What I Wish I Knew Before It Was Too Late

[@theeseananthony]

Justin, thank you for being so transparent. You have always been real with your journey. So many times people see the glitz and glamour of a business but never see the hard truths and the mistakes made along the way. Moments like these make the comeback so fruitful. You will bounce back stronger, more prepared and ready to handle things that come. God has a plan and is only ironing these things out now before you take this step to a new level in filmmaking. It's been a rough time in your personal life and while it shouldn't impact your business, you are human bro. These systems you put in place will make sure that things keep going in the right direction and hopefully give you some time back to heal. Prayers up !

[@PopoRamos]

As a father of 6 and trying to keep my passion for wedding videography alive has been EXTREMELY challenging. Dealing with Imposter syndrome almost everyday, Not having the time to sit down and edit without constant distractions, and when I do get some time, I'm burned out, no inspiration, no motivation, dealing with lack of sleep and really having trouble delivering the wedding videos on time, dealing with clients and managing their expectations, knowing deep down I'm not doing right by them and would never get a referral from them, etc. Had led me to STOP all ads, and pursuit of new work around the wedding scene (especially video). And really taking a huge hit to the bottom line, at least until I dig myself out of this mess, and figure out what needs to be done so I can be able to serve my community effectively again. I can relate with you 1000%.

[@KofiYeboah]

You’re the epitome of being able to overcome what ever life throws at you, God has huge things waiting for you man, I’m proud of your ability to keep going brother 🙏🏾

[@JustinPorterMedia]

Truly appreciate you man. Really do. I’m looking forward to the next season and sharing the journey there with everyone 🙌🏾

[@Semesem_]

“Doing it all yourself is not a flex” . First and foremost I’m truly sorry for your losses. It really is not easy being a full time entrepreneur , having a business that is heavily relationship based, and being impacted by something outside the business. I’m glad you touched on this and grateful your clients didn’t try to sue because some people really don’t care and want what they want

[@JustinPorterMedia]

Yea it really is tough. I had a few clients with strong demands and thankfully I was in a position to honor them. I didn’t want to stir the pot too much knowing I had been in the wrong. It’s eye opening seeing how it all led to this. In hindsight it could have been prevented with proper communication.

[@Semesem_]

@ and that is why I respect you. Doing the hard things is not easy for any of us.

[@filmmaker8444]

That’s A bar right there

[@lpayne6136]

I swear i tell people this all the time!

[@edwardleefilms]

You’re so real for this bro. Thank you for this posting and sharing this message. So many relatable elements in this video. I’m so sorry for your losses too brother. Extremely impressed that you were able to pick yourself up though and get on top of your overwhelm. You are a beast and you should be proud!

[@whitephoenixweddingfilms]

Takes courage to say this publicly. This is real life!

[@thisisfilmatic]

Grief hits you like a ton of bricks everyday. Big blessings bro! I did weddings 10 yrs ago, and that business was destroyed because of my Vendors and Project Managers. I moved on to something that I do love, and thats cinematography. Keep crushing it bro.

[@eyesofisaac]

How did you start plugging into cinematography? I do a lot of freelance work for businesses locally, but it leans toward social media. Although it’s fun, I’d love to get my foot in the door to that, so what was your journey like?

[@DaneVisuals]

Bro trust me this video is needed, right now I’m going through some burn out because I over booked myself at a lower rate and now life is acting up but now I realize I have to set reasonable deadlines no matter what because we don’t always plans for stuff to wrong

[@hawkboy000]

Currently going through something similar. Working full time, helping my wife with video/photo, multiple weddings that we need to get down and having family problems. Just do the best you can! My goal now is to improve our brand so that we get the clients we want. Hopefully I can do this full time one day

[@ogonzilla]

Damn. Wake up call needed, thank you. One-man team is not a flex!

[@MikePlayDrums]

Realest guy in the room. Massive props and respect for you for being this honest. People forget that we ALL struggle. Everyone has their own problems and no matter what you see on the outside, on the inside, someone could be falling apart. God Bless you and your family, Justin. Thank you for the knowledge and the confidence you’ve given me to start my own event photography and videography business. I appreciate you and will continue to support you!

