Ken Rhea Built a Media Business Without Losing His Values

Matthew: https://matthewpearce.biz/
Ken: https://www.rheamediagroup.com/

Chapters:

0:00 Intro: Meet Ken Ray of Ray Media Group
3:46 Big vision, fear, and growing through discomfort
6:10 Why handwritten notes and relationships still matter
8:25 From church video to the first Ray Media studio
12:12 Pricing, value, and choosing the right clients
18:32 Integrity, faith, and listening when it’s hard
20:08 Pressure, mastery, and becoming who success requires
28:21 Culinary roots, sobriety, and the path into videography
34:32 Authenticity, vulnerability, and why people choose you
40:02 Affordable studio, AI, family, and what “For Profit” means

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:12

Hey guys, before we get started, I've got a quick favor to ask. I need you to like, subscribe, and share this podcast if you feel you're getting value from it. That's how we're going to get these conversations in front of more people. And just as important, if not more important, is your feedback. The good, the bad, the ugly. I want the critical information on how we can make this podcast better for you and deliver value every time. And if you know somebody in Louisiana who's doing big things in their field, industry, or business, please drop their name in the comments. We'd love to have the opportunity to bring them on the show. At the end of the day, this is all about the youth of Louisiana and putting local leaders in front of them and giving them something real to learn from. Now let's get it. What's up, everybody? It's your host for the For-Profit Podcast, Matthew Pierce, and I am so excited about the episode today. We've got the man behind the scenes, the guy behind the tech, Mr. Ken Ray, founder and CEO of Ray Media Group. I am I'm just pumped to do this one with you, dude. I'm excited. Really am. Really am. Ken is an amazing father and husband to Elizabeth and maybe Ezra. Ezy love. I just want to talk with the audience today. I want to get into kind of your origin story, your background, how you got into videography. I want to talk about the tremendous value that you offer in your services, you know, from the studio to professional headshots to on-site videography, um, editing skills. Like it's just endless. And uh I am just so very thankful that you have been a part of getting this project launched. Um, I just I couldn't have prayed for anybody better, to be quite honest.

SPEAKER_01 1:52

And how did we connect? We connected through Abe Slocum.

SPEAKER_02 1:54

Abe Slocum. Shout out to Dad Bod God, theme agent Abe. Um, he had mentioned something about doing a podcast, what real estate recovery in real estate. Um, and he had a friend in media and I was vetting all these different companies. Uh, you know, I had uh the very extreme low budget end, I had the really expensive guy who had experience with ESPN and and some major production uh companies. And then, you know, it was it was kind of like fourth down, Hail Mary. I needed to get the project kicked off and I had to make a decision. I reached out to you, you followed up very timely. Uh we got together, and I remember from the moment I first walked into your studio, it just it felt right. It was just like amazing. I I didn't know what the prices were gonna be. I think maybe we had discussed them at that time. Um, but just the amount of value, the overdelivery of what you provide to what you ask, um, and in your guidance, like it just it's been a blessing.

SPEAKER_01 2:58

So man, that's awesome. And and it's been a long journey to like kind of figure out what works, what doesn't work, and and I'm just so blessed that now we're in the studio. And you know, I this is actually uh you were in studio number two. Yeah. Um, and this is for those who don't know, so the our third studio. Uh so we've been able to like kind of increase every year. Yeah, it's and it's scary because like what when does success uh get in the way of quality? Right. So that's actually a question I had for you. Like, how do you how do you know when when it's time to like hold off or because it's easy to shoot for the stars, you know what I mean? But uh in doing that, there's only so many pieces of me to give to clients, you know.

SPEAKER_02 3:43

I think you have to have the long-term vision, right? Big dreams, goals, and aspirations of of where you want to be, be realistic in where you're currently at, and know that there's a gap, and understand that when you are striving to go for more, there is going to be a level of discomfort, unfam you know, it's gonna be unfamiliar, it's gonna seem scary. But if you feel that but not quite over your skis or over your head, you know you're moving in the right way. Um as long as you're not overpromising and under-delivering, I think you're you're on the right track. Because as entrepreneurs, business owners, people offer products or services, you know, we I think we all suffer probably with some form of imposter. Oh my gosh, yeah, that could be an episode just in and of yourself. Right. So like I know I have like just doing this podcast has helped me get more comfortable on camera. You know, I've always spoken in front of people and done things like that, but producing content and and putting stuff out there, being vulnerable, being true to thyself is like it's a little strange. Yeah, yeah. So I think if you don't feel over your skis tremendously, but you feel you have to feel a level a level of fear and discomfort because that's like that old self-dying. Because where you're at is where you're comfortable. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:08

And that doesn't well, and praying for a discernment and then like, is this the right move? Should I be doing this? How do I do this well? How do I be a good steward of of what God would have me do? I think is is definitely been key here because I think uh it's real easy that I could just I could definitely probably charge more for what I do, but I I I don't know. I I feel like build focusing on relationships and building that and really like having people as like a friend. Yeah, you know, because like I consider you a friend. Yeah, and I knew I knew I wanted to be friends with you because when he had when he had first started, he sent a thank you note and it was handwritten and it it you know, and I remember reading that and I was like, what a good dude. I was like, what is it? And it's hanging on my fridge, actually. I swear to you, it's hanging on my fridge. Yeah, I really appreciate that because like that's what we're in the business of doing. We want to build relationships.

