Grow Your Video Business with Ryan Koral

Ryan Koral
  • 4.9 (146)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Weekly

The podcast for ambitious filmmakers who want to build a thriving business—without burning out. Hosted by Ryan Koral, a 20+ year video production vet and coach, this weekly show is your behind-the-scenes pass to what actually works in the world of commercial video. Every episode is packed with real talk, tactical strategies, and candid conversations to help you: + Book better clients (at better rates) + Build systems that don't rely 100% on you + Charge what you're worth—with confidence + Create videos that make an impact and grow your bottom line If you're ready to stop winging it and start running your business like a pro—you're in the right place. 🎙️ New episodes drop every week. 🔗 Learn more at https://studiosherpas.com

  1. 1d ago

    507. Write This Before You Make Your First Hire with David Hoyt

    David Hoyt spent nineteen years working alongside John Maxwell before landing at The Table Group, Patrick Lencioni's consulting firm, where he now helps leaders master the disciplines of organizational health. In this conversation he breaks down why politics, confusion, and misalignment show up in every organization whether you invite them or not — and what small-team owners can actually do about it. We also get into hiring for behavior instead of skill, why your first leadership move is admitting you've been getting it wrong, and the question David asked me that I couldn't answer about my own team. Key Takeaways You have to be smart and healthy. Being world-class at the craft is table stakes. The moment you're running an organization — even a two-person one — leadership becomes the job. Ask people what they want. PPF conversations (personal, professional, financial) surface the fact that your people almost certainly want something different than you do. Vulnerability starts at the top. If you've been leading badly, saying so out loud is the first real step. Then baby steps, not a total overhaul. Interview for behavior, not just skill. Humble, hungry, and people smart is the floor. Editing chops won't save a bad culture fit. About David Hoyt David Hoyt brings over 25 years of experience in leading people and organizations. He is driven to see organizations create healthy cultures and teams where individuals can thrive. Prior to partnering with The Table Group, David had the privilege of serving as an executive leader with John Maxwell for 19 years. As part of Maxwell's inner circle, he ran a significant portion of John's business interests and served as President of The John Maxwell Company. David works with CEOs and executive teams to help them master the disciplines of Organizational Health to consistently and effectively apply the concepts captured in all of Patrick Lencioni's books. In This Episode [00:00] Welcome to the show! [03:18] Meet David Hoyt [07:59] Abundance Mindset [10:30] Coaching [22:36] Leadership [26:59] Vulnerability [28:24] Time Blocking [30:25] Discipline [35:48] Becoming A Healthy Leader [37:09] Hiring The Right Person [39:45] Connect with David [40:42] Outro   Quotes "We naturally assume people want what we want. And until we slow down and ask them what they actually want, we'll lead them that way." — David Hoyt "Politics, confusion, misalignment. Those happen naturally. So as a leader, big or small team doesn't matter, a big part of the job is going to battle against those things." — David Hoyt "Everybody wants to interview for the smart side, like the editing skills. What too many people don't interview for is the behavioral piece." — David Hoyt "I don't get very high or very low anymore. It all comes down to discipline." — David Hoyt "I need to block some time to think differently than I'm able to think day in and day out in the rat race of running your business." — David Hoyt Guest Links Check out The Table Group Consulting: tablegroupconsulting.com Contact David Hoyt at david.hoyt@tablegroupconsulting.com Links Find out more about the Studio Sherpas Mastermind Join the Grow Your Video Business Facebook Group  Follow Ryan Koral on Instagram Follow Grow Your Video Business on Instagram Join us on Onward Summit Join the Studio Sherpas newsletter

