Tamara Thompson Joins Us On The Steve Jobs Inspired Join Up Dots Podcast
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Introducing Tamara Thompson
Tamara Thompson is my guest today, on the Steve Jobs inspired Join Up Dots business coaching free podcast interview.
She is a lady who you just cannot find a photo of her not beaming from ear to ear.
And it’s not a surprise as quite simply to me, it looks like she is having the time of her life.
And unusually for most guests who have come on the show, it appears a pretty straight line to where she is today, but of course that probably isn’t the case.
Back in the day as a young girl, she would run around with a camera and create silly YouTube videos.
After family and friends told her that she should pursue a career in video, she went to the Seattle Art Institute to get her degree in Filmmaking.
Which she did, and then set off working for several video companies before starting her own rocking and rolling at Serious Take Productions.
And cleverly she didn’t just use her skills in video to make her success rapid, but the power of connections.
How The Dots Joined Up For Tamara
Working with the top entrepreneurs across the world to highlight her skills, and of course gain insights into what makes a successful online business.
As she says “We’re a team of storytellers, cinematographers, editors, and connectors creating impactful videos that evoke emotions.
We help established business owners build powerhouse brands through storytelling and compelling videos that attract customers now.
We storyboard, shoot, direct, edit and are committed to excellence.”
And believe me, I started doing the research on today’s guest and then ended up watching over two hours of her powerful and insightful videos.
So she certainly does just what she has set out to do.
Inspire. Educate. And love everyday of her life.
So does she love everyday of her life, or is there much of her business that she could take or leave but knows its part of the game?
And where do people go wrong with their own video creations?
Making it all about them instead of the viewer?
Well lets find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots with the one and only Tamara Thompson.
Show Highlights
During the show we discussed such weighty topics with Tamara Thompson such as:
Why Tamara has such a high degree of gratitude everyday for the things that she has managed to achieve in her life.
Tamara recalls seeing her mothers entrepreneurial ventures as a nine year old, and being shown the true value of the dollar, a lesson she has never forgot.
Why it is so important to develop flex time in her life for being with loved ones. A business can seem important, but nowhere near what is waiting to be with you at home.
and lastly….
How she now thinks “Man if I had started years before, I could now be on Netflix”….there is never a better time to start something than today.
How To Connect With Tamara Thompson
Return To The Top Of Tamara Thompson
If this show inspired you to go after the dream yourself then check out Richard Lynch Band, Tim Templeton and Mark Fortune the amazing Laura Roeder
Of course if you want to hear all our amazing shows then jump over to the podcast archives to hear thousands of interviews by simply clicking here.
Audio Transcription Of Tamara Thompson Interview
Intro [0:00]
When we’re young, we have an amazing positive outlook about how great life is going to be. But somewhere along the line we forget to dream and end up settling join up dots features amazing people who refuse to give up and chose to go after their dreams. This is your blueprint for greatness. So here’s your host live from the back of his garden in the UK David Ralph
David Ralph [0:25]
Good morning, everybody. And welcome. Welcome to join up dots This is I’ll tell you why it’s amazing to think that we’re coming up to the thousandth episode soon, it’s not going to be that far down the line. When you start anything, you really can’t imagine that it’s going to sort of grow into anything other than a wishing a dream. And things take time, but they grow and I heard somebody recently say that it was the Ugg boots guy that the guy who created Ugg boots, and he said, You can’t give birth to an adult. And I think that’s true in all life, and also with businesses and today’s guest, as well, something quite remarkable. And she’s a lady who you just cannot find a photo of her not beaming from ear to ear, and as I say, it’s not a surprise, as quite simply to me looks like she’s having a time of her life. And unusually, for most guests who come on the show, it appears a pretty straight line to where she is today. But of course, that probably isn’t the case. Back in the day as a young girl, she’d run around with a camera and create silly YouTube videos and after family and friends told her that she should pursue a career in video, she went to the Seattle Art Institute to get her degree in filmmaking, which she did, and then set off working for several video companies before starting her own rocking and rolling at serious take productions. And cleverly she didn’t just use her skills in video to make her success rapid. But the power of connections working with the top entrepreneurs across the world to highlight her skills, and of course gain insights into what makes a successful online business. She has gone off like a rocket and she says when a team of storytellers cinematic, I can’t even say the word cinema much I won’t give up on that. storytellers, editors and connectors creating impactful videos about a evoke emotions. We help establish business owners build powerhouse brands through storytelling, and compelling videos attract customers now, we story build, shoot, direct edit and are committed to excellence. And believe me, I started doing the research on today’s guest and then edit ended up watching over two hours of a PowerPoint insightful videos. So she certainly does what she has set out to do. She inspires, educates, and loves every day of her life so that she actually love every day of her life, or is there much of a business that she could take or leave? But nose is part of the game? And where do people go wrong with own video creations, making it all about them instead of the viewer? Well, that’s fine. Now as we bring on to the show to start joining up with the one and only Tamara Thompson. Good morning tomorrow.
Tamara Thompson [2:50]
Good morning David, thank you so much for having me on here. I’m so excited.
