Have This Mindset & You'll Succeed as a Creator with Carlos David Bown

In this episode, we sit down with Carlos David Bown (@bownmedia), the creative mind behind Bown Media, a photography and videography agency based in Northwest Florida. Carlos's exceptional talent has led him to capture stunning visuals for professional golfers and CrossFit athletes, showcasing their prowess and dedication through his lens. Carlos's story of how he came from Venezuela to America, and the hardships he's overcome is truly inspiring and will leave you with the inability to make excuses for yourself. This episode embodies the entire identity of the podcast.

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@sethmacey
@mantis_photography
@thephotographermindset

Transcript

INTRO:

00:00.00
smacey
Hey welcome back to another episode of the photographer mindsetpodcast I'm your co-host seth macey and if you're listening to this on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or 1 of those other audio streaming platforms. Just let you know we're on Youtube you can see my pretty face and Aaron's I guess he's pretty too.

00:02.97
aaronmannes
And I'm your co-host Aaron Mannes

00:19.52
smacey
You can subscribe to our Youtube channel and see these episodes with video see us in the flesh us and our guests the link to that is in the episode description today we had on Carlos bow he photographs a lot of sports a lot of professional golf professional cross fitters does a lot of everything and his story.

00:19.69
aaronmannes
Um, pretty.

00:38.43
smacey
The middle of the episode of how he came from Venezuela to America managed to get a golf scholarship was so remarkable I don't want to tell the whole thing but he sound he will not sounds like he is someone who has had to figure it out his entire life and I think you really walk away from this episode. You'll walk away from it unable to make any excuse for yourself in my opinion.

01:01.75
aaronmannes
Yeah, and I think you'll this is one of your first time listings or you've listened for a while I think this episode is the quintessential sort of. Point of all that we're doing the mindset the photography the art, the craft the videography the the perseverance everything that we talk about seemed to be in this story.

01:28.35
smacey
Yeah I think that's fair to say it encompasses kind of the whole show. So if you like what you're hearing feel free to leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify as well. Let's hear we're from the sponsor and then into our episode with Carlos.

INTERVIEW:

05:59.71
smacey
Yeah I got say you're you're a great communicator. I don't know if that embarrasses you but you know how difficult it can be to communicate with people on Instagram Dm at times you're just on it and that sets you apart just right off the bat from so many different people like.

06:12.38
Carlos Bown
Um, oh that's good.

06:18.27
smacey
I Just love when people are easy to deal with I don't know if you feel the same way. Just simple responsive show up on time I think that's a minority of people Would you agree.

06:22.26
Carlos Bown
Um, absolutely.

06:29.63
Carlos Bown
I mean I was um I remember I was like do you remember I text a few days ago I'm like I don't know if I'm gonna be able to make it happen I got a last second call to go to the pg tour event in San Antonio Texas um, and then last second they.

06:33.87
smacey
Um, yeah.

06:39.41
aaronmannes
Oh.

06:39.44
smacey
Um, right.

06:45.88
Carlos Bown
Had to postpone the event so I'm like said I can make it. Let's do it Monday but I agree I mean I think um one of the by you tell me that about a good communication. It's it's like it. It feels good because that's something I really try to always work on especially in this industry I feel like having a good.

06:51.35
smacey
Um, and I'm like yes.

07:04.96
Carlos Bown
Good communication with clients with people you work with it. Just super important. So I mean so I means I'm doing the right thing.

07:07.27
smacey
Um, a.

07:09.86
smacey
Yeah, absolutely what do you when you say you're working on it. What does that look like I mean how do you continue to make that skill of yours better being a better communicator I think just being conscious of it is the first step but are there certain things you do.

07:24.64
Carlos Bown
Yeah, well um I always tell people that I feel like good communication with a client. It's what's gonna create that longevity relationship that long relation with a client. Um I just feel like just having that you know, um. What you said like the client film that they they can always reach out to you and you're going to have an answer. You're not going to like disappear for a few days just kind of bring them that reasssurance of like you know he's on top of the project. He's going to deliver everything on time and I'm just conscious of it I Just really try to make sure I have good communication with people work with clients.

