We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Christian McGee a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Christian, thanks for joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

Yes! I’ve worked very hard to build this business (and a few others) over the last 8 years, and I absolutely love my work/life balance and the opportunities I’ve been given. It does get a little frustrating when I visit family members who (every year) ask, “Are you still doing wedding videography?” as if it’s a side hustle or temporary job, haha.

Early on, I just took anything and everything that came my way. As I built a portfolio, I learned more about business, finance, etc. I began to focus more on the things that mattered most (80/20 rule). There are definitely seasons to a business, in my opinion. For example, in 2021/2022 I was HEAVY on work/life balance to the point where I just slacked too much, even though I was still being successful in my endeavors. I then realized that if there is ever a time to really work and try different things, it’s when I’m in my 20s without kids. So, for that reason, I’ve started other businesses, taking on various work, and really just tried many different things- all while still maintaining my main business and growing it.

In hindsight, I think the major steps and milestones that could’ve sped the process up more would’ve been not taking on debt to grow the business. I was told growing up, “You have to spend money to make money,” and I think that is very outdated advice. The real power nowadays is to be debt-free so that you don’t feel like you HAVE to take a job that you otherwise might not have.

Christian, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Sure! My name is Christian, and I am a Nashville-based videographer focused on wedding work. I got into videography in my junior year of high school when I took a video editing job at a skydiving facility in my hometown. That led to me getting interested in videography for my travels, which progressed into trying other genres like concerts/brands/real estate. I finally did my first wedding in October of 2018, and I was hooked. Since then, I’ve focused primarily on weddings and don’t plan to stop anytime soon!

My wedding videography business is called Wild Fern Weddings, and it was officially created back in 2019. I focus on serving couples who value living in the moment on their wedding day versus going through the motions. I find all of my couples are drawn to me because of my style of filming/editing, and most discovery calls I have with brides, its mentioned at some point how it feels like they’re at the wedding when they watch my films.

My slogan is “true-to-you wedding films” because I’m focused on not just showing your wedding day in a film but more so on how the wedding day FEELS and who you/your loved ones are. By approaching weddings this way, I firmly believe my films will only grow more valuable as time goes on.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Yes! Two books that really shaped my business and growth are “The Go-Giver” and “The Richest Man Who Ever Lived.”

They are pretty short reads and FULL of gold nuggets.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

It’s knowing that I get to use my creativity to provide value. However- that value differs on the client and what’s important to them, and that where I think I excel in mixing business with creativity.

I feel like I lean more toward the business side because many artists say, “This is my art, you can love it or hate it.” Whereas I think more in terms of business and along the lines of “Ok, this is my client, and I have a skill they desire me to use. How can I use this skill to serve them in a way that no other person can?”

In other words- I still get to be an artist, but I get to use the constraints of business/sales/service to flex that creativity rather than being rigid and hoping everything else bends around me/my creativity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wildfernweddings.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildfernweddings/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@wildfernweddings4187