August 27, 2025 • 36 mins
Jimmy Owens, Founder & CEO of Design Tunnel in Oklahoma City, has spent over 14 years helping businesses transform their brand through strategic, high-quality video production. In this episode, he explains why video isn’t just a tool—it’s a clarity accelerator that forces you to define your message, tighten your focus, and show up professionally.
You’ll learn:
- Why most DIY videos fall flat—and what separates them from intentional content
- The production process every business owner should know (script to screen)
- What it really costs to build a studio setup ($1,500–$10,000—and why)
- How Jimmy’s team creates custom podcast sets with 13 studio designs
- Why AI can’t replace the human touch in brand storytelling
Later in the episode, Jimmy opens up about a major turning point in his life: getting sober. That decision didn’t just change his personal life—it reshaped his leadership, mindset, and capacity to grow a business with purpose. His take on “healthy pressure” and why he wishes he would’ve gotten serious sooner is a wake-up call for entrepreneurs running on fumes.
If you're ready to elevate your content—and yourself—this conversation delivers both strategy and heart.
Jimmy Owens: Founder & CEO of Design Tunnel
Website: https://www.designtunnel.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designtunnel/
Video Production: https://www.designtunnel.com/our-work/
Video Podcast: https://www.designtunnel.com/podcast/
#SmallBusinessPivots #BusinessPodcast #BOSS #BusinessOwnershipSimplified #MichaelDMorrison #JimmyOwens #DesignTunnel #VideoMarketing #OklahomaCity #EntrepreneurMindset #ProfessionalBranding #PodcastProduction #SmallBusinessGrowth #StorytellingStrategy #ContentCreation #BusinessOwnerTips #FromDIYtoPro #Sobriety
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, welcome to another Small Business, pivots.
We always have special guestsfrom around the world, but this
one's almost just down thestreet, right in the city where
our headquarters are, of BOSSDesign Tunnel, jimmy Owens, here
in Oklahoma City.
Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Thanks for having me.
I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Well, tell us a little bit about your business
before we get started.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Sure, well, march of 2025 was 14 years in business.
We do video production,training videos, and the last
three years we've been startingto do podcasts for people.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Well, before we introduce the show, how do you
think we're going to help peopletoday?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
I think we're going to answer a lot of good
questions when it comes to video, so I'm going to leave it
open-ended, but maybe all thequestions you should ask the
videographer or company thatyou're working with, I'll let
you take it from there.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Fantastic.
Well, let's introduce the showand we'll be right back.
Welcome to Small BusinessPivots, a podcast produced for
small business owners.
I'm your host, Michael Morrison, founder and CEO of BOSS, where
we make business ownershipsimplified for success.
Our business is helping yoursgrow.
(01:15):
Boss offers business loans withbusiness coaching support.
Apply in minutes and getapproved and funded in as little
as 24 to 48 hours atbusinessownershipsimplifiedcom.
All right, welcome back toSmall Business Pivots.
Jimmy, you've been in businessfor 14 years in video, which was
(01:39):
well before the TikTok days,but today everybody says you got
to have video.
Can you explain why we needvideo today?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
I think it's one of the most versatile pieces of
content.
I'm going to go back.
We've done a lot of printdesign over the years and I
think when people used to get abrochure created, I feel like
the video that we're creatingtoday, it's kind of like a
digital brochure, right.
It just kind of really makesyou focus on what you really
want to put in that thing,because once it goes to print,
(02:12):
there's no one doing it.
That's what video is nowadays.
It's just a really good pieceof content that can be used on
all different platforms and itmakes you focus on what your
message is.
What should we put in it?
So I think I think it's greatbecause it makes everyone focus
and like actually like put somevalue to what they're putting
out there, versus just like abunch of random content, right.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Being a videographer, I'm sure you all do video for
your company.
How do you use it in yourcompany?
Speaker 2 (02:41):
We do a lot of behind the scenes.
We've also created somecommercials for ourselves
testimonials.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Everybody says you got to have video, but what I
see people doing with theirvideo is they spend so much time
on it, but it doesn't seem likethey really have direction.
Can you help us with someinsights on when people come to
you for video, how do they useit?
Is it social media?
Is it for TV?
What do they use it for?
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Everybody's in a different part in that journey
that you're talking about.
It's just, yeah, everybody hasa different reason and I think
usually when people come to usthey're past that point of I
want to create a bunch ofcontent, like maybe they've
tried that themselves, or theytry to buy equipment, or if I
hired a videographer and itdidn't work out, or for all
(03:35):
kinds of reasons.
But usually they're coming tous when they want the quality
and they want, they want to doit right the first time, or they
want to do it right becausethey've already tried to do it.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Everybody's got, you know, a camera on their phone
and I would think that that'sprobably a competitor right now,
but can you share thedifference of using your phone
versus a studio like yourself?
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Yeah, well, content's content, but the main
difference is being able tocontrol, like, exposures.
So there's three things in acamera that we're always looking
at and shutter speed, um ISOand um F stop, and so all these
things allow us to like, get theshot that we want, like.
(04:25):
If you're like, hey, I want ablurry background, like what I
have right now, well then youwent like a lower aperture.
I know I'm speaking some jargon, but there's ways to get that
look.
And so if you look at a lot ofpeople's cell phone videos,
almost everything, even GoPro,almost everything is always in
focus the whole environment.
So there's just ways, there'sjust different ways to control
(04:47):
these cameras.
And then you know, some ofthese people that are listening
to this podcast today are likewell, I can.
Also, you can buy an app andyou can control those things
through a third-party app onyour actual cell phone, right?
So you can still get those samelooks, but just the image
quality.
Image quality, sensor size uh,how, how well will it shoot low
(05:08):
light, because not everyone'shauling around lights and doing
those kinds of things.
So just depends, it depends onthe look that you're wanting to
get and can you achieve it withwhat you have and you know who's
running the camera right likeyou have to.
Even if you're going to downloadthose apps, you still have to
do the research.
And even today I had one of mystaff come in today help me set
(05:29):
this, help me set up a podcastset that we've done many, many
times.
Because it's hard to filmyourself.
It's not, it's not as fun tofilm yourself.
You know, you have no guidance,there's all kinds of things
going there, but these camerasthat they have on, you know, the
iPhones and Androids and stuffdo a really good job at
(05:50):
photographs, at video, thedifference is like knowing what
it's doing and why it's doing it.
Like if you don't know thosethings, then you're just
guessing.
You can't reproduce the samething over and over, and so me
and my team take a lot of pridein being able to reproduce the
same thing over and over for aclient or being able to achieve
(06:12):
a look or a vision that theyhave.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
What percentage would you guesstimate?
This is probably a subjectiveanswer, but I see people
spending so much time trying tocreate a viral video, trying to
figure out the right lightingand get those apps and create
that emotion that you're talkingabout versus.
Just come to you.
You already know how to do it.
What percentage of time do youthink that saves a business
(06:38):
owner?
Speaker 2 (06:39):
I don't even know where to start with that
question because it's going tosave them a lot of time, because
we help other people with theirpodcast spaces and stuff like
that and some testimonials thatwe've received is that you know
they would have never like someof these podcasts since that
we've helped set up and thentrain their staff.
(06:59):
They would never be able tolook that way, like their staff
doesn't really understand theins and outs of those three
things in that camera theshutter speed, the f-stop and
the iso and so like.
That's like the very basicthing that you need to
understand instead of justhitting auto.
So hit auto, that means thatyour colors and everything's
going to be, it's going to lookgood, but like, depending on
(07:19):
where you're at, it's alwaysgoing to change and like, like
if your lighting changes, thenyour auto settings will change
inside your iPhone or yourcamera and you're never going to
achieve that consistent look.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
How long have you done photo and video?