SPEAKER_02 5:58

So I've always been good with phone conversations, text, keeping in touch. Um, and I've really come to learn the impact of taking time out of your day to write a personal note, yeah. No matter how big or how small. I get caught up when I'm thinking of somebody to write to. Uh I I really want to be very elaborate, and I I try to do what speaks, you know, from my heart.

SPEAKER_00 6:22

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:23

For you, that message was so sincere and well thought out. It wasn't just a simple, hey, thanks for you know doing what you do, you know, best of best of luck. Yeah. So some people get a little bit longer message, some people it's just quick and short.

SPEAKER_01 6:35

Hey, sometimes it doesn't need to be long. It's it's just the thought of you taking the time out of your day to actually sit down and write it.

SPEAKER_00 6:42

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 6:42

And then put it in the mail, put it in an envelope, get a stamp, put it in the mailbox. Like, I that's how my my brain processes. Like, it's like, oh, he did all, he did XYZ to make this happen.

SPEAKER_02 6:51

So well, I see I saw that in the first studio we were ever in. You know, when you walk in, it's it seems so professional. Everything is uh well thought out. You had the the video room and I guess like the control center. And then when you walked into the studio, you had the lounge couch, you had the um cooler for refreshments. Um it was set up, it was all of those little thoughtful things. You see a lot of podcasts produce in open spaces, um, you know, with just a few mics and um who knows what's behind the camera, yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_01 7:27

Uh well, and originally, so and I don't know if you know too much about what my origins were with kind of how I got started. I know that was one of the questions you asked me. I guess it's as good a time as any to jump into that. Um, so I can go further back, but when we first started, um, I had originally just a one room, probably about half the size of the no, I don't know, it probably was just the the size of this room. It's probably a 12 by 13 room. And uh that was all I had. And I I was paying, you know, X amount of dollars for it a month. And I had like I was over in the corner with like the headphones and the little switcher doing the cameras, and it it was it was a tight space. And I had everything gaffed to the ceiling with with gaff tape that was very cheap. So when we moved, it left residue on all the cables and just it was a it was a mess. When it would get hot, they would start falling off the ceiling, and like things weren't like I didn't know really anything. The way I got into it is I had started doing video at my church just because I thought it was fun. And you know, I I told my wife, I was like, I really kind of like doing video, and she took a chance on me and she was like, Well, we need to get a camera. How much is that? Five, six hundred bucks, and I was like, thirty, five hundred. Yeah, and she was like, Oh, and she's like, Do you think you could like make this work? And I said, Yeah, I do. And I I paid her back in spades, and and you know, then we got another camera and then another camera, then another. And it's all, you know, for the first four years, everyone thinks they want to open a business, but honestly, for the first four years, I didn't make anything.

SPEAKER_02 9:01

Yeah, you know, I didn't make anything. I like to say, we eat what we kill, and if you don't hunt well, you don't eat.

SPEAKER_01 9:08

And you gotta have the tools to to hunt well. I mean, that's super important, especially. I think our biggest thing is, you know, we use all Sony brand cameras. Um, and just for Whoa, whoa, whoa, are we sponsored yet? No, I would look we're gonna bleep that out. No, a hundred per I will a hundred percent be I'm a I'm a brand loyal. Look, Sony There's a great product. Oh my gosh, yeah. And for the techie people out there, our our lineup currently is we use uh two Sony A7S3s, an FX30, an FX3, an A7R3, and an A74. So everybody's going count up the price of all of them.

SPEAKER_02 9:43

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_01 9:44

That's not even the lenses, like that's just the bodies. And so it's been a long journey of like doing these things to be successful. I mean, uh my you know, my editor who who he's our production manager and his name's Austin Muse. He came on with us when we came into this studio, and he's been an absolute godsend. Um uh whether he's Austin Muse. Big dog. Um Jesus loves you. Jesus loves you, Austin. Um, and it's it's been great having him here and and being able to take some of that stuff off my plate so I can focus on like sales and getting new clients and you know, working on like the things that I need to be working on because it's hard to be a one-man army for sure.

SPEAKER_02 10:23

Absolutely. Yeah, I wanted to do this episode, of course, in the first run of things. Yeah, I want to boost your brand. You know, obviously, you're a brand man. Uh I just wanted to express my gratitude and appreciation. I appreciate you, man. I I just see you being able to help so many different types of businesses, different types of entrepreneurs, being a resource, being the who, not the how to someone. Yeah, you know. Um, that was something I struggled with was like, you know, do I want to take my precious time when I have my family, my son, I train for triathlon, I've got other things that I lead and other businesses, and figure out how to do this media stuff, or can I find a who? Like who can really help me, who has the expertise and the knowledge and and who is, you know, in alignment with me. Yeah, it's been a lot of very much in alignment with faith on how we are as 100%.

SPEAKER_01 11:17

We're a matchmade in heaven, I think. I think you're you're an ideal person that I want to work with for for years. And there are there are clients who I've had that, you know, Brandon Leborde, shout out Brandon Laborde, who's done, you know, uh 170 videos with me.

