Not many people know this but I was actually forced to leave home at 17. I cut ties with my dad and I only had $1,000 to my name, which I actually won from a film competition funnily enough. I put myself through uni working full time cleaning dishes and scrubbing grills until I put enough money together to buy my first proper camera (a Panasonic LUMIX G7). Fast forward to now, and I get to do this… I’ve travelled the world creating cool shit for cool people earning the kind of money I thought wasn’t possible doing what I love. Once you stop living your life for someone else and cut out the people that drag you down, you’ll be surprised what kind of life you can create.
Remember, the little kid you once were is still cheering you on. 1 year ago I went all in with this video business thing. Since then I’ve been on 42 different flights (yes I counted), did my first $30K month and met some amazing people along the way. To say this isn’t what I expected would be an understatement. For years, I spent most of my weekends shooting FREE videos, doing FREE edits and planning FREE content for people, all while working a 9-5 job. Why?
Because I knew the importance of building a solid foundation through networking, upskilling, making mistakes and learning from them… So that when I did make the jump to work for myself, there would be no decline.
Your life really can change overnight, it just takes years to get to that point. But if you don’t quit, you can’t lose, so keep going.
(If you’re tagged, that’s because you played an important part in making this a possibility, so thank you)
When I first started shooting free videos at car meets 3 years ago, I had no idea what I was doing or where I wanted to take this. My brother asked me “do people actually pay for that stuff, is this going to go anywhere”. Looking back now after working with some huge brands around the world, I’ve realised you don’t need a clear plan. Just set out to learn everything you can about the industry you’re passionate about, level up your skillset through repetition and the money will follow.
“It’s only a short video, I’ll only need you for 1-2 hours”. This “short video” consisted of 19 shots which took a full production day. Then there’s the parts they don’t see like the hours storyboarding, shot listing, location scouting, scheduling, editing, colouring, sound design, revisions. A short video rarely ever means a short creation process… unless you hire your little nephew with an iPhone and Capcut.
The aim of this game is to help brands grow with your content so that you both get paid well. But as a new creator, I found sticking to a niche very restrictive, not only with learning but earning too. So I shifted my focus away from a niche industry and into developing a niche style. As long as it fits my style, I’m working with hospitality clients, car dealerships, property developers and even corporate companies. Create your unique style of shooting and editing and showcase that across a variety of industry types. You’ll land more clients.
I increased her businesses reach organically by almost 7,000% and this is how I’m thanked. But seriously, people underestimate the power of quality video content for their brand. (And the power of a beautiful windows XP scene outside the car).
Growing up, I was a shy kid. Nervous to present in class, hated speaking on the phone. And when I decided I wanted to take creating videos further then just iMovie skits, I realised being shy just wasn’t going to cut it. I’d need to get used to meeting new people every day and directing them with confidence. So I forced myself to do just that. From going up to strangers with nice cars at meets asking if they want a free video, to shooting club events and having to playfully yell “it’s a video not a photo” repeatedly, with each interaction outside of my comfort zone, I grew. I’d mess up and embarrass myself at times, but that was all part of it. Fast forward to today and I’ve created content with amazing people across many countries, all because I embraced the discomfort. Proof that the best things happen when you stop hiding in your comfort zone and start growing out of it.
Next logical step to scale was to launch an agency. So I did. Introducing Obliq. A full service creative powerhouse designed to get your business results from creative to conversion. More to come soon.
I think he came in a little too hot… What car do you want to see next? Use code “caljay_visuals” for 20% off the new Velocity SFX pack from Ocular Sounds