Speaker 2 (07:35):
About 12 years in on photo and video.
Yeah, and so the In industryfor over 20.
So I started out as a graphicdesigner.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
So is there creativity in the photo process
as well and video process?
Yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Yeah, uh, layout, it's not just taking your phone
and I mean there's.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
there's a lot of things that go into.
It is what you're saying,Certainly.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Yeah, the, you know the amount of light that you
want to put on a subject, ifthey're overexposed, if they're
not exposed enough.
I mean there's so manydifferent.
Once you get it, you get it,but you know.
Go to go back to your questionhow much wasted time you know or
you know would be wasted I Ithink that if you, if you hired
(08:22):
someone like us or found someonehere, local, to educate you and
your staff on something, youwould be like years ahead of
where you would be, if you justwould have done it yourself.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Yeah, I always say don't be your own accountant
unless you know how to doaccounting.
All right.
So videography is kind of thesame thing.
Yeah, we have these tools,these resources, but why spend
or waste I would say waste thetime trying to figure it out and
the lighting and everything?
I want to go to your businessside of Design Tunnel.
So when you started DesignTunnel 14 years ago, if there
(08:58):
was something you wish you wouldhave done different in the
early stages, what do you thinkthat would have been?
Speaker 2 (09:05):
I wish I would have got serious sooner.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Boom.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Yeah, yeah, serious sooner.
Yeah, yeah, more serious,sooner yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Every year I I feel like I'm getting more serious
and I'm like why wasn't I thisserious last year?
You know?
And here I am getting in mylater years last year.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
You know, and here I am getting in my later years,
well, I, I, I think for me, likeI mean, I didn't end up, I
didn't plan on having staff andhaving a location and you know
any of the stuff behind me.
I didn't plan on this.
And so if I would have had aplan and got serious and you
don't know what, you don't knowRight, but, um, you know,
sometimes I say that you know wemade it this far.
You know our prayer.
(09:46):
You know we're very lucky, buttoday we're being very
intentional.
You know I don't want to be sointentional that it's not fun
and so intentional that it's notfun to work here.
So you have to juggle thosethings.
Like we can get serious on someof the things behind the scenes
so we can really make a goodplan, but it still needs to be
(10:06):
fun.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
You've really been evolving in the last five plus
years.
What would you say contributesto that?
Speaker 2 (10:17):
I'm just going to get to it.
One of the biggest things thatchanged in my life is I got
clean and sober and I'm notgoing to make a podcast about
that but me realizing somethingthat I always knew that was
holding me back.
And having to face that andthen working on that and working
a program and getting some helpwith that has changed the way
(10:39):
that I function at home,function in my business,
function in my life, and that'sbeen the biggest change in my
life that has projected us towhere we're at today.
And when you started, I work onthat daily, work on that daily
and it's just a.
You know, it's a.
What we're at today is abyproduct of that.
(11:01):
You know I wasn't trying to getto where we're at today.
I think I was trying to, but Ididn't realize how much of these
other things were holding meback.
You know I wasn't trying to getto where we're at today.
I think I was trying to, but Ididn't realize how much of these
other things were holding meback.
You know, we're all born withthat human condition where we
like to struggle, or some of usdo some of this.
You know my type of personalityI like to struggle.
I like to work and, uh, youknow you don't have to struggle
and work on the same things.
You can actually like makeprogress.
(11:22):
Imagine that.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Yeah yeah, Focus yeah .
So you you've kind of, you'vekind of got design tunnel 2.0,
if you will, in the last fiveyears.
So, going down that journey,since you did have more focus,
what were some of the thingsthat you feel has really helped
you move the needle in yourbusiness?
Speaker 2 (11:45):
coming from that fresh start, had to be willing
to look at myself first I know Ialready said that, but that was
the number one thing and thenbeing able to ask people for
help.
So, asking people for helpwhenever it's like something
that I don't know a lot about.
You know, over the years, Ialways knew I was the problem,
(12:10):
but I was never ready to hire abusiness coach, right, Because I
like to struggle, and so, and Ihad, you know, I was spending
money on other things, I wasn'tgonna be able to stay focused, I
couldn't, you know, juggle allthese things, and I knew I would
never, um, be able to achieveanything with a business coach
(12:35):
until I got serious.
And so, uh, once I got serious,uh, I think, I think it was a
year in, you know, on thatjourney of sobriety, that I
finally was able, I was willingto pay someone to help me.
And then, that's when I calledyou yeah, so Michael Morrison is
my business coach.
(12:56):
But, um, you know, and I, youknow, one of the things that you
said on that phone call was,you know, are you willing to
change the things that you can?
And I was like, yes, I am.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Yes, I think it was uh cause, cause you'd already
and I hate using this term foryou speaking for you, but some
people would say I hit rockbottom, so I knew I had to, you
know get help on my rock bottom.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
It's going to be an X-rated show here.
No well, I had to get help onmyself, yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
But then what would you say, helped you get serious
once you worked on yourself?
I mean, what was that trigger?
Because there's a lot ofbusiness owners that when we say
because you know, I say it allthe time you got to get serious
first and they're like well, Iam serious, I started a business
.
Well, no, what does that reallymean?
What does it mean to you?
Speaker 2 (13:57):
To me it's, I mean, like today we still don't have
like health insurance for ouremployees.
Right Today we're still rentingour location.
I think it's just like lookingat like revenue.
Revenue is really what I'mafter, I'm looking, I'm really
ready for, I'm looking forstability, like we live so many
years month to month, whateveryou want to call it, without,
without getting to the weeds toofar.
But, um, those things likebeing able I know I can't do
(14:20):
this on my own right.
I know that, um, I mesh wellwith people and staff and
there's and we do a really goodjob as a team and I don't.
I don't think that allvideographers are all like
smaller videographers can dothat.
So we're bigger than just anindependent videographer team,
(14:42):
like an independent videographer, but we're not as big as an
agency.
Do I want to be as big as anagency?
No, but I want the revenuestability of an agency, right,
of an agency, right.
So I think, in order for me toget serious, I have to say I
want to achieve these things andthen I have to keep these
things going.
(15:02):
And if I don't have thesethings going and we're not
achieving them, then how are wegoing to get there?
Well, I'm serious aboutachieving those things today.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
You have a team.
What would you say are some ofthe insights?
Well, the craziest thing iswe've always had a team.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
I've always had a team.
I've had a team for likeprobably like 14 years in
business.
12 of those years I've hadsomeone helping me, because I
knew that in order for me to goget more, in order for me to do
things, I have to offload thingsand let them do what they're
good at.
So today we do it totallydifferent.
We're about systems andprocesses and creating all these
(15:39):
things.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
The team you have.
You've evolved as a company.
You've evolved as a person anda leader.
What would you say are some ofthe areas of business that
you've become a better leader?
You're listening to SmallBusiness Pivots.
This podcast is produced by mycompany, Boss.
Our business is helping yoursgrow.
(16:01):
Boss offers business loans withbusiness coaching support.
Apply in minutes and getapproved and funded in as little
as 24 to 48 hours atbusinessownershipsimplifiedcom.
If you're enjoying this podcast, don't forget to hit the
subscribe button and share it aswell.
Now let's get back to ourspecial guest the team you have.
(16:24):
You've evolved as a company.
You've evolved as a person anda leader.
What would you say are some ofthe areas of business that
you've become a better leaderwith your team?
Because not everybody.
Once they hire employees, theyknow what to do with them right,
so you've evolved over time.
What would you say are somethings you've learned that have
(16:45):
been beneficial to building yourteam?
Speaker 2 (16:48):
One of the things that I used to.
