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

Paige, appreciate you joining us today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

I’m so glad I started my business when I did. I didn’t feel necessarily feel prepared – or qualified – to start a business, but I know that’s a really common feeling among first time entrepreneurs. I was working in-house at a university as their Senior Multimedia Producer and I was at a place in that job where I felt I’d gotten as much out of it as I possibly could. I started networking and connecting with other folks who had started their own video production companies, because I knew it was something I was interested in, but didn’t feel “ready” yet. I wanted to know how they got started and how they sustained success for many years. It was in these conversations that I was told I sounded ready to start and that I didn’t need to wait any longer! Without those conversations, I think I would have assumed I couldn’t do it, wasn’t ready, or wasn’t qualified. I’m so grateful to those individuals who saw something in me that I hadn’t seen myself. That affirmation really helped push me to take the leap.

At the time, I thought my financial status was going to be the biggest hurdle. Starting a business sounded expensive and I was making a somewhat average to below average salary for the time. But when I really broke it down, I recognized that I really didn’t have much to be responsible for. I was single, living with roommates, owned my used car outright, and I was fortunate to not have any student loans (I know – it’s a huge privilege). My monthly expenses were low, and with my salary I could still afford to put a little away to save a nest egg.

So that’s what I did. I saved enough money to know that if I made zero dollars in the business, I could continue making all my bills for several months. That was my safety net. In retrospect I am so glad I started when I was living off of a low(ish) salary – because my expenses were already naturally low to fit it! I think it would have been a lot harder to walk away from a six figure career, having lived a lifestyle to match that salary, and to feel the need to keep up. No golden handcuffs kept me in my job! And that truly made taking the leap so much less scary.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started my company, Main Paige Media in 2019. We work primarily with small businesses (predominantly women-owned), non-profits, and schools in a full-service capacity. Most of the work we do is unscripted, interview style branding content, however I’m a big believer in producing what will be the best fit for the client’s needs. So sometimes that means we’re producing scripted content, hiring talent, or producing a fully animated video series! Every video we produce is custom to the client. We’re really first and foremost focused on strategy. I love the variety of the work we do.

My favorite part of running this business is helping people tell their stories in a way that feels authentic to them. You might hear of a business or think you know what they’re doing, but then once you get inside you learn a whole new story. I was really excited when I founded this company to be able to do that for other businesses – to kind of crack them open and show everyone really what they’re made of.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Pricing!! Creatives are always struggling with pricing, and there will always be non-creatives out there who undervalue creative work. It’s never “just a picture” or “a quick logo” — years and years of experience and expertise go into creative deliverables (not to mention equipment, supplies, marketing and software overhead). I think it can be really difficult for creatives to charge their worth. Pricing strategies are often gate kept, discounts are often requested, and there’s no gold standard for how to choose a rate in many cases. I think the best thing we can do as creatives is to talk about our pricing with one another and to call people out when they’re not charging enough for their work. Rising tides raise all ships in that regard and creatives don’t have to be “starving artists.”

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Authenticity is such a buzz word – but it’s what’s coming to mind. I show up as me when I’m with my clients, and that goes a long way. Do I maybe put on some make-up and a nice shirt for the initial sales call (when in reality I prefer to live in a hoodie) — of course. But I make a point to be as real as possible with my clients. I approach every conversation with empathy and come to meetings as a blank slate. I listen, ask questions, and give frank advice – and sometimes that means telling folks they don’t need my services yet, or referring them to a marketer who is more qualified for their specific needs. When your focus isn’t always on making the next sale, people see you as a trusted partner.

That positive experience folks have with me gets them saying things like “she really understood my vision.” It also turns clients into trusted business friendships! I help my clients to build their know-like-trust factor with their audiences, and they get to know, like, and trust me and my team as a result!

Contact Info:

• Website: mainpaigemedia.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mainpaigemedia/
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/mainpaigemedia
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paigeburns/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mainpaigemediallc

Image Credits
Marian Siljeholm, Rachel Hogan and Jessie Wyman