcript

The Business Owner Mindset · Studio B Sessions

0:04
Vipul Bindra: Welcome to the season finale of Studio B Sessions with me, Bindra.
0:08
Vipul Bindra: And this is this kind of feels like the Avengers Assembled version of it.
0:13
Vipul Bindra: So I'm really excited.
0:14
Vipul Bindra: But before we go to the guests, I want to bring Mario in on the producer table again, helping us make this happen.
0:20
Vipul Bindra: So thank you, Mario.
0:21
Mario Rangel: Hi guys, how are you?
0:22
Mario Rangel: Nice to see you again.
0:24
Vipul Bindra: All right.
0:25
Vipul Bindra: So guests, favorites from season one and two, Adam, David, and Dalton.
0:31
Vipul Bindra: Welcome, guys.
0:33
David Morefield: You got four business owner schedules to line up.
0:36
Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
0:36
Vipul Bindra: I have no idea how this worked out.
0:38
Vipul Bindra: But we're here.
0:39
Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
0:40
Vipul Bindra: So how do you feel?
0:41
Dalton Smith: I feel good.
0:42
Dalton Smith: I think it's a miracle we're all here.
0:44
Dalton Smith: But yeah, man, this is incredible.
0:46
Dalton Smith: We talked about for a while.
0:47
Dalton Smith: Yeah.
0:47
Vipul Bindra: And then we kind of already had a podcast basically before this, because we were talking while we were trying to figure this out.
0:53
Vipul Bindra: So ignore if the quality sucks because this is just this wasn't set up for a four-person podcast.
0:58
Vipul Bindra: We're just throwing our Rode mics and just having a conversation.
1:02
Dalton Smith: Sure.
1:03
Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
1:03
Vipul Bindra: All right.
1:04
Adam Kalinowski: Between kids and families and traveling and projects.
1:08
Adam Kalinowski: I don't understand how four of us got on here for now, but that's pretty sweet.
1:14
David Morefield: But you've been playing phone tag for months for a couple years.
1:18
Dalton Smith: None of it none of it's intentional either.
1:21
Dalton Smith: And I think everybody knows that it's, I guess it's a good thing.
1:24
Dalton Smith: But we were just discussing this morning.
1:26
Dalton Smith: A lot of it for me is kind of realizing I kind of got to rewire some stuff.
1:30
Dalton Smith: Because it shouldn't be that hard, you know?
1:32
Dalton Smith: And at least for me, I'm realizing I just am at a cusp of redoing everything just because I can't do it like this any longer.
1:39
Dalton Smith: And like anybody who's been around me or even tried to meet up with me, sees what it is, and it was intentional, but I just realized I got to change stuff up for coffee or for work or whatever.
1:51
Vipul Bindra: And and to be honest, uh, I still remember, remember on our podcast, because I told uh uh David, you that I was gonna have Dalton, and you were like, I'm surprised he got him.
2:00
Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
2:00
Vipul Bindra: So so I was like, oh well, that's good.
2:02
Vipul Bindra: And then we had to cut short the podcast because I had a client call.
2:05
Vipul Bindra: So I'm so glad you suggested this.
2:08
Vipul Bindra: So my plan was season two or season three to bring more people in.
2:11
Vipul Bindra: But this is, I think, the perfect way to send off.
2:14
Vipul Bindra: And I don't think I could have better people here.
2:17
David Morefield: Well, congrats to you, because you've done what season one, season two, season two now.
2:22
David Morefield: Yes.
2:22
David Morefield: And then this this is a lot to do just because you want to do it.
2:26
Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
2:27
David Morefield: This is a lot.
2:28
Vipul Bindra: Yeah, this is this is a especially like you said, just getting our schedules lined up.
2:32
Vipul Bindra: I've had to sacrifice my studio for what, three weeks now?
2:36
Vipul Bindra: Because the idea is to, you know, film and then break break down.
2:39
Vipul Bindra: And I couldn't, because I was like, this idea is incredible.
2:42
Vipul Bindra: I only had 19 episodes because I had one cancellation.
2:44
Vipul Bindra: So I was like, I need a 20th.
2:46
Vipul Bindra: So it's only 19.
2:48
Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
2:48
Vipul Bindra: I know, only 19.
2:49
Vipul Bindra: So I was like, this is perfect.
2:50
Vipul Bindra: And when Dalton said, and I was like, you know what?
2:52
Vipul Bindra: Let's do it.
2:53
Vipul Bindra: And I'm so glad we did, and like I said, all lined up.
2:56
Vipul Bindra: Uh could have done it in any other way.
2:58
Vipul Bindra: But also, it's because every single one of us has had incredible conversations with each other.
3:03
Vipul Bindra: So I can only imagine to put four of us in a room.
3:06
David Morefield: Yeah.
3:07
David Morefield: There's so many good conversations, like, but it'll be like 20 minutes waiting for the flight when you have an open mind just for that sliver.
3:16
David Morefield: Or like, you know, you're doing this, and then you have a couple minutes to talk with you, with you, with you.
3:21
David Morefield: And and usually you're like, that was a really good conversation.
3:25
David Morefield: Like, it's hard to fabricate that.
3:29
David Morefield: But credit to you.
3:31
David Morefield: Yeah.
3:31
David Morefield: Because you got us together.
3:32
Vipul Bindra: Thank you.
3:32
Vipul Bindra: And like I said, this is just a passion of mine.
3:35
Vipul Bindra: So I just want to do that.
3:36
Vipul Bindra: Which talk about, I know we were talking about this before, since our last episode, you are no longer a single man.
3:43
Vipul Bindra: I mean, you weren't single, but I guess you're a married man now.
3:47
David Morefield: Yeah, legally.
3:47
David Morefield: Documentation says I'm married now.
3:50
David Morefield: So yeah, it was a very quick engagement.
3:52
David Morefield: It was like you were saying, you you like doing it fast.
3:56
David Morefield: Normally I'm not doing it fast, but doing it fast, I was like, oh, this is actually nice.
4:00
David Morefield: Like we can like move on to the next thing and the next thing.
4:02
Dalton Smith: So it was very David of you.
4:04
Dalton Smith: Yeah.
4:04
Dalton Smith: How the whole, the whole thing, the way that you told me slash didn't tell me until it happened, basically.
4:12
Dalton Smith: But you told me like I think 12 hours before the Instagram post.
4:15
Dalton Smith: And just like where you did it, how you did it, the whole thing.
4:19
Dalton Smith: And it's funny because I've known you for longer than I've realized.
4:22
Dalton Smith: I was doing some math the other day, and I was like, Yeah, man, me and my boy have known each other for 10 years, dude.
4:26
Dalton Smith: It's like 16.
4:27
Dalton Smith: So wow.
4:28
Dalton Smith: Yeah, well, like watching how much we've grown and like, you know, just seeing who you become and the relationship that you're at, it's cool and it fits you, it suits you.
4:35
Dalton Smith: And uh it's cool, like even your housing setup, the what the whole thing is so David.
4:40
Dalton Smith: It was phenomenal.
4:41
Dalton Smith: And like I told you, I've been to Gloucester.
4:43
Dalton Smith: So I was like, why are you there?
4:45
Dalton Smith: Like, that was where the perfect storm was themed.
4:48
Dalton Smith: I was like, what are you doing there?
4:49
David Morefield: Yeah.
4:49
Dalton Smith: And didn't you just like go on an adventure and brought her there?
4:52
David Morefield: Yeah, she saw a castle on Love on the Spectrum.
4:56
David Morefield: And then we went to the castle and then came back there and got married at the castle.
5:02
David Morefield: So we got married at a like medieval style castle, and then I reiterate, so damn.
5:09
David Morefield: And uh and credit to her because she she pushed for that.
5:12
David Morefield: I was like, all right, castle.
5:14
David Morefield: But then my space, I got uh Florida waters, springs, jungle, making little like bridge pathways through there, playing with mud.
5:23
David Morefield: Like I really like trespassing.
5:25
David Morefield: Trespassing on dude, on my in-law's property.
5:29
David Morefield: Dude, I got caught.
5:31
David Morefield: I thought I was on a trail going through a backyard, and this massive human, seven foot, easy comes in.
5:37
David Morefield: He's like, Can I help you?
5:39
David Morefield: And I was like, Um just I thought I was on a trail.
5:41
David Morefield: I'm in your backyard right now.
5:43
David Morefield: I'm sorry.
5:44
David Morefield: A couple weeks go by later, it's his wife's uncle.
5:48
David Morefield: Wow, it's her uncle.
5:50
Vipul Bindra: She answers that.
5:51
David Morefield: That's pretty deep.
5:52
Vipul Bindra: And you're just foraging in the man's backyard, short-lifted.
5:55
Dalton Smith: And he's like, What's up?
5:56
Dalton Smith: He's like, looking for the springs.
5:59
Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
6:00
Vipul Bindra: I wonder if you had like a spreadsheet.
6:02
Vipul Bindra: Did you look at reviews of where like that I don't know how like you figured out is this the efficient way to get married?
6:09
David Morefield: Um no, it's just kind of it sounded fun.
6:12
Vipul Bindra: That's awesome.
6:13
Vipul Bindra: Well, I'm I'm just happy for you.
6:15
Vipul Bindra: I feel like, you know, that's the because now we're all married, right?
6:19
Vipul Bindra: Oh, yeah.
6:20
Vipul Bindra: Yeah, I guess.
6:21
Vipul Bindra: And wow.
6:21
Vipul Bindra: Yay! Yeah, boys.
6:23
Vipul Bindra: Look at that.
6:24
Vipul Bindra: So um, I want to talk to you.
6:27
Vipul Bindra: Like, do you think anything's gonna change?
6:29
David Morefield: Or I could ask you guys that.
6:31
David Morefield: You you guys are a couple years ahead.
6:32
David Morefield: I don't know.
6:33
Adam Kalinowski: Well, we don't want to spoil it.
6:34
Dalton Smith: Yeah, yeah, I guess.
6:36
Dalton Smith: Do you think it's gonna change?
6:38
Dalton Smith: And we'll tell you what has changed.
6:39
Dalton Smith: Okay, okay, okay.
6:41
David Morefield: Um well, I think we're gonna stay just as as ourselves, our little unit, me and her for now.
6:47
David Morefield: So um is that a kid thing?
6:50
David Morefield: Yeah, is that okay, yeah.
6:51
David Morefield: Oh wow.
6:51
David Morefield: I think it's just gonna be us for the foreseeable future.
6:54
Dalton Smith: So love how you answered that.
6:55
David Morefield: Yeah, exactly.
6:56
David Morefield: Some people are, you know, they truly conversation.
7:01
Dalton Smith: Maybe.
7:01
Dalton Smith: Yeah, so yeah, yeah.
7:03
David Morefield: So I I think we're just gonna keep it me and her for a while, keep traveling, keep uh we get to work together, which is nice, and we get to like still have all of our passions and and be able to explore some things that we want to do.
7:17
Vipul Bindra: So yeah, that's what where I have my opinion on.
7:19
Vipul Bindra: Like, you know, it sounds so awesome, and I guess it is awesome to work with your significant other, but I can't I can bring you a list of challenges, so I can't wait to talk to you in a year.
7:28
Vipul Bindra: Yeah, we should do this in like season four, and then I I I I can't.
7:31
Vipul Bindra: Oh, is she working like with you?
7:32
Vipul Bindra: She's a producer.
7:34
David Morefield: She's producer, yeah.
7:35
David Morefield: She produces for my retainer client, and so she handles all scripting and prop purchases.
7:41
David Morefield: That's very cool.
7:42
David Morefield: And like, what are we doing next?
7:43
David Morefield: Uh, we're doing script A2.
7:45
David Morefield: Cool.
7:46
Dalton Smith: How smart are you guys?
7:47
Dalton Smith: But like you said, I my mom currently works for me, and she's my mom, and no one's more patient with me, and we've still had you know things to figure out, and it's it's very difficult.
7:57
Dalton Smith: And then me and my wife had a pretty serious conversation yesterday, and we kind of just came to this good understanding of what we want to change.
8:06
Dalton Smith: And what I said to her was like, Can you imagine what it was like for my ex?
8:10
Dalton Smith: Like, me and my ex had problems, like I was engaged, but I was like, dude, my business took up my whole life, you know?
8:17
Dalton Smith: It really did.
8:18
Dalton Smith: So you have to have that balance, especially if they're working with you.
8:22
Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
8:23
Vipul Bindra: Um because then you're it's the other thing, right?
8:25
Vipul Bindra: You're spending too much time, I guess, with each other, then you don't speed space.
8:29
Vipul Bindra: I mean, I guess go watch Julie's podcast episode.
8:32
Vipul Bindra: Uh I mean, but yeah, it's it's not the like I said, it's fun.
8:36
Vipul Bindra: Like I like it.
8:37
Vipul Bindra: I'd rather, because if I'm choosing someone, you know, I'd rather spend as much time as possible, right?
8:41
Vipul Bindra: That's what the relationship is.
8:43
Vipul Bindra: But then it you do have to traverse it.
8:45
Vipul Bindra: And you I'm I'm sure you're already experiencing that because as in you're already working together, right?
8:50
Vipul Bindra: You just got married, but yeah, you it's not like you weren't doing this.
8:54
Vipul Bindra: So you just have to, I guess, maneuver it in a way where you make sure that you take out time for each other.
8:59
Vipul Bindra: Work cannot be the personal time.
9:01
David Morefield: Yeah, I I think it's also like, you know, you she gets to see how I am at work, but you still have to overlap of how you treat the person as a crew member, but also like as someone you're in a relationship with.
9:15
David Morefield: But it's interesting too, like just being friends with someone and then how you work with them.
9:21
David Morefield: Because like when you're friends, you're just friends.
9:24
David Morefield: But when you're in a business, there's like roles that some person has to do, and then some person has to do that, and you have to be um understanding of like you are friends, but like you are in a business structure right now, and we're all trying to make it to the end, but some people have different roles.
9:42
Adam Kalinowski: Exactly.
9:43
David Morefield: And you have to have accountability.
9:44
Adam Kalinowski: I've been on sets with you guys working together, and I feel like you guys do that pretty well with Giselle.
9:48
Adam Kalinowski: Yeah, yeah.
9:49
Adam Kalinowski: Like, Giselle, can you give me a new battery?
9:51
Adam Kalinowski: Yeah, you know, like um my wife was on set with me.
9:54
Adam Kalinowski: I probably wouldn't ask her to do anything.
9:55
Adam Kalinowski: Just take to sit down, honey.
9:58
Adam Kalinowski: Like, no problem.
9:59
Adam Kalinowski: I got it.
10:00
Adam Kalinowski: Like, I that's how I am at home.
10:01
Adam Kalinowski: Like, I'll take care of it.
10:02
Adam Kalinowski: Like, Giselle, can you give me coffee real quick?
10:04
David Morefield: When she's got a give me coffee.
10:06
Adam Kalinowski: So I was like, this is cool.
10:08
David Morefield: So yeah, but she's a PA.
10:09
Dalton Smith: You asked to do PA.
10:13
David Morefield: So I like that.
10:14
Dalton Smith: Well, and like you said, if it does work, super beautiful thing.
10:19
Dalton Smith: Yeah.
10:20
Dalton Smith: So my mom lives in Tennessee.
10:21
Dalton Smith: My mom more or less raised me.
10:23
Dalton Smith: And so when she moved, it was a big deal for us.
10:25
Dalton Smith: I was the baby in the house, it was a big deal.
10:27
Dalton Smith: So as she moved, my business was starting to take off.
10:30
Dalton Smith: And my mom has literally helped me through the whole process, especially the back end.
10:34
Dalton Smith: She worked for the IRS, so she had so much knowledge on how to navigate our finances.
10:37
Dalton Smith: And I credit like the foundation that let us keep going to her.
10:41
Dalton Smith: So yeah, um, having her work for me, did we talk 10 times a day?
10:45
Dalton Smith: And even though it's a lot about work after or in between, and our conversations take forever because we're littering in other stuff, but it's such a cool thing, right?
10:53
David Morefield: Yeah, like kind of what you said.
10:54
David Morefield: It's like you probably wouldn't call your mom 10 times a day, but it's nice you actually get to talk to your mom 10 times a day, even if it's uh mostly about work.
11:03
Dalton Smith: And one thing I added is I had this thing one day, I was just like, when was the last time I called her just to call her?
11:08
Dalton Smith: So I I had called her like 30 minutes before and I called back, which isn't like weird, but she's like, hey, what's up?
11:14
Dalton Smith: And I was like, How you doing?
11:16
Dalton Smith: She's like, What?
11:17
Dalton Smith: Forgot.
11:18
Dalton Smith: Yeah, how you doing?
11:19
Dalton Smith: She's like, Oh what oh, and so it was just nice, and you gotta throw that in there, you know.
11:25
Vipul Bindra: Yeah, and to me, family's everything.
11:26
Vipul Bindra: So being able to spend time more with your family, and I know you and I, Adam, talked a lot about on our episode about this.
11:33
Vipul Bindra: Like, to me, you know, we work a lot.
11:36
Vipul Bindra: Like, that's the common thing between between all of us is we're business owners, so that means we spend a lot of time doing what we love, but it takes away from time.
11:45
Vipul Bindra: So if you can find any way to bring family back into it, it's awesome.
11:49
Vipul Bindra: Uh Mario, you were on that shoot.
11:51
Vipul Bindra: So Julie was on set after a long time on that shoot with the car company that happened after all the podcasts were recorded.
11:59
Vipul Bindra: Did you notice any tension or anything on set?
12:01
Vipul Bindra: You remember that day?
12:03
Vipul Bindra: On the podcast.
12:03
Mario Rangel: I'm talking about the interview day uh that we did.
12:06
Mario Rangel: Oh well.
12:07
Mario Rangel: On the podcast, I I did.
12:09
Mario Rangel: And on the shoot day.
12:11
Mario Rangel: I mean, you want me to be real?
12:13
Mario Rangel: Yes.
12:15
Dalton Smith: There you go.
12:16
Mario Rangel: I I did still.
12:17
Mario Rangel: At the end, I think you I mean, I sense some tension, but you also work good together because she's really like she's really direct with the client, but she can handle the client really well.
12:29
Mario Rangel: Um and she knows what she's doing.
12:31
Mario Rangel: Like she handles the script, right?
12:32
Mario Rangel: The interview, like the interview, she knows what to ask.
12:36
Mario Rangel: So I think you do a really good job together for sure.
12:39
Vipul Bindra: Awesome.
12:39
Vipul Bindra: Well, there you go.
12:40
Vipul Bindra: There's the reality of it, right?
12:41
Adam Kalinowski: Well, I remember being on that one live production in Vegas with you guys, and she was doing graphics and producing the back.
12:49
Adam Kalinowski: Yeah, yeah.
12:50
Adam Kalinowski: I was like, ah, shit, that's cool how that works.
12:52
Adam Kalinowski: Like exactly.
12:53
Adam Kalinowski: You guys just partner up on that, and she knows her family.
12:55
Adam Kalinowski: She's obviously very like knowledgeable on that.
12:57
Adam Kalinowski: She's been in that.
12:58
Adam Kalinowski: That's just cool to see that work.
13:00
Vipul Bindra: Yeah, exactly.
13:01
Vipul Bindra: And like I said, anytime you can't.
13:02
Vipul Bindra: So uh so that's really awesome that you've been able to bring her into it and and spend more time, I guess, and and grow your business together.
13:09
Vipul Bindra: Because like I said, the way I look at it, I'd rather pay my family first than some strangers.
13:14
Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
13:15
Adam Kalinowski: I like the idea of a family business, you know?
13:17
Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
13:17
Adam Kalinowski: Getting the getting everybody involved.
13:19
Adam Kalinowski: Get my son involved at some point.
13:21
Adam Kalinowski: Yeah.
13:22
Vipul Bindra: Adults will give me the idea.
13:23
Vipul Bindra: Let me talk to my mom after.
13:24
Vipul Bindra: Yeah, right.
13:27
David Morefield: So for for family business topic, um, you know, uh traditionally a lot of people for the family business pass it down.
13:34
David Morefield: I think a video production business is a little different because it's so tied into the client knowing you.
13:41
David Morefield: Um and also it's probably not gonna be a generational thing.
13:46
David Morefield: But do you guys see like that type of longevity in the business?
13:50
David Morefield: Because I don't.
13:51
David Morefield: I I don't see that.
13:52
Vipul Bindra: No, that was a nightmare for me to navigate.
13:54
Vipul Bindra: So initially, when I started the company, you know, I had been managing a business or whatever.
13:59
Vipul Bindra: So I basically didn't want to be the front guy, right?
14:02
Vipul Bindra: I wanted to talk to clients about video and gear, you know, like the exciting stuff.
14:06
Vipul Bindra: So I put Julie as like the president of the company.
14:08
Vipul Bindra: So for years, she was the face of the company, right?
14:11
Vipul Bindra: She was meeting all the people and going to these events and these chambers and wherever, right?
14:16
Vipul Bindra: And so it was so strange when she took a step back because she wasn't passionate about this, right?
14:20
Vipul Bindra: She doesn't like video production like I do.
14:22
Vipul Bindra: So she was like, I'm not enjoying this, so I don't want to do this.
14:25
Vipul Bindra: And I was like, that's fair.
14:26
Vipul Bindra: And I do enjoy it, so I should be the one going out there.
14:29
Vipul Bindra: But it was so strange.
14:29
Vipul Bindra: So I'm meeting people who are like, Where are you?
14:32
Vipul Bindra: Like, and then I say, Oh, I'm with Bindra, and they're like, Oh, we know Bindra, where's Julie?
14:36
Vipul Bindra: Right?
14:36
Vipul Bindra: So it's like it's it was so hard to navigate the first 12 months of that, where I was like, Oh, like, you know, I should have been doing this way more because now I'm like in contact with all these networks and people and stuff.
14:48
Vipul Bindra: But but like I said, the initially it was really strange to me.
14:51
Vipul Bindra: And now I think we found the roles where you know I am front-facing, it's like I said, I'm meeting the clients from beginning to end.
14:59
Vipul Bindra: And it works best because they are not having a switch.
15:01
Vipul Bindra: Because in the beginning there was like beating Julie, Julie until contract sign, and then all of a sudden, oh, who's this guy, right?
15:07
Vipul Bindra: So now I think it's consistent, it works best for us where she handles posts, I handle production.
15:12
Vipul Bindra: So it's good on both ends.
15:13
Vipul Bindra: But so I guess we figured out where we fit best, but it did take a while to get there.
15:19
Dalton Smith: But like longevity, like my brand is like the opposite of what you want.
15:22
Dalton Smith: I'm like trying, like I'm I'm it's me.
15:25
Dalton Smith: Yeah, it's me.
15:27
Dalton Smith: But it's becoming less of that.
15:31
Dalton Smith: And like our relationship with ESPN is a big representation of that.
15:34
Dalton Smith: Because when they brought me in, they brought Dalton Smith in.
15:37
Dalton Smith: And they thought you were.
15:38
Dalton Smith: And they thought I was the only thing.
15:40
Dalton Smith: They didn't really care or know about NPI, which was kind of backwards of what we were used to.
15:44
Dalton Smith: And them broadening up and being like, we just trust the source.
15:48
Dalton Smith: Yeah.
15:49
Dalton Smith: So, and I haven't even told anybody, I'll tell them we'll talk a little more about it later.
15:52
Dalton Smith: But right now, Trevor's working for ESPN for me as a utility.
15:56
Dalton Smith: So they asked me last week, I went to Manhattan, it was the last fight.
