StoryFirst w/ Damian Grey
Welcome to the StoryFirst podcast—your go-to resource for using video to serve clients and grow your business. We go beyond gear, sharing strategies to help you connect with your audience before you hit record. Tune in for inspiring stories and practical frameworks for purposeful growth.
Episodes
34 episodes
Master of One or Jack of All Trades? A Real Talk for Videographers
What if the reason clients haggle isn’t your rates, but your message? We explore why videographers and creative founders get trapped in the “I do everything” lane and how that erodes memory, referrals, and pricing power. With Humara Aktor, we u...
(Part 2) How Harris Media Built Consistent, Human-Centered Storytelling at Scale
(Part 2) We explore how Harris Media balances creative integrity with business strategy, why trust and team structure matter more than gear, and how process and relationships sustain growth through industry shifts. Practical advice anchors the ...
(Part 1) How Harris Media Built Consistent, Human-Centered Storytelling at Scale
We trace Rudy Harris’s journey from a $300 winter and tungsten lights to a scaled studio delivering over a thousand videos a year, unpacking the decisions, systems, and people that made it possible. We focus on hiring with honesty, building sta...
31. Creating Video Content That Delivers Genuine ROI for Clients
The ever-present question haunting videographers today isn't new, but it's taken on fresh urgency: Can we truly deliver meaningful ROI to our clients in this content-saturated world? Drawing from years of experience, this episode tackles this c...
30. (PART 3) Harnessing Customer Voices to Supercharge Your Marketing Strategy: UGC & Vidlo with Chynna Morgan
The debate between polished production and authentic content has been settled, and authenticity wins by a landslide. Join Damian and guest Chynna Morgan of Vidlo as they reveal eye-opening insights about why user-generated content (UGC) has bec...
29. (PART 2) Harnessing Customer Voices to Supercharge Your Marketing Strategy: User-Generated Content & Vidlo with Chynna Morgan
The authenticity gap between brand messaging and real customer experiences has never been more apparent. When we trust recommendations from friends over advertisements, we're participating in the trust economy that makes user-generated content ...
28. Harnessing Customer Voices to Supercharge Your Marketing Strategy: UGC & Vidlo with Chynna Morgan (PART 1)
The authenticity gap between brand messaging and real customer experiences has never been more apparent. When we trust recommendations from friends over advertisements, we're participating in the trust economy that makes user-generated content ...
(Part 3) Pivoting Pursuits: From Photographer to Creative Community Builder - Marley Parker
Growth takes many forms in our creative journeys—sometimes it's about expanding our business offerings, but often the most profound development happens within ourselves. Marley Parker's story of building Wild Magnolia Studios perfectly captures...
(Part 2) Pivoting Pursuits: From Photographer to Creative Community Builder - Marley Parker
Photographer Marley Parker shares how her vision for Wild Magnolia Studio evolved from a personal workspace into a thriving community hub that empowers photographers and content creators to connect, collaborate, and grow their skills.• ...
(Part 1) Pivoting Pursuits: From Photographer to Creative Community Builder - Marley Parker
What happens when you follow that inner tug pulling you away from a successful career path toward something unknown? Marley Parker's journey from wedding photographer to the visionary behind Wild Magnolia Studios reveals the beautiful transform...
Building Online Relevance With Authenticity
We explore the mindset and strategies needed to build genuine online relevance, positioning yourself as the authentic solution to your ideal clients' problems rather than just another option.• Shift from wanting to be seen to wanting to...
Count the Cost: The Five Pillars to start your Video/Media business
This episode dives deep into the foundational elements of starting your own video media business. We explore essential insights and practical advice aimed at aspiring filmmakers and content creators ready to turn their passion into a career.
Project Review with Allyson Reese: Resilient Educators & the Power of Video
This episode explores the journey of creating a promotional video for Teach for America during the pandemic, emphasizing the theme of resilience in education. It delves into the collaborative process, from initial planning to filming and editin...
Conquering Imposter Syndrome: Transforming Doubt into Drive
Each episode is a candid exploration of the challenges videographers & business owners face, including imposter syndrome, social media scrolling addiction, and feelings of isolation. Through personal anecdotes and actionable advice, Damien ...
New Beginnings: Embracing Change and Opportunity in Cincinnati
Transitioning to a new city unveils layers of opportunities you never knew existed. The episode reflects my personal experience of moving to Cincinnati and how engaging with the community through networking events sparked collaborations and gro...
Unlocking Success: Mentorship and Strategy for Your Creative Video Business
This episode focuses on empowering creatives to grow their video businesses through actionable insights and shared experiences. We discuss finding mentors, setting achievable goals, discovering your purpose, and emphasizing service over self, a...
Balancing Passion and Profession in Video Storytelling
In this episode I'm joined with Kemp Lyons with Ember Scout to talk about the elusive buzzword - Storytelling. We explore the art and structure of storytelling, stressing its vital role in video production and marketing. Here's a great episode ...
True Success for the Videographer: Pursuing Purposeful Projects
Isn't it crazy how you can work for a decade in video production and still feel as if you haven't arrived yet? Like you're still trying to pursue the kind of work that you'd like to pursue. In this episode, I sit down with Lysandra Petersson, o...
2024 Goals NOT going as planned?
We made goals for the new year. Everything should work now, right? We made a plan, thought through the process, had the meetings, updated calendars, connected with peers & colleagues. What happens when it doesn't go according to plan? ...
FULL EPISODE - 2024 New Goals New Year with Jonathan Shover - Millpond Photography
As we bring in the New Year, let's talk goals, pivots & collaborative events for 2024. Here's some insight for the new year with Jonothan Shover of Millpond Photography.Connect with Millpond: https://millpondphotography.com/
2024 New Year New Goals • Video Storytelling Workshop • Millpond Photography (3/3)
Collaboration! We're talking about the upcoming Video Storytelling Workshop in Staunton, VA. If you're a small biz owner trying to build your presence online, this is the event you won't want to miss!Connect with Millpond: https://millp...
2024 New Year New Goals with Jonathan Shover - Film More with Less (2/3)
With such a consumer-based market, we can lose the desire to persevere through our film journey, and wait to buy the next big thing in order to make moves on what we're trying to pursue. Here's a little insight from Jonathan on his goal for 202...
2024 New Year New Goals with Jonathan Shover - Millpond Photography (1/3)
With a new year, comes new challenges...and a new baby! Take a listen at how Millpond Photography pivoted their efforts in their career to bring in a new addition into their family.
Operating from your Strengths Part 1
Instead of trying to operate how you think a business owner is suppose to operate, what if we took the time to inventory our own selves and developed our own innate strengths to serves our clients well. In the episode we talk with Jason Boron o...
Believe it or not, you have what you need!
With social media becoming more and more like the late night TV ads some of us grew up watching, it's easy to feel as if your success can only come from a specific end-product. In this episode, I'm joined with Jonathan & Sam Shover of Millp...