We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Brian Helms a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Brian 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?
I find that my resilience comes from my drive to always learn every day. I am passionate about my craft, so I am always eager to educate myself on new techniques, new trends and take time for any updated training. Also, a huge thing for me is learning from my past success or failures. You can always get better and polish your craft so don’t be afraid to humble yourself in order to grow. I had to stop thinking I know it all and be honest with myself and be willing to focus on a specific niche within photography and then strive every day to be the best I can be at it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
So I started my professional career as an audio engineer/music producer. I went to recording school and then made my way to Los Angeles to work in major studios with the biggest names in music. I worked with Snoop Dogg, Faith Evans, Mike Posner and many other very talented artists. I made my way back to the recording school I attended to work as an instructor teaching upcoming engineers and helping people start and reach their dreams in the audio industry. While working there I began to explore photography and video work as a hobby. My wife is an interior designer so naturally I began taking photos of her amazing work. After over 10 years working at the recording school I decided to start a photography business. I came up with the name Fervor Lifestyle. Fervor is defined as an intense and passionate feeling. I have an intense passion about photography and media work and I thought about how some of us creatives have that fervor that lives inside us and it truly is a lifestyle. So bam, Fervor Lifestyle was born. Like many I was hesitant to start a business as it can seem overwhelming. I took it one step at a time and did everything I needed to kick my business off. I started as a broad multi-media business, but found that narrowing it down to a specific niche would be more beneficial. That’s when I started focusing on real estate media exclusively. I acquired the industry standard equipment and did a lot of training and began constantly practicing my craft. I studied for several weeks to pass my Part 107 Pilot test to fly drones commercially, which is a huge asset in real estate media. I offer my clients several different packages and add-ons that help me gain business from agents of all levels. I take every job seriously and understand the importance of building relationships and giving every client top quality services no matter how small or big the job. I treat every shoot as if it were for my one of my own properties. Attention to detail runs my line of work, so it’s imperative that I am focused and show up with that fervor they deserve.
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?
The most impactful skills and qualities you must possess is being personable, honest and have the ability to network. If you are early in your journey starting a business you must create good relationships with clients. Give them your all and be honest. If something doesn’t go perfect then communicate with your client and make it right. Don’t sacrifice your quality of services for money. You are better off making things right than to lose a client. That may cost you future referred clients.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
My biggest challenge with owning a real estate media business is the uncontrollable state of the market. When things are out of your control like high interest rates and low inventory start slowing your bookings, you must get creative. For me, that meant offering a multitude of services. I began reaching out and offering 2d floor plans and even agent “lifestyle” photoshoots. In the day of social media dominating marketing, it was a no brainer to begin offering lifestyle shoots that realtor/agents can use on their socials to promote themselves and get their faces in front of potential clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fervorlifestyle.com
- Instagram: Fervor Lifestyle
