Beyond the Studio with Brent Pierce

Brent Pierce
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  • Entrepreneurship
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I’m Brent Pierce, owner of a photography and podcast studio. This podcast is all about helping creatives turn their passion into a business. From setting up your own studio space to navigating the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, I’ll have conversations with other studio owners and share insights to help you succeed. Whether you’re a photographer, podcaster, or just someone with big creative dreams, stick around—you’re in the right place!

  1. 5d ago

    Is Starting a Podcast Studio Still Worth It? | Tom Brown

    Is starting a podcast studio still worth it? Tom Brown of The Studio Business joins me to talk about the future of podcasting and what it takes to build a profitable podcast studio business.Video podcasting keeps growing, major platforms are paying attention, and clients are looking for more than a place to record. Tom and I compare what we’re seeing as studio owners: how to price podcast production, attract business clients, hire employees, host events, and decide if podcast editing should be part of your services.If you’re thinking about opening a podcast studio—or you already run one—this is an honest conversation about the opportunities and decisions that come with growing the business.Find Tom and The Studio Business: https://thestudio.businessBuild your own podcast studio gear list: http://studiogear.appPeerspace: www.peerspace.com/claim/gr-a83739QXW6Y9mAcuity Scheduling: http://acuityscheduling.comRiverside: https://riverside.sjv.io/brentCHAPTERS00:00 Opening01:34 Meet Tom Brown03:13 The future of podcasting and podcast studios11:22 How to price podcast studio services32:38 Hiring employees for your studio44:00 Hosting events and workshops56:58 Should you offer podcast editing?1:02:06 Tom’s studio owner community

  2. Sep 24

    Micro-Show: Your Future Self Is Counting on You

    There’s a quote I come back to all the time: “I didn’t come this far to only come this far.” Running a business, raising a family, making things, paying bills, and just being an adult can feel heavy sometimes. There are days when I feel like throwing in the towel too. But then I think about the younger version of myself. That guy had his own stress, uncertainty, and reasons to quit—but he didn’t. He kept going, did the work, and built the foundation for the life I have today. I’m incredibly grateful for that. And it works the other way too. Right now, I’m the past version of myself that 47-year-old Brent will look back on someday. Hopefully he’ll be grateful that 37-year-old Brent kept going when things got difficult. Your future self is counting on you. In this Beyond the Studio micro-show, I talk about why this idea has stuck with me, appreciating the work your past self put in, and continuing to build something for the person you’ll become. Don’t quit now. You didn’t come this far to only come this far. Beyond the Studio is a podcast about creativity, entrepreneurship, owning a studio, business, and figuring out life along the way.

  3. Sep 17

    Micro-Show: Try It. Even If It Fails.

    Sometimes the easiest way to be creative is simply to try something different—even if you don't think it will work.I've tried a lot of things in my business. Some have worked. A lot haven't. When I first opened Round Rock Studio, one of my ideas was to turn part of the studio into a coworking space for creatives. We built it, promoted it, ran ads... and it never really took off.But I don't regret trying it.Every experiment teaches you something. Even the ideas that fail can give you experience, knowledge, or perspective that becomes useful somewhere else down the road.In this Beyond the Studio micro-show, I talk about experimenting in business, trying things simply to see what happens, and why we shouldn't lose the curiosity we had as kids.Don't get stuck doing the same thing just because it's comfortable. Try something different. See what happens.Beyond the Studio is a podcast about creativity, entrepreneurship, production, and building a business around the work you love.

  4. Sep 8

    What I Wish I Knew Before Signing a Studio Lease | Walter Miranda

    Opening a production studio means committing to a lease, and that lease can have a much bigger impact on your business than you might expect. In this episode of Beyond the Studio, I sit down with Walter Miranda, owner of Open Set Studios in San Antonio, Texas. Walter built a 5,000-square-foot production studio with a cyc wall, podcast spaces, content rooms, and enough room to accommodate some seriously large productions. But getting the doors open was only the beginning. We talk about Walter's experience finding and leasing his studio, unexpected costs from his landlord, triple-net leases, CAM charges, rent reconciliations, buildout expenses, and some of the lessons both of us have learned from signing commercial leases for our studios. We also get into the business side of studio ownership: finding the right location, designing a space around what clients actually need, pricing hourly vs. day rates, charging corporate clients differently, and landing larger commercial productions. Walter also shares how Open Set Studios landed a five-week production that essentially took over his soundstage — exactly the type of client he hoped the studio would eventually attract. If you're thinking about opening a photography studio, production studio, podcast studio, or any other creative space, this conversation covers a side of studio ownership that doesn't get talked about enough. Build your own podcast studio gear list: http://studiogear.appPeerspace: www.peerspace.com/claim/gr-a83739QXW6Y9mAcuity Scheduling: http://acuityscheduling.comRiverside: https://riverside.sjv.io/brent CHAPTERS 0:00 Opening a Production Studio4:10 Meet Walter Miranda14:51 Bringing on an Investor16:05 Finding the Right Studio Location24:13 Designing the Studio Around Your Clients33:22 Landing the Ideal Studio Client47:38 The Reality of Signing a Commercial Lease1:03:35 Pricing Your Studio Rentals1:20:05 Final Thoughts on Studio Ownership In this episode:• Finding the right warehouse for a production studio• What to look for before signing a commercial lease• Triple-net leases and unexpected landlord expenses• Building out a studio from scratch• Pricing hourly, daily, and corporate rentals• Landing larger commercial productions• Working with clients like Nike• Adapting your studio to what the market actually wants• The financial and emotional reality of opening a studio Subscribe for more conversations about building, running, and growing creative studios. https://www.instagram.com/opensetstudios https://opensetstudios.com