  2. Sep 7

    506. Your Mission Is More Important Than Your Mug with Andrew Cardy

    Andrew Cardy spent nine years building a video company with his wife, sold it to a marketing agency in 2023, and walked away in 2025 to figure out what he actually wanted to build next. Now he's got a video business, a nonprofit collective, and a personal brand, and no idea how to talk about any of it online without diluting the others. So we turned this into a coaching session about the thing most of us get wrong: waiting until the mess is cleaned up before we let anyone see it. Key Takeaways You don't need three brands. You need one front door. A personal site can be the home base that points people to whatever project fits them, no more choose-the-right-business-card panic. Your mission matters more than your mug. The logo, the website, the lighting, the camera, none of that is what's stopping you. Showing up as yourself is the cheapest, most underused marketing you own. Talk about it before it's finished. Building in public invites collaborators, donors, and clients you'd never have found by launching in secret. One weekly piece of content can feed everything. Ryan's newsletter becomes a blog, a 7–10 minute YouTube video, and a couple of shorts, one sitting, five assets. About Andrew Cardy Andrew Cardy has been a creative professional for over 20 years. His favorite part of this work has always been helping people learn the value and power of their unique stories. He has worked as a solopreneur, at a nonprofit, a church, a VP in a marketing agency, and in a little company he started with his wife. He's thankful to have worked with brands and businesses of all shapes and sizes, both nationally and internationally. Now, he's excited to be building some new collaborative brands with fellow filmmakers, growing a  collective of creative professionals serving global missionaries, and being amazed at his daughter's shot composition skills. In This Episode [00:00] Welcome to the show! [05:02] Meet Andrew Cardy [13:24] 1 Year Goal [17:31] Having Multiple Brands [23:04] Showing Up Online [24:31] "Know, Like, And Trust" [30:20] Just Do The Thing [37:29] Invitation To Collaboration [46:51] Maximizing Your Content [48:37] Connect with Andrew [50:27] Outro Quotes "Your mission is more important than your mug." — Ryan Koral "Nobody cares about the things that we're thinking about over and over and over in our heads. So let's just share where we're at, talk through the mess, let people come along for the journey." — Ryan Koral "I love making spaces where people thrive. I build the sandbox, I'll put some sand in there, and then you bring the toys." — Andrew Cardy "There's no other Andrew Cardy in the world. Your story is the strategy." — Ryan Koral "Anavah is a Hebrew word that means rightly filling the place God has made you to fill." — Andrew Cardy Guest Links Check out Andrew Cardy's website Follow Andrew Cardy on LinkedIn Links Find out more about the Studio Sherpas Mastermind Join the Grow Your Video Business Facebook Group  Follow Ryan Koral on Instagram Follow Grow Your Video Business on Instagram Join us on Onward Summit Join the Studio Sherpas newsletter

  3. Aug 31

    505. A Monthly Half Day Rewired Her Whole Business with Lindsey Weigle

    Lindsey Weigle has spent twelve years helping business owners navigate transition, and she recently took her own advice by narrowing Blue Water Advisory down to one thing instead of trying to be everything to everybody. In this conversation she shares the monthly reflection practice she's run for four years, why our brains sabotage big goals before we even start, and the zero-based approach she now uses for her business and her calendar. We also get into what happens when you outsource your thinking to a machine and why she's not in a hurry to do it. Key Takeaways Saying a goal out loud gives your body the same chemical hit as accomplishing it, which is exactly why declarations feel great and rarely stick Your business, health, and personal life all pull from the same time budget, so reviewing them separately guarantees you'll keep ping-ponging between crises Willpower works like a tank you can actually grow, and small consistent changes are what expand it Reflection on your own hits a ceiling fast, you need someone who knows you well enough to push back on what you're telling yourself About Lindsey Weigle Lindsey Weigle is an executive coach and co-founder of Blue Water Advisory, a leadership development and succession consulting firm. With a focus on training, executive coaching, and organizational growth, Lindsey helps business owners and leaders stop managing the life they have and start creating the life they want. She has a gift for asking the right questions — helping clients uncover the problems they can't yet see and find the clarity to move forward with confidence. In This Episode [00:00] Welcome to the show! [03:00] Meet Lindsey Weigle [11:18] Prioritizing And Reflection [16:21] Five Percent Changes [24:36] The Zero Budget [28:38] Having A Coach [35:41] Critical Thinking and AI [45:38] Connect with Lindsey [46:06] Outro Quotes "Am I creating the life that I want, or am I managing the life that I've got?" — Lindsey Weigle "Oftentimes we're just rearranging furniture on our back patio. I don't like it over here, I don't like it over here, as opposed to taking a step back and saying, do I like my patio furniture?" — Lindsey Weigle "We never say I'm going to drink more water, we say I'm going to lose ten pounds. We never say I'm going to start journaling every day, we say I'm going to write a book." — Lindsey Weigle "If what I was doing was going to get me there, it would have by now." — Lindsey Weigle "We need to ensure we are not outsourcing our critical thinking to machines." — Lindsey Weigle "You create the destiny you lean towards." — Lindsey Weigle Guest Links Follow Lindsey Weigle on LinkedIn Links Find out more about the Studio Sherpas Mastermind Join the Grow Your Video Business Facebook Group  Follow Ryan Koral on Instagram Follow Grow Your Video Business on Instagram Join us on Onward Summit Join the Studio Sherpas newsletter

