IAM238- Entrepreneur Offers Photography and Video Services in a Quick Turnaround

Brian McGhee offers photography and video services at Vacant Imagination since 2014.

• CEO Hack: USB to deliver files
• CEO Nugget: Keep going through
• CEO Defined: Being held accountable and delivering products in a timely manner

Website: http://vacantimagination.tumblr.com/

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Transcription:

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Intro 0:02

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 0:27

Hello, hello, hello, this is Gresham from the I AM CEO Podcast, and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have B McGhee of Vacant Imagination. B, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Brian McGhee 0:35

Man. Good to be here, man. You know.

Gresham Harkless 0:35

Yeah, I appreciate you being here. Appreciate the time that you took. So what brought you to this conference? I mean, a little bit of that?

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Brian McGhee 0:43

Well, what brought me here was, I'm actually a partner with a way to media and he's, we need photography services. So you know, I got you, man. So I'm here just, you know, kind of soaking in the information that's being brought to me, you know, at the same time, just, you know, I'm glad to be here.

Gresham Harkless 1:03

Yeah, well, no, it's that's a lot of knowledge. So what are some of the best things that you heard?

Brian McGhee 1:07

So the best thing, you know, that I could take from this day is just, you know, do it for yourself in the sense of, you can't be focused on what other people are doing like period and looking at everything from a competitive base, or you can't look at people as your competition, because at the same time, there are people out here that need the knowledge just like you do. So there's no point of trying to hold it in, whatever, you know, you know, you might as well share because it's gonna come out regardless.

Gresham Harkless 1:34

Yeah, no, I love that, especially in this like community-type field. Because a lot of times, everybody's like that competition, like, Oh, I know, this, I'm gonna hold it in, nobody's gonna know about it. But you're saying like, that's one of the vibes you got in this conference.

Brian McGhee 1:46

And honestly, and like looking back, I used to be that type to just kind of, and I'm still working on kind of just, you know, releasing certain things at a certain time. But it's like, when you're in that mode, you don't want to, it's kind of like, you don't want to give away your treats, because you feel like somebody's gonna steal it or emulate it. But if you think about this art, or whatever it is, whether you talk or whether you do music is art. So it's always gonna be emulated in a different kind. So it's always gonna come back around full circle. So you might as well, you know, show someone what you got, you know!

Gresham Harkless 1:48

I think that's big, because I used to play sports too. So I always have that competitive mindset where somebody wins, somebody loses either that, but um, it's great because even if you give away all your secrets, give away exactly how you do it. Nobody can execute it like you because it's your heart. Just do you find the same thing?

Brian McGhee 2:36

Yeah, I mean, I feel like not. It's not even a bragging standpoint, but just you know, I'm one of a kind. And that's how you gotta look at yourself as being great. You gotta look at yourself as being that rare, that rare piece of candy in the candy shop because there's no one like you. And regardless of how people do how, how much equipment or have many years people have been doing it, not nothing like you. So yeah, so you gotta look at that.

Gresham Harkless 3:00

Absolutely. No, I definitely agree with that. So why don't you tell me a little bit more about what you're doing with Vacant Imagination, some of the things you guys are working on.

Brian McGhee 3:06

So pretty much I'm Vacant Imagination, it started, I have actually been doing photos, video, probably since 2014. Just I started out doing photos, and honestly a lot longer than that I was doing, you know, I used to have my little Nickelodeon film camera, taking pictures, harassing my mom, stuff like that. And I would say, you know, 2014 I started doing pictures and stuff like that, but, uh, what was the question again?

Gresham Harkless 3:34

Just how you got started?

Brian McGhee 3:35

Oh, how I got started, you know, like doing that. And it was kind of like, the spur of the moment, just, you know, grabbing the camera, and just seeing what I could do with it. And, you know, I used to, you know, take my little HP camera and record myself just, you know, dancing and whatnot. But, um, you know, and then I will go to sports events, and I'm like, man, let me record this, you know, let me try something different. But it's really just come to that. And, honestly, you know, as I find myself a lot more every day, I get better with my craft, you know, I mean, so whether it's a man while I'm meditating, or just, you know, listening to music, just doing little different things that helped me grow as a person like it helps me sharpen my craft. Yeah, so

Gresham Harkless 4:17

But um, so tell me I guess a little bit what you feel kind of like your I know, you touched on it. Your secret sauce, what do you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique.

Brian McGhee 4:25

Um, what makes me unique is I mean, I have a quick turnaround time. So most of the time, we're not shooting an event or shooting video or sports event. Like I'll turn it around within that same day of not that same day, you get it the next day, or the next day. So it's a couple of days. It's not like you'll it'll take months for something to come through. But at the same time, as I said, it's just being real authentic and being myself. And I feel like when you carry yourself a certain way, regardless of how you dress, it doesn't matter if you come in here with sweatpants or slacks, or If you carry yourself just by being you, you'll get far.

So all, you know that, you know, talk in a certain way that that doesn't mean anything, it's just about being yourself, you know, and not disregarding people who you know, articulate themselves a certain way. It's just you got to be yourself regardless.

Gresham Harkless 5:15

It's funny, because in this day and age, with all these things that are out there, it's like authenticity is a big thing. And whether you're trying to be really, you will be real, because you basically find out who you are anyway, so it's kind of hard to kind of fake that. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit and ask you for something I call a CEO hack. And this might be an app or book or a habit that you have, but it's something that gives you that edge that makes you more effective and efficient. What do you think works well, for you?

Brian McGhee 5:39

As far as?

Gresham Harkless 5:40

‘Like any like little thing that you do, it could be like a scheduling link, maybe something you do with your clients, it's something that makes you more effective, efficient, you have something?

Brian McGhee 5:48

Honestly, it will be delivering the files and stuff, like know, on a USB like just because things like the internet, you know, it's good you can look at it different ways, but the internet you can utilize it how you want but at the same time, you got to look at it from standpoint like man, you don't know if your Wi-Fi might cut off, you don't know what's gonna happen. So what I do is when I do events and gigs and stuff like that, I deliver all the photos and videos on a USB because it's tangible, you know, if you know, once you get it, it's out of my hand.

So you know, if you drop it or you damage it, that's all you, not me. So I always discuss, you know, to people like Look, man, look, I'm gonna give you this USB, all the stuff you know, you got a raw to edit it or whatever finished product owner and it's all on you. But I say that to say just because you know, when you deliver in files to Gmail and stuff like that, you don't know the technical difficulties you might lose your hard drive might shut down, you know, suicide is things you got to look at, you know, on So, but other than that, I will say that that's kind of like one of my hacks.

Gresham Harkless 6:56

I love that. And yeah, especially in this day and age where there's so much digital to have that physical is huge. So let me ask you, for now, a CEO nugget. And this is like a word of wisdom or piece of advice. Or if you can happen to be a time machine, talk to your younger business self, what would you say?

Brian McGhee 7:09

I would say just keep mashing, and it's a tough road, but it's only as tough as you make it. So Tom, my young guys and women, whatever, just keep going through because you're gonna have your ups and downs, but it's gonna be more so than down, and even the downs, they're the same as the ups they gonna teach you those lessons, you know, I mean, so it's really the same thing. You know, I mean, so it's a really no, no failure in this, you know?

Gresham Harkless 7:36

Absolutely, absolutely. And the last question I wanted to ask you is, how would you define being a CEO, we're hoping to have different quote-unquote CEOs on this show, look at entrepreneurship business, and exactly what that means. So what has a CEO meant to you?

Brian McGhee 7:47

I mean, I would say being the CEO is just being held accountable and handling your affairs, whether that's, you know, handling stuff at a certain time, you know, delivering the product on a certain time. It's just you just handling your business accordingly and doing it the way you want to do it because there's no right or wrong just because he or she says you need to do it like that doesn't mean that's the case. You know, you learn how you are supposed to operate and then you move like that.

Gresham Harkless 8:16

Absolutely, absolutely. Well B, I appreciate your time. Appreciate the time.

Brian McGhee 8:19

I appricaite you, man.

Gresham Harkless 8:21

Yeah, tell people how best they can get ahold of you.

Brian McGhee 8:23
So you can reach me at Vacant Imagination. vacantimagination.com Um, you can reach me on Instagram, the same thing, and yeah

Gresham Harkless 8:37

Awesome, awesome, awesome. That's an S at the end? Vacant Imaginations?

Brian McGhee 8:40

No no, there's no S, just imagination.

Gresham Harkless 8:42

vacantimagination.com Okay, we'll have that in the show notes as well too, so that everybody can click through and follow you and see all the awesome things you're doing. All the White House stories that you've been able to go to and do all those awesome things, but I hope you have a great rest of the day.

Brian McGhee 8:53

I appreciate you.

Outro 8:56

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co

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