David Ralph [2:55]
is lovely to have Adelaide, I’ll tell you why. If I was a single guy, and I got to spend an our, we have a lady in a video call recorder. I’ll be in heaven, I’ll be in heaven by them. I’m not a single guy anymore. So is your life as we said in the introduction? Is it something that is? You know, do you love every moment of it? Do you because he seems like you’re almost playing, you’re playing? You’re being creative? You’re growing a profile. But is it? Is it plain sailing? Or is there a lot of stuff that you can take or leave? You know,
Tamara Thompson [3:29]
it’s been quite the journey. And you know, I’m just always grateful to say, you know, I’m grateful for full schedule, I’m grateful that I have an amazing team. I’m grateful that I have positive people like that I work with, you know, there’s always ups and downs throughout journeys. And I’ve definitely gone through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship and building a business. And starting off on the side of a freelancer in the beginning of my journey. Like I literally when I was starting the company, I was actually working full time for production companies. On the side, I was trying to build my own business as well. And so it’s just always just, I don’t know, it’s, it’s one of those things that, like, I, I’m just grateful, because the fact that I can create my own schedule, I get to be my own boss now, like, there’s a lot of things in my past that I would look back to going back that path because I just I enjoy what I do. And I’m passionate about what I do. And we we tend to work with other individuals that are also passionate about what they do. And so that just makes my days like so much easier to wake up, get my cup of coffee and just be like, okay, now Who do I need to connect with today? What is our, you know, focus today? So, you know, it has its ups and downs? Definitely. And I’ve definitely got many stories throughout that journey. So but yeah, for the most part, you know, I wake up and, and I want to inspire others through through video and with my role through the company and being the CEO. I’m really good about, like pulling out the key messaging really like helping clients pull out that that overall vision, like where is this video being seen? Like, what is your end goal? You know, it’s not like sending out like, just a videographer, something that’s just like, Okay, I’m gonna point and shoot. And you know, hopefully it comes out good. We have a whole whole team. So from marketing to cinematographers to editors, like, I do specific roles with them in the business at this point where I used to do all of it. So I’m glad that I kind of left, lifted that off of my shoulders, shoulders and learn how to delegate, because if I wouldn’t have been able to do that, I wouldn’t have been able to build this business right now.
David Ralph [5:33]
But what is amazing, though, tomorrow, and I understand it totally, but this word of being grateful, because you are grateful, you’ve got into this position, but you deserve it as well, you know, and then there’s been times when you probably been laying in bed, pulling your hair thinking, I don’t know what to do, but you keep on moving forward. But you do get to a point, as I say, I totally understand it, where the gratitude comes out. And you kind of think, not where you are, but more it takes I’m grateful that I was willing to keep going through the hard times when you agree.
Tamara Thompson [6:05]
Exactly. You know, I’m one of those people that I don’t focus on the past. I don’t really focus on the future. I have goals set for the future. But I really do focus, like on the present time, because that’s the space I’m in right now. Those are the people that I’m helping those other people, I’m encouraging those people I’m inspiring, you know, and of course I have goals and ambitions. But you know, those those situations that we go through in the past like those are what makes us stronger. Like the those things like yeah, there’s mornings where I woke up in the past and you know, things like they used to call me troubleshooter Tamra because I would literally if there’s some kind of technical issue or something like I would spend hours to try to figure out for this one company that I worked for as a video production manager before I started my own business, I would literally work like eight to eight like I was there 12 hours committed to try to figure out some of these things. And I saved their footage multiple times recovered, things like things are going wrong like that backup systems are wrong. And so I help them change their their processes to make it more organized. And so those things wouldn’t happen in the future. But those are like stressful situations. And you know it on video production said a lot of people don’t think about like, Okay, did you backup the footage? Did you double back up the footage? Did you Did something go corrupt? Like Did you have a recovery system? Like those things happen in life and you think yourself, those are like the stressful things for us, because we’re like, oh, my goodness gracious, did we just lose that. But you know, luckily, like we have processes in place from those experiences. Those are the kind of stressful situations I’ve gone through. Other than, you know, past situations of like clients not paying or something like that. But now we have businesses and contracts in place. So it just makes sense. As I built a business, I learned through those hard the hardships, that really were able to allow me to be like, I’m ready for the next phase, like I’m ready to build the this is the next level, you know, I’m not gonna allow these things to happen again, you know?
