Episode Transcript:

You are listening to episode 15 of the Level Up Your Wedding Film Business Podcast. I’m a firm believer that we go through seasons in our businesses. There are seasons of growth and there are seasons of plateau. There are times when we are focused on creating everything new and fresh, and there are times when we are on autopilot and just seem to be cruising along in our businesses. 

Knowing when it’s time to put yourself into hustle mode is going to help you keep pushing forward in your life, and in your business. So, friend, tell me. Is it time for you to hustle?

I’m your host, Taylor Petrinovich, and at the core of this show I want you to feel inspired to take your business to the next level, and I want to give you tools and practical advice to help you along the way. Let’s Level-Up together.

Before I dive into the episode, I want to take a moment to ask you to rate and review the podcast. It’s super easy to do, just scroll to the bottom of my episode list and hit that 5-Star rating. And, if you feel compelled to do so, you can let me know what you think of the podcast by writing a review as well. I’d really appreciate it.

I want to share a review from last week. It’s by someone with the username tckcaribou, and it says this, “I found Taylor via her social media presence and joined her mailing list for her helpful tips and appreciate her contagious enthusiasm as a fellow female wedding videographer. I’ve loved how she is working to help her industry peers with the conversations and tips from this podcast. Love her professionalism and the specific topics covered and the care she puts into this podcast. (Appreciate that this podcast is engaging and welcoming but doesn’t waste time with unnecessary chitchat, as so many of us are listening to podcasts to learn in those fleeting in-between moments). So very thankful I found her and excited to hear what’s next.”

Thank you so much for leaving that kind review. Seriously, guys, hearing that this podcast is inspiring and helping so many of you is really fueling me to keep creating. So for everyone who has reached out to me, thank you  from the bottom of my heart. Truly.

Ok, enough chitchat. Let’s get into the topic for today’s episode.

There are times when it’s just flat out time to hustle. Your wedding videography business is only going to be sustainable if you’re willing to put in the extra effort from time to time. Whether you’re just starting your business, expanding into a new market, or entering a new pricing bracket, it’s probably time for you hit the pavement running.

But what do I mean by hustle? Here’s a really good example for you to visualize. Imaging an airplane taking off. First, it has to wheel around on the tarmac and line itself up in the right direction. Then it has to accelerate really fast on the ground before it lifts up into the air. Then, an incredible amount of fuel is used by the plane at takeoff to climb to cruising altitude. Then, it’s pretty much smooth sailing from there until it reaches it’s destination.

So it’s pretty clear that in order to reach new heights in your business (pun totally intended), you are going to have to put in a lot more effort than you usually do when you’re just cruising along. 

For a lot of people, that’s going to look like a lot of early mornings and late nights. It’s going to look like choosing to work over watching Netflix. But here’s the beauty in it: it doesn’t last forever. It only lasts until you reach that cruising altitude.

So, you might be wondering, is it time for me to hustle? Or should I be cruising along smoothly? Well, that totally depends on where you’re at in your business, and your goals for the future.

Here are 5 times in your business when you should definitely, without a doubt, put in the extra work. Hustle, baby.

1. When you’re first getting started

The first one is when you’re just getting started. It takes an incredible amount of energy to get going when you first start out. There are a million things to do, and it seems like there’s no end in sight. But don’t worry, you will get there.

And if you aren’t just starting out, keep on listening. Because there’s a good chance one of the next points are going to apply to you.

So when you’re first starting out, there’s a million things to do. From getting all of your ducks in a row with registering yourself as a business, getting your bank account in order, to building a website, the to-do list goes on and on. 

If you’re just starting out, I want to totally encourage you to get through these beginning steps as quickly as you can. Don’t put these things off until later. Just knock all of those to-do’s off your list so you can get to the more exciting parts of running a business. Hustle through these beginning stages. That energy that you attack these things with will set the tone for the future. 

2. When You Need Bookings

The second time you should probably be hustling is if you are in need of bookings. If you are aiming to shoot 25 weddings this year but you only have 10 booked, now is the time to hustle. I’m going to give you a few ways you can hustle to get clients.

1. Start leveraging Instagram. Attack Instagram with all you’ve got. Post often, use strategic hashtags, and put yourself out there.

2. Post in Facebook groups. Chances are, there are some local wedding Facebook groups in your area. They are probably established as buy/sell/trade groups. Post to all of those groups with an offer just for the people in that group. Maybe you offer your middle package with free raw footage. Just offer something enticing to those brides and grooms to encourage them to reach out to you. Be sure to link to your website or portfolio as well.

3. Reach out to a few venues and offer to give them something for free. Whether it’s a quick 20 second video of aerial footage of the venue or something else, try to get on a few preferred vendors lists with venues in your area. Later this week I’m going to be publishing an episode all about getting on preferred vendors lists, so be sure to check out episode 16 when that drops.

4. Post on your personal Facebook or Instagram. You can offer a referral program for any of your friends or family who refer you to an engaged couple they know. Maybe you offer them a $25 Amazon Gift Card or $100 in cash. Whatever it is, you can leverage people in your personal circle.

If you hustle and do all 4 of those things several times over the next few months, chances are you are going to get some extra bookings because of it.

3. Expanding into a new market  – types of films / types of target client / new area

The third time you should put in the extra work and hustle is if you’re expanding into a new market. Maybe you’re trying to get in to a specific niche of films like luxury, destination work or elopements. Or, maybe you just moved and are trying to establish yourself in a new area. Either way, now is the time to hustle. It’s like starting from square 1 again. You’ve got to start building new relationships, establish authority in the market, and build up a portfolio that translates to your new market. Hustle. Attack those goals.

4. Expanding into a new pricing bracket

The fourth time you should hustle is when you’re expanding into a new price bracket. Maybe you were charging $1500 for a wedding film and now you’re charging $3000. Or, maybe you were charging $3000 and now you’re at $5000. Whatever your jump was, you’ve got to push. Because higher prices don’t come for free. You’ve got to be offering something you weren’t before. Whether it’s a higher level of service or a higher quality than before, you’ve got to start working those things into your routine until they become second nature. 

Also, it’s similar to the new market scenario. It’s pretty likely that the vendor relationships you had at the lower price point aren’t going to benefit you as much anymore. So you’ve got to start over, and start building relationships with other vendors who serve the same clients as you in this new pricing tier. Put in the extra work until you get settled, and it’s going to pay off.

5. When you’ve got the motivation

The 5th and final one on this list is this: You’ve got to hustle when you’re so excited about something, you just can’t keep your mind off it – put that energy into motion. Don’t waste the momentum you’ve build and the excitement you have. Put all of that positive energy to use. If you wake up with amazing ideas, put them into motion. If your excitement is keeping you from falling asleep at night, get out of bed and work for a while. Use that momentum and energy for your benefit. You can rest later when that energy dies off. It’s not going to last forever, so take advantage of it while it’s here.

Now, I said this before, but I’ll say it again: these times of hustle aren’t meant to be a forever thing. They are meant to be short times of intense bursts of energy and action to push yourself to where you want to go next. It’s really not sustainable to be in the overdrive mode for long periods of time. So just push hard for a short time, then switch back to cruise control for a while until the next moment comes around when you need to push. 

So tell me, are you in a season of hustle or of coasting? Are you burning the candle at both ends in order to get to the next level, or are you content with where you’re at for now and just enjoying the ride?

I hope you guys enjoyed this episode! I’d love to connect with you and keep the conversation going. I’d love to connect with you on Instagram, you can find me @thelevelupco

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Thanks so much for listening.