[@dhcinephoto]

Keep it up dude. Those hard times sometimes need to happen so we know what not todo. Failure is the greatest teacher unfortunately and I’ve definitely been there. We’re all here for each other! Keep it up bro! You got this!

[@ameetpawar4391]

Justin, love ur transparency about ur year n a half life. The only youtuber who shares the reality of the wedding videographer. Thanx man

[@lexgraham]

My brother, i appreciate how you hold no reservations about reality and the struggle. I feel like I relate in so many ways.

[@milesxcurry]

Thank you for being so honest and transparent about what you're going through! I'm glad you're getting back to yourself; it just shows how strong you really are. "Doing it yourself is not a flex" really spoke to me. Keep it going!

[@dsdddsd4543we]

So sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing this.

[@robertbrescia3196]

So sorry to hear about your brothers, Justin. Losing family members is real sucker punch in the gut. My mother had dementia at the end of her life. I know how hard it is to stay focused in those situations. All the best and glad to see you getting back on track again. 👍

[@Live2dayWanderland]

Man as if you were not already such an amazing dude, hearing all the loss and family stuff you had to go through and yet you always were smiling on camera and making great content etc. Prayers brother you are truly an inspiration to all those that watch

[@oospagheti]

fell that man, know when you have to be strong for your people just to make them smile when the rest of your world is falling apart , thank you for sharing!

[@JoanAvilez]

You are so real for this. I wish you nothing but the best bro! You will bounce back!

[@DeeSanders]

Thanks so much for your transparency! I really appreciate your honest and it helps me as a business owner realize that this is not a sprint but a marathon. Also it helps me realize that I have to have maintain a team and not try to it all.

[@sightseerproductions]

This is so real. I could say all the things that everyone else has said but I wont. Simply, this is VERY timely and thank you.

[@juliustubbsDP]

Sorry for your loss and everything you went and are going through. This year has definitely be rough. But once the smoke clears we must push through. There is always light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you for sharing. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Happy Holidays

[@itsjoetorres930]

Duuuuudee! So vulnerable! It’s not easy running a biz and balancing life. And it’s like you said we all fall on our face at some point or another. But it’s like you said can’t go at it alone. The best and worst trait as an entrepreneur is the naivety to believe we can do it all and then we realize we need to be working on our business not in our biz anymore. Shoutout to you for picking yourself up man. If you wanna go fast go alone if you wanna go far go together.

[@fernandosaavedra537]

This is so real and authentic, I recently started a production company with friends of mine and we are a team of 7 and are still struggling to get the business flowing the struggle is real! Your family will be in my prayers 🙏🏻

[@Benjamin.Greenwood]

Sorry for your losses. Thanks for the video. I really appreciate it. Life the last year and a half has been so rough. I feel ya. Thanks for telling the good and the bad with your life and business. It truly helps

[@culture7studios]

Thank you for this Justin! Our condolences from our family to yours. You are in our prayers brother. We can’t wait to meet you soon in the near future.

[@evanthecameraman]

I saw the struggles a mile away. That’s why I was checking in. But, when you’re in the thick of it the people who could help aren’t really minded until much later. It happens. Wishing you and your family the best

[@JustinPorterMedia]

You definitely did. Truly appreciate you man. Grateful for the friendship.

[@flproductions90]

I just want you to know you're the reason I kept pushing to create content while running my business. This is deep so thanks for sharing such a personal experience. Things will get better and you're definitely someone whose gonna be even more successful

[@HwayVision]

My business failed because of this. As a young 23 year old not really having any business savvy. I even sold all my cameras smh. Going into 2025 rebranding and refocusing, but I've spent the last 3 months refining every process I possibly can, so I CANT fail! I don't have any answers other than spend time reflecting on your entire process. It is different for everyone. What I did for my lady is ask her questions and have her talk about her business to me while I wrote down what she said. Afterwards, I sent her a document with her entire process broken down step-by-step so we can identify any problem areas and refine it. It's a day to day process, and thank you for your transparency

[@1lovisions355]

As someone who took 3 yrs off and did the same thing as you, I just gotta say I know how it is but you got this! Use it as a learning opportunity and refining process, so you can pop out even better. Best of luck!! 💯

[@isaacapon]

Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing bro. We're all learning and growing and more or less making it up as we go. As someone like yourself who's "made it," thank you for reminding us that we're all human and we haven't figured it all out.

[@pitkaine91]

Sorry for your losses! Thanks for sharing your experience 🫶🏼 you’re not alone

[@SoRealSoReal23]

Didn’t know you were going through so much. Glad you’re starting to get better and I’m praying for your continued strength. This is something I learned from Ty Turner but you have provided a wake up call that I need to get back on developing my systems and processes. As Ty said “You need to be working ON your business instead of working IN your business.” Thank you for sharing.

[@PetrosTselos]

Sorry for your losses. God bless you brother 🙏🏻

[@arhon888]

Thank you for your honesty. This is profoundly relevant for me right now.

[@JoePro973]

Prayers up family . I know it’s difficult to open up on the internet, but your testimony is valuable. I wish you continued success from an aspiring film maker myself

[@Motionandlooksstudios]

How did you still have a smile on your face this whole time, thanks for being a better version of a man most will dream to be

[@JustinPorterMedia]

Honestly, joking and laughing is my coping mechanism. I will crack jokes in the hardest times. I remember at the funeral for my brother I said “my beard still better than yours”. It’s what keeps my spirit up.

[@FrankLopezz]

Appreciate the RAW and vulnerable video! We here to help our guy out 📸

[@DanielBasulto]

I can relate with this deeply. After spending almost 2 years slowing down in order to focused my efforts on my wife's brand and doing conventions I have come back to the home plate ready to swing. It's refreshing and scary to be 100% committed to my company yet again but remember the amount of time and effort it took to build my portfolio, resume and most importantly my reputation. I am here for your journey and a call away if you need anything!

[@drewwebbweddings]

Pioneering yet again! the industry is missing this level of transparency, everyone is so busy claiming they are successful because ethey think thats what makes the business sound great. The truth is Clients want more than anything else to trust. This clarity and humanity is why I'm glad to have been a small part of this journey youve been on. I think the academy have felt every bump and bruise with you and its great to see you rebuild in this way.

[@jeremyreaves1914]

Brother we love you. I appreciate your transparency. I just had the same thing happen this year regards to life happening and yes coming back to just you is tough. But I am currently catching up and limited to just 3 clients! So let’s keep pushing brother! Thank for this!

[@TylertheThompson]

Truly appreciate your transparency more than you know. Truly inspiring.

[@DjenInspires]

Thinking of jumping into the wedding space for video , and signing up for your academy , and this video was just what I needed to hear . I know what to be mindful of as I push forward 🎉. Continue to be strong man, life will keep happening and we just have to navigate it the best way possible.🙏🏿

[@ThokozaniMtshali47]

You are not alone, brother; you just brave enough to speak about it and thank you for that.

[@filmmaker8444]

Feel like the background you selected for this video has this feeling it emits that reality is a duo thank you for proving to me that you are a human as we all are blessed up

[@hangfire6368]

Thanks for sharing your struggle. I'm not in this business, but I can relate to having family members who are struggling. In my case it was my daughter. There was a three year period where our family was in survival mode. We made it through and everyone is good now. I agree that you need to prioritize building processes. Block off time in a schedule to take care of the tasks one at a time. You will get through this period and you will be more resilient. You will be better than before because you have gained wisdom from going through it. I look forward to following your progress and seeing more of these authentic experiences you are willing to share with everyone.

