Meet Travis Hatch | Videographer & Media Production

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

Hi Travis, what role has risk played in your life or career?
In March 2020 when the Covid 19 pandemic hit and we were about to go into lock down, I got a call at 8 am Monday morning to tell me that my company had gone bankrupt and my employment (along with everyone else) was terminated effective immediately.

I had been working for this company for 3 years, full time employment, full benefits, and that was all gone in an instant. In that moment I had an epiphany as I thought about finding another job. I realized that working for someone else was making me miserable, and i decided right there to go all in on myself, I wouldn’t even look at another job posting or take another interview, and I would put all of my chips in the basket of working for myself, doing something that I loved and that would excite me and drive me every day to get better.

I’ve always been very comfortable taking risk, and I think I look at risk differently than a lot of people. Getting a 4 year degree at a college costs money, starting a business and failing costs money, your education costs money either way, so what’s the difference?

Some people are of the mindset that if you are unhappy with your job you should start a side hustle while working a full time job, build that until you can make money from it, and then slowly transition it to your full time gig. For me personally, that would never work. “If it’s not a hell yes, then it’s a hell no”. I need to really care about what i’m doing, go all in on that thing and really become that thing to be successful, and when i’m jumping off the deep end so to speak, I usually figure out how to swim.

More practically, how I see risk is like this. If a pandemic can come along and instantly wipe out 100% of my income with zero warning, how safe is that thing really? I had literally just experienced it, that 9 to 5 cushy pay job is not safe. Now, with my business I have around 30 clients that I work with consistently or on a time to time basis, new clients come in and I have a massive pool to pull from. Social media connects me with millions of potential clients around the country, depending on how much i’m willing to pivot my focus. My income is divided up across tons of different people instead of one source. It would be much harder to suddenly lose 100% of my income, and to me, that actually feels less risky than the 9 to 5 job.

So, really, the only risk you’re taking is that you’ll fail. To me, the risk of spending even one day not chasing something that I really want is much riskier than the potential to fail. Failure is inevitable, but it’s up to you whether you even try or not. I’d rather put myself out there, and risk failing that not try at all.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Travis Hawkes Media is a small media production company in Denver, CO. I run the business and (for now) do all the videography / photography, and then I have 3 editors that work with me. We produce content for a ton of awesome brands like Under Armour, athletes, influencers, coaches and professionals. The main services that we provide are filming and producing youtube videos, online courses, and commercials.

Our main Niche is the fitness industry, and one of the main things that sets us apart is my understanding and history with it. Fitness has always been one of my main hobbies and areas of expertise, at one point I almost went down the road of becoming a coach myself! I really understand this stuff and love it more than a lot of other creatives, so I really get along well with my clients, and fully understand what the viewers are into and want to see.

I have a podcast as well called Struggle To Strength with my co host and coach Josh Levine where we discuss all things fitness, growth and development and so i’m really immersed in this topic which helps to produce awesome content in that area.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I don’t spend a ton of time going out in the city, but my favorite area is probably Highlands, and would definitely take them to Avanti & Happy Camper.

What i’d really love to do is get up into the mountains for the weekend to go snowboarding, hiking, and just hang out in the mountain towns!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Scott Barber (Scott Barber Film).

Scott is my oldest and best friend and a super talented and successful videographer. When I lost my job suddenly due to covid, and was thinking about what I should do he was the one who told me that the videos I was making (as a hobby) were actually good and I could get paid for them. He spent many hours on the phone with me helping coach me through the process of getting the right gear, and has continued to be super supportive of me as a mentor helping me learn the ropes and build my business.

Having mentors is critically important to success, I would say it’s basically impossible to be successful at anything without them. Not only do they help you learn, but they’re a light house on a path that you are interested in. If you can see someone else has done it, you know it’s possible.

My message is this, if you are someone who is skilled at something, always be willing to offer advice to those who ask because even just some words of encouragement could be all it takes to change someones life, you never know.

Website: www.travishawkesmedia.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/travishawkesmedia/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/travis-hatch-83a66257/

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDgIa3ZBMm3KaNi_hoFXxhQ