We were lucky to catch up with Matt Bauer recently and have shared our conversation below.
Matt, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
Staying optimistic despite everything life will throw at you has to be one of the most important things in anyone’s life. It’s pretty easy to let yourself become overwhelmed and spiral down. I go fishing in Alaska once a year with my Father in-law and Uncle in-law. My Uncle in-law Joe always refers to the act of fishing as “The triumph of hope over experience.” I feel like that phrase sums things up quite well.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I represent Directors / Photographers / Set Designers / DPs / Makeup and Hair Stylists / Wardrobe Stylists and also produce motion and stills shoots.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Patience
Not everything can happen instantly. It’s important to keep your head down and focus on what you can do every day, even when you’re busy, to keep momentum going. Setting up meetings, researching clients / artists, reaching out to new and old contacts. You don’t always have to respond to an email or call right away if you’re not in the right place to answer it either. It’s better to wait a couple minutes and reset mentally than carry something over to a new conversation that has no place in it.
Fearlessness / Shamelessness
Not giving a damn if someone you don’t know doesn’t respond to your email is a superpower. I have met so many people who are afraid to reach out to new clients / contacts. Partnerships in business are the same as relationships and all boil down to timing. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve reached out to a client and heard nothing for months, then on an insanely busy day they reply to an email I sent months ago needing help with something. Somewhere along the way they flagged my email or searched it up when they remembered me. It’s not about getting traction right away, it takes time and perseverance.
Passion
I see the term “Passion” joked about often now but it’s what will sustain you through difficult times. People who are passionate about what they do attract the same energy and if you care, it’s palpable. You can do virtually anything, and do it with passion and people will notice and appreciate it. If you’re passionate about what you’re doing and stay consistent only good things will happen.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
Great communication and honesty are the biggest things I look for and enjoy in any partnership. I’d rather an artist / client over communicate and tell me details that may or may not be relevant because it can inform negotiations, production costs, schedule flexibility to navigate through booking processes.
As I mentioned previously – passionate about what they do.
Affability is great, too!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.eamgmt.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/mattxbauer
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-bauer-60765255/
Image Credits
Tyra Banks for Karen Millen – photography: Laretta Houston Martha Stewart for Skechers – set design: Concrete Stem LAFC Portrait – photography: David Higgs Michael Buble – photography: Sarah Krick Jones Road – photography: Ben Ritter A$AP ROCKY / Puma Campaign – photography: Ryo Sato Nasty Gal Campaign – photography: Dylan Perlot