David Ralph [8:04]
Yeah, so so so what was it about video that excited you them? Because, you know, we we see all the time people are creating YouTube channels and thinking that they’re going to be sort of global overnight successes, but you’ve kind of gone a different way. And you’ve used it in a clever sense, I think. But you’re actually in control of the content, you’re actually providing the value because of the content. And not just hoping to get a squealing and watches of somebody singing in a car, whatever, like you see nowadays. Well, what was it about video,
Tamara Thompson [8:33]
it was funny is the fact that I actually started with, I started creating silly videos at a young age. My dad, like you had said in the intro, my dad bought a camcorder when my brother was born was seven years apart. And so I got I started playing with it seven years old. Through that process, I was actually creating silly videos in middle school with my next door neighbor, where we’re jumping on the couch to songs that we liked bush or Oasis or the alternative rock 90s and, and then. So from there, we I like, like, made these videos, but I never really did anything with them. Because at that point, I wasn’t, you know, logging, VHS, big tape or anything like that. I’d always been interested in video. And when YouTube came out in 2005, I actually was 25 years old. And I was one of those people that was running around creating silly videos, I was doing, you know, mock ups of like tours around my house. I was I did a mock up of Blair Witch three, I called it you know, just silly stuff. And but the thing is, is I built that that YouTube channel and I had over 800,000 views. I’m friends with some of the top YouTubers that started around that time that have over 3 million subscribers now. But it was interesting because I went through a time period in my life where I started kind of looking into more documentary films, and I wanted people to take me seriously sense where the word series take productions came from. So I ended up deleting that YouTube channel and I thought to myself, why did I do that I was like, it just showcase my personality, my fun, you know, things like that. But I thought, well, if I want to be seen as you know a serious filmmaker, I didn’t want all that content out there. I wanted to do more videos. So I started creating more professional music videos, I started reaching out to people on Twitter for from the boys and see American Idol and all those things like that. So I started producing music videos for those artists to kind of get my foot in the door. But I realized through that process that they were starving artists, and it wasn’t really going to take me anywhere. So then I started connecting with other people I started watching shark tank and CNBC, the prophet, I’m a huge fan of Marcus the bonus. And I literally started kind of shifting my mindset started attending entrepreneur, girl events, things like that. And I started working with other companies and so on the side and still working with a corporate company as well. And so it really just was like when I really found out that I really loved the storytelling. I love people sharing stories. And it was funny, because when I was younger, I really like thought the word documentary was like, like, alongside of boring. I don’t know. Like, when they showed us in elementary school, I chose this documentary film or something like the ones that I was always shown, they just seemed boring to me. They never caught my attention. There wasn’t like a key story it might have been like about the icebergs or something going on, was it mammoths or, you know, stuck in the frozen, you know, whatever it was like I just wasn’t interested. So I always like coordinated those with the word boring. When I started producing my own, on the side, just kind of fun little videos, I love the stories. So that’s where it really started shifting where we’ve turned around and rebranded the whole business were a sense of I wanted to create connected Aspire through storytelling through epic video, but you know, high quality, I wanted to work with people that could afford our services, and not take me for granted and just take a seriously. So we started shifting our brands, but it really started when I was creating other documentary films, and I started getting my own start going to entrepreneurial events, I hired my first business coach, my first mentor really just started changing my mindset on things. And that’s really where it started. started growing. This is,
David Ralph [12:31]
yeah, this is key. This is key. So I’m going to jump into here because your mindset is so key to everything, isn’t it mindset is one of those things? Yeah, you either have it or you don’t. But then you do have to develop it because it goes on several different levels. And there are times when you’re walking along and you’re thinking, yeah, I can do anything. This is amazing. And being you suddenly think now I can’t do this. And how am I going to get? Well, I think it’s fascinating that you were clued up enough, you you were aware enough, be able to think I need to pivot and find a different direction. As we always say water finds the easiest way to the river. And it finds the way to just blow past obstacles. But in entrepreneur lie, more often than not, you see it that people just keep on banging down the same door, even though there’s an open door two inches to the side. Was that but you had seen other people do? You know,
Tamara Thompson [13:26]
my mom was actually an entrepreneur growing up. So the entrepreneurial space I was familiar with at a young age, she had run her own Victorian decor, a crafting business, and she was really well known in that time period in Washington state where I live, I grew up near Seattle, Washington. And she, I saw that she was able to work from home and do these things like that. And I saw the struggles that she went through. But I also saw her bringing in like, you know, five figures over a weekend in sales. And then I started joining her in the business at age nine, and creating this victory and elegant candy roles filled with Hershey Kisses that I sold for $1 50 apiece. So at a young age, I always worked really hard. And I my mom taught me the value of the dollar and things like that. So it was funny that I remember the first largest show that I had produced these candy rolls with her. She can’t I came out to the show. And I said, Mom, I was like where are my roles, you know, and I created, you know, 15 or, you know, 1000 of them or so. And so she was like, You know what, I’m so sorry, Tamra, but you sold the ball. So here’s like a eight, nine year old, like coming home with $3,000. And I’m like, Whoa, you know, I knew things were were possible. You know, like, my mom always had my brother and I go out we got jobs at age 15 and a half and we worked straight through. I always worked like two three jobs through college, I paid for my college, I bought my own cars, I did everything myself, I was always very driven. I was I was a little shy on some sides, but I busted through that after high school. So I always had this like, thought that I could be an entrepreneur. But in the beginning it was more like I thought it was considered a freelancer because I was really doing a lot of the video side of it. But then as I started growing it, I realized that I I didn’t enjoy, you know, the shooting aspect as much. And I knew there were other videographers and cinematographers out there that could do it better than me, you know, and I love editing, but it’s very time consuming, because I’m a perfectionist, so then started outsourcing to other people. And then when I sat down with my mentor, he was like, What is it that you really love to do? And I was like, I love to pull out the key message there like that’s what you do you connect with people you get on these calls, which are considered sales calls, but they never seem like sales calls to me because they’re just conversations we have. It’s one passionate person talking to another person. So yeah, it just it kind of my whole mind shift. mindset shifted, in the sense that I have always been an action taker. I’ve always just done things I always just asked for help. I always just, you know, ask questions, and I’m very persistent and persuasive. So when I was creating these these films to like people, like how did you get john Lee Dumas on your film? How did you get Pat Flynn on your film? You know, how did you get Michael Parrish to delta author of the Shark Tank books? Yeah, it was like I asked, I was persistent. You know, I wanted to know their story. I was authentic. And and that’s what I asked these people. I said, What was it that made you want to be in this this film I had created one a few years ago called inspired by 11, where I interviewed 11 top entrepreneurs around the world, like Chris Ducker and some other cool people. And what the whole purpose of it though, was, I wanted to learn from these experts. I wanted to implement these things in my business. And so I literally asked and I turned nose into interests into maybes into yeses, because I was you know, the power of the follow up and all these things. So I always have that, that mindset, I always have that drive. But you know, obviously not everyone says yes. But I’ve been able to build relationships from that. It’s like half the people on those. Some of my films now are either good friends, clients or mentors of mine. So I’m just kind of kept on that path. Through connecting. And it happens through that for business with me as well.
