A lot of video production business owners tell me they’re working harder than ever but not moving forward the way they want. They’re putting in the hours, staying busy, and delivering projects, yet the growth they’re aiming for doesn’t seem to arrive.

Over the years, I’ve noticed some common patterns that quietly hold people back. I’ve seen them in my own business, in friends and colleagues, and in the clients I coach. These patterns are easy to slip into and harder to notice when you’re in the middle of them.

In this post, I’ll walk through the habits and mindsets that can stop you from reaching your potential. See if they sound familiar. More importantly, think about how much further you could take your business if you tackled them head-on.

Getting Lost in Camera Gear

For many of us, gear obsession comes with the territory. Researching, buying, and comparing equipment is fun. It feels productive. And to a point, it matters. Clients expect professional gear, and the tools you use influence the quality of your work.

The problem isn’t caring about gear. The problem is when it eats into the limited time you have to build your business. If you catch yourself in long debates on forums or scrolling DJI updates during work hours, pause. That’s time better invested in revenue-generating activities.

Save the gear talk for after hours. Get your client work and business priorities done first.

Pausing Business Development When Work Gets Busy

Another trap is letting business development grind to a halt during busy periods. You land a big project or a few shoots stack up, and suddenly the marketing, outreach, and client nurturing stop.

It feels logical: why chase new work when you’ve already got more than enough? But here’s the catch. Projects end. That wave of busyness passes. And when it does, you’re left with an empty pipeline.

The solution is consistency. Even when you’re under pressure, keep the basics of marketing alive. Post on LinkedIn. Send the newsletter. Collect client reviews. Reach out to a prospect or two each week. A little momentum goes a long way.

Think of it as the difference between urgent and important. Delivering projects is urgent. Building your pipeline is important. Both need your attention.

Relying Only on Word of Mouth

Word of mouth is powerful. A happy client recommending you is one of the strongest endorsements you can get. Many production company owners proudly say, “I don’t do marketing. All my work comes from referrals.”

That sounds impressive on the surface, but it’s risky. Referrals are outside your control. They come in waves, and sooner or later, a quiet patch will hit.

Yes, keep doing great work that makes clients want to recommend you. But don’t let referrals be your only lead source. Build at least one channel you can control, whether it’s LinkedIn outreach, SEO, PPC, or strategic partnerships. Start with one, systemise it, and make it reliable. That’s how you gain stability.

Seeing Business Skills as Boring

Many creatives fall into the trap of treating business skills as a necessary evil. Accounting, forecasting, marketing, legal, tax. They put it all in the “boring but required” category.

But if you treat business tasks as chores, you’ll only ever do them in a mediocre way. The key is to approach them with curiosity and see them as part of your craft.

I get as much satisfaction from building systems, planning strategy, or reviewing finances as I do from shooting and editing. Running a business is a creative act in itself. And when you lean into it, you become not just a videographer but a skilled operator — someone who can shape their own future.

Lacking a Commercial Mindset

Related to this is the mindset you bring to the work itself. If you see yourself mainly as an artist reluctantly doing “bread and butter” corporate jobs, you’ll limit your potential.

Yes, creative expression matters. But if you want to build a sustainable business, you need to embrace the commercial side wholeheartedly. That means valuing client work, pricing strategically, and seeing projects not as compromises but as opportunities to serve and grow.

Without this mindset, income and impact will always fall short.

Only Learning from Peers

It’s comfortable to stick with peers at your level. Maybe you hang out in WhatsApp groups or online forums, trading tips and advice. That can be useful, but it’s limited.

Proper growth comes from learning from people further ahead. Mentors, larger production companies, or business mastermind groups can all give you perspective you can’t get from peers alone. They’ve already solved problems you’re still wrestling with.

Seek those people out. Learn from their mistakes. Shortcut your path by standing on their shoulders.

Avoiding the Inner Work

Even if you master external skills such as better filmmaking, stronger sales, or smarter marketing, none of it matters if you hit your internal ceiling.

Stress, setbacks, and emotional roadblocks can derail even the most talented operator. Building resilience, managing emotions, and staying focused through tough times is critical.

Inner work looks different for everyone. It could be therapy, journaling, mindfulness, sport, or community. The point is to have practices that strengthen your internal capacity. Without them, burnout or self-sabotage is inevitable.

Setting Goals That Are Too Small

The last pattern is settling for less than you’re capable of. Many business owners don’t even realise how much further they could go because they’ve never experienced that level of achievement before.

Fear of failure, early messages about “not reaching too high,” or a belief that ambition is dangerous all play into this. But if you don’t set ambitious goals, you’ll never know what you’re capable of.

The biggest obstacle is often yourself. Once you recognise the limits you’ve unconsciously set, you can begin to release them.

Final Thoughts

Every video production business owner faces challenges. Some are external such as industry trends, client expectations, or new technology. But many of the biggest obstacles are internal. They come from the patterns we fall into without noticing.

By identifying them, you take the first step to moving past them. That’s when the real growth begins.

If this resonates with you, subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss future episodes. And if you’re serious about building a business that goes beyond just staying busy, check out my coaching at ryanspanger.com.

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