15:59
Dalton Smith: It's kind of a bad, bad weekend for me because it's been a substantial part of my business for three years, and that's it.
16:06
Dalton Smith: Well, during the weekend, my lead comes up to me.
16:08
Dalton Smith: She's like, I want Trevor next week in Ohio as a utility.
16:13
Dalton Smith: And there's a lot of stuff going on that they're working on, but they wanted to get our toe in.
16:17
Dalton Smith: So just funneling that in, you know what I mean?
16:20
Dalton Smith: It's making it less about me and more about our brand being a reliable source.
16:25
Dalton Smith: So she straight up asked me, can we be a funnel for like qualified utilities?
16:30
Dalton Smith: Because usually utilities are local, but she's talking about people that can assist with a kit, right?
16:34
Dalton Smith: Dude.
16:34
Dalton Smith: So I was like, Trevor, you're not even there for you to become this person.
16:38
Dalton Smith: You're literally there to prove for her to prove to whoever she's talking to that we can be this funnel.
16:43
Dalton Smith: So for me, I am trying to disassociate myself and I'm making me my own little micro brand, not to grow it, but to separate it.
16:52
Dalton Smith: So, like if you want me to get on camera and look like Spicoli and have fun and stuff, that's more tied in with like my influencery stuff, whatever you want to call it.
16:59
Dalton Smith: But I was tired of them getting baked together.
17:01
Dalton Smith: And I had friends be like, dude, you're just robbing yourself blind for like your just free talent and every and it's all you.
17:09
Dalton Smith: And I was like, so yeah, you know, it's a combination of things.
17:11
Dalton Smith: But if I ever were to get to that point, I think it'd be because the agency is a trusted source for certain kinds of work.
17:17
David Morefield: And and to give context, you were the contractor to operate the gimbal camera, figure it out for top rank boxing, which was under ESPN for a few years.
17:30
Dalton Smith: Yeah, so I'll give you guys the true short version.
17:32
Dalton Smith: They have a problem, they find me through some weird way, they call me, they say, come solve the problem, Dalton.
17:38
Dalton Smith: Immediately I throw a curve in them.
17:40
Dalton Smith: I'm like, I don't really travel alone.
17:42
Dalton Smith: I want to bring my bro.
17:43
Dalton Smith: I want to bring my friend JD, but you don't have to pay him.
17:45
Dalton Smith: And they were like, and I was like, we'll stay in the same hotel room, whatever.
17:48
Dalton Smith: So they they let JD come.
17:49
Dalton Smith: Immediately they realize we know how to fix it, and they see that we kind of have to have two people for multiple reasons, including help.
17:56
Dalton Smith: What if I can't go the whole night?
17:58
Dalton Smith: Whatever.
17:58
Dalton Smith: My wife's mega pregnant.
18:00
Dalton Smith: So I go to this first one and cool, exciting, yay.
18:03
Dalton Smith: A week later, I'm at Lowe's.
18:05
Dalton Smith: My phone rings, and I didn't know her name.
18:06
Dalton Smith: So I saved her on my phone as ESPN.
18:08
Dalton Smith: Madison looks down and sees ESPN.
18:10
Dalton Smith: Dude, immediately she's like, just because she's so pregnant, dude.
18:14
Dalton Smith: It's like eight months.
18:15
Dalton Smith: They ain't calling to say what's up.
18:18
Dalton Smith: I overheard there was a fight in Manhattan.
18:21
Dalton Smith: And what's funny is like on that set, they say next week, even if the fight's three weeks away.
18:26
Dalton Smith: So I'm like, man, JD, they're talking about another fight in Manhattan.
18:30
Dalton Smith: That's crazy.
18:30
Dalton Smith: Can you imagine?
18:31
Dalton Smith: Can you go to Manhattan in five days?
18:33
Dalton Smith: So I go and I was like, I can't say anything yet.
18:36
Dalton Smith: But if they call me again, so that third fight, I'm talking like four weeks in, I was like, hey, I gotta have a serious conversation with you.
18:42
Dalton Smith: My wife's pregnant.
18:43
Dalton Smith: I've got a bail for like three months.
18:45
Dalton Smith: And she was like, Okay.
18:48
Dalton Smith: I can't just slide your friends in.
18:50
Dalton Smith: You have to become a vendor.
18:52
Dalton Smith: And it was like a big gray area.
18:54
Dalton Smith: So God, maybe it was during the second fight.
18:57
Dalton Smith: It was during the second fight.
18:58
Dalton Smith: I was like, I gotta tell them.
18:59
Dalton Smith: She's like, you gotta shake this one hand, and it's gonna be a very short conversation.
19:03
Dalton Smith: And to this day, I understand now.
19:04
Dalton Smith: He's like, I think he's the COO of top rank.
19:07
Dalton Smith: And so shook his hand, and whatever the heck I did right or she said, lined it up, right?
19:13
Dalton Smith: And then we became a vendor, and I could say, David's coming, Adam's coming.
19:18
Dalton Smith: They knew there was kind of growing phases with each person.
19:21
Dalton Smith: They were cool with that.
19:22
Dalton Smith: They even let me bring three people on a couple so we could like execute and train and uh door shut.
19:29
Dalton Smith: But the way I'm describing it is it was one pie that had two entities, top rank for promotion, ESPN for broadcast.
19:36
Dalton Smith: ESPN hired me and they were representing top rank's package, but ESPN was the the production company.
19:42
Dalton Smith: Top rank really liked what they saw.
19:45
Dalton Smith: So in an effort to make the weigh-in better, they decided to add more cameras.
19:51
Dalton Smith: It's kind of interesting.
19:52
Dalton Smith: ESPN operates the whole fight night.
19:54
Dalton Smith: Top rank can't really sing much.
19:56
Dalton Smith: The weigh-in was given to top rank kind of as a gift, like you know, run it yourself.
20:01
Dalton Smith: They weren't running it that great.
20:03
Dalton Smith: And then ESPN was getting a lot of pressure because people were like, this looks like crap.
20:06
Dalton Smith: So ESPN says, well, maybe let's work together.
20:09
Dalton Smith: It's a long story, but some of the people from the ESPN side kind of got merged into the top rank side.
20:14
Dalton Smith: And they knew how to lead very well because they do ESPN.
20:16
Dalton Smith: Way in got so good.
20:18
Dalton Smith: Like, and they were like, we want Shark, which is us.
20:21
Dalton Smith: So we don't just do it, we crush it.
20:23
Dalton Smith: Well, guess what?
20:24
Dalton Smith: Top rank had to pay that check.
20:25
Dalton Smith: That was the deal.
20:26
Dalton Smith: So now we're getting two checks.
20:28
Dalton Smith: And then they liked it, and they added us a second day.
20:31
Dalton Smith: We did the press conference, and then they added a second camera to the fight night.
20:34
Dalton Smith: So during fight night, Emmanuel, he's working for top rank.
20:38
Dalton Smith: I'm working for ESPN, and Trevor is working with ESPN.
20:41
Dalton Smith: So they haven't re-signed.
20:44
Dalton Smith: Top rank has fights for years, they're not going here, they're running for 50 years.
20:49
Dalton Smith: So, and I can start telling people this.
20:51
Dalton Smith: I don't know, I really don't care.
20:52
Dalton Smith: I got the call.
20:53
Dalton Smith: I got a call from the next production company.
20:55
Dalton Smith: They're one of the few trying to bid.
20:57
Dalton Smith: And it doesn't sound like they're gonna go with one company like ESPN.
21:00
Dalton Smith: They're gonna partner with like three and they're gonna have like tiers.
21:03
Dalton Smith: It's pretty detailed, but they handed our phone number over.
21:07
Dalton Smith: The last fight we did before the last fight, so second to last, they had the main meeting, and they're like, I hate to tell you guys, but we're not signing the contract.
21:14
Dalton Smith: I'm sure you know it by now.
21:15
Dalton Smith: But everybody leaves and they were like, vendor meeting right now.
21:17
Dalton Smith: So we come over and there's like less than I thought.
21:19
Dalton Smith: It's like five people.
21:20
Dalton Smith: It's like us, jib, robocams, trucks, comms.
21:25
Dalton Smith: And they're like, Top rank wants to know if you guys are willing to work with them.
21:29
Dalton Smith: Yep.
21:31
Dalton Smith: And everybody had that response.
21:34
Dalton Smith: So we just gotta wait and see how it falls into place.
21:36
Dalton Smith: But like I emailed him yesterday and and they're just they're figuring it out.
21:39
Dalton Smith: Like the last fight just happened.
21:41
Dalton Smith: So they kind of separated.
21:43
Dalton Smith: Well, guess what?
21:44
Dalton Smith: ESPN just drove Trevor up to Canton.
21:46
Dalton Smith: And he's doing the Pat McAfee show and the ESPN football NFL Hall of Fame abduction this weekend.
21:55
Dalton Smith: And he's just dropping cable, but he got our little foot in there to where they Get a shark in.
22:00
Dalton Smith: So yeah, the point is like a crazy evolution.
22:04
Dalton Smith: She found me from Facebook from a hurricane video, completely unrelated.
22:08
Dalton Smith: So even getting in there was a miracle.
22:10
Dalton Smith: But what I've learned is like once you're kind of in that pond, you're good.
22:14
Dalton Smith: Like you can get other work.
22:16
Vipul Bindra: No, that's incredible that you were able to carve yourself in, and now you have opportunities to go both ways.
22:21
Vipul Bindra: Because nothing stops you from connecting, you know, uh increasing your connections over at ESPN because there's so many more sports, there's so many more avenues for you to plug NPI in, right?
22:32
Dalton Smith: Non-selfishly, the contact I have harbored me very closely and basically said, you're gonna swim in this pond for now.
22:39
Dalton Smith: And there's a lot of reasons, and we didn't know what the heck we were doing, a lot of learning, so we were cool with that.
22:43
Dalton Smith: Well, now we're at this point where there's kind of no choice, and she's very open and optimistic and assisting with this transition, but also seeing my needs that I'm saying, look, I need to scale this.
22:53
Dalton Smith: Like, you know, for some of my personal needs to be able to like, I need to step away, but then make more money.
22:58
Dalton Smith: So I need to figure out how to get more of these sharks on different packages.
23:02
Dalton Smith: And so that's kind of where we're at.
23:04
Dalton Smith: And I've got a great execution plan, but there's just way too many things that are possibilities in our little bubble that I don't even want to kind of look yet, you know, just until I see how all these other things fall into place.
23:15
Dalton Smith: Because like ESPNs will exclude ESPN in the boxing, it was 25 fights a year.
23:20
Dalton Smith: Like 25 to 30.
23:21
Dalton Smith: Like that was a lot of our healing.
23:22
Dalton Smith: That was a lot.
23:24
Dalton Smith: So if we're doing even two different packages, that's a that's a big thing.
23:29
Dalton Smith: So yeah, that's the goal is to do more of those and less of some of the other stuff we're doing.
23:34
Adam Kalinowski: That's cool.
23:34
Adam Kalinowski: Once you get that advocate on the inside, it's it's great to be able to talk to them about those things, like how you want to grow and be honest with them and get some like honest help.
23:43
Adam Kalinowski: That's cool.
23:48
Dalton Smith: What and the the so the person that founded me is the one that told this other production company to call me.
23:54
Dalton Smith: And she sung our praises.
23:56
Dalton Smith: Perfect.
23:56
Dalton Smith: And then the director, Aladdin, sung our praises.
24:01
Dalton Smith: And so those two people are really the ones that you need.
24:04
Dalton Smith: And until they die, they're gonna vouch for us.
24:08
David Morefield: Yeah, and having someone on the inside, that's kind of what you were focusing on recently, right?
24:14
David Morefield: With with one of your clients who has who has um businesses all around the US, you were talking to the VP of marketing, because if you can get his approval, yeah, he can just kind of spread your work throughout all of these branches.
24:30
Adam Kalinowski: Yeah, that's exactly the same thing.
24:32
Adam Kalinowski: Just getting that one little in and making a fan of them and then letting them disperse that.
24:38
David Morefield: But like kind of in the handshake that you had, that whatever one-minute conversation, and then and then talking to this guy, like you can't be too much.
24:46
David Morefield: You can't be like, I can do everything.
24:48
Adam Kalinowski: Yeah, you can't be overbearing.
24:50
David Morefield: What else can I do for you right now?
24:51
David Morefield: Yeah, yeah.
24:52
David Morefield: How can I get more of your budget?
24:53
David Morefield: It takes time.
24:54
David Morefield: Yeah.
24:55
Adam Kalinowski: Yeah.
24:55
Adam Kalinowski: Well, this this client particularly told me for the first three or four months of this year, there's no money.
24:59
Adam Kalinowski: We got nothing this year.
25:01
Adam Kalinowski: Business is down, like, we're not gonna spend this year.
25:03
Adam Kalinowski: And here they are, and now they've spent more with me than they did last year.
25:08
Adam Kalinowski: I'm like, hmm, okay, interesting.
25:10
Adam Kalinowski: Yeah, it takes it takes time and patience for those things to pan out.
25:14
Adam Kalinowski: And I've done a couple things for them, just like um, like a a webinar, for example, um, to get in front of them more, but completely on my own time, own effort, and just staying in front of them and letting that time pan out, being patient with it, and that's it's now come back.
25:31
Adam Kalinowski: You know, if you can be patient with it and put that that effort in it.
25:36
Vipul Bindra: I think that's what it's about, right?
25:37
Vipul Bindra: Just relationships.
25:38
Vipul Bindra: Where whatever industry that you're trying to build, and I know this could apply to any business, but talking in video production in general, it's just who you know.
25:47
Vipul Bindra: Because a lot of people go, like, how do I get this gig?
25:50
Vipul Bindra: And it's usually I know this, who knew this, who know this.
25:53
Vipul Bindra: It's just the chain of people that led to you.
25:56
Dalton Smith: So ultimately, but you only get brought up when you when you're relevant, you do good work.
26:00
Dalton Smith: Yes.
26:00
Dalton Smith: So as much as people could be like, oh well, you know, of course, of course he's doing that.
26:04
Dalton Smith: They they recommended him.
26:05
Dalton Smith: It's like, well, dude, like the the source of finding that person is gonna have to come from you doing work before they found you.
26:11
Dalton Smith: Exactly.
26:12
Vipul Bindra: That's why I'm like so, so incredibly focused on client experience.
26:17
Vipul Bindra: Because uh, you know, at the end day, like you said, you do good work, you treat them right, they will remember you, and then they'll either plug you back into other businesses or they'll refer you.
26:28
Vipul Bindra: So, like, for example, I'm working with a client right now and we give one free revision, right?
26:33
Vipul Bindra: I'm on V4.
26:34
Vipul Bindra: You know, normally I don't do that.
26:35
Vipul Bindra: But I'm like, this client has been good to me, so I'm gonna be good to them.
26:39
Vipul Bindra: And it's just one off where we can go to V.
26:42
David Morefield: That's actually an interesting point because there's a lot of times where I set up structures so that everything can move smoothly.
26:48
David Morefield: It's not, it's not to like punish anyone.
26:50
David Morefield: It's like, hey, if we kind of swim down the river this way, like we'll get there very efficiently.
26:56
David Morefield: And so I want to stick to those rules, whether it's um deposit needs to be paid by the state, or whether it's you sign up for two cameras, not eight, you know.
27:06
David Morefield: It's just everything's talked about, discussed, and agreed upon, but I have seen so many times where people go outside, they bend the rules, and it works out for them because they're providing the experience part.
27:22
David Morefield: And I I think one time with you, uh the scope had already been discussed.
27:29
David Morefield: We were on site, and the person was like, hey, we want to also do this.
27:33
David Morefield: And I think it was more time or just more effort than what had been agreed upon.
27:38
David Morefield: And um, and then you came back after and said, Hey, um, you know, we had an extra request that you had.
27:48
David Morefield: Um we if you if you can find more room in the budget to accommodate that extra work we did, that would be nice.
27:56
David Morefield: Just just kind of putting it out there, not saying like you have to pay us this much extra because we did this much outside of scope.
28:03
David Morefield: You just kind of put it on the relationship side and said, hey, we we were there for you when you overreached.
28:10
David Morefield: Yeah, if you want to return the favor, one will either get compensated or two, I'll see how you operate and we might not be available next time.
28:19
David Morefield: You know what I mean?
28:20
Adam Kalinowski: Like exactly.
28:20
David Morefield: And it's just so weird to go outside of those those lanes that you created willingly.
28:25
Vipul Bindra: And and to be honest, this is the the balancing app, which is what makes separates a business owner a successful one from an unsuccessful one.
28:32
Vipul Bindra: Because there is cost to doing business.
28:34
Vipul Bindra: For example, like the example I just gave, like we're on V4, there is cost.
28:38
Vipul Bindra: I've had two, three extra editing days that cost me money.
28:42
Vipul Bindra: But I'm willing to do that because I can look at the the numbers and I can be like, oh, this is what I brought in with this client.
28:49
Vipul Bindra: Here they didn't ask for any revisions, so I can offset the cost here that hey, we did two projects for them six months ago, there was no revisions, so it makes sense.
28:59
Vipul Bindra: They're a long-term client.
29:00
Vipul Bindra: Now I've had the other way where I was recently contracted to do lighting on a movie, right?
29:05
Vipul Bindra: And then I was like excited, I was like, absolutely.
29:07
Vipul Bindra: And then now it's like, oh, can we bring in some cameras and lenses gear?
29:11
Vipul Bindra: And then that's where I go, no, hey, yeah, absolutely, but that'd be an additional rental charge, right?
29:16
Vipul Bindra: Because that's outside the scope.
29:18
Vipul Bindra: Like, that's not me giving a better client experience, that's just straight up more rental.
29:23
Vipul Bindra: So we have to go, you know.
29:24
Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
29:25
Vipul Bindra: Uh so it's kind of like I think a balancing ad.
29:28
Dalton Smith: And that's in my relationship, that little bit of risk, you gotta be careful.
29:33
Dalton Smith: I'm not careful, and I need to be more careful.
29:35
Dalton Smith: Like, I'm good at at determining when they're a good relationship, but I tend to take way too much risk on the first ones because I'm trying to get like really make an impression and get this relationship off the ground.
29:45
Dalton Smith: And I give people so much wivel room, and then I just don't even charge enough.
29:49
Dalton Smith: And it's funny, you I I hate to say this, but biggest tip I could say is like be kind, be fair, respect relationships, but treat it like a straight up business until that is proven.
29:59
Dalton Smith: Treat it like you would treat your spouse, you know?
30:01
Dalton Smith: Like be nice, be kind, give them a chance, go on dates.
30:04
Dalton Smith: But like, I was just so quick to give them the keys to like just kind of whatever they wanted, right?
30:10
Dalton Smith: Breaking the rules and uh looking back, I'm like, God, man, how much did I take from myself?
30:15
Dalton Smith: You know?
30:16
David Morefield: Well, you have clients who overreach in like uh not a mean way, and then you have clients who overreach in a mean way.
30:24
David Morefield: And like they're both overreaching, but one of them is like, yeah, it was just it was just an aberration.
30:29
David Morefield: Like, yeah, we don't expect you to do that the the every single time now.
30:33
David Morefield: But the other client is like, well, you did last time, and so now we're gonna push a little bit more.
30:36
David Morefield: So let's and that's where you have to push back, right?
30:39
Vipul Bindra: Right, yeah, because like you said, uh I and that's why I am at least so let me clarify, I'm all about relationship once it's built.
30:48
Vipul Bindra: Because uh when it's new, I am like not like giving that much leave.
30:52
Vipul Bindra: It's the opposite.
30:52
Vipul Bindra: So when I meet someone, I'm usually like, this is the scope, this is what we're gonna do.
30:56
Vipul Bindra: Yeah, but now I'm two, three projects in, we built that relationship.
30:59
Vipul Bindra: That's when I start to go above and beyond and do new things.
31:02
Vipul Bindra: Because uh, in my opinion, keeping clients is far more important than getting new clients.
31:08
Vipul Bindra: So whenever I get a new client, I tread carefully.
31:11
Vipul Bindra: Uh because, you know, like I said, you don't know what type of client they're gonna be like, talk about you guys' project.
31:16
Vipul Bindra: I know uh I I was I happened to be on uh uh forcefully had to listen to one of your guys' pre-production calls, and after starting the next, I literally it cost me money.
31:25
Vipul Bindra: So that's so so I was uh on the job with them.
31:28
Vipul Bindra: So you know, um they were he he had to get on a pre-production call.
31:31
Vipul Bindra: I get it.
31:32
Vipul Bindra: Like we I had to do it on, you know, even your podcast was here.
31:35
Vipul Bindra: Anyway, so I'm listening.
31:36
Vipul Bindra: After 10 minutes, I'm like, okay, I gotta go inside.
31:38
Vipul Bindra: So I went into the we parked into like a Walmart parking lot.
31:41
Vipul Bindra: I literally went and bought lottery tickets because I was bored 30 minutes from scratching, and I was still like, come on, this is so bad.
31:48
Vipul Bindra: Talk about that call.
31:50
David Morefield: That one, um that's a client who who overreaches to see how far they can reach.
31:55
David Morefield: And I haven't dealt with that in so long.
31:57
David Morefield: I've had so many good clients who are it's such a good mutual relationship where like maybe they overreach and then they're very appreciative of it, and they're just like, put it on the invoice.
32:08
David Morefield: I don't care how much.
32:09
David Morefield: Oh, okay.
32:10
David Morefield: So so we can like we can provide more of of the goal-oriented structures here rather than the line item-oriented structures here.
32:19
David Morefield: Oh, great, I love that.
32:20
David Morefield: You don't you're not gonna care about an extra $500 on the invoice.
32:23
David Morefield: Um, but this was just uh another client who from the beginning just seemed like red flag after red flag after red flag.
32:31
David Morefield: And I had time to to take on the project, but um when we when we did finish, uh there was a lot of small overreaching and just just a lot of uh like why are you making this why are you trying to squeeze everything out of us?
32:49
David Morefield: You know?
32:50
Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
32:50
Vipul Bindra: Um and it's one thing to ask politely, like they can, you know, because I was on the call, or not on the call, but you know there.
32:57
Vipul Bindra: But I was like, it's one way to be like, hey guys, we we really need X, Y, and Z.
33:01
Vipul Bindra: How can we provide it?
33:02
Vipul Bindra: What is it gonna be cost?
33:03
Vipul Bindra: Simple question.
33:04
Vipul Bindra: I'm sure either one of you could have handled it.
33:06
Vipul Bindra: But instead going, what are you bringing?
33:08
Vipul Bindra: Give us the list of your gear, what monitor are you gonna have?
33:11
Vipul Bindra: Is it gonna be seven inches or ten?
33:12
Vipul Bindra: Yeah, but that's too specific to matter, because you know what I mean?
33:17
Vipul Bindra: Like, yeah, and I was like, this is an irrelevant conversation because it should be like, hey, we need this, this, this, right?
33:23
Vipul Bindra: Give us the cost, and if it's adding to the scope, what's the cost going to be?
33:28
David Morefield: But yeah, yeah, maybe and so the way that project wrapped up is we we did great execution, bit my tongue a few times, but probably didn't have a smile on my face.
33:38
David Morefield: But you didn't can confirm.
33:41
David Morefield: Yeah, but bit my tongue, just provided whatever was requested, and we knocked it out of the park.
33:47
David Morefield: We everything was satisfactory, all expectations were met, and then um the as the invoice was sent, they came back and were like, hey, I know we had agreed on time and a half for overtime, which they had already worked me down from I was gonna do uh 2x the rate for overtime, and they brought it down to time and a half.
