We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Brendon Hamlin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Brendon with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
Work Ethic
I have always prided myself on being a good worker. I started out working in production on movies and commercials and learned early on that long days and difficult tasks were part of the job. I then spent about 15 years in the Cable TV business creating promos and running promo teams. There were many late nights, long trips and work that was outside of the ordinary 9-5. But I was always up for the challenge, and I would never quit on a project or a job. So when I look at where my work ethic comes from there are three primary areas. One is from watching my Dad. Which isn’t a surprising answer because that’s where lots of people get their work ethic from. But my Dad is one of those guys who probably will think he should have or could have, spent a little more time at the office. Now as a kid growing up there were missed games, business trips where he was gone and times that he was unreachable. But in my mind, he was out there doing big things and I would hear about them all soon enough. Not that it was easy, but I seemed to understand at times that work was important. The second area would be my wife. She is my primary supporter; she guides, encourages and drives me to be better at what I do. I share many thoughts, frustrations and goals with her, and I can count on honest answers that either push me to keep going, or bring me back down to earth. She makes me want to do better and I don’t want to disappoint her. The third area would be from within. Deep down inside I want to work hard, I want to achieve, and I want people to be happy with what I do. I live for doing a good job. I strive and pursue for a “Job Well-Done” and if it doesn’t go that way it sticks with me. So, I learn to do better, I work out what went wrong and I get back up and try again. I am one of those people that will probably never stop working. I’m a shark, stop swimming = death.
My work ethic also comes from wanting to set a good example for my kids. I want my kids to see that if you keep at it, you don’t give up and you keep searching, then solutions will present themselves. As my kids grew older I would tell them, “Work the problem” supporting their efforts and encouraging them to work toward the solution. I suppose this thought process comes from my enjoyment of working on cars. It’s not always clear how to fix something, but as you continue to “work the problem” the solution presents itself.
The Roman Philosopher Seneca is attributed with the phrase “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity”. So I feel like working hard puts you in a position to be ready when the opportunity presents itself. I don’t know if luck has ever really played a big part in my life. I feel like I’ve worked hard to seek out opportunities, and then when I secured those opportunities, I have worked hard to deliver and then get more opportunities. So luck to me looks a lot like hard work.
I never set out to start my own company. Honestly, I thought running my own Production company was out of my reach. I didn’t know how to start, I didn’t know how to maintain, I didn’t know a lot of things. Back in 2013 as I began to get more projects, I continually proved my worth on each one. I realized as we grew that we were becoming our own brand. Now ten years later we have a proven track record of growth, we’ve gathered new clients, helped others grow and now my production company is it’s own brand. But there is no safety net. There is no boss. There is no guarantee. But there is opportunity. And if I work hard and prepare myself then I will find more of those intersections where I am prepared, and the opportunity is presented.
I love what I do. I am a Producer. I have been for 30 years, and I don’t see that changing for a long time. So my work ethic is inspired and comes from a variety of places, my parents, my wife, my kids, my colleagues, my friends. But it also comes from within. I want to succeed. I want to grow. I want my clients to want to work with me, and that motivates me every day.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I founded and run a video & photo production company, HAMLIN creative, or HAMLIN. We focus on Experiential and Live event marketing. We find those moments when a Brand and a Consumer interact directly. These moments can be brief and once they are gone, they’re gone. We know that REAL RESONATES and so we’ve mastered the Unpredictability of live events, We find those authentic moments and ensure that the content we create has consistent brand messaging. We transform unscripted moments into cinematic brand narratives. At HAMLIN, we bring a filmmaker’s eye to event capture, blending documentary-style authenticity with strategic brand storytelling. Our unique “HAMLIN Method” focuses on meticulous planning for even the most unscripted live events, capturing every moment with precision.
Our thorough pre-production work, from developing consumer narratives to setting thematic arcs, ensures that our content aligns perfectly with a brand’s goals and resonates across all platforms.
We turn Brand Moments into Brand Momentum.
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?
Listen. So many people think they need to share their thoughts but I feel like listening is a way under utilized skill.
Manners. Are you polite? Do you focus on someone when they are talking to you? Do you say Please and Thank you? You might be surprised at how far a pleasant attitude and overall good manners matters in business and work.
Humor. Most people love to laugh and if you have a good sense of humor even difficult situations can become a little more palatable if you try to find the funny. Now I don’t suggest that it should be used in every situation but humor, especially in the production world, can be an essential skill.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
We are always looking for partners and clients that appreciate what we do and want to collaborate. We find that Experiential Agencies and Marketing agencies understand our work and when we connect we produce great content for Social, Digital as well as Internal. Anyone wanting to understand more of our work can visit our website www.GetHamlin.com or contact Brendon Hamlin at (704) 957-3437.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.GetHamlin.com
- Instagram: hamlincreative
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hamlincreative
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hamlin-creative/?viewAsMember=true
Image Credits
Tara Welch, Grant Knaus, Seth Beckton, Brendon Hamlin
