EP # 179 - From TV Production to Entrepreneurship. Navigating the Business Journey with Craig Colby

In this episode of the Diamond Effect Podcast, Maggie Perotin talks with one of her clients, Craig Colby, a seasoned television executive and founder of Colby Vision. 

Craig shares his journey from a successful career in television to running his own business. He discusses the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship, the importance of storytelling in business, and how to effectively market oneself in a competitive industry. Tune in to learn valuable insights on client acquisition, adapting to industry changes, and leveraging storytelling to enhance your brand.

Key Takeaways:

• Craig's transition from television to entrepreneurship.
• The highs and lows of running a business.
• The power of storytelling in business and how to get started with video content.
• Insights on client acquisition and maintaining a strong market presence.
• Craig's experience with business coaching and its impact on his growth.

Resources:

• Connect with Craig Colby: Colby Vision Website
• Craig's Book: "All Caps: Stories That Justify an Outrageous Hat Collection" is available on Amazon and Indigo.

Ready to scale your business?
Book an initial strategy call with Maggie HERE - https://stairwaytoleadership.com/ to see if you're a good fit to work with her.

About Craig:
Craig Colby is an award winning-executive producer, showrunner, director, and writer who makes highly rated television programs, seen around the world.  His work has been seen on Discovery Channel, BBC Earth, Smithsonian Channel, CTV, and TSN, to name a few. Currently, Craig owns colbyvision, a video production and consulting company and is the author of the multiple award-winning book: ALL CAPS: Stories That Justify an Outrageous Hat Collection. 

Transcript

Maggie Perotin: [00:00:00] Hi, everybody. Welcome to Diamond Effect podcast episode 179. Today, I have a fabulous guest for you. One of my clients, Craig Colby. Craig, welcome. Thank you for doing it. Very happy 

Craig Colby: to be here, Maggie. 

Maggie Perotin: Would you mind introducing yourself a little bit more to the audience? 

Craig Colby: Sure. My name is Craig Colby.

I'm a television executive producer, writer, director, showrunner, and an author. My company is Colby Vision, and I help people make videos and tell their stories. 

Maggie Perotin: Wonderful. And I know, you had an extensive career in TV and then at some point you started your business. So if you wouldn't mind sharing a little bit of your journey to that point, and how did you start your business?

Craig Colby: The journey is, fairly typical television journey. I bugged TSN until they hired me a long time ago. I was there for five years. The same company that had TSN was launching Discovery Channel. I went to Discovery [00:01:00] Channel, when they launched, cause I wanted to learn how to be a different type of producer.

I was with Discovery Channel for 10 years, fantastic jobs. Both of them loved, Discovery Channel. I, when I left, I had the highest rated series in the history of the channel, the highest rated Canadian single program, fifth highest rated program of any type, went out on my own. Was a independent producer for a short eight months and then my favorite bosses from Discovery and TSN started a company called High Fidelity HDTV where we launched the first HD channels in Canada.

I was their director of production, did that for six fantastic years. Loved it. Loved those guys. They sold and made a ton of money and more power to them. They mortgaged their houses to do it. We got bought. I was with the new company Blue Ant for six years as a director of production and then executive producer overseeing 160 hours of nature content with international producers.

And then they moved my job to the States and they [00:02:00] didn't move me with it. So at that point, I had some deciding to do and I decided to create my own company, Colby Vision. 

Maggie Perotin: And how long have you run your company so far? 

Craig Colby: Seven years. It'll be eight years in May. 

Maggie Perotin: So now I would love to know what have you maybe been the most challenging or most challenging parts of running that company, and second part to that question, still the same question.

What have been the most rewarding part? And I am asking that for people to know. Our audience, some of them will be further into their journey. Some of them will be much earlier into their journey or are just thinking about the business. It's always good to learn from others.

