Just Beginning

I remember when I first knew I wanted to make videos. In college, I was watching a short story play out on a screen and it moved me in a way that reading or hearing a story could never do–it was immersive and it moved me to action. Today, my favorite part of the creative process with clients is when they start to believe that getting to that place is possible.

I went out on my own to start de Sousa Agency in 2016, and since then I’ve worked with an incredible range of small, local businesses to larger nation-wide companies to nonprofits doing life-changing work. Capturing their stories and strategizing alongside them has taught me to embrace the process of creating.

There is no straightforward direction in the creative industry, the best ideas are always a journey full of twists and turns and upside down experiences. Traveling with an open hand is paramount to achieving a beautiful end result and the emotional rollercoaster of getting there is not to be underestimated even for the most experienced of individuals. I tend to think of myself as pretty even-keel and able to withstand some pretty strong resistance, but even I can succumb to the moments of defeat when things are not going your way. I've learned that perseverance is a key factor in getting to where you want to be and applying as much faith and hope in your process as possible is what tends to get me through.

Even at this very moment, as my business is going through a dry spell, I am doubling down in my investment. I'm buying new gear, I'm rebuilding my website, and spending money on ads for the first time ever! Although I can often feel defeated after months of work and no immediate results, I believe that it's an investment worth doing and that the return on investment will be tenfold in the future. I haven't always played the long game, often settling for the dopamine pay off of short term gains. So this new endeavor of building a solid foundation, which requires capital, both financial and personal energy investment, will be my best move to ensure the longevity of my business.

I often come back to that quote from Walt Disney, “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible!” Often when I’m first meeting with clients their ideas feel impossible to them, there are hurdles or obstacles that they can’t see a way around. The initial “idea” is almost never the exact final product, but when we embrace the process together, I find that project just keeps getting better and better–that’s a journey I love to take with my clients.

Currrently it's a journey that I find myself on with my own business, trying to achieve what sometimes feels like the "impossible" to me. How do I grow to that next level, how do I land the ideal client, when will my business list higher on Google search! All these items feel just out of reach at the moment for me, but I know with time, by following the process, I too will be able to overcome and be proud of the end product.

It’s a journey I hope to take with you as well. I’d love to hear about your video vision, idea, dream, or maybe just your company's biggest gap in content that you can’t see a way to fill. Over the years my friends have called me for business advice, knowing that long ago I took the leap myself in my mid-20's. It's always been an honor to help them in any way I can. If you find yourself in a similar situation, don't be afraid to reach out. We might not be friends from chidldhood, but we are mutual humans on this big blue ball trying to figure this all out and I’m just a comment away.