David Ralph [17:06]
Wow, I tell I tell you what, you know, on fire your lady on fire, it sounds like you don’t even breathe, you just keep on going keep on going keep on going. Are you always is passionate about a subject that you love. Once you get a couple of drinks down you did I go tomorrow, tomorrow, talk about something else.
Tamara Thompson [17:25]
I actually have six and a half years sober. So I’m very proud of that. And that’s part of my story too. So I’m always passionate about what I’m what I do. And that that is part of my story that I won’t go into that deep story. But the sense of like shifting my my mindset, my life, my focus, I just continued to stay passionate about it. And I just light up when I get on calls with other people. Like I literally will go through like LinkedIn and other places just to find other connectors because I find it important to connect with other connectors because that opens up more doors as well. And it’s really cool. I just, I firmly believe in just being passionate about something we all have our down days. I mean, we I’ve fallen on my face, like many many times, but I just pick back up, I get a good cry in and then you know, I’m like, okay, focus, what is this next step that I need to do to break through this like glass ceiling or this barrier that I might have had in my mindset or, you know, something happening with like technical issues or team team members, like we all have these hardships, but you know, if you don’t just continuously take action, or ask you never know, right,
David Ralph [18:35]
but let’s play some words fan. And we’re going to sort of Delve back into that is Oprah
Oprah Winfrey [18:39]
the way through the challenge is to get still and ask yourself, what is the next right move, not think about, Oh, I got all of this. What is the next right move. And then from that space, make the next right move, and the next right move, and not to be overwhelmed by it. Because you know, your life is bigger than that one moment, you know, you’re not defined by what somebody says, is a failure for you. Because failure is just there to point you in a different direction.
David Ralph [19:11]
I’m getting really interested recently about this ability of being quiet in your business, instead of driving it forward all the time and can’t see the wood for the trees actually separating yourself and, and just being aware of your feelings in your emotions to sort of point you in the right direction. When you hear Oprah speak so eloquently as she did, where do you think to yourself? Yeah, I need to do more about all are you quite good at that anyway, taking yourself away being. And I tell you that there was a guy on the show called Joe Holland, I believe, and he’s got a company called video blocks. And you’re probably aware of him. And he said that his business thrived when he actually got into an RV and drove across America, because all he had was chance to think and he wasn’t caught up with the day to day running.
Tamara Thompson [20:00]
Hmm, yeah, you know, what’s interesting is, I always have to take take time for myself on things. Because when I finally it’s funny that you said that I had that thought about driving cross country and RV before. But you know, what’s interesting for me is when I actually take some space, or I go for a drive, I’ll take like a five hour drive to somewhere beautiful. And I’ll you know, go think and take photos and Instagram and Facebook stories and things like that. Because if you don’t take some time away from like, the hustle and bustle of things as well, like, you’re just not Reese, you need to reset and recharge. And it’s one of those things that are just, it’s important to step away from your business as well. Because you need to take time for yourself. I’ve gotten to the point sometimes where I would, you know, work like 22 days straight, and then I’d like crash, you know, for like two days, and then I do it again. And so I’ve learned to do more of a balance with that as well. Because I think it’s important to take a couple of days off a week, you know, there’s plenty of entrepreneurs that are out there saying that they work, you know, 365 days out there, I don’t really find that that super healthy. I think everyone needs sleep Everyone needs, you know, to relax time, they need to spend time with loved ones. And you know, it’s different for everyone. To be honest,
David Ralph [21:20]
I now work a month on and a month off. I pretty much structure everything but I get everything done. And I close it down. Everything is scheduled, everything goes out. And it’s been an absolute Game Changer tomorrow. I really has I’ve been talking about it a lot recently, I just feel more energized. I feel more passionate, I’ve got more enthusiasm, because I know I’ve got to get everything done in that four weeks. Because when it’s going to be switched off and in need the downtime, I can come up to my office and play around and stuff. But I don’t connect with clients. I don’t speak to anybody sort of in a business sense. It’s more me just just playing. And I think that’s the way that I’m going to operate going forward. I’ve never had that before but certainly up recharging your batteries. My but it’s it’s got to work better, isn’t it?
Tamara Thompson [22:05]
Yeah, definitely. You know, it’s funny. Last week, we’re on a production in Solana Beach, California with a very successful business coach who’s holding her event in a few weeks in Palm Springs. And she was saying how she calls it flex time. So she she has a family, she’s married, she runs her business. And she says it’s very important to put that that time frame like she she ended up buying this, this box that she decorated with, you know, beads and gems and stuff. And it’s just this glamorous little box, but it hits her safe bucks to put her cell phone away, you know, after a certain time of the day. So she doesn’t wake up in the middle night and check her phone like she sets her times to work from, you know, she gets up at 5am she starts work at 6am she’s done by 3pm. So she can spend time with her son, that’s two and a half, you know, it comes back out from from daycare and schooling and, and you know, she was like, I need to separate my my work and my family time and give my weekends to my family. And you know, and knowing that she runs a successful business that you don’t need to consistently just hustle, hustle, hustle. Yeah, well, a lot of people do that in the beginning. But it’s very important. You need your downtime, you need to make sure that people around you also know that you’re not just focusing on business, because I’ve been in that point where people around me were like, hey, Tamra, you know, like, you know, maybe you slow down a little bit, maybe spend more time with me, like, you know, like, got me thinking a little bit more too, because I was like, Well, you’re right, you know, there’s, there’s always time to run business. And as long as you put specific processes and systems in place to be able to run part of your business, you know, while you’re also you know, taking time to relax or spend time with family or quality time with the loved ones, you know, you’re able to do that. So I think it’s very important for people to step away. And that’s really cool that you’re able to just kind of take a month off, I’m actually taking a month off in October, and I’m actually flying to Europe to travel to 500 different areas that I really want to see. So I’m excited about that. But I’m making sure everything set in place before I leave.