Craig Colby: The most challenging parts are the same challenging parts everybody has. Like businesses have ebbs and flows like, lives do. But when your business ebbs, you're not making money, right? That's hard. Yeah. Your customers, will come and go. There's one customer I'll tell you, there's two.[00:03:00] 

Let's talk about two individual hard times. One was when the pandemic started and I lost all my customers and I lost my customers because they went out of business or they got rid of everybody. And I knew that during the pandemic, everyone was going to circle the wagons and anybody who wasn't production, we're going to go strictly with their taught, tried and true because they were dependable and reliable to them.

And also they were going to take care of the people that had taken care of them. I didn't have anybody like that. I was staring directly both barrels in the face of nothing. Nothing. It's pretty scary. So that's when I, I was three years into the business at that point, the business had been mostly me freelancing in television.

And that's when I decided I needed to, market myself more. I did a little introspection and said, what do I do? What do I like to do? I like to create content. I like interviewing. So I created a few podcasts. I wanted people to know me as a writer. I created a blog and [00:04:00] marketed myself. So that was getting that geared up was a hard point.

There was a customer that hired me a few years ago too. It was after the pandemic. Dome Production hired me to get their, streaming broadcasts of the National Lacrosse League up and running. And the National Lacrosse League found out in October of 2021 that they were going to have a season.

And the season would start in December of 2021. So it was hitting the ground running, all hands on deck. And in the winter of 2022 were the Olympics. So I think a lot of the people that Dome would have hired who had worked in sports a lot were going to be working the Olympics. I was available.

They told me I was their third choice, which is fine. So they hired me to start that up. I was an executive producer for Dome for two years, on the national cross league, loved it. People were really happy with my work, but they told me two things. One, I was too expensive and if they'd like to work with [00:05:00] me again, when they had more money and two, that it was up and running and it didn't need an executive producer anymore, which I, sad to say is true.

That's a big customer you've lost. And a big revenue loss. So I would describe that even though I understood where they were coming from and I got it. And. Clearly they ran last season without me, and they did well. That's disappointing, right? Yeah. That's a loss of revenue.

Those are two things that are hard. Also the collapse of the television industry is hard. So those are the lows. What are the highs? 

Maggie Perotin: Yeah. 

Craig Colby: I'll go back to 2020 when I started putting out my two podcasts at the time, and I didn't get near 179 episodes. I did two podcasts, what was called narrative drive time about storytelling because I wanted people to associate me with storytelling.

And I also did the business heroes because I wanted people to associate me with telling business stories. And again, it was during the pandemic when people were. Sitting at home. They have more time. Those going out over, LinkedIn and YouTube and all my social [00:06:00] networks, got the attention of somebody who I knew from university.

I hadn't spoken to the guy in more than 30 years. But he called me up. He said, He was at the Aga Khan Museum. They needed to do their fall fundraiser online. He was afraid it would look like a zoom call. He wanted it to look like CNN. So he brought me in. I had to do an RFP, a request for proposal.

So he brought me in to do the pitch. I won the pitch and I created a two hour show for them. Looked extremely professional. I actually did it through dome productions because I know the people there. And this was prior to the national lacrosse league thing. And the show was seen. I think it was 40 countries, 17, 000 people made 860, 000 and 

that felt pretty great. I also started working on the World Congress of Science and Factual Producers, boss of mine at Discovery Channel, saw what I'd been doing, saw the interviews, the point is the marketing that I did kept me top of mind. So that was a real high point having those come up.

[00:07:00] Also, I wrote and published my first book after the pandemic. It's done well. It's won four awards. So I would say that's a high point. Of all of 

Maggie Perotin: these. For a majority of entrepreneurs, me included, the hardest parts are in that client acquisition, because it's not something that's once and done, 

you always need to think about it. You always need to market. And also there's points where you get to reinvent yourself. What worked one time or for a certain period of time, the circumstances outside of your control can change. And now you have to rethink that. And that can be hard.

And at the same time, As much as we love our clients at some point, they might come to the point where they don't need us. And not because we did something wrong or because they don't like us anymore. It's just their business change or their life change from ever you're helping. And then they don't need us anymore.

So that consistent look for clients, the marketing, their invention [00:08:00] can feel hard. Sometimes it does feel hard sometimes. And at the same time, when you actually do some great work and you get clients and you get to do also whatever you want to do in entrepreneurship, I think that's something that I didn't even expect I would enjoy as much that creativity, it gets so fulfilling, like writing a book or having a podcast or whatever.