SPEAKER_02 11:31

Jeez Louise.

SPEAKER_01 11:32

Yeah, yeah, and he's been great, and he's a chef, local chef, and does a fantastic job. And I would not be here without those people. Yeah, you know, and I could just rattle off a ton of names, but you you definitely are in that lineup because I it's like, yeah, I need to do a level of promotion, but I always say that your success is my success. Like I don't need to be in front, I'm be in front of the camera unless I'm asked to. I love being behind the scenes, but like when you're successful, I'm successful. And that, you know, is is great.

SPEAKER_02 12:01

So you know, I we I want to kind of jump back. You had mentioned um when we were talking about like the value that you provide, do I increase prices and things like that? I think it it comes down to a point of providing a tremendous value, getting so much volume that you you have to turn people away, and then a way to maybe do that is pricing and not steep increases, you know. Yeah, the people who see your value in your growth and as you continue to evolve in your business are always gonna want to be with you. And the ones um who maybe don't see it and who aren't gonna be ideal clients, who are gonna be pestering clients, you kind of let go. Um it's funny. I I had an experience with insurance just this morning um with some clients, and uh, you know, I've got clients, I don't mind when my clients reach out to me who need help for me to service them. That's what I get paid to do. I get I get commissions on sales and then I get paid retention. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 13:06

Um but I that's a that's a good gig.

SPEAKER_02 13:08

I have clients that um they get misled by marketing. You know, I do a great job of following up with them and sending out being proactive, and they've switched off to a different carrier by mistake, you know, and they're coming back to me and saying, hey, you know, I think I did this, I don't know, and it's like you know what you did because you're contacting me again. Right. And you gotta know who you want to serve, the people who aren't your your tribe or who aren't trusting and seeing the value for you. Do you let them come back or do you sometimes say one time, I get a one time thing, and then you're like this isn't a good thing. I can't run behind retaining business, especially when I'm doing such a good job of already servicing you when you're going and making these mistakes. Like, you know, do you make a mistake once, you know, shame on you. Twice is shame on me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:00

So I agree with that. And it's it's tough sometimes to like turn away potential business. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:05

But at the end of the day, like you want to be in alignment with you people.

SPEAKER_01 14:10

Yeah. You want to be aware. I've learned that the hard way. Because I and I think a really good indicator of the market, and I'm curious if this is like this in your business, but in my business, it's a I'm not gonna say it's a saturated market, but there look, there are there are a lot of people who do what I do. Yeah, and it's fine. Um, but in the beginning, I think I was I mean, I was almost doing stuff for free when I first started. As a matter of fact, I was doing weddings for free. That's how I actually honed my chops a little bit.

SPEAKER_02 14:39

Which isn't a bad way to gain experience.

SPEAKER_01 14:41

Oh, no, because they didn't care if the video was good at all. They were like, it's free.

SPEAKER_02 14:44

Yeah, absolutely. They didn't mind an opportunity to train and absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 14:48

And it and I made a lot of I mean, literally one time I forgot to hit the record button. And this is during a wedding. So you make that mistake one time. One time. One time. That's that's a one-time mistake. And and that's that's important, you know, because we none of us are perfect. And you know, but anyway, with the with the market, there's a fine if I'm getting if people are just kicking down my door to do business, that is an indicator that I need to slightly raise my prices. Yeah. If no one is to be a little bit particular with who you're letting in the door, if nothing else. And we're like that now. We definitely have limited spots now. And but but in the beginning, raising my prices a little bit, and then when no one was coming in the door, kicking it off to where you just kind of find that sweet spot to where you're getting quality people coming in, or quality leads, as they would say, people coming in that you can actually do business with, you know.

SPEAKER_02 15:39

Another thing that I think you do really well, and and this is I'm gonna talk about real estate, my real estate business, and my insurance business. I'm gonna tie it all 100%. For profit, man. For profit, baby. Um, so one of the things I think you do really well is articulating your value and showing that not only with like your service contract and what I'm getting for that price, um, but explaining things. You have a plethora of videos and guests and things you've worked on that you can show. Hey, here's the proof of what I do. Um, here's what you're gonna get, here's what I'm guaranteeing you for this price, and and I'm gonna value your time as well. I hope you value mine. Um, I think a lot of people struggle with that in business. They get really upset when they when they ask for a certain price. You know, I see this in real estate when it comes to contractors. Um, you know, homeowners want to know where is that dollar spend going? Please give me an itemized list. 100%. Itemized list, that's simple. I also aspire to ninja selling. It's a way to run your real estate business. And with Ninja, we say we don't list houses, we list sellers. I'm gonna control the process. Good tagline, you control the decision making. And I'm seeing how well, like, I don't care if it's an amazing house. I turned down an $800,000 listing last year because the house was overpriced by $200K. These people were unrealistic. I was listing the seller, not the house. The house was beautiful, new construction, gorgeous. They overbuilt in a poor area.

SPEAKER_01 17:11

You know, that and that's how you know that you're you're getting into a cool phase of business when you turn away business. So for me, like Sunday, I don't do anything. Yeah, I turn off my phone, I don't do work, and it I I respect the Sabbath, and that's been an incredibly hard thing to do.

