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

Hi Zachary, what do you attribute your success to?
That’s a tough one because I believe it is a combination of two factors that make my brand. I believe one of the most important factors behind my brand and the fortunate success of it is the diversity in skill sets that it offers. By always staying diverse in my skillset, I am able to bring more to the table for every client. Need photos or video work taken care of? Done. Need audio post production or sound mixing on set? I’ve got it covered. Live sound mixing or production management? I’m your guy. I believe it helps to obtain as much knowledge as you can about as many subjects as you can, especially in today’s crazy job climate. It makes you a valuable resource for any client, especially if you get really good at said skills! You’ll be unstoppable.

I believe the second most important thing within my brand is the customer service and attitude towards work and clients. When you make the client feel like they matter and that their hard earned money is being put to good use, it’s more likely that you will get hired again in the future! Keep a good head on your shoulders, be respectful and make the client a priority.

These two factors working in tandem is what has given my brand its success.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What I like to create is mainly landscape images that speak to my audience. Along the way, I like to capture moments, through both photographs and video content, that document the people and stories that I come across in my travels around the country as a touring audio engineer and production manager.

I first started my freelance journey working at Belmont as a studio engineer and a live sound engineer, picking up any work that I could to have a little bit of saving and spending money. Once I graduated, I was put on a tour bus with a band called Locash to work as their merchandise manager. After jumping off the road, I bought a camera and worked more freelance corporate audio until I picked up work as a sound editor and assistant for Sarah Vorhees Wendel. With her, I started editing dialogue for podcasts and shows such as VeggieTales and Lonely Planet. This gave me a whole new skillset that I could capitalize on in the future. I then picked up work on the road with David Nail as his production manager and monitor engineer in mid 2019. Through that, I met Ryan Truso, owner of Stable Genius Creative. I eventually ended up working with him on multiple photo and video shoots throughout the state, and still do for that matter! Working with Ryan has helped me grow so much as a creative and has given me amazing opportunities as a director of photography and videographer. I am now working for The Marcus King Band as their monitor engineer and look forward to traveling with them while working on building my own brand and company even further.

My diverse background is something that has helped set me up for success over the years. I have found that people really like seeing someone who has a diverse skillset. It helps the client save a little bit of money when needed (more for small startup businesses), and can make you a huge asset in any type of business scenario! Freelance or not, when you show your clients that you are a force capable of producing quality content on multiple fronts, or just doing multiple jobs really well, it gives them the confidence to hire you again, or just keep you around! Think about it as job security.

However, it hasn’t been an easy journey getting to where I am today. I’ve come across multiple hurdles in the past few years – burnout, time management, doubts, anxiety, and managing personal relationships to name a few. Getting through these hurdles is never a fun process, but once you realize that with the right mindset and a dash of confidence, you can overcome just about any hurdle you come across. I’ve found that the obvious few habits like exercising, cutting out caffeine, and sleep have improved my mindset and my confidence.

Lastly, developing the skill of saying “no” has also played a huge part in overcoming certain hurdles, especially in my personal relationships. Yes – it is a skill and it needs to be exercised to get good at it. Now, I’m not saying to say no a lot. That can be damaging for your business. However, there will come a time when you will see that money is great, but is never worth sacrificing your mental and physical health. As a freelance creative, I’ve always been in the mindset that I need to take every opportunity that is presented to me to network and create working relationships. I’ll still sometimes do it to this day because I always like to be moving, but I’ve seen other freelancers do it, and every time, one way or the other, burnout becomes a problem. I will say, it can be tough to turn down gigs when getting started as a freelancer because, well, the anxiety of not having a set income per month is a little scary at times. However, there’s nothing wrong with taking a day or two to relax. Just because you see other people “grinding” or “hustling” on social media or elsewhere doesn’t mean you can’t just relax for a day.

Since learning the art of saying “no” when things get a little too crazy, my productivity, physical and mental health has increased significantly.

With this, I’ve learned that relying on others and building a network that you can turn to for help will take some weight off of your shoulders. When you accept a project that you can’t do on your own, and you put your name on it, you may need to find someone to help. While this may seem easy, you have to make sure that the person you are hiring outputs the same quality of work that you do to maintain your business model. This is especially true for creatives, and can be extremely tough. Find the right people to have in your circle, and keep them there because you never know when you may need to call on them.

With that being said, my brand and business has, and always will be, centered around the client. Customer service is number one in my book. When you work closely with a group or an individual and respect their time and money, better content will be produced that both you and your client will be happy with. Attention to detail, bringing fresh ideas to the table and pivoting or being flexible is also important within my brand.”

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?
Avanti, Briar Common Brewery, Rupert’s, Barrels & Bottles Brewery, Snooze and Cheba Hut are all notable mentions for some food and drink around town. If you make your way up towards Ft. Collins area, be sure to try to make a stop at Vatos and Ace Gillett’s. And if you’re in the mood for it, maybe make a stop at Whetstone to climb a few routes!

A trip to Evergreen is always a good time. Places in town of mention would be Lariat Lodge Brewing, Little Bear and Revival Brews.

Lastly, a trip up to Rocky Mountain National Park should be a must. Drive around a bit, do some hikes, and then end the day in Estes Park to grab a bite to eat and a brew before heading back East!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family and friends have been my biggest support system and largest source of encouragement and mentorship. My parents for continually supporting me with whatever endeavors I choose to pursue and for teaching me how to be a kind human being, and my inner circle of friends for constantly pushing me to do better by jumping out of my comfort zone. Both of these groups of people have been by my side through the highs and lows of this journey so far and have always been a listening ear or source of counsel. I couldn’t ask for much more.

I also want to show my appreciation to the audio department at Belmont University who continually told me and countless others to be diverse in your income. That was a huge staple in my where my mindset is today.

Website: https://www.zachbaircreative.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachary-bair/

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsjjeDz6qDtpyUKj3z8l3vQ

Image Credits
Zachary Bair

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