
Hosted by Ryan Koral · EN

In this episode, I sit down with Zack Thompson, co-founder of Bumpy Road Productions, for a live coaching session on pricing, packaging, and positioning. Zack's growing a sketch comedy series offer for brands, and we dig into why his current price points are leaving serious money on the table. If you've ever struggled to charge what your work is actually worth, this one's for you. Key Takeaways Your base package needs to be profitable on its own—don't price the entry tier hoping clients upgrade to your premium offer Charge for value, not crew size; a one-person shoot and a five-person shoot shouldn't be a $2K difference One specific, numbers-driven testimonial from a recognizable client is worth more than a hundred generic "they're great" reviews Build three simple packages with clear differentiation in scope and cadence rather than stuffing everything into the top tier About Zack Thompson Zack Thompson is the co-founder of Bumpy Road Productions. Majored in Film at Rochester Institute of Technology, then worked in outdoor documentary television for 5 years. Now he runs his own production company with his brother Jake. Recently completed a feature-length sports documentary, "Northmen Way, A Lacrosse Story". With Bumpy Road they have done all forms of client video work, specializing in comedy-driven video. Quotes "I'm done in the days of throwing a low ball price just to get a job and then kicking myself afterwards." — Zack Thompson "When you start to talk about the potential value, it becomes way easier to justify spending fill in the blank." — Ryan Koral "Just be careful on how you build those packages—make the base one that if you only ever sold it, you'd be all set." — Ryan Koral Guest Links Follow @bumpyroadproductions on Instagram and Facebook Links Find out more about the Studio Sherpas Mastermind Join the Grow Your Video Business Facebook Group Follow Ryan Koral on Instagram Follow Grow Your Video Business on Instagram Join the Studio Sherpas newsletter

Lynn Friesth spent 41 years at John Deere before stepping into what he calls an "encore career" — and now he helps other retiring professionals do the same. In this conversation, we dig into why story is the most underrated strategy in any business, how to draw real moments out of people who don't think they have a story, and the surprising market opportunity for filmmakers willing to serve the 65-and-older crowd. Plus, Lynn shares why "not done yet" might be the most powerful mindset shift you can make at any age. Key Takeaways Your story isn't just nice-to-have content — it's the thing that makes clients choose you over everyone else with similar skills Polished doesn't beat real anymore; the unscripted moments are what actually connect with viewers Retiring professionals are a massive, underserved market for filmmakers — they have the wisdom, the budget, and the need Testimonial videos from past colleagues and clients are way more believable than anything you could say about yourself About Lynn Friesth Lynn coached high-achieving executives 55+ to reinvent their identity, leverage their expertise, and create meaningful income—without getting lost in the noise of endless options. With his unique Human Wisdom + AI Toolkit approach, powered by LynnAI, they combine your hard-earned experience with the leverage of modern tools—helping you design an Encore Career that's both impactful and sustainable. Results he helped clients achieve: Turn decades of corporate leadership into a thriving advisory business Replace a corporate salary with a flexible, meaningful consulting practice Launch a personal brand that attracted clients in under 6 weeks In This Episode [00:00] Welcome to the show! [05:08] Meet Lynn Friesth [09:35] The Five Stages of Manhood [18:04] Don't Overcomplicate Things [18:59] Being Real [24:34] Ask Questions [33:40] Lynn AI [35:47] Lynn's Book [36:57] Connect with Lynn [38:47] Outro Quotes "Don't just drift into your encore life. Get started and design what you want to do. Don't drift, just design." - Lynn Friesth "Your story is what's gonna make you different than the person next to you. Your story is gonna be the thing that's gonna make people want to work with you or not." - Ryan Koral "I always tried to have a really tight script and follow it. But then I found out the most views I got were a couple of podcasts where I just riffed and stumbled over words and wasn't very polished at all — but I was real." - Lynn Friesth "Often high achievers want to talk about what should I be doing, when in fact what they really need to find out is who do I want to be." - Lynn Friesth Guest Links Check out Lynn's Website Not sure what's next after corporate life? Meet Lynn AI — Lynn's virtual coaching assistant. He'll help you find your purpose, build your brand, and create a life of impact. Links Find out more about the Studio Sherpas Mastermind Join the Grow Your Video Business Facebook Group Follow Ryan Koral on Instagram Follow Grow Your Video Business on Instagram Join the Studio Sherpas newsletter

