Cleaning Up the Back End

The first area Dario has been focused on is internal organisation. Over time, their Google Drive had become cluttered with duplicate folders and disorganized files, which made it difficult to quickly find what they needed.

He’s spent time decluttering their system, consolidating folders, and setting up a structure that’s easier to manage and keep up to date. As part of that, he’s also created internal documents to help track important processes. This has been an important first step in making the business run more smoothly.

The Bigger Challenges: Time Management and Sales

When we got into what’s really holding Dario back from growing the business, two key themes emerged: time management and sales.

Dario shared that while he has clear goals, like improving the SEO on their website and building landing pages for Google Ads, he struggles to find time during the week to get to them. The work keeps coming in, which makes it easy to push those growth-focused tasks to tomorrow again and again. As he put it, “months pass,” and those priorities still sit on the to-do list.

He’s also aware that their sales pipeline could use more consistent attention. He has specific ideas around targeting particular industries and creating partnerships, but executing those ideas has been difficult while juggling everything else.

A Smarter Sales Strategy

We explored what a more effective and sustainable sales strategy might look like. Dario has already ruled out cold calling, and instead wants to focus on building relationships in industries where he already has a foothold.

Two target markets stood out:

Optometry, where he already has two great clients and has found the people in the industry to be a good fit culturally.
Private schools, where he’s partnering with a friend who prefers to handle the shooting, while Dario manages the business and production side.

He’s already built some sample portfolios in both sectors and sees the opportunity to create targeted outreach using those proof points. This approach, doubling down on what’s already working, is often more effective than chasing new opportunities from scratch.

We also discussed how creating dedicated landing pages with showreels, testimonials, and tailored copy can make outbound efforts more persuasive while also boosting SEO.

Why Good Ideas Don’t Always Get Done

Dario mentioned that he sometimes hesitates to act on his ideas, even when they’re clear and promising. He wondered aloud whether that hesitation is due to laziness or if it’s sometimes a subconscious signal that the timing isn’t right.

We discussed how it can be natural, even instinctive, to resist taking on long-term or uncertain work when the short-term pressures of the day-to-day are loud and constant. When things are ticking along, it’s easy to stay in maintenance mode rather than make space for proactive growth.

One practical solution Dario is considering is blocking off focused time in his calendar without distractions like email or phone, to work on these strategic goals.

Systemising Client Communication

Another area we unpacked was client communication. Dario acknowledged that a big portion of his time is spent on emails, mostly around client management and sales.

I shared an approach that has worked well in my business: setting up a clear system for client updates and using email templates that can be quickly customised. The goal isn’t to automate everything, but to avoid starting from scratch each time.

Most clients don’t want more communication. They want clarity and predictability. When you communicate the next step clearly, they don’t need to chase you for updates. That reduces friction, saves time, and helps create a more professional experience.

Dario agreed that this approach could help reduce the volume of email and improve consistency. He’s now considering creating a list of the key emails they send at different stages of a project and building templates around those.

The Bigger Opportunity

As the conversation progressed, it became clear that Dario already has many of the pieces in place: industry niches, a solid body of work, strong ideas for outreach, and a desire to streamline operations.

The main challenge is bandwidth. With just two people doing everything: production, editing, sales, and admin, it’s easy to get pulled into the urgent tasks at the expense of the important ones.

We talked about how systems thinking can help. Even small shifts, like scheduling email time in batches or reducing unnecessary client check-ins through proactive updates, can free up valuable hours.

That time can then be reinvested in outbound sales, planting seeds that may not pay off immediately, but are essential for long-term growth.

Want to implement strategies like these in your own business?

If you’re ready to create more time, build systems, and grow your video production company with focus and intention, check out my coaching program or mastermind for production company owners. You don’t need to do it all alone. Let’s make running your business simpler and more rewarding.

How to Break Out of the Day-to-Day and Focus on Growth

Dario is also the co-host of the Creatives Grab Coffee podcast, a show that features honest and generous conversations with video business owners from around the world. If you haven’t checked it out, I highly recommend it.