Really, I'm not like anin-your-face kind of person.
I a very like I would say I'm areally soft sale, and even my
hardest sale is still not hard,you know, still soft.
But one thing that I didn't Iwanted people to be here.
If they want to be here, right,you can leave if you want to
(17:09):
leave.
If you don't want to be on theteam and you don't like it, then
you, then you can leave, like,like I didn't want to have any
kool-aid to drink.
I think this is the best way Ican put.
I didn't want to have anykool-aid to drink.
I didn't want to force you todrink the kool-aid.
You know, design tunnel to belike, oh, design tunnel, yeah,
you know, yeah, and uh, today Iwould say that we have some
(17:30):
kool-aid and we want you todrink it yeah what's what's in?
we want you to drink ourKool-Aid.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
What's in the?
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Kool-Aid Um, it's transparency, you know.
I think transparency on ourteam like if something's
bothering you work or personalyou know we're trying to keep
that personal stuff outside thedoor when you show up.
But if it's something personaland you want to talk about it,
hit one of us up you.
It has something to do with aproject that we can make things
smoother around here, then let'stalk about it.
(17:58):
Being able to not just be a yesperson, but to be able to
problem solve and figure thingsout.
If you can't do that, you'renot going to make it here.
I've told people when we'rehaving interviews that my job is
to make sure that my job is tomake you want to not work here,
(18:19):
because whenever you work hereon our team, it's probably going
to be the hardest you've everworked at.
A job Like we're just not aplace to collect, a check and
leave.
Everybody plays a really vitalrole in the success and if you
just sit back and you do yourjob, that's going to be really
helpful.
But if you sit back and you doyour job, that's going to be
really helpful.
But if you sit back and you domore than expected, it's very
(18:42):
it's.
We notice it.
It's easy to notice that aroundhere and then you know, being
able for all of us to build offof that is a contagious thing
this the show's name is smallbusiness pivots and you've
mentioned marketing, graphicdesign video podcast.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
How did you transition into those pivots and
know that it was a good thingto try or attempt or adapt,
evolve however you want to lookat it, because so many business
owners stay stuck and yet youjust keep moving.
How hard is that?
What was the process you wentthrough to say, okay, I'm going
(19:19):
to do this.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Yeah, uh, well, that's the end of the show.
I don't know, um, uh, it's.
It's an interesting processbecause I was, uh, you know, I
got an advertising BA from OUand uh, and I was just, I just
love marketing products andservices and and through like ad
copy and layout, I realizedthat I could take these like
one-liner ideas that I had and Icould turn it into a visual,
(19:43):
something that people couldactually see, and they'd be like
, oh, that's cool, you know.
So I started out graphic design, like employed as a graphic
designer for three years andthen I think you know, just like
any employee, you get all youwant is more money, right.
Or you have a side hustle, if,like, you're kind of programmed
that way, and so I was the sidehustle guy and then I was the
(20:06):
guy that always wanted to race.
So how do you get that race?
Well, you side hustle, right.
You learn what you can at work.
You get paid to learn.
One of my favorite terms thatsay is let's get paid to learn
if we don't know it.
So, graphic design, I justwanted to learn animation work.
So I just kind of I wanted todo that.
I dabbled in web design becauseI thought it was cool.
(20:28):
It was.
It was back whenever they saidprint design was going to die.
And do you remember that?
Yes, I do.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
Owning a printing company.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
Yes, we heard that every day, yeah, print's going
to die, and I was like, well,I'm going to do some web stuff.
And so you know, I was, I wasjust trying these things.
And then, you know, like doingfreelance projects on the side,
working at different places,listening to these things Um, I
come to find out that there wasI could get paid more doing some
of these things that peoplecouldn't do, and so that's
(21:01):
that's kind of really what I'vealways based some of our things
off of, like what we're tryingand what we're doing, and so, um
, like, I never wanted to do umlogo design for anybody, because
no one would you know ever.
I always say someone had anephew's, a nephew's nephew,
that could do their logo, youknow, and didn't want it.
So those were.
(21:21):
I was just talking to the wrongpeople.
However, those were the peopleI was talking to at the time or
had found out about me.
So, zero budget.
And I used to actually own awebsite called vector graphic
design, comm, where I used toget paid more to recreate
people's logo and vector formatthan I would if I would have
designed it.
Really, wow, yeah, so, um,that's kind of an interesting
(21:46):
topic, but, um, so I knew Ididn't want to do, like logos.
Uh, graphic design is actuallywhy I put my job and I went out
and I was like I want to be agraphic designer out of my house
and, uh, you know what behindme now, that's what, that's what
got me here.
Yeah, apparently, I, I, I workhard.
Um, you know, I think we justkind of like try to keep up with
(22:11):
the times and test the market.
So I think the goal is to, youknow, let's not do something
that everybody thinks that theycan do.
That's it.
So if you think that youalready got someone to design
your logo logo, cool, well, callus whenever it's designed, and
we want to make sure it's invector format, and then we'll
take it from there, you know.
So let us, let us help you dothings that you can't do.
(22:31):
And I found that very true whenit came to the animation side of
things.
You know, um, animation peoplecouldn't do, and so I got into
the animation side, cause I wasreally I used to love those, you
know, catalog, serial TVcommercials and stuff, and
that's that's what animation wasto me, um, and so you know the
(22:52):
advertising kind of backgroundand those kinds of things.
So I learned animation and youknow not, people today.
I mean, they they can filmthemselves, like you said, but
they can't do it.
Well, it's hard to filmyourself, you know it's.
Uh well, you might, you mightfilm yourself, but then do you
want to?
You know, can you do the edit?
(23:12):
Can you master the audio?
Are you wanting music?
Do you need branded?
You know animation audio.
Are you wanting music?
Do the branded?
You know animation graphics togo along with your show or your
commercial?
So there's like all theselittle things that, depending on
the project, that they can't do.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Yeah, so just finding out the things, yeah, they
can't do I read something theother day, kind of put it in
perspective of every company ismarketing a product or service.
So in other words, everycompany is a marketing company.
You just don't know how to doit, you know.
So market your product, but gofind somebody to do it better or
(23:50):
professionally.
Yeah, yeah, what does?
What does the process look likefor using a videographer?
Because it seems like there's alot of them and you mentioned
we're not like the small ones,and so I consider the small ones
like the one person, couple ofcameras in their truck or back,
you know backseat, and then youhave your boutiques and then you
(24:13):
have companies like yours.
Yours is very professional, so,kind of, what's the process
look like?
Speaker 2 (24:20):
I think the one-off videographer, I think also is
they have a full-time jobprobably.
I just want to put that outthere.
They probably have a full-timejob.
They may not be as availableall the time, right, so I just
want to put that out there.
I love all you guys.
I'm just saying there's adifference.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Well, there's a difference in business coaches
too.
Some have owned a business, butmost haven't, you know.
So it's similar.
We still love you.
Have you owned a business?
I've won and lost at a lot ofthem, more losses than wins.
But that's why I'm coaching Iwant to make sure you don't lose
.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Yeah, we don't have to struggle anymore.
Michael, that's right, it's allover.
Yeah, we don't have to struggle.
Um, our process is, uh, youknow, it's like what kind of
video are you wanting to create?
Yeah, so it was like like if itwas a TV commercial, okay,
who's writing the script?
Do you need help with that ordo you already?
You know?
So we'll sit down, we'll havethat meeting, we'll figure out.
(25:19):
They have a script.
Usually that involves, you know,is it a 15 second and a 30
second?
And then you know what, what inany video, it doesn't matter
what it is.
I would say, what would we callsuccess of this video?
Right, is it a monetary?
Is it saving you time?