[@MarcusRFilms]

This is more helpful than people will ever know. Been here and it’s a very dark place. Thanks for the transparency man. For me outsourcing editing as been a game changer for my corporate contracts. Also contracting an Account Relations Manager per project helps with having someone in charge of client communication and follow-ups

[@stage5_]

Man. This was right on time. I needed to hear this. I’ve been thinking about throwing the towel in everyday. I love what I do. But meeting deadlines has been difficult. Like you said, the minute you get sick, you go a few days without editing. Man thank you for this video..

[@airtistry9729]

Mad respect man. We’re all figuring it out. Thanks for being so honest and real.

[@callyscorner]

This one hit home brother!! Social media is just highlights but I appreciate this a lot!! God gat you brother🙏🏿🙏🏿

[@philcupper]

Best advice, and some I wish I took myself when starting to grow, is don't be afraid to say "No." You want to be as busy as possible, but that's how burnout and mistakes happen. Best to grow correctly and in a stable/sustainable way than as quickly as possible.

[@woodvineandco]

Thankyou so much for sharing this. Very relatable.

[@ether_media]

Man, Justin…very much needed. Thank you for your transparency and vulnerability! We see you…don’t stop inspiring 💯✊🏾

[@BakertureCo]

Great messaging here. It’s incredible that you’re being so transparent because a lot of us go through this as business owners and never talk about it. A lot of this clicked for me in our production company when I read the Emyth revisited by Michael Gerber. The amount of businesses that fail after five years is astounding. This book goes into great detail about the message in this video.

[@martydenson_mfm]

That old saying comes to mind: "The struggle is real". This is why I always treat people with kindness and respect. You just never know what others are going through.

[@C7Mediaart]

Thank you for being real and God bless your business and your family

[@steverahman]

Thank you for sharing this video! Being Real in todays age is a rarity. Most of us, including myself is going through the same things you mentioned it about your business. Also, sorry for your loss! Keep grinding my man! See you at the Top!

[@Joshua-McField]

Really want to say thank you for always keeping it real.

[@damondarrell217]

Man I feel you....going through something so similar. Thanks for sharing.

[@EpicFlightz]

Appreciate the honesty. You are motivating me for growth like you did in 2023. I experienced a similar situation with my family and it was devastatingly depressing, but I’m back now and working on growing my skills and business. Best of luck to you!

[@kijijipictureseldoret1775]

Hey Justin to imagine you have absorbed the blows that life has presented your way and still you have grown into great successes and mentorship; Hts off and bigups for always keepin your head up ..... tRUE MOST OF US HAVENT BEEN ABLE TO SEPARATE LIFE FROM BUSINESS AND THUS HAS PRESENTED CHALLENGES ..... Much love from a Kenyan brother. KE

[@Flamamacue]

Feeling this in my soul. Business has grown over 2x this year along with a new baby, various health struggles & finding out we had 4 weeks to suddenly move house and it's just been drowning/survival mode all year long. Have desperately needed to rework outdated business systems & processes but have barely been able to keep up, much less reinvent my business. I may as well add "sorry for the delay" to my email signature at this point. Being a lone wolf through all of it is the most demoralising part because it feels like you are the total failure and "no one else could possibly be as bad as me" so hearing your real story and not just the highlights was very needed. ***DOING IT ALL YOURSELF IS NOT A FLEX***

[@rocastudio9163]

Mi madre murió hace 2 años y mi vida se desmoronó por completo dejé mi trabajo a un lado y caí en depresión mi negocio empezó a tener muchos problemas , la persona que administraba me robó y quedé mal en muchos eventos , debía muchísimo dinero , y si tienes razón cuando veo tus videos pienso siempre que lo tienes todo resuelto y te admiro , al ver este video me has dado muchas granas de seguir y recuperar ese espíritu que he perdido !! Gracias por compartir !!

[@johnwelson4789]

Thank you for this video Justin

[@agapefilmsco]

super refreshing to see the authenticity and transparency!

