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Client Experience with Kolby Moser
88 Plays3 years ago
I'm working with Kolby's team next year. We have a wedding in the Big Island. I found her through hashtags and she is literally Miss Hawaii. She does it all and truly gives back.
Kolby is a filmmaker and owner of ARIA Studios, a wedding and commercial film and photography studio based in Hawai’i. Kolby is also an award-winning producer, business coach and mom. She was recently recognized as one of Hawaii’s 40 under 40 by Pacific Business News.
He Aria Studio Team has a great team, that feels a lot like a family, that has been working together for many years. They also are passionate about giving back and have a non-profit called Aria Childrens Fund that supports the fight against child trafficking.
Maya Angelou’s quote: “people will forget what you said, what you did, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel”. My hot topic is being intentional about the experience you’re creating for your couple. Think about the vibe you’re creating for your team, vendors and couple. Read the room: Is it more important to get that shot? Or that your clients are enjoying every moment? 75% of our bookings come from referrals- how are you improving the experience for vendors, bridal party and guests?
You can Kolby Here
https://www.instagram.com/ariastudios/
https://www.instagram.com/kolbymoser/
You can donate here
https://www.instagram.com/ariachildrensfund/
Connect with Carissa
Coaching IG: @Carissawoo
Photography IG: @carissawoophotography
Download a free guide on how to become a lead generating machine HERE
Master, the dreaded sales call with Carissa Woo:
https://carissawoo.samcart.com/products/7steps
Thank you to our sponsors Photobooth Supply. Buy the Photo Booth
http://photoboothsupplyco.com/carissawoo
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Promotion
00:00:00
Speaker
Hey guys, it's Carissa. If you're loving my podcast, please subscribe and leave me a review. You could only leave a couple sentences and it helps so much. So wow, what a powerful conversation with Kobe Moser from the Big Island, Hawaii. She is literally Miss Hawaii and gives so much of herself in this episode.
Charity Spotlight: Aria Children's Fund
00:00:19
Speaker
If you want to do something good today, donate to her charity, ariachildrensfund.org to help children in need. Enjoy this episode.
Carissa Wu's Background and Podcast Focus
00:00:30
Speaker
Welcome to Get a Heck Yes with Carissa Wu. I'm your host, Carissa, and I've been a Los Angeles wedding photographer for over a decade. I've traveled the world, built my team, and seen it all. I now coach wedding photographers hit 10K a month and build a thriving business. In this podcast, we are going to deep dive into how top wedding creatives get that heck yes from their dream clients. We are not holding back on the struggles of the business and how to push through the noise. Some healthy hustle, mindset shifts, up-leveling your money story,
00:00:59
Speaker
Time hacks because I'm a mom of two, a little bit of woo-woo, and most importantly, self-love and confidence are just a few of the many things we'll talk about. I want to give you a genuine thank you for following along my journey. I hope to inspire you every Woo Wednesday so that you say heck yes to listening to this podcast. See you guys soon!
Guest Introduction: Kobe Moser
00:01:22
Speaker
Hey guys, it's Carissa Wu, as you know, and I'm here with Kobi. So Kobi is a filmmaker and owner of Aria Studios, a wedding and commercial film and photography studio based in Hawaii. Kobi is an award-winning producer, business coach, and mom of two daughters and a golden retriever, just like me. I have two daughters and a golden retriever. She was recently recognized as one of Hawaii's 40 Under 40 by Pacific Business News. Wow, wow, wow.
00:01:49
Speaker
And I've been into stalking you, Coby, all morning and all last night. And you're pretty much like Miss Hawaii. You're like a bad ass boss lady. So welcome. I'm so excited that you're here. Thank you. I'm so happy to be here. Thank you for inviting me. You're welcome. I just wanted to give a little bit of backstory, like how I even found you. So I actually have a wedding next year with my clients in the Big Island. The venue is called Holualua Inn. And I needed a videographer. So yeah, it's beautiful.
00:02:19
Speaker
So I found you through hashtags. Really? Why did you work? hashtags really work. I think I put Big Island videographer. Yeah, and I saw your page. And now we're going to be working together next October. So I'm so excited. Yay. It's a beautiful venue, too. We love any time we get to shoot there. It's just, it's amazing.