07:49.58
smacey
Are a.

08:00.13
Carlos Bown
On yeah.

08:00.33
smacey
Yeah, being timely is super important just sometimes when I've found in the past my mistakes have been where I've had a potential prospect and they've been really interested in something I have to offer and then I think I'll get back to them in 48 hours or

08:03.77
Carlos Bown
Absolutely.

08:19.20
smacey
Couple of days and that seems like a short amount of time and then the enthusiasm from their end is sometimes gone that's been a big mistake in mine in the past and then more so when people are when prospects are are enthusiastic I try to get. Back to them within that 24 hour window while the energy is still high and there's still excitement to start a project or do something so I've just found that's a mistake of mine in the past.

08:40.52
Carlos Bown
Absolutely. And yeah and I feel like it goes both ways to when when a client reaches out to me and I'm having a conversation like trying to you know schedule a project and and their communication is not the best it kind of like brings a red flag sometimes. Ah.

08:56.56
aaronmannes
Um, you know.

08:57.16
Carlos Bown
It takes days to like you know communicate about like what am ah ah am I gonna be doing like hey are we all set for the travels and everything it just kind of ah I don't know it just creates some red flex like I mean if it's always gonna be like this at some point something bad's gonna happen. Um, and on top of my head like.

09:12.52
smacey
Um, right.

09:16.68
Carlos Bown
When I think about the clients that I've had the best relationship with I have a great communication with them both ways like the way they communicate with me and the way I communicate with them and I just feel like in what we do is like super important. So yeah.

09:28.41
smacey
Yeah, we want life to be easy man. We want to work with people who are easy to work with it goes both ways just because you're providing the service of the product doesn't mean you have to take on all take on difficult people just because they're paying you right? Nobody needs that extra drama in their life. Life should be drama free. So.

09:41.53
Carlos Bown
Curl a.

09:46.48
Carlos Bown
Um, absolutely.

09:47.57
smacey
We had a listener of the show showed him out Daniel Middleton who dmed us and said have you guys heard of bound media and I said no, what's that and he goes. He's probably in my opinion. 1 of the best in the Crossfit industry for video.

09:55.00
aaronmannes
Okay.

10:04.90
smacey
His story is super awesome also and how he came to America and started this journey so there is a lot to unpack there. What's this journey. He's talking about what's your what's your story. Yeah.

10:14.25
Carlos Bown
Um, well before I start shadow daniel I met him at the rogue invitational I think it was october of October of last year and right when I saw him he like approached me it's like hey nice to meet you. My name is Daniel I've been following you for a while just kind of you know, creating that like. Networking relationship and um that that there's always a few amount of people that kind of like stucks in your head because of the way they approach you how like interested they're about like learning stuff and literally see's like the week after he was arrayed like the m and me asking me some questions willing to learn and you know. Grow his business. So for anybody listening in, you're just getting started I think that's a great way to go. That's me personally I did a lot of that when I got started um, looked up to a lot of people that I reached out to some people didn't answer some people answer with um.

11:10.52
Carlos Bown
You know, willing to to help and and give me advice and those are the kind of people that I still remember to state and you know, um I Always said that if at some point I'm in the position that I can give back to I can kind of like pay it forward like people did I'm gonna I'm gonna do that So I'm glad I'm. In a spot right now that I can do a little bit of that.

11:30.10
smacey
Yeah, it's interesting because when when we're beginners and we're reaching out. We. Don't forget that when we've kind of got to the place we wanted to get to you know, successful people. Don't forget being a beginner at something and the courage it takes to approach and ask questions and feel. At times stupid or at times feel like you don't know everything like that's not easy for a lot of people to sit with right being a beginner I think is hard for a lot of people right? and I think when you can approach someone like yourself and just say hey man I like your stuff and and just feel comfortable asking tons of questions and not not. Being annoying or feeling like you're being annoying I think that like you said the way he approached you makes you want to help it makes you want to to give back and improve other people's lives I think good people at heart we all want to. Give our our time and energy and knowledge back in some way or form I think it fulfills us right.