SPEAKER_00 17:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:29

Uh, but and when I first started doing that, I was like, man, you know, uh I'm I'm doing great. It's great when no one's blowing up your phone. But a company that that sells mayonnaise and they have a blue logo um and it's a plate, yeah, called me or wanted me to come fly drone for them. And I had to tell them, like, I can't I don't do that. Not on Sundays, buddy. And that is a that is a big client that you want to go do stuff for to just above.

SPEAKER_02 17:56

Now you told them you'd be there at 3 a.m. on Monday morning, though, right?

SPEAKER_01 17:59

Come on, kids. If I could have, I would have. They were like, no, we'll get someone else. And look, you know, but that was the moment I was like, I'm dedicated to doing this. Because if you can turn away that kind of business, you can turn away anything, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 18:09

So No, God, God's definitely always gonna bless you. Um, you gotta you gotta operate from an abundance mindset. I mean, that's a tagline that everybody says, but like truly to walk and live it, to turn away, to to stay with your character and not compromise that um the integrity of the integrity.

SPEAKER_01 18:29

I think and and it's funny, I think people have like the cookie cutter answer of integrity is doing the right thing when no one's looking. For me, and it personally, I think it's listening to God when I don't want to listen.

SPEAKER_02 18:40

Absolutely. Listening to God when you don't want to listen. Because doing the right thing ain't always the easy thing.

SPEAKER_01 18:47

Yeah. Like there are attacks. Yeah, if I just say, Yeah, I listen to God every time he tells me, you know, now he doesn't do it. I'm not saying he does it audibly, but like you can, you know, there's a a a feeling of like this is the right thing. And I try and listen to that and have discernment with that and pray about that. And that, you know, I try and let that guide my decisions and didn't always write, you know. I make mistakes, but uh he has always provided for me and he's provided everything I've ever needed.

SPEAKER_02 19:10

Yeah, you know, so uh big thing that I've been thinking of recently um through the Bible study that I've been affiliated with. Shout out God Squad, my boy Jeff Ray Bon, who was on the podcast. God Squad? God Squad. We've got t-shirts and everything, man. Iron Sharpens iron. You need to bring me one, bro. I'll get you one with all. I'll wear some swag. Um, but no, I just think about it. If you can look at your life through this lens and take this perspective, you cannot lose. When you're going through difficulty, adversity, struggle, whatever it may be, an illness, an injury, something didn't work out with business. I'm gonna relate it to exercise. When you're in the gym, if you've got 135 pounds on the bar and you're you can bench well more than that, you're not doing anything other than fatiguing yourself by doing 100 reps. You're not increasing uh your muscle size, you're really not increasing your endurance, not of anything significant like you would like to with a heavier weight. You have to go under stress and under pressure to evolve. God doesn't make anything, in my opinion, doesn't make anything bad happen to you. He may allow some things, but if you look at it from this lens and this perspective, what is this trying to teach me now? I've made these decisions that led me to this, or I am aspiring to do this and now I'm very uncomfortable. What is it that I'm trying to learn? Is it is it efficiency with time? Is it putting myself out there and believing and having faith that he is going to see me through this? Like you cannot grow without being under pressure. And so when you reck when you are having difficulty in life, recognizing that is an opportunity and not a curse, not a woe-us me, not a victim, not a why did God do this to me? He literally has a purpose.

SPEAKER_01 20:59

Crucible. That yes, like the melting of iron is is a tough process.

SPEAKER_02 21:04

And I will challenge you when you are having success, appreciate it, express gratitude, but understand that it doesn't last forever.

SPEAKER_01 21:15

Right. Because you will get comfortable, which is human nature, and you you may desire to go more, and you're gonna have to go through another season of adversity or struggle or with and with the idea of a season, like everything that I have right now, all the equipment, all the success, all the people, this is only a season of my life. This is not this is not my life. Yeah. This is a season of my life. My life belongs to God. Yeah. And if if if it was one day I lost everything, it's like okay, let's start over.

SPEAKER_02 21:46

Like did you ever, like when you were younger? I know this is something I struggle with, um or struggled with. Um when I was younger in business, in life, and relationships, it it the pursuit of the easy life, right? Like, man, I if I just get this right right now, everything will fall into place. You know, if I just if I just get married, I'll I'll be with one woman for the rest of my life and and temptation in that area of sin will will be no longer. And it's um that's just not how life works.

SPEAKER_01 22:20

No. Well and I think like with videography I liked it because it was like I get to hold a camera and I get to be in front of people and I get something I'm gonna be doing what I love all the time, man. It just doesn't work like that. Like there's there's there's a lot that goes on in the crucible of like getting good at your craft, getting good at your job, get like getting good at those things and everything like the success that follows. Like if you're dedicated to what you're doing and how you're doing it and trying to do the best you can that other stuff follows.

SPEAKER_02 22:49

You know? Absolutely absolutely and everybody at least those who care um everyone's trying to do the best well with with what they currently know. Right right and true maturity and growth happens when you put your effort out there you measure it you see where you can improve and then you take action for those improvements. Like you said you had the original studio the the wiring taped up you know you knew when you moved or when you were getting more equipment that you would do things differently you would properly secure things. You know the fool is the person who does it over and over you know hoping you know blindlessly that things will change without action.

