Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Patryk Rydzewski. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Patryk, 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?

I’ve been earning a full-time living with my videography and photography for nearly two years now. I slowly began doing freelance work during my freshman year of college. At that time, I wasn’t making any substantial money; instead, I was doing it solely for pure enjoyment. Much of the work I received came from reaching out to random brands on Instagram and offering to provide them content in exchange for free products. This was crucial for building my portfolio and gaining the necessary experience in the industry.

It wasn’t until my junior year of college that I realized how possible it was to make a comfortable living with my passion for videography and photography. It was during this time that I discovered the world of media and marketing agencies. Through word of mouth, I started getting contracted out by various agencies to complete video and photo projects for their clients. This provided me with a solid income while still attending school and opened doors to opportunities I likely wouldn’t have had on my own at that time.

I graduated from college in the summer of 2022 and decided to pursue videography and photography full-time. I had always known that I wanted to be a business owner one day, so after freelancing for a couple more months, I decided to bet on myself and start my own media agency. That’s when ZEW Media was born.

Patryk, 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?

I grew up in the suburbs outside of Chicago and was always a very creative kid. Since around the age of 9, I was very intrigued by movies, and my dream was to be a Hollywood actor one day. However, I quickly realized I preferred being behind the camera when I started borrowing my mom’s phone and filling her camera roll with random skits and commercials I made up and filmed.

When I was 12, my parents purchased a DSLR camera to take family photos. This quickly became my camera as I started using it more than my family did, taking photos everywhere I went. I continued to use this camera until high school when I used the little savings I had to purchase a used camera from one of my parents’ friends. This camera reignited my passion for film, as it had the capability to shoot both photos and videos. I started using this new camera even more than my previous one, and I spent most of my free time in high school taking photos and videos of my friends while sharing my work on YouTube and Instagram.

Upon graduating from high school, I made the move from the suburbs to an apartment in Chicago to attend DePaul University as a Finance major. At that time, I wasn’t planning on pursuing video or photography full-time because I didn’t see the opportunity in it yet. However, during my first year at DePaul, I made a couple of new friends with similar interests, which reignited my passion once again. We started taking the train to different spots in the city whenever we had the chance to find new backdrops to capture in photos and videos. During this time, my skills improved significantly. I upgraded more of my gear and switched my major from Finance to Digital Marketing.

As I mentioned earlier, my time at DePaul was also when I began learning how to turn this hobby into a profitable business. I started doing freelance work for various media agencies, finding my own clients on Instagram, and picking up random gigs through referrals. However, as the work continued to pile up, I realized that while much of it fueled my passion and taught me a lot, it wouldn’t fulfill my long-term goals. I still wanted to own my own business, and I came to understand the significant difference between being a freelancer and being a business owner. I had no structure in my schedule, no general idea of where my next job would come from, or if I’d even have any income in a given month. That’s when I knew I needed to take a few steps back in my career and build something of my own.

The name ZEW Media stems from the middle three letters of my last name, “Ryd-ZEW-ski.” We have worked on a wide range of projects, from building personal brands to real estate, but lately, most of our work has focused on developing content strategies for product-based brands. I am now focused on expanding my client base and implementing more structure in the company to find ways to delegate certain tasks, allowing me to concentrate more on the agency’s growth and creative direction.

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

I believe a key aspect that has helped us stand out and build a reputation in an industry often referred to as saturated is our commitment to quick turnarounds and consistently going above and beyond for every project we undertake. While there are numerous creatives and media agencies available for our clients to choose from, they continually decide to work with us because they recognize the exceptional return on investment and value we provide.

We understand that many of our client projects are time-sensitive, which is why we prioritize delivering a first draft within the first 24-72 hours of the shoot date. Additionally, since creating content is our passion, it’s not unusual for us to deliver clients a bonus edit or some extra photos, even if it falls outside the scope of the contract. Our clients see that this is our passion, and when they decide to work with ZEW Media, they are not just hiring a service provider; they are forming a partnership. We didn’t build our reputation by just meeting expectations; we built it by constantly exceeding them.

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

My main source for acquiring new clients has primarily been through referrals. However, I understand that to receive referrals, you have to secure your first clients. In addition to referrals, I found that effective strategies for getting new clients include both warm and cold outreach.

Warm outreach involves reaching out to individuals or businesses who you already have some form of connection with. This might include reaching out to a family member or friend’s business, a mutual connection, or someone who has shown an interest in your work. These are typically easier deals to close or at least schedule a meeting with as you already established some sort of connection and trust with them.

On the other hand, cold outreach involves reaching out to businesses who you have no prior connection with. These could be businesses in your local neighborhood or ones you’ve come across online. One of my most successful approaches to cold outreach has been reaching out to brands through Instagram direct messages (DMs) as well as sending them an email.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.zewmedia.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mediazew/
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/company/zew-media

Image Credits
Patryk Rydzewski