David Ralph [24:06]
But that is the beauty of what you’ve been through. That’s the journey that you’ve been on. But you’ve now you’ve learned what works you learned what don’t you build that team around you. And there’s got to be a point when your efforts come to fruition and you you do less and less of the the day to day but more and more of the the stuff that drives the business forward the creativity that connecting with people. Now we’ve yourself in Do you coach and mentor other people who want to, you know, get into the video business? I imagine there is a you know, a world of people out there that looking at people like yourself and thinking that’s a good business. I love taking videos, I love taking photos, did you coach and mentor?
Tamara Thompson [24:49]
Yes, so I i do different ways to get the brand out there and share stories. So I actually speak on stages as well. I speak on the topic of storytelling through video, the importance of video, as well as the technical aspect of just getting people comfort, you know, comfortable of joining Facebook Lives, you know what kind of tools that they can use even the simplest of their smartphones with basic tools, lighting, audio stability, I teach those things I had people because just get started with video on a budget. So I, I do do that. And I I’ve actually created a five day experience that we’re launching soon to just to get people pulled out more that actually leads in through our funnel that actually goes into my video Academy that we’re launching too. So there’s a lot of ways because I want to help impact many people. So if the if they can, if they, if they’re at the level where they’re like, well, I don’t want to do a trailer yet. But I want to start here, it gives people the ability to work with me on through an online course, so that they have a support group and system or they can ask questions and things like that, as well as post videos. And they we can critique them on, you know, specific things, if it’s their lighting or audio, things like that. So I have been able to build that out. And that’s just recent, but I’ve been able to share more on stages, I’ve done a few soft launches and beta tested courses for like DSL are shooting because that’s what I learned on and college first before I started learning on some of the other bigger cameras as well as TV production studios through through college and things like that. So, so yeah, I am able to connect with people and be more of a mentor. We’re actually starting video experience retreats this year, too, because people were inquiring about working with me one on one hands on, but I wanted to make sure because I’m all about the experience, like having it in a really cool location. If it’s, you know, an intimate place where it’s maybe eight, eight people tops that, that we bring out to the beach. And we have like a beautiful place. We have catering your lodgings everything’s taken care of. And we teach them how to create videos, but also go into the site of video marketing, you know, what’s popular with SEO keywords for YouTube, like knowing where they need to these videos as well, if they’re blogging or whatever it is that they’re doing, if it’s online courses, plus our team actually creates branding trailer at the location during that experience, too. So we’re going to be starting to do that two or three times a year. So I’m really excited about that. So it’s something that I’m venturing out into. So I can work with more people to be able to impact and get their stories out there more.
David Ralph [27:20]
And just to emphasize, I didn’t want to jump in there. But just to emphasize, for all the listeners, everything that you’re talking about now was not even on the radar at the beginning or maybe a couple of years, two years, three years down there, you you have to build your profile, you have to build your experience, I see so many people that think that they can just quit their job and then create a monthly membership and have 16,000 people signed up for it, you’ve got to do the speed work, haven’t you?
Tamara Thompson [27:47]
Oh, definitely, definitely, it takes the time to build the audiences to like, it doesn’t happen overnight. And there’s people that want to build things organically. And there’s ways to do that. But you have to be super consistent with like I do at least two Facebook Lives a week, I have a master class that, that I invite guests on my show every Tuesday and it’s a video screen that do a live because I want two people to see me as also not just the video expert here, but also a connector because I want to share and give back. So it makes sense for me to add and bring guests on that have to do a branding or, you know, individuals that have you know, a tribe where they can invite their tribe to come in and learn more about video as well. So I have to make sure that it It complements what I do. So I don’t just have people coming on and just talk about random stuff. But each each week that I do that it gets my face out there more to connect with my audience so that they know, they know here, see my face, see my reactions, you know, they get to know me personally, I think people need to see that. Because you can’t always tell just by like Facebook posts, you know, it’s awesome that you have a podcast because people are able to listen, right, they’re able to hear, you know, relate to what we’re talking about here, our emotions as well. And that’s what I love about video is you’re able to see the emotion and hear the emotion. So I think it’s very important for people to just stay consistent because people give up too quickly. A lot of they said like, I don’t know what study that was I was reading somewhere. They’re saying if you once you get past your eight, eighth podcast, you know, just keep going. Because getting through that first eight, show is probably the hardest right to stay consistent. And so I mean, you You must know I mean, you just said you hit 1000 shows now or just over. You’re about there.
David Ralph [29:35]
Yeah, we’re coming up to 1000. And I did 360. Well, I did one a day an hour plus episode every single day for the first year. And I just cranked them out and crank them out. And to be honest, I didn’t find it that difficult. It was everything behind the scenes. That was the difficult bit. actually doing the shows, I’ve got tremendous energy levels from being a stand up trainer for many, many years. I want I can talk I can communicate for hours. So that wasn’t the issue. It was the stuff that you’re not aware of when you start going into a business is the stuff you don’t know. You don’t know. until you find out you don’t know it. I think that was the killer.