Is it educating people?
(25:41):
You know, is it, you know, alead gen piece Like, what is the
expectations of this videos?
As long as it's not a therapy,warm fuzzy video, we're good.
But as long as we have anexpectation defined, um, so
write the script, figure outwho's involved.
Uh, you know, are there anygraphics or anything like that
(26:01):
that need to be created?
And, uh, usually we're creatingsome type of branded video
template for that, uh, thatvideo to go in that then is used
on all videos that they usegoing forward.
So it's like a one-timeinvestment, um, and then you
know who are the decision makers, you know what's it take to get
this approved.
Where is it going, you know, isthe message, is the messaging
(26:25):
right, or do we need to make acouple different versions to
test out the messaging?
Then it's schedule, shoot daysand edits, master audio, sound
effects, color grade, all thegood stuff.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
On the podcasting for those not watching this on
YouTube.
You've got a nice studio behindyou, so you do videography and
podcasting.
What?
What does your studio?
What can it do?
Like if someone comes to youthat they wouldn't be able to do
if they didn't have access to astudio.
So we're talking about thedifference between a traveling
(27:05):
videographer versus someone thathas a studio and travels.
What's what?
What can they do differently?
Speaker 2 (27:12):
Well, once upon a time we used to not let anyone
use our space at all.
Right, we were just using itourself.
But when we started picking upthe podcast side of things and
testing the waters on that, wehave different options.
So you can just rent our space,use our microphones, bring your
own camera, or, it doesn'tmatter, you can rent, rent the
(27:33):
space yourself.
We could film for you.
Um, and we have about currentlyabout 13 different like set
looks.
So like different colorbackdrops, uh, you know white
microphones, black microphones,all kinds of stuff like that to
kind of just support whateverkind of vibe that you're going
for, um, all the way to a custombackground.
So we have some custombackgrounds of a really cool way
(27:55):
that we do those.
You could do anything hereyourself, your marketing team,
or we can do it for you.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
So you go the extra mile for those companies that
are large enough to spend themoney or the budget that they
need to.
You also help people set uptheir studio correct, that's
correct, yeah, what, uh, onaverage would you say to get
quality equipment and get thetraining?
What would you say the averagetime and dollar amount is to
(28:25):
have their studio and I know itvaries on size and guests and
all that but just average Iwould say I would probably like
to break it down into equipmentpurchase and then, uh, wait like
uh man hours or something, ifthat's okay.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
So, like, um, for you like two microphones, two
camera or one camera, dependingon the cameras that you're gonna
, I think you could get startedwith the podcast somewhere
around like 1500 to 10 grand.
It's a huge.
It's a huge um, it's a hugewindow there, because the types
of cameras that you're that youcould film with and like I mean
(29:06):
so $1,500 to $10,000 for apodcast setup and then on the
like what we would charge tohelp you with that could range
anywhere from like $2,000 to$10,000, be anywhere in between.
In there, I think the most thatwe've charged so far to help
set up and do things is aboutfive.
(29:27):
So that's like training likeyou got, helping you get all the
equipment, setting up theequipment and then training your
staff on how to use theequipment on the equipment.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
How often does that evolve, because I know like
technology just keeps gettingbetter and better and better.
Is it the same in the videospace?
Speaker 2 (29:51):
100, 100.
Yeah, I mean, like this camerathat we're using today, that I'm
using today, it's like a fourthousand dollar.
Actually it's 4200, you know,after tax, and that's not
including the two thousanddollar lens, right, wow, um, and
, but I mean should look goodguys.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
It looks fantastic.
You're looking dapper, myfriend.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
I mean, how does it compare against other podcasts
that you've had?
Like you know how many podcastshave you done and you know,
does this, does this look good?
Right, yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
AI is a big thing at the time of this recording.
Is it affecting your businessat all?
I would say yes.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Yes, it is.
I mean, there's so many thingsthat you can do with AI.
You know, we talk about AI hereas being like it could be
really helpful.
Sometimes you can't reproducethe same thing with it, right?
So, depending on what you'retrying to do, that's my biggest.
That's my biggest thing with aiand like branding.
You know, like branding, um,and like having consistency, is
(30:58):
that we want the consistency.
So, I mean, there's things thatwe use ai on, you know, at our
office, um, but when it comes tolike filming and doing those
things, I think you know, justlike today, joe came in to help
with the lighting like thisisn't anything I would want ai
to to manage for me today.
Yeah, right, I would think thatyou would probably want to talk
(31:19):
with the person.
Um, you know, there's definitelysome really cool stuff that you
can do out there with camerasand ai.
Um, I don't know how to use allof those things.
As you know, I think socialmedia makes it all look really
easy and you know, I've been,I've went down some of those
rabbit holes too.
I'm like, okay, we're going totry to do this, and then it's
(31:39):
like that's not going to beconsistent.
Who is going to use it.
That we know.
I don't think we should do this.
You know it looks cool, likethe people online did it.
You know, and maybe they'reafter views and likes, we're
after revenue.
There's a difference.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
Yeah, there is.
It's called professionalism,and so, having owned a printing
company in the past, you used tocrack me up, because you may or
may not remember this, and someof our listeners may not be old
enough to remember this, butwhat was your perception of
someone that handed you abusiness card that looked like
it was printed off their homeprinter had the little
(32:19):
perforation on the sidesRemember those?
Versus someone?
that gives you a nice squarebusiness card.
Solid print front and back,colors on both sides.
Yeah, yeah, you know I go backand forth on business cards.
Solid print front and back,colors on both sides.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:32):
Yeah, um, you know I go back and forth on business
cards Like I still like them formany reasons.
Whenever I get them, when Inetwork, I'll put them in my
pocket and then they stay nextto my sink.
Yeah, um, at home and I putthem in my pocket until I do
something with them.
Um, I like the digital side too.
People are like I guarantee youpeople on the show will be like
(32:54):
I only use digital.
That's another way it can beforgotten a little easier.
Sometimes I take the businesscard so I can wash them in my
pocket.
Basically Be reminded that Ineed to reach out and schedule a
meeting.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
Can't wash a digital one, true, but you can forget
about them.
You can forget about it.
Yeah, we can go down thatrabbit hole for a second,
because I will share that.
Every time I get one, it's likeI never remember the app they
were using, so I can never findthat information.
Or, you know, I've got aAndroid and they've got an Apple
(33:33):
and iPhone.
Well, their contact cards don'twork on an Android, and you
know, so there's some someproblems there.
Business card is a nice handoff.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
Yeah, and there's still some really nasty business
cards out there.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
Yeah, so it's the same thing as video.
I'm assuming that you can go dothis yourself, just like you
used to be able to printbusiness cards at home.
But you can tell, and it reallyis all about that first
impression, and so that's reallywhat you.
You raise the level of thatimpression.
What's the best place to follow?
You engage with you.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
LinkedIn Design Tun you.
Linkedin Design Tunnels onLinkedIn.
So my person, jimmy Owens.
And then Instagram, instagramreally active on Instagram for
the company.
Speaker 1 (34:22):
And I'm sure you have a lot of samples of your work
all over the place.
Yes, sir, yeah Well, I alwaysleave with one question If you
were in a room of businessowners different industries,
different years of businesswhat's one thing applicable for
all of them?
It could be an insight, a book,a quote, or just something
(34:43):
you've learned that youabsolutely have to know this.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
You know, something that I recently have realized is
that I need healthy pressure inorder to hit goals.
And so let's say that if I dopush-ups in the morning, for
some reason, after like my bikeride, I'll do some push-ups.
(35:09):
For some reason, if I don'thave on this weighted jacket, 10
pushups feels like just enough,but for some reason, when I
have on this weighted 20 poundjacket, I'm going to hit 15.