12:25.69
Carlos Bown
Absolutely yeah I.

12:29.16
aaronmannes
Yeah, we. Ah, we all ah all remember being there like you said Seth I mean I can pinpoint right now without thinking too hard. The 2 very important people in the beginning of my journey that just like egg me on you know and it's it's just very clear when someone takes the time to help a little person. You know as someone with ah 200 followers and versus being like man this isn't going to do anything for me, you know I think that sort of taking the time and and you can't do everything you can't talk to everyone sometimes but sometimes the way someone approaches you is. And such a nice and like inviting way you're like ah ah this person has some skill like look at they're they're really trying I'm gonna I'm gonna help them out I'm gonna have a conversation maybe can learn something from them too. So I think that is so important and and again just I remember the moments the actual moments of like oh.

13:13.14
smacey
A.

13:14.18
Carlos Bown
Absolutely.

13:22.00
aaronmannes
Like someone's someone's helping me out. You know? Oh yeah, absolutely. Ah Brett Blakely for 1 at the time had I had like I don't know 500 followers he had maybe 25000 and he reached out and was just like.

13:24.57
smacey
Um, can you remember them in detail I'm curious share share.

13:41.65
aaronmannes
Dude in 1 year you're going to have 100000 followers. You're that talented and whether he's blowing smoke or whatnot but just like the positive sort of ah like affirmation of like hey I'm on I'm on some sort of right track here and then he just kept talking and like. I want to introduce you to this friend I want to introduce you to this friend I want to introduce you to this friend. That's how we met essentially I I do track it back to Brett being so networking um and sort of just the way he is his personality and the number 2 was as I got into a brooke little bear. Um, she she put a mention on. Ah.

14:04.54
smacey
Um, probably yeah.

14:18.73
aaronmannes
An olympus interview panel she had and they asked her like who are some photographers you look up to right now and she actually said like actually right now like I'm I'm really liking this guy Erin's like editing style and that just blew me away and and she was she is. We know her very well. Super friendly to this day. So those 2 moments were just very clear sort of like wow this person is is taking the time they're recognizing something in you and and giving some effort towards your well-being. They're not being like nah like too bad, you're too small. You know and that that just means a lot and they're very close to us to this day.

14:58.32
Carlos Bown
I I love that you mentioned that some people that you know like you're helping out them and they are looking up to you but you can still learn stuff from them because every time like somebody reaches out to me and we're kind of that relationship of like me giving advice I learned something new.

15:06.70
smacey
A.

15:16.47
Carlos Bown
Like um I was telling you guys before I started the episode that now have the group of people that I'm like mentoring kind of and and they talk about some things that I'm like Huh interesting I'm gonna I'm gonna look into that and I feel like I'm constantly learning.

15:22.12
smacey
Are.

15:24.23
aaronmannes
Um.

15:32.17
Carlos Bown
Um, by you know, giving advice and then they give me feedback in some other things. But yeah I I think it's so important to even if you got to you got to a point that you were successful I tried to look back at like the um, the the days that I was getting started and I was talking to a few f friends here are they I'm like. Dude I I look back at those days and I I love him I love those days like it was just a different crying just waking up like just excited to go shoot new stuff because you remember like the the things that you shot two days ago look not good at all and you're like excited to learn new things that you go on Youtube.

15:55.61
aaronmannes
Um.

16:11.70
Carlos Bown
You search for your favorite youtubers you watch countless of hours of videos that it's just like ah this like excitement of always like learning something new. Um, and I I mean that's how I figure out like this this. What I'm passionate about like I'm spending hours and hours of learning and I'll sell my friends like. Those days are the days that I I look back and like shares shares it most like I love those days the days of like a client asking me hey can you can you be here in Louisiana by tomorrow and I'm like oh yeah, absolutely I can be there and I'm like driving and like taking naps in my cars like overnight sleeping a car.

16:47.38
aaronmannes
Are.