SPEAKER_01 23:35

Yeah and I've made plenty of mistakes along the way but from every mistake that happens I try and learn something and pivot and you know I'll go through moments where I'm like oh man I can't believe this happened and I'm angry and I'm upset. And it you know you can ask Austin like there's definitely a couple days I'll go through where I'm just mad. You know but I try and I try and learn from it and grow from it and move on and do better the next time you know so it's not I I think people see this kind of place and think this just like materialized and it's like yeah it was one camera then another then another then another and it's it's based it's from trying to do right by people and treat them right and treat them fairly and honor God and the rest just kind of happens. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:17

It's um in mastery something that I read almost every day it talks about not so much comparing yourself to masters or or putting yourself down for them having mastery but understanding that it's a process over time that you too can obtain and don't condemn yourself right anybody who you see especially in today's world like we have access to everyone's highlight reel.

SPEAKER_01 24:48

In everyone's highlight reel it might not have even gone that well what you're watching could be the work of an amazing editor like yourself you know and just understanding even if they if they are in that um you know that that status or that high success whatever that you're seeing it didn't just happen overnight they put out a lot of crap content they messed up with their clients products sucked you know absolutely um and it's just a a constant pursuit of improvement it's not perfection there's only one person who's ever been perfect it's just a constant pursuit of improvement um at whatever your craft your business your product is yeah and I think getting around people who are really um good at what they do and have already made those mistakes and there's there's there was two guys when I because I originally started I wanted to do only you know I think a lot of videographers start in the wedding industry. Yeah um because if you can do weddings uh well you can really do just about anything because that's a one time thing it's a big day for the bride and groom and all that but there was these two guys they work at uh Fender and Personas and it's Preston Jensen and Andy Bond um and they they hate when I tell the story but like I looked at all their work studied it learned from it and then was like I'm gonna go make friends with these guys and now we do like really big projects together and it's really cool to like see that come full circle but like getting to a place where you know I I definitely put them on a pedestal when I first got into this and there are still good people out there that I'm always I I hate to say comparing myself to but like yeah that I've no it's not it's not I better word aspiring to be like I love that aspiring to be much better.

SPEAKER_02 26:29

Right? Yeah um because if if you aspire you are envisioning taking on those qualities right becoming not what do I have to do but who do I have to become I think in our youth we look at something like oh I gotta do this this and this it's yes you do have to do things and I have a famous quote you know whatever you want in life is separated by two things you know where you're at where you want to be and what's in between is what you're willing to do, what you're willing to sacrifice and who you're willing to become ultimately to lead you to your end goal.

SPEAKER_01 27:07

So um it's not just about checking lists because that's how you know that's that's one of my core values and and one of the core values of Ray Media Group is we're not willing to take on clients who will change our character. And even if that means we're gonna lose money we'll do it.

SPEAKER_02 27:28

Love that love that so all right so we got started in um in church in videography for church.

SPEAKER_01 27:35

So I was a chef let's go through I was a chef before that so I cooked from in restaurants from 13 to 32 um you know went through a lot of went through addiction went through all these different different things and luckily came out uh somewhat of a better person from that but when I got out of cooking I said well what do I really love to do and then that's when I kind of was doing video production at my church and learned on the job or any color school background? No so you know I had always done stuff like Photoshop and things like that. So I was really familiar with like graphic design.

SPEAKER_02 28:13

No no I mean with the chef stuff with the chef stuff. No sorry yeah I love to cook so I just do you have formal training or just learned on the job?

SPEAKER_01 28:20

I went to culinary school. Oh wow yeah yeah yeah so I I did go to culinary school and um you know but a lot of it was was real real world experience. What I would do is I would travel I'm on task. Yeah I would go for I would travel up and down the east coast and follow snowbird. So I would um be in Key Largo or V Row Beach, Florida and then when the season would change I would go up to the Hamptons in New York and I would just flip flop wow back and forth and travel. So I was basically a fun life yeah yeah there's some there's definitely there were some things there's some things like a nothing Elizabeth we're not gonna embarrass you yeah things I'm definitely he loves you you're his one and only 100% no I I look there's things but all of that needed to happen so when I met my wife now I would appreciate her and I'd be ready for to to you know for someone of her caliber so um so that that was really important and yeah so it was basically perpetual summer um and you know I honestly that it was good but that was that's a young man's game and then I started to get older and I was like man I want to have a family and I you know I don't want to be an addiction so I because I was very you know addicted to drinking drugs women all all the stuff you know I got a choice for me uh opiates and uh uppers and downers. I mean it doesn't really matter what it is it's it's you know I'll take anything um but went went through that whole thing started trying to get sober when I was 32 I was in 2018 got out of cooking because I I couldn't go back to a kitchen I knew that was going to be I know that's a very commonplace for drug activity is restaurant life it's a tough life servers I mean I had a best friend who yeah it's a tough life for sure yeah it's uh and it but because it's just but it made me very much who I am and having a sense of urgency and being able to problem solve I think I think I've I learned that in kitchens because you just got to make it work. I mean you you got to figure it out. So and you're under a time crunch doing that. So so that was great. But still love to cook. I mean I love to cook for my friends will definitely cook for you if you want so uh I mentioned so my friend Troy who you've met who's been on the podcast he he can cook he really wants to do I mean this Troy has the biggest heart yeah like gives back uh to his clients hosts amazing client events and that's gonna be something that we're gonna do we're doing the big launch event uh but he really wants to talk to you about filming some of his stuff and kind of documenting his life he's got his hands in so many different things so I've done um one a a lady named Sari Massingale uh she it was called the Housewife Hustler and uh it was a cooking show and when I first started she she I did episode I did you know went to her house and we did episodes there and it was a lot of fun I mean we had a good time and she's one of those people who kind of she allowed like being able to consistently make money from doing that I was able to buy more gear and do this and be like oh man I can actually make it go with this like I'm an actual videographer.