So I think healthy pressure andthe right form and the right
part of your life is what youneed in order to have that
(35:30):
purpose, in order to like makeyou achieve those goals.
So that's where I'm at today.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
Fantastic.
Well, you've been a blessing tomany and a wealth of
information.
I appreciate you and wish youcontinued success.
Thanks, michael.
I appreciate you so much, mypleasure.
Thank you for listening toSmall Business Pivots.
This podcast is created andproduced by my company, boss.
Our business is growing.
Yours.
(35:56):
Boss, offers flexible businessloans with business coaching
support.
Apply in minutes and getapproved and funded in as little
as 24 to 48 hours atbusinessownershipsimplifiedcom.
If you're enjoying this podcast, don't forget to hit the
subscribe button and share it aswell.
If you need help growing yourbusiness, email me at michael at
(36:18):
michaeldmorrisoncom.
We'll see you next time onSmall Business Pivots.
All right, welcome to another Small Business, pivots.
We always have special guestsfrom around the world, but this
one's almost just down thestreet, right in the city where
our headquarters are, of BOSSDesign Tunnel, jimmy Owens, here
in Oklahoma City.
Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Thanks for having me.
I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Well, tell us a little bit about your business
before we get started.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Sure, well, march of 2025 was 14 years in business.
We do video production,training videos, and the last
three years we've been startingto do podcasts for people.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Well, before we introduce the show, how do you
think we're going to help peopletoday?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
I think we're going to answer a lot of good
questions when it comes to video, so I'm going to leave it
open-ended, but maybe all thequestions you should ask the
videographer or company thatyou're working with, I'll let
you take it from there.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Fantastic.
Well, let's introduce the showand we'll be right back.
Welcome to Small BusinessPivots, a podcast produced for
small business owners.
I'm your host, Michael Morrison, founder and CEO of BOSS, where
we make business ownershipsimplified for success.
Our business is helping yoursgrow.
(01:15):
Boss offers business loans withbusiness coaching support.
Apply in minutes and getapproved and funded in as little
as 24 to 48 hours atbusinessownershipsimplifiedcom.
All right, welcome back toSmall Business Pivots.
Jimmy, you've been in businessfor 14 years in video, which was
(01:39):
well before the TikTok days,but today everybody says you got
to have video.
Can you explain why we needvideo today?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
I think it's one of the most versatile pieces of
content.
I'm going to go back.
We've done a lot of printdesign over the years and I
think when people used to get abrochure created, I feel like
the video that we're creatingtoday, it's kind of like a
digital brochure, right.
It just kind of really makesyou focus on what you really
want to put in that thing,because once it goes to print,
(02:12):
there's no one doing it.
That's what video is nowadays.
It's just a really good pieceof content that can be used on
all different platforms and itmakes you focus on what your
message is.
What should we put in it?
So I think I think it's greatbecause it makes everyone focus
and like actually like put somevalue to what they're putting
out there, versus just like abunch of random content, right.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Being a videographer, I'm sure you all do video for
your company.
How do you use it in yourcompany?
Speaker 2 (02:41):
We do a lot of behind the scenes.
We've also created somecommercials for ourselves
testimonials.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Everybody says you got to have video, but what I
see people doing with theirvideo is they spend so much time
on it, but it doesn't seem likethey really have direction.
Can you help us with someinsights on when people come to
you for video, how do they useit?
Is it social media?
Is it for TV?
What do they use it for?
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Everybody's in a different part in that journey
that you're talking about.
It's just, yeah, everybody hasa different reason and I think
usually when people come to usthey're past that point of I
want to create a bunch ofcontent, like maybe they've
tried that themselves, or theytry to buy equipment, or if I
hired a videographer and itdidn't work out, or for all
(03:35):
kinds of reasons.
But usually they're coming tous when they want the quality
and they want, they want to doit right the first time, or they
want to do it right becausethey've already tried to do it.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Everybody's got, you know, a camera on their phone
and I would think that that'sprobably a competitor right now,
but can you share thedifference of using your phone
versus a studio like yourself?
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Yeah, well, content's content, but the main
difference is being able tocontrol, like, exposures.
So there's three things in acamera that we're always looking
at and shutter speed, um ISOand um F stop, and so all these
things allow us to like, get theshot that we want, like.
(04:25):
If you're like, hey, I want ablurry background, like what I
have right now, well then youwent like a lower aperture.
I know I'm speaking some jargon, but there's ways to get that
look.
And so if you look at a lot ofpeople's cell phone videos,
almost everything, even GoPro,almost everything is always in
focus the whole environment.
So there's just ways, there'sjust different ways to control
(04:47):
these cameras.
And then you know, some ofthese people that are listening
to this podcast today are likewell, I can.
Also, you can buy an app andyou can control those things
through a third-party app onyour actual cell phone, right?
So you can still get those samelooks, but just the image
quality.
Image quality, sensor size uh,how, how well will it shoot low
(05:08):
light, because not everyone'shauling around lights and doing
those kinds of things.
So just depends, it depends onthe look that you're wanting to
get and can you achieve it withwhat you have and you know who's
running the camera right likeyou have to.
Even if you're going to downloadthose apps, you still have to
do the research.
And even today I had one of mystaff come in today help me set
(05:29):
this, help me set up a podcastset that we've done many, many
times.
Because it's hard to filmyourself.
It's not, it's not as fun tofilm yourself.
You know, you have no guidance,there's all kinds of things
going there, but these camerasthat they have on, you know, the
iPhones and Androids and stuffdo a really good job at
(05:50):
photographs, at video, thedifference is like knowing what
it's doing and why it's doing it.
Like if you don't know thosethings, then you're just
guessing.
You can't reproduce the samething over and over, and so me
and my team take a lot of pridein being able to reproduce the
same thing over and over for aclient or being able to achieve
(06:12):
a look or a vision that theyhave.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
What percentage would you guesstimate?
This is probably a subjectiveanswer, but I see people
spending so much time trying tocreate a viral video, trying to
figure out the right lightingand get those apps and create
that emotion that you're talkingabout versus.
Just come to you.
You already know how to do it.
What percentage of time do youthink that saves a business
(06:38):
owner?
Speaker 2 (06:39):
I don't even know where to start with that
question because it's going tosave them a lot of time, because
we help other people with theirpodcast spaces and stuff like
that and some testimonials thatwe've received is that you know
they would have never like someof these podcasts since that
we've helped set up and thentrain their staff.
(06:59):
They would never be able tolook that way, like their staff
doesn't really understand theins and outs of those three
things in that camera theshutter speed, the f-stop and
the iso and so like.
That's like the very basicthing that you need to
understand instead of justhitting auto.
So hit auto, that means thatyour colors and everything's
going to be, it's going to lookgood, but like, depending on
(07:19):
where you're at, it's alwaysgoing to change and like, like
if your lighting changes, thenyour auto settings will change
inside your iPhone or yourcamera and you're never going to
achieve that consistent look.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
How long have you done photo and video?
Speaker 2 (07:35):
About 12 years in on photo and video.
Yeah, and so the In industryfor over 20.
So I started out as a graphicdesigner.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
So is there creativity in the photo process
as well and video process?
Yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Yeah, uh, layout, it's not just taking your phone
and I mean there's.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
there's a lot of things that go into.
It is what you're saying,Certainly.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Yeah, the, you know the amount of light that you
want to put on a subject, ifthey're overexposed, if they're
not exposed enough.
I mean there's so manydifferent.
Once you get it, you get it,but you know.