In this episode, I sat down with filmmaker Derick Fischer of Fishbowl Media for a live, no-script coaching session. After getting laid off from his corporate TV gig last November, Derick is officially making the leap from side hustle to full-time business owner—and he was honest about the messy middle of that transition. We unpacked his pricing, the systems he's missing, and the specific tools he can plug in this week to start filling his pipeline. Key Takeaways Your hourly rate is probably a fantasy until you track every hour. Music searches, call sheets, revisions—those "little" tasks add up to thousands of dollars in unpaid time per project. Cold outreach still works, but it shouldn't be manual anymore. Tools like BotDog and Perplexity can build your prospect list and start conversations while you're focused on shoots and edits. Lead with a low-ticket offer, not a video package. Free virtual tours, paid workshops, or strategy sessions get clients in the door before you ever pitch the bigger project. A weekly sales block on your calendar is non-negotiable. Without it, you're back on the roller coaster the second a big project wraps. In This Episode [00:00] Welcome to the show! [05:16] Meet Derick Fischer [07:49] Coaching Session [10:01] Biggest Frustration in the Business [12:08] With the End In Mind [17:20] Evaluating Cost In Jobs [20:52] Perplexity AI [24:36] Botdog AI [30:30] Having Systems In Place [35:21] Connect with Derick [35:57] Outro Quotes "If those costs are not being passed over to a client, you're giving away your time and you're giving away $1,500 worth of your skills." — Ryan Koral "You will forever be on the roller coaster, trying to find new client after new client, but without a system in place, you're just making life a lot harder for yourself." — Ryan Koral "Find the things that can run in the background, especially as a solopreneur, when you are the one responsible for everything." — Ryan Koral Links Find out more about the Studio Sherpas Mastermind Join the Grow Your Video Business Facebook Group Follow Ryan Koral on Instagram Follow Grow Your Video Business on Instagram Join the Studio Sherpas newsletter

Park Howell, the world's most industrious storyteller, joins Ryan to break down why most brand stories fall flat—and the simple framework that fixes it. From making the pronoun shift from "me" to "you" to walking Ryan through a live ABT exercise on the podcast itself, Park shows exactly how to stop pitching and start proving your worth to the right audience. Key Takeaways Your story isn't about what you make—it's about what you make happen in your audience's life The And, But, Therefore (ABT) framework is the DNA of every story that actually lands Niching down works like a tractor beam—when you get specific, the right clients get pulled in Copy your homepage into ChatGPT and ask it to rewrite using Park's ABT framework for an instant shift About Park Howell Park Howell is known as The World's Most Industrious Storyteller having grown purpose-driven brands by as much as 600 percent. He is an EMMY Award-Winning, 40+ year veteran of the advertising industry and hosts the popular weekly Business of Story podcast, authored Brand Bewitchery, and co-authored The Narrative Gym for Business. Park recently launched the StoryCycle Genie™ to help business leaders craft a lucrative brand story strategy in minutes, not months. He is sought after internationally to help executives excel through the stories they tell. In This Episode [00:00] Welcome to the show! [05:34] Meet Park Howell [07:22] Story [11:16] Hero of the Story [14:06] Story Cycle System [16:02] And, But, Therefore... [25:32] Niching Down [32:04] Connect with Park [33:06] Outro Quotes "Your story is not about what you make, but what you make happen in people's lives." — Park Howell "You are not the center of your story. Your audience is." — Park Howell "We are all intuitive storytellers, but we really need to be intentional storytellers using frameworks that we know that work." — Park Howell "When you niche down to be that very specific supplier for a very specific audience, you're going to get other business outside of that niche, but it becomes like a tractor beam that sucks them into the Life Star." — Park Howell "Artificial intelligence is the worst brand name ever. If you really know how to use it and collaborate with it, it becomes artful intelligence that actually augments your intelligence." — Park Howell Guest Links Follow Park Howell on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn Get your brand story strategy using StoryCycle Genie™ Links Find out more about the Studio Sherpas Mastermind Join the Grow Your Video Business Facebook Group Follow Ryan Koral on Instagram Follow Grow Your Video Business on Instagram Join the Studio Sherpas newsletter

