I honestly think the world is starting to look for a completely different kind of video professional. Not giant production companies. Not traditional freelancers either. That’s exactly why I’ve started building a new course called:The Solo Studio System. It’s built around one big idea: Brands increasingly need highly capable solo operators — people who can think strategically, solve problems, communicate clearly, move fast, and use their whole brain… not just one technical skill. And I think a lot of us can feel this shift happening in real time. The problem is most creatives were never taught how to operate this way. We learned:production,editing,crew life,freelancing… …but not positioning, marketing, client development, communication, or how to actually build a modern creative business. So this Thursday, I want to open up the conversation live with the community. I’ll share what I’m building, what I’m seeing in the market, and I’d genuinely love to hear what you’re seeing too. Because honestly, I think this shift is becoming one of the most important conversations happening in the creative industry right now. We’re getting together live on Zoom Thursday at 10am PT. Here's the link to join us: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84450996747?pwd=SnbbHsd9VjCGbxAyZDeo6OufD99U3u.1

Who's joining today? I’ve gotten a lot of feedback on my “freelancing” posts. So today I wanted to get into what you can do right now as a freelancer to get more traction and keep it. Managing a freelance career can be challenging, and very rewarding. But if you’re not approaching it with real strategy, it can also be inconsistent. Join us at 10am PT and tell us what you think. Links in the calendar.

Hey everyone, The conversations in the Direct-to-Brand Pivot meetups have been really strong, so I decided to add a Tuesday evening session and open it up publicly for more filmmakers. Honestly, I think a lot of people in this industry are feeling the same thing right now: Freelancing for networks, studios, and agencies has gotten much harder. Less stability. More competition. Fewer long-term opportunities. At the exact same time though, brands need more video than ever. The filmmakers doing well right now are learning how to move beyond simply being “for hire” and position themselves as people who can help brands solve problems with video from start to finish. That’s what we’ll be talking about Tuesday at 5pm PT. We’ll cover: • building direct relationships with brands • what you need in place before outreach • packaging what you do so non-industry people understand it • and simply making it easier for brands to say yes Open conversation and Q&A as always. Would love to see you there! Heres a link to join: subscribepage.io/usbQfm

And honestly… maybe that’s okay. Because one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned working in video for decades is that this industry is always changing. Agencies shift. Social media shifts. Technology shifts. Budgets shift. The way clients buy creative work shifts. And right now we’re clearly in another one of those moments. A lot of people are reacting with fear. But I actually think there’s opportunity here for people willing to embrace the change instead of fighting it. This Thursday I’m hosting a live Directors Cut meetup about what stability actually looks like for video pros now. Not pretending things haven’t changed. Not doom and gloom either. A practical conversation about: • embracing change • creating better client relationships • positioning yourself more clearly for this market • and building a career that compounds instead of resetting after every gig Thursday • 10am PT. Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84450996747?pwd=SnbbHsd9VjCGbxAyZDeo6OufD99U3u.1

And that’s usually why it feels awkward. Most great creative relationships don’t work like that. The people who consistently stay busy are usually just the people who stay connected. They pay attention. They are aware of what’s happening in people’s businesses, industries, marketing, and lives. And because of that… they naturally stay top of mind. So this weeks Director’s Cut meetup is: The Follow-Up That Actually Gets a Response 📅 Thursday at 10am PT We’re going to talk about: - why most follow-ups fail - how to reconnect without sounding salesy or desperate - how to create REAL reasons to reach back out - and how relationship-building actually works in creative industries I’m also going to workshop a few real examples live and break down why they work. Honestly, this mindset has probably kept me working in this industry longer than almost anything else. The Zoom link is in the Calendar on Skool and here in case you’re reading this through email: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84450996747?pwd=SnbbHsd9VjCGbxAyZDeo6OufD99U3u.1 See you Thursday. Jonathan