00:02:44
Speaker
Oh, it's gorgeous. Okay, so I'm going to talk more about like your story how you got started in a second. But I just wanted to ask you the first question like tell me a little bit about your award the 40 under 40. What's that all about that? I know that's super huge.
00:02:59
Speaker
Oh, yeah. It was really nice, very humbling. Pacific Business News recognizes 40 leaders, entrepreneurs, creatives, actually through all industries. It's not just a filmmaking or media industry.
00:03:18
Speaker
people get recognized from banks and hotels, travel. And so, um, actually I got nominated for this. I want to see three other times. So when I got nominated this year, I was like, Oh, it's nice to be nominated, but I probably won't win. I mean, I don't know. It's, I have a small company and you know, I always just
00:03:42
Speaker
I think we're pretty big in our industry, but we weren't talking about the whole state of Hawaii. I was like, it's nice to be nominated. But when I actually won, I was just so surprised and so honored and the other people who were nominated or who were awarded are just amazing and, you know, Hawaii's top leaders under 40. So it was really nice. Congratulations. So was there a big ceremony or was it all virtual because of pandemic?
00:04:07
Speaker
Yeah, it was virtual. Normally they have a big gala and you dress up and you get an award and we didn't have one this year. Bummer. But yeah, we tried to make it really special for us. Oh, congrats. So that's so special. I just was reading your questionnaire and I love like your answer. So I wanted to start off with like the question like what is your who factor? What is your
Kobe Moser's Company Philosophy and Achievements
00:04:28
Speaker
Kobe factor? What makes you stand out?
00:04:31
Speaker
Um, you know what, I totally forget what I wrote in my answers already, but I want to say, um, you know, what makes this stand out is that we're a photography and cinematography company. And I know there aren't many of those and just the fact that we've been around for 13 years and our team has remained pretty solid. I mean, my team has been with me for
00:04:54
Speaker
years and years and years. So they're completely familiar with the vendors with the venues, our couples, a lot of them are like, we'll shoot a couple and then we'll shoot their siblings and the best friends. So it's really nice to be in that circle of family and friends. And we just you know, we approach every wedding like it's our
00:05:16
Speaker
only wedding that we have that year, you know, we try to make it special and personalized. And our team really is really does care about our clients. We I know it's kind of cliche, a lot of people talk about that, like client experience, but it really is so important to us. And
00:05:34
Speaker
to the point where it's like, if they don't have a coordinator and things are getting crazy, then we'll jump in and help them organize. We just want them to have an amazing experience. Yeah, so we're going to talk about that. That's our hot topic, all about the client experience. And I know you mentioned that quote from Maya Angelou, but that I just kind of got chills when I read that. But can you tell me a little bit more about your favorite quote?
00:05:59
Speaker
Yeah, so Maya Angelou, who doesn't love her. But she said one thing that I read that just has stuck with me from the very beginning is that people will forget what you say and what you do, but they won't forget the way that you make them feel. And so we that's a huge part of our company culture. And
00:06:19
Speaker
the way that we treat each other, our clients, the vendors, we just want to just make their day better. Yes, I totally understand because at the end of the day, there are people, and I think you said on your questionnaire, some photographers and videographers get wrapped up in just their portfolio and their Instagram, but it's really about handling their day and making them feel very special along the whole process.
00:06:48
Speaker
Yeah, it's hard, you know, and I, I mentor and I coach a lot of young entrepreneurs, and a lot of them are so talented, and they just want to get their work out there, they want to build their portfolio, they want, they care so much about what their feed looks like, which is important. But I think when you
00:07:07
Speaker
are talking about a longevity of a career. If you want to be around for a long time, I mean, reputation is everything. And especially here in Hawaii, it's a small community. And so if you build a good reputation, then people will refer you and your old clients will refer you. And so it really is like, you want them to think about you and to smile and not think, oh, she was bossing me around. She didn't really care about what was going on. It was just about the shots and stuff.