  4. Aug 24

    504. The First Hire That Gives You Your Life Back with Ricky Norris

    Ricky Norris spent a decade shooting documentaries overseas before trading the airports for a San Diego studio, a wife, and three daughters. Now he's running Kilometer Zero and wrestling with the thing nobody warns you about in film school — that you're not just a filmmaker, you're a business of one, and nobody handed you the manual. In this conversation we dig into why a wide net catches the wrong clients, who to hire first when you're finally ready to stop being an island, and how to structure a week so the work stops following you to the dinner table. Key Takeaways A wide net isn't a strategy. When you'll take any project that pays, you end up with a patchwork of unrelated businesses instead of one real one — and no clear reason for anyone to choose you. Your first hire probably isn't creative. Admin, calendar, inbox, and fit calls buy back more hours than another editor, and those hours are what let you work on the business. One plus one should equal three. Hiring isn't subtracting salary from revenue — done right, the accountability and capacity should multiply what the business can actually produce. You'll never reach the bottom of the list. There's always another email, another marketing task, another lunch you could book. Time blocking and daily themes beat reacting to whatever hits the inbox. In this episode [00:00] Welcome to the show! [06:08] Meet Ricky Norris [08:31] Ricky's Story [16:51] Handling Multiple Roles [22:31] Tailoring Your Business [24:36] One Man Band [36:26] Building Client Relationships [38:11] Event Booths [42:07] Finding Balance In The Work [52:04] Connect with Ricky [52:52] Outro   Quotes "Everybody thinks their problems are unique to them — in work, in marriage, in family and life. And when you pop that bubble, everything decompresses." — Ricky Norris "It's a really big net, and none of the right fish are going in, because it's too wide." — Ricky Norris "There's no HR company. You are your HR company." — Ricky Norris "If I'm starting to hire my first employee, it's not going to be a shooter or an editor. It's going to be somebody that's going to help me on the administrative side." — Ryan Koral "Don't let the next three hours be dictated by what comes into your email." — Ryan Koral  Guest Links Check out Ricky's website  Links Find out more about the Studio Sherpas Mastermind Join the Grow Your Video Business Facebook Group  Follow Ryan Koral on Instagram Follow Grow Your Video Business on Instagram Join us on Onward Summit Join the Studio Sherpas newsletter

  5. Aug 17

    503. Why Being a Goofball Wins You More Clients with Mark Ostach

    Mark Ostach is back on the show, and this one wanders in the best way. We get into why our attention spans are measurably shrinking, why he's "pro-presence" instead of anti-tech, and how showing up as your actual, unpolished self does more for your business than another funnel ever will. Then Mark makes a case for treating events and in-person rooms as a real line item in your marketing budget — with a couple of examples that'll make you rethink where your ad dollars are going. Key Takeaways Presence is a business skill now, not just a life skill. Mark's Law says our attention spans drop by two seconds every decade since 2000 — and that "life lagging" shows up in how slowly you do everything, including your work. Know like and trust starts with know. The behind-the-scenes, slightly goofy stuff you're afraid to post is exactly what makes people want to work with you — and it repels the clients who were never a fit anyway. Budget for rooms, not just algorithms. Figure out what an average client is worth, decide what you'd pay to land one, then spend that on getting in front of actual humans instead of hoping the feed cooperates. You don't have to be on social to build a profitable business. Posting feels productive. Knocking on doors, buying someone lunch, and showing up at the event is productive. Quotes "I'm not anti-tech. I love my phone, I use it often, probably sometimes too much. But I'm pro-presence." — Mark Ostach "We've made the funnels and all of the things so much harder for people to buy from us, because we're not showing up as our real selves." — Ryan Koral "Be where your people are, get in the room with the people you aspire to be like, and that'll pay dividends for years to come." — Mark Ostach "How much would I pay for a $17,000 client? I'd spend a thousand dollars every day of the week." — Ryan Koral "You need to believe in your work as much as she did — not because you want the picture, but because you believe someone needs what you have." — Mark Ostach (recounting speaker coach Bill Hampton) In this episode [00:00] Welcome to the show! [04:04] Meet Mark Ostach [07:48] "If You Really Knew Me" [12:01] Generative Dialogue [21:47] Life-Lagging [31:12] Authenticity [35:10] Be Where The People Are [41:12] Marketing [53:17] Connect with Mark [54:19] Outro Guest Links Check out Mark Ostach's website  Links Find out more about the Studio Sherpas Mastermind Join the Grow Your Video Business Facebook Group  Follow Ryan Koral on Instagram Follow Grow Your Video Business on Instagram Join us on Onward Summit Join the Studio Sherpas newsletter Books Mentioned Mark Ostach's Book is now available for pre-order on Amazon The Gift of Connection: Reclaiming Presence In the Age of Distraction

