From Free Video to $80K Deal: How Esteban Obregon Leveraged Relationships to Grow His Business

Failure gave Esteban Obregon some of his best lessons before he went on to becoming a successful business owner. Like many of us, that first experience of creating a business doesn’t always go according to plan. But when we can figure out what those tough times were trying to teach us, we can use that to propel our next business venture, just as Esteban has.

This week on #linkedinpresents Entrepreneur Struggle, Esteban Obregon, founder of Stay Bein Films, shared his journey creating a video production and marketing agency on the heels of closing his music business.

Early on, Esteban’s love of music led him to create a music collective (similar to a record label) where he quickly had to learn how to work with talent, throw events, organize massive mini festivals, and organize big release strategies. But after suffering an injury that kept him from pursuing his personal passions as a musician, and realizing the many challenges that faced him in growing his business in the music industry, he closed things down.

Applying his passion and talent as a creative who wanted to control his own destiny as a business owner, Esteban created a hybrid video production company and marketing agency, which allowed him to help businesses create compelling content to elevate their brand.

One of the key takeaways from the conversation with Esteban was the importance of knowing when to turn away a potential client. According to Esteban, it's essential to have a clear understanding of your values and goals as a creative professional, and to be willing to say no to clients who don't align with those principles. 

“If I notice early on in the discovery phase that it's gonna be, kind of pulling teeth, then I typically just send them off to another production company or maybe someone else who's more of an up and comer trying to get some more portfolio work.” - Esteban Obregon

Esteban also shared the importance of proper delegation, even though that hasn’t been something that was always easy for him to do. As a business owner, it's easy to fall into the trap of trying to do everything yourself. However, this approach can quickly lead to burnout and a lack of focus on the tasks that truly matter. Instead, Esteban emphasized the importance of building a team of trusted collaborators who can help you grow your business and achieve your goals.

And sometimes, to be able to grow the business and find peace for yourself, Esteban recommends making less money now, so you can eventually earn more.

After recently moving Stay Bein Films to Denver, Esteban went back to doing free videos in order to establish himself in this new place. While he was out in the park one day he met a woman who happened to be a trainer, and offered to shoot a free brand video for her. That free video eventually turned into an $80K deal because she loved his work and helped introduce him to the CEO a dental investment company that needed professional help with their brand.

But one of the struggles with being a creative entrepreneur is that it’s not always easy to tap into that creativity. Esteban emphasized the importance of giving yourself grace and recognizing that setbacks and failures are a natural part of the creative process. "We are human beings, we're not robots. Even though there's the Gary V, let's grind and work till we drop mentality. That’s not real. No, you're gonna burn yourself out," he noted. By being kind to ourselves and recognizing that creativity is a journey, not a destination, we can stay motivated and continue to grow as creative professionals. Sometimes it takes giving yourself permission to step away from work and experience life to be able to recharge that creative spark.

Esteban's experience serves as a reminder that success as an entrepreneur is not always a smooth ride. It requires hard work, determination, and the ability to adapt to change. As he puts it, "Relax, dude. Fucking relax and don't get ahead of yourself."

If you want to hear more about this conversation in detail, check out the full episode here.

And until next week, stay safe and stay healthy, because the struggle is real.

-Written by #ChatGPT

#EntrepreneurStruggle #BusinessOwner #VideoProduction #MarketingAgency #KnowYourValues #ProperDelegation #CreativeEntrepreneurship #LessonsLearned #MotivationMonday #SuccessMindset

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