00:07:36
Speaker
You know, they're hiring you to do a great job. And so you do need to get, you know, the shots that you need to, but I think more importantly is the way that you like the impression that you leave and how they're gonna think back on their day. And you're such an intimate part of it. So
00:07:54
Speaker
making sure that they have a great experiences should be number one. Yeah. And I'm so glad that we're going to talk about that today because I feel like if you really make them feel special, they will refer their friends like on the spot and you'll be hearing from their bridesmaids like that year or if not like that year, the next year. So it's super important.
00:08:14
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, you've been doing this for a long time too. And if you didn't have that kind of approach, there's so much competition out there. Everybody there's so many great photographers and filmmakers. Everybody has great work. And so the thing that really can make you stand out is is the way that you treat people. And I think if you're in this for that long, you probably got that part down.
00:08:38
Speaker
Yes, thank you for saying that. Okay, let's take it back to like, copie, like maybe early 20s. Like, how did you get started? I know you have this badass team now. But like, what is your background?
Kobe's Career Transition and Aria Studios
00:08:52
Speaker
So my background is actually in news. I was a TV journalist. I was a producer and reporter first. And I went to school for that. And I just I really wanted to tell stories that mattered. And it was so naive. And I was just I thought I would become a journalist and go to war-torn countries and tell important stories. But it just wasn't really like that. And some things kind of had happened in my life that made me really like
00:09:18
Speaker
think about what I wanted to do with my life and the legacy I wanted to leave. And so I started ARIA Studios 13 years ago, and it wasn't a wedding company at all. We started as a documentary filmmaking team, and we would tell stories about things that were happening around the world, mainly around child trafficking.
00:09:42
Speaker
And we would donate work and but we were a for-profit company. We really needed to figure out a way to make money and One of my friends is getting married and she's like, can you film my wedding? I think she paid me like $500 and I was like, all right sure and after that very first one I was like, wow, this is so fun I can't believe people do this for a living be around the you know people who are
00:10:08
Speaker
So happy and loved, beautiful. And so, yeah, we started our first wedding in 2008. And we went from one wedding to I think we did eight weddings that year, so maybe 20 weddings, and now our team does over 100 weddings a year.
00:10:26
Speaker
Oh my gosh. And you do commercial work. Yeah. And commercial work. Yeah. Commercial work is for me. I mean, people always ask like, do you still shoot weddings? And it's very, very rare that I'll shoot a wedding. I shot one last weekend with my brother who used to work for me and had now has his own company. Um, but I focus on our commercial work. And so, um,
00:10:50
Speaker
Yeah, my team is just amazing and they handle all the couples with such care and they do an amazing job.
00:10:59
Speaker
Oh, I love that. You guys look like you have so much fun and I'll ask you more about your team in a second. But I wanted you to touch upon Aria Children's Fun. I saw that on your Instagram and I was looking on the website and I watched a video. So just tell me about how you're giving back. Yeah. So our nonprofit is called Aria Children's Fun. We do several things. And so we started this in 2012 and we work with a bunch of nonprofits around the world.
00:11:26
Speaker
It's all around helping kids. So we support Zoe International and they fight child trafficking. They have safe houses around the world and we just donate work and time to help them spread their message.
00:11:41
Speaker
We also have a clean water initiative in the Philippines. So this is bringing clean water to kids who don't have clean water, access to clean water. And we do some, we support some NGOs that are focused on education to help break the cycle of poverty. So we do several things.
00:12:01
Speaker
And I think, and coming up, we're doing a lot more that I'm excited to share more when it's time. That's amazing. So do you, you were the founder and then do you have like a committee and then do you ask for like volunteers? And then, um, I don't.