34:11
David Morefield: I was like, that's fine.
34:12
David Morefield: We we can work with that.
34:13
David Morefield: I'm not gonna lose this project over that.
34:15
David Morefield: And um, they're like, Well, so we see you added the overtime in, but that was on the 12-hour day, where in the middle there was four hours where you guys really weren't doing too much.
34:26
David Morefield: So we were wondering if you could kind of count that as non-working hours, and then that would bring you back inside uh the 10-hour window.
34:35
David Morefield: And I'm like, I talked to you, and I was like, this is ridiculous.
34:40
David Morefield: Yeah.
34:40
David Morefield: And I was gonna go into a detailed response of like, hey, we showed up at this time, we left at this time.
34:48
David Morefield: You're saying these middle hours weren't um like effort producing, we're still there.
34:53
David Morefield: And I was and I talked to you.
34:56
Adam Kalinowski: That's when I said that's that's time away from home, from family, from other work.
35:01
Adam Kalinowski: Like, I wasn't sitting there enjoying myself on vacation.
35:05
David Morefield: So um, and I and I really like what you said because my answer just came out.
35:12
David Morefield: I think you can appreciate sometimes we like to talk and talk and give bullet points and give reasons, and this is why I'm right.
35:21
David Morefield: And I was like, you know what, I'm gonna go the other way.
35:24
David Morefield: And so I said, um I swear I knew I swear I grew up.
35:30
David Morefield: So I said, instead of going details, I'm gonna go the other way.
35:33
David Morefield: And I'll all I said was, um, I like to uh stick to the contract that we signed.
35:38
David Morefield: Like no other explanation.
35:41
David Morefield: Because what other explanation is there?
35:43
David Morefield: That's the contract you signed, that's the contract I signed.
35:47
David Morefield: And they said, okay.
35:48
David Morefield: I'm like, man, you guys were just reaching.
35:50
David Morefield: Yo, and you know that's the right way to approach that.
35:53
David Morefield: That's on purpose.
35:54
David Morefield: Yes.
35:54
Dalton Smith: That's like malicious intentional to test you.
35:58
David Morefield: $300 worth of overtime on a on a budget that was between 10 and 20, like kind of like semi-blown up a couple.
36:06
Dalton Smith: I'm definitely different.
36:07
Dalton Smith: I'm definitely different.
36:08
Dalton Smith: And the way, and this is the way I look at it.
36:09
Dalton Smith: I treat everyone with respect, but there's been a few situations where I'm like, if I'm gonna own a business and work this hard and you're gonna treat me this way, I'm gonna respond however I see fit.
36:18
Dalton Smith: And if you don't like it and your friends don't like it, and other people don't like it, then I might not be for you.
36:23
Dalton Smith: So I've had a couple where I guarantee you they went home and they're like, that guy's gotta be crazy to talk to a client like that.
36:29
Dalton Smith: You're not gonna call me either way.
36:31
Dalton Smith: And frankly, I don't want to work with anyone you know.
36:33
Dalton Smith: Now, that I'm talking to Basque of like two or three cases in my career.
36:36
Dalton Smith: One of them was that company.
36:39
Dalton Smith: Well, not because the relationship, because I don't want to harm them further.
36:46
Dalton Smith: There's no point, right?
36:46
Dalton Smith: But nationwide mega brand, one of the leaders in that category of product.
36:52
Dalton Smith: The whole lead up was rush, rush, rush.
36:56
Dalton Smith: We found you, we want you.
36:57
Dalton Smith: We're coming to Florida from California and we want to do this production right away.
37:01
Dalton Smith: And then they weren't providing details and they were the things that are like they wanted talent and make like they were holding.
37:07
Dalton Smith: I'm like, guys, now the date's been pushed.
37:09
Dalton Smith: You're like, you have to do these things.
37:11
Dalton Smith: I'm at ESPN, I'm early, maybe three months in.
37:14
Dalton Smith: I'm mega frustrated.
37:16
Dalton Smith: It's a production setup day, it's like 10 hours.
37:18
Dalton Smith: So I'm like under the scaffolding on the phone with my mom, office manager.
37:22
Dalton Smith: I'm like, look, if they don't do blank and pay, we literally, for the first time ever, we're gonna actually hit someone with like a 20% increase.
37:31
Dalton Smith: If they want that to happen under what's on, so I was like so nervous, and I it's just literally might as well have said F around and find out fee, because that's what it was.
37:40
Dalton Smith: 20% of like a $10 or $11,000 contract.
37:44
Dalton Smith: They pay it no apologies.
37:47
Dalton Smith: They knew.
37:49
Dalton Smith: They knew.
37:50
Dalton Smith: And so I go to my lead, and it's funny because the the people I work with, I have a great relationship with ESP, and I felt comfortable explaining my frustrations.
37:57
Dalton Smith: I was like, like, you're all right, but I'm like, I'm good, but I'm I'm in the situation, I don't know what to do.
38:01
Dalton Smith: And they're like, well, explain it to me.
38:02
Dalton Smith: So I explained, like, so you charge them.
38:04
Dalton Smith: And I'm like, yeah, I know, but like, no, no, no, you you charge them, doll, and you treat it like a business.
38:11
Dalton Smith: You stop trying to play patty cake and be friends with these people.
38:13
Dalton Smith: You I don't care how cool it is, and that they're that brand that suits so well.
38:18
Dalton Smith: Look at what so this is the lead there.
38:20
Dalton Smith: And they're like, let me tell you a story about last week.
38:22
Dalton Smith: You see those big printouts of the fighter?
38:24
Dalton Smith: Like, yeah, like we do them for every fight.
38:26
Dalton Smith: Well, we messed up and we didn't order them a ton.
38:28
Dalton Smith: And they warned us.
38:29
Dalton Smith: They hit us with like a 5x fee.
38:31
Dalton Smith: My boss is gonna be pissed.
38:33
Dalton Smith: It's happened before.
38:35
Dalton Smith: But guess who's gonna get their money?
38:37
Dalton Smith: Them, no matter what.
38:39
Dalton Smith: So, yeah, hearing it from my client telling me to stack up to my own client, I was like, yeah.
38:45
Dalton Smith: So truly, man, I've learned that I have to be approachable with certain responses.
38:51
Dalton Smith: But that particular one, it led up to all this stuff, right?
38:54
Dalton Smith: Where I freaked out was when they had hired my wife and child as talent and then left them hanging with an infant in the summer heat like this, and had them sitting at a table and weren't paying attention to breastfeeding or napping or anything, and their blatant disrespect, 90 minutes late on set, and the way that they responded and tried to point my finger, I was like, listen, y'all are not gonna like this.
39:20
Dalton Smith: And uh yeah, man, like I I appreciate that it might not be for everybody, but straight up, the way I run my business is how I run my life.
39:29
Dalton Smith: I'm very passionate.
39:30
Dalton Smith: I'm becoming more in control of my uh emotions, but I forever stand on the fact that unless there are bodies on the ground, if this is my business and you mistreat me, it is my ability to respond how I want.
39:43
Dalton Smith: So, you know, I reflect on that one a lot.
39:46
Dalton Smith: I think about it a lot, but I have no regret from anything that happened.
39:49
Dalton Smith: It was all pretty, pretty professional.
39:51
Dalton Smith: But people will be like, well, why care?
39:52
Dalton Smith: Why explain yourself?
39:53
Dalton Smith: I'm like, because I'm a passionate person.
39:55
Dalton Smith: And to the people that continue to hire me, I do good work, but they love to work with me.
40:01
Dalton Smith: I have my own clients that follow me on my Wild West Facebook where I have all my tip of the days and I tell these stories and I kind of let all of this stuff flow.
40:10
Dalton Smith: My own clients will go on there and support me because they understand that I'm a human too.
40:15
Dalton Smith: I got a family.
40:16
Dalton Smith: I'm allowed to want to want things.
40:18
Dalton Smith: Yeah.
40:18
Dalton Smith: And I've painted myself in a weird way where myself and business have been very intertwined.
40:23
Dalton Smith: And that's why I'm still letting people know I'm FBI, but I'm separating that voice, you know.
40:27
Dalton Smith: But yeah, man, I don't know.
40:29
Dalton Smith: Stuff gets me fired up because we should be treated right, you know, especially what happens.
40:33
Adam Kalinowski: Yeah, when you are treated right by most of your clients, and then that one comes along and you're like, wait a second, I don't have to deal with this stuff.
40:39
Adam Kalinowski: But I get treated by everybody else like fairly nicely, paid on time, paid right, paid valued, everything.
40:45
Adam Kalinowski: And then, you know, I don't I don't want to be nickel and dimed by you, and like I don't have to put up with this, you know?
40:51
Vipul Bindra: I think that was the biggest, and tell me, I would like you guys to add the biggest change in my business, because initially, you know, you're like hunting for clients, right?
40:58
Vipul Bindra: You're like, I just want clients, I want this, but the the ability to pick and choose, the ability to say no, like once you work with someone, like you said, then you you fire them, essentially they call next time they're like, no, we're not available or whatever.
41:09
Vipul Bindra: And as soon as I was able to pick the jobs that I wanted to do, it just completely changed everything for me because you don't have to take it.
41:17
Vipul Bindra: You don't, that's the advantage of business.
41:19
Vipul Bindra: You get to choose who you work with, um, who you create content with or for.
41:23
Vipul Bindra: And if they're not the right fit, they're not the right way, I'd rather not.
41:29
Vipul Bindra: And then the financial ability to do that, funny enough, made me way more money than the ability to like, no, I need every client.
41:37
Vipul Bindra: Because as soon as I could say no, I feel like the business boomed.
41:40
Vipul Bindra: Because even though I may have been doing fewer jobs, I was doing bigger and better things because those people appreciate us.
41:47
David Morefield: It's scary in when you are transitioning between, um, I do need this money, but this guy, this relationship is not worth this money.
41:55
David Morefield: It's scary when someone's like, I'm gonna hand you money and you're gonna hate it.
41:59
David Morefield: And you have to you have to go, oh, do I want to do this again?
42:03
David Morefield: Yeah, you're like, I don't.
42:05
David Morefield: And then when you can say no, I uh I'm busy, or you just say no.
42:11
David Morefield: Yeah.
42:12
Adam Kalinowski: Or you hit him with the uh the pain in the ass rate.
42:16
Adam Kalinowski: It's like, okay, well it's gonna be five grand a bit higher, though.
42:18
Adam Kalinowski: Yeah, yeah.
42:19
Dalton Smith: And then you gifted like, I should have been doing this the whole time.
42:22
Dalton Smith: And I had a guy recently, and frankly, I told the guy straight up, dude.
42:26
Dalton Smith: I don't know if I called you for advice or not.
42:28
Dalton Smith: It would they wanted to shoot supercars out of a helicopter on 12 hours notice over Candy Space Center.
42:34
Dalton Smith: I was like, dude, you're gonna pay like a decent rate.
42:36
Dalton Smith: And like he even told me I was crazy.
42:38
Dalton Smith: And I was like, bro, I'm leaving for my birthday trip that night.
42:42
Dalton Smith: That was my window of like sacredness.
42:45
Dalton Smith: Like, I'm coming, I'm your guy.
42:47
Dalton Smith: You want me to handheld a 70 to 200 out of a helicopter?
42:50
Dalton Smith: Find someone else that's gonna do that for you for video.
42:52
Dalton Smith: For video.
42:53
Dalton Smith: I was like, and he paid it.
42:56
Dalton Smith: And uh, you know, he wasn't gonna call me back regardless.
43:01
Dalton Smith: He was from the UK, they were here shooting some big TV show, and I'm sure it messed their budget up, but they didn't get their guy in time.
43:08
Dalton Smith: That's why I'm gonna pay for that.
43:10
Dalton Smith: And I've always been the guy to pay for their mistakes.
43:12
Dalton Smith: Their photographer didn't get his visa, he didn't make it.
43:15
Dalton Smith: So what?
43:15
Dalton Smith: I'm supposed to eat it.
43:16
Dalton Smith: And like, then they talk about, oh, but you're on the air for this much time.
43:19
Dalton Smith: I don't care, dude.
43:20
Dalton Smith: I have to sit in the helipad for six hours.
43:22
Dalton Smith: And uh, yeah, man, it was really, it was really the one of the first times.
43:27
Dalton Smith: And when I'm put in a box where I'm truly unavailable or I don't necessarily care if I get it or not, or whatever, whatever gives me the confidence to charge the right amount, damn it, if I don't usually get it.
43:40
Dalton Smith: You know?
43:41
Dalton Smith: Like, and it bothers me because I'm like, well, where can I where can I find that confidence in the right places in normal situations?
43:49
David Morefield: It's the justification part because like I've had jobs where I I am gonna say, okay, I need this guy, I need this guy, I need this guy.
43:57
David Morefield: And they all said their rate was this, this, and this.
43:59
David Morefield: So I can't charge less than that because they're not going to show up.
44:03
David Morefield: So I'm forced to at least have a foundational price.
44:08
David Morefield: And then sometimes I'm like, oh, hey, if they're charging that much, I should be at least making two to three times.
44:15
David Morefield: I'm the one who's putting this whole thing together.
44:16
David Morefield: And so like it's nice because sometimes the the price is justified for you.
44:22
David Morefield: Whereas if I was making the budget from scratch, I'd be like, okay, I could do this.
44:26
David Morefield: I could, I could do it.
44:27
David Morefield: I would be okay for that.
44:29
David Morefield: I would be okay.
44:29
David Morefield: And it's like, dude, to this day, that's what I do.
44:31
David Morefield: I'd be stoked on this.
44:34
David Morefield: I would be stoked on that.
44:35
Vipul Bindra: It is so true though.
44:36
Vipul Bindra: If you charge them the right money, you like I noticed that myself very recently because I was like, I have clients, and I already kind of go above and beyond, but where I was like, I had a client call me, like, I'm talking 2 a.m.
44:47
Vipul Bindra: in the morning, and I literally picked up and I was talking to them, and I was so excited about it.
44:52
Vipul Bindra: And then when I hung up and I'm like, why'd they do that?
44:54
Vipul Bindra: And I was like, oh, well, they paid me $100,000.
44:57
Vipul Bindra: They have the right to call me at 2 a.m.
45:00
Vipul Bindra: And I wasn't unhappy about it.
45:02
Vipul Bindra: I was like, if somebody else called me at 2 a.m., I'll be like, uh, no, thank you.
45:05
Vipul Bindra: So I think it it also depends on that.
45:07
Vipul Bindra: I have noticed that where the, you know, if they're paying me a day rave, you're not calling me at 2 a.m.
45:12
Adam Kalinowski: Because my call window availability with you.
45:14
Adam Kalinowski: None.
45:15
Adam Kalinowski: Because you're always calling me.
45:16
Adam Kalinowski: Actually, I'll take this cut off.
45:18
Vipul Bindra: I actually do like working with you like on a serious note.
45:21
Vipul Bindra: The main reason is because he's to be real and and I'm being honest, you're adding to my map.
45:26
Vipul Bindra: So my my goal is to work in all 50 states.
45:29
Vipul Bindra: But my calls usually come from, you know, the main ones.
45:33
Vipul Bindra: You know, I'm going to California, or I'm going to Illinois, I'm going to Florida, Georgia, whatever, you know, the common ones.
45:38
Vipul Bindra: So when you call, usually it's something weird.
45:40
Vipul Bindra: It's like, you want to go to Arkansas?
45:42
Vipul Bindra: You want to go to where where did we go uh recently?
45:45
Vipul Bindra: Missouri.
45:46
Vipul Bindra: Missouri?
45:47
David Morefield: So that was me with Dalton.
45:49
David Morefield: Dalton was like, Do you want to film this top ranked boxing thing?
45:51
David Morefield: We're going to go to Shawnee, Oklahoma.
45:54
David Morefield: And I was like, I couldn't point that out on a map.
45:57
David Morefield: I have no Native American reservation, middle of nowhere, different laws, like really cool experience, but my jobs would not have taken me there.
46:06
David Morefield: I always get the weird stuff.
46:08
Dalton Smith: Like I remember I got a flashback photo the other day.
46:11
Dalton Smith: I say yes to everything, and we were kind of talking about this morning.
46:14
Dalton Smith: I've got to change it now, but I don't regret it getting me here.
46:17
Dalton Smith: I had no formal training.
46:19
Dalton Smith: I had no money.
46:20
Dalton Smith: I didn't know anybody.
46:21
Dalton Smith: I was essentially a felon at the time.
46:24
Dalton Smith: I was still on probation.
46:25
Dalton Smith: I didn't have the setup everybody else had.
46:27
Dalton Smith: So literally figuring it out was the only option.
46:30
Dalton Smith: So I became the ambassador.
46:32
Dalton Smith: I became the producer.
46:33
Dalton Smith: I became everything.
46:34
Dalton Smith: I made my own YouTube channel.
46:36
Dalton Smith: I used stunts.
46:37
Dalton Smith: I used, I literally went to Surf Expo and utilized me as I will film it and be in it.
46:42
Dalton Smith: Okay.
46:42
Dalton Smith: I may not be a pro surfer, but look at this value.
46:44
Dalton Smith: And I utilized that.
46:46
Dalton Smith: And I ended up in Lincoln, Nebraska.
46:48
Dalton Smith: And I've got this photo.
46:49
Dalton Smith: It's insane.
46:50
Dalton Smith: I'm like 21 or 22.
46:52
Dalton Smith: I've got like a little bit shorter hair, got the baby face.
46:54
Dalton Smith: I'm with Tristan Larrave, and we've got this lineup of electric skateboards, and we're at a Hobby Town USA national convention.
47:01
Dalton Smith: And guy probably pay, you know, pay us $2,500 for the weekend.
47:05
Dalton Smith: We came out, we filmed stuff, but we were like literally stunting.
47:07
Dalton Smith: We were writing the hoverboards, doing like expos like on stages.
47:11
Dalton Smith: I'm doing, I'm fucking doing handstands on a hoverboard in Lincoln, Nebraska, getting paid to do it.
47:16
Dalton Smith: And so I spoke with someone yesterday.
47:19
Dalton Smith: I don't think any of you know him, Che.
47:20
Dalton Smith: I don't know, he's another filmmaker.
47:22
Dalton Smith: And he called me because he was worried about me because I posted on Facebook and I was kind of having one of my event sessions.
47:27
Dalton Smith: He called me, he's like, yo, you all right?
47:28
Dalton Smith: He's like, can I help you?
47:29
Dalton Smith: I love that about him.
47:30
Dalton Smith: And I was like, I'm okay, but I explained, I explained my situation.
47:33
Dalton Smith: He's like, don't take this offensively, but maybe like you're running your business wrong.
47:37
Dalton Smith: And like, and I was, well, basically what he sees is that maybe you're not charging enough.
47:40
Dalton Smith: I was like, well, let me reiterate that to you.
47:42
Dalton Smith: The issues that I'm explaining to you might look that I'm not charging enough.
47:46
Dalton Smith: I'm just shoving it in my pocket.
47:48
Dalton Smith: Because the way that I've done this is the way y'all would structure it, where you say this person, I don't do that.
47:54
Dalton Smith: I say, I can do that.
47:55
Dalton Smith: I don't care how many hours it takes, I don't care how suicidal it is, I take the whole pie.
48:00
Dalton Smith: It's the only way I've been able to get this far.
48:02
Dalton Smith: And then we've evolved to where it doesn't have to be like that, but I never let that go.
48:07
Dalton Smith: I never let that go.
48:08
Dalton Smith: And I still continue to say, I will do if if I physically can without dying, I do.
48:13
Dalton Smith: And it's really started to take a toll.
48:16
Dalton Smith: And it's really starting to become a problem.
48:18
Dalton Smith: So literally yesterday I looked at my wife and I was really upset.
48:25
Dalton Smith: And I said, she she looked at me, she's like, Don't I think you should get rid of the ducks and chickens?
48:28
Dalton Smith: And I was like, Maddie, I'm not doing that.
48:30
Dalton Smith: I was like, I just worked so hard.
48:32
Dalton Smith: And she's like, You're so stressed, you're miserable.
48:36
Dalton Smith: And I'm like, let me explain to you what I've just realized.
48:39
Dalton Smith: You think that the ducks and chickens are the problem because it's something I stress about a lot, right?
48:43
Dalton Smith: We just had a couple animals die from the heat.
48:45
Dalton Smith: And I was like, here's my realization.
48:48
Dalton Smith: A couple weeks ago, you wanted to talk about how I should maybe spend a little bit more time with Kaya, you know.
48:52
Dalton Smith: Before that, it was like, I need to relax and not be so upset when me and you were arguing.
48:57
Dalton Smith: I need to eat better.
48:58
Dalton Smith: I was like, Do you notice a pattern here?
49:00
Dalton Smith: Something is going to shit every day.
49:03
Dalton Smith: And it's one of the different categories, and I cannot do them all.
49:06
Dalton Smith: The culprit is that I'm running my business wrong.
49:09
Dalton Smith: And I am single-handedly failing or succeeding.
49:13
Dalton Smith: And yes, we've done some great things.
49:15
Dalton Smith: I've learned a lot.
49:16
Dalton Smith: We've built a successful business that has some, but I still haven't built the systems.
49:21
Dalton Smith: I still haven't brought in the people.
49:23
Dalton Smith: So I literally caved.
49:25
Dalton Smith: And I've gotten close to this.
49:26
Dalton Smith: I've touched and goad.
49:27
Dalton Smith: I've kind of gotten in there and hired a couple of people, and then I do the same thing.
49:31
Dalton Smith: I decide, like, oh, I could.
49:33
Dalton Smith: And I get comfortable.
49:34
Dalton Smith: It's funny because I do the opposite of other comfortable people.
49:36
Dalton Smith: Comfortable chill.
49:37
Dalton Smith: I get comfortable like more.
49:39
Dalton Smith: And dude, just I my kids getting older.
49:42
Dalton Smith: Like I looked in the other day and like it's just scary.
49:45
Dalton Smith: And I'm I'm not running out of time, but we're all running out of time, you know?
49:49
Dalton Smith: So if not now, then when?
49:51
Dalton Smith: And so yeah, I've made this huge decision that right now, for the rest of this year, I've got to make change and everything's falling apart.
49:59
Dalton Smith: ESPN top rank, no more.
50:01
Dalton Smith: One of my legacy clients that did all the aviation work, everybody left and the team I'm working with, I can already tell I'll get a couple more drops.
50:08
Dalton Smith: That's it.
50:09
Dalton Smith: I can just tell.
50:10
Dalton Smith: One of my other legacy clients in the action sports realm that I've worked with for since the beginning, we're not going past this year because I'm not doing this get paid pennies thing anymore.
50:17
Dalton Smith: Dude, I'm starting over.
50:19
Dalton Smith: I just hired a girl to redo my whole website, my whole kit, my whole look, everything.
50:23
Dalton Smith: We're gonna be us.
50:24
Dalton Smith: But this whole Dalton party, it's over.
50:28
Vipul Bindra: So you know, that's the difference between a business owner and a freelancer mindset.
50:36
Vipul Bindra: Yes.
50:36
Vipul Bindra: Because I think a freelancer goes, gig, done, you know, maybe efficiencies around that.
50:42
Vipul Bindra: But as a business owner, you're constantly trying to, you know, chase the next thing and you're constantly figuring things out.
50:48
Vipul Bindra: I've noticed that.
50:49
Vipul Bindra: Like when I'll hire a freelancer, not that they do a bad job, they'll be a good DP or whatever, but they'll go, they'll look at the shot list, they'll get it, they'll get it done.
50:58
Vipul Bindra: When I hire a business owner who's also, let's say a DP who's working with me, it's completely different because they're looking, oh, edit, what can we get?
51:05
Vipul Bindra: What extra can I do?
51:06
Vipul Bindra: What you know, it's just that that that that mindset, and I feel like anyone who's listening, I mean, there's nothing wrong with being a freelancer.
51:13
Vipul Bindra: If you want to be a freelancer, great.
51:14
Vipul Bindra: I think it's a little less stressful, it's still stressful.
51:17
Vipul Bindra: But as a business owner, I mean, we could be our worst and our own worst enemies, but we are always chasing whatever the next thing is.
51:27
Dalton Smith: Yo, I blame the three of y'all in a good way with this decision.
51:31
Dalton Smith: Because frankly, I've been watching you guys and I'm just not doing it right.
51:37
Vipul Bindra: Well, I mean, to be honest, we don't have it all.
51:40
Dalton Smith: But you guys have some stuff I need to learn, you know?
51:42
Dalton Smith: And I've realized that, and that's why I like to be around you guys a lot.
51:46
David Morefield: The irony is the freelancer is also the business owner.
51:49
David Morefield: He just doesn't know it.
51:50
David Morefield: Yeah.
51:51
David Morefield: Everyone is a business owner, but to to your uh take on like someone who is more fully production-minded, they know um how the edit needs to look, and so they shoot for that.
52:04
David Morefield: They also know I don't want to do that audio in post, so I'm gonna take care of it here because I've had that issue in the past.
52:10
David Morefield: Like the mics, these are self-recording.
52:14
David Morefield: Just let them self-record.
52:15
David Morefield: You don't know, you might, you know, whereas maybe the person who's used to just operating camera might be like, no, I hear audio, it's good, but keep it going.
52:23
Dalton Smith: It's kind of like an employee at a restaurant comes in and works their shift, yeah, but the owner knows the door-to-door.
52:28
Dalton Smith: How do they come in?
52:29
Dalton Smith: What's the experience?
52:30
Dalton Smith: How do we get them out successfully and get them back?
52:32
Dalton Smith: So, like when I send you, I just know that you have felt the good and the bad of everything can go right or wrong.
52:40
Dalton Smith: And truly, it's not about them being more talented.
52:43
Dalton Smith: It's I think it's about their experience that's versed while doing the project.
52:47
David Morefield: I think it's also personality, they know the goal.
52:49
David Morefield: Yeah, like I that restaurant analogy is great because like the the waiter is working on getting them a good meal, and the owner is working on getting them back over and over and over.
52:59
David Morefield: So, so though the waiter is like, no, I'm I'm trying to do a hundred percent good experience for this meal, and then I know I did a good job.
53:07
David Morefield: The owner is like, yeah, but like, was there a light hitting their eye that made it kind of weird?
53:14
David Morefield: Was there a homeless guy out front?
53:15
David Morefield: Yeah, was there a homeless guy out front kind of annoying their experience?
53:19
David Morefield: Uh, how long did it take to put their name in?
53:22
David Morefield: Like, much more comprehensive-minded.
53:24
David Morefield: Exactly.
53:25
Vipul Bindra: And I and like I said, I I think it's personality.
53:28
Vipul Bindra: I don't, and obviously, this is something you can train with.
53:31
Vipul Bindra: They obviously they have college degrees even to go learn business, but I think it also is an inherent trait I've noticed.
53:37
Vipul Bindra: Like, again, we've all seen your vlogs where you're like, hey, there's my kit, it's working.
53:42
Vipul Bindra: Let me redo it completely from scratch, just because I want to, right?
53:46
Vipul Bindra: It's like your car.
53:46
Vipul Bindra: Yeah, yeah, exactly.
53:48
Vipul Bindra: Let me let me do this because again, we're doing it.
53:50
Vipul Bindra: Like, for example, uh, how many times have I just built my camera card?
53:54
Vipul Bindra: Like, I'm like, oh, it worked great.
53:56
Vipul Bindra: Let me start from scratch, and then you know, like, no, I can I can do it different, I can do it better.
54:02
David Morefield: A marginal increase, and and funny enough, just talk about something simple in three weeks.
54:07
Vipul Bindra: The amount of time my sock leaves have had the spreader removed and re-added.
54:11
Vipul Bindra: I don't know if you noticed this.
54:12
Vipul Bindra: I was so for a year or two, I was like, and I'm chasing seconds, like that's my personality type.
54:18
Vipul Bindra: So I was like, no, uh, spreader is not right.
54:21
Vipul Bindra: We I took spreaders off both.
54:23
Vipul Bindra: And now, as you notice, literally last two weeks, I'm like, no spreaders are here to stay because they're a genuine question.
54:30
Dalton Smith: It makes you better, yes, arguably, broker, which is fine because it's intentional, but do you think it refuels your passion tank?
54:38
Dalton Smith: Do you think that constant tinkering and improving, regardless of your client's product, do you think it kind of gives you something that you need?
54:46
Vipul Bindra: Yes, because I personally got into this because I love the gear.
54:49
Vipul Bindra: Like I said, if I if I could work for Adam or you or you and just make enough money and just do this, I would do.
54:55
Vipul Bindra: But the the truth is you can't, right?
54:56
Vipul Bindra: One of y'all figures that are.
54:57
Vipul Bindra: I became a business owner.
54:58
Vipul Bindra: What?
54:59
Vipul Bindra: I said, one of y'all figure that out, hire all of us.
55:01
Vipul Bindra: I said, yeah, exactly.
55:02
Vipul Bindra: Because I genuinely like making content.
55:05
Vipul Bindra: I like making awesome content.
55:07
Vipul Bindra: I am a business owner because A, I feel like then I would have to find other hobbies to do on the side if I was an employee.
55:14
Vipul Bindra: But honestly, I do business so I can make videos.
55:17
Vipul Bindra: It's not the other way around.
55:18
Vipul Bindra: You know, I don't my business isn't to, you know, make videos.
55:22
Vipul Bindra: My business is how can I make videos?
55:25
Vipul Bindra: I don't know if that makes any sense.
55:26
Vipul Bindra: So point is I'm doing that for me.
55:28
Vipul Bindra: You're right.
55:28
Vipul Bindra: There's zero uh difference that made in our videos in the last three weeks that I did, right?
55:35
Vipul Bindra: The the simple thing is a spreader, but that's me going and noticing something and going, you know what, I was wrong about that.
55:40
Vipul Bindra: Or maybe I have changed, I've evolved.
55:42
Vipul Bindra: Because initially I was running them with spreaders, I'm talking a couple years ago, and I was like, no, this is in the way.
55:48
Vipul Bindra: So I checked them out, right?
55:49
Vipul Bindra: And it worked great.
55:50
Vipul Bindra: And then I'll recently have been like, no, this is not working, right?
55:53
Vipul Bindra: So I I checked them back in.
55:55
Vipul Bindra: I was like, how have I been doing this for two years?
55:57
Adam Kalinowski: And I think this may just be the filmmaker need evolving, or like you said, it's just I'm like filmmaker and entrepreneur, like problem solving, seeing opportunities and little things here and there, and then jumping on it.
56:08
Adam Kalinowski: That's like entrepreneurship mind, right?
56:10
Vipul Bindra: And it could be, and I'm saying maybe we create our own problems talking to your vlog.
56:14
Vipul Bindra: It was one of my favorite ones.
56:15
Vipul Bindra: I I still remember you did a video where you were like, Oh, I redid all my setup, and then you showed up on a shoot, and you were like, you didn't have some small part that you would always have because it was in your bag, but now you don't have your bag.
56:26
Vipul Bindra: And I was like, This is so relatable because that happens.
56:29
David Morefield: Well, the the other side of that is like the person who's always tinkering, always trying to troubleshoot or figure out better efficiencies.
56:36
David Morefield: Um you might be wasting your time, but you might enjoy doing that type of activity, and you know that it is somewhat going to help.
56:46
David Morefield: There will be some ROI.
56:48
David Morefield: The other side of that is when you show up to I remember productions a little earlier on where the guy has like the oldest camera in the world, and then the oldest tripod, and you're like, have you seen the new camera?
57:03
David Morefield: He's like, No.
57:04
David Morefield: Nope.
57:05
David Morefield: And it's like and even that can go two ways.
57:08
David Morefield: That can go two ways of like, nope, the business is going great, I don't need to.
57:12
David Morefield: Or I'm stuck, or I'm stuck and I'm not aware of what else I could be leveling up with.
57:18
Vipul Bindra: So it's like I think there's a difference.
57:20
Vipul Bindra: So being a dinosaur, I feel like is not correct, as in where you're refusing change, but also that is a good strategy of doing not my I wouldn't do a business that way, but you don't have to constantly upgrade.
57:31
Vipul Bindra: I know enough people who are making so much money from their 10-year-old cameras.
57:35
Vipul Bindra: I know for a fact somebody who makes seven figures, I'm talking way more money than I make, running a video production company from a small town with cameras that are worth like I'm saying used to three grand right now, nothing fancy, old cameras that you would be like, really?
57:51
Vipul Bindra: I'm talking like DCMC one, like old red cameras and old Canon.
57:55
Vipul Bindra: I'm talking C100s.
57:56
Vipul Bindra: You know, but they're making money at the end of the day.
57:59
Vipul Bindra: It'd be one thing I'm saying, if the guys like Dan Swords are like, no, I just have to use this.
58:03
Vipul Bindra: That's not the output.
58:04
Vipul Bindra: It's like, this is what we're making, this is how we always do it.
58:07
Vipul Bindra: It's good enough.
58:08
Vipul Bindra: You know, rather let's invest in something different, like let's invest in more people, more salary, or whatever their version is.
58:15
Vipul Bindra: What I'm saying is there's two ways to look at it, right?
58:18
Vipul Bindra: It's one is yeah.
58:19
David Morefield: That sucks though for those guys who dropped 20 to 40 grand on those red cameras, and then the depreciation on the market went down like that.
58:29
Dalton Smith: Hopefully when they bought it, because I don't buy it unless it pays for it.
58:33
Dalton Smith: Yeah.
58:33
Dalton Smith: And like I'm transitioning into this like more modern, like I would just kind of say normal approach.
58:39
Dalton Smith: But my when my buddy asked me, he's like, Oh, maybe something's wrong with your business.
58:42
Dalton Smith: I was like, yes, but intentionally.
58:44
Dalton Smith: Like, what do you mean?
58:45
Dalton Smith: I'm like, dude, like I'm one of my few friends that has a freaking house.
58:49
Dalton Smith: Like, I have more liquid than my, I'm not gonna say who, but yeah, I like I'm very proud of how much I've been like a little like hoarder.
58:56
Dalton Smith: And I was like, it's definitely not been like, oh, I just want to not sleep or not have a life.
59:00
Dalton Smith: It's dude, it's been tactical.
59:02
Dalton Smith: It's work, but I'm 34.
59:04
Dalton Smith: Yeah, I have a kid.
59:05
Dalton Smith: But dude, when I was 26 and freaking I didn't care.
59:07
Dalton Smith: So I believed I could make more time until now.
59:11
Dalton Smith: And so bought on the equipment thing, dude.
59:15
Dalton Smith: I have run, I at times I feel like I was filming with a banana with a lens taped to it.
59:21
Dalton Smith: But what I've identified with my clients, I have shook some of the people hired.
59:24
Dalton Smith: Like, wait, you want me to shoot in what color space?
59:27
Dalton Smith: And you want me to when you would because what I've identified is a lot of my clients are sitting at a very similar bubble.
59:32
Dalton Smith: 90% of it's going to social.
59:34
Dalton Smith: They really just need stuff, they want it quick, they don't care.
59:37
Dalton Smith: I've seen where people charge me more to do certain things.
59:40
Dalton Smith: I'm like, I understand what you want.
59:41
Dalton Smith: I'm getting paid, you're getting paid.
59:43
Dalton Smith: My client likes it like this.
59:44
Dalton Smith: But I've seen how it's bottlenecked me into a certain type of client and kind of in like a certain type of way.
59:52
Dalton Smith: So now I'm like, all right, I can keep all these techniques that I like for certain people that are in relationships, but everything else moving forward, we need to kind of draw new lines in the sand and how we want to do this.
1:00:03
Dalton Smith: And and frankly, I'm excited.
1:00:05
Dalton Smith: I've been very nervous my whole life about any kind of things.
1:00:08
Dalton Smith: I'm like, I'm very weird because I'm like resilient, but I'm a very anxious person.
1:00:13
Dalton Smith: I'm like a hugely empathetic person, but then I'm very aggressive.
1:00:16
Dalton Smith: So it's very, it's just it's it's exhausting.
1:00:19
Dalton Smith: Yeah.
1:00:20
Dalton Smith: But looking at this opportunity, I'm like not freaked out about the ESPN thing, even regardless of the calls.
1:00:25
Dalton Smith: I don't know what it is, but my father-in-law was over yesterday to help me build the duck coop.
1:00:30
Dalton Smith: Big stressor.
1:00:31
Dalton Smith: The ducks moved into the freaking thing last night.
1:00:32
Dalton Smith: They moved into the house.
1:00:33
Dalton Smith: It was it was such a joy because I've had them for eight weeks.
1:00:36
Dalton Smith: And when am I supposed to just take days to build?
1:00:38
Dalton Smith: And everything's been against me.
1:00:40
Dalton Smith: And he looked at me and he was just giving me encouragement.
1:00:43
Dalton Smith: He's like, and I was talking about how excited I am for change.
1:00:45
Dalton Smith: He's like, dude, it was funny.
1:00:47
Dalton Smith: He's like, why do you think I grow a mustache once every six months and change my hair?
1:00:51
Dalton Smith: And he's like, I'm not kidding, Dalton.
1:00:54
Dalton Smith: It's to shock myself.
1:00:55
Dalton Smith: You know what I mean?
1:00:57
Dalton Smith: And I was like, dude, I have adapted through change, and I have definitely made changes to my flaws, but I haven't done change to my environment for my betterment in a long time.
1:01:08
David Morefield: You choose to change right now, which is a nice difference than being forced to change.
1:01:12
David Morefield: Yes, exactly.
1:01:13
David Morefield: Yes.
1:01:14
David Morefield: So being choosing to change right now, um, you get to weigh like, well, what if I do this change?
1:01:20
David Morefield: Like, let's just say I'm gonna speak for you.
1:01:22
David Morefield: Let's just say you were saying, I'm gonna get some new kit that's gonna be a higher tier kit, and maybe I can uh promote that to higher level clients, or or just general branding of my company.
1:01:33
David Morefield: Okay, how much does that cost?
1:01:34
David Morefield: Costs this, this, this, this.
1:01:36
David Morefield: Okay.
1:01:36
David Morefield: And then you don't know exactly what it's gonna do, but there's so many people who could do the same thing with different tools.
1:01:46
David Morefield: So, like growing up with surfing, it's like it's surfing filming, it's kind of like do whatever you need to do to get it.
1:01:53
David Morefield: You know, it doesn't have to be the highest quality gear.
1:01:57
David Morefield: But then I'll see like other people.
1:01:59
David Morefield: There's a guy I follow on Instagram, Shane Kreutzer or something.
1:02:02
David Morefield: Yes, he's in Hawaii, and um, you know, normally for surfing, it's like people were like on old 5D Mark IIIs with like a weird gimbal tripod and uh and a long whatever the telephoto was, and it was like that for so long.
1:02:19
David Morefield: So then he is doing Komodo X with the RF, whatever it is, 100 to 500, um, getting R3D files.
1:02:30
David Morefield: Um a lot of it's going on social media.
1:02:32
David Morefield: But then I saw he was because he was at that level, um, when one of the local surfers here made it to the Olympics, he was filming Caroline do um packages.
1:02:45
David Morefield: So, like, we're gonna do a sit-down interview and we're gonna film you surfing, and then those promo packages were put up in the Olympics and it cut in beautifully because it was amazing camera quality and he knew how to use it.
1:02:59
David Morefield: So it's like he could have done all that surfing footage on very, very cheap and standard normal gear, but he went way up and beyond, way, way up above and beyond, put a huge investment into gear, and then that just allowed him to seamlessly float into Olympics packages.
1:03:19
David Morefield: Like, if I had known that was gonna happen, I'd be like, Yeah, well, I'll do that, I'll buy that.
1:03:24
David Morefield: Exactly.
1:03:24
Vipul Bindra: But see, that's you don't know where I think people just don't understand.
1:03:28
Vipul Bindra: If you I always tell people, if you don't know why somebody should buy that $50,000 camera, that means you're just not there.
1:03:35
Vipul Bindra: There's all there's the right project and the right equipment, there's no wrong equipment.
1:03:40
Vipul Bindra: Uh and if it is, then the company goes out of business, right?
1:03:43
Vipul Bindra: So these cameras are selling equipment, is just the right equipment for the right project.
1:03:48
Vipul Bindra: And uh I I have this all the time.
1:03:50
Vipul Bindra: Like I'll hang out with people and they'll be like why do you buy FX6?
1:03:53
Vipul Bindra: You know, uh, you know, and FX30 can do this or whatever, right?
1:03:56
Vipul Bindra: And then there's the opposite, you know, you have an FX6 on a set and they'll go, uh, you only have an FX6, right?
1:04:01
Vipul Bindra: It's it's a human perspective, but in the anime, the way I've always looked at, I'll have high-end projects, we'll rent fancy cameras, we'll use them.
1:04:09
Vipul Bindra: Then I have my our project we just did recently.
1:04:12
Vipul Bindra: FX3s are good enough.
1:04:13
Vipul Bindra: And and that that's a balancing ad.
1:04:15
Vipul Bindra: Anyone who looks at it the other way, it's just more, I would say, ill-informed or not looking at it.
1:04:20
Vipul Bindra: I'm saying project to equipment.
1:04:23
Vipul Bindra: There's no wrong equipment, like I said.
1:04:25
Vipul Bindra: It's no finding the right thing for what you're doing.
1:04:28
Dalton Smith: And I think it's good to look at what people are doing to improve and to lean into those things that are uncomfortable.
1:04:32
Dalton Smith: But like I've said it at your meeting, I've said it on your, I've said it everywhere, I've screened from the roof hops.
1:04:37
Dalton Smith: Like, I am the upside down, un, I don't want to say like a non-likable version, but I break every single rule in the book because I've identified what works for me with the clients that I've worked with, and it just works.
1:04:48
Dalton Smith: And they give me their money and they like it and they're stoked.
1:04:50
Dalton Smith: And I'm also seeing where I kind of have to bottle feed them forcefully into tactics that I know they need.
1:04:58
Dalton Smith: So I've ID'd a couple ways that I'm giving people, because a lot of my clients, excluding like ESPN and stuff, and like visit Florida, it's it's it's different, their budgets are different.
1:05:07
Dalton Smith: These small businesses that like need this return, like I'm realizing there's things that I need to tell them or package for them that is gonna make it work better.
1:05:16
Dalton Smith: Because if I just allow them to not use it right, it's not gonna work.
1:05:19
Dalton Smith: So one of the first people that ever paid me was called American Underwater Products, and it was an umbrella, had this baby little new brand called Lava Core.
1:05:27
Dalton Smith: And their sister brands were big, Oceanic, Ocean Pro, big scuba stuff.
1:05:31
Dalton Smith: Well, they paid me like $500 a month.
1:05:34
Dalton Smith: I'm like 21.
1:05:35
Dalton Smith: And I was just making pretty decent like little free dive content.
1:05:38
Dalton Smith: And I would make them like a video a month or something.
1:05:40
Dalton Smith: And they had them forever, and I would uh put them into like mashups in the end of the year.
1:05:45
Dalton Smith: And the point is that they probably, I don't know, paid me for like three or four years and it increased like every year.
1:05:49
Dalton Smith: Well, eventually it went away and it basically boiled down to their return.
1:05:52
Dalton Smith: But what happened is that even though it was early days, 2014, 15, these people had no freaking Instagram.
1:05:58
Dalton Smith: They weren't posting it on Facebook.
1:05:59
Dalton Smith: They had no YouTube.
1:06:01
Dalton Smith: They were strictly using it on like one or two little landing pages on their website and then at Dima for the scuba show.
1:06:09
Dalton Smith: So I always compared it to them going to Walmart, buying oil, sticking it in the trunk of their car, and then being frustrated that it didn't work.
1:06:15
Dalton Smith: Because it's in the car, right?
1:06:17
Dalton Smith: And so I feel like I have that habit with some of my clients.
1:06:22
Dalton Smith: So I've now ID'd do you have the knowledge and capabilities in the back end to make this hit?
1:06:27
Dalton Smith: Are you going to actually get this out there?
1:06:29
Dalton Smith: Because if not, maybe I can help you, or maybe I can sell you to one of my friends that has a marketing SEO company.
1:06:34
Dalton Smith: You know what I mean?
1:06:34
Dalton Smith: Because if it doesn't work, whether it's my fault or not, you're not going to hire me again.
1:06:38
Dalton Smith: So I'm trying to ID my companies because a lot of my companies are like kind of like almost there.
1:06:44
Dalton Smith: Yeah.
1:06:44
Dalton Smith: And I'm I identifying that if I don't at least point them in the direction or say certain things, um, they'll just be like, yeah, give me a give me a two-minute video.
1:06:52
Dalton Smith: That'd be great.
1:06:53
Dalton Smith: Um, and if and it doesn't serve them.
1:06:55
Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
1:06:55
Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
1:06:55
Vipul Bindra: And that's why like one of the earliest things I did, what we do, and obviously it's different.
1:07:00
Vipul Bindra: Hiring clients, they don't need any of this.
1:07:02
Vipul Bindra: We just make them what they want.
1:07:03
Vipul Bindra: But smaller clients, one of the best things I do is called implementation strategy.
1:07:07
Vipul Bindra: So when we make a video for them, I will, once we deliver the video, I deliver it with a document that's I have enough variations, but generally customized for them on what to do with the video.
1:07:18
Vipul Bindra: Because you're absolutely right.
1:07:19
Vipul Bindra: Small businesses, especially ones that don't even have a marketing team, they have no idea what to do with that video.
1:07:25
Vipul Bindra: And a lot of times they'll throw it on their YouTube or or like even at their Instagram that's done, and it's like, no, this specific video was designed to go here, and this video is designed to go here, or whatever.
1:07:36
Vipul Bindra: And so that's helped me a lot.
1:07:38
Vipul Bindra: And it may not have a direct ROI for me because it's extra work.
1:07:41
Dalton Smith: But you're putting it to test.
1:07:42
Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
1:07:43
Vipul Bindra: And they see it, and then they now can say, oh no, this video is worth it.
1:07:46
Vipul Bindra: And they got a lot of the effort that you put in too.
1:07:48
Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
1:07:49
Dalton Smith: Like you're putting in genuine time to educate them on the product.
1:07:52
Vipul Bindra: Yeah, and to be honest, I did it six years ago.
1:07:54
Vipul Bindra: Now it's easy, but yes, it was worth it.
1:07:56
Dalton Smith: It's simple for you, easily customizable, and I think those are the little things that matter.
1:08:02
Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
1:08:02
Vipul Bindra: Because it does help me because I've had clients actually post videos where they need to go, which is rare.
1:08:08
Vipul Bindra: And then I've been like, oh wow, this is good, this works.
1:08:11
Vipul Bindra: And I've been doing that.
1:08:12
Vipul Bindra: And now, like I said, it's not not even effort because I just have to attach a file.
1:08:16
Vipul Bindra: I have to find sometimes have to, you know, change a few words, but you get the idea.
1:08:20
Vipul Bindra: And it's been really helpful.
1:08:21
Vipul Bindra: So yeah, I would I would highly recommend, like you said, if you cannot, especially small businesses, you cannot take them at their word of they'll come back and say, I want a two-minute video.
1:08:30
Vipul Bindra: If you just gave them what they wanted, they they will not hire you again.
1:08:33
Vipul Bindra: And you have to a lot of times go, what where are you gonna use it?
1:08:36
Vipul Bindra: What are you gonna do with it?
1:08:37
Vipul Bindra: And then when you do give them a video, like I said, giving something simple like that, and it's not a comprehensive 10-page book, it's just like a you know, one-page video document, just so that they have an idea what to do with it, can increase your business.
1:08:51
David Morefield: I got a question since we're all here, um, without giving numbers, where would you like your yearly income to go?
1:09:01
David Morefield: Is it is it like two times what it is right now, five times, but maybe you think it might that might take 10 years?
1:09:08
David Morefield: Like, are you kind of comfortable where you are and just want to uh make systems more efficient?
1:09:14
David Morefield: Efficient.
1:09:14
David Morefield: What do you guys think?
1:09:16
Dalton Smith: Mine's easy.
1:09:16
Dalton Smith: I want to be right where I'm at, but step away to a normal position and then have the extra income to pay people to fill my gap.
1:09:21
Dalton Smith: It's all I want.
1:09:22
Dalton Smith: It's all I want.
1:09:23
Dalton Smith: I love my house, probably achievable.
1:09:25
Dalton Smith: It's like a hundred grand more.
1:09:26
Dalton Smith: I am.
1:09:27
Dalton Smith: Like that's like truly like for me to step away to like a normal human's position and pay people appropriately, it'd be like 75 to 100 grand.
1:09:35
Dalton Smith: Because the problem with MPI is we're weirdos, dude.
1:09:37
Dalton Smith: Like we're like a media entertainment company as much as we are providing production services.
1:09:43
Dalton Smith: And I can't really abandon that side because there's this whole other world of MPI where even if we take on modern branding and we do things right, we really that's what the brand is kind of built on.
1:09:55
Dalton Smith: So I need to get a social media manager that knows what they're doing, not someone I'm holding their hand.
1:10:00
Dalton Smith: I need to get my whole back end with just the whole thing.
1:10:03
Dalton Smith: And like it's systems.
1:10:04
Dalton Smith: I talked to someone recently, it's systems.
1:10:06
Dalton Smith: I got great teams and I know how to execute every leg of my business, including delegating the whole thing.
1:10:11
Dalton Smith: It's just the trickle of ding, this happens, ding, this happens.
1:10:15
Dalton Smith: I'm involved at every turn.
1:10:17
Dalton Smith: That's the problem.
1:10:18
David Morefield: You know, you know, for yours, your your company, it it has this production level to it, or a production company.
1:10:26
David Morefield: It also has this agency level to it, you know, where it can bring in talent from all different types of sectors.
1:10:33
David Morefield: Um and we're we're trying to think of our businesses as professional businesses, right?
1:10:38
David Morefield: They they all are.
1:10:39
David Morefield: But I wonder what would be different if you treated yours like a a very high-level company where maybe you didn't bring in a CEO, but you brought in some type of C level executive who looks at your business and saying, like, I I think this is, I think you see it.
1:10:56
David Morefield: This is underserved.
1:10:57
David Morefield: I think there's room if like we really like double this.
1:11:01
David Morefield: I wonder what that would look like if it like leaned into someone dedicated to to looking at your company and saying, if it was done right.
1:11:10
David Morefield: Yeah, done right.
1:11:12
David Morefield: Nothing.
1:11:13
Dalton Smith: Not the crap on myself, but like if it was set up, what would happen?
1:11:17
David Morefield: Yes.
1:11:17
David Morefield: If we really doubled down on this, this is not just a company that films interviews.
1:11:23
Dalton Smith: Well, when we're done, I would love to show you guys the work I have so far.
1:11:26
Dalton Smith: I did hire someone.
1:11:28
Dalton Smith: I'm taking two big risks.
1:11:29
Dalton Smith: I've never invested my company other than equipment ever.
1:11:32
Dalton Smith: So I'm spending some safe but relatively good investments to rebuild everything.
1:11:36
Dalton Smith: And I'm asking a lot of questions.
1:11:38
Dalton Smith: I've asked you questions, I've asked you questions.
1:11:40
Dalton Smith: I don't know what the fuck made me so afraid to ask questions.
1:11:42
Dalton Smith: Like, I guess just me, the way I was brought up.
1:11:45
Dalton Smith: But like my client the other day, I was like, and he's one of my clients, it's the tank people that they swear to God, they're getting rich off of me, but in a good way.
1:11:53
Dalton Smith: They're paying me great, but he is using it.
1:11:56
Dalton Smith: Dude, he is using it so good, man.
1:11:58
Dalton Smith: And just the click rate return, it is like I could frame them as like the ideal client, right?
1:12:04
Adam Kalinowski: As far as like Central Fork, I should.
1:12:06
Adam Kalinowski: Well, I think in terms of uh we get these kinds of results.
1:12:11
Dalton Smith: Yeah, and they're kind of what I'm targeting.
1:12:13
Dalton Smith: They are small, big, they do have the idea of how to execute it, they know what they want, they like it, we're growing it.
1:12:20
Dalton Smith: That's what I'm looking for.
1:12:22
David Morefield: Tank people for the for the audience is a company that you can rent a tank and smash over cars and jumps and trenches, and it's like a rentable experience.
1:12:36
David Morefield: Like for real.
1:12:36
David Morefield: Like those are the tank needs to be.
1:12:37
David Morefield: Yeah.
1:12:39
Dalton Smith: No, well, I mean the tank, you know.
1:12:41
Dalton Smith: I've been kind of like hiring all my other people to come just because like you guys get to drive the tank over there.
1:12:45
Dalton Smith: So next time we go, if you guys ever want to go.
1:12:46
Dalton Smith: Exactly.
1:12:47
Dalton Smith: That sounds fun.
1:12:48
Dalton Smith: Walked up to him and then I was like, hey man, your stuff's cranking with my content.
1:12:52
Dalton Smith: How are you doing it?
1:12:53
Dalton Smith: Who's running?
1:12:54
Dalton Smith: He's like, it's me.
1:12:55
Dalton Smith: So it's pretty simplistic.
1:12:56
Dalton Smith: I'm a little bit broader, but drive tanks.
1:12:59
Dalton Smith: He's got a campaign, he's got his ads, and just by asking, man, he was just a wealth of information, and it helped me realize I'm asking the right question.
1:13:06
Dalton Smith: So yeah, man, taking a little bit more risk and uh trying to just jump, you know.
1:13:10
Vipul Bindra: Triple income-wise for you.
1:13:12
Vipul Bindra: What do you think?
1:13:12
Vipul Bindra: So and I I've kind of broken this down before, but for me, I'm really happy with the video side where I am.
1:13:18
Vipul Bindra: I need to do exactly what Dalton just said.
1:13:21
Vipul Bindra: Uh more efficiency.
1:13:22
Vipul Bindra: Because currently my business is, let's be honest here.
1:13:24
Vipul Bindra: Sure, I hire a lot of people, but it's just me.
1:13:27
Vipul Bindra: At the end of the thing, I I'm one human.
1:13:31
Vipul Bindra: Currently, I'm working, and no joke, another hour of sleep today.
1:13:35
Vipul Bindra: I am running, I have no idea how to run, especially now.
1:13:38
Vipul Bindra: I'm not even eating carbs, so I have zero energy.
1:13:40
Vipul Bindra: And somehow I'm running a production company.
1:13:42
Vipul Bindra: So, anyway, talking talking about video, I'm actually very happy.
1:13:45
Vipul Bindra: If I could just continue where I'm at, uh, and this year's a little downer, but we're we've summer's been awesome, so you know we're we're going up.
1:13:52
Vipul Bindra: So um, hopefully, if I can end the year where I ended last year, I'd be really happy.
1:13:57
Vipul Bindra: But here's where I see myself, what my next challenge is.
1:14:00
Vipul Bindra: I want to, and if you noticed, removing productions already, I want to go away from Bindra productions, where I wanted to be Bindra, right?
1:14:10
Vipul Bindra: And I want to expand into other articles.
1:14:14
Vipul Bindra: So we just started a new article, we do headshots and event photography now.
1:14:18
Vipul Bindra: So technically, Bindra is becoming a brand, right?
1:14:22
Vipul Bindra: So the idea is still different company, so it's not like Bindra does everything.
1:14:26
Vipul Bindra: Bindra can be a different brand, and Bindra can do video, that's a company.
1:14:31
Vipul Bindra: Bindra can do ideally in the future, ad spend for my clients.
1:14:36
Vipul Bindra: I don't have to send them externally, um, and that photography, but again, only to businesses, so we're still not gonna start doing vettings, but then um, you know, websites.
1:14:45
Vipul Bindra: Point I'm saying is I want it to be I can handle a business's entire marketing efforts under the Bindra with various companies that we have.
1:14:55
Vipul Bindra: So slowly expanding into different verticals, and these companies all support each other.
1:14:59
Vipul Bindra: Does that make sense?
1:15:00
Vipul Bindra: And these would all be employees or are these companies that you're gonna subcontract?
1:15:03
Vipul Bindra: Well, I don't know yet, and that's where the figuring out part is, right?
1:15:07
Vipul Bindra: Uh, because currently, with like for example, photography is subcontracted, but that does not stop me from bringing somebody in to do that because we're not doing like, for example, right now we're doing headshots and uh um event photography, right?
1:15:22
Vipul Bindra: I've always done that by the way.
1:15:23
Vipul Bindra: It's not like it's something new, but it was always like subcontracted, as in like I'll call a manual, for example, the guy, you know, the hey, I'm doing this event, like, can you come do photography?
1:15:32
Vipul Bindra: Here's some money, right?
1:15:33
Vipul Bindra: That was that's not really you know vertical, but now it's like proper.
1:15:37
Vipul Bindra: It's like we're if they just want photography, we can do that, right?
1:15:40
Vipul Bindra: Within those limited scope for a business.
1:15:43
Vipul Bindra: Point is that's at least for me next thing.
1:15:46
Vipul Bindra: I'm happy with video if I can sustain it, because I don't want the video business to hurt.
1:15:50
Vipul Bindra: But I want I okay, I'll give you a quick example.
1:15:52
Vipul Bindra: Here's what happens I'll make somebody a really awesome social media, like killer.
1:15:57
Vipul Bindra: Then I then I'm like, you need to put ad spend behind it.
1:16:00
Vipul Bindra: They're like, who?
1:16:00
Vipul Bindra: Either they go find somebody or I recommend them somebody.
1:16:03
Vipul Bindra: What happens is I because I treat like I'm the expert in video, I'm not an expert in ad spend.
1:16:08
Vipul Bindra: But they'll go to somebody and who'll obviously run their ad, but they're like, oh, we can do video.
1:16:13
Vipul Bindra: Do you see?
1:16:14
Vipul Bindra: And then it's a crappy video, it's not on par.
1:16:17
Vipul Bindra: But the thing is, but to a client's perspective, being real, you have to look at their side.
1:16:22
Vipul Bindra: They want one vendor, they don't want five vendors for photography, for video, for ad spend, for website.
1:16:28
Vipul Bindra: That's just the truth.
1:16:29
Vipul Bindra: We anytime somebody works with me currently, they're purposefully making an effort to work with me because I'm a separate vendor than the other vendors.
1:16:37
Vipul Bindra: Does that make sense?
1:16:38
Vipul Bindra: So I want to say that.
1:16:39
Dalton Smith: I should put a bookmark on that and we should talk about that.
1:16:41
Dalton Smith: Yeah.
1:16:42
Dalton Smith: Because that's a we should talk about that after because I want to hear what you're about to say.
1:16:45
Dalton Smith: But I want to talk about that because Thomas really just said something that's been on uh on my brain lately about a production company versus the other services that are kind of required for those services to be you know successful in certain uh realms.
1:17:00
Adam Kalinowski: But yeah.
1:17:01
Adam Kalinowski: I got some thoughts on that as well.
1:17:03
Adam Kalinowski: I think revenue-wise, yeah, uh probably 100 grand more would be pretty solid.
1:17:10
Adam Kalinowski: Um I've been more profitable this year, and I attribute that to more freelancing as a DP versus you know doing the production company thing.
1:17:19
Adam Kalinowski: I don't know.
1:17:19
Adam Kalinowski: It all averages out to pretty much about the same, but um I'm ahead of last year, which is cool.
1:17:25
Adam Kalinowski: Um, you know, lifestyles creep up on you with the house and the kids and and all this stuff, so obviously that will need to go up over time, but I'm in that mode as well, as much as I can be while I'm also operating, but of building the systems, trying to hand things over.
1:17:41
Adam Kalinowski: And I look to my buddy in Phoenix as a really successful production company that has great systems, has in-house um like social media manager, in-house um editor, cinematographer, uh, and of course he'll contract out others, but um learning from him and his structures because he's just he's got a great brain.
1:18:02
Adam Kalinowski: And there's a good book, a boring book called Get a Grip.
1:18:06
Adam Kalinowski: And there's a version of it called Traction as well, but it's about building the structures within your business.
1:18:12
Adam Kalinowski: Super boring.
1:18:13
Adam Kalinowski: I wouldn't recommend it as a thrilling read or a thrilling audio book, but they talk about how to um build those structures in your business and fill those key positions that you need in order for the business to function generally like a normal business.
1:18:29
Adam Kalinowski: And I think that's helpful to actually look at um because you know, I sat on a call with him one time, like, dude, what does it look like?
1:18:35
Adam Kalinowski: He's like, Oh, let me pour it, pull up our org chart.
1:18:37
Adam Kalinowski: I'm like, you have an org chart, dude?
1:18:39
Adam Kalinowski: What?
1:18:39
Adam Kalinowski: What an org chart, organization chart where he's got like CEO, CMO, COO, Creative Services, production.
1:18:48
Dalton Smith: I'm like, what?
1:18:48
Dalton Smith: Do you know what's funny?
1:18:49
Dalton Smith: It encourages me and disappoints me in the same breath because I have done my own ghetto variation of all these efforts.
1:18:57
Dalton Smith: Like, I've had my groms, I hire these young kids that literally have zero experience, zero training.
1:19:03
Dalton Smith: They're like potatoes, but beautiful potatoes.
1:19:05
Dalton Smith: They have the potatoes with potential and uh with potential, and I just bring them in and I pay and I pay them and it and it works because as they get older, I gotta kind of try to keep up as the life gets real, but it's worked and it's not normal.
1:19:15
Dalton Smith: But I was a potato.
1:19:16
Dalton Smith: You weren't a potato?
1:19:17
Dalton Smith: You're a potato.
1:19:18
David Morefield: I got such great experience watching you handle chaos.
1:19:22
David Morefield: Oh Jesus.
1:19:24
Dalton Smith: You were there during what was the evolution of Dalton, the person, to MPI Productions, the company.
1:19:30
Dalton Smith: And that was through the Space Coast Office of Tourism Work.
1:19:33
Dalton Smith: And I remember they had a couple conversations with me where like I knew the team and they were like, because like we, you know, we want to use you.
1:19:41
Dalton Smith: And what it was is when my fiance split and I wanted to just be a potato forever.
1:19:46
Dalton Smith: Um, they hit me up, like, look, we can hit up other companies, but we want to work with you.
1:19:50
Dalton Smith: And I remember that got me off my butt.
1:19:52
Dalton Smith: And uh, yeah, dude, that was huge.
1:19:54
David Morefield: How much work did you do those few years?
1:19:55
David Morefield: Oh my gosh.
1:19:56
David Morefield: I did a lot.
1:19:57
David Morefield: I think like that was like the first few years of getting paid using a camera.
1:20:02
David Morefield: And like I was on a skate park um employee salary before that, probably making like 11 grand a year.
1:20:09
David Morefield: The skate park's open uh for like five hours a day after school.
1:20:14
David Morefield: So it was a great job.
1:20:15
David Morefield: But um I I think like I want to say like every every year I worked with you, I think it like went from like 11 to 18 to 22 to 28.
1:20:27
David Morefield: And I was like, oh wow, this is like great for someone who is my experience is being propped up by by someone else trying to push forward.
1:20:37
David Morefield: And uh so I got to take a lot of uh notes on what you were doing and what you were buying and how you were, you know, working.
1:20:45
David Morefield: I kind of just like during that time, I was like, yeah, you know, Dalton works for uh these big companies, like you know, because he always does that.
1:20:54
David Morefield: He always does that, and then like when I started get trying to get my own companies, I'm like, who are the big companies?
1:21:00
David Morefield: And uh and then I didn't kind of listen from big companies and then I and then I was like, oh okay, I I remember he did that one job for maybe someone who was sponsored by that company three years before.
1:21:15
David Morefield: There was always a weird point of entry.
1:21:17
David Morefield: It was like, but he pushed that that one, maybe it was unpaid, maybe it was whatever.
1:21:22
David Morefield: And I was like, oh, okay, so I I can kind of see how the long play works, and and that informed me of what some of the decisions that I could make that I did, you know, waiting around.
1:21:34
David Morefield: And then maybe three years, four years later, um, they started to come back.
1:21:39
David Morefield: And I'm like, oh yeah, I totally forgot about that.
1:21:41
David Morefield: But yeah, yeah, we can do that project now.
1:21:44
David Morefield: I'm ready for that project now.
1:21:45
David Morefield: I wasn't ready for that project before.
1:21:47
Vipul Bindra: I want to know, but uh I want to know what your financial goals are.
1:21:50
Vipul Bindra: But before I want to touch on something, you touch by the R chart.
1:21:53
Vipul Bindra: That's like my nightmare.
1:21:55
Vipul Bindra: Like I I want a structure in my business.
1:21:58
Vipul Bindra: But if if I have a business where I have to have Monday morning meetings or whatever, like I'm dead.
1:22:03
Vipul Bindra: Like because that was like I'd never want to become a business where you know it becomes stupid conference meetings or meetings where people are just like, why am I here?
1:22:12
Vipul Bindra: To me, that's the failure point of a big business.
1:22:14
David Morefield: That's kind of how it goes, though.
1:22:15
David Morefield: Yeah, but I don't want to be able to be on set adjusting the iris and managing large-level clients.
1:22:24
Vipul Bindra: No, that's fine.
1:22:24
Vipul Bindra: But I'm like, I don't want it to be like, oh, we have a company meeting every Monday or every Thursday morning for an hour, and half the people are like, why am I in this meeting?
1:22:32
Vipul Bindra: I don't know.
1:22:32
Vipul Bindra: I never want to get there.
1:22:34
Vipul Bindra: Uh, but anyway, um, what did what are your goals?
1:22:37
David Morefield: Um my my my financial goals are a little difficult to want to expand because the lifestyle I have is exactly what I want.
1:22:47
David Morefield: I can surf when I want, I can skateboard when I want, I can go explore to the springs, and so and I'm happy with the money that I have.
1:22:56
David Morefield: I'm very happy.
1:22:57
David Morefield: I had like uh over a 2x uh from the year before last year.
1:23:03
David Morefield: So I'm like, well, this is more money than I've ever had.
1:23:06
David Morefield: The lifestyle is I'm working less, I have better level clients.
1:23:11
David Morefield: But the business side of me is like, yeah, but you know, if you figure it out, you can make more.
1:23:19
David Morefield: And that doesn't mean more hours necessarily.
1:23:22
David Morefield: It might mean a little bit more attachment, but you can figure out certain systems to attract higher level clients, which is huge, instead of just working more at the level you're at.
1:23:34
David Morefield: Um and kind of similar to what you're saying, kind of similar to what you're saying.
1:23:40
David Morefield: Like a a hundred extra grand would be like I'm not complaining about that.
1:23:46
David Morefield: That would be great, as long as it doesn't interfere with me being able to live the lifestyle that I want.
1:23:53
David Morefield: And if I have to choose, I'm actually gonna stay where I am if it is a binary decision.
1:23:57
Dalton Smith: On both of your hundred grand.
1:23:58
Dalton Smith: Is the hundred grand for you, or is it to spend so that you can breathe?
1:24:04
Dalton Smith: Because mine is strictly, they won't go in my pocket.
1:24:07
Dalton Smith: It's straight out the door, 75 to 100.
1:24:10
Dalton Smith: So I more or less am in your boat where I'm very comfortable with my lifestyle.
1:24:15
Dalton Smith: I'm very comfortable with the money we have.
1:24:17
Dalton Smith: My wife doesn't work, which is a choice, and that's a huge thing.
1:24:21
Dalton Smith: And like I have life insurance and I have very expensive things, and I max my IRA and like, dude, I'm trying to do it for two people, and it's we're hitting the brink, right?
1:24:30
Dalton Smith: So that's why I'm starting to repurpose.
1:24:32
David Morefield: 100K kind of brings everything up to we're not worrying, everything's fulfilled.
1:24:37
Dalton Smith: It's where I'm uncomfortable.
1:24:38
Dalton Smith: So you and I share a similar balance of like we're doing what we want, how we want, but I'm really against the wall with how much other parts are behind my end that I'm doing alone, and it's just not working out.
1:24:49
Dalton Smith: So yeah, even on the low end, man, even if I spent 50 and it's kind of it sucks, dude, because like I'm like, I don't want to do it till it's here, but it won't work like that.
1:24:58
Dalton Smith: And it reminds me of when I accidentally fell into my Typhon Lagoon program.
1:25:01
Dalton Smith: I was like buying sessions for $1,200 from Disney and then flipping them.
1:25:05
Dalton Smith: And after paying my video guy and my surfer, we were making between $500 and $700 a session.
1:25:10
Dalton Smith: And I was doing like five a week.
1:25:12
Dalton Smith: So, and it was great because it was blowing up the MPI brand.
1:25:16
Dalton Smith: It was this great thing, but like I built it as it went.
1:25:18
Dalton Smith: And I think if you do where you're at, you're in a better position than me because you are comfortable.
1:25:23
Dalton Smith: You kind of like have a good setup.
1:25:25
Dalton Smith: So if you grow and don't break the rules you made to get there, I have to undo you know what I mean?
1:25:32
Dalton Smith: Yeah.
1:25:32
Dalton Smith: And it's like teaching an old dog new tricks.
1:25:34
David Morefield: Well, you have a couple other um large assets.
1:25:38
David Morefield: Like you have the house already, you guys, everybody has a house already.
1:25:42
David Morefield: You guys have like uh certain things that that do dictate this amount of money need to need to be in there.
1:25:49
David Morefield: So for me, I guess for the extra hundred grand to answer your question, it's kind of more keeping things as they are right now and a little bit more in my pocket, a little bit more in the savings account, and everything's just kind of cushy, and and then I can I can gradually grow with that.
1:26:08
David Morefield: It's not gonna be a good idea.
1:26:10
Adam Kalinowski: Yeah, yeah.
1:26:12
Dalton Smith: So what about you?
1:26:13
Adam Kalinowski: How would like where would your gross net?
1:26:17
Adam Kalinowski: Um I would probably I would say that would be another another hundred grand um gross revenue would be great.
1:26:25
Adam Kalinowski: And I would probably maybe split that in half in terms of bringing in more support to take weight off my shoulders.
1:26:31
Adam Kalinowski: Yeah.
1:26:31
Adam Kalinowski: Like whatever that ends up being a project manager or producer or whatever it is, and then half of it put into my own use in my personal life, whether that's investments or lifestyle or whatever it is.
1:26:45
Dalton Smith: Because you guys and most people could probably use more to put in the bank.