Okay, so let's get to Storytelling. Many business owners now in the world of social media. Either are doing some video content or some visual content or are thinking about it and wanted to, but are scared or don't know what to do. So I would love to pick your brain on your expertise.

And if you could share what a small business owner can do to show up better, if they're already, doing some video and tell better stories, because as humans, we're wired 

Craig Colby: for [00:09:00] stories. So to tell better stories. I'm just going to back up on some of the things you're saying there, because in some of the work that we've done together, which I'm sure we'll talk about, I may be jumping that question here.

We did some research on video production, nine out of 10 businesses make videos. So if you're not making videos, you're at a disadvantage. Your competitors are of the one in 10 that aren't eight to nine of those want to make videos this year.

So it's something business wanted to do. And is it going to be worth it? Is it going to be worthwhile? 80, nine out of 10 say they're getting the return on investment that they want out of videos. My own personal story. Tells that the videos that I made that were created Put me top of mind in the industry and it also helped me define myself.

 You know, are they going to work out? I didn't know going in but they did and they have so I would say you should be making videos. So what do you there's two categories of making videos? I make them myself and I like [00:10:00] it and I want to keep doing and getting better and then there's I don't make them and I don't know how to do it.

Let's talk to this category first. I don't make them. I don't know how to do it. That's okay You can get someone else to do it and you know That's one of the things that I can do for you There are also other people I can recommend if my pricing isn't good because I tend to do high end or I can you know work with you and coach you but you can do simple easy videos just to get out there if you learn a few so you can either hire someone and there are people out there, you can come talk to me, we can talk about my pricing.

I can recommend some people based on what you want to do. But if you're doing them yourself, I can at least give you a few tips that will help make them better. First off. A lot of people start videos as if they're a conversation with someone because they want them to be conversational, right?

Which is always a good goal, but you have to think of them as a broadcast. So if you start with, [00:11:00] "Hi, my name is Maggie Perotin. I'm a coach." Nobody cares about that. People care about themselves. So you have to start with a hook. You have to start with an idea that's going to intrigue them, right? So right off the bat, it would be something like, are do you have too many customers?

And I'm going to talk about why I phrase that in a minute. Do you need to intrigue them with an idea? Of course, nobody has too many customers. Do you have all the money you need in your business? No, I don't. And the reason I put those is no questions. I read a book by, A hostage negotiator and he said always ask people no questions because yes is a commitment and no feels like you have control It's like when people call you and they want to sell you duct cleaning services You will do anything you can to get off the phone You will turn into the worst version of yourself to get rid of them Because they are trying to get you to say yes to something.

You don't want To say yes. So give people notes, give people a chance to say no until they say yes. So questions are a good [00:12:00] start, especially questions that I didn't know. Little bits of information are a good start. The videos that you and I worked on that I'm going to release in the next year. One of the first ones is nine out of 10 businesses make, videos for their, to promote themselves, but you don't, why not?

I want to tell you about the worst day of my life that turned into the best day. Oh, okay. What is that? So something intriguing. Once you've got someone's attention, then you can introduce yourself. Or better yet, put a little lower third up that says who you are and what you do.

So you don't have to waste time saying it. They can see it. Save it for the end, right? When you pitch your services. So give them a hug, give us some context, and then you can tell the rest of the story. So what's a good story for a business owner to tell? It's the story that I told Earlier about the Aga Khan Museum and also with don't productions.

They needed someone to come in and get their production up and running. [00:13:00] They were starting from a cold start. They needed to be on air in six weeks. They needed everything built up. I helped them all be successful. So when you look at who you are in these stories, you do not, to use a Star Wars reference, you do not want to be Luke Skywalker in the story.

You don't want to be the center of the story. You want to be, Yoda or Obi Wan Kenobi. You want to be the one who helps The main character to their goal and the best thing about these stories is you want the listener to see themselves as the main character that's who you want them to relate to and you were the one who helps them to the next step.