00:12:16
Speaker
I kind of want to dig a little bit deeper. Yeah, so my business partner for Aria Studios and I founded the nonprofit and our team, we have five core team members who are salary and they also care very deeply about our cause and so they donate time
00:12:37
Speaker
to give back to so everybody who's on our team has traveled internationally to give back and we have another network amazing network of volunteers and people who donate money and Yeah, we're just we're really proud that we're still able to to give even during this crazy
00:12:58
Speaker
COVID time where we couldn't travel at all. Normally we would be traveling and doing work on the ground, but we have a team there. We actually have a team member in the Philippines who are, who's our hands and feet. So we're able to still help even though the problem isn't going away. Actually it's gotten a lot worse after COVID. So once we can open, travel opens up and we can go back. We're excited to,
00:13:26
Speaker
to do a lot of work there. Oh, I love that. I'm so inspired. And if I could maybe team up with you in any way and help you with this podcast or social media, then we could chat after this episode. Okay. Okay. Yeah. I think giving was always built into the DNA of my company. So people always say, how did you start a company and then start a nonprofit? And then how do you do the money part of it?
00:13:54
Speaker
The great thing about it is like when we started, the heart was giving back and being of service. And so it's always been a part of our company's DNA. And so from day one, we were always setting aside money to do work like this. So there was never a time... We weren't making any money. And so we were still putting aside. So even when we're making more, it wasn't hard to transition to like
00:14:20
Speaker
to transition to giving because we were just giving from the first dollar that we had. Yeah. They always say like, if you can't give when you're making like 20,000, you're not going to give when you make 2 million. And it's not always about the money people, especially now it's really hard. People are really struggling. And so it's not only about giving financially. It's if you have a gift like photography or filmmaking, that's what we do. There is a way to use that for good.
00:14:48
Speaker
And so if you can get plugged in to a cause that you believe in, that you feel passionately about, and there are other people that you could partner with, I would say that is just
00:15:03
Speaker
been the best part of all of this, actually being able to get back. I love how you light up just talking about it. It's so special. It's very close to my heart, especially when you have kids. Yeah, I feel you radiating. That's so special. We could talk all day about that, but I wanted to ask this question before we get into our hot topic.
00:15:25
Speaker
What was your favorite project for commercial work in the last one or two years? Oh, there's been so many. Let me think. So we have been partnering with Hawaii Pacific Health. They're the biggest healthcare organization in Hawaii. So we've been partnering with them for so many years.
00:15:48
Speaker
probably close to 10 years. And so, and it's, you know, it's, I have a lot of favorites, but it's one of my favorite commercial partners because they do work that changes lives. Like they really do. They perform miracles. And so we, during the pandemic, it's, we're still trying to, they work in a hospital. So, and we can't necessarily
00:16:17
Speaker
just to do the same kind of work that we used to do. So we had to get creative and we brought some things outside of the hospital. We shot outdoors. We really had to think about a different way to do things, which is always fun.
00:16:32
Speaker
It's a good challenge when you have to just think about doing something another way.
Adaptation During COVID-19
00:16:38
Speaker
It's a good way to force yourself out of the routine. So we had been working with them through the pandemic and we helped them with some fundraising things and they actually raised more money during the pandemic than any other year that we have been working with them, which is amazing because we would have huge productions for them and create this big thing, this film and all the bells and whistles.
00:17:02
Speaker
And then we couldn't do that during the pandemic. We really had to like, it was like one shooter. We were outside. It was so different, but they made more with the films that we created and the photos, they raised more money than ever. So that was a really good thing.
00:17:18
Speaker
the films that I watched of yours that I told you I've been stalking you all day but I literally get chills on the music with like your commercial work and your weddings but it just video is everything and it just like gives you like this feeling where you just have so much emotion I feel like you guys do that like you just do that so perfectly
00:17:37
Speaker
Oh, thank you. I can't take all their credit. My team is just so good at what they do. And I'm so grateful for them. You know, like as a business owner, entrepreneur, I'm sure you've been here before where you were just doing everything. You're wearing all the hats. And that was what I used to do before. And then I had a family and I had to figure out how to grow and manage a team.
00:18:00
Speaker
And so I really found people who are just incredible at what they did. And so I think our quality of work just raised exponentially after we did that. And you had a little Ali. I have a little Ali. Lord Ali. What's your water achievers name?
00:18:19
Speaker
Fred. Oh, we have a pet Fred. He's a chameleon though. We have a lot of parallels in our lives. I love that. Okay, tell us about your hot topic today and why you chose it.
