We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Clint Ford. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Clint below.

Clint, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was one of the most important lessons you learned in school? Why did that lesson stick with you?

Ironically, one of the most important lessons I’ve learned in school actually had nothing to do with classes or curricula. It was the lesson of adaptability, being able to pivot as a creative. At Middle Tennessee State University I had already gotten my feet wet as a music producer, but I was only just getting started as a photographer. I had to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, and I had to embrace challenges in certain areas that would help me grow as a creator in the grand scheme of things. One challenge in particular was shooting video. During college, I initially only wanted to do photography. I didn’t realize it back then, but I was definitely limiting myself. It wasn’t until a close friend of mine called me out on it, knowing that I had the potential to be great in that line of work just off of seeing me grow as a photographer. From that point on, I started covering college events, which led to me covering city-wide events in Nashville, and even now, I still shoot video assets for music artists, entrepreneurs, churches and small businesses. As I reflect back on college days now, it was clear that videography was the next evolutionary step for me as a creative, I just needed that ‘push’ from a friend and fellow creative/entrepreneur. I’m super thankful for that push.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Clint, and I’m a multi-platinum music producer, photographer, and digital content creator. I found my way in the media & entertainment industry initially through music. There’s a lot of talented self- taught musicians and singers in my family, so music has always been an influence on my life. I was more curious about the technical aspect of creating music, which led me to download my first beat making software during my early years of high school. I didn’t actually start producing for recording artists until I got into college where I really started to meet and collaborate with creatives from all walks of life. Back in high school I had friends who were heavily into photography, and I even started to work cameras at the church I grew up in, but I didn’t really dive into photography and videography professionally until college as well. I’ve always seen my work with the camera as a way to take a break from music when it felt overwhelming, and vice versa. Today, I like to call myself a ‘jack of all trades’ or a ‘one-stop shop’ for clients and recording artists, as I continue producing, shooting, and creating content throughout the metro Atlanta area.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

One story that I’ll never forget was how I got my first k-pop placement as a music producer. In the music industry, it’s known that k-pop and pop genres do incredibly well. It was definitely a moment where I had to pivot and keep an open mind, being in an unfamiliar space creatively AND musically. Some representatives of the pop group now known as XG came to Atlanta in 2019 to host a camp for their girl group. A “camp” or “songwriting camp” in the music world is basically where studio sessions are held back to back for days at a time–sometimes weeks, with a sole focus. (Whether that focus is to finish an album, or stock up on single records) At the time, XG wasn’t publicly out as a group yet, and their executive producer, Simon Jakops was in town collaborating with us on what would be their first single ever. The first couple sessions were cool, but ultimately not what Simon was looking for. Basically, a lot of my tracks were still too “rnb” for what they needed to be as pop. I didn’t take it as rejection, I just kept showing up to the sessions–and I’m sure glad that I did. Toward the end of the camp, another producer and I intentionally started to think outside the box. In doing that, we ended up creating the foundation for what ended up being XG’s first and arguably biggest record to date, “Shooting Star”. It’s safe to say that if I had given up, or stayed comfortable in the r&b genre space, I would’ve missed out on this huge placement opportunity.

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

Collaboration is by far the most effective strategy for growing as a creative! Every creative person creates from a different perspective. Through collaboration, it’s almost as if you’re tapping into those different perspectives. I’m sure once upon a time, it was known for one person to handle all creative tasks, but even now, as a person who wears many creative hats, I’m still very intentional on collaborating with others. It’s by far one of the best ways to grow your network and to stay sharp as a creative.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://beacons.ai/clintmford
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clintmford/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clintmford
• Twitter: https://x.com/clintmford