Go to go back to your questionhow much wasted time you know or
you know would be wasted I Ithink that if you, if you hired
(08:22):
someone like us or found someonehere, local, to educate you and
your staff on something, youwould be like years ahead of
where you would be, if you justwould have done it yourself.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Yeah, I always say don't be your own accountant
unless you know how to doaccounting.
All right.
So videography is kind of thesame thing.
Yeah, we have these tools,these resources, but why spend
or waste I would say waste thetime trying to figure it out and
the lighting and everything?
I want to go to your businessside of Design Tunnel.
So when you started DesignTunnel 14 years ago, if there
(08:58):
was something you wish you wouldhave done different in the
early stages, what do you thinkthat would have been?
Speaker 2 (09:05):
I wish I would have got serious sooner.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Boom.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Yeah, yeah, serious sooner.
Yeah, yeah, more serious,sooner yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Every year I I feel like I'm getting more serious
and I'm like why wasn't I thisserious last year?
You know?
And here I am getting in mylater years last year.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
You know, and here I am getting in my later years,
well, I, I, I think for me, likeI mean, I didn't end up, I
didn't plan on having staff andhaving a location and you know
any of the stuff behind me.
I didn't plan on this.
And so if I would have had aplan and got serious and you
don't know what, you don't knowRight, but, um, you know,
sometimes I say that you know wemade it this far.
You know our prayer.
(09:46):
You know we're very lucky, buttoday we're being very
intentional.
You know I don't want to be sointentional that it's not fun
and so intentional that it's notfun to work here.
So you have to juggle thosethings.
Like we can get serious on someof the things behind the scenes
so we can really make a goodplan, but it still needs to be
(10:06):
fun.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
You've really been evolving in the last five plus
years.
What would you say contributesto that?
Speaker 2 (10:17):
I'm just going to get to it.
One of the biggest things thatchanged in my life is I got
clean and sober and I'm notgoing to make a podcast about
that but me realizing somethingthat I always knew that was
holding me back.
And having to face that andthen working on that and working
a program and getting some helpwith that has changed the way
(10:39):
that I function at home,function in my business,
function in my life, and that'sbeen the biggest change in my
life that has projected us towhere we're at today.
And when you started, I work onthat daily, work on that daily
and it's just a.
You know, it's a.
What we're at today is abyproduct of that.
(11:01):
You know I wasn't trying to getto where we're at today.
I think I was trying to, but Ididn't realize how much of these
other things were holding meback.
You know I wasn't trying to getto where we're at today.
I think I was trying to, but Ididn't realize how much of these
other things were holding meback.
You know, we're all born withthat human condition where we
like to struggle, or some of usdo some of this.
You know my type of personalityI like to struggle.
I like to work and, uh, youknow you don't have to struggle
and work on the same things.
You can actually like makeprogress.
(11:22):
Imagine that.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Yeah yeah, Focus yeah .
So you you've kind of, you'vekind of got design tunnel 2.0,
if you will, in the last fiveyears.
So, going down that journey,since you did have more focus,
what were some of the thingsthat you feel has really helped
you move the needle in yourbusiness?
Speaker 2 (11:45):
coming from that fresh start, had to be willing
to look at myself first I know Ialready said that, but that was
the number one thing and thenbeing able to ask people for
help.
So, asking people for helpwhenever it's like something
that I don't know a lot about.
You know, over the years, Ialways knew I was the problem,
(12:10):
but I was never ready to hire abusiness coach, right, Because I
like to struggle, and so, and Ihad, you know, I was spending
money on other things, I wasn'tgonna be able to stay focused, I
couldn't, you know, juggle allthese things, and I knew I would
never, um, be able to achieveanything with a business coach
(12:35):
until I got serious.
And so, uh, once I got serious,uh, I think, I think it was a
year in, you know, on thatjourney of sobriety, that I
finally was able, I was willingto pay someone to help me.
And then, that's when I calledyou yeah, so Michael Morrison is
my business coach.
(12:56):
But, um, you know, and I, youknow, one of the things that you
said on that phone call was,you know, are you willing to
change the things that you can?
And I was like, yes, I am.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Yes, I think it was uh cause, cause you'd already
and I hate using this term foryou speaking for you, but some
people would say I hit rockbottom, so I knew I had to, you
know get help on my rock bottom.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
It's going to be an X-rated show here.
No well, I had to get help onmyself, yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
But then what would you say, helped you get serious
once you worked on yourself?
I mean, what was that trigger?
Because there's a lot ofbusiness owners that when we say
because you know, I say it allthe time you got to get serious
first and they're like well, Iam serious, I started a business
.
Well, no, what does that reallymean?
What does it mean to you?
Speaker 2 (13:57):
To me it's, I mean, like today we still don't have
like health insurance for ouremployees.
Right Today we're still rentingour location.
I think it's just like lookingat like revenue.
Revenue is really what I'mafter, I'm looking, I'm really
ready for, I'm looking forstability, like we live so many
years month to month, whateveryou want to call it, without,
without getting to the weeds toofar.
But, um, those things likebeing able I know I can't do
(14:20):
this on my own right.
I know that, um, I mesh wellwith people and staff and
there's and we do a really goodjob as a team and I don't.
I don't think that allvideographers are all like
smaller videographers can dothat.
So we're bigger than just anindependent videographer team,
(14:42):
like an independent videographer, but we're not as big as an
agency.
Do I want to be as big as anagency?
No, but I want the revenuestability of an agency, right,
of an agency, right.
So I think, in order for me toget serious, I have to say I
want to achieve these things andthen I have to keep these
things going.
(15:02):
And if I don't have thesethings going and we're not
achieving them, then how are wegoing to get there?
Well, I'm serious aboutachieving those things today.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
You have a team.
What would you say are some ofthe insights?
Well, the craziest thing iswe've always had a team.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
I've always had a team.
I've had a team for likeprobably like 14 years in
business.
12 of those years I've hadsomeone helping me, because I
knew that in order for me to goget more, in order for me to do
things, I have to offload thingsand let them do what they're
good at.
So today we do it totallydifferent.
We're about systems andprocesses and creating all these
(15:39):
things.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
The team you have.
You've evolved as a company.
You've evolved as a person anda leader.
What would you say are some ofthe areas of business that
you've become a better leader?
You're listening to SmallBusiness Pivots.
This podcast is produced by mycompany, Boss.
Our business is helping yoursgrow.
(16:01):
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Now let's get back to ourspecial guest the team you have.
(16:24):
You've evolved as a company.
You've evolved as a person anda leader.
What would you say are some ofthe areas of business that
you've become a better leaderwith your team?
Because not everybody.
Once they hire employees, theyknow what to do with them right,
so you've evolved over time.
What would you say are somethings you've learned that have
(16:45):
been beneficial to building yourteam?
Speaker 2 (16:48):
One of the things that I used to.
Really, I'm not like anin-your-face kind of person.
I a very like I would say I'm areally soft sale, and even my
hardest sale is still not hard,you know, still soft.
But one thing that I didn't Iwanted people to be here.
If they want to be here, right,you can leave if you want to
(17:09):
leave.
If you don't want to be on theteam and you don't like it, then
you, then you can leave, like,like I didn't want to have any
kool-aid to drink.
I think this is the best way Ican put.
I didn't want to have anykool-aid to drink.
I didn't want to force you todrink the kool-aid.
You know, design tunnel to belike, oh, design tunnel, yeah,
you know, yeah, and uh, today Iwould say that we have some
(17:30):
kool-aid and we want you todrink it yeah what's what's in?
we want you to drink ourKool-Aid.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
What's in the?
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Kool-Aid Um, it's transparency, you know.
I think transparency on ourteam like if something's
bothering you work or personalyou know we're trying to keep
that personal stuff outside thedoor when you show up.