Creating an Authentic Client Experience
00:18:35
Speaker
Okay. Yeah. So we talked a little bit about it already, but just creating that special, genuine, authentic experience for your clients. That's really how we've been able to last this long. I mean, 13 years in the wedding industry.
00:18:51
Speaker
It's pretty long. I mean, we're kind of the dinosaurs in the game right now, but we try to keep it fresh and new. I know. I have interns who grew up watching our stuff. They're like, oh yeah, we first saw your stuff when I was in elementary school. I'm like, oh my god. Oh my god, totally. We're the veterans.
00:19:15
Speaker
Yeah, but it really, really is the experience. And it's not just the experience for the client, but everybody around you that you're working with. I mean, when we were starting out,
00:19:27
Speaker
we just have these like nightmare stories. I'm sure you have these two of working with photographers, which I will never name names, but photographers or other like videographers who are just made your job so hard and made you feel so crappy.
00:19:47
Speaker
And I was like, we are never going to be that way. Even if we become the top and the most requested company out there, we will never treat people like this. It's so horrible. And it's like, I don't understand how those people are still in business. And I think I see less and less of them.
00:20:08
Speaker
Yeah, they fall out because nobody hired them because they didn't care about anybody around them. And so it really is built into our company culture, our core values about treating people with kindness.
00:20:26
Speaker
and being authentically enthusiastic about their wedding. I've also seen filmmakers at weddings and on their phone the whole time, checking Instagram, and they're just not present. And so that's a big no-no for our team. Just being present, being there, being excited, being kind. And then on top of that, if you can deliver an amazing product,
00:20:53
Speaker
you're going to be recommended by everybody who's seen your videos or photos, anybody that you're able to work with. Yeah. I mean, I love what you're saying. I think I had some horror stories like being in weddings and you just felt like, I don't know, like the photographer was like either like super bossy or like they're making it all like all about them or they're just being like really rude. And you're kind of like, wow, like,
00:21:19
Speaker
how could you treat people like this, like get off your high horse not to be like talkish or anything? No, it's so true. It's so true. And when we get paired with another, so our film making our cinema and our photo team a lot of times shoot together. But sometimes we shoot with other vendors. And I would say in Hawaii in general, I think we really do show the Aloha spirit. And I think most vendors
00:21:46
Speaker
that we work with anyway, who are in like the same style and kind of category as us. It's like one big family, it's great. But when we do travel, we've traveled kind of all over the place to shoot weddings. And we get paired with a new photographer or a new cinema team. It's sometimes shocking, like, oh, wow, people
00:22:09
Speaker
don't care about working together sometimes. I mean, we've really experienced the gamut, the whole gamut of people who have like
00:22:19
Speaker
Yeah, but on the other end, we've worked with some photographers, amazing, amazing photographers for the first time and like, wow, and they learned so much from them. So yeah, it really comes back to just being a good person to everyone, everybody that you're around. No, totally. So do you mind sharing like, maybe your core values with us?
00:22:45
Speaker
Marissa, you're putting me on the spot. We have 11 core values. Okay, don't share all 11. Just maybe like two. Two of them. Yeah. I mean, definitely that one, it's all about client experience, treating other people the way you want to be treated, showing up enthusiastically and with kindness. And another core value is striving for excellence.
00:23:13
Speaker
And after 13 years, you can kind of get comfortable doing things the way that you always do and have always done it. And you create a system and you create a workflow that works. But when you're striving for excellence, you're always keeping an eye out on what's the new trend. Is there a better way to do something? Is there a better way to color?
00:23:37
Speaker
Is there a better piece of equipment that can get us better results? So I think striving for excellence is also something that I think is so important if you want to make this a career.
00:23:51
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I got really complacent for many years of my life or career because I started wedding photography before it got popular. Like it was before like selling pretty green wedding shoes before Instagram and Pinterest. So when I told people I was a wedding photographer, they were like, Oh, that's kind of weird. So it was pretty much like if you do try hard, like it's pretty easy to get the weddings. And then all of a sudden, you know, thousands of photographers a day coming. And I'm like,
00:24:19
Speaker
why is it my phone ringing anymore? So I stopped going to the workshops, I stopped going to WPPI, like, I was like the know it all. But now like doing the 13 years, I'm just like constantly learning because I'm striving for excellence for myself and my team just like you. Awesome. Yeah, so that's where really, I mean, we've seen a lot of people come and go over 13 years, I'm sure you have to.
