BUSINESS STRATEGY
How To Time-Proof Your Business

Hey Runaways,

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about one question:

“How long do I plan on being a wedding filmmaker?“

Just a week ago at our NYC workshop, I had this conversation with a friend named Chris.

When he asked me this, I said “Til I am 40, I’d say”

We continued to chat, and the topic kept popping back into my head throughout the week

And while I am optimistic about where I will be by that age, I am also going to be realistic that I won’t be retired by then.

Then I saw this video on Tik Tok and it made me think even harder about where I want to be when I am older.

So let me ask you the same question:

How long do you plan on being a filmmaker?

I speak for both Jake and myself when I say that we don’t want to be 70 years old and still grinding it out like we are currently.

Times change, families grow, and your time at home become that much more important as the years go on.

It’s Okay If You Don’t Have a Plan Yet

If you are in your 30’s or 40’s, or even 50’s, there still is no reason to panic.

Being a wedding filmmaker is a fantastic gig, and can make a lot of money.

Maybe you wish you would have gotten into real estate, or invested in Bitcoin, and yes those things would have been great to get into many years ago,

(We aren’t going to talk about things like investing, pensions, real estate, 401 K’s, etc… not yet at least.)

But if you want to make money NOW with something that doesn’t take long to build, and can help you phase out of the constant grind 👇🏼

Learn The System, Build A Team

As a filmmaker and content creator, you are most likely wearing 10 different hats.

But the system of filmmaking is pretty straightforward and it can be broken down into a few steps:

1. Booking and communicating with clients

2. Planning and shooting the wedding (or insert your industry)

3. Edit and deliver the final deliverables

4. Posting to social media

5. Handle financial tasks

6. Marketing your business

If you are reading this, you know how to do all of these steps somewhat well,

But the first step to building a team is narrowing down steps that you can automate or outsource.

For example, suppose that you don’t want to be traveling at all by the time you are 50, but you still want to be making money from weddings.

Q. Would you rather accept $1,000 to film, edit, and deliver a project OR accept $500 to only do one and outsource the others?

Whether it’s $1,000 or $50,000: at some point you need to start thinking of time as your most valuable asset.

It’s a no brainer for me.

I’ll take the $500, and then I will scale that system. And soon enough, I am still making lots of money, but not working near as much as I currently am.

The best part?

By focusing on one thing, you can become more proficient at that one art, and you will have more likelihood of increasing your prices due to better work.

Jake and I have said multiple times on our podcast, if we could be full-time associate shooters, we would be.

To only have to shoot without editing, or vice versa, opens a lot of doors to having more time to enjoy your life.

Lots of times we see a potential paycheck that we are blinded by how much of our life is going to be consumed by this project.

We fail to see that if we could outsource or delegate just one aspect of it, we can still make good money, and free up time.

Having a Side Hustle To Diversify Income Streams

Remember when videography was your side hustle?

Then it got big enough to turn into your full-time job.

But as a wedding filmmaker, it can be risky to put all your eggs into one basket

So here are some ideas to help you use your same set of skills to make money in a diversified way:

1. Digital Products.

   When we first started Runaway Vows, this was the first thing we did. Build an audience and see what they like about your work. Figure out something to sell around it.

   You can check out examples of our digital products here

2. Education (You don’t need a large audience)

   You might tell yourself “I only have 1,000 followers, I can’t do education”.

   That is enough to fill a large conference room! We have friends who have that amount of followers, but they offer mentor sessions every time they film a gig. This is a great way to make an extra buck

   Here is an example of our education

   (Runaway Club subscribers always get 60% off Year One: Wedding Videography where we dive deeper into these strategies)

3. Editing Services

   Do some outreaching to companies that need constant editing work done. Have an editor or two that is available for work at $50/hour, and quote the company $60-$100. That way you are making money without doing work. You make money off the management fee.

Final Thoughts

Building a team and diversifying your income streams isn’t just about making more money today—it’s about protecting your future.

As you think about where you want to be in 10, 20, or even 30 years, these strategies will give you the flexibility to step back from the grind without sacrificing your income.

Remember: time is your most valuable asset, and the sooner you start to leverage systems and a team, the more freedom you’ll gain.

Whether you’re considering outsourcing editing, selling digital products, or breaking into education, each step is a move toward time-proofing your business.

Take a moment today to ask yourself: what’s one step you can take toward building that future?

It might feel small now,

But it’ll make a huge difference in the long run.

Reply back to this email if there is something you are doing to plan for your future, I respond to each one.

Much love to you all,

Nate

WORKSHOP
Morocco, 2025

In October 2025, we’re hosting an immersive Wedding Videographer Workshop in Morocco with Emma K Films

And it’s more than halfway sold out.

Over the course of several days, you will learn from the best in the industry, including:

1. Aaron Tharpe from 31 Films

2. Will Sarmiento from bywillsarmiento

3. Emma Burke from Emma K Films

4. Jake and Nate from Runaway Vows

Whether you’re looking to break into the luxury market or refine your skills in a hands-on, inspiring environment, this workshop is for you.

You can grab a ticket at the following link

*Payment plans are available