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

Jordan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry?

I believe that most people doing contract video/photo work agree that navigating through being asked to perform revisions on already delivered products just sucks. Most contractors are including a certain number of revisions allowed in their contract for a good reason – to protect our time. This however isn’t always fully understood by the consumer, and it all really has to do with the fact that providing ‘creative services’ requires many more steps and elements that your common customer may not be able to wrap their head around. A lot of customers in my market assume that any additional deliverables that they can think of on the spot will be an easy five minute ordeal on top of the product that I’ve already fulfilled. I think that this mindset stems from another struggle the creative industry battles with. I believe (in my line of work at least) that unlike many other industries, the customer is not always right. Yes, the customer may have a vision of what they’d like to accomplish and that can be very helpful. But when it comes to executing said vision, there are reasons for why we do certain things, and processes that we’ve developed to provide the best result possible. Collaboration between a creative and a client is good and right. As creatives its our job to translate and explain what we’re doing and why. However, when that turns into the client micromanaging the whole project, I often just think to myself, “Then why am I even here?” You wouldn’t sit around and tell your mechanic how to diagnose your car would you?

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?

I am a photographer, videographer, and media producer. The ‘Media Producer’ title may seem a bit open ended, but I use it to explain that I do a lot more than just take some pictures or edit some videos from time to time. I am based in central Minnesota and run a business called Tacker Media. Primarily, I’m a contractor that produces and manages digital content for brands and businesses. A lot of my work has been in the outdoor industry, working with industry influencers, ammunition manufacturers, retailers, and firearm companies. Most of the time, I’m filming or editing content for these clients platforms (Primarily YouTube), or creating their digital assets such as graphics, imagery, copywrite, or general branding. But firstly, I am a videographer and photographer. Photography was my first love that spiraled me into the ‘madness’ of providing the many different services I now offer 10 years later. Over my creative journey, learning video production, and getting good at it was really what turned some fun side jobs into the full blown career that I have today. I am incredibly blessed that my parents took notice of me trying to edit photos and videos on my iPhone 4 back in the day and decided to buy me a $300 Canon T3i and a disk copy of Adobe Premiere Elements. Fast forward to today, I’m still shooting with a Canon and editing on Adobe apps. Outside of my typical contract work, I also do a lot of real estate photography, and wedding films. Videography pays the bills, but the the passion I have for good photography is what brings me pure joy. Don’t get me wrong – I’m a geek for good cinema and intriguing story telling, but the simplicity of photography is relaxing and satisfying whether I’m getting paid for it or not. I love the idea that we have the ability and technology to freeze a moment in time and be able to enjoy it for as long as we’d like. I truly believe that in our fast paced western culture that good photography is criminally under appreciated. When you asked me about some of my proudest accomplishments, it would have been easy to talk about all the cool video productions I’ve been apart of, the edits I’ve done with tens of millions of views, or the celebrities and professional athletes I’ve hung out with. Yes, I recognize that I am incredibly blessed to have been in the right place at the right time. However, the real testimony worth being ‘proud’ of is that I followed the calling on my life that was placed on my heart by God. This looks like being obedient to walk through open doors, and being even more obedient to close doors that weren’t meant for me. But if you’re going to make me answer, I think some of my pictures are pretty kick-ass.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I believe the most rewarding part of my work in regard to video production specifically, is the opportunity to use my talents and skills to turn someone’s dream or vision into a reality. A lot of times, creatives freelancing in the corporate or non-profit spaces encounter individuals or teams that maybe have a rough idea or vision for a project, but no prior experience with visual story telling or video production. These are my absolute favorite clients. They’re passionate enough about their mission to bounce ideas around and get a productive conversation started, and curious enough to ask questions and value my professional opinion. This type of client isn’t going to belittle the validity of your work – I’m sure we all know a client like this. The satisfaction (for both parties) starts when they understand that they don’t have to carry this project alone. I appreciate the relief people have when I say “I’m here to be of service. Now let me run with it!” This means A) They trust that I’ve done this before and can perform at a high level, and B) they’re not going to be breathing down my neck the whole time with unreasonable expectations. The true reward comes when the project is finished, and the client lights up with joy as there vision becomes a reality on screen. The cherry on top is that I get payed for doing what I love, and get to add value to someone’s business and/or life in the process!

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

If you were to ever look me up, you’d quickly learn that my social media game is LACKING big time. As much as I’d like to get into making cool short form content and creating an aesthetically satisfying Instagram page, I haven’t. And the truth is, I’m not sure when I will. I run a couple of social media handles already and it’s still not really my cup of tea. I kind of fell into a position where I didn’t find in necessary to go super hard on socials to get new clients. There are many creatives similar to me out there that deliver a lot of value to their brand VIA social media whether it be sponsorships, online stores, client acquisition, and all of that is super cool. With that said, the most tried and true way that I’ve come across new clients is by word of mouth. With the internet and social media as the cornerstone and marketplace nowadays for a lot of creative industry services, some clients remain that really appreciate a personal connection with a reputable name in their local network. In my market, one of those names is Tacker Media. Apart from providing a really good product, treating everyone with love, dignity, and respect can go a very long way for acquiring new clients in your local market. 90% of the gigs I’ve done across the country have stemmed from being plugged into my local network, and trusting that if I do good work and stand by my word, good will be reciprocated back to me.       

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tackermedia.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tackermedia/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tackermedia
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordantacker/