We were lucky to catch up with Ryan Dodson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Ryan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.
There isn’t a thick time buffer between me forming an idea and taking the first step to execute it. Being paralyzed by fear, over-analyzing, procrastination and/or laziness doesn’t exist in my world. I have always understood that ideas are susceptible to floating away if not anchored by definitive action towards them. In other words, I hastily move on my ideas with no hesitation in order to bring them to life.
With that said…
I was still on tour as a stunt performer with Jurassic World Live when I suddenly came down with a case of “side-hustle fever”. Relying on a company (even if it’s the job of my dreams) to pay me with no financial independence just doesn’t sit well with me. At any point, I could be fired or the tour can come to a screeching halt – this goes for any W2 employee no matter what position you hold.
So one random day from my hotel room in Phoenix, I started a process where every night I would brainstorm, research and come up with 5 money-making ideas that could be launched quickly, without a significant initial investment and could provide quick returns.
On night 1 – I found one that stood out: Real Estate Videography. Why? Because I already possessed the tool needed to get the job done – an iPhone 15 Pro with it’s ultra wide-angle lens, 4K resolution, 60 fps and customizable white balance and exposure settings.
Over the next hour, I crafted a plan and began reaching out to realtors in the area I was staying for the week. Being on tour made this a little tricky since I was changing cities weekly. I quickly discovered that it was better to reach out to a couple of cities ahead of my tour schedule because on the very first email I sent out, the realtor was interested and wanted to schedule a property shoot for the following week when I would have already moved onto the next city.
But whether or not our schedules would sync up didn’t matter quite as much. The point was to find out if there was a need for the service I was offering BEFORE investing any money. Over the next several weeks, getting back 1 “yes” per 40ish emails told me that real estate videography as a side hustle, and possibly a full-time business, was well worth it.
After studying how to shoot and edit real estate videos, purchasing a smartphone gimbal and practicing on a relative’s house during my break from tour, I landed my first job where the realtor’s schedule aligned with mine – there I was getting paid using a self-taught skill!
I used my initial earnings to purchase a drone, lens filters, better editing software, a boom mic and other tools to help make each residence I shot look like a multi million-dollar listing regardless of the asking price.
Remember what I said about the possibility of my tour coming to an abrupt end? Well that actually happened for reasons beyond anyone’s control. But I was set – all thanks to the months I dedicated to my extra-curricular activities.
Besides the negative effects of not getting to work with my castmates that I grew so accustomed to over 14 months, the bright side was that I was back in my entrepreneurial element; being pushed into the deep waters of setting up my new real estate videography business: Elegant Listings, LLC which I now operate out of Atlanta.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a professional athlete (stunt performer & pro wrestler) who needed a way to make money when in-between contracts. With my passion for high-end real estate and entrepreneurial spirit, I launched Elegant Listings, LLC to help realtors attract more attention to their listings and sell homes exponentially faster with exclusive, HGTV-style video walkthroughs that showcase a property’s finest features.
What sets me apart is my quick turnaround of 24 hours or less. If I film a home at 11am, chances are it’ll be imported, edited, exported and delivered in glorious 2160p to my customer by 7pm that same day.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I got into stunt performance in order to use my natural-born talents to make money (while enjoying it). I got into real estate videography to make money while on hiatus from stunts. I just so happen to enjoy creating these elegant listing videos and providing the best content for realtors in Atlanta (or any other major city I find myself in). So, the goal here is to maintain a source of income that I enjoy while taking care of the bills and setting myself up for a bright financial future.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
The many financial channels on YouTube, particularly, the ones that teach you how to do your own bookkeeping and accounting are resources I wish I had earlier in my creative journey. As an entrepreneur, creative and paid professional athlete – knowing my numbers is just as key to my success as sharpening my creative skills and staying in top physical shape. Finance isn’t something that I was taught at any point in my life until I discovered YouTube as an educational platform.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://elegantlistings.carrd.co/
- Instagram: @RyanDodsonFIT
Image Credits
Lens This Beauty! Photography