We had the good fortune of connecting with Steven Weed and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Steven, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
The most important decision I had to make that contributed to my success would be to move from Upstate New York to Colorado Springs, Colorado to start my own business.

The majority of my life growing up, I was surrounded by video production and video equipment; my Father started his own production company when I was young and I was always around the gear, people and events that he was producing at the time. Everything from multi-camera stock car races to the Miss New York State pageant and everything in between.

Mind you, this was the mid-to-late 90’s, so my Father was way ahead of his time for being a small business owner and operator; a pioneer of sorts. This was well before the internet was a massive distribution platform and YouTube wasn’t even a thought yet. Cell phones weren’t smart yet, still taking grainy, low resolution photos – not like the video and streaming devices we all have in our pockets today. The price of entry into the video production industry was much higher and more difficult back then.

What he did took imagination, engineering and a bit of luck to make work – using old Commodore Amiga PC’s to use for graphic overlays, for example; the software was designed for digital signage, but he figured out a way to work it into his productions to add a professional look and feel.

The reason I mention this is because that is the environment I grew up in, and much like anyone else working for a family business, I had it pretty easy you could say. I didn’t have to do any sales, purchase equipment or worry about finances and I made my own schedule. I just showed up, worked the events and got paid – which is about as easy a situation anyone could find themselves in.

Even with the cushy situation I found myself in, I eventually felt like I wanted to see what I could do on my own. I was very much engrained in a safe video production bubble if you will; gigs and events lined up from my Father’s clients, equipment already purchased and accessible to me and a willing guide and teacher of the trade made it so easy to just be complacent and continue to work within that realm…but I wanted more.

I often tell people that I have enough ambition for two people. I wanted to produce bigger events. I wanted to work with newer equipment. I wanted to streamline things my way, with a focus on future technologies rather than making old analog equipment work the way I wanted it to. I wanted to see what I could do as a producer, on my own, without the safety net of my Father’s hard work and sacrifices.

For every one reason I thought of to leave New York and start my own business, I could think of three reasons to stay; not to mention I had my wife and her future to consider as well.

Leaving New York for Colorado was easily the most difficult and painful decision I ever made, and I am SO happy that I did so. Leaving our hometown and family was difficult for us, to say the least. I was emotional the entire 2,800 mile drive, filled with doubt and a pain that is indescribable; it felt similar to losing a loved one but with the guilt of knowing that pain was self inflicted – I chose this path myself.

But, without leaving the comfort of home, I wouldn’t have had access to many of the opportunities that I found myself involved in once moving here. I went from producing high school sports and city council meetings to full scale ESPN-style sports broadcasts, traveling the country producing events, large corporate events and TV commercials. I was now doing all the things that I were just a pipe dream that I was hoping to just have a chance at doing someday – and I did it all on my own, 100% solo.

Sure, I hired camera operators when I needed them and my wife kept me sane during the days of doubt and imposter syndrome (of which there were many), but mostly, I came, I saw and I conquered this business and market by myself. 90% of my portfolio are one-man-band productions, even though it could have easily been delegated to a group of 4 or 5 people – but at the time, I had nobody to lean on so I did what I could with the tools and people at my disposal.

When I moved to Colorado Springs, I had never been there or visited before. I had no jobs or gigs lined up. I knew no one. So, for me to start a business and make it profitable for almost 6 years now is not only a blessing, but a testament to my hard work and determination when my back was against the wall. I finally got what I wanted, but also had many days of doubts when things weren’t going so well. Thoughts of ‘was this the right decision?’ and ‘did I make a terrible mistake moving here?’ were common in the first few years of moving to Colorado. But, as time went on, my wife continued to support me when times were rough, and I continued to build and grow, day after day, month after month and year after year.

There is no doubt in my mind that moving to Colorado was a massive part of me growing as an entrepreneur, as a producer and as a member of the community. I was forced to do things outside my comfort zone on a regular basis, take jobs I would have passed up in New York and work 60-70 hours a week after having a cushy part-time role back in New York that could easily have continued to this day…but all of those things collectively made me a better person and contributed to my success out west. And I couldn’t be more thankful that I decided to take the plunge and do things on my own!

What should our readers know about your business?
My company, Steve Weed Media, was a direct extension of my Dad’s company in New York – The business plan was essentially the same, I just wanted to be in a larger market to see what I could do outside of my small home town of 30,000 people.

Going into the move, I was naïve to say the least; I thought I would get here, unpack my belongings and start working right away – and boy was I wrong! My family must have thought we were crazy when we told them ‘the plan’ since there really wasn’t much of one.

