We were lucky to catch up with Bear Prandelli recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Bear thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of our favorite things to brainstorm about with friends who’ve built something entrepreneurial is what they would do differently if they were to start over today. Surely, there are things you’ve learned that would allow you to do it over faster, more efficiently. We’d love to hear how you would go about setting things up if you were starting over today, knowing everything that you already know.

If I had to start everything over today I think one of the first things I would tell my past self is to focus more on the storytelling and client relationships and less on the camera equipment and lights.

When we started WulfenBear Media we were hyper focused on having all the newest stuff; new cameras, new lenses, new lights, top notch equipment across the board. The reality is that not many clients have any idea what equipment we’re using, or why; they just care about having a finished product that tells the story of their organization and gets the message across to their audience.

We figured this part out a few years back and it completely changed the way we do things. Since then we have lasered in on our process, and it’s made each project flow much better, and in turn has resulted in bigger projects, bigger clients, and overall more revenue and higher profits.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Bear Prandelli and I am the CEO of WulfenBear Media. My educational background is in broadcast and communications, and through working in the video production field I have worked on over 200+ commercials and brand videos, and assisted on countless shoots for other production companies.

WulfenBear Media was founded by myself and my brother Wolf in 2017 to provide clients in Arizona and beyond with a professional resource to create commercials, video content for social media, mini-docs and more.

One of the things I am proudest of is the feedback we constantly get from our clients, and most importantly the relationships we build with those clients. We work really hard to make sure that each project gets a five star treatment, regardless of budget or timelines.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

In 2017 when I moved to Phoenix the only money I had was $3500 from my tax return. This money went towards purchasing a new camera and putting down a deposit on a small commercial warehouse. This warehouse ended up being mine and Wolf’s (somewhat illegal) home for the following three years as we got the business started.

We both moved from out of state, with no real connections or resources to pick up clients, but we were also too stubborn and pigheaded to get regular day jobs.

The first year or two were a real grind. Every time we got paid from a shoot the money immediately got reinvested into camera gear, lights, lenses, and maintenance on our vehicles. Over time our client list grew and finances stopped being such a concern.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Relationships and networking, all the way.

As much as I love to say that our work always speaks for itself, we’ve also had our share of mishaps and shoots that didn’t go as planned. After all, if you’re a business owner and you’re not making mistakes then it probably means you’re not taking enough chances.

I learned early on that the single most important thing is managing the relationship with your clients in an effective way, and getting every client to realize that we’re not just there to collect a paycheck, we’re there to give it everything we’ve got and build trust.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wulfenbear.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wulfenbearmedia
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wulfenbear-media
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx1KmaNzxwIap8ggc7k97HA

Image Credits
Peter Speyer – @speyerphoto Raina Virginia – @rainavirginia