How I started my digital marketing company

Originally published on liamherring.com

One thing I loved about school was the constant stream of creative tasks. There was always an interesting assignment, whether it was a research paper or a studio project. Outside of school, however, I had to work hard to create those opportunities for myself.

I began working in the film industry soon after leaving school, starting with background acting and PA work. Eventually, I joined IATSE as a carpenter and first aid attendant. During this time, I continued taking photos and producing my own short films. All these projects found their way into the ether of social media, without any real end goal.

In 2017, while between projects, I walked into a local café and asked if they needed a video produced. This moment marked the true beginning of my journey. I created a short commercial for them, delivered it, and got paid. My mind was blown. In theory, this was the dream: making videos and getting paid for it. But how could I sustain it?

I reached out to law offices, dentists, real estate agents—you name it—but with limited success. There were a few lucky breaks, but nothing substantial.

By 2018, I had returned to university and wrapped up my coursework for the summer. I spent that time bartending at a yacht club and working for a landscape construction company, trying to save up for a camper so I could move to Tofino. I found the perfect rig, but it needed some work, and I hadn't saved quite enough to spend my earnings and take off into the unknown.

So, I pitched my video skills to the construction company I worked for. They loved the idea, and I created my first construction-based video and photo package. That video was a turning point—it tipped the scales and set me on this path.

When I returned from Tofino, I received a call from the construction client to shoot some properties for them. I took the photos and thought that was it. The next day, however, I got a call from an unknown number: one of the subcontractors I’d met on-site wanted a video as well.

Suddenly, I had momentum.

The momentum didn’t last long. Winter came, and things went quiet, but when spring returned, so did the work. At that time, I was terrible at self-promotion. I hesitated to fully commit because it wasn't the kind of edgy, creative work I had envisioned for myself. Looking back, I wish I had seized the opportunity without a second thought. But such is life.

Things really picked up after I graduated. I was building up a new client base when COVID-19 hit, halting everything. I saw it coming and scrambled to wrap up my projects before lockdowns began. Fortunately, the slowdown didn’t last long. My clients, spending more time at home, suddenly had more budget for projects.

I kept working in film as a camera operator and in construction, all while maintaining my freelance photo and video practice. But by the summer of 2021, I began to feel career insecurity. Videography was becoming increasingly accessible, and it didn't seem to matter that I had a university degree and apprenticed under an accomplished director of photography—anyone could make a video.

I started putting less effort into my freelance practice, focusing instead on film and considering a complete career change. When the film industry strikes hit, everything fell apart. I was back on the tools and working as a server at a downtown restaurant.

During this time, my partner was working for a large tech company with great pay, benefits, and job security. I knew this wasn’t always the reality of tech, but to me, it seemed ideal. Meanwhile, I was at a breaking point, uncertain about what to do.

So, I did what any good salesperson would: I put together a cold-call list. If work wasn’t going to find me, I was going to find it. It was slow at first, but then it happened—I had two promising clients on the hook. One fell through, but the other, Landscape Mart, stayed. They wanted a new website, along with photo and video assets.

Given the democratization of videography, I knew I had to diversify. I reached out to a friend of my partner's who had gone to school with her and pitched him on collaborating. He agreed, and we took on the client's project together. This marked the birth of Field Media Solutions.

Though we’re still in the early days, Field has made significant professional strides this year. The Landscape Mart project has become a keystone for future endeavors. I’ll share the case study for this project in a later post.

For now, there’s hope again, and a sense that there’s still room for innovation in this industry. Now that I’m on this path and Field has taken on a life of its own, I realize that the answer was there all along.

I often poke fun at the motivational literature and podcasts out there, but they do get one thing right: action is everything.

Thank you for reading.

Written by: Liam Herring