Meet Andrew Tran | Founder & Creative Director

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

Hi Andrew, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs so I was surrounded by the mindset of working for yourself. When I started my first business, I was a high school senior with a passion for filmmaking and storytelling. I reached out to a ton of creatives and brands to learn more about the industry. I knew I had to start my own business to take on more projects to grow my craft and gain experience. In 2014, after working with a few friends for some time, we decided to start Redefined.Media – a full-service photo and video production company dedicated to providing creative storytelling and production services. At the time, I was still in school on track to being a doctor. I would work on our business, create films all while studying for countless biology exams or the MCAT. Redefined’s work caught the attention of multiple brands and it just snowballed from there. It was tough juggling both school and owning/operating a media company so in 2016, I decided to be a full-time entrepreneur & filmmaker. It’s been a wild journey so far but I owe it to my mentors, partners, fellow creatives and friends/family for all the support.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Redefined.Media & Redefined Weddings are two brands that I’m currently fully invested in. Redefined.Media is a commercial brand focused on creating films and photo for brands of all sizes. From airlines, to banks, to small mom and pops; there is always a story. Redefined Weddings is an ode to my humble beginnings. I grew up in the wedding industry because of my dad, then started my early career with wedding companies. I just love everything about being a part of someone’s special day, surrounded by their closest friends/family and being able to capture/share that is so fulfilling.

I am most excited about our style of creating. We are a collective of young and talented creatives that love what we do. The brands and clients that we work with understand that strive to find the story in all of our projects.

The biggest challenge to me is that the business initially started because we love what we do and are good at it. We had no experience in owning a business and everything was happening so fast. Projects were constantly coming in and there was no time to build systems – it was just constantly changing and evolving as time went on. After a few years of operating, I realized the importance of having to work more ON the company versus IN the company. Since Covid, there was finally some downtime for us to step back and analyze everything. This was when I flipped the switch in my head from filmmaker to entrepreneur.

My mission for both Redefined brands is to bring people and resources together to create amazing content that everyone is stoked about.

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.
I’m so blessed to be born and raised in Hawaii. The weather is beautiful year round, the beaches and scenery are amazing, the food is so diverse and delicious, but the best thing about Hawaii is the culture.

First time in Hawaii? We’d go on as many hikes as we can – from Lanikai Pillboxes, to Koko Head, and probably rush Stairway to Heaven. Definitely hit up the beautiful coast on the east side, spend some time in North Shore and get a shrimp plate from Giovanni’s. I’d also set up a day where we can spend the entire day at a beach, preferably the west side, set up a tent, grill, and just chill all day.

There are so many things to do and explore in Hawaii but the main thing is to respect the uniqueness of the Hawaiian culture/history, the beauty of the land and just to embrace the aloha spirit.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Wow, where do I begin? There are so many people that have supported/mentored me, resources that I’ve spent endless hours listening to or reading, and brands that gave me the chance to tell their story…and they all deserve more than a little credit to get me where I am today. My father – Michael, filmmaker – Philip, business owner/creative, Kolby are three mentors that helped me through my journey as a creative and business owner. I am forever grateful for everything that they taught me and the experiences that they helped me gain in my early years. My partner, Evan Asato and team at Redefined.Media for the hard work and support. Books that changed my life: E-Myth Revisited, How to Win Friends & Influence People, and The Alchemist. My family for always being supportive of all work and last but not least, my life partner, best friend, and wife: Megan. She is the heart and soul behind everything that I do now and has changed my life in so many ways since I met her.

Website: www.redefined.media

Instagram: www.instagram.com/_andrewtran/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-tran-907b6a95/

Image Credits
Lauren E. Rader (Salt Flats Engagement Photo)