1:26:48
Dalton Smith: I need help because I'm f choosing to put the money that I would put towards the help in the bank.
1:26:54
Dalton Smith: And now I'm in a position to where my assets and my monthly requirements versus what we're bringing in with me stepping away, don't add up.
1:27:03
Dalton Smith: Yeah.
1:27:04
Dalton Smith: That's the dilemma.
1:27:05
Dalton Smith: So thankfully I'm a gopher and I've been just hard, like hoarding money and there is no immediate risk.
1:27:13
Dalton Smith: Like there's six to nine months of like we can stay afloat minimum.
1:27:17
Dalton Smith: And that's before you, you know what I mean?
1:27:18
Dalton Smith: So like that's a rare thing.
1:27:19
Dalton Smith: That's a that's a beautiful blessing.
1:27:21
Dalton Smith: So I'm like, I don't really want to wait till like maybe we don't have that, you know?
1:27:25
Dalton Smith: Um, and we do have some good stuff, like our house is fixed at like an ungodly low percentage that'll never happen again.
1:27:31
Dalton Smith: And I realized recently, I told Matt's, I was like, I was like, I need to shut up.
1:27:35
Dalton Smith: I need to have faith and I need to calm down and I need to focus because literally we can buy candles and we can go get gallons of water as long as we don't lose this house.
1:27:45
Dalton Smith: We you know what I mean?
1:27:46
Dalton Smith: Like, because dude, we got our house at 2.3% fixed.
1:27:49
Dalton Smith: And Adam.
1:27:52
Adam Kalinowski: Yeah, 2.3% times three.
1:27:56
Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
1:27:56
Vipul Bindra: No, and and funny enough, my first house was uh Closer to that rate, and I'm like, I wish I could get this one at that rate.
1:28:03
Dalton Smith: It's a miracle because the way I set my business up, dude, I'd be in deep, deep trouble.
1:28:07
Dalton Smith: So we're all dealt hands of cards, and it's redalt pretty frequently.
1:28:10
Dalton Smith: Sometimes it's a single card, sometimes it feels like your whole deck.
1:28:13
Dalton Smith: And right now I feel like I'm just like about to light my deck.
1:28:16
Dalton Smith: Um, but it's good, you know, it's really good.
1:28:18
Dalton Smith: And uh that's why it's important to kind of it's a very old term, but someone told me this, I never let it go.
1:28:23
Dalton Smith: He was educating me on the importance of just taking in insight from so many people.
1:28:27
Dalton Smith: And he considered it a Rolodex, which is, you know, what everyone used to keep the business cards.
1:28:30
Dalton Smith: And then I I just cannot let go of that.
1:28:32
Dalton Smith: It's every single person, all these conversations fall into the Rolodex.
1:28:37
Dalton Smith: So when I go meet this person and I give this advice or I have this conversation, if they like it, they consumed it as a singular piece.
1:28:44
Dalton Smith: But it is literally built on hundreds of conversations from dozens of people.
1:28:49
Dalton Smith: And I think that's the coolest thing in the world.
1:28:51
David Morefield: Yeah, I mean that that's why I liked doing my my filmmaker meetups.
1:28:55
David Morefield: Is like, I'll, you know, sometimes you talk to someone and you're like, just talking, and then they say something and you're like, oh, actually, I need to tune in.
1:29:02
David Morefield: How did you find that out?
1:29:04
David Morefield: And you're like, you didn't really think that they would say something that, you know, that would hit you so much.
1:29:10
David Morefield: And then I was like, oh, I'd like these conversations.
1:29:12
David Morefield: Um maybe I'll invite some more people to these, and like later this month I'm gonna do one in New York.
1:29:18
David Morefield: Sick.
1:29:19
David Morefield: So that's gonna be like I I paid for the flight, I paid for the hotel.
1:29:23
David Morefield: It's a completely that's just an expense.
1:29:26
David Morefield: I'm not gonna make money off of it, but I have seen now where I'm like, dude, investing in yourself, that's me investing in myself.
1:29:34
David Morefield: I'm gonna meet so many people, so many New York um crew members who are just gonna most of the value is they're gonna meet each other.
1:29:44
Dalton Smith: Dude, send it to me and I'll send it to the couple guys I work with in New York.
1:29:46
Dalton Smith: Yeah, exactly.
1:29:47
Dalton Smith: Literally, like I'm being serious.
1:29:48
Dalton Smith: Like last weekend there was a lot of heartbreak, you know, a couple people local that worked this package, and how cool would it be if they could go meet other filmmakers in the city through you.
1:29:58
David Morefield: Different clients, different connections.
1:30:00
David Morefield: And then I I think I think I'm actually gonna turn around really quick in the next week, the the week after, do one in Atlanta again.
1:30:06
David Morefield: And it's just kind of like it's a fun pet project, it's a fun experiment because there's no like crazy deadline deliverable.
1:30:14
David Morefield: It's like it takes a little bit of work, structure a meetup in a different state, but you're gonna have a bunch of cool conversations, and it's like it's not gonna go bad.
1:30:23
David Morefield: Yeah, worst case scenario, you're like, Oh, I had a trip to New York.
1:30:26
David Morefield: Well, do you're gonna meet people?
1:30:28
David Morefield: Yeah.
1:30:28
Dalton Smith: Question Do you guys feel like you meet or excuse me, do you feel like you learn more from other people in our space that are like you or super duper different?
1:30:36
David Morefield: Oh, different.
1:30:36
David Morefield: But for me, it'd be it'd be different.
1:30:38
David Morefield: Yeah, different, bro.
1:30:40
Adam Kalinowski: Same just we all have similarities, of course, but like, and we're doing similar work on a certain level, but like just different models that people approach the business with.
1:30:51
Dalton Smith: You guys are just agreeing on dumb things to get the echo chamber, and like y'all are like a new beast to me.
1:30:58
Dalton Smith: And I get to say David kind of morphed into like maybe a little bit more normal than I was, but like who quickly adopted this lifestyle.
1:31:05
Dalton Smith: And so David has kind of been like cool because he's me, but he's like, you know, I was like, whoa, or how'd he get there?
1:31:10
Dalton Smith: And so all of you guys, this guy Jared, I'm like, man, I'm I'm learning a lot from you guys.
1:31:15
Dalton Smith: And no, no offense to any of the people I've run with, but I'm from the GoPro pack, you know?
1:31:20
Dalton Smith: And it's like kind of echoey.
1:31:22
Dalton Smith: Yeah, and I'm wondering, like, why don't those big jobs pop up more?
1:31:26
Dalton Smith: Like, and and like, dude, I had a conversation with the girl we do my website, and she's awesome, and she nailed me in the freaking stomach.
1:31:32
Dalton Smith: She's like, okay, so let's start at the top.
1:31:34
Dalton Smith: I would never hire you for a wedding, ever.
1:31:36
Dalton Smith: Period.
1:31:36
Dalton Smith: I go to your website, it's fucking tanks, and guys are gold grills, and I don't care.
1:31:41
Dalton Smith: Yeah.
1:31:41
Dalton Smith: And so we're separating our wedding brand.
1:31:43
Dalton Smith: And this girl is so I I'm gonna just shovel money at her because she is going above, and I can feel her enthusiasm to help me out.
1:31:51
Dalton Smith: And I think that she gets my struggles, and I've never been excited to give someone my money like this.
1:31:56
Dalton Smith: Um, and so yeah, it's uh it's very peculiar that we all had this conversation today, uh, just because like everything that I would have told you I'm doing five days ago, I it is pretty unapplicable today, which is super cool.
1:32:11
Dalton Smith: Um, and so yeah, like you guys.
1:32:14
Dalton Smith: I think maybe I'm the different one.
1:32:16
Dalton Smith: Maybe I'm the weirdo, but I've learned so much from you guys.
1:32:18
Adam Kalinowski: We're pretty similar though, man.
1:32:19
Adam Kalinowski: Like the GoPro pack, where I'm like on the FX3 pack, so it's like one little micro step right there, and that doesn't even make a difference.
1:32:27
Adam Kalinowski: Really, that's just gear, man.
1:32:29
Adam Kalinowski: It's business, yeah, exactly.
1:32:30
Adam Kalinowski: Ownership, relationships, systems, and structures.
1:32:33
Adam Kalinowski: Like the gear is readily available anywhere.
1:32:36
Adam Kalinowski: Like you can hire so many people that have higher level gears.
1:32:38
Adam Kalinowski: Like, you know what I mean?
1:32:39
Adam Kalinowski: Like it's just relationships, how you you know operate as much.
1:32:43
Dalton Smith: I think the different relationships test us.
1:32:46
Dalton Smith: Yeah.
1:32:46
Dalton Smith: Especially like, I I don't know, like I feel like I'm flexible, but I tend to be particular.
1:32:52
Dalton Smith: And so I've just learned so much being forced into like even broadcast.
1:32:55
Dalton Smith: Oh my God, dude, I got my ass kicked.
1:32:57
Dalton Smith: I think anybody that went with me could just could agree that you get your ass kicked trying to understand.
1:33:02
Dalton Smith: I couldn't even, there was like they're speaking French.
1:33:04
Dalton Smith: Like, go to JD.
1:33:05
Dalton Smith: I love this story.
1:33:05
Dalton Smith: Go to JD and ask him what layout stands for.
1:33:07
Dalton Smith: I mean, shut your mouth.
1:33:09
Dalton Smith: I mean shut up.
1:33:10
Dalton Smith: He's trying to talk to the director, and I'm at the point where I'm starting to identify there's a couple moments in the in the flow that you don't talk, and JD is trying to talk to Aladdin, and he's like, layout, and I don't know what that means, but I'm not talking.
1:33:21
Dalton Smith: And then he's like, shut the fuck up.
1:33:22
Dalton Smith: And so it's just been so good to go into these very uncomfortable environments.
1:33:27
Dalton Smith: I've learned more there.
1:33:29
Dalton Smith: And I the my last sentiment to my client at ESPN, I shook their hands, I said, I want to tell you guys something serious.
1:33:35
Dalton Smith: The the job, thank you.
1:33:37
Dalton Smith: But the leadership that I've watched you guys go through just like, dude, I've seen not good things, great things, people get injured, someone had a stroke and they supported them, like all of it.
1:33:47
Dalton Smith: Watching their leadership roles from a world that I'm not from has probably been one of the most like educational things I've been through.
1:33:54
Dalton Smith: Yeah, absolutely.
1:33:54
Dalton Smith: Man, yeah.
1:33:56
Vipul Bindra: I think at the end of the day, people have different leadership styles.
1:34:00
Vipul Bindra: And to me, I want to learn from everyone because at the end of the day, look, we all take input, right?
1:34:05
Vipul Bindra: I'm taking input from three sources, and I have my own input, and and I'm gonna go process that, and I'm gonna do what's best for me.
1:34:13
Vipul Bindra: You're gonna do what's best for you.
1:34:14
Vipul Bindra: So we're all in the similar journey, but we're making our own decisions that are best for us.
1:34:18
Vipul Bindra: And then, like you said, you come to a stage where you go, hmm, I could be doing that better.
1:34:22
Vipul Bindra: And you reset.
1:34:24
Vipul Bindra: But I'm pretty sure when we talk in six months, you'll have a completely different process pro uh, you know, because some things will work, some things won't work, and then you know, you'll again do that.
1:34:33
Vipul Bindra: And that's just, I think, the part of business, and I like this.
1:34:37
Vipul Bindra: To me, that's the best part of business.
1:34:38
Vipul Bindra: Well, I wanted to share with you guys.
1:34:40
Dalton Smith: I was excited, and hopefully it means something to people because I feel like so many people get the redundancy of it's good, it's good, it's good.
1:34:45
Dalton Smith: And uh, this is a huge shift for, you know, my company's been good for quite some time.
1:34:49
Dalton Smith: We've been great, but this is like a whole new rebirth.
1:34:52
Dalton Smith: And I think one of my big pushes is realizing that like somebody could start a brand a day and have it going in 12 months, you know?
1:34:58
Dalton Smith: Yeah, like who's to say?
1:34:59
Dalton Smith: Like, why am I walled out from trying to rebrand me?
1:35:01
Dalton Smith: You know?
1:35:02
Dalton Smith: 100%.
1:35:02
Dalton Smith: Like you are.
1:35:03
Dalton Smith: Yeah.
1:35:04
Dalton Smith: You're you're trying to look at your future and where else you want to go.
1:35:06
Vipul Bindra: And to be honest, at least what I do, I don't think even brand matters because no, I uh okay, let me say correctly.
1:35:12
Vipul Bindra: Yes, branding matters, brand matters, but at least what I do, it's all about relationships.
1:35:18
Vipul Bindra: As long as you make the right relationships and you meet the right people and you do good by them, you have no idea where the spider web is going, right?
1:35:26
Vipul Bindra: Just simply your meetup, a simple thing.
1:35:29
Vipul Bindra: Where has it led to?
1:35:30
Vipul Bindra: Look, where we are today.
1:35:31
Vipul Bindra: So I messed a couple years later, right?
1:35:32
Vipul Bindra: Yeah, and all of us, I I mean, uh, is where we are today.
1:35:38
Vipul Bindra: We're recording this podcast.
1:35:39
Vipul Bindra: So a simple thing as meeting in a coffee shop led to where we are today.
1:35:45
Vipul Bindra: You're about to go to a meetup in New York and then Atlanta, right?
1:35:48
Vipul Bindra: So it's it's like it's the effort and then the the energy that you put in, and then and I guess do your best, and then I I guess it just comes back.
1:35:58
Vipul Bindra: I don't know the right way to say it, but it's a spider web, right?
1:36:00
Vipul Bindra: You're you're building your web and uh and constantly reevaluating until you get to wherever you want to be.
1:36:07
Adam Kalinowski: Here's a random question that may be kind of interesting to talk about or telling of how we each like kind of operate, but what's like your biggest line item in your um PL sheet?
1:36:20
Adam Kalinowski: Like your is it equipment, gear, uh, labor, website, marketing, like what's the biggest line item after your revenue?
1:36:30
Adam Kalinowski: I feel like that can point to where you feel the emphasis on your own.
1:36:34
Adam Kalinowski: So in a sense of like the whole brand or per project.
1:36:36
Adam Kalinowski: So you're talking about.
1:36:37
Adam Kalinowski: No, for your business.
1:36:38
Adam Kalinowski: Um, but I'm just curious what your guys' like biggest line items are as an expense after like your revenue.
1:36:45
Adam Kalinowski: Like, where does uh the biggest chunk go after you bring it in and before you you know pay yourself?
1:36:54
Dalton Smith: You guys are not gonna like my answer.
1:36:55
Dalton Smith: My answer's gonna be you already know it's gonna be upside down.
1:36:58
Dalton Smith: So it it uh basically all goes to the same pot.
1:37:03
Dalton Smith: And then Deanne delegates it between like five or six different accounts.
1:37:06
Dalton Smith: There's some that go to payroll, there's some that's like a checkings account that's a savings account just for MPI.
1:37:12
Dalton Smith: We were really great, like just liquid account in like our checking account, but it's growing so much and our savings account's great.
1:37:18
Dalton Smith: They actually called us like, hey, y'all should move some money over because I've got money in my IRA, money in the traditional stock market, but then I had all this like daily business money, and they were like, you should at least put like the bulk of it somewhere.
1:37:31
Dalton Smith: But like I pay my people for the job, and then I very rarely buy equipment, but I don't know what's it's like I never upgrade.
1:37:40
Dalton Smith: Like the last upgrade I did was when I bought that Z Cam.
1:37:42
Dalton Smith: I guess that was like last year, but that was for funsies.
1:37:45
Dalton Smith: Ain't nobody gonna fucking no nobody I'm currently working with is gonna care.
1:37:48
Dalton Smith: But Tristan, shout out to Tristan, he got me super involved.
1:37:51
Dalton Smith: I love those things.
1:37:52
Dalton Smith: I shoot with my A7S3 like 99% of the time.
1:37:55
Dalton Smith: So it's just so nice to manually pull focused and have this more cinema rig.
1:38:00
Dalton Smith: And I enjoy it.
1:38:01
Dalton Smith: But yeah, I don't buy stuff unless we have to.
1:38:03
Dalton Smith: And if I do, I always aim to make it part of the budget.
1:38:06
Dalton Smith: So like the live stream stuff, I've been kind of like chipping at it and we've been slowly adding to it.
1:38:11
Dalton Smith: Um, but then like I guess like insurances and stuff, but dude, I keep all the money.
1:38:17
Dalton Smith: That's what I'm saying.
1:38:18
Dalton Smith: That's why I'm in this position.
1:38:19
Dalton Smith: I have all the money.
1:38:20
Dalton Smith: I have all the money.
1:38:22
Dalton Smith: And I have a lot that I'm trying to do, you know.
1:38:25
Dalton Smith: I have a house and my wife, and knowingly keeping her home is making me rely on the income more.
1:38:33
Dalton Smith: But the problem is that she doesn't get paid a ton.
1:38:35
Dalton Smith: Like she's a veterination.
1:38:36
Dalton Smith: They don't get paid very well.
1:38:38
Dalton Smith: And so if she we did the math, if she went back to work four days a week, I'm not gonna be able to sacrifice that much time to take care of Kaya.
1:38:45
Dalton Smith: We're gonna have to hire someone that we don't know.
1:38:47
Dalton Smith: And then you're talking like a couple grand.
1:38:50
Dalton Smith: I should just be smarter and go get a couple extra grand.
1:38:54
Dalton Smith: So you know what I mean?
1:38:57
Dalton Smith: She can't walk in and be like, hey, Dave, I need a couple extra grand this month.
1:39:00
Dalton Smith: I can go land a job, yeah, but I can't just keep making infinite time.
1:39:05
Dalton Smith: So that's kind of the cusp of the change.
1:39:07
Dalton Smith: So um truly, like if I did things right and took that excess income, it would be to me staffing.
1:39:14
Dalton Smith: It would be to me appropriately staffing.
1:39:16
Dalton Smith: So like I do pay my mom a monthly salary.
1:39:19
Dalton Smith: My stepdad works in conjunction with her, and it's great because it's for their household, right?
1:39:24
Dalton Smith: And my stepdad just does uh we use base camp.
1:39:27
Dalton Smith: And so he does the structuring.
1:39:29
Dalton Smith: Like when we get a contract with a dozen or two dozen deliverables, there's all these different things.
1:39:34
Dalton Smith: He goes in there and puts the addresses and the names of each thing and sets it up so that way when I go to officially start playing the project, it's already there.
1:39:42
Dalton Smith: And so Deanne does all the contracts, she pays everybody, she makes sure we don't go to prison for tax evasion, and then she just slides the contracts over to Harry in the same house and he sets it all up.
1:39:52
Dalton Smith: And then historically, like at my peak, I had my mom and my stepdad.
1:39:56
Dalton Smith: I had a full-time assistant working wirelessly, but I could basically call her eight to five and slide her any sort of logistics, which was great, man.
1:40:04
Dalton Smith: I gotta go do a helicopter shoot soon.
1:40:06
Dalton Smith: And I was just thinking yesterday, normally it'd be like, hey, Sydney, call this place and get a quote.
1:40:10
Dalton Smith: Um, and then I had at one time I had four people on my Grom team.
1:40:15
Dalton Smith: I had Trevor, or excuse me, I had uh Gavin, JD, this girl Lenny, and um then I had my uh social media girl.
1:40:22
Dalton Smith: So, dude, that was the closest we've been.
1:40:25
Dalton Smith: And there was nothing wrong with it, but you know what's funny?
1:40:29
Dalton Smith: I just figured out how the hell I got here, guys.
1:40:31
Dalton Smith: Holy shit.
1:40:32
Dalton Smith: I felt these problems and I was like, risk higher, risk higher.
1:40:37
Dalton Smith: And it was working right.
1:40:38
Dalton Smith: Uh Gavin quit and it was bad.
1:40:42
Dalton Smith: It was like explosive, it ruined our friendship, and we fixed our friendship.
1:40:46
Dalton Smith: Love you, Gavin.
1:40:47
Dalton Smith: Um, but it was it was really rough and it completely wrecked my trust.
1:40:51
Dalton Smith: Then Elenny was older than the boys and had a degree, and she's like, yo, dog, I need money.
1:40:57
Dalton Smith: She's like, I need 60 grand.
1:40:58
Dalton Smith: I was like, that ain't happening.
1:41:00
Dalton Smith: I'm sorry.
1:41:01
Dalton Smith: And I was just like, We're that's not gonna work.
1:41:03
Dalton Smith: So she went on her way.
1:41:04
Dalton Smith: And she still worked with this contractually, but I was like, shit, now we're down two.
1:41:07
Dalton Smith: And then the social girl, um, we like lost like one of our clients, and I got spooked, and I was like, hey, I'll just do it myself.
1:41:14
Dalton Smith: I'll just keep that extra money.
1:41:16
Dalton Smith: You know what I mean?
1:41:17
Dalton Smith: That archaic mindset.
1:41:19
Dalton Smith: And then uh Trevor got introduced, and he was, it's too long of a story to tell, but another grom, because I don't go looking for these kids.
1:41:27
Dalton Smith: You have to fall on my lap and kind of I have to like you.
1:41:30
Dalton Smith: So I meet this other kid, and he's like doing good, but he's like, I'm going to Sweden for six months.
1:41:34
Dalton Smith: So he goes to Sweden, and before he left, this was last summer, me and JD, JD was still here.
1:41:40
Dalton Smith: We, you know, adopted this kid for the summer.
1:41:44
Dalton Smith: And I was like, the goal is for you to not suck at editing because he's a great shooter, he had no editing skills.
1:41:48
Dalton Smith: Like, if you can do my light social work for some of my clients, it's gonna take some.
1:41:52
Dalton Smith: It's like, I'll keep paying you in Sweden so you can have a job.
1:41:55
Dalton Smith: So he goes for six months.
1:41:57
Dalton Smith: He went from like August to January of this year.
1:42:01
Dalton Smith: JD quits in November.
1:42:03
Dalton Smith: And it was like brutal because he's like my brother.
1:42:06
Dalton Smith: And like now it'll never happen again.
1:42:09
Dalton Smith: But I had written this fairy tale ending, Dalton and JD till the end.
1:42:13
Dalton Smith: He's gonna work here forever.
1:42:15
Dalton Smith: And I had done that with other people, and I was just like emotionally putting myself there was the problem.
1:42:21
Dalton Smith: But he did the right thing.
1:42:22
Dalton Smith: He gave me two weeks' notice, he offered to help transition, which was great.
1:42:25
Dalton Smith: So, what I did is I took the rest of November, December to just think.
1:42:28
Dalton Smith: And it was weird because I had had a kid or a person in my office with me damn near every day during the week since 2020 for four years.
1:42:39
Dalton Smith: And dude, it was weird.
1:42:40
Dalton Smith: I had like an emotion, I like I had to like holy shit.
1:42:43
Dalton Smith: So Trevor came back in January and he looked at me the other day.
1:42:46
Dalton Smith: He's like, dude, can you believe I've only been back for six months?
1:42:48
Dalton Smith: I was like, no.
1:42:49
Dalton Smith: Oh my God.
1:42:51
Dalton Smith: Cause dude, me and the kid have been running this year.
1:42:53
Dalton Smith: So that's how I got back to this.
1:42:55
Dalton Smith: And right now it's just me and this one Grom, and we've had some interesting conversations.
1:42:59
Dalton Smith: I've been asking questions, and I ask questions I'm afraid of how much money you want to make.
1:43:03
Dalton Smith: And he gave me some good answers.