In this solo episode, Ryan pulls two real hot seats from a recent mastermind call and unpacks the patterns behind them—outbound efforts that lead to ghosting, and messaging so vague even the owner's mom can't explain what they do. He also shares why he's writing a book this year, the AI stack he's using to buy back time, and the client-interview exercise that turns your favorite customers into your copywriters. Key Takeaways Discovery calls aren't pitch calls. Your job is to ask enough questions that they practically sell themselves on video—not to rattle off your packages and hope something sticks. Your clients already wrote your tagline. Interview the people who keep coming back, capture their exact language, and let that become your marketing message instead of trying to invent one in a vacuum. Niche expertise lets you skip the 20 questions. Once you know the top pain points in a vertical, you can name them before the prospect does—and that's when they say, "it's like you're reading my mail." Record every sales call. An AI notetaker gives you a searchable archive of what clients actually care about, and most video business owners still aren't doing this. In This Episode [00:00] Welcome to the show! [09:30] AI Softwares [12:19] Ryan's Book [23:17] Understanding Clients Pain-Points [26:56] A Strong Elevator Pitch [29:53] AI Recorders [30:21] Outro Quotes "Your vibe draws your tribe. When you speak and share the things you care about, it's gonna resonate with certain people—and it's gonna not resonate with others. That's what you want." — Ryan Koral "They're ghosting you because they never reached out. They didn't have a problem, they were saying would be solved by video." — Ryan Koral "Your clients, your favorite clients—they should be able to tell you exactly why they keep coming back. Use that in your marketing message." — Ryan Koral "The more you let them articulate what their pain points are, the easier it is to serve them in the long run." — Ryan Koral Links Find out more about the Studio Sherpas Mastermind Join the Grow Your Video Business Facebook Group Follow Ryan Koral on Instagram Follow Grow Your Video Business on Instagram Join the Studio Sherpas newsletter

486 Overview Daren Smith — indie film producer and founder of Craftsman Films — is back on the show, and he's bringing a whole new level of clarity on what it takes to build a sustainable creative business. He breaks down the MOVIE framework from his new book Blockbuster, shares the LinkedIn strategy that grew his audience from 800 to 12,000+ followers, and offers a totally fresh take on selling that doesn't feel like selling at all. If you've ever struggled with getting clients to say yes, or wondered how to stop spinning your wheels across too many platforms, this one's for you. Key Takeaways Pick one channel and go all in. Daren grew his LinkedIn following from 800 to 12,000+ in about 18 months by showing up consistently and targeting the specific audience he needed to reach — investors, not just filmmakers. Stop convincing, start listening. Rather than pitching what you want to make or sell, "dig for the demand" by asking clients what's frustrating them, what they wish were different, and what's keeping them up at night. Leverage other people's audiences. Getting a column on IndieWire — a site with 10 million monthly visitors — didn't happen overnight, but it started with a single DM and a year of showing up. That's the shortcut that doesn't feel like one. Use a filter for every opportunity. Daren evaluates every project with three questions: Is there leverage? Do I feel compelled to make this? And is it inevitable? If it doesn't clear all three, it's a no. About Daren Smith Daren is an independent film producer based in Utah, USA, who has produced four indie features and four seasons of television. Last year he had TWO films in theaters at the same time, which was a huge milestone. Currently, he's raising Producer Fund I, a $10M fund to produce the next 10 indie features, with the ultimate goal of creating a truly independent film ecosystem that benefits everyone - the investors, the filmmakers, the audience, and the industry at large. He's the founder of Craftsman Films, and the author of a number of books, his most recent being Blockbuster - How Independent Creators Can Build Massively Profitable Businesses. In This Episode [00:00] Welcome to the show! [05:13] Meet Daren Smith [06:47] Blockbuster [13:36] Visibility [16:18] Marketing [22:54] Go All In [26:35] Leverage [29:35] Indie Film [45:49] Having a Checklist [50:26] Connect with Daren [52:49] Outro Quotes "I'm not in the business of convincing people. If you convince somebody, you're running the risk of them