There were many challenges that I did not consider when making the move and starting from scratch – things like getting paying clients, for example. That was something that I took for granted because I never had to worry about that working for my Dad. He did all the leg work and I just showed up when I was needed, so naturally, that part of the business is something that I really needed to work on.

There is a certain feeling of angst that you get when your back is against the wall. There is also a feeling of regret and doubt that starts to fester with your own mind when things don’t go as planned as well. Both of these were feelings that I hadn’t considered when deciding to move out of state.

There is a saying that goes, ‘the grass isn’t always greener on the other side; it is greener where you water it.’ and that is how my last 6 years have been. Now, I was forced to water my grass and do the heavy lifting and leg work when it came to getting paying clients…and it isn’t easy. Constant rejection, delays, corporate structures and budgets were things that immediately put an end to what could have been a solid job or project. It is painful when you want nothing more than a chance but to have external factors rip it away from you – and for the potential client, you are just another email or vendor looking for a check. But to you, your future hangs in the balance. The juxtaposition is real.

Some of the lessons I learned from going though those processes and experiences is that you cannot take things personally, even if they feel personal to you. It’s just business. You need to move on to the next thing and not let it affect you emotionally or cognitively.

Another thing I have learned is that just because you want something doesn’t mean you will get it. You need to earn every single piece of the puzzle you get, because in the real world, handouts are few and far between.

Also, the best way to get things done is to simply start. I was overwhelmed at first, having to do EVERYTHING it takes to start a business; logo design, website creation, getting a DBA and insurance, creating products and services, editing samples, sending emails, following up on sales leads, maintaining social media platforms and performing the rest of the day-to-day tasks…it is a lot. But, at some point, you just need to start and let the momentum build and the rest will fall into place. It is easy to get in your own way when you have nobody to help or lean on to get things done.

The big takeaway for me is that I succeeded. I was able to start something from nothing, build long lasting business relationships with clients and organizations that had no reason to take a chance on me and I made the most of those opportunities. I know many businesses fail within the first 5 years of launching, so to know that I am one of the ones that made it (also surviving the dark pandemic days) is a blessing and a testament to my determination, skills and business practices.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Colorado is a great state to visit, but specifically for Colorado Springs, I would start with a few places:

Garden of the Gods is a must see — and it is free!

Downtown Colorado Springs is growing a lot too, with new sports venues and the new Olympic museum.

Pikes Peak summit is kind of an eye-opener if you can make it there – the new visitor center is amazing too and it puts things in perspective seeing things from 14,000 feet above sea level.

For food and drinks, there are so many great breweries and local restaurants to visit! Some of my favorites are Brass brewing, Fieldhouse brewery, Paravicini’s, Cheeba Hut, Fat Sully’s and Dos Santos to list a few.

Outside of the city, there are a bunch of great mountain towns to visit too – Steamboat Springs and the Strawberry Hot Springs, Vail, Aspen and Breckenridge of course, as well as some of the southern areas like the Royal Gorge Bridge and the Great Sand Dunes, which is truly one of a kind!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are two people that I would need to directly acknowledge; my Dad and my wife.

My Dad, Steve Sr., gave me the base skills that I needed to even consider doing my own thing and starting a company. He showed me the basics, from running cables and setting up cameras to more advanced things like editing, live production and dealing with clients. I didn’t go to film school and everything was self taught, so he essentially gave me a career path to pursuit if I wanted to.

He also gave me the opportunity to fail in a safe space. When I made mistakes, they were on his projects, for his clients, on his time – I rarely had to face the music when it came to screw ups I made. That isn’t to say I didn’t ever get reprimanded for my mistakes, because I certainly did. But, I learned my lessons from him, and it is much different to deal with an angry Father vs an angry client…which made my path that much easier. Needless to say I have made my own mistakes since launching my own company and they are much more difficult to accept and process in the real world!

I also have to thank my wife, Suzie. Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today. She gave me the confidence and commitment to come to Colorado knowing that we had nothing there for us and that the road would not be easy. And, when things did get tough, she held us down and kept me motivated.

The first two years in Colorado were difficult, no doubt. I would go months at a time without paying gigs – I started the business in 2016 and by 2018 my savings were gone completely. It would have been an acceptable response to show frustration and doubt as a spouse in that situation, but she never did, not once. She always encouraged me to keep going, not give up and stay the course because she believed in me even when I did not believe in myself. Without her, I would have failed or given up, 100%.

Website: https://www.steveweedmedia.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steveweedmedia/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-weed/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/steveweedmedia

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steveweedmedia/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/steve-weed-media-colorado-springs

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC51ry9mGstloqxrZoe7U5aQ

Other: https://www.bbb.org/us/co/colorado-springs/profile/videographers/steve-weed-media-0785-87381982

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