  6. Aug 10

    502. Stop Giving Away Your Best Ideas for Free with Tara Turkington

    Tara Turkington has spent a decade building a photography business, and now she's eyeing the jump into video — but she's stuck on the same things that trip up almost everyone: no portfolio, no contracts, and a recent client who walked off with her ideas. So I coached her live on the show. We get into pricing your expertise instead of giving it away, what a discovery call should actually accomplish, and why the portfolio problem is way smaller than it feels. Key Takeaways Free ideas don't get valued. If you're brainstorming concepts before a contract exists, you're doing unpaid consulting — and clients treat it that way. Charge for the thinking. A paid discovery workshop reframes you from vendor to strategic partner before a single frame gets shot. Contracts aren't just for paid work. Free projects and trade deals need them more, not less, because that's where expectations get fuzzy fast. Your first portfolio piece is hiding in your current client list. You're already on their sets. Ask for access, sign an agreement, make the thing. About Tara Turkington Tara is a born-and-raised Michigander, based in Détroit, Michigan. Her photography journey started unexpectedly in 2016 while she was finishing her first year of law school and raising her, now, eleven year old daughter. After a spontaneous trip to Colombia, Tara shared photos online that caught the attention of an established photographer, who invited her to shoot behind-the-scenes content for ABC's The Bachelor's, contestants. Once those images hit social media, opportunities started rolling in—from brands and businesses to municipalities and individuals. Somewhere along the way, Tara realized photography was what truly lit her up, so she took a leap of faith, left law school, and never looked back. Now Tara spends her days meeting incredible people, capturing meaningful moments, and helping clients bring their ideas to life. No two days are the same—and she loves it that way. In This Episode [00:00] Welcome to the show! [04:02] Meet Tara Turkington [11:37] One Man Show [18:10] Emotional Buyers [25:21] Creative Directing [26:37] Contracts And Intellectual Property [37:41] Building A Team [39:28] Ways To Build a Portfolio [48:33] Connect with Tara [49:13] Outro Quotes "People who pay, pay attention." — Ryan Koral "As soon as I put a $2,500 price tag on the workshop, now it's like, okay, we believe Ryan — they really want it to work because they've already invested money." — Ryan Koral "So I think where I went wrong is I basically gave a workshop for free." — Tara Turkington "I don't think you need three projects. You do one that's kind of good, then the next one is going to be kind of gooder." — Ryan Koral "I'm still thinking with 2016 mind, and it's like — you have a literal decade of experience." — Tara Turkington Guest Links Check out Tara's portfolio at taraturkingtonllc.com Follow Tara on IG Links Find out more about the Studio Sherpas Mastermind Join the Grow Your Video Business Facebook Group  Follow Ryan Koral on Instagram Follow Grow Your Video Business on Instagram Join us on Onward Summit Join the Studio Sherpas newsletter