[@storytellingproductions9927]

Very pleasant to see a “calm” version of you. More centered and not screaming at the camera! ❤🎉

[@phenomenalshots7626]

I feel you @Justin... I've been doing this for a while and don't have a SOP. Just a month ago I had an unfortunate conversation with a client rep on missing my delivery time... Eye opening indeed... And now that you have brought clarity on SOP, I'll definitely be setting that up come in the daylight.

[@weddingsbykybe]

This has come at just the right time. Foreseeing this so I need to get processes and people in place.

[@iamjeromedupont]

Thanks for posting this def needed to hear this..

[@ClarkVideography]

Dude, I'm like tearing up for you. I wish I could give you a hug man!

[@JustinPorterMedia]

I appreciate you. I’m ok though bro. This isn’t a “feel bad for me” video haha. I just wanted to be open with the reality but work to fix it. Can’t wait to share updates.

[@arroyo_visuals]

Love this so much Justin! Hope you have much success! You are my favorite Videographer! Hope to meet you one day.

[@LivingOutLoudwithLJClements]

Justin, thank you so much for this brother. I am sending prayers your way for you and your family. And I appreciate you taking the time to educate and inform through your experiences. I admire your humility

[@alfordvideo]

Keep up the good work boss! What you are doing is truly inspiring.

[@LucivoryPhotography]

Thanks for being honest. I love what you do, I’ve been there before. God is always there with us and for us. I wish you and your family the best. I’ll be praying for you and your family.

[@DavidBrewerProductions]

Bro it's absolutely refreshing, encouraging, and inspiring to see real time transparency. I'm a one man band myself outside my 2nd shooter I've been blessed to have been able to have a solid track record probably because I dont book as many weddings as most which is a blessing and a curse lol I'm constantly stressed because I know its not if but when something goes wrong. What I do do is build a very strong relationship with my clients and give constant updates I even notify them if I have a sick day just like at a job because technically they're my boss and I let them know if I take a day from editing, this practice has worked very well with extending times. Another practice I give out deliverables from my packages as they are finished kinda like a subscription they will get a teaser, then maybe a ceremony edit them some social media clips ect. This keeps the clients confident and also provides something to enjoy while they wait on their highlight. I also occasionally comment on their social media posts when appropriate to let them know I'm not out of pocket and relatable. I wish I had more but im very new to business myself. Im praying for you your company and family🙏🏽 Keep pushing bro its hard but its fair💪🏾

[@michealstewart3910]

Thank you! This is why I follow you!

[@MindsoulProduction]

This is so real man ! Thanks for sharing that with US ! From Quebec, Canada ! keep koing !

[@emersonacosta477]

Thanks for all your work and what u share we us

[@AlexanderBurken]

Your realness inspires me bro!

[@1ShotNas]

love this video man we appreciate your openness keep praying brother God hears your prayers. Also condolences to the fallen brother Much love

[@1ShotNas]

If you ever Need some Video shooters lmk I got the 6k pro and im in Houston!

[@JustinPorterMedia]

@@1ShotNas let’s connect. Dm me

[@1ShotNas]

@ yessir!!

[@Adamination]

Im in this situation right now - my business partner walked out January first - left me 2023 wedding videos and photos to edit. I didnt get them done till march. Then i hired an editor was hoping he was doing what he was supposed and ended up dragging me farther behind than if i just did it myself I have many mas clients right now and of coruse only reciews we are getting is when someone is mad. Not the other happy ones Just keep a chin up and breath slowly - work through the fire and make sure you seek professional mental health assistance because you're going to need someone to help you through it

[@sobaagency]

man, this is happening to all of us damn Im in France, i feel it man. Client managements and being so passionate about youtube is so hard + being a father and a husband ... Thank u for this, might do a video like this too

[@cheyennekidder6033]

Takes a lot of courage and humility to do this. I know God will turn this all for your good. Trust in His plan. Still extremely excited and think you and your gift of videography are remarkable!😊

[@brorashad]

Much love and strength to you, Bro. 🤲🏿🖤

[@theeditor5661]

Thank you Justin for this :)

[@cfwproductions]

Life is scary. Appreciate the transparency. Got a studio, it got flooded. Life tricks you when you least expect it. All we can do is redundancy I guess.

