Will Weeks, Stone’s Throw Productions
Meet Will Weeks of Stone’s Throw Productions below in our special entrepreneur Q&A feature series from the Be Helpful Podcast.
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Entrepreneurial Stories: A Stone’s Throw to Success with Will Weeks
Entrepreneur stories are a rich source of inspiration and learning. They provide a glimpse into the real-world challenges, victories, and insights of individuals who have dared to step off the beaten path and carve their own. One such story is that of Will Weeks, the founder of Stone's Throw Productions, a thriving Photography and Videography Studio based in Denver, Colorado. His entrepreneurial journey is filled with lessons, insights, and experiences that aspiring entrepreneurs can learn from.
A Passion Turned Profession
"An entrepreneur," as Will Weeks defines it, "is someone who takes a passion and turns it into a profession." Weeks did just that. He took his passion for photography, which he initially viewed as nothing more than a hobby, and turned it into a thriving business.
Weeks grew up in Colorado Springs and went to school at CU Boulder where he studied Environmental Studies. He initially worked as a project manager in stormwater management after moving to Denver. His true passion, however, lay in photography, which he pursued during his free time. As more people started to appreciate his work and offered to pay for his photos, Weeks realized that he could turn his hobby into a full-time profession. So, he made what he calls "the scariest thing I've ever done in my life"; he quit his comfortable project manager job and pursued photography full-time.
Visit the Be Helpful Podcast Library to find Will’s book recommendation along with suggestions from our community of entrepreneurs.
The Importance of a Strong Online Presence
One of the first actions that Weeks took was building a website for his business. He firmly believes that this is something every small business should do immediately. "Build an awesome website that showcases you and your work," Weeks advises. He acknowledges that his first website was far from perfect. In fact, he described it as "UGLY". However, he quickly learned that having an imperfect website was better than having no website at all. Over time, he made countless changes and redesigns to his website, constantly improving it and optimizing its potential for attracting clients.
Overcoming Seasonal Challenges
Weeks faced significant challenges during his entrepreneurial journey. One of the most daunting was the seasonal nature of photography work. He was ill-prepared for his first winter in business when he only had 3-4 shoots in all of January and February. He felt like a total failure and was scrambling to figure out what had happened.
However, Weeks did not let this setback deter him. He used his savings to continue to put himself out there and find new clients. He spent a week up in the mountains, exploring and building up his portfolio. Eventually, the work picked back up, and he learned a critical lesson about freelance work - some months are better than others. He learned the importance of saving money during the good months to cover for the bad months.
Customer Experience as a Growth Strategy
One strategy that has significantly contributed to the growth of Stone's Throw Productions is focusing on the customer experience. Weeks believes that as a photographer, he has to provide an amazing experience to his clients, in addition to taking high-quality photos and videos. He wants his customers to walk away from their shoots, thinking about how much fun they had.
Many people are nervous about being on camera or have had bad experiences in the past. Therefore, making the whole process as easy and enjoyable as possible makes a big difference. Weeks believes that focusing on the customer experience is a significant reason why he has so many reviews, referrals, and return customers.
Lessons Learned and Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Reflecting on his entrepreneurial journey, Weeks shares some valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. He emphasizes the importance of running a business proactively, not reactively. Waiting for new business to walk in the door is not a viable strategy. Instead, go out and find your clients through networking or cold calls. Or make the "door" your customers walk through much easier to find and more inviting through having a great online presence and an SEO-optimized website.
Weeks's entrepreneurial story is a testament to the power of following one's passion and the importance of resilience in the face of challenges. His journey serves as an inspiring example for budding entrepreneurs and shows that with dedication, hard work, and a focus on customer experience, it is possible to turn a hobby into a successful business.
Entrepreneur Interview: Q&A With Will Weeks
Stone’s Throw Productions | Photography & Video Production | Denver, CO
What inspired you to start your business, and how did you develop your initial idea into a viable business concept?
Will: My father was a children's musician and seeing him run his own business and live his dream definitely inspired me to do the same with my life. I honestly didn't really see myself doing photography for a profession, it just kind of happened. I loved it and spent much of my free time exploring the amazing Colorado mountains taking pictures and videos, but it never felt like it could be more than a hobby. I started getting people asking to pay me for my photos and that built up to the point where I realized I could make rent off of just the money I was making from taking pictures. So I did the scariest thing I've ever done in my life; I quit my comfortable project manager job and did photography full-time. That was 2 years ago and the business is still going strong
What were some of the biggest risks or uncertainties you faced when starting your business, and how did you manage them?
