Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Josh Barnum. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Josh, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
When I was pre-teen my family moved to the United States. I don’t remember those days all that well anymore, but what I do remember is feeling like an outsider for years. Feeling as though there wasn’t ever going to be another moment that I felt comfortable. As an adult I realize that was a short sighted perspective. What that did for me growing up has had a lasting impact on my ability to be disciplined, focus on things that are in my control and not worry about the things that are outside of it. This has ultimately pushed my capacity for accomplishing work beyond that of what is considered “normal.”
Around the same time my Father gave me a piece of advise that has stuck with me for over 20 years. I was overwhelmed with the amount of work that I took on. Not having a clue how I was going to complete anything and fulfill all of the obligations I had committed to. He asked me “how do you eat an elephant?” I thought it was a silly question and one of his tactics to insert some comedy into my stressed out mind. “One bite at a time.” Taking things one step at a time. I think about this question on a daily basis and have always fed off of it (no pun intended) in my business and personal life. At the end of the day though this isn’t enough to keep me from burning out or what ultimately has generated my capacity for work. What it really all boils down to is having a sense of gratitude. Being grateful that even when I feel like an outsider, or when I’m overwhelmed, or stressed, I’m still in control of myself. I’m still able to put one foot in front of the other and take a step forward.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
When I graduated college I jumped on a bus and went across the country to Los Angeles because I wanted to work in the movie industry. To make a long story short it was a trip that ended quickly. I ended up back on the East coast where I started doing any “filmmaking” job that I could find which led me to capturing wedding videos. From that Barnum Films was born. For the past 12 years I’ve built a videography (and photography) company that has captured close to 1000 weddings, corporate events, and social media advertisements. Capturing wedding days is definitely the core of my business though as there is nothing like getting a message that says “you made my husband cry all over again when we watched our video.”
Recently I’ve been working on launching a mentorship program to encourage and help young creatives start their own businesses.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three most impactful things in my journey have been empathy, self-motivation, and authenticity. All three of these are a constant work in progress but recognizing how to hone each of them has been huge in my ability to be successful.
If you’re just starting out I challenge you to go into something with the mindset that your worth is determined by how much value you provide to others and not by how you’re rewarded.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
Time. There are only so many hours in a day and it’s tough to juggle a business, family, and other endeavors that I’d like to take on. It’s a constant battle to try and resolve but learning to say “no” to things like additional work or clients that are not in line with my aspirations is certainly something I’m working on to help.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://barnumfilms.com
- Instagram: barnumfilms
- Facebook: barnumfilms
- Twitter: barnumfilms
Image Credits
The first image (titled Barnum Films) credit is to TPI Photography. All others are Barnum Films photos.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