being really upset if it doesn't go exactly the way they expected." — Daren Smith "The release of the thing is the start of the marketing. If you're really smart and strategic, you're actually doing marketing leading up to it — creating the tension that gets people to say, I have to have this." — Daren Smith "You're competing against everything else on the internet. Not just other people making movies — it's all of social media, all of AI, all of TV, all of gaming. You can make a really good thing and it can still fail if it doesn't reach enough people." — Daren Smith "I'm doing an exclusively family-friendly, values-based, meaningful media model. When I evaluate a project, I want filmmakers to know how I think — so that you're not saying yes to things you shouldn't be." — Daren Smith "Go all in on one channel until you reach a tipping point where it's kind of working on its own. None of mine were growing when they each got 10% of my time and energy." — Daren Smith Guest Links CraftsmanFilms.co — Daren's main hub (free digital copy of Blockbuster at craftsmanfilms.co/blockbuster) Find Daren online - LinkedIn Links Find out more about the Studio Sherpas Mastermind Join the Grow Your Video Business Facebook Group Follow Ryan Koral on Instagram Follow Grow Your Video Business on Instagram Join the Studio Sherpas newsletter

Quynh Nguyen, Jessie Chu, and Sara Kim are paper flower artists, educators, and co-founders of a mastermind built specifically for creative makers. In this episode, they share why story — not just skill — is what separates thriving artists from those who stay invisible. We also dig into why the creative maker market is a surprisingly powerful niche for video professionals to explore, and what it really takes to just start showing up on camera. Key Takeaways Sharing your story isn't optional — your audience is already guessing what your brand is about, so you might as well tell them yourself. The creative maker market (paper artists, ceramicists, makers of all kinds) produces inherently beautiful visuals and is actively looking for videographers who get them. You don't learn until you launch — waiting for the perfect setup or the perfect script just delays the growth that only comes from doing. A mastermind works best when the leaders model vulnerability first — that's what gives members permission to open up and be honest about their struggles. About Quynh, Jessie, Sara Three artists. Two countries. One mission: to build a thriving, honest, and supportive community for paper flower artists around the world. Together they bring backgrounds in law, music performance, culinary arts, marketing and logistics. They are proof that creative entrepreneurs come from everywhere. Paper Talk was born in 2017 when Quynh and Jessie could not find a community of crepe paper flower artists online and decided to build one themselves. What started as a Facebook group became a global community of makers, a podcast with 250,000 downloads, three published books, a YouTube channel with 73,500 subscribers, and brand partnerships with some of the most recognizable names in the creative industry. None of that happened without video. In This Episode [00:00:00] Welcome to the show! [00:05:29] Meet Quynh, Jessie, and Sara [00:17:42] Utilizing Pinterest [00:24:03] Creative Maker Market [00:39:19] Newsletters [00:46:53] Mastermind Groups [00:58:56] Connect with Quynh, Jessie, and Sara [01:00:04] Outro Quotes "If you don't put your foot out there and say, 'This is my story, this is my brand' — they might miss the mark, and you're missing your targeted audience." — Quynh Nguyen "What you see versus what your audience sees are two different things. Being able to tell them why you're doing this — that's what stands out." — Jessie Chu "Your ideal clients need you to show up for them. If you're holding back by not showing up on video, you're holding back the thing you're made to do." — Ryan Koral "My first video is so cringy to watch — but I don't take it down, because without that first video, I wouldn't be where I am now." — Sara Kim "In the last 10 weeks of sharing my real story — vulnerable, personal stuff — I've gotten more comments, DMs, and people stopping me in public than in the last two years combined." — Ryan Koral Guest Links Find Quynh Nguyen (Pink & Posey) online - Website | @pinkandposey on socials Find Jessie Chu (Crafted to Bloom) online - Website | @jessie.choo on socials Find Sara Kim online (Handmade by Sara) - @handmadebysakim on socials Explore Paper Talk Podcast Links Find out more about the Studio Sherpas Mastermind Join the Grow Your Video Business Facebook Group Follow Ryan Koral on Instagram Follow Grow Your Video Business on Instagram Join the Studio Sherpas newsletter