Tamara Thompson [30:13]
Yeah, yeah, no, I think you know, and that’s why when I quit my job, you know, I had been building, you know, series tape productions for two years on the side. So a little bit backwards here. When I did decide to leave the corporate field, I was working for a production company where I was the producer for our main clients, Microsoft and Starbucks. And so that was a really heavy load there, there was a lot of stress that was put on there. I love the team, everybody there. Like when we’re in the office, everybody was awesome. There was situations, though, that arose when we were on set with one of our producers, with just the way that the energy level the treatment, the way that this person was treating everyone. I didn’t appreciate it. I tried to communicate. And I I thought to myself, you know, this is not the culture that I want to work in. And so I told myself, now I’m going to go out, and I’m going to create a culture where everyone treats each other, right, and they respect each other. And, you know, yes, it’s hard to set certain situations, but we, we take care of each other, we help each other through that process. And so I had been working with other larger companies on the side, a freelance side. So I told myself, I’m going to put together a year long proposal for this one organic cosmetic line that’s been around for 20 years. And I’ve been building that relationship doing freelance videos on the side for them. So I put together a proposal I said, when I propose this to them, and I put together a year contract that making more money in that one contract, and I’m making it this production company over here, I’m going to basically say goodbye, and I’m going to focus on serious take productions. So I put that proposal together, they accepted, I moved forward, and I never looked back. But it took me two years of you know, hustling and trying to figure things out on the freelance side to build a video production company, before bringing on Danielle are our marketing director, and some other people as well. So the first year was only like, two of us. And then you know, building out now we have about, like, you know, eight contractors that we work with per project basis plus only two of us are, yeah, are really full time. But we don’t need that with what we do. You know, we have these guys booked out for the high quality that we produce, and these different projects and events, we just, you know, have a specific set of projects we do. So yeah, it’s just it’s interesting, though, because people just they think, Oh, I can just quit, you know, like, but you have to think smartly before you do that, like make sure you’re not putting somebody else, you know, at risk and your family or you’re like, Oh, no, yeah, they don’t have anything coming in. Like, I made sure that I had something lined up. Before I really took the plunge though I knew that I had that year to like, figure out more and build relationships with more companies. And through that process, I ended up building a relationship with another large company, Safeway, and Albertsons, which is a large grocery chain over in the United States. And so you just have to think about it, you got to think about your next step, even though you’re not living in the future. But you have to think, okay, think smartly. And think how you can keep driving and continuously reach out and without giving up because, you know, once you stop, you’ve lost your momentum. And you just like, you know, if you don’t have help around you, it’s really hard to keep going at times, right?
David Ralph [33:21]
Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. And that contract that contract a year contract that you set up looking back on it now, under sale, did you under sell your services?
Tamara Thompson [33:33]
I’m trying to think of what it was. I knew that it was a it was a lot of work. And at this point, I wouldn’t I wouldn’t do that contract was definitely lower rate than I, you know, I’ve we’ve generated Yeah, I’ve been very grateful to be able to shift past certain mindsets after that, because I literally, I was working with specific individuals, small business owners in the beginning, where I decided it was important to raise prices, because the people that tend to value us more I noticed were the ones that that would pay more for my expertise and just trusted me and my team to be able to go out and do do a great job without micromanaging through the whole experience. And so that’s where I really just started shifting, and I had gone into more masterminds with my own personal personal self development and things like that, and started testing out like raising products from, you know, gosh, I would do products for $500 way back in the day to raising them to products that were 20 $500 to, to now, you know, having, you know, packages that are $25,000 up, you know, like, things like that, like you have to like bust through that that mold. But the more that we valued ourselves, and the more that we raised, you know, our prices and just put together this experience where we’re able to help people produce this epic video, but also give them a strategy on where they need to use it, how they need to use it, who they need to connect with, at this point, to get eyeballs on their their videos. It’s not just like having a videographer, like here’s your, your video by it’s more like, okay, now, where do you want to connect with Who can I connect you with, you know, like, you expand your circle so that they have this overall amazing experience. And those people that want that experience will, will pay for that premium packaging, because they they believe in you. They believe in what you’re doing and your cause as well as just being seeing the value and be able to connect with other like minded people as well in the business industry. So it just really just shifted after I received my first mentors and going through masterminds and just really seeing what was out there and people like actually saying yes to you know, wanting to work and have this experience. So it was really cool to just go through that experience. It was very hard in the beginning Balboa
David Ralph [35:42]
No, no one can believe in you unless you believe in yourself.