Those are good stories to tell. You can talk about yourself. But I would sprinkle that in your stories along with the success, right? 

Maggie Perotin: Yeah. Yeah, agreed. Because if it's just about you, your ideal client, business setting, they're not gonna see themselves.

Okay, what's in it for me? Can they help me? They will never know if you don't share those other [00:14:00] stories. So moving to questions like our work together. So I'm curious, for you to share what made you look for a business coach, right?

Like what triggered that and then the benefits you've seen. 

Craig Colby: What triggered me looking for the coach? It was actually losing the National Lacrosse League business. And the television industry really collapsing in the country. When my business has been at its best, I have had three main customers, And then television freelance work would come in.

I lost one of my big clients and the television work has not been reliable. So I know that I need to find more clients. And I also know that as a business owner, as an entrepreneur, and I put that in quotation marks because I still have trouble thinking of myself as an entrepreneur.

Because. I've been, [00:15:00] what I was for many years in the industry, hired executive producer, writer, director, showrunner, sort of thing. Like a TV guy, I'm a TV guy, a visual storyteller. Entrepreneur is something that I fumbling my way around him to steal a record title from Sarah McLachlan, and fumbling towards ecstasy here.

So I needed some help in certain areas. I certainly needed help in, defining my value offering. It was what I thought it was, but it certainly helped me define it as someone who offers broadcast quality video production.

And that's something that there's a lot of video producers out there, but not everybody can do what I can. So that's my, value offer. Also in approaches to companies, also in how to get materials for marketing. I knew I needed all of those things, how to talk about myself, how to talk to other business.

Customers. Those are all the areas I knew I needed help. Identifying different areas where customers might be so I [00:16:00] knew I needed help in all of those areas That's why I needed a business coach. 

Maggie Perotin: Awesome So now a follow up question to that because we definitely have done research.

We've done the definition of your value proposition how you're different and competitive to others in your industry and we've also done a strategy. Yes, we don't like warm audience and so on. But I believe that, in certain industries, in certain business to business, and especially where you want to expand those connections building.

Yes, we have connections in one area, but if we want to expand somewhere else, and we don't necessarily have a connection that can introduce us or do that warm kind of intro that it's always the best, Then the only thing you have left is called reach out, right? 

It's also not an easy thing to do because you're trying to reach somebody who doesn't know you, like you trust you, 

Craig Colby: right? There is a 

Maggie Perotin: lot of. Just like we, when we get approached by, people who we don't know, like in trust, we think they're [00:17:00] scammers, we think they want something from us, all those things, right?

That you have to overcome to even start building that relationship. So my question too is, how do you get yourself to do it? 

Craig Colby: So it's not easy. We cover a lot of stuff around there. So I want to talk about a couple of things before we get to how you get yourself to do it. The biggest thing I've learned In my entrepreneur journey is the know-like-trust.

And the way I have used, especially LinkedIn, but any of my promotion is, and especially LinkedIn is I want to use LinkedIn to get to know and move to like. When I started my blog, you're everybody tells you right about tips and things like that. I wrote about values. Because I thought, and there's nobody who coaches you in this, there's nobody who advises you in this, but I wanted to write about values because I wanted people with similar values to relate to me.

And I thought that would move people from note like the way I got to know was by putting a lot of stuff out [00:18:00] there. Very active on LinkedIn. I share all of my accomplishments as a matter of fact I will occasionally reach out to someone I know, someone I see on LinkedIn who I haven't met yet, to say, hey, we should know each other.

There's one, a guy named Dan Gladman, who's a sports producer and director. So we went out for a drink. We know a lot of the same people we've never met, but we've been, we got to know each other a little on LinkedIn. And I said, I really like what you're doing on LinkedIn. And he said, What is in my head?

I don't want to do that. I do that because I need to. So that is the big part of the marketing push is the, no, like when I meet you, I want to move from to trust. So that's the market. And I promise I'm getting to sales, but I always think of marketing and sales like, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones or Star Trek, Star Wars.