Ryan goes live — sort of — and ends up doing what he does best: real, honest coaching. In this solo-ish episode, Ryan chats with Mark Cruz about the fear of hiring help and what it actually looks like to start delegating in a small video business. Ryan also gets candid about overcoming perfectionism and why launching imperfectly beats not launching at all. Key Takeaways Hiring a virtual assistant through sites like onlinejobs.ph or Upwork — even for just 5–10 hours a week — can free up serious mental bandwidth and open the door to more revenue-generating work You don't need consistent income to start hiring; start small, build trust, and scale from there Perfectionism is the enemy of progress — in business and in life, done beats perfect every time Use AI tools (like Claude!) alongside personality assessments to build a hiring process that finds someone who truly complements how you work About Ryan Koral Ryan Koral is a documentary filmmaker, founder, and creative coach based in Michigan. Over the last 20+ years, he's built a 7-figure story-driven video studio (Tell Studios), a global community of filmmakers and creative entrepreneurs (Studio Sherpas), and a weekly podcast with over 1 million downloads. His work has reached email audiences of over 100,000 people, and he's had the privilege of working with names like Gino Wickman, Mike Kim, Disney, and the University of Michigan. Today, Ryan helps founders and experts who are the best-kept secret in their industry step into their voice, tell their story, and build a brand people believe in. He's currently writing a book about storytelling in the age of AI. In This Episode [00:00] Welcome to the show! [07:24] Hiring an Executive Assistant [16:02] Buy Back Your Time [23:25] Overcoming Perfectionism [25:49] What Could Happen? [28:51] Being More Authentic [31:22] Outro Quotes "You don't learn until you launch." — Ryan Koral "If you just got 10 hours back a week — how would that feel?" — Ryan Koral "I built my job, my studio, for my life — I'm not trying to build my life around my work." — Ryan Koral "Make mistakes, go ugly early, try things out at a fraction of the cost to learn your processes." — Ryan Koral Links Find out more about the Studio Sherpas Mastermind Join the Grow Your Video Business Facebook Group Follow Ryan Koral on Instagram Follow Grow Your Video Business on Instagram Join the Studio Sherpas newsletter

Alex Yu is a real estate team leader and coach out of Orange County, California who's spent 21+ years learning what it really means to serve the right people — not just more people. In this conversation, Alex and Ryan get into the surprising parallels between real estate and the video business, particularly around audience clarity, the danger of copying other people's content strategies, and why being authentically yourself online is actually your biggest competitive advantage. It's a refreshingly honest conversation from someone who's made the expensive mistakes so you don't have to. Key Takeaways "Everyone is my client" is a trap. If you're trying to speak to everyone, you're resonating with no one. Getting specific about who you serve — and why — is what makes your content and your marketing actually work. Copying someone else's strategy is like copying a copy of a copy. Alex's analogy of a house key that gets worse with each duplicate is spot on: by the time you're doing a watered-down version of what worked for someone else in a different market, it's barely opening any doors for you. 100 targeted views can outperform 100,000 random ones. If you only need 10 new clients, the math on "going viral" doesn't add up — what you actually need is the right 100 people watching, not the largest possible audience. Video builds trust while you sleep. Alex makes the case that video lets you pre-qualify (and disqualify) potential clients before they ever book a call — saving you hours and shortening the sales cycle with the people who do reach out. About Alex Yu Alex Yu is a real estate team leader and coach based in Orange County, California, with over 45 years of roots in the area and a background that includes managing bank-owned assets for JP Morgan Chase during the 2008 financial crisis. These days, he leads a lean, high-performing team — proving that fewer, better people beats a big headcount every time. Alex is passionate about helping business owners get clear on who they serve, build cultures worth showing up for, and use video to grow their brand authentically. In This Episode [00:00] Welcome to the show! [04:23] Meet Alex Yu [06:19] More Than Just a Lead [13:12] Having the Right Team [16:04] Hiring and Firing [21:25] Good Work Culture [26:44] Being Your Authentic Self [38:07] Benefits of Being On Video [48:27] Connect with Alex [48:51] Outro Quotes "When they're called leads, and they're called transactions, and they're called deals, that kind of diminishes what the life change is. And I think that's actually the biggest mistake I