Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Matthew O'Brien, Founder of Midland Pictures, LLC, located in Council Bluffs, IA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I produce a YouTube channel that focuses on creating original content about Final Cut Pro, Filmmaking & Apple Tech. My viewers are filmmakers, documentarians, video editors, and anybody who loves Apple products. I also partner with brands and businesses to promote their products and services on my channel.

Tell us about yourself

I've had a camera in my hand since I was a kid - waaaaaay back when it was a shoulder-mounted VHS camcorder. I studied Theatre and Acting in college and have been working in the performing arts and show business ever since. My graduate degree in Film brought me to Los Angeles, where I honed my skills in post-production, working on various live concert tours. After starting my own production company here in Omaha, Nebraska, I found myself unfulfilled by the service dynamic I had with my clients - they wanted to hire someone who knew how to operate a camera/video editing software and could do a job for as little money as possible. When the COVID-19 pandemic brought my business to a grinding halt, I started creating Final Cut Pro tutorials on YouTube, and my channel grew quickly from there. I'm motivated on a daily basis in several ways: I love making up, knowing I get to do exactly what I want to do that day. I'm my own boss, and I get to decide what I'm going to work on. That freedom is incredibly meaningful to me, it's fulfilling, and I can't imagine my professional life any other way. The other big motivator for me is my mission: I want to help filmmakers, and video editors master Final Cut Pro and post-production workflows so they can get all the technical stuff out of the way and focus on what they want to make, what they want to create - their art, their films, their videos, their content. My audience and the value I can try to provide every day is very motivating. 

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I suppose it's twofold. One element I'm very proud of is earning $150k in gross revenue in my first year running my production company Midland Pictures. Was I incredibly profitable? No. But I didn't lose money and never imagined grossing that kind of revenue in my first year of operation.

I'm also very proud of taking my YouTube channel from $0 in revenue for the first few years to $8k in revenue in its 4th year and close to $50k in revenue in its 5th year - all with no more than 25k subs. $50k in revenue may not seem like anything earth-shattering for most entrepreneurs out there, but I'm astounded that someone like me can earn a middle-class income making videos about Final Cut Pro and Apple Tech.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

For me, one of the hardest things is deciding what's an investment and what's an expense. Is hiring someone part-time the best decision at this moment, or is investing in new camera equipment the right call? How is every decision I make as a business owner getting me closer to my goals or distracting me from achieving them? It can be easy to succumb to the allure of new tech, new gadgets, new software, new accessories, and you can easily try to rationalize those purchases by telling yourself you'll get ROI or you'll review it on your channel and earn your money back, but you really have to deploy self-awareness to know if what you're doing with your revenue is feeding something unproductive or if it's moving your business in the right direction.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Set specific goals and describe in detail what you want your business to look like at the end of the year. If you hold this destination in your mind, every decision that comes before you will be much easier - you'll know if the decision you're facing helps you or hurts you. It moves you forward or distracts you. It is an opportunity or an obstacle.
  2. If you sell something, provide your customer or client with three price options. This changes the dynamic from IF the client/customer will engage with you to HOW will the client/customer engage with you.
  3. Don't charge based on time/materials. Don't bill hourly. Create fixed price options where the pricing is based on the value of the results you'll get for your client. Get them to see your engagement as an investment, not an expense.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website:
https://www.midlandpictures.com/
https://linktr.ee/midlandpictures 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MidlandPictures
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MidlandPictures
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthewtobrien/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/matthewtobrien

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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