People who like one usually like the other. But they have a preference for one over the other, [00:19:00] right? So if you're in business, you need to do sales and market, but you probably lean one way more than the others. So I'm more Rolling Stones. I'm more Star Trek. I'm more marketing, and I think a lot of that comes from being someone who creates content for 

Maggie Perotin: background.

Craig Colby: And also, I like hot leads way more than cold calls. So I want to bring people to me. But that means for the sales part, I have to do a lot of work. A lot of the work is not actually the typing and reaching out. A lot of the work is in here, right? A lot of the work is, being a little bulletproof for reaching out and taking the rejection and making the lists and dedicating time each week to, hopefully reach out to people you didn't know before.

I'd say the best thing I've done is, reach out on LinkedIn and try to, connect with people on LinkedIn. And even if they've said no to my approaches. If we're connected, now [00:20:00] they're going to see my posts. Now they're going to hopefully recognize me, know me, and potentially even like me if they see what they've got.

So I haven't written many valued blogs lately. The work was too big and all of that. But, when I do write it, The things are read pretty well and they are always about people and values and businesses and what should be done and right on the way. So anyway, the sales reach out is really identifying, following up.

And just, it's grunt work. 

Maggie Perotin: Yep. Yeah, it is. But if you don't take it personally especially In a cold reach out, you're not seeing that immediate gratification, right? It's a long term strategy where you might create a connection or start something and you might not see something for months and months, but then it will pay off at some point, right?

So there is definitely a lot of Mindset work about it or [00:21:00] perspective about it to keep going while nothing seemingly is happening. Whereas if you interact with people, at least you have a meeting, you have a coffee chat, you have a conversation, you have this and that. So like with warm audience, it's much more rewarding, much faster.

Craig Colby: It's planting as opposed to hunting. You got to plant it. You got to water it. You got to tend it, you got to harvest it. When you hunt it, you go out and you shoot it. You kill it, you bring it home, you eat it. 

Maggie Perotin: Yes. Oh, it's more of a farming approach. 

Craig Colby: Yeah. 

Maggie Perotin: Yeah. So is there anything else that. We've haven't talked about that.

You want it to talk about, or maybe just, you want it to expand on something that we touched on, but maybe didn't go deeper 

Craig Colby: into. No, I'm quite happy to follow where you're going, Maggie. I think I said everything I need to say about those things. 

Maggie Perotin: Okay. So maybe share where people can find you and connect with you.

And if there is any fun projects that you have or any books, anything you want to promote. Go for it. 

Craig Colby: All right. So you can find me at colbyvision. net, craig at Colby or my email is craig at [00:22:00] Colby vision. Colby vision. net. You'll find my podcasts. There's one podcast I didn't mention, which is a career recourse.

I created that in 2021 for people, primarily for people in my industry, but it's good for anybody, who've lost their jobs because my industry is bleeding jobs. So when I lost my job, not only did I not know the answers to the questions, I didn't know the questions. So I created career recourse where I interviewed experts who had all the answers to the questions I had, and I put it out on the line and it's helped thousands of people.

Get jobs or thousands of people since then. I know one person who I worked with said he was out of work for nine months I ran into him at Loblaws and he said he watched all of the videos and it helped him get his next job So career recourse is out there. You can find that on my site. You can find narrative drive time You can find the business heroes.

You can find my blog, the Swiss account, because my nickname is Swiss. And so you can find, there's a lot of things to look at and read. There's some samples of my work on there too. So cold region. [00:23:00] net, this is my book, all caps stories that justify an outrageous hack collection, which you can find online at Amazon and at Indigo.

Or if you want to sign copy, you can come to me because I believe my mother, when she said I could sell a certain amount of. Copies and, she was being a good mom, but not a savvy business person. So I have lots of copies left. People want them and I can arrange to get them to you. Once the post strike is over.

And then I got another book came down, but in the meantime, you can reach out to me through LinkedIn or through my website. 

Maggie Perotin: Perfect. And we'll share those links in the show notes or in the comments wherever we post this interview. And yeah, thank you, Craig, for doing it. I really appreciate it. And thank you for 

Craig Colby: listening.

for inviting me on and thank you for being such a great coach, Maggie.