SPEAKER_02 31:21

I got to get you plugged in with my sister shout out Queen Elizabeth my sister Lita Pete she's one of my older sisters she is an amazing chef I've always said she could come into your house look in a cupboard look in you know what do you have available let me check your fridge and throw a Michelin star meal together she's phenomenal that's awesome um has led several different restaurants has done a lot of work with Mike Anderson's in Gonzalez not only from running the place um as top manager and um chef creating dishes that are still on the menu to this day to some consulting work um she's amazing I I need to get you was she formally trained or she did she did some culinary school and just on the job stuff she just always cooked dude she loves cooking culinary school is great I remember being in culinary school and I there were people in my class and I was like so what what do you work in a restaurant they're like no I've never worked in a restaurant I was like what like do you have any idea what you're about to walk into you want to talk about a crucible like that's it is literal fire.

SPEAKER_01 32:21

So I mean it it you know so I honestly if if anyone doesn't want to spend the money to go to culinary school get the culinary textbook that they use because it will teach you knife skills the different sauces know just knowing the foundational stuff face stuff. Yeah because I'm trained in classic French so like knowing that foundational and then you can start to experiment absolutely just so when you look at something like I I I can look at something and know how it was prepared and then I can you know then it's just you know moving up from there. So segueing from yeah the the chef the restaurant uh lifestyle um getting sober at 32 uh 2018 tell us met my wife um on bumble uh just because I was tired of you know dating girls in restaurants and you know was trying to give back to the recovery community I was an AA um that was a that was really nice and you know I'm still still I am today and doing things like that I I knew I had to find something else that I could do. So video just seemed like something that was fun. I had always kind of just played around and dabbled in it. But I was like I think I can make a real go at this and then went like I said was doing weddings for free. I got hooked up with a wedding company called Complete Weddings and events and the guys there really helped take me to the next level because they were formerly trained in video um and and really kind of took me under the wing and are still great friends today. And kind of show some of your very early mentors. Yeah for sure and are still still I learn a lot from them and and I wouldn't even say and I'll say this all the time maybe this is imposter syndrome but I don't think I'm that great of a videographer. I think I'm a good facilitator and I'm more I'm better at relational skills. Like I'm good I'm good at like talking to people and being in front of people and you know maybe that's just the salesperson in me or I don't know Ken's a video point guard. He he knows how to pass the rock and coach them up. Yeah that's good. Ken's a video point guard. Love that you love that yeah and I I think you know we might need to cut this but I think it might be true that um charm gets you further than talent.

SPEAKER_02 34:37

I don't think we need to cut that I think being a pleasant person to work with people do business with people they know like and trust yeah because like I don't want to offend people saying that but like I think there's some truth to it like dude yeah you gotta have the warm and fuzzies with who you're working with. You really have to be in alignment and it's I wouldn't say charm I just would say being authentic because you being authentically you is what I gravitated to struggle so much being vulnerable like you couldn't have faked something that I would have liked because I would have snuffed it out pretty quickly. You've been extremely consistent in being authentically you I don't think you've so I don't say charm just like being authentic walking in who you are so authenticity will get you further than being positive.

SPEAKER_01 35:28

Yeah. Because I know plenty of really talented videographers who are just very much to themselves and in a shell but they are just great at what they do.

SPEAKER_02 35:36

But then when people like myself come along and can kind of help them facilitate to do what they're really good at doing you know it's it's a great you know marriage being a good home I'll put it out there dude I haven't sold the most homes in Baton Rouge I don't have the largest book of business when it comes to insurance I'm very proud of what I've built and my real estate clients I mean I could tell you stories of um you know helping a client move from 1500 miles away back home one of my best friends going and taking them through tours of each home giving them my professional opinion um comparative market analysis I knew they were gonna be traveling to and from work I went and this was in Mandeville outside of Baton Rouge so I would travel show multiple homes using my cell phone I would stay and hang around to see the high traffic times to see which neighborhoods would be easy to get in and out of that's not regular realtor stuff. That's awesome but it doesn't take a lot of transactions to be a great person and be thoughtful and be willing to serve so I'm not afraid that it's great. Yeah I like those are the things that I do that I believe separate me.

SPEAKER_01 36:48

And um you know that's just what that's one of your core values I think and and you know you you're definitely authentic and for me I've definitely I struggle with being vulnerable. That's always been really hard for me. I'm getting better at it I think like I'm able you were hidden here yesterday and we were actually having some really vulnerable conversations which was great. Like that's that's what I want I want to be like that with with people.

SPEAKER_02 37:10

So you know you can't be like that with everybody though you can't knowing who your tribe is 100%. And I think that is the same with business like you can't tell your ideas to everyone. Don't be afraid to share your I guess your goals and your dreams but also know that not everybody is going to be for you not everybody wants to see you succeed and there's no use in receiving negativity you know because in your early stages um you know our confidence can be fragile right and a naysayer can influence us more in the early stages versus the later stages. You gotta know who want the people who want to see you win and you can you can tell there are little subtleties there are little things that will be said there will be comments that aren't even necessarily directly negative but if there's a negative connotation to it. 100% I think you have to be vulnerable um and that's how you find out who's really for you or against you. Yeah definitely so got into the videography got when when did it um when did you say let's create a studio?

SPEAKER_01 38:24

How many years in what was the thing that you said let me take let me go from just being an on-site person to I'm gonna have a place you come into I was about four or five years in before I ever got a studio my first studio and it just so happened um I moved in the day my son was born um uh not not like I was helpful it's like I'm moving furniture while he's getting more but it I that's how I remember the day I was officially kind of in and in there when he he was born um and the the next year we we we got our house we built the studio in our house and then here we are that next year so yeah yeah commercial space now it's I mean just the home studio to me I I never thought twice about like it just was amazing.

SPEAKER_02 39:12

I don't know what other to say it was more than I ever expected um you you come up and you have a nice house uh but you wouldn't expect a like that level of pocket no yeah you go in there and you're like what and then this studio it has you know a more professional feel not that the other one wasn't professional but you've got the nice waiting area you've got refreshments in here as well you've got multiple rooms for your technicians yourself in Austin you've got multiple studio spaces that you can change out you've got a headshot area for still photography I mean you really you have increased your offering in it I don't know it's just while trying to maintain the same pricing.

SPEAKER_01 39:54

Yeah that's that's um that's been special special that's because that's hard like it's hard to be like because I like to promote that we're Baton Rouge's most affordable studio. Yeah you know and that's you got to back that up you know and but what you get for what you pay for with the the value that you get is really important to me because I'm in the business of building relationships not I don't want people to just be an invoice like that's you know and we've had to figure out a model that kind of works for people and for and for us to be able to to maintain and and stay keep the doors open so that's how you know you're a real business because you're you're thinking so intentionally pivoting is so crucial like being able to pivot yeah is is is crucial especially in a in a in a in a profession like mine where um it's constantly changing and especially with like the onset of AI like there's a you know saying I'm not you know my dad is older and he was like well they're gonna you're gonna be out of a job and I said no I'll be the one who owns a robot a a a a garage full of robots that go do stuff yeah and they're like I'll I'll be the operator for all those robots like that's the kind of person I I pivot like that's how I pivot like I think in those yeah you know so I think in those regards.

SPEAKER_02 41:06

Yeah there's opportun there's new opportunity. I mean I've already started to use AI pretty heavily in both my businesses.

SPEAKER_01 41:14

It just its ability to analyze things and I had a guy tell me you know he said uh he was in college and this was back in you know however long ago and everyone was in one of the dorm rooms and everyone was crowded around this this um you know this this room and there was this black box and everyone was like you can't have that that's you know against that it was the first calculator cool and everyone was freaking out freaking out it's gonna ruin the education system it's gonna ruin everything here we are now with AI. So it's it the there's the fear of the unknown yeah is is it and it's either like yeah is it gonna take some jobs I think it's gonna take away it will take jobs.

SPEAKER_02 41:59

I mean there's no doubt about that but it it's it for others it will boost the workflow because it's taking out the the meaningless tasks of doing things that would take me hours to do you know absolutely and and it's learning to work with it and not rely on it wholeheartedly. I know some people who rely on it wholeheartedly and they struggle to have in-person real conversation. Yeah because they want to try to respond through I can always tell when a text is chat text and and um you know email messaging and it's just like evening Matthew as per our conversation of yeah I I use it as a guide not gospel you know um and that's just the way I like to do things. I know that if I show up and I shake your hand and you have a real authentic experience with me and I've learned something from AI that I incorporate in that is going to be you know very fruitful for the both of us. Like I know I'm gonna earn your trust in your business. And like you said it helps me with simple tasks.

SPEAKER_01 43:06

I I think what we're kind of seeing in the market and I tell everybody this and hopefully I'm right about this you heard it here first type of deal but with podcasts AI can do podcasts now. That's great. It's really cool to see you know Will Smith eat a plate of spaghetti and that's like really cool and you're like that's awesome. But I think a lot of it it's so new right now that it's like pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Like it's cool to see a rabbit get pulled out of a hat but once you know how it's done you're like oh cool it's a rabbit in a hat. So I really think that the reason podcasting is becoming increasingly popular is because it's authentic.

SPEAKER_02 43:42

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 43:42

It's me talking to you there's no robots here there's no generated things going on. It's me having a conversation with you and that will be the currency of the realm.