[@shotbyerickproductions3171]

I highly relate to this I hit a hard stop after having a very successful business for the past 4 years due to “life happening” back in September and barely getting back to the norm as of a few days ago. It suck’s when you get that hard realization that you need to do what you gotta do no matter what is happening in your personal life.

[@DustinArmstrongPro]

Man. What a great video. My advice for anybody starting out, hire a CPA/tax advisor once you start making enough to pay yourself a salary to take care of your businesses taxes and payroll even if your a one man band. I used to try and get by on my own, but now I don't have to think about anything tax wise for my business and can just focus on making the business more money and creating.

[@RodieOsc]

I just wanna say that God will strengthen you through this process to keep your head up ! Sorry you’re going through this And second man I feel a bit burnt out. This year was actually an amazing year for me even though I literally just started this business in May. But lately I even had to decline some shoots because I just want some time away from doing business. I know that’s probably bad but I feel like my mind needs to rest as well

[@gavinoxley]

This is an amazing video with so much info and knowledge that you share. Another JPM video that is going straight to my business. you should make a video on post wedding follow up do/don't I think that would be super informative. as always love the content and your transparency that you give us.

[@cerl981]

Sending love from down under! I can't even imagine what you've gone through. All I can say and do is support you as you're an amazing person. Keep being you and doing what you're doing. Automations can be tricky. I've helped build a lot of backends for a company and it's a constant battle of creating more and putting out fires 😆 If you have time and patience, there are options to create your own custom workflow, otherwise there are plenty of pre-made services to do most of what you need

[@rodmanblanchard2511]

this video was a prayer answered. real talk

[@asmashingwayita9200]

You are super inspiring man.

[@BigHatMedia]

Just made this mistake recently. Backup that memory card as soon as you get home and have multiple backups on different drives!!

[@WardVisionFilms]

Blessings My Brother.....

[@jefferson.castillo]

Sending you positive vibes brother!!! 🤲

[@joncahillphoto]

It's hard to grow without delegating. There is a fine line as a single person, or even a small crew, only has so much bandwidth. Honesty is good, but never easy. It's good for you to learn this, even if it's the hard way. What you have been through on a personal level, I can't say I understand because I have not been through all that. On the process side, however, I have seen people fail because they didn't focus on SOPs at the start and decided to just move forward waayy before they should have. Keep your focus and you will succeed, you can't walk forwards while only looking backwards.

[@SigmaCarta]

Your experience was a normal human experience based on what happened. Power to your elbow for your transparency, which is also part of self-applied therapy. Nobody cares about men in the way that women and children gain assistance, which means we either create our own communities or create mindfulness practices that enable us to function without dips. Your advice is invaluable and will enable those viewing to circumvent your experiences or quickly recognize that they are traversing a similar trajectory. God bless you and your family, wishing you sustained business growth.

[@arielreyes001]

Thank you for the excellent tips! I’m early enough in my journey that its the perfect time to implement these, thank you! It stinks you went through those things but I appreciate you turning it into a lesson for us as well

[@JustinPorterMedia]

@@arielreyes001 heck yea. Thats mostly why I made it. For those that are early in the process. Plan for the time you can’t show up, and you’ll save yourself a lot of headache. I’ll be sharing all the things I’m doing to fix it, steps, etc too.

[@arielreyes001]

@ that’s awesome, can’t wait to see them! Ever since “you” I’ve been trying to focus on those interviews and real moments. And less of the posed concept. Improving the creative. Can’t wait to improve on the business with these tips

[@radiancevideography1214]

This is such a great video and great advice

[@kyleranney]

I just hired a VA and a remote editor. I'll have huge sale months but then get bogged down with the back end. Working on SOPs and more. My VA is going to do project management and tons of other things for me. I'm going to have them email clients once a week with project updates. OHH yeah that delivery time is super variable. Hoping to keep that consistent with the editor.