  7. Aug 3

    501. She Cut the Channel Eating 80% of Her Time with Laura Higgins

    Laura Higgins spent a year pouring 80% of her time into a YouTube channel that generated about 5% of her results. So she killed it — and her business immediately had a record month. In this conversation, she breaks down how she thinks about content verticals, why the funnel isn't a line anymore, and the two-call sales process that took her from $40k to $120k a month in three months. We also get into why being vanilla is the fastest way to make content nobody cares about. Key Takeaways Audit your channels like line items. If a platform is eating your time and not producing, cut it — even if everyone says you should be there. Every content vertical needs a job. Short-form for attention, long-form for trust, and one consistent conversion point. Not eight. A fit call doesn't need a salesperson. Someone warm and friendly on your team can qualify leads, protect your calendar, and shift the whole energy of the sale. You don't need 500 episodes to have content that sells. Five to seven recorded answers to common questions will do the job. About Laura Higgins Laura Higgins is a leading creative business coach, 7-figure entrepreneur, and cult-brand builder. She's the founder of The Next Level Club and host of the top-ranked podcast My Business Playbook, helping thousands of creatives scale with clarity, confidence, and freedom. Known for her bold thinking and relatable style, Laura makes business feel fun, human, and wildly profitable. In This Episode [00:00:00] Welcome to the show! [00:06:19] Meet Laura Higgins [00:10:48] Enjoying Work In Your Business [00:18:29] Filming Content [00:35:31] Show Up As Yourself [00:38:53] Funnels [00:46:33] Sales Calls [01:08:14] Connect with Laura [01:10:29] Outro Quotes "I am spending 80% of my time on a channel that yields 5% of our results, if that. If this were any other area of the business, we would be cutting this." — Laura Higgins "Too many of us are afraid of being disliked, that we actually forego being loved by the right people." — Laura Higgins "It shifts it from rather than being a beggar, we become a chooser." — Laura Higgins "As AI usage goes up, the need and the desire for connection with humans is going to also go up." — Laura Higgins "I would not be in this mastermind having paid you thousands and thousands of dollars if you didn't have the podcast." — Ryan Koral, quoting a mastermind member Guest Links Follow Laura Higgins on IG and YouTube Links Find out more about the Studio Sherpas Mastermind Join the Grow Your Video Business Facebook Group  Follow Ryan Koral on Instagram Follow Grow Your Video Business on Instagram Join us on Onward Summit Join the Studio Sherpas newsletter

  8. Jul 27

    500. Being Authentic Cost Me Money and I'd Do It Again with Ryan Koral

    Ten years. 500 episodes. In this solo celebration episode, I go back to how this whole thing started — a course launch, a Pat Flynn binge, and a production team begging me to stop selling jobs — and get honest about the seasons I nearly walked away. Plus video messages from people in this community that absolutely wrecked me. Key Takeaways The gear trap is real. Wanting to sound like Pat Flynn almost delayed the show indefinitely — start with what you've got and iterate from there. Consistency beats wiring. Quick-start entrepreneurs are built to pivot, and sticking with one thing for a decade compounds in ways you can't see at month six. The podcast paid back in learning and relationships long before it paid back in revenue — free access to experts who'd normally charge thousands. Authenticity has a price tag. Slower growth, smaller numbers, and a business you can actually stand behind.  In This Episode [00:00] Welcome to the show! [01:20] Celebrating 500 Episodes [02:02] The History of GYVB Podcast [16:44] Benefits of Doing a Podcast [23:22] GYVB Testimonials [35:13] Things Born From The Podcast [37:21] Outro Quotes "Start a show. Just start talking about the thing that you care about. Show up, and then iterate."  "I said I want to sound like Pat Flynn. That can be a trap, because then the mic's really expensive, so I'll wait until I can afford it and then I'll start my show." "Being authentic, at least how I'm wired, comes at a cost."  "Sure, we sold a lot of courses and helped a lot of people figure out their profit margin and all the nerdy stuff. But the relationships have been truly a treasure."  "While everyone else is talking about cameras and gear and TikTok, you spent 500 episodes helping filmmakers actually build businesses." — Travis, Minneapolis video production company Links Find out more about the Studio Sherpas Mastermind Join the Grow Your Video Business Facebook Group  Follow Ryan Koral on Instagram Follow Grow Your Video Business on Instagram Join the Studio Sherpas newsletter

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4.9
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About

The podcast for ambitious filmmakers who want to build a thriving business—without burning out. Hosted by Ryan Koral, a 20+ year video production vet and coach, this weekly show is your behind-the-scenes pass to what actually works in the world of commercial video. Every episode is packed with real talk, tactical strategies, and candid conversations to help you: + Book better clients (at better rates) + Build systems that don't rely 100% on you + Charge what you're worth—with confidence + Create videos that make an impact and grow your bottom line If you're ready to stop winging it and start running your business like a pro—you're in the right place. 🎙️ New episodes drop every week. 🔗 Learn more at https://studiosherpas.com

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