Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Malcolm Guess. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Malcolm, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
As it is with any endeavor, I believe commitment is the key to success. Some things will come easy and some things will be challenging. That’s the nature of it. Regardless, it’s one’s commitment to persevere and work through challenges that determines one’s success. The only surefire way to fail is to quit. That doesn’t mean repeatedly doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result but rather being adaptable, learning to pivot when necessary and growing with each challenge to overcome obstacles. Also know that failure is an intrinsic component to success. Making mistakes is inevitable. Practice framing those mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow. Some are going to be more painful than others but in the long run, failure is the greatest teacher for learning to succeed.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I founded Vortex Media Solutions in 2015 to provide creative media services to businesses, brands and bands. I came up in the industry as a performing musician so working with music oriented content and clients is second nature. I personally have an affinity for fashion, technology and wellness so working with clients in health, fitness, beauty, fashion and technology is my sweet spot. What I believe gives me an edge in my field is my ability to bring creative artistry from my background in producing music videos to my business, brand and technology clientele. It’s that creative story telling that I think appeals to them the most. What gets me excited and I’m most proud of is when I identify my client’s need and deliver media that meets their need, solves their problem and propels them to the next level in their business. At the end of the day I’m here to make my client’s shine and bring them more success, whether it’s selling more of their products, reaching a wider audience, gaining more supporters or giving their brand a unique voice in their industry!
Have you ever had to pivot?
The most significant pivot of my career was when I transitioned from music to video. I was fully immersed in music creation and production as a performer/songwriter/producer/engineer and then transitioned into video production as a director/cinematographer/editor. On the the technical side there was a fairly steep learning curve switching over, which was daunting at first; but once I got over that hump my background in audio proved to be invaluable. Video almost always incorporates sound and from what I discovered, the majority of professionals on the video side of things have very little knowledge of audio. Having an innate sensing for rhythm, melody and music in general gave me a leg up when shooting and editing music videos and commercials and even long format content where cutting to the beat or incorporating music supports the visuals and motivates the cadence of the edit. Having an extensive audio background was also useful in a very practical sense when working with dialog, audio clean up, livestreams, troubleshooting and delivering to broadcast standards etc. Having a complete knowledge of both worlds and how they both work together definitely has given me and edge and since has become a cornerstone for my success in the video field,
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I’d say my mission in everything I do is to be of service to others. There was a period where my creative expression was self-serving because I felt I needed to create to share my voice with the world. Now I really enjoy using my skills and abilities to express and amplify the voice of others. There’s no ego in my role other than wanting to bring my absolute best in every moment. I take pride in a job well done and when my client’s love the result of what we create together, I feel accomplished in what I contributed. Serving yourself is a gratifying experience on some level but serving others brings a whole other level of satisfaction and the feeling of completeness.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.malcolmguess.com
- Instagram: @malcolmguess
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/malcolm-guess/
Image Credits
Knockingbird Creative, Ryan Cho, Trevor Triggs