Will: Nothing was certain when I first started. I was uncertain if I could maintain a consistent income. I was uncertain of how to run a business. I didn't have a backup plan. I just worked hard every day to market myself, build my portfolio, and keep pushing the business forward instead of worrying about the what-ifs.
What was your first action? If you were starting all over again, would that still be your first action? If not, what would it be?
Will: My first action was something I'd recommend every small business does immediately. Build an awesome website that showcases you and your work. That would still be my first action if I started over again, but my first website was UGLY. I have changed and redesigned my website countless times since then. Better to have an ugly website than no website at all.
How did you get your first customer or sale?
Will: My first customer was a family friend of a friend of mine. Word of mouth leads are the best kind because there is already a baseline level of trust established between you and the potential customer. In fact, a lot of my first clients were either people who knew me or people who heard about me from someone that I knew.
Tell us about a major business milestone or accomplishment that your proud to share.
Will: I actually just recently moved the business into a space that is not in my home! Having a studio/office is really exciting because now I have a completely separate space for the business. It helps me increase my productivity and allows me to maintain a better work-life balance. it also feels like the next step in the journey and I can't wait to see what comes next!
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business? Please explain how.
Will: Focusing on the customer experience has allowed me to grow my business. As a photographer, of course I have to take amazing photos and videos for my clients, but I think that giving my clients an amazing experience has been the thing that has enabled my business to grow so much. I want all of my customers to walk away from their shoots thinking about how much fun they had! Many people are nervous about being on camera or have had bad experiences in the past, so making the whole process as easy and enjoyable as possible makes a big difference. Focusing on this is a big reason why I have so many reviews, referrals and return customers.
What were some of the biggest mistakes or missteps you made early on in your entrepreneurial journey, and what did you learn from those experiences?
Will: My mind is always going a million miles an hour. I am great at the photo and video side of my job. The rest of running the business did not come naturally to me. I was not very organized with thinks like bookkeeping and lead tracking. I did a lot of things "loosey-goosey". I learned that there is no way to scale up unless you start making everything super organized. When I started to grow, gaining more clients and bigger jobs, I really began to struggle to keep track of everything. I learned that if you're going to have a business, you need to run it like a business. I am developing new processes and workflows every day to help me better manage things.
Can you describe a particular challenge, obstacle, or failure you faced while building your business, and how you overcame it?
Will: Photography can be kind of seasonal work. I was not quite ready for my first winter in business. I probably only had 3-4 shoots an all of January and February. I was totally freaked out because I felt like things were going so well and then all of a sudden, I had no work! I was scrambling to figure out what happened and felt like a total failure. I had some money saved up and so I just kept putting myself out there, trying to find new clients. I spent a week up in the mountains exploring and building up my portfolio. Eventually the work picked back up and I learned an important lesson about freelance work. Some months are better than others. When you have a good month, save that money so you're covered for the bad months.
Looking back on your entrepreneurial journey, what advice would you give to others who are just starting out in the business world, and why?
Will: I'm still relatively new in the business world so I feel like I still have a lot to learn myself. If I had to give some advice though, it would be to run your business proactively, not reactively. Don't wait for new business to just walk in the door. Go out and find your clients through networking, or cold calls. Or make the "door" your customers walk through much easier to find and more inviting through having a great online presence and an SEO optimized website. Better yet, do some of all of the above.
How do you approach skills gaps and things that aren't your strengths?
Will: Being an entrepreneur, I have kind of become at least moderately competent in a lot of things I never would have done otherwise including taxes, website development, accounting, SEO, contracts and more. Honestly though the skill I have developed the most is the core of my business, photography. I am constantly trying out new things in my photo shoots and edits. I am constantly taking pictures are are my new favorite pictures and feel like my work today is leagues better than my work 2 years ago.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
Will: Coffee. Haha only kind of kidding. I'll give an answer you're probably looking for. I break the things I have to do into bite-sized tasks that make things feel a lot less overwhelming. I always have a long list of todo items, but I also will keep a list of things that I want to get done today. That way I am constantly making progress on long term goals and getting the high priority tasks done.
What misconceptions did you have about entrepreneurship before becoming an entrepreneur?
Will: That not having a set schedule is a great thing. I when I first started, I thought being able to have a totally fluid schedule would be the selling point of being self-employed. Don't get me wrong, it is nice, but it is no good if you are trying to maintain long-term motivation, at least it was for me. Despite not having anyone telling me what to do, I need to set a schedule for myself in order to stay productive and not burn out.
What is the book that you recommend our community should read and why?
Will: House of Leaves. Not at all related to running a business, but man that book is unlike anything else you'll ever read.