Today we’d like to introduce you to Isaiah Bassett Sr..
Hi Isaiah, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
As a kid, I used to get in trouble with my parents for taking selfies with the yellow and black Kodak disposable cameras back in the late 90s!! So I guess a little piece of me always wanted to work with a camera even if it was for fun. Years later, I found myself always taking family photos on my tablet or phone and recording videos.
I got started working behind the camera as I was in the automotive industry. For about 4 years of the time I spent in automotive, I sold cars. At the last dealership I worked for, I decided that 10 – 14 hour shifts is not what I wanted for myself or my family anymore. I planned to save up to exit and start my gym. So I began to make social media promo videos of myself at the dealership. I’d take my phone out to the parking lot, prop it up on a car, and shoot. Go back to my desk, edit, post it, and wait for customers to come through the door. I became so well at it, the dealership gave me the position as the media marketing director, yet I still wanted out of the industry. I somewhat followed my plan, left the automotive industry, and became a certified personal trainer of a large corporate gym. Again, needing to increase my income and drive clients in the door, I film my workouts and what I can offer. After a while, my co-workers would ask me to film them and their workouts. From there is where I grew to become a freelance videographer, shooting for family, friends, and watching countless hours of YouTube to learn how to film. Once the pandemic hit and shut the gyms down, I continued to shoot but it wasn’t proving any income because it was a hobby I was becoming better at. Meanwhile, I started working at the hospital. As I was working at the hospital, I quickly realized I didn’t want to be tied down to a desk and I had to get out. A first when I would go shoot and payment came up in discussions, I would just say “no thank you, this one is on me, I just want the opportunity to learn”. One gentleman refused to allow me to do it for free and insisted on paying me. From there, I began to allow people to pay me for my services.
I discussed with my wife what I wanted to do and about us investing in my vision., and we did so. This whole time I was becoming a videographer I’d been doing this all with just my cell phone and a tripod. My wife and I decided to further invest in the vision. We purchase a cell phone gimbal. Sometime after that, her cousin gave me her old DSLR camera. Of all the times I received payment from shooting for someone, it was never for profit. That allowed me to purchase gear and upgrade my camera within months.
The countless hours of youtube university went from skill and gear videos to now also a business. My wife had already left her 9 – 5 after the birth of our middle child and to work her own business. After prayer and fasting, I also left my job at the hospital and became full-time. Now here I am, soon to open a studio, interviewing interns to join the team, shooting for small and large corporations video content and headshots. From hobbyist to Bassett Film Co. (BFilmCo.)
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It hasn’t been a smooth road but it’s been worth it, I’ve learned in the process. One of the biggest struggles was having confidence in my work and not comparing myself to others. Not having funding which leads to not having gear. Time management! Working my business full time and at a 9-5 full time. Balancing work and family. The list goes on.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
What I do is provide service to businesses in need of media content. Advertisement videos, promo videos, corporate headshots, etc… I specialize in small to medium service-based businesses looking to grow. From businesses that are local to corporations in the tri-state area or nationwide. I’m known to capture the feel that “puts you there”. I want the viewer to understand the service that the business is providing. Get a feel for the atmosphere and understand the process they’ll experience. What makes me proud is to hear from my clients that the content I provided helped their business us to grow in some kind of way. Customer service is a priority, and the growth of a business is a priority. What sets me apart is that those two things are driving factors. I treat people like people, not another job or check. Though business is business, everyday people are the ones who are the reason why it’s going.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I took a risk in becoming a full-time entrepreneur, leaving my comfort zone and the sense of security a 9-5 job brings. My job at the hospital paid well, I easily could’ve stayed and operated as a paid hobbyist. I prayed and fasted on the decision I choose, after hearing from YHWH I choose to listen to His instruction and assurance. Some say it was a risk to do so. I say the risk would have been to be disobedient and doubtful. To this day, despite how the books look at the end of some months, I have never gone without. Clients are continuously flowing and I have a lot of time and hands-on with my family. I took risks in the past, being there but not being there. Working a job that paid really well, but no time to be a husband and father. Now, that’s a huge risk!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bassettfilmco.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/bfilmco?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BassettFilmCo
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/BassettFilmCo
Image Credits
Lee Beckman
J Michael Photo
Elite Photography TX
Visual Culture Photography
Bassett Film Co.
