We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tony Merkel. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tony below.
Tony , we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
My confidence and self-esteem didn’t develop overnight. In the beginning, I was uncertain about my abilities in this new venture. The turning point came from a place of necessity; I didn’t want to spend my life as a truck driver, passively watching the world go by. Left with no other option, I decided to carve out my own path. It was through consistent effort and the repetition of essential tasks to build my business that I began to notice my achievements over time. Recognizing these incremental successes played a crucial role in building my inner strength. With every new endeavor, I initially face feelings of self-doubt and imposter syndrome, but as I achieve new, small victories, my confidence gradually grows.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m incredibly proud and excited about my journey from a truck driver to a media entrepreneur. It wasn’t easy. Starting as an avid podcast listener, I launched “The Confessionals” in 2017, delving into supernatural experiences. Facing the rapidly growing podcast industry, I worked relentlessly for five years to make it my full-time career. The turning point was creating “Expedition Dogman,” a documentary that started as a YouTube video and gained nearly 1 million views. This success led to the expansion of Merkel Media from a podcast-focused entity into a versatile production company, venturing into movies, documentaries, and future plans for children’s cartoons, music, and book publishing. What stands out is my lack of formal training in media or filmmaking. I never finished college and could have settled as a truck driver, but I held onto my vision, working tirelessly to turn it into a reality that now supports my family and influences culture through the arts.
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?
Three important qualities to cultivate as you grow your brand or your business are adaptability, openness to learning, and courage. For those starting their journey, it’s crucial to accept that they don’t have all the answers and be comfortable with learning as they progress. A major obstacle is the fear of the unknown, which often hinders people from taking the first step. Success involves navigating unexpected challenges and learning to adapt. It’s important to be flexible, knowing when to stay the course and when to pivot in a new direction.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Yes, we are always looking to build connections and make contacts for possible collaborations. We are especially interested in people who have skills in photography, videography, and video editing, and are open to learning more about their services and experience. We also love to receive leads about legends, mysterious stories and places, and strange history in East Tennessee and the Appalachia region, as a lot of our content highlights these subjects.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.merkel.media/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconfessionalspodcast/, https://www.instagram.com/tonymerkelofficial/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheConfessionalsPodcast
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-merkel-97242728a/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TConfessionals
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCumRoq4stXAAVsSo5Js1_sg
Image Credits
Tony Merkel headshot photographed by Jason York.