But if it's something personaland you want to talk about it,
hit one of us up you.
It has something to do with aproject that we can make things
smoother around here, then let'stalk about it.
(17:58):
Being able to not just be a yesperson, but to be able to
problem solve and figure thingsout.
If you can't do that, you'renot going to make it here.
I've told people when we'rehaving interviews that my job is
to make sure that my job is tomake you want to not work here,
(18:19):
because whenever you work hereon our team, it's probably going
to be the hardest you've everworked at.
A job Like we're just not aplace to collect, a check and
leave.
Everybody plays a really vitalrole in the success and if you
just sit back and you do yourjob, that's going to be really
helpful.
But if you sit back and you doyour job, that's going to be
really helpful.
But if you sit back and you domore than expected, it's very
(18:42):
it's.
We notice it.
It's easy to notice that aroundhere and then you know, being
able for all of us to build offof that is a contagious thing
this the show's name is smallbusiness pivots and you've
mentioned marketing, graphicdesign video podcast.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
How did you transition into those pivots and
know that it was a good thingto try or attempt or adapt,
evolve however you want to lookat it, because so many business
owners stay stuck and yet youjust keep moving.
How hard is that?
What was the process you wentthrough to say, okay, I'm going
(19:19):
to do this.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Yeah, uh, well, that's the end of the show.
I don't know, um, uh, it's.
It's an interesting processbecause I was, uh, you know, I
got an advertising BA from OUand uh, and I was just, I just
love marketing products andservices and and through like ad
copy and layout, I realizedthat I could take these like
one-liner ideas that I had and Icould turn it into a visual,
(19:43):
something that people couldactually see, and they'd be like
, oh, that's cool, you know.
So I started out graphic design, like employed as a graphic
designer for three years andthen I think you know, just like
any employee, you get all youwant is more money, right.
Or you have a side hustle, if,like, you're kind of programmed
that way, and so I was the sidehustle guy and then I was the
(20:06):
guy that always wanted to race.
So how do you get that race?
Well, you side hustle, right.
You learn what you can at work.
You get paid to learn.
One of my favorite terms thatsay is let's get paid to learn
if we don't know it.
So, graphic design, I justwanted to learn animation work.
So I just kind of I wanted todo that.
I dabbled in web design becauseI thought it was cool.
(20:28):
It was.
It was back whenever they saidprint design was going to die.
And do you remember that?
Yes, I do.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
Owning a printing company.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
Yes, we heard that every day, yeah, print's going
to die, and I was like, well,I'm going to do some web stuff.
And so you know, I was, I wasjust trying these things.
And then, you know, like doingfreelance projects on the side,
working at different places,listening to these things Um, I
come to find out that there wasI could get paid more doing some
of these things that peoplecouldn't do, and so that's
(21:01):
that's kind of really what I'vealways based some of our things
off of, like what we're tryingand what we're doing, and so, um
, like, I never wanted to do umlogo design for anybody, because
no one would you know ever.
I always say someone had anephew's, a nephew's nephew,
that could do their logo, youknow, and didn't want it.
So those were.
(21:21):
I was just talking to the wrongpeople.
However, those were the peopleI was talking to at the time or
had found out about me.
So, zero budget.
And I used to actually own awebsite called vector graphic
design, comm, where I used toget paid more to recreate
people's logo and vector formatthan I would if I would have
designed it.
Really, wow, yeah, so, um,that's kind of an interesting
(21:46):
topic, but, um, so I knew Ididn't want to do, like logos.
Uh, graphic design is actuallywhy I put my job and I went out
and I was like I want to be agraphic designer out of my house
and, uh, you know what behindme now, that's what, that's what
got me here.
Yeah, apparently, I, I, I workhard.
Um, you know, I think we justkind of like try to keep up with
(22:11):
the times and test the market.
So I think the goal is to, youknow, let's not do something
that everybody thinks that theycan do.
That's it.
So if you think that youalready got someone to design
your logo logo, cool, well, callus whenever it's designed, and
we want to make sure it's invector format, and then we'll
take it from there, you know.
So let us, let us help you dothings that you can't do.
(22:31):
And I found that very true whenit came to the animation side of
things.
You know, um, animation peoplecouldn't do, and so I got into
the animation side, cause I wasreally I used to love those, you
know, catalog, serial TVcommercials and stuff, and
that's that's what animation wasto me, um, and so you know the
(22:52):
advertising kind of backgroundand those kinds of things.
So I learned animation and youknow not, people today.
I mean, they they can filmthemselves, like you said, but
they can't do it.
Well, it's hard to filmyourself, you know it's.
Uh well, you might, you mightfilm yourself, but then do you
want to?
You know, can you do the edit?
(23:12):
Can you master the audio?
Are you wanting music?
Do you need branded?
You know animation audio.
Are you wanting music?
Do the branded?
You know animation graphics togo along with your show or your
commercial?
So there's like all theselittle things that, depending on
the project, that they can't do.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Yeah, so just finding out the things, yeah, they
can't do I read something theother day, kind of put it in
perspective of every company ismarketing a product or service.
So in other words, everycompany is a marketing company.
You just don't know how to doit, you know.
So market your product, but gofind somebody to do it better or
(23:50):
professionally.
Yeah, yeah, what does?
What does the process look likefor using a videographer?
Because it seems like there's alot of them and you mentioned
we're not like the small ones,and so I consider the small ones
like the one person, couple ofcameras in their truck or back,
you know backseat, and then youhave your boutiques and then you
(24:13):
have companies like yours.
Yours is very professional, so,kind of, what's the process
look like?
Speaker 2 (24:20):
I think the one-off videographer, I think also is
they have a full-time jobprobably.
I just want to put that outthere.
They probably have a full-timejob.
They may not be as availableall the time, right, so I just
want to put that out there.
I love all you guys.
I'm just saying there's adifference.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Well, there's a difference in business coaches
too.
Some have owned a business, butmost haven't, you know.
So it's similar.
We still love you.
Have you owned a business?
I've won and lost at a lot ofthem, more losses than wins.
But that's why I'm coaching Iwant to make sure you don't lose
.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Yeah, we don't have to struggle anymore.
Michael, that's right, it's allover.
Yeah, we don't have to struggle.
Um, our process is, uh, youknow, it's like what kind of
video are you wanting to create?
Yeah, so it was like like if itwas a TV commercial, okay,
who's writing the script?
Do you need help with that ordo you already?
You know?
So we'll sit down, we'll havethat meeting, we'll figure out.
(25:19):
They have a script.
Usually that involves, you know,is it a 15 second and a 30
second?
And then you know what, what inany video, it doesn't matter
what it is.
I would say, what would we callsuccess of this video?
Right, is it a monetary?
Is it saving you time?
Is it educating people?
(25:41):
You know, is it, you know, alead gen piece Like, what is the
expectations of this videos?
As long as it's not a therapy,warm fuzzy video, we're good.
But as long as we have anexpectation defined, um, so
write the script, figure outwho's involved.
Uh, you know, are there anygraphics or anything like that
(26:01):
that need to be created?
And, uh, usually we're creatingsome type of branded video
template for that, uh, thatvideo to go in that then is used
on all videos that they usegoing forward.
So it's like a one-timeinvestment, um, and then you
know who are the decision makers, you know what's it take to get
this approved.
Where is it going, you know, isthe message, is the messaging
(26:25):
right, or do we need to make acouple different versions to
test out the messaging?
Then it's schedule, shoot daysand edits, master audio, sound
effects, color grade, all thegood stuff.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
On the podcasting for those not watching this on
YouTube.
You've got a nice studio behindyou, so you do videography and
podcasting.
What?
What does your studio?
What can it do?
