Scott Markowitz: Video IS Important! | Blogging SUCCESSfully

Scott Markowitz: Video! We’ve not talked about this on the podcast yet, so I am excited to introduce you to Scott, a video professional with over 20 years experience in every capacity from newsrooms to commercials to corporate video.

Scott is also a bit different than my usual guest, not only because he focuses on video, but also because he went from a corporate job to fully self-employed, to now employed but with a side hustle.

A Shift from Corporate Employee to Self-Employed

While Scott was working for a huge video production company and had his hands on some of the most valued video production in the country, he began to realize that being a corporate bigwig came with some not-so-great tradeoffs. Not being able to be there for difficult times in his family led him to rethink what it was he wanted in life and in his career.

Scott loved the work he was doing; it was the environment and the expectations that were killing him. But before it did, he got out, moved to a different city, and started his own company. Unfortunately, running his own video production company wasn’t exactly what Scott thought it would be either.

I wanted my own video production company and by golly, I got it. But I also got all the pressure and the headaches that came with that. ~Scott Markowitz

What Every Small Business Needs

That experience taught Scott what it’s like to be a small business owner, and the one thing that small business owners really need: exposure.

Small businesses need exposure! They need to connect their core ability and their core values to the folks who are looking for that specific core ability and that core value. ~Scott Markowitz

While your product is important, and your values are important, you have to be able to relate the value of the product to the person who is seeking the product. You have to focus on your own core message in order to find the people who will be interested in your product. Your customer has to be able to align with your core values in order to trust you enough to buy something from you.

A Deficit of Resources

Scott first real trouble in business came from what should have been a huge breakthrough. He was making videos for clients, and they were doing so well that the clients wanted to hire him for more and bigger events. Unfortunately, Scott only had limited tools to work with. As a videographer, that means cameras. He was a 2-camera company being asked to shoot events covering several rooms or large spaces.

He had to hire freelancers and rent equipment for the jobs, with only a piece of paper guaranteeing he would eventually be paid for the job. With every job he delivered, his clients were wanting more and more jobs done on a larger scale. But Scott simply didn’t have the cash reserves to go out and purchase the equipment needed to operate on a larger scale.

The day he and his wife were comparing their mortgage payment with their income was the day he decided to do something that would provide a more secure income so that they could live without the fear of losing their home.

Building Security in Life and Business

Scott took to his social media accounts to try to find a new job. He began working on his LinkedIn account, writing articles and publishing links through his Twitter account and He realized that he didn’t have as many contacts as he needed.

In the 4 months between that mortgage conversation with his wife and Scott getting a full-time job with a company, he did a lot of extra freelance work to make ends meet.

Scott currently works for an ad agency full-time. His schedule has changed though in the way that projects are done. His former work demanded long hours with no idea as to what was coming up. Working for this agency has given him a more flexible schedule simply because he knows which projects he needs to work on, and he can arrange his hours to meet his deadlines, which enables him to take time off if he needs to.

How to Know if You’re Doing The Right Thing

When Scott can collaborate on a video that shows a person how much they are valued by others, or what a difference they are making in the lives of others, he and his team find that very fulfilling.

In his small business, the stakes are smaller, but seeing someone gain confidence over how their business runs is an incredible feeling. Being able to help others take control over their business and their life is as fulfilling as his full-time job.

Scotts Tips for Creating Video

Scott gave us a couple of tips to help you with video creation for your business-

  1. Batch process your videos. Crank out a month’s worth of videos in one day.
  2. Focus on one core message. Dig in and figure out what’s worth using and what’s not.
  3. Comparing yourself to other people is the worst thing you can do because it has nothing to do with the end product you’re trying to make. Scott Markowitz

It’s a really good practice to learn to get rid of the garbage as soon as possible…then you’re left providing quality stuff to the people around you. ~Scott Markowitz

Success and How to Find It

Are you feeling stuck? Have you given up on finding success? Have you lost sight of what success means? Scott says that for him, success is about how your presence in the world affects the people that are most important to you.

Success is showing up, standing up, and delivering for my wife and my children, for my friends..and I believe if you do those things then the other things that the world calls “success” will come to you. It may not come quickly…but it will come.~Scott Markowitz

When Scott was feeling scared and stuck, he kept himself going by repeating to himself what he already had life to be grateful for. He kept a gratitude list, and that single practice set him up to move forward, by allowing him to have a little bit of momentum each day.

Links From Today’s Show

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