Tamara Thompson [35:45]
No, it’s very true. I and I went through a lot in my life. And I’m just very, I’m all about perseverance and connecting with people. And I’m very just, I don’t know, I just went through, I think time in my life where I read the Four Agreements, and my Don Miguel Ruiz was, and I after I read that book, even though it’s a short book, like I knew, after I read it, I was like, those are the four things that I need to live by and think about daily. And if I ever have these thoughts come into my head and need to rethink about this book, you know, be impeccable with your word, always do your best. Don’t make assumptions and don’t take things personally. And every time I had one of those thoughts come in my head. I was like, Okay, I’m like, I’m just making an assumption right now. Like, I need to ask more questions, you know, because people get stuck in these thoughts in their own head with things. And once you start believing more in yourself and what you can do, it’s amazing to see how much you can actually grow through personal development and just stepping out of your comfort zone. Like, I’m like the the master of like pulling people out of their comfort zones, like from the stage, you know, from videos. Like I enjoy it, though, because I love seeing people grow. And the sense of like, you know, I’ve done like, trainings of on Facebook Lives, and it was, it’s cool. And I know, so many people have done Facebook Lives now, but a lot of people still haven’t. And being able to speak to audiences about doing video themselves. It’s the funniest little things that are holding them back. And a lot of people will come up to me and I say, you know, after my talk, I say, you know what, just come up to me after I speak, let’s let’s step outside, and I’ll go live with you for the first time. And we’ll see I’ll show you how easy it is. And this being able to do that to inspire somebody to actually take action to try something new and different that excites them is is so exciting, because like this one event I spoke at last year, it was cool. All these these women and men were come up, they’re like, I’m gonna go live, I’m gonna go live with you. So I went live with all these different people on their platforms. And then I had them. It was cute though, because they like would send me like private messages afterwards, or they connect with me through Facebook or send me an email to the camera, I just want you to know that, you know, I really appreciate you just having me do something as simple as doing a Facebook Live. And now that I see these people, it’s it’s cool to see these people consistently doing Facebook Lives for their business sound, but I was the one that really helped them like step out of their comfort zone like that, that gives me joy to know that I help somebody else. Like start their path through through video. Even if it’s just Facebook Live. Like it’s just important to step out of your comfort zone. So I enjoy doing that and helping people through that too.
David Ralph [38:15]
Well, let’s play some words from somebody who talks all about stepping outside the comfort zone and creating your own path. And he, in his own way created the whole format of the show Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs [38:25]
Of course, it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards 10 years later. Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something, your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leaves you off the well worn path. And that will make all the difference.
David Ralph [38:59]
So in the introduction we was talking about that your your background almost seemed from an outsider’s point of view of being a straight line of dots. Does it feel that way to yourself?
Tamara Thompson [39:09]
Oh, I’m not sure. It’s more like going like up and down with feel like my doctor like me, like a mountain.
My journey was definitely like I definitely connected the dots through my journey. But there is definitely a lot of different things that they go through to why I am the way I am. And you know, it’s interesting as I’ve gone through different experiences that have really pushed me to like the next level. And I remember one one time I was when we’re filming, I just want to share a quick story real quick. What I time I was filming for inspired by 11. And we I don’t know what my crazy idea was. But I was living in Seattle, Washington at a time and Michael parish today the author of the Shark Tank books was flying in from New York, for us to film his interview in LA. And I thought to myself, you know, it might be cool to have a road trip. So I’m gonna drive from Seattle to Los Angeles. And I turned around and I was like, Okay, cool. And I’m like, what’s somebody, my partner Danielle, and I were like, let’s drive down and then we’ll drive back up the Pacific Coast because it’s beautiful. Right on the way back up. We’ll do like some camping or something or check out some areas and do some hikes. And we’re driving down, right? We’re going up this like mountain that’s like just about to enter California from Oregon. And I see that I steam like just popping up from my hood my car. And I’m like, Oh man. And so I start coasting down the mountain and I literally my car breaks down right on the border of California and Oregon. So I like my car steaming and I’m there. And it’s like you said Welcome to California like I’m not quite there yet. So, but it was it’s funny because I, we I started like googling things. I’m like, what’s going on with my current? Okay, let’s put water in it. Let’s do this. And I was like, let’s see if we can coast to the nearest gas station, which is like seven minutes away. It’s basically all downhill it looks like. And so we decided to coast down to the gas station, where there’s like nothing around if you know, like Northern California, there’s nothing around. And we get there. And I’m like, okay, like it’s got to be the coolant, right? I need coolant. So we go in and like, Yes, I got the last coolant and I go in and I put the coolant in. And then we noticed that there’s a slit in the pipe. And I was like, Oh, this is this is a hard day, right? And so I’m like, this person that just like continuously goes right? Like, if I’m on a mission to do something, I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna figure out how to make it work, right, where a lot of people would be like, Oh, you know what I’m just going to reschedule This is there’s no way I’m going to get to Los Angeles in the next 24 hours. And so I’m like googling things. I called it tow truck, it was like a Sunday. So everything the car shops are closed, I’m looking at car rental places that are like, closest to the nearest hotel. I call this this. This tow truck guy you like literally drops us off at or hotel. And he he drops our car off at the shop and we walk down the next morning to get a rental car and literally just go down. And then you know, it’s about like connecting your dots. And this staying on your path, no matter what kind of things happened in between, like, when the getting a rental car, busted down the highway down to Los Angeles, we got it like 2am, we had the interview at 8am. So we only slept for a few hours. But just like that’s my kind of journey, like when things like happen are getting my way like the my dots might just kind of drop and you’re like, oh, there’s like a dip in the dot. And then you like go back up this like mountain. Like those are the type of experiences that I’ve gone through quite a bit. And I don’t I just believe it’s like someone’s challenging me to see how far I can go. And that’s really what my journey has been about is just continuously taking action. And no matter what gets in my way. It’s it’s a lot about my past experiences in life, why I do what I do. But I went through a lot of hardships growing through my late 20s and 30s before I became sober, but it was that’s where my life shifted, which was like, Okay, now I went through these interesting experiences, poor experiences that allowed me to bust through that experience to become a stronger person. And so I just literally just like bam, bam, bam, like these dots along the way. Like, I appreciate every dot that I’ve connected, that get me to the next level, because that’s that’s my path. That’s where I want to go in life. So just wanted to kind of share a quick story. But that’s like the way I think though, if something gets in my way, I always think how can I fix it? How can I get around it? How can I move on to that next.in my life and my path,
David Ralph [43:43]
they see any way to build success. And it was the perfect story. It really was because he is all about overcoming the things that you don’t plan for. That’s the thing that throws a spanner into the words when you think to yourself why I’ve got this budget and you spend it on something and then you suddenly realize that something else it, but it’s that constant fire fighting, but that leads to something and it brings us full circle and the whole conversation, you started growing a company, you’re now where you are now. Is it still a baby company? When you look at it, even though it’s doing so well? Do you now think to yourself? I know we could do this? And we could do better? And we could go into television? And we could what’s what’s your plans going forward?