1:43:05
Dalton Smith: And I was like, Well, what do you want your future to look like?
1:43:07
Dalton Smith: Because he's smart.
1:43:08
Dalton Smith: He's gonna go do some good stuff.
1:43:10
Dalton Smith: And he kind of saw an opportunity to be honest with me, but say there is opportunity for both, you know?
1:43:17
Dalton Smith: Like I want to make a lot of money and I want to go and do a real job one day, but I see what's going on here, and maybe we can kind of mold this into the next version of it.
1:43:27
Dalton Smith: So yeah, it's funny because earlier I couldn't figure out how I got here and I just figured it out.
1:43:30
David Morefield: So um so like for the line item question, it's it's almost like you you kind of gotta make you almost need to make your your line item bigger for your staff.
1:43:42
Dalton Smith: My line item would be paying appropriate staff for a real structured business.
1:43:46
Dalton Smith: Yeah.
1:43:47
Vipul Bindra: Makes sense.
1:43:47
Vipul Bindra: No, it's the same uh for me, the people.
1:43:50
Vipul Bindra: Because uh, you know, every time I look at it, it's always people because people cost money.
1:43:55
Vipul Bindra: And I'm very, very much all about um I run my business very lean because I don't ever, you know, because we go through phases and I don't want to ever be have a huge payroll just sitting in there's no project.
1:44:06
Vipul Bindra: So I like hiring people based on project, even if it's consistently and um uh keeps it safe safe and easy for me.
1:44:14
Vipul Bindra: Uh but in the end, it's always people.
1:44:17
Vipul Bindra: It's always I would have thought yours would be equipment though.
1:44:20
Vipul Bindra: You you see the grip thing.
1:44:22
Vipul Bindra: I want to go to the perspective on that, but no, it's it's all it's people are 5x6x.
1:44:27
Vipul Bindra: Really?
1:44:27
Vipul Bindra: People, yeah, it's it's just a only buy the equipment once.
1:44:31
Vipul Bindra: People, you gotta keep getting them over the eye.
1:44:33
Vipul Bindra: Yeah, I mean, I really gotta keep buying equipment too.
1:44:35
Vipul Bindra: But see, the thing is, yes, I mean that's the simple way I can say whenever you get a project, people will be your biggest expense.
1:44:43
Vipul Bindra: Because you want to have right people, you wanna uh, you know, uh plus I like to staff well too, unless I can get somebody very skilled and reliable there.
1:44:52
Vipul Bindra: I want to have extra people there.
1:44:53
Vipul Bindra: Because like you said, oh well, not that that yours were W-2, but you never know when somebody could quit and get sick or whatever.
1:44:59
Vipul Bindra: So my thing is I know when the client hires me, I'm showing up, no matter there's an earthquake, but that does not mean the people I'm hiring, because they're freelancers, they're gonna show up if something goes wrong in their life, which is possible.
1:45:11
Vipul Bindra: So I always have to staff more than what I actually need.
1:45:14
Vipul Bindra: Point I'm trying to make is yeah, it's always gonna be people, the line item.
1:45:17
Vipul Bindra: I'd like it to be marketing, it's currently zero for me.
1:45:21
Vipul Bindra: And I like that number to very high.
1:45:23
Vipul Bindra: We do zero marketing, quite literally, uh, not even a penny on marketing for me.
1:45:29
Vipul Bindra: And I'd like that number to be very high above equipment.
1:45:32
Vipul Bindra: So currently it's people, then equipment, which is also a large number, but people are at least 5x equipment.
1:45:38
Vipul Bindra: Really?
1:45:39
David Morefield: Yeah, I I think uh for me it's it's the same thing, and it's uh uh contractor, but at this point the contractor is just L.
1:45:47
David Morefield: Yeah.
1:45:47
David Morefield: So I'm like, pair as much as I don't care, the money's routing back.
1:45:52
Dalton Smith: Well, and that's smart, and dude, that's stuff I've used to my leverage.
1:45:55
Dalton Smith: Like by having people on salary in my internal with other benefits and other things happening, it allows me to have leverage for a better opportunity with the client.
1:46:04
Dalton Smith: But like it should only be used like that in the right position, not like, hey, we can screw ourselves and make profit because of how it's set up, doesn't make it right.
1:46:12
Dalton Smith: So that's the problem.
1:46:13
David Morefield: You know what I mean?
1:46:14
David Morefield: And um like employees nowadays are only the owners.
1:46:19
David Morefield: Having employ like staff is like so archaic for small production companies.
1:46:24
David Morefield: They're like, I'm not gonna take on this huge expense.
1:46:27
Vipul Bindra: Every production company I know that had W-2s has gone to 1099s.
1:46:31
Vipul Bindra: Yeah, every single one.
1:46:32
David Morefield: And I don't blame them.
1:46:33
David Morefield: Like that that I'm a 1099 for a million different people, um, a little less so now, but um, well, like ESPN has that huge crew.
1:46:43
Dalton Smith: Everybody is freelance, excluding the producer.
1:46:46
Dalton Smith: Like, even the director is freelance.
1:46:50
Dalton Smith: Like, so yeah, dude, like the whole thing.
1:46:53
Dalton Smith: And like, like you said, it's like project-based.
1:46:56
Dalton Smith: So, like this contract that they had for these seven years, I mean, they could all basically kind of like saddle up and assume that, but then what ultimately happened?
1:47:04
Dalton Smith: And what I'm realizing, realizing it's not necessarily like panic mode.
1:47:08
Dalton Smith: They're all gonna just reset and go fall in somewhere else.
1:47:11
Dalton Smith: Me and my boys were freaking dropping bricks because we're like, um, first job.
1:47:16
Dalton Smith: But it's encouraging because like they're all like, nah, dude, like there is so much opportunity out here.
1:47:22
Dalton Smith: So 100%.
1:47:24
David Morefield: Yeah, what about you?
1:47:25
David Morefield: For the for the line item thing, like for for me, it's it's um staff, uh, which is Giselle, which is fine.
1:47:32
David Morefield: Um, and then the next one, which kind of like both you guys are talking about, is I voluntarily want to create this thing as the bigger line item.
1:47:43
David Morefield: So for you it's marketing, for you it's it's staffing, having a solid uh structure of people to offload tasks and time and brain capacity and all that stuff.
1:47:55
David Morefield: Um for me, I I think I would I would like to, it's very small scope.
1:48:01
David Morefield: I would like to just get like one more client that is like my current retainer.
1:48:07
David Morefield: Um, and that would afford me all of the things.
1:48:10
David Morefield: It would be a lot of cash, not too much different of a lifestyle, not too much different of uh time investment, and still being able to do all the other things I want.
1:48:22
David Morefield: Other than that, like if I was to increase my marketing and get a bunch of jobs, great, but also now you're just gonna be working a lot.
1:48:31
David Morefield: And I'm like, oh, well, I don't need to be working 100% of the time.
1:48:36
David Morefield: I really don't want to be.
1:48:38
David Morefield: So, you know, I it's I can kind of like choose how much more income I would like to have, but I really have to check and balance that with, okay, how much more time is that?
1:48:51
David Morefield: Because there is a a tipping point that I'm like, I'm not gonna go past that.
1:48:54
David Morefield: So it's not just purely about like lowering expenses, increasing revenue.
1:49:00
David Morefield: It's it's really like how do I maintain the life that I love right now.
1:49:06
Adam Kalinowski: Yeah, absolutely.
1:49:07
David Morefield: What about you, Adam?
1:49:09
Adam Kalinowski: Well, I would surprise people.
1:49:10
Adam Kalinowski: Yeah, the biggest line is always contract labor for me.
1:49:14
Adam Kalinowski: Like that's every at the end of the year, that's the biggest one.
1:49:17
Adam Kalinowski: And I actually take pride in that.
1:49:19
Adam Kalinowski: Uh, I think last year I paid people a hundred grand, and that's like really, really cool because that's my initial efforts of creating opportunities for other people.
1:49:29
Adam Kalinowski: That's that's two solid jobs, right?
1:49:31
Adam Kalinowski: That and then you feel a little bit like that small business vibe where it's like small businesses, you know, create jobs for America.
1:49:38
Adam Kalinowski: It's like well, actually, yeah, I'm like experiencing that, and I just, you know, I'm doing that for people, and uh I'm proud to have it be the biggest line item.
1:49:45
Adam Kalinowski: I hope it stays that way, to be honest.
1:49:47
Adam Kalinowski: Um, I like to hire eight teamers, you know.
1:49:51
Adam Kalinowski: Like I want to bring eight team people that are comfortable wearing a couple hats.
1:49:55
Adam Kalinowski: Um that's why I bring you guys out often.
1:49:58
Adam Kalinowski: Um So I and I know that that costs.
1:50:01
Adam Kalinowski: Yeah.
1:50:02
Vipul Bindra: And I think at the end they keep that business is a collection of people.
1:50:05
Vipul Bindra: So if you don't have people, which is why it's a common thread, right?
1:50:09
Vipul Bindra: Either you want to spend more on staff or you have staff as your because how it's like the common thing.
1:50:15
Vipul Bindra: I didn't expect that to be honest.
1:50:17
Vipul Bindra: Yeah, because at the end they that is what it is.
1:50:18
Vipul Bindra: Either, you know, and without people, there is no business.
1:50:21
Vipul Bindra: Then you're just a freelancer, right?
1:50:22
Dalton Smith: And then I think you have to ask yourself what you want because David is super funny because we've had this conversation.
1:50:27
Dalton Smith: We distinctively do different things with great intent.
1:50:30
Dalton Smith: Like I will intentionally crash myself into the earth to go for this intent that I'm going for.
1:50:34
Dalton Smith: And you're like, no, I'm good.
1:50:36
Dalton Smith: And whatever that means, I need to work with is totally fine.
1:50:39
Dalton Smith: And I think that's important because a lot of people have to ask themselves, like, who do you want to be and what are you willing to sacrifice?
1:50:46
Dalton Smith: Everybody wants to be able to make the most and do the least.
1:50:48
Dalton Smith: And there's ways to do it, but they're very hard.
1:50:51
Dalton Smith: You know what I mean?
1:50:52
Dalton Smith: Like it's very difficult.
1:50:53
Dalton Smith: And so, yeah, like frankly, that is my goal.
1:50:56
Dalton Smith: My goal is to get it to where it's at and I'm not there.
1:50:58
Dalton Smith: And to have all these A people in position and to have this sequential thing.
1:51:02
Dalton Smith: Cause I I've said for years, people have me twisted, I don't really give, I don't care.
1:51:07
Dalton Smith: Like this is just to make money.
1:51:09
Dalton Smith: Like I'm a filmmaker.
1:51:10
Dalton Smith: I want to go shoot.
1:51:11
Dalton Smith: Like if I wasn't getting paid, like I would be traveling with David, drinking Madayas, making surf videos, making animal films.
1:51:19
Dalton Smith: Like that's what I would be doing.
1:51:20
Dalton Smith: So when it comes to business, dude, I'm just trying to put as many zeros in the shortest amount of time while providing a great product.
1:51:26
Dalton Smith: But like this isn't for funsies.
1:51:28
Dalton Smith: The the passion is for fun.
1:51:30
Dalton Smith: Dude, this whole invoicing, keeping up, surviving, being relevant, it's not fun.
1:51:35
Dalton Smith: It's part of it, it's required, and I realize that, but you have to be honest with yourself about what it takes.
1:51:42
David Morefield: The part of that, when you it's like, but when you start figuring out how to correctly invoice, how to correctly do all these systems, then the money starts going up.
1:51:50
David Morefield: And you're like, oh, oh, dude, it's a double blade soy.
1:51:54
Dalton Smith: It trust me, it goes both ways.
1:51:56
David Morefield: Dedicate a ton of effort into this because I can make more with doing less, but then that kind of pulls me back away from doing it.
1:52:04
David Morefield: Well, think about this.
1:52:04
Dalton Smith: You guys have worked on a lot of like bigger projects, and so have I.
1:52:07
Dalton Smith: But for all I know, I've maybe like prevented myself from it going to a certain direction because of my knowledge experience, whatever.
1:52:15
Dalton Smith: I think there's a lot of opportunity with me overlapping with you guys some more, right?
1:52:19
Dalton Smith: And as you guys know, I have a really great opportunity, and it's 100% gonna have the four of you, uh, the four of us, and a lot more people.
1:52:27
Dalton Smith: I'm genuinely curious what happens for me after that?
1:52:30
Dalton Smith: Like what happens when it gets presented like that?
1:52:32
Dalton Smith: And this particular project, when when it happens, before we do anything, the day that we arrive, there are going to be dozens of people that come up and talking to me.
1:52:45
Dalton Smith: Because I'm very involved in the industry.
1:52:47
Dalton Smith: People from the WSL, people for the event, athletes, some of the people that are working, no judgment to me.
1:52:55
Dalton Smith: But when they see that we're doing the whole thing, then they're gonna get what I've meant this day this last decade.
1:53:01
Dalton Smith: I don't think that they doubt me, but when they realize that we're doing the entire thing, there's been opportunities for them to see how I was trying to do it earlier.
1:53:11
Dalton Smith: No one failed me, but I just felt maybe they didn't understand the world you guys are living in, the way you're operating, because there's a big gap, right?
1:53:18
Dalton Smith: And so I think this is the bridge, right?
1:53:21
Dalton Smith: This is where I bring the A-team of all A team out to do something in the direction I want to go in.
1:53:27
Dalton Smith: So I've got a few opportunities, and I'm always saying, forget what we're gonna do, what's gonna come from it, you know?
1:53:34
David Morefield: I think I think a way to set yourself up for better success for that project is to limit how many people ask you questions and like bringing in uh a producer who is that intermediary.
1:53:48
David Morefield: Like, hold on, you don't talk to Dalton until it filters through me.
1:53:52
David Morefield: I can probably solve this for you because there's gonna be fires that you will be pulling you that day a week before, two weeks before.
1:54:02
David Morefield: And like there definitely needs to be a firewall of what we need doers and we need thinkers.
1:54:07
David Morefield: And I have actually a couple great producers who could probably jump in in that role who I've spent more on budget before to bring them in, knowing this might be a little bit extra.
1:54:20
David Morefield: I could do this all myself, but oh my gosh, having them be able to field all the questions and then synthesize it, present it to me, and instead of me going, all right, let me let me let me understand this problem, let me do this, let me what do they say?
1:54:37
David Morefield: Let me let me go ask them directly.
1:54:39
David Morefield: It's like this person does all that for me.
1:54:41
David Morefield: And I'm like, for yeah, like what, 1500 bucks a day as a producer or whatever the rate is or project based.
1:54:48
David Morefield: I'm like, you made my brain be able to like chug slowly, continuously, and like not get rattled.
1:54:59
Dalton Smith: And that's why I miss having my assistant that I had, because it was pretty awesome, man.
1:55:04
Dalton Smith: There was times where there was like a conversation that had to be had with a client that was not requiring my assistance, and there was maybe either some resistance there or whatever, but just having that buffer.
1:55:15
Dalton Smith: And then there was also this kind of chain of command where not everything got brought to my direct front door, and that was really nice.
1:55:22
Dalton Smith: And um, you know, that is gonna be a big thing because I was talking to my buddy on the phone and I mentioned he, you know, yes, it was okay.
1:55:29
Dalton Smith: And I told him about this big project.
1:55:30
Dalton Smith: And he's like, what's really ironic, he's like, you know, I could come and help shoot because he's a shooter.
1:55:34
Dalton Smith: But he's like, honestly, bro, um, I complimented him on his leadership skills.
1:55:37
Dalton Smith: He's like, dude, maybe, maybe I could come in like for more of a producing role and a leadership role.
1:55:42
Dalton Smith: And I was like, what's really ironic is we almost like, I don't want to say butted heads, but he's an alpha like me and he likes the lead and he's really spontaneous and um got a lot of energy.
1:55:50
Dalton Smith: And I was like, shit, dude, maybe this is the perfect opportunity for this.
1:55:53
Dalton Smith: I was like, this would be great.
1:55:54
Dalton Smith: So it's gonna put me into a position where by default, so many more humans are gonna be required than I'm used to.
1:56:00
Dalton Smith: And I'm really excited just because in conjunction with that, it it appears to be an appropriately set up production where I'm not gonna get not enough tools to do this right, you know.
1:56:14
David Morefield: Then he might make wrong decisions on the day, and you have to afford him the autonomy to be like, oof, I, you know, I gave you that risk, you made a wrong decision, you made a right decision, like, but that's your role.
1:56:28
David Morefield: And that's super hard to step away and be like, oh, I think I'm needed over there.
1:56:33
David Morefield: And it's like, maybe, but that's his role.
1:56:37
David Morefield: He is supposed to figure this out right now.
1:56:39
David Morefield: You are supposed to figure out what you are doing.
1:56:41
David Morefield: But giving that that risk to someone is like, I think finding thinkers has been one of my hardest things.
1:56:47
Dalton Smith: I think it was kind of like what you're talking about with like a freelancer versus a business owner.
1:56:51
Dalton Smith: No offense to anybody, I don't mean this the wrong way, but like getting someone to like execute labor is pretty straightforward when they're good at something.
1:56:58
Dalton Smith: Getting someone to crisis avert, yeah, getting someone to to to identify something early or know how to do the dance, that is difficult.
1:57:06
Dalton Smith: And thinkers are hard to, I don't want to say hard to find, but they're crucial.
1:57:10
Dalton Smith: And I haven't hired enough to help me lift that part.
1:57:13
Dalton Smith: I'm like, oh, 10 shooters, 10 shooters.
1:57:15
Dalton Smith: Yeah.
1:57:15
Dalton Smith: And then I try to like wear it, and I it's hard.
1:57:18
Vipul Bindra: You know, that's why I take every business advice with a grain of salt.
1:57:21
Vipul Bindra: You know, most people that I talk to who are in the entrepreneurial world, the first advice they give me is you need a CEO or you know, somebody like that who can, because you know, my biggest issue is time and availability.
1:57:31
Vipul Bindra: And it's been like, oh, you need somebody like that.
1:57:33
Vipul Bindra: I'm like, no, but the the thing, the reality that they're missing out is that person is not gonna work for me because the person that can replace me has their own company, has their own company.
1:57:44
Vipul Bindra: That's what I was gonna say.
1:57:45
Vipul Bindra: Has their own company.
1:57:46
Vipul Bindra: So you have to find roles, like you said, where you can give them a role and they can probably get good at it and expert.
1:57:53
Vipul Bindra: They cannot fully replace you, they cannot be 100% autonomous, right?
1:57:57
Vipul Bindra: The way it works is at least the way I'm figuring out right now is I can maybe fill in somebody like, hey, your role is managing post-production, right?
1:58:06
Vipul Bindra: And then they can handle that.
1:58:08
Vipul Bindra: But I don't think there's a person who can replace me who can do the full crisis management, client management, all of that, because that person exists.
1:58:16
Vipul Bindra: I mean, we have three right here, but you guys are running your company, you're not gonna come work for me if that makes sense.
1:58:21
Dalton Smith: Yeah, well, not company wide though, yeah, on a project basis.
1:58:24
Dalton Smith: There ain't no way in hell anybody's gonna step into what I'm currently doing because it's not done right.
1:58:28
Dalton Smith: And that's the big problem.
1:58:29
Dalton Smith: That's why I have so much struggle getting people because I'm like, hey, can you wear 14 hats?
1:58:34
Dalton Smith: And that's the problem.
1:58:35
Dalton Smith: But like on set, I have certain people that I know if the client starts getting a little weird, if something's not going right, they're gonna spot it and they're gonna know to say something.
1:58:45
Dalton Smith: That is what's so important.
1:58:47
Dalton Smith: And that's why, like, I don't question rates, like you said, for certain people, because I know for a fact, good, bad, or ugly, they're gonna respond correctly.
1:58:55
Dalton Smith: Like it's their business.
1:58:57
Adam Kalinowski: Yeah, exactly.
1:58:57
Adam Kalinowski: Like customer service mine, like set you on that a job uh with with the Red Cross for 10 days, right?
1:59:05
Vipul Bindra: That was fun.
1:59:05
Vipul Bindra: Then send it to me for two days, turn into 10 days.
1:59:08
Vipul Bindra: Turn that 10 days.
1:59:10
David Morefield: Yeah, I was but it was two, like the call to Vipple was yeah, something like that.
1:59:14
Vipul Bindra: Two or three days.
1:59:15
Vipul Bindra: But what's what's crazy, and I I love that story for me, because I think, well, I guess I'll let you speak.
1:59:20
Adam Kalinowski: Well, yeah, it was just this is an example of the customer service mind that you want looking out for you, even when you're not there.
1:59:29
Adam Kalinowski: He's talking to these folks from Red Cross and getting my name in the hat for other opportunities outside of this coverage we were doing.
1:59:38
Adam Kalinowski: Like pretty big opportunities.
1:59:40
Adam Kalinowski: And he's like just exploring that during car ride conversations.
1:59:44
Adam Kalinowski: I'm like, dude, I didn't ask you to go out there and sell for me or like talk to clients that way for me.
1:59:49
Adam Kalinowski: I asked you to like film, don't get hurt and like edit some things and then come home and get paid.
1:59:56
Adam Kalinowski: Like that kind of thing is why I always try to hire a teamers as much as possible and people that have that customer service mind and personality.
2:00:03
Adam Kalinowski: Because you can trust them to talk about it.
2:00:07
Vipul Bindra: But here's my perspective on it.
2:00:09
Vipul Bindra: I would be doing that anyway.
2:00:10
Vipul Bindra: So if I'm on a car raise with someone, I'm not gonna be in, you know, on my phone, not we're having a conversation.
2:00:16
Vipul Bindra: And if I explore an opportunity, I'm gonna treat it like a business opportunity.
2:00:19
Vipul Bindra: I'm like, oh, you do this.
2:00:21
Vipul Bindra: Oh, you have a 30, 40 grand video contract.
2:00:24
Vipul Bindra: You do this every day.
2:00:24
Vipul Bindra: But now I'm normally I'll be Binja Productions, but now I'm like, no, I'm representing him.
2:00:29
Vipul Bindra: So I immediately go, AK Studios can handle it.
2:00:31
Vipul Bindra: Adam K Studios is the right partner.
2:00:33
Vipul Bindra: Uh, I think we need to get next year when you're contracting.
2:00:36
Adam Kalinowski: He's literally selling me harder than I would ever sell.
2:00:39
Vipul Bindra: So I'm like, dude, why are we not doing this?
2:00:41
Vipul Bindra: She's like, we don't have a flying budget.
2:00:42
Vipul Bindra: And I mean, they have I was like, no, B will manage the budget, you just give us the 30 grand or whatever.
2:00:47
Vipul Bindra: It's for Adam and me to figure out.
2:00:49
Vipul Bindra: But again, I would be out of it.
2:00:50
Vipul Bindra: But at that time, I don't want to say on it because you got me.
2:00:53
Vipul Bindra: Yeah, regardless.
2:00:54
Vipul Bindra: I'm like, but I'm like, no, B will figure out the travel budget.
2:00:58
Vipul Bindra: You give us the total budget.
2:01:00
Vipul Bindra: But in that moment, I'm doing what I would do, but I'm doing it because I'm representing him.
2:01:05
Dalton Smith: But you're doing it because you trust him to keep you in the loop for the job to because if you wouldn't care.
2:01:11
Dalton Smith: But that's but is that not the right thing to do though?
2:01:14
Vipul Bindra: Yes.
2:01:14
Vipul Bindra: But here's the thing: I if Adam tomorrow called me and said, hey, uh, we close that thing, I think Katie, Kathy, what was it?