16:49.61
Carlos Bown
A client like hey um, great opportunity this that and but unfortunately we don't have um enough budget to pay for your hotel like we can pay your day rate, but we can do you have somebody to stay with oh absolutely and I'm saying like my friend's floor just getting like some mattresses or like on the couch.

17:08.13
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

17:09.80
Carlos Bown
Just like that different grind that it's just like doing whatever it takes to be there and like um just those days are like dude I look back at them and I'm like yeah it was a grind. It was a lot of work. It sucked a lot of the times but I just I love them and that's that's what made me. Person I am today right? and I think that's those are a sacrifices that we all have to take at some point getting started or even now like we we have to take sacrifices to get to the point that we we want to be.

17:38.16
smacey
Yeah, that's an interesting point with sacrifices I think it raises a good question of how much do you want to sacrifice or give up to achieve X you ever think about these questions you know like.

17:50.92
aaronmannes
Yeah.

17:52.20
Carlos Bown
Absolutely um and again it's different. It's different for everybody right? It just depends on on your goals or like what where you want to do I've always been kind of like aiming high and um I hate to say it but I'm a lot of.

17:57.97
smacey
Right.

18:09.12
Carlos Bown
I Apply the fake it until I make a method or at least I did when I cut started a lot. Um, can you do this? Oh yeah, oh yeah I mean on top of my head. Um, this guy I was um I was taking photos for this Mexican restaurant I.

18:13.44
smacey
What does that look like what's what's fake it till I make it look like to you like what is.

18:27.27
Carlos Bown
I think this's 2018 and 1 guy approaches me's like hey do you do drone photography and Mike ah yeah I mean I doubt yeah at this point I didn't have a drone. He's like I have a roofing comp have a roofing company. Um, and we want to take some you know.

18:36.48
smacey
The next day you're buying one.

18:45.75
Carlos Bown
Drawn photos of some of the new stuff that we've been building. Can you do this I'm like oh yeah, absolutely like let's make it happen. Let's book a day and this was before um I was really dial in into videography I was just doing photography at this point early 2018 and he's like hey can you recall so some. Videos of like you know some drone videos of like outside I'm like oh hundred percent he was located in Panama City Beach which is about two and a half hours so we book the day I order Dgi mini the first one. Um god the dji mini watch a bunch of Youtube videos and then. When I'm driving there I'm literally watching Youtube videos while I'm driving I put my phone there I'm watching Youtube videos of how to color grade better. How to optimize I know final card pro I'm just learning while I'm driving there I'm like I don't know what I'm doing but I told this guy I can do this so I'm gonna I'm gonna make it happen in.

19:44.89
aaronmannes
Yeah.

19:44.93
Carlos Bown
Yeah man, those are those are such fun days. You know like just this different level of like not anxiety but like am I going to be able to pull this off but whatever it takes I'm want to do it and yeah, it worked out. You know I do not recommend this to it.

19:54.95
smacey
Right? right.

19:59.48
aaronmannes
I Love that No I feel like you haven't so if you if you haven't slept in your car to get a a shot I'm not sure you're really in it and you know I mean I'm saying that with a grain of salt but like I feel like any photographer I know.

20:02.92
Carlos Bown
Everybody but.

20:08.23
Carlos Bown
Yeah. Hundred percent

20:19.60
aaronmannes
Has spent a horrible night in their car have you Seth you I outed him I just canceled. Ah yeah.

20:20.98
smacey
Trying to think if I have I'm trying to think maybe you just maybe you just canceled my photography career career. Ah I have to think about it and get back to you.

20:29.66
Carlos Bown
Well it. It also also depends on the and the industry I guess because um in the sports industry sometimes getting started. There is really not that much money. So sometimes you really want to be a part of a project and unfortunately the the budget is not there. So.

20:40.55
smacey
Um, write it.

20:45.20
Carlos Bown
Ah, did a lot of that like sleeping in my car and taking naps while I'm driving just to make sure I get there. Um not like no while I'm trying to like while I'm on the way there. Um, and and yeah I mean I slept on floors and couches and but.

20:48.85
aaronmannes
Well not while you're driving taking naps wall over. Yeah yeah.

20:52.73
smacey
Must see as a tesla yet.

21:04.50
Carlos Bown
You know I tell people the time try to enjoy those moments and don't take shortcuts like if you have to go through that just know that if you keep like griing with the the goal that you have most likely you're gonna make it a lot of people just quit when they started feeling all the can I can I swear on this on the podcast can um yeah.

21:18.59
aaronmannes
Um.

21:22.73
smacey
Um, yeah, absolutely.

21:23.80
aaronmannes
Um, yes, where away where is.

21:24.11
Carlos Bown
And start feeling all that you know that shitty like feeling of like gosh nobody like am I even going to make it like I'm sleeping on floors I'm making three hundred and fifty dollars a day and I'm grinding day and night like is this even worth it. Um, and I feel like everybody has to go through those moments of like feeling that like I don't know if I'm gonna make it but I really want it and so I tell people don't tell sharkcuts like live through that like if for some reason you make it without going through all that you're in the point zero zero one percent most most people they really get in a shitty.

21:45.70
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

21:59.19
Carlos Bown
Um, you know start and you know start figuring it out. Nobody starts with like no it right? like we all trying to figure out from the beginning.

22:04.62
aaronmannes
Yeah, Seth you just said I mean everything is hard like everything is hard to a point and do you want? what's on the other side of hard. Do you want like those those rewards. Do you enjoy it? whatever.

22:15.81
smacey
Or not even what's on the other side man like do you just do you? maybe I'm maybe I'm a masochist but like hard stuff's fun. You know and we're going to get into this because because Carl here shoots Crossfit and those people crossfit athletes suffer and love.

22:23.52
Carlos Bown
Dinner.

22:24.13
aaronmannes
Yeah, it is. It's the stuff you remember.

22:29.46
Carlos Bown
And yeah, true and I feel like there's also a level of like some people are just comfortable at some point and they don't push themselves to like different levels. So.

22:33.21
aaronmannes
Yeah, yeah.

22:34.12
smacey
Every second of it right.

22:44.29
aaronmannes
Um, minute.

22:46.93
Carlos Bown
Know yeah I said is subjective to everybody like what how how by you want to push it to or like to what levels you want to get to some people are just comfortable by shooting you know one wedding a weekend. Some people are just looking to be you know top 10 wedding video first in the world and want to shoot 50 weddings. Ah a week

22:49.74
smacey
Um, right.

23:04.27
smacey
Right? Yeah I Wonder what the difference is between people who and feel free to talk this out you too the difference between someone who gets asked. Oh can you do.

23:05.83
Carlos Bown
So it kind of depends on anybody and everybody.

23:06.12
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

23:23.22
smacey
You do video for my roofing company and they have no idea how there's 2 kinds of people 1 goes? yep and they figure it out and the other one goes nah I don't know how to do that sorry I wonder what the defining factor or factors are in those.

23:35.29
Carlos Bown
Um, yeah I mean.

23:41.61
smacey
2 kinds of people in that decisive moment. What do you think.

23:43.80
Carlos Bown
I don't know but me starting off I did everything I did I took photos of pets babies families I did weddings for about 3 4 years the roofing thing I I will assume like if somebody will reach out to me and be like hey can you take photos of my phone. When I like sell it online I'm like sure I'll do it I you know I'll figure it out and and then from there I kind of started developing more love into the sports side of it and that's when I realized maybe if I really want to be successful at this I want to dive harder into that industry. Um, but it's funny because I started in sports then it started doing all this kind of stuff for 4 years and then I'm back into what got me started into you know this world of content creation photography videography.

24:36.88
smacey
Yeah, right it you know it's we'll bring it back. We'll bring it back. We love tangents. We love tangents. But before we go on to the eraron. Do you have an opinion on that question I posed. Yeah.

24:39.25
Carlos Bown
And I just realized I never answer your question about my journey so we can. But.

24:46.79
aaronmannes
Um, ah we'll bring it back.

24:50.45
aaronmannes
Say the question again because that in his answer it just kind of slipped my mind.

24:54.40
smacey
So let's say you come to me and you ask me to do drone video work and I have no idea how to do it I can say yep and I can learn on the fly or I can say maybe that's is that too black and white.

25:01.24
aaronmannes
Right? right? right? right? right? right? All right? There's 2 kinds of people right? Um yes, no well. There's probably there's a spectrum I'm sure. But when you were saying that I think there's. There's people that have tried many things. You said you've tried many different niches and and you got there you you have the data of like I I tried to take photos of infants. It was hard at first but I learned after the the first shoot what to do? What not to do then I tried. A wedding and I learned that pretty quickly so you you gain confidence in terms of your own ability I think Selfowledge is really important in this ability to say yes to someone or no, that's not where I'm comfortable and I'm not going to be able to do it whatever it is like if someone said drone photography you might know enough to say oh Dgi they're pretty. They're pretty simple in terms of how they fly if someone said hey can you do fpv drones and do you have? Ah, do you have a license you might go like that's going to be tough in three days

26:03.13
smacey
Right? right.

26:06.79
aaronmannes
You you just have to know your your levels and know where you feel confident and um I think it just comes from like experience of failures and and saying like I I've been able to like get through things before I can I have four days I can can order a drone I can watch enough I think I can press it I can I can do this I can I can do it I'm going to say yes I'm going to go for it. What's the worst that could happen I'll make my budget reasonable. So you know if it doesn't go well, they don't have much to complain about it was the cheapest drone pilot they're going to find. So I think there's ways to like mitigate the risk and if you feel comfortable in that then you you go for it and if you feel like now this is a really tall ask I'm not going to be able to do it you you can bow out.

26:40.30
smacey
Um, right.

26:51.83
smacey
Yeah.

26:51.89
Carlos Bown
Absolutely and I love that I did all these stuff like weddings and family photography. A lot of people were telling me like do you have a different style of like shooting sports and and I mean in my mind I I was just doing my thing right? and then. I started noticing that a lot of people that were doing that that I was like really looking up to in the same industry. They had a background in wedding photography landscaping just kind of knowing how to use the song in your advantage just kind of like um, combining different worlds. And then transitioning those styles into Crossfit and then one person they tell me she's like I think your style you have that style because of the the years of weddings that you shoot that you shot. Um and you just just. Have that like warmer color feel you use the sun differently you use different angles and I'm like I mean it kind of makes sense right? like um, you just combine worlds and different styles and then you provide something kind of unique instead of somebody that just did sports photography the whole time.

28:04.70
aaronmannes
Yeah, that's very very true Seth and I talk about it all the time when we we go on our trips or we meet up a couple times a year and we're usually shooting some sort of um product along with it. Ah primarily we do wildlife and landscape photography. So.

28:04.84
smacey
Um, right.

28:20.74
aaronmannes
Using a wildlife lens to do clothing portraits is very interesting but it gives a very different look and it's almost easier for for us for me to kind of observe the person as if they're an animal doing something far away I'm not directing them but like more candid. And get that weird compression with a six hundred millimeter that's different than anything they're going to see in terms of like a typical photo shoot for photograph or um for clothing and it just adds like the skill set just adds and adds and ads where you can do a lot of different things because you have. All these different experiences with different lenses different looks different editing styles different light usage and you can use things from weird weird genres to create things in other genres and and just make it flow in a very unique way which I think is the name of the game. With so much oversaturation and the technology and the ability to buy a camera and take some great photos right? off the shelf I think being able to compose and have some uniqueness to that is ah is paramount to be successful.

29:33.22
Carlos Bown
I agree yeah harper.

29:34.51
smacey
All right? Let's get back to this journey. The journey to read to to reiterate his story is super awesome and how he came to America and started his journey is cool. Oh it's not that cool all right? well.

29:35.79
aaronmannes
Yeah, the journey do stop. But.

29:43.11
Carlos Bown
I ah now and I'm nervous. Maybe I'll tell a story. Everybody's like ah it's not that that yeah, um, so I was born in Venezuela caracas the capital of Venezuela and honestly like my whole child I had a great parents.

