We were lucky to catch up with Trey G. Riley recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Trey G., thanks for joining us today. Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?
It all started in April 2022 when I shared my “Pyramid of Success” and business plan with Shaniece. for someone who had no ties or experience in the media industry I felt like I had won on the episode of “Shark Tank”. We got to work and drew out a diagram of everything that that I wanted this company to be and . I did not realize how many ideas and goals I truly had until I saw it laid out on four different sheets of construction paper. I’ve been independent for so long since the closure of my first business Fire – X Studios, I was scared to start again and trust someone to manage my vision. I realized I was missing out on the opportunities that a business can give me access too.
Throughout my college career at North Carolina A&T State University, my best friend and I developed our first business “Fire X Studios”! At the time, the name of our company started to spread across campus. We shot music videos, YouTube Skits for groups such as Aggie Night Live and more. My passion to film stories grew more and more, but I kept running in to the challenge of managing the “business side” and letting that responsibility fall on to another person without the proper guidance or clear vision as to what we wanted the business to be.
Learning from that venture, I went online, and before I pressed submit I told myself, “I need this money to work for me”, and that investment has catapulted me into what is now TREY G. RILEY L.L.C. I literally put my name on the line, because I refuse to embarrass or produce non-professional services. I refuse to fail at pursuing my dreams.
Pricing was something I had to figure out expeditiously. I had to reframe my mindset to figure out how to secure clients without diminishing my value as an artist. I am a brand, therefore, must manage my life as such.
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.
I am originally from Orangeburg, SC but was raised in other countries and states such as Okinawa, Japan and Jacksonville, NC. I am currently a Captain in the Air National Guard in Los Angeles California, Mulitmedia Entrepreneur, Actor, and Contractor for multiple video production companies. As a Air Force Veteran, the military has provided me the foundation of forward thinking to tackle problems head on and to lead teams in both professional and personal environments.
I’ve forced myself into the entertainment/media industry at the start of my college career at North Carolina A&T State University by teaching myself how to film. I went to school to become an Actor, but I told myself, to this day, “If you want to keep a job in this industry, you must be marketable both in front and behind the camera.” My journey began all by using an i-Pad. It was all that I could afford at the time. I taught myself the basics of editing using iMovie and camera angles, to then evolving into buying my first Canon camera to learn the basics about videography and photography.
TREY G. RILEY L.L.C. travels around the world to provide affordable videography, photography, and drone services to businesses and influencers that are in need of cinematic productions to further engage their audience without breaking the bank.
Music Videos, Weddings, Corporate Commercials, Events, Social Media Subscriptions, we do it all and as I mentioned before, we travel!
Since the inception of my company in 2022, I have been extremely proud of my team and their sacrifice. They have been the backbone and are the reason why we are successful today. Shaniece Degazon, a Doctor in Physical Therapy, my partner in this industry, is able to create relationships with potential clients and sell the mission and service of what we do along side Mercedes Duncan, a medical Nurse, who provides top tier marketing strategies to improve TGR’s presence in the meta verse. It is extremely rare to have two powerful ladies not only have the passion to lead within this company, but lead within their own fields of medicine and go out of their way to save lives every single day. Chris Sierra, the “Silver Bear” of our Operations. His contribution and knowledge of government organizations helped established key processes within TGR to ensure we become “the 25% of small business to succeed in the first 3-5 years.” Brandon Ruffin, the belly button of the music industry, his experience with industry leading artist help guide us to understand how to connect with music brands that may not know how to establish themselves visually to their fans; a key element to building long lasting relationships with our clients.
I want brands, future clients, and followers to know there is more to this team than just passionate creatives. We’ve learned how to balance our separate careers and relationships, and use our signature strengths within our fields of work to create an ecosystem of professional delivery of story telling to your need of work! Even after a 12 hr work day, you, the reactions we receive from you as you view your final products let’s us know that we’ve chosen the service toprovide “Creativity For The Future… By Any Means Necessary.” That is our mission.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
I liquidated all the profits of my stocks and invested each check I got from the military, active duty, into the inception of TGR. I was not knowledgeable about the power of business credit then, but I refused to place my dreams on hold any longer. All I had was an i-Pad and an i-Phone. I once tried to convince my business partner that I can build this company all by using this phone, That conversation with her ended well.
Each opportunity Shaniece found for me, I executed it, cut a portion to her as my Agent, then saved the rest for new equipment. Every time I perform a job and I did not have it, I went a bought it the next day. Never tell a client you can’t do something, find a way to make that vision come to life!
I was in the middle of leaving active duty military, but I cared more about having a happy fulfilling life if that meant having little to no money left, then to be miserable in a toxic environment for consistent pay. I can build this on my own merit, with y own team; it shall be done.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
Shaniece and I were both going through a tough chapter of our lives since the departure of our previous relationships. As we began to learn more about each other, we started to realize that we had similar aspirations and goals to become powerful, influential leaders within our own fields of endeavor. One night I shared my “Pyramid of Success” business plan and she said to me “let’s make your vision come true.” We tried small photography gigs together to learn our good and bad habits. We even went on Divorce Court together and at the time that I felt as if it was a really bad idea, but it further solidified our understanding of each other that we can maintain a healthy personal and business relationship.
She has been my business partner ever since, and I am thankful for her talent every single day. We stand together side-by-side; both leaders within God’s design.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.treygrileyllc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trey_g_riley/
- Other: https://poplme.co/hash/mDKNuc8W/2/s
Image Credits
Photos Taken By: Mercedes Duncan