Tamara Thompson [44:24]
Yeah, you know, I feel like say it seems like a baby to me, compared to a lot of like the film, you know, big, large film production companies out there because we focus on working with, you know, small business owners as well as event holders, successful entrepreneurs, we also work with some larger corporate companies to besides of like really large like film and movie productions, like we haven’t stepped into that realm like I’ve focused on every other year, I produce a documentary film, but my my actual passion and goal, I’ve been actually working on a script the last few years and I I would love to be able to go out into an area where I’m able to create a film a documentary that can, you know, be streamed online, like we’ve had, a couple of my films have been asked to be on indie flicks, which was a online based program and Seattle. And it was also it’s on Vimeo, on demand other stuff like that. But I really would love to end result work on projects where I can inspire and get them out on things like Netflix, or Hulu or Roku boxes or things like that, like that’s my my passion to be able to get more creative visuals and impacting films out there to more people because there’s so many different types of shows out there. But a lot of the focuses of shows are, you know, dramas and action and things like that. And I’d rather just help them get more impactful stories out there for entrepreneurs and things like that. So that’s my, my end goal is to get some sort of series out there to impact others that can be seen, you know, worldwide. That’s my my end goal. But right now we’re focusing on helping impact through other people’s stories as our clients right now.
David Ralph [46:03]
Well, I’ll tell you what, I know that you will, you are cheaper. And my end goal is when you do achieve it, you come back on the show, and you tell us all about it and how you got there and what cars broke down when you were driving making the film and all the troubles and trials and tribulations? Because I think I think you’ll you will definitely do that you will definitely do it because you are on a journey as you have been on a journey on this show. And this is the part that we’ve been leading up to which we call this sermon on the mic when we send you back in time to have a one on one with your younger self. And if you could go back in time and speak to the younger version, what age would you choose? And what advice would you give? Well, we’re gonna find out because I’m going to play the theme. And when it beats you up, this is the Sermon on the mic.
Tamara Thompson [47:07]
If I go back and talk to my younger self, I would definitely say to the younger 25 year old Tamara Thompson back in 2005. When I first started creating YouTube videos, I would say, Tamara, listen to your family, listen to the people around you, knowing that you’re passionate about video, don’t wait to start until 2009 to go back to you know, college and really switch gears in an industry that you’re not passionate about. You know, just just go forward with your passion and know that that that individuals out there, you can create a lifestyle and a career with a passion. A lot of people don’t believe that your passion can be something that you make money on. But I’m very much a success that knows that this is the possibility that people can do this. And it’s just important to to know that. You know, if I could have started four years before I did, where would I be now? Maybe I would be on Netflix. So yeah, I would just say you know, start you know, just start when when you’re passionate about something, start and just don’t wait.
David Ralph [48:13]
Tamara Thompson was the number one best way but our audience who’ve been listening to you today can connect with you.
Tamara Thompson [48:19]
Yeah, I would say connect with me on my director page. If you type in director Tamara Thompson, you can follow my Facebook page there or look up our company series take productions on Facebook. Also, you can connect through Twitter and Instagram. It’s at serious take Pro, those would be a couple of spots that would be best to connect with me.
David Ralph [48:40]
We will have over links on the show notes. Tamara, thank you so much for spending time with us today. joining up those dots. And please come back again when you’ve got more dots to join up. Because I do believe that by joining up the dots and connecting our past is the best way to build our futures. Tamara Thompson. Thank you so much.
Tamara Thompson [48:57]
Thank you so much David it’s a done deal. I’m coming back with gonna have that Netflix series.
David Ralph [49:04]
Tamara Thompson, she told me Tamara Thompson behind the camera, which is perfect. So she’s creating this being built around passion. She loved video, but how can you actually you know, take it into different direction that’s in different income streams. And a lot of it that she was talking about was about smashing proven mindset of what’s possible what people are willing to pay for. And we also don’t miss kind of, oh, no one would afford fat but we base it on what we would be willing to pay and not them. So we also a blueprint bear of mindset, passion, commitment, perseverance, building what she will believe is going to be amazing and I’m sure it is going to be amazing because he’s already created something amazing already. As all of you came out there as well create something amazing even if it’s just today come out and do something different something that will break up the routine of your life and get you to believe that the amazing is possible because every single one of you can do that. Thank you so much so much so much for listening to join up dots Please tell your friends about the show is the one of the quickest ways to grow it. Just Just get me on the show and they may be there like it enough to tell somebody else but until the next time. Thank you very much cheers
Outro [50:17]
David doesn’t want you to become a fated version of the brilliant self you are wants to become. So he’s put together an amazing guide for you called the eight pieces of advice that every successful entrepreneur practices, including the two that changed his life. Head over to join up dots.com to download this amazing guide for free and we’ll see you tomorrow on join up dots.