Like if someone comes to youthat they wouldn't be able to do
if they didn't have access to astudio.
So we're talking about thedifference between a traveling
(27:05):
videographer versus someone thathas a studio and travels.
What's what?
What can they do differently?
Speaker 2 (27:12):
Well, once upon a time we used to not let anyone
use our space at all.
Right, we were just using itourself.
But when we started picking upthe podcast side of things and
testing the waters on that, wehave different options.
So you can just rent our space,use our microphones, bring your
own camera, or, it doesn'tmatter, you can rent, rent the
(27:33):
space yourself.
We could film for you.
Um, and we have about currentlyabout 13 different like set
looks.
So like different colorbackdrops, uh, you know white
microphones, black microphones,all kinds of stuff like that to
kind of just support whateverkind of vibe that you're going
for, um, all the way to a custombackground.
So we have some custombackgrounds of a really cool way
(27:55):
that we do those.
You could do anything hereyourself, your marketing team,
or we can do it for you.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
So you go the extra mile for those companies that
are large enough to spend themoney or the budget that they
need to.
You also help people set uptheir studio correct, that's
correct, yeah, what, uh, onaverage would you say to get
quality equipment and get thetraining?
What would you say the averagetime and dollar amount is to
(28:25):
have their studio and I know itvaries on size and guests and
all that but just average Iwould say I would probably like
to break it down into equipmentpurchase and then, uh, wait like
uh man hours or something, ifthat's okay.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
So, like, um, for you like two microphones, two
camera or one camera, dependingon the cameras that you're gonna
, I think you could get startedwith the podcast somewhere
around like 1500 to 10 grand.
It's a huge.
It's a huge um, it's a hugewindow there, because the types
of cameras that you're that youcould film with and like I mean
(29:06):
so $1,500 to $10,000 for apodcast setup and then on the
like what we would charge tohelp you with that could range
anywhere from like $2,000 to$10,000, be anywhere in between.
In there, I think the most thatwe've charged so far to help
set up and do things is aboutfive.
(29:27):
So that's like training likeyou got, helping you get all the
equipment, setting up theequipment and then training your
staff on how to use theequipment on the equipment.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
How often does that evolve, because I know like
technology just keeps gettingbetter and better and better.
Is it the same in the videospace?
Speaker 2 (29:51):
100, 100.
Yeah, I mean, like this camerathat we're using today, that I'm
using today, it's like a fourthousand dollar.
Actually it's 4200, you know,after tax, and that's not
including the two thousanddollar lens, right, wow, um, and
, but I mean should look goodguys.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
It looks fantastic.
You're looking dapper, myfriend.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
I mean, how does it compare against other podcasts
that you've had?
Like you know how many podcastshave you done and you know,
does this, does this look good?
Right, yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
AI is a big thing at the time of this recording.
Is it affecting your businessat all?
I would say yes.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Yes, it is.
I mean, there's so many thingsthat you can do with AI.
You know, we talk about AI hereas being like it could be
really helpful.
Sometimes you can't reproducethe same thing with it, right?
So, depending on what you'retrying to do, that's my biggest.
That's my biggest thing with aiand like branding.
You know, like branding, um,and like having consistency, is
(30:58):
that we want the consistency.
So, I mean, there's things thatwe use ai on, you know, at our
office, um, but when it comes tolike filming and doing those
things, I think you know, justlike today, joe came in to help
with the lighting like thisisn't anything I would want ai
to to manage for me today.
Yeah, right, I would think thatyou would probably want to talk
(31:19):
with the person.
Um, you know, there's definitelysome really cool stuff that you
can do out there with camerasand ai.
Um, I don't know how to use allof those things.
As you know, I think socialmedia makes it all look really
easy and you know, I've been,I've went down some of those
rabbit holes too.
I'm like, okay, we're going totry to do this, and then it's
(31:39):
like that's not going to beconsistent.
Who is going to use it.
That we know.
I don't think we should do this.
You know it looks cool, likethe people online did it.
You know, and maybe they'reafter views and likes, we're
after revenue.
There's a difference.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
Yeah, there is.
It's called professionalism,and so, having owned a printing
company in the past, you used tocrack me up, because you may or
may not remember this, and someof our listeners may not be old
enough to remember this, butwhat was your perception of
someone that handed you abusiness card that looked like
it was printed off their homeprinter had the little
(32:19):
perforation on the sidesRemember those?
Versus someone?
that gives you a nice squarebusiness card.
Solid print front and back,colors on both sides.
Yeah, yeah, you know I go backand forth on business cards.
Solid print front and back,colors on both sides.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:32):
Yeah, um, you know I go back and forth on business
cards Like I still like them formany reasons.
Whenever I get them, when Inetwork, I'll put them in my
pocket and then they stay nextto my sink.
Yeah, um, at home and I putthem in my pocket until I do
something with them.
Um, I like the digital side too.
People are like I guarantee youpeople on the show will be like
(32:54):
I only use digital.
That's another way it can beforgotten a little easier.
Sometimes I take the businesscard so I can wash them in my
pocket.
Basically Be reminded that Ineed to reach out and schedule a
meeting.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
Can't wash a digital one, true, but you can forget
about them.
You can forget about it.
Yeah, we can go down thatrabbit hole for a second,
because I will share that.
Every time I get one, it's likeI never remember the app they
were using, so I can never findthat information.
Or, you know, I've got aAndroid and they've got an Apple
(33:33):
and iPhone.
Well, their contact cards don'twork on an Android, and you
know, so there's some someproblems there.
Business card is a nice handoff.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
Yeah, and there's still some really nasty business
cards out there.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
Yeah, so it's the same thing as video.
I'm assuming that you can go dothis yourself, just like you
used to be able to printbusiness cards at home.
But you can tell, and it reallyis all about that first
impression, and so that's reallywhat you.
You raise the level of thatimpression.
What's the best place to follow?
You engage with you.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
LinkedIn Design Tun you.
Linkedin Design Tunnels onLinkedIn.
So my person, jimmy Owens.
And then Instagram, instagramreally active on Instagram for
the company.
Speaker 1 (34:22):
And I'm sure you have a lot of samples of your work
all over the place.
Yes, sir, yeah Well, I alwaysleave with one question If you
were in a room of businessowners different industries,
different years of businesswhat's one thing applicable for
all of them?
It could be an insight, a book,a quote, or just something
(34:43):
you've learned that youabsolutely have to know this.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
You know, something that I recently have realized is
that I need healthy pressure inorder to hit goals.
And so let's say that if I dopush-ups in the morning, for
some reason, after like my bikeride, I'll do some push-ups.
(35:09):
For some reason, if I don'thave on this weighted jacket, 10
pushups feels like just enough,but for some reason, when I
have on this weighted 20 poundjacket, I'm going to hit 15.
So I think healthy pressure andthe right form and the right
part of your life is what youneed in order to have that
(35:30):
purpose, in order to like makeyou achieve those goals.
So that's where I'm at today.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
Fantastic.
Well, you've been a blessing tomany and a wealth of
information.
I appreciate you and wish youcontinued success.
Thanks, michael.
I appreciate you so much, mypleasure.
Thank you for listening toSmall Business Pivots.
This podcast is created andproduced by my company, boss.
Our business is growing.
Yours.
(35:56):
Boss, offers flexible businessloans with business coaching
support.
Apply in minutes and getapproved and funded in as little
as 24 to 48 hours atbusinessownershipsimplifiedcom.
If you're enjoying this podcast, don't forget to hit the
subscribe button and share it aswell.
If you need help growing yourbusiness, email me at michael at
(36:18):
michaeldmorrisoncom.
We'll see you next time onSmall Business Pivots.
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