00:24:44
Speaker
Um, and so the ones that stick around are the ones who are willing to push themselves and willing to evolve and really willing to reach for higher and better. Yes, we could do it. We're driving. Yeah. So one question I went to ask because we're talking about client experience is, is there any like story that sticks out of your head that you kind of like went above and beyond for a, a couple or a bride?
00:25:13
Speaker
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Speaker
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00:25:57
Speaker
Or maybe like something you do like that stands out from other photographers, like before the big day like the process leading up to the big day. Yeah, I mean, one couple that I can think of they just had a really unique story where they their dirt biking family and so they had a son
00:26:18
Speaker
So, the couple were, I believe, high school sweethearts or right after high school. So, they were young and they've been together for a long time and they had a son and they do dirt biking, their whole family. So, mom, dad, son, also grandma and grandpa, also brothers, sisters. And so, they would go out like the whole
00:26:37
Speaker
clan and go dirt biking and so just during the consultation we were talking about it and they were like Is there any way to work it into our wedding video? You know, I know sometimes they go and shoot stuff before the wedding but I mean all dirt biking would have been like a three-hour trek to the to the track and and then they'd have you know, it was just it would be too hectic on a day of and so our team went and filmed them and
00:27:04
Speaker
dirt biking together and that became part of their wedding video. And that was just something that we didn't charge them for. We really wanted it to be special for them. It was so important to them to have that a part of their wedding and it wasn't going to show up anywhere else. I love that. Things like that. If there's a really cool story, it's really hard for us not to go and make that
00:27:32
Speaker
spend that extra time to make it so special.
00:27:35
Speaker
I love that. Okay, I'm just trying to put all of these into tips. So I'm gonna say recap number one was just like the overall experience and you guys like hands down give the best experience and with the lo-ha and like make people feel super seen and super comfortable. Yeah. And then number two was just striving for excellent excellence not being complacent. Maybe like, you know, purchasing that new camera or going to that workshop. Always a new piece of gear.
00:28:02
Speaker
I know. Isn't that crazy? Like we're just like funding our like obsession with camera equipment. Always, always. And then number three would be just going above and beyond like you're so custom and personalized to the couple like I love that dirt biking family and going out there and just making their video super epic and I'm sure all the guests were just dying when they saw that.
00:28:27
Speaker
Yeah. And it was the same day edit. So we worked that into the same day edit and people were just losing their minds. And everyone there, they knew how much they love dirt biking. Most of them also dirt bike. So they were just
00:28:41
Speaker
going nuts. Oh, I love that. I just wanted to ask this question because I heard you on your IGTV. But do you have I know you have a big team. So tell me a little bit about the team. But what systems in place besides the core values you put into place to help with the client experience?
00:28:59
Speaker
Yeah, so we have a core team of five people, and so these are people that we meet constantly. They're the managers of the photo video team and our marketing, social media, and our admin.
00:29:15
Speaker
But outside of our core team, we have about, I want to say 15 freelancers that work very, very closely with us. And so what's important to us and the team, the core team is that our extended network of freelancers
00:29:32
Speaker
feel like they are part of the team. Like they're not on payroll, per se, like they're not salary, they own their own kind of business. But they're so important to us, and we wouldn't be able to do it without them. So they stay in constant communication with them. They make it a point to have lunch and just talk about what's going on in their lives, like how else we can support them, making sure that they're invited to all the
00:30:01
Speaker
holiday parties and things like that, which we haven't had. So sad, but always like I'll send them a card or like a gift just to say thank you. So it's so important for us for that, for them to feel like a part of the team. We'll also have like studio, um, just like activities. So we did jujitsu one day and invited all of our freelancers.
00:30:27
Speaker
And so, and for the managers, it is important to be very organized. And so along with the kind of creative work that we do, we do also have to be like both left brain and right brain where we can have room for creativity, but there is very strict deadlines. We have a good system of who's editing what, who's shooting what, when that's due, when to check in on them.