see." — Alex Yu "If you have a house key and you make a copy of it, the second copy is not so good. The third copy based on the second copy is worse. Pretty soon you're so far removed that it doesn't even open the doors you want anymore." — Alex Yu "There's a third of people that are going to work with you no matter what — they love you. There's a third that don't like your face, your voice, whatever — they'll never work with you. And then there's another 33% that just don't know you yet." — Alex Yu "Video can be an amazing time saver. People watch your brand video, they get to know you, they decide whether or not you're somebody they want to work with — and if they save you the time of not booking a discovery call, that's the ROI." — Ryan Koral "It's not always about income. It's about figuring out what is important to you and then doing more of it — and knowing at the end of the day that the income is going to be part of this." — Alex Yu Guest Links Find Alex Yu online Follow Alex Yu on Instagram Links Find out more about the Studio Sherpas Mastermind Join the Grow Your Video Business Facebook Group Follow Ryan Koral on Instagram Follow Grow Your Video Business on Instagram Join the Studio Sherpas newsletter

Brian Bogert is a human connection expert and voice architect who helps people identify the hidden patterns and emotional blocks that keep them stuck — in life and in business. In this episode, we dig into why so many creatives struggle to charge what they're worth, how childhood experiences shape our business decisions, and what it actually looks like to "drop the armor" so you can show up with more confidence and land better clients. Key Takeaways Your pricing problem is probably a personal problem. Brian shares how a video creative with over a million followers had never made more than $50K/year — until they addressed the emotional blocks tied to a childhood experience. Within months, she 3X'd her rate and was on track for her first million. Ask the question nobody's asking. The simplest way to get unstuck is to ask yourself (and your clients) better, open-ended questions. Brian's framework: "Questions create options and opportunities to make new choices." Strong spine, soft front. Know your value, your boundaries, and your worth — and be unwavering in that. But stay open enough to connect. That combo is what drives both better relationships and better sales. Your voice is your greatest asset. In a world where AI is commoditizing creative work, what sets you apart is your authentic voice, your leadership, and your ability to connect on a human level. About Brian Bogert Brian Bogert is a strategic voice amplifier and emotionally driven force multiplier who helps people lead, communicate, and scale with clarity - without compromising their humanity. Brian works with entrepreneurs, elite performers, and visionary creators to unlock clarity and scale through the lens of human behavior, message intelligence, and scalable connection. He compresses time, cuts through noise, and turns chaos into aligned action. With 100M+ video views and one of the most powerful comeback stories in the space, he brings raw authenticity, actionable insight, and unmatched energy to every stage, podcast, or training he leads. He believes in using technology to amplify humanity and truth - not replace it. Always human first. "When you eliminate waste, you can operate at speed without the need to hurry." - Brian Bogert In This Episode [00:00] Welcome to the show! [05:37] Meet Brian Bogert [07:28] Identifying and Removing Waste [20:32] Defining Where You Are Stuck [22:32] Importance of Questions [28:36] Strong Spine, Soft Front [32:05] Sharing Your Story Helps Others [36:17] Vulnerability [42:08] How To Charge More [48:35] Connect with Brian [52:54] Outro Quotes "Your voice is your greatest asset. The question is, do you know your voice? Do you feel strength and conviction in your voice? And can you be unwavering in your voice?" — Brian Bogert "The second you have nothing to protect, justify, or defend about yourself — about how much you charge, about the quality of your work, about your integrity — you are free." — Brian Bogert "You don't have it because you don't ask for it. We're afraid." — Ryan Koral "Courage doesn't mean you're not afraid. It means you choose to do it anyway." — Brian Bogert "The world will never judge you based on your intent. The world will only ever judge you based on what your words, actions, and behaviors communicate, even if you're not aware of it." — Brian Bogert Guest Links Find Brian Bogert online Follow Brian Bogert on Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn Links Find out more about the Studio Sherpas Mastermind Join the Grow Your Video Business Facebook Group Follow Ryan Koral on Instagram Follow Grow Your Video Business on Instagram Join the Studio Sherpas newsletter