2:01:21
Vipul Bindra: Well, either way, we close that deal, awesome, but I don't have a role for you.
2:01:26
Vipul Bindra: I'd be like, awesome, dude.
2:01:27
Vipul Bindra: Because I wasn't doing it out of thing, but what I'm saying is I cannot turn it off.
2:01:31
Vipul Bindra: Yeah, right.
2:01:32
Vipul Bindra: But you did it the right way.
2:01:35
Dalton Smith: Because what if you said, I'm gonna take that?
2:01:38
Dalton Smith: But then he would never hire me.
2:01:39
Dalton Smith: And I wouldn't.
2:01:40
Dalton Smith: So the reason that I'm here right now is because of him.
2:01:43
Dalton Smith: Yeah.
2:01:43
Dalton Smith: When you brought me to your meeting and I spoke to everybody, what did I tell you?
2:01:47
Dalton Smith: I don't I don't fuck with other people, dude.
2:01:49
Dalton Smith: I've been burned way too many times.
2:01:51
Dalton Smith: I have a chip on my shoulder, you can see from down the street.
2:01:54
Dalton Smith: This last weekend, while I'm in Madison Square Garden, I pull off this idiot project last second for some people that are in Bavard County, and frankly, the blood was on the wall.
2:02:05
Dalton Smith: They asked for a quote a month ago, they hit me up 12 hours before they wanted it.
2:02:09
Dalton Smith: I was like, if I can get someone there, then why not?
2:02:11
Dalton Smith: Right.
2:02:12
Dalton Smith: So I'm contacting.
2:02:12
Dalton Smith: I texted you, I think.
2:02:14
Dalton Smith: And I and I contacted everybody.
2:02:15
Dalton Smith: I ended up getting a guy from the other coast to drive over there to do this.
2:02:20
Dalton Smith: At the end of the night, I'm in Massescore Garden.
2:02:23
Dalton Smith: The last fight is in the last round, okay?
2:02:26
Dalton Smith: And I hadn't heard from him.
2:02:27
Dalton Smith: And I realized how late it is.
2:02:29
Dalton Smith: I'm like, how did it go?
2:02:30
Dalton Smith: And he says, went well, but they hired me to come back for tomorrow.
2:02:34
Dalton Smith: I was like, no, they didn't, because I didn't get hired.
2:02:41
Dalton Smith: Are you out of your effing mind?
2:02:42
Dalton Smith: So I text him and the client and obviously very cleanly was like, it's my understanding that you guys discuss services tomorrow that would need to be executed through my agency that you hired in the first place.
2:02:54
Dalton Smith: This is something that's never happened before.
2:02:56
Dalton Smith: They both blame each other.
2:02:58
Dalton Smith: They both tell me that the other approach them first.
2:03:02
Dalton Smith: So now I've lost a client and a shooter, a very, very talented individual.
2:03:09
Dalton Smith: And then in my fluster, I broke my rule, which is don't call people when I'm angry.
2:03:14
Dalton Smith: But the conversation that I was attending uh attempting to diffuse was not really getting responses that I wanted to hear.
2:03:22
Dalton Smith: So I picked the phone up and I was like, look, dude, how am I gonna have an agency if I paid you a rate, you know I have to get paid, and then you go back the next day and take what I paid you the first day.
2:03:36
Dalton Smith: And then the client, I'm like, are you joking?
2:03:39
Dalton Smith: You're in a multimillion dollar complex and you didn't know.
2:03:43
Dalton Smith: So it it's super hard for me to trust people.
2:03:47
Dalton Smith: And it's because unfortunately, I've been paired, I think just through irony and bad luck, and maybe by not getting to the level that I should be at.
2:03:57
Dalton Smith: I get these people that make it very hard to grow.
2:04:02
Dalton Smith: Because to grow, you need to trust people, right?
2:04:04
Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
2:04:04
Vipul Bindra: I don't want to keep, you know, giving this guy props, but this is why go to his networking media.
2:04:11
Vipul Bindra: He loves it.
2:04:12
Vipul Bindra: Because he changed my mind.
2:04:13
Vipul Bindra: The reason I'm saying is you are right.
2:04:15
Vipul Bindra: You that is not acceptable course of business.
2:04:18
Vipul Bindra: And if somebody's doing that, clearly you cannot ever hire them again, regardless of how they respond.
2:04:25
Vipul Bindra: But this is why I like meetups.
2:04:27
Vipul Bindra: You meet people, you get to gauge them, you get to know them firsthand.
2:04:31
Vipul Bindra: Because you know, if I just wanted to hire people, I get literally 20-30 emails every day from people, hire me, hire me.
2:04:37
Vipul Bindra: And I don't even know how they find me because I do zero marketing.
2:04:39
Vipul Bindra: I guess they're Googling from full sale, wherever they're studying.
2:04:42
Vipul Bindra: Point is hiring people is the easy part.
2:04:44
Vipul Bindra: People are like reaching out to get hired, but I would never hire them, not because I don't know them.
2:04:49
Vipul Bindra: And the the the thing I liked about your meetups, or in general, or just referrals from, like I said, if Adam told me or or uh or somebody I know, like you tell me that I know, hey, this person's stressworthy, because to me that's far more important than skill.
2:05:03
Vipul Bindra: Obviously, skill is important, but the right person is far more important because the right person can put an effort into learning that skill.
2:05:10
Vipul Bindra: But you cannot, I don't know, I feel like you cannot replace good people.
2:05:14
David Morefield: Relationships start if they're in your network somewhat, it would be extremely irresponsible for them to do that because they because the maybe the person who introduced you.
2:05:26
Dalton Smith: That's the hot part is he in he's not in, he's not in my network of people I hire, but he could have been for bigger stuff because there's no boundaries to flights and such.
2:05:35
Dalton Smith: And that's whatever.
2:05:36
Dalton Smith: But then I'm just like, what am I gonna do the next time I talk to my actual buddy about this?
2:05:41
Dalton Smith: Which I'm not gonna bring in, but it just it sucks, man.
2:05:43
Dalton Smith: It really sucks.
2:05:44
Dalton Smith: But without me getting all deep into it, I truly credit you.
2:05:47
Dalton Smith: And I've told you this before, dude.
2:05:48
Dalton Smith: You ask for advice to rip your art apart in hopes of getting honest feedback.
2:05:56
Dalton Smith: I would never until you really showed me that there are people that can care to help you, right?
2:06:01
Dalton Smith: Like what has made me stand out is that I'm different and tenacious and have a lot of energy, but it's also harmed me.
2:06:08
Dalton Smith: It's also held me back.
2:06:09
Dalton Smith: So, dude, that meetup, I was nervous to go to that, dude.
2:06:12
Dalton Smith: I don't like being judged.
2:06:14
Dalton Smith: I don't like feeling like I'm not in my space.
2:06:16
Dalton Smith: And I did not feel like that.
2:06:17
Dalton Smith: And when I walked in, I didn't see nobody that looked like me.
2:06:20
Dalton Smith: I didn't see nobody that just inherently felt like me.
2:06:22
Dalton Smith: And you went and broke your back trying to help me with a nightmare situation years ago, dude.
2:06:28
Dalton Smith: One of the things that has now led into what we're doing right now, which is the size of a pool, and that was the size of a shot glass.
2:06:34
Dalton Smith: Dude, you he was like, call Bendra.
2:06:36
Dalton Smith: You call Bendra, I swear to you, you're gonna have this figured out.
2:06:39
Dalton Smith: So just the the change that you gave me, forget excluding the the two humans.
2:06:45
Dalton Smith: I'm gonna meet more humans in the future now because you helped me kind of break down that barrier.
2:06:50
Vipul Bindra: And and it totally works.
2:06:51
Vipul Bindra: I've told this story before, I think season one when you were here.
2:06:54
Vipul Bindra: Uh, I was with you in North Carolina, somebody, I just needed a drone pilot or whatever in Miami, and he recommended a guy.
2:07:00
Vipul Bindra: Uh, and and you know, and this is the part I'm talking about finding the right people.
2:07:05
Vipul Bindra: David said, hire this guy, or I'd recommend this guy.
2:07:08
Vipul Bindra: I didn't look at his Instagram or nothing.
2:07:10
Vipul Bindra: I trust David enough to know he wouldn't burn me.
2:07:13
Vipul Bindra: I hired the guy, you know, I called him.
2:07:15
Vipul Bindra: I discussed rate and hired him immediately.
2:07:17
Vipul Bindra: And the guy was so awesome because he showed up and we realized uh they want drone shots here, and there was that very little opportunity.
2:07:24
Vipul Bindra: He was supposed to be in the air for a couple hours.
2:07:26
Vipul Bindra: But like, well, you're gonna fly a drone for 10 minutes.
2:07:29
Vipul Bindra: And the guy was again, this is why I'm talking about hiring the right people.
2:07:32
Vipul Bindra: He could have just been like, sure, I'll sit in my truck or I'll wait here till my roll knees needed.
2:07:37
Vipul Bindra: He was like, No, let me, let me, I I know because I always bring extra cameras.
2:07:40
Vipul Bindra: Like, I can grab an FX6, I can grab an FX3, or like I can go get you footage so I can be useful.
2:07:45
Vipul Bindra: And to me, you know, that is the type of people I want to work with where like they immediately understand the situation, they're willing to, you know, go above and beyond because he didn't have to, but to be real, uh it wasn't that unreasonable of him because you know he he knows how to operate a camera.
2:08:00
Vipul Bindra: Point is everyone won, right?
2:08:02
Vipul Bindra: And now I've sent him job because I'm pretty sure I got him hired by you because he tech he called me, he's like, Hey, thanks for recommending me or something.
2:08:08
Vipul Bindra: So I'm guessing you hired him.
2:08:10
Vipul Bindra: Um, so and that's how it goes.
2:08:12
Vipul Bindra: And I and I would never send somebody to someone if I didn't trust him.
2:08:15
Vipul Bindra: Now I know what kind of a person he is.
2:08:17
Vipul Bindra: Uh, I don't to be honest with you, I don't remember.
2:08:20
Vipul Bindra: I just remember getting this call from him.
2:08:22
Vipul Bindra: So, you know, it goes what comes around goes around.
2:08:25
Vipul Bindra: And that's how it should be.
2:08:26
Vipul Bindra: And and and so to me, finding the right people and and finding them from your network of people that you trust is way more important than finding the most skilled people of MX.
2:08:37
David Morefield: Feedback, kind of you were saying, like asking for like when I would say, like, oh, rip this apart, or a lot of it is I welcome it.
2:08:46
David Morefield: Doesn't mean I'm gonna believe it 100%, but like I'll just like note it, catalog it.
2:08:53
David Morefield: Like, maybe I'll disagree with it.
2:08:55
David Morefield: But like, I think uh sometimes I'll have the tendency to like get triggered by it and then get defensive, and then like Bro, it's like you you you critiqued me one day without me asking in my head.
2:09:09
Dalton Smith: I was like, who asked you?
2:09:13
Dalton Smith: But it was funny because I internalized it because I think you had literally right before the same day just showed me your documentary, and the first thing you say is, what do I fix?
2:09:24
Dalton Smith: Yeah.
2:09:24
Dalton Smith: And so, dude, just uh it's just I I just my whole pitch, like is you can buy a camera anywhere, you can get a job anywhere.
2:09:30
Dalton Smith: I just think who you are, the relationships.
2:09:32
Dalton Smith: I I love when people sacrifice for me, not because I want to see you suffer or take less than you're worth, but when you show it's like you want to see in a spouse, you know, like if you're gonna surround yourself with people and do this for a longer effort, you want to see that like relationship.
2:09:47
David Morefield: And it's cool because you get to see, oh, I wonder what they're gonna go off and do because they got they got some like fire in them, they got they got some curiosity in them.
2:09:55
David Morefield: I I bet you I'm gonna talk to them a year later and they're gonna be like, oh, I was just doing this.
2:09:59
David Morefield: And you're like, I mean, that's crazy.
2:10:01
David Morefield: I guess I'm not surprised, but I'm not surprised who found those opportunities.
2:10:04
David Morefield: But if you have someone who's um kind of more I don't want to say employee brained, but they are just like, tell me the task I need to do and I'll do the task and then tell me what you need me tomorrow.
2:10:18
David Morefield: It's like that's great labor to your point.
2:10:21
David Morefield: That's great labor, but um our levels are gonna kind of be like this.
2:10:28
David Morefield: They're gonna stay like that.
2:10:29
David Morefield: Yeah.
2:10:30
David Morefield: But if I find someone, it's really nice when you find someone, kind of kind of like you, like your buddy recommended uh this was a compliment to meet me because you were coming into Orlando.
2:10:42
David Morefield: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
2:10:43
David Morefield: And uh I was like, I it was not for me to be like, let me find a uh a subcontractor that I can like put on my on my thing.
2:10:52
Adam Kalinowski: I didn't have anything at that point.
2:10:53
David Morefield: Yeah, it's just like you hired me.
2:10:54
David Morefield: Yeah.
2:10:55
David Morefield: Um I was just like, oh, so he he has this going for him, he's got this going for him.
2:11:01
David Morefield: That's kind of cool.
2:11:02
David Morefield: Like, I wonder what he's gonna like find while he's here, and then you found your own thing, and then someone finds their own thing, and it's just like, okay, yeah, I want I want to be one of those guys who's like curious and and looking forward.
2:11:14
David Morefield: But if you have sometimes if you have a cushy situation, you're just like, I'm just gonna chill, I'm gonna sit here and like, how come I haven't done anything interesting in a while?
2:11:24
David Morefield: It's like well, those other people are are hungry and and they bring their A-team brain when they're hired.
2:11:31
David Morefield: And then when they're finding their own clients, they retain that A-T brain and they're finding this like you on the hurricane thing when you just found him more contracts like to bring in.
2:11:43
David Morefield: Like, yeah, yeah, it's it's cool to be around people who are motivated and act on that motivation.
2:11:48
Vipul Bindra: Uh can't believe it's been so long we've been talking, but before we go, I there's another topic I did want to teach uh touch because I've been and and kind of related to premium gear that you were talking about, because I do want People to see the business because I'm normally, you know, I've given just advice like don't invest in gear or whatever.
2:12:05
Vipul Bindra: And uh everyone comes here and talks about how much gear I have or whatever, even you assume like that's like the biggest expense.
2:12:10
Vipul Bindra: I want to talk to people again.
2:12:12
Vipul Bindra: My advice is still don't buy gear, but I do want to show people that the gear that I have is because of the work I have.
2:12:18
Vipul Bindra: I don't buy gear.
2:12:19
Vipul Bindra: Yes, I like gear, but I don't still don't buy gear just because I want to.
2:12:23
Vipul Bindra: So for example, um, you know how uh how business decision is made about gear, at least in my business.
2:12:30
Vipul Bindra: So, for example, I bought uh two 300 E2 lights from Aperture back in uh 2019.
2:12:37
Vipul Bindra: Today is 2025.
2:12:39
Vipul Bindra: The lights work fantastic.
2:12:41
Vipul Bindra: I take care of my gear, they're excellent.
2:12:44
Vipul Bindra: I have used those lights hundreds of times in the last six, seven years.
2:12:48
Vipul Bindra: And um, so the investment I think was $1,200 to $1,300 per light.
2:12:53
Vipul Bindra: And um, they have gone out on rentals and made me at least three to four grand each light.
2:12:59
Vipul Bindra: On top of that, now I'm gonna up because I'm upgrading the lights.
2:13:02
Vipul Bindra: I'm gonna sell them for $600, roughly, five to six hundred bucks.
2:13:06
Vipul Bindra: So for a 50% cost of the equipment from the business perspective, I paid uh 50% of the cost of the product in its life cycle.
2:13:14
Vipul Bindra: If that product is now gonna go make somebody else weigh more money in content, and now I get to upgrade for another 50%, because the new light that's replacing it is about the same price, 11, 1200 bucks with tax.
2:13:24
Vipul Bindra: So for another 50%, now I get to last the gear another five, six uh you know, years, assuming.
2:13:30
Vipul Bindra: But point I'm trying to make is as the cost of the business is literally profit.
2:13:35
Vipul Bindra: I made money from that year.
2:13:38
Vipul Bindra: I hope that the perspective sets in.
2:13:40
Vipul Bindra: So I've had the light for $600 and cost after sale.
2:13:44
Vipul Bindra: For six years, that means the cost per year was $100.
2:13:47
Vipul Bindra: I I rented it out at least every year for a thousand bucks, and that's not counting the numerous times we used the gear.
2:13:54
Vipul Bindra: I hope that makes sense.
2:13:55
Vipul Bindra: Geared when you buy gear, which I'm about to sell you something that it was a total loss.
2:14:00
Vipul Bindra: So let's not, there is a negative side of gear too.
2:14:02
Dalton Smith: Listen, just just buy people like Benjamin, wait.
2:14:08
Vipul Bindra: Now there's the next other side too.
2:14:09
Vipul Bindra: I bought a gear for $2,700, quite literally, and two of those.
2:14:12
Vipul Bindra: And one of them has sat brand new in a case, and now I'm gonna sell them for a huge loss.
2:14:17
Vipul Bindra: But the thing is, I didn't need two.
2:14:19
Vipul Bindra: I I didn't need to buy two.
2:14:20
Vipul Bindra: So there's that side of it.
2:14:21
Vipul Bindra: But what I'm saying is most, and sometimes, you know, business, you make bad decisions too.
2:14:25
Vipul Bindra: That's okay.
2:14:26
Vipul Bindra: Uh, but ultimately, what I'm saying is most of my gear makes me money.
2:14:30
Vipul Bindra: It's not an expense, it's uh it's an investment and it's done very calculated so that eventually there'll be a return.
2:14:37
Vipul Bindra: Uh, there's some bad decisions, but overall, as a business, the decisions are 90% positive, which means the business can continue.
2:14:44
Vipul Bindra: So, anyway, that was just a right summary of guys, like I'm not wasting money in gear.
2:14:49
Vipul Bindra: Gear is an investment, it makes me money.
2:14:51
Vipul Bindra: Uh, yes, I still don't wouldn't recommend it.
2:14:53
Vipul Bindra: I would be way richer, I would have way more money in the bank if I didn't buy gear.
2:14:57
Vipul Bindra: Because I can hire people who have the gear.
2:14:59
Dalton Smith: So why buy it's a great mindset though.
2:15:01
Vipul Bindra: Yeah, but it's not an expense, it's just an investment.
2:15:05
Vipul Bindra: And I 99%, actually, some of my stuff sells for more than I bought it.
2:15:09
Vipul Bindra: Because you have to understand, like, some like FX6 went at 500 bucks, right?
2:15:14
Vipul Bindra: Or whatever.
2:15:14
Vipul Bindra: So a lot of things can actually uh appreciate in price by the time you sell it.
2:15:18
Vipul Bindra: So I have sold things for more money after using them for years, and it was a positive net.
2:15:23
Vipul Bindra: Anyway, I just wanted to share the opposite perspective on gear than I have in the past.
2:15:28
Vipul Bindra: Like, I am not losing money in gear, I'm making tons and tons of money from gear too.
2:15:33
Vipul Bindra: So another side to look at it, yeah.
2:15:36
Vipul Bindra: And that only matters if you buy premium gear, which is why I always recommend buy the right thing.
2:15:41
Vipul Bindra: Buy the Teradek, don't buy the cheaper brand.
2:15:44
Vipul Bindra: Will it work?
2:15:45
Vipul Bindra: Yes, but you won't get that resale benefit that I'm talking about.
2:15:48
Vipul Bindra: That in five years people still want it.
2:15:49
Vipul Bindra: Same thing with aperture lights or sockler tripods or you know, stuff like that.
2:15:54
Vipul Bindra: Like I might believe it or not, this sockler, I think the first one I ever bought, cost more.
2:15:59
Vipul Bindra: I could sell it for more than I want brand new because the price is so jumped on these sticks that it's c it's 1.5x the use price than the brand new I paid six, seven years ago when I bought it.
2:16:10
Vipul Bindra: Because, you know, and that's just a appreciation and price of the the gear or whatever.
2:16:14
Vipul Bindra: So again, that's just another perspective.
2:16:17
Vipul Bindra: You can buy gear, but you have to buy it strategically.
2:16:20
Vipul Bindra: And my advice always is buy the the premium option because that's the only way to have resale value.
2:16:26
Vipul Bindra: You can buy cheap stuff, there's nothing wrong, but then that's not uh where you'll make your money back.
2:16:30
Adam Kalinowski: You just use more than expendable technical.
2:16:32
Vipul Bindra: Yeah, exactly.
2:16:33
Vipul Bindra: And then there's nothing wrong.
2:16:34
Vipul Bindra: You use it, you and that's also uh you know a way to gain value, but don't expect to like get money back.
2:16:39
Vipul Bindra: So anyway, that was it.
2:16:41
Vipul Bindra: Um, guys, thank you.
2:16:44
Vipul Bindra: Thanks for coming.
2:16:45
Vipul Bindra: Before we go, anything else we want to touch on?
2:16:49
David Morefield: Um, well, I'm excited for the big project that you have that might include us and many more people.
2:16:55
David Morefield: Um stoked to see how that works out.
2:16:57
David Morefield: And then really, like I was saying before, surrounding myself with other motivated, curious people is just cool because I get to like sometimes just eat popcorn and be like, oh, oh, you got that cool thing?
2:17:08
David Morefield: You got that cool thing?
2:17:09
David Morefield: Cool, cool.
2:17:10
Vipul Bindra: Yeah, I like being in this group.
2:17:11
Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
2:17:12
Vipul Bindra: No, I love uh, like you said, David, you started this.
2:17:15
Vipul Bindra: I can't believe you're here.
2:17:16
Vipul Bindra: Um, as in introducing me to these amazing guys here.
2:17:20
Vipul Bindra: And there's so much to learn, man.
2:17:22
Vipul Bindra: The amount of chats I've had with this guy, and not all of them are good, but we'll say some are positive.
2:17:26
Vipul Bindra: But you know, on planes and places plus the chat I had with you when you were here, the value that we can gain.
2:17:33
Vipul Bindra: This is what I wanted.
2:17:34
Vipul Bindra: Like I said, this is a passion project.
2:17:35
Vipul Bindra: I can't believe we're finishing season two.
2:17:38
Vipul Bindra: And all my my thing was people should hear these valuable conversations and and and can believe we've done it.
2:17:46
Vipul Bindra: So I want to really thank you, Belton.
2:17:47
Vipul Bindra: Thank you guys, man.
2:17:48
Vipul Bindra: Twice on this season.
2:17:49
Vipul Bindra: For sure.
2:17:50
Vipul Bindra: Thank you, David, coming twice in this season, and Adam.
2:17:53
Vipul Bindra: Uh, so I really appreciate you guys.
2:17:55
Vipul Bindra: Uh, this season has been incredible with incredible guests, and uh, we will see you next season.
2:18:01
Vipul Bindra: And I do want to shout out Mario before we go.
2:18:04
Vipul Bindra: The guy's been a trooper sleeping over there, though, but still here.
2:18:08
Vipul Bindra: Thank you all season uh for making this happen.
2:18:12
Vipul Bindra: The this really was a lot more easier than me managing everything.
2:18:15
Vipul Bindra: So Mario.
2:18:17
Vipul Bindra: Um, and uh like I said, I'll see you in season three, and we'll do something completely different.
2:18:22
Vipul Bindra: Uh we're gonna change it 180.
2:18:24
Vipul Bindra: So see you.
2:18:25
Vipul Bindra: Bye.