00:30:55
Speaker
And our studio manager is so gifted and admin. She's just amazing. Nothing would happen without her. You know, she's in constant communication with our coordinators and couples and sends the team a wedding packet when it's when the wedding is coming up. So wow, it's a whole team to make this all happen. Oh, I'm glad I asked that question because you just went off.
00:31:19
Speaker
Sorry, I can go on and on about my room. Okay, so that was awesome. That was amazing tips. I'm gonna go into rapid fire. Fun questions, kind of fun questions. Okay, so what's a typical day in Kobe's life?
Balancing Work and Family Life
00:31:40
Speaker
Waking up at six, getting lunches packed and girls ready for school. We do, my husband and I, and actually Ollie,
00:31:49
Speaker
our whole family goes to drop off. It's so important that we just start the day together. I make it a point to not schedule any meetings before 8.30 because we go drop off, get a coffee, and come home. I spend most of my day, honestly,
00:32:09
Speaker
meeting with people, working on admin stuff, emails, setting up commercial shoots. And so I'd say like 5% of the time, I'm actually in production, but most of the other times just setting things up. Oh, I love that. I love how you put your family first, even when you run this big business.
00:32:30
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, that's, they're my why, you know, they're the reason why all of this happens. I love that. Um, I have to ask this question because it's a title of my podcast, but what is
00:32:41
Speaker
your biggest sales technique. How do you get that heck yes from your dream clients? I know you talked all about the client experience, but kind of sum it up in like a couple sentences. You know what's funny? Like I'm glad that you say heck yes from your dream clients because as much as you want that yes from every client, it's so important to remember that you do not want every client.
00:33:04
Speaker
you want to make sure that you're getting the right clients for you. And so getting the heck yes is just like creating that connection to see if like, they're going to be right for your team, and your team is going to be right for them.
00:33:18
Speaker
I love that. And the cool thing about like me turning into a coach, you know, transitioning to just coaching is I get to be like super discerning of what I choose, because even my friend bought me like this button that says no, because she's just like, Chris, I just know button, no button, like, yes, everything. I'm just like the yes, man.
00:33:42
Speaker
And now because I want to do coaching, and I'm super passionate, I just could be like, Oh, okay, so this is my price, you know, take it or leave it. But before it's kind of like, Oh, shoot, like I need the money. Yeah, yeah. So whenever we would have a yes to the wrong client, I feel like it sucked both time, energy and money. Because totally, we've had to like refund people just to like,
00:34:11
Speaker
Get it to end. Totally. And I feel like if you do have boundaries, which I just learned after 12 years of business, but when you have more boundaries, people actually respect you more. Oh, for sure. That's great. Okay. So where do you see yourself in three years? Business.
Future Plans and Expanding Nonprofit Work
00:34:36
Speaker
Yeah. So I think
00:34:39
Speaker
I am at the point of my business where it has grown and evolved to the point where they don't really need me as much anymore. Which is a weird thing to get to say because you work so hard to be able to have the right team and to have the right system. And then it's like, now that I have it, it's like, wait, okay, now what am I going to do now? Because I love to work. I'm not going to
00:35:04
Speaker
I don't think I would ever be just a stay-at-home mom, even though I think that those stay-at-home moms are amazing and it is the hardest job in the world. I love to work. I've gotten a chance to really think about that and what I want to do. I love commercial filmmaking. I love managing the team too. I'll always do that.
00:35:26
Speaker
I think most of my time will be spent doing bigger and more commercial productions and also spending more time in our nonprofit and helping our cause. I have another secret project that is launching soon that is all about supporting that. Oh, nice. I'll be busy.
