In a snapshot, tell us about Optix Media and what you do.
Optix Media is a Canberra-based videography and photography media business, operated and started by myself over three years ago at 16 years old, Ryan Win (now 19 years old). We aim to help companies, people, and brands quickly inform and entertain through video and photo production. Stereotypically people have a persona that media agencies will deliver content anywhere from 3 business days to weeks. We do the opposite with most projects delivered within a 48hr time frame. Despite the fast turnaround times, we thrive at maintaining high quality while still incorporating creativity and new ideas.
Our clientele is vast and diverse. Having worked with some of the biggest real estate agents and construction companies in Canberra through e-commerce brands partnered with Myer right through to local restaurants and businesses, we love working with everyone in every industry.
What inspired you to start Optix Media?
It all started when I watched a video of a renowned Australian photographer, ‘Northborders’, where he was door knocking and cold texting/calling, showing passionate creatives the raw process, which involved a lot of failures but success eventually, which I loved. I mocked up a pitch and reached out to 30+ local Canberra businesses, where I was either ignored or no one was interested except for one client… which happened to be Canberra BMW. I worked closely with the marketing team at Canberra BMW, where we curated a series of content over time. Over this period, I began to network and understand my environment. Particular people who could afford a BMW were successful and often business owners or had great networks. I used this to my advantage and as a tool to create new clients and relationships. This pivoted me to a point where I was starting to make the same money creating content as I was working ridiculous hours in hospitality. The passion for media outweighed my hospo job, and this is what woke me up and where I realized that I could do what I love and not work for someone or a large corporation which was all I knew/believed was possible at the time.
What is your favourite thing about running your own media business?
The people and culture. It’s been over three years since I officially and legally set up Optix Media, and with the volume of work and people I’ve met, I’ve found to love the most is the people and culture Optix Media has built. Meeting someone onsite for the first time, helping them shine through a camera, and seeing their reaction to how stoked they are with what the image/video looks like is unmatched. Bringing people’s ideas and work to live through video and photo production and then other people seeing that and becoming inspired is all part of our culture and the beauty of working within the creative industry. The Optix team and I all love people, and when we can connect and have a deeper relationship with our clients, that has got to be one of my favourite parts of owning my business. Why? Because we want to create the best experience possible and find that when we can connect with our clients better, the better they shine through the camera or, the better they can communicate their ideas and thoughts, which makes for a more tailored, refined and unique end product.
How do you stay inspired and continue to evolve as a photographer?
Social media and routine are two tools that I use to help evolve and grow as a photographer/videographer. By following other creatives and video/photo businesses, I can see new ideas and the latest trends or technology. This, paired with my never-ending love for pushing the limits and ‘beating’ or ‘doing better’ than my previous work, is what helps inspire me. Routine is what keeps me in focus and allows me to have the time to grow and evolve. Within my current routine, I do the following daily: 4:15 am alarm, gym every weekday, sport/hobby 1-2 weekly, meal plan, read or listen to an audiobook for 20 mins minimum. As a business owner and entrepreneur, you always wish there were more hours in a day to work, and this routine ultimately allows for more time which, in my opinion, is essential to evolve to the most extraordinary capacity possible.
What made your decision to choose WOTSO? As a business owner, how has WOTSO helped your daily processes?
Separating home life and work immediately became a big thing for me. The work environment is essential for the best possible workflow and efficiency; the home was doing it for me. This is where WOTSO became a great idea and opportunity for me to take the next step at growing Optix. It also meant I now had a professional location, and the platform and design WOTSO has is great. I was able to use WOTSO from when I was small and could only afford a desk to now, where they have the capacity for large office spaces, which I now use as the Optix studio/hub. WOTSO has helped my daily processes as it makes for a convenient location for both my clients and employees; it’s also a friendly and inviting environment that can help you network more naturally.
Finally, what exciting things can we expect from Optix Media in 2023?
New package offerings! We have noticed people aren’t just coming to us anymore for just 1 set of photos or 1 video; they want more variety and volume, which is influenced by social media, where you need to post regularly to compete. Although people know they need more content, they sometimes need to learn how to utilize the algorithms or content to the best potential; therefore, we will also take care of that.
These package offerings are going to be tailored and serviced within different industries.
Our new mission: Less marketing coordination means more selling time.
The less time you spend coordinating the marketing, the more time you have to sell or work, ultimately making our services and offerings a lot more valuable and allowing for a higher ROI.