  5. Sep 2

    Micro-Show: Stop Being Afraid to Fail

    Failure is part of being an entrepreneur. You try things, some of them work, and plenty of them don't. But making a mistake doesn't make you a failure. In this Beyond the Studio micro-show, I talk about something I read recently that stuck with me: “Forget the mistake, remember the lesson.” I've made plenty of mistakes in business, creative work, investing, pricing, dealing with clients, and life in general. Some have been small. Others have cost me real money. But every one of them has taught me something I can carry into the next decision. The goal isn't to avoid failure entirely. It's to keep trying, learn from what went wrong, and get a little better each time. Because you really only fail when you quit. Beyond the Studio is a podcast about creativity, entrepreneurship, production, and building a business around the work you love.

  6. Mar 30

    What NOT to Do When Running a Podcast Studio (Lessons w/ Logan Lepper)

    In this episode of Beyond the Studio, I sit down with Logan Lepper, a podcast studio owner here in Austin, to talk about the hard lessons we’ve learned running creative studios. If you’re thinking about starting a podcast studio, growing your studio business, or you’re already in the middle of it—this episode is packed with real-world insight. We get into: The biggest mistakes podcast studio owners makeWhy trying to do everything can hold your business backPricing, invoicing, and getting paid upfront (learned the hard way)How to attract better clients instead of chasing every opportunityThe shift from “artist” to business ownerAnd what actually helped Logan scale his studioWhether you’re running a photography studio, video production business, or building out a podcast studio, these are lessons that can save you time, money, and a lot of frustration. 🎙 About the Podcast:Beyond the Studio is all about what it really takes to run a creative studio—from podcasting to photography to video production. 🔍 Keywords / Topics Covered:podcast studio business, how to start a podcast studio, podcast studio setup, running a podcast studio, podcast production business, creative studio business, studio owner tips, podcast studio mistakes, video production business tips, entrepreneur lessons, content creation business 👍 If you got value from this, consider subscribing for more behind-the-scenes insight into running a creative business. 00:00 Intro 02:42 Logan Lepper Returns + Episode Setup 03:45 Biggest Mistake: Billing & Getting Paid Upfront 05:20 Getting Burned by Clients (Hard Lesson) 07:49 Nightmare Client Story (What NOT to Do) 09:23 Setting Prices & Managing Client Expectations 12:08 Vetting Clients & Charging What You’re Worth 13:07 Discounts, Pricing Strategy & Studio Positioning 15:32 Studio Build Costs (Everything Is More Expensive) 17:51 When Your Studio Takes Over Your Life 20:43 Writing Down Goals & Business Growth 23:18 The Turning Point: Niching Down 25:29 The “Artist Trap” (Trying to Do Too Much) 27:44 Ideal Clients & Defining Your Niche 31:40 Growing a Business & Hiring a Team 32:47 Shifting to CEO Mindset 34:28 Launching a Podcast Product (Mic Stand Business) 36:43 Designing a Product That Stands Out 37:11 Final Thoughts

  7. Feb 20

    Podcast Mic vs Lavalier Mic — What Actually Sounds Better?

    Podcast Mic vs Lavalier Mic — what actually sounds better for podcasting?In this video, I test three different microphone setups inside a real podcast studio: a lav mic, a Rode PodMic, and a boom mic. If you're a podcaster, studio owner, or podcast producer trying to decide what gear makes sense for your setup, this side-by-side audio comparison will help you hear the real differences — without overcomplicating things.We’ll talk about:• Why podcast mics often sound more “full” and professional• When lavalier mics are perfectly acceptable (and even practical)• Why boom mics aren’t always ideal for podcast isolation• Simple audio tips like using a high-pass filter to reduce low-end boominess• And most importantly — why gear shouldn’t stop you from starting a podcastMy goal with this channel is to help creators and studio owners build better setups without getting stuck chasing expensive equipment.Gear used in this video:RODE Podmic USB: https://amzn.to/3ME6NkcHollyland Lark M2S: https://amzn.to/40iWl4PDeity boom mic: https://amzn.to/3MTwbmfIf you run a podcast studio, produce shows for clients, or are just getting started, subscribe for more studio tips, gear tests, and real-world production advice.#PodcastStudio #PodcastAudio #PodcastGear #PodMic #LavalierMic #PodcastProducer

  8. 12/16/2025

    How to Turn Photography Into a Full-Time Career (Without Losing Your Passion)

    What if turning your photography or videography hobby into a business actually fuels your passion instead of killing it? In this episode of Beyond the Studio, Brent Pierce breaks down the common myth that going professional drains creativity. Drawing from his own journey of turning videography from a weekend hobby into a full-time career, Brent shares why structure, accountability, and monetization didn’t ruin the fun — they made it better. You’ll hear: Why fear is what really holds creatives back How turning your hobby into a business creates clarity and structure Why getting paid can actually make you better at your craft How making your passion your main hustle can light a fire under you Why taking the leap to full-time freelance is often less risky than you think If you’re a photographer, videographer, or creative who’s been stuck treating your passion like a side hustle — this episode is for you. Sometimes the spark doesn’t disappear when you go pro. Sometimes it turns into a wildfire.

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About

I’m Brent Pierce, owner of a photography and podcast studio. This podcast is all about helping creatives turn their passion into a business. From setting up your own studio space to navigating the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, I’ll have conversations with other studio owners and share insights to help you succeed. Whether you’re a photographer, podcaster, or just someone with big creative dreams, stick around—you’re in the right place!

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