00:35:50
Speaker
Yeah. When is that launching? Next year, 2022. We don't have an exact date yet, but it's, um, it's really supporting our cause. And so now's the time in my life to like really do that passion work, you know? And so whether it's creating a documentary film or another company or another product line that will help that cause that's really like,
00:36:15
Speaker
the important work that I need to focus on right now. Oh my God, you're so badass. Okay. Do you have like a mentor, a book, a podcast, or just like a person that really inspires you or that you could recommend to us? Yeah, I think it's important to have a tribe of these people to support you. No, it takes so much. Women are amazing. I mean,
00:36:38
Speaker
Of course, there are amazing men out there who I really look up to and really admire, but I'm so motivated by strong women, especially moms, because I'm a mom and I never knew before becoming a mom, I was like, I don't know if I will be able to do all the things that
00:36:59
Speaker
I'm passionate about doing because I know I'm also gonna be passionate about being a mom. And then I'm like, wait, we can do both. We can be a badass mom and a badass entrepreneur. But back to your question. I read Emith, the book Emith. I don't know if you heard of it.
00:37:16
Speaker
early on in my entrepreneurial journey. And then I had a business coach that was trained by EMITH. And I also have a tribe of women, entrepreneurs, some moms, some not, who are just smart, savvy.
00:37:32
Speaker
that are also just so great as people. So surrounding yourself with people who are going to lift you up, they say you're the sum of the five people you spend your time with. And so it's so, so important to just surround yourself with people who are like-minded, who align with your passion and your goals and who you can learn from each other. Yeah. I was just telling one of my people on my team and I was like,
00:38:02
Speaker
Oh my God, like this podcast is literally like, like being inspired, like, you know, all the time because I didn't even know how huge you were, but I connected with you and then I was researching you. I was like, dude, you're like famous. You're like Miss Hawaii and you're gorgeous. So I was like, I was telling her, I was just like, wow, like I am so excited to get on this conversation with you. And it was literally amazing. But with that said, can you ask me a question?
00:38:31
Speaker
ask you a question. Yeah. What's your why? Oh, my why is definitely like the family. So I have two daughters and a golden just like you, Fred and Ali. And
00:38:46
Speaker
The coaching thing is my why because I don't I could get my weekends back. And I do love helping wedding photographers not go through everything I struggled and I've been coaching for a year and a half. And what I've learned is I'm kind of a therapist now.
00:39:04
Speaker
being a therapist is almost like receiving therapy too though, huh? Yeah, it is. And you know, I, I love it too. And it just, oh, like I went through all everything that they're going through and they just get in their head and they get, you know, self doubt. And I just I'm there for them to be like, Hey, like, no, you have a strong brand, like, you know, don't
00:39:24
Speaker
don't lower your prices and don't go dark and moody like you got this and it's just a big part of coaching which yeah, you're fine like stick with your colorful vibe. So it's just so interesting. But yeah, thank you for asking that question. And I guess the last thing is just tell people where to find you and then maybe just like your last
00:39:48
Speaker
Kobi words for wedding pros out there. Okay, so where to find me? My company is ariastudios.com. We're on Instagram at ariastudios. And my personal Instagram is at Kobi Moser. And I think the last kind of like, bit of advice or inspiration I want to leave with your listeners is just
00:40:11
Speaker
to treat yourself with kindness most importantly. The entrepreneur, I don't know, I bet most of the people who are listening, you're entrepreneurs or thinking about starting your own business or maybe just starting out. And it is really a journey. And I think if you give yourself some grace and not feel like you have to be at this level and performing at this level and doing all these things and having X amount of followers,
00:40:40
Speaker
It's okay. It's all part of the journey and just to continually check in with yourself, asking yourself those questions about where do you want to be in three years and what does your dream life look like and not just get caught up in the things that you think you need to do.
00:40:57
Speaker
I think you'll be fine. Just treat yourself with kindness and don't get so stressed out that you just get overwhelmed and burnt out and you give up on your dream. Yeah, it's not worth it. No. Thank you, Kobi. And I hope to maybe grab coffee with you when I'm on the big island. Yes, yes. DM me. I would love that. Yay. Say hi to a video. Okay. I'm going to stop recording.
00:41:31
Speaker
Thanks for joining me this week on Get a Heck Yes with Carissa Wu. Make sure to follow, subscribe, leave a review, or tell a friend about the show. Take a screenshot and post to IG. Tag me. Also, don't forget to download my free guide on how to become a lead generating machine. See you next time, wedding pros.