SPEAKER_02 43:52

And you know it's so funny just through the few months that we've known each other I to I I said it at the beginning of the episode this was the Most excited excited, the most light I've felt coming in because I I enjoyed man. You my boy, Blue. I just enjoy a real experience, you know, and it's an opportunity to hear more of your story that I haven't heard over the last few months. Um, the ability to comment on it, the ability to on the fly um create analogies off of it, to use real life examples in other areas. Um, you know, it just it's cool. And I don't think I don't know if maybe it will one day, AI will be able to do things like that, but it it can't do them better than I can pivot and and think and just throw stuff off the wall.

SPEAKER_01 44:37

Like, yeah, I think and and you're even seeing this with like the younger generation, they call it going analog, where they don't want anything digital, they like the way things used to be done. So it could even be that we see a complete revolt against the idea of doing things that digitally. So it just it just depends.

SPEAKER_02 44:53

Yeah, there there are certain things that I thoroughly enjoy. Like I thoroughly enjoy just reading a text book. Audiobooks have their place, and I know everybody, there are different types of learners. There's something about reading text that does something for my brain and helps wake me up in the morning. I usually start with scripture or devotional, read some of the Bible, uh, some self-development books, books. Um, I read mastery. Um, like what time do you wake up? Man, this morning I was up at like 4:55. I met a buddy at the gym for a swim. I wish I had glasses because I would just throw them down. When I when I texted you early, what, like 5 30? I was like, hey, me and you, podcast studio, 11 30. I wake up at 8 a.m.

SPEAKER_00 45:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 45:38

Be at work for nine. Yeah. I sleep. I love sleep. I I do. You go to bed later? Go to sleep at 10 30. Yeah. So I'm I was in bed last night at like 8 39. I'd went to sleep at nine.

SPEAKER_01 45:50

So that's why I went to I went to sleep at nine, woke up at like eight and was like, oh.

SPEAKER_02 45:54

It's it's funny how that works. It's just kind of like a little sliding. You know, I need about seven hours.

SPEAKER_01 45:58

Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

SPEAKER_02 46:02

Yeah. Was that Benjamin Franklin? I suppose somebody old and wise. Healthy, wealthy, and wise. Well, well, he's dead now, but oh Jesus. Sorry, Bill. No, you're good. You're all good, Ken. Um, yeah. So let's talk about what do we want to talk about now? So tell me a little bit about your family. So, how many siblings do you have? So I am one of eight. I have seven siblings, five sisters, and two brothers. I'm number seven, lucky number seven, biblical number seven. Are they all giants like you or the middle boy is slightly taller than me. I'm six six. He's about six, six and a half.

SPEAKER_01 46:41

Um, so uh side note, what is the height to where you have to start ducking under door? Six nine?

SPEAKER_02 46:47

It's right at about six six, six eight. Because my wife was like six to six eight. It just kind of depends on the doorway. Okay, because your standard door, I think, is is probably six eight, six nine-ish. Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_01 46:59

Um because you're just tall enough to be the perfect tall for the ladies out there, you know, but six one I think is ideal. I think six one's ideal. You wouldn't know you're six, yeah you're seven foot two or whatever.

SPEAKER_02 47:11

So um, you know, kind of what I envision these people who in my life who I know who are either top of their field or aspiring to be top of their field um to inspire that next generation of local Louisiana youth. I mean, it's it really is about serving people and serving that next generation. The thing that smoke that spoke to me most about this project uh was the ability to impact others. I always yearned when I was younger for some type of mentor, some type of leadership. Um my dad was a great father and great provider to my family, and he he did a lot of things right, some things he did not do so well, uh, but we've since forgiven him for. Dad knows I love him. Moose, shout out to Moose. Um, but you know, the ability to impact others, the coaches and mentors that I've been able to find along the way and that I'm constantly searching for. I envisioned all of our guests being able to tell their story and really have impact and meaning for our local youth. And that that's what it's all about. I want to celebrate everybody at this event. I want to bring them together. I want them to network, I want them to collaborate in any way that they can. Um, it's it's just about that, you know. I love that.

SPEAKER_01 48:33

Well, thank you for having me on, Matthew. Are you trying to get off right now, Kim? Motherfucker, I ain't done with you yet. Well, that's about all the time.

SPEAKER_02 48:43

No, fantastic episode. Um, Kim, where can they reach you at?

SPEAKER_01 48:47

Uh yeah, so you can uh send me a message on Facebook. It's Ray Media Group R H E A, or you can go to Raymediagroup.com, Ken at raymediagroup.com. If you want to send me an email, call me 225-772-7504. We're over off of Brookline, so I'd love to give you a tour if it's something you're interested in. Come in and see us.

SPEAKER_02 49:09

So absolutely. And lastly, I ask all of my guests this. You know this. I hope you prepared it. I didn't. It's some bitch he he came dressed in a sports coat today. He didn't give me the memo, he was trying to outshine me on my own show, damn it. But let's see, Mr. Ken Ray, what does for profit mean for you and your life, your business, your relationships?

SPEAKER_01 49:32

When other people are successful and I have a hand in it, I profit.