29:49.57
aaronmannes
We'll put dramatic music in the background at least sick.

30:02.44
Carlos Bown
Great childhood, nothing that I can complain about but obviously like living in Venezuela was never safe or easy. You know like there is we're not going to get into it but it's just a tough country to have like a bright future and whatever you want to do right Um. So since I was like thirteen years old I always wanted to go to America I'll watch Tv shows and I'll be like gosh I want to I want to go there. How can we make this happen like ah I want to I want to live in the United States all the bands I will listen to I'm a huge music guy so all the bands I will listen to you though. You know, remember the Mtv days music videos and stuff like that and I'll be like dude this looks like such a blast like I want to I want to be there I want to go to to that country and um, growing up I was a golf player I wasn't the venezuelan national teams team since I was.

30:57.13
aaronmannes
Um, ah.

30:58.34
Carlos Bown
I think maybe late 1415 years old I traveled to 8 or 9 different countries representing Venezuela and that's my plan the whole time I want to go to I want to get a gulf scholarship and go to the to the United States and play n c a golf um when I was thirteen years old I mean there's an interview I can I can probably send you guys I screenshot but I got an interview when I was thirteen years old and they asked me what's your biggest goal ah like what will be like a perfect the future for you all what we want it to be and I said I want to get a scholarship and move to United States um when I was seventeen years old I told my parents I was tired of being in I don't want to be in Venezuela anymore. There's no future for me there. Um, one time I went out with some friends and my mom got a call saying that his son was um, kidnapped and they start asking her for questions. And while this happening they were trying to call me and I for some reason I didn't I wasn't you know I wasn't with my phone and it was like the ten worst minutes of my mom's life. They were just trying to get her quick like hey send us money your son is getting napped without knowing where I was.

32:06.67
aaronmannes
Um, and have.

32:08.82
Carlos Bown
And she calls me again and I'm like oh hey, how are you doing and she's like crying like are you okay, this whole thing and when that happened they said I think enough enough we're gonna figure out how to how to get you there you it seems like you're somebody that really like wants this bad and you're just not gonna go around and you know do. Crazy things older right? I was seventeen years old and I moved to Orlando area. So my plan was after finishn high school once I moved here um was to play as many junior tournaments as I could so coaches will go to all those junior tournaments and they'll like try to recruit good people. Good players and I play a few tournaments and I got some offers I got 2 main offers one to go to University Of Memphis and 1 to go to University Of West Florida ah Memphis seemed a little more attractive. It was a top 20 at that point it was ranked top 20 enty d one um the scholarship wasn't as good university west florida I knew some people were playing there. That's here in pensacola and the coach I know for some reason the way he was like interacting with me. It's like hey come to a visit. Let's do it I came here to pensacola I spend about two days my dad came with me. And I loved the school I loved everything the team and I said let's do it. let's let's go to university west florida and long story short. That's where it's been four years playing and ncla golf had great 4 years um golf wasn't shortly after I think it was my sophomore year I

33:43.87
Carlos Bown
Realized that this wasn't going to be um, my future I started now playing the way I wanted to as I realizing that it's you know it's really hard to be up there and but I so finished my 4 years I had a grade you know 4 years of college got on my bachelors in business management. Um, right? after that I said what am I gonna do now. Um I really have no plan I'm just gonna get an Mba so I finished in the summer of Twenty sixteen two weeks after I started my Mba um to recap a little bit I got a call. Ah, the end of my senior you're and they're like hey if you want to do your master's here and ah university west florida your gpa ranks to point that you can get your first semester completely free and then you can work as a teacher teacher assistant and we can pay for your for your degree I'm like. Don let's do it free Mba I mean free. You have have to work as a ta and two more years I got my masters in business administration. Um in the week that I was the week that I was supposed to.

34:41.56
aaronmannes
Um.

34:54.70
Carlos Bown
Graduate and I was like you know there's gonna be great. My family is coming here. Um, well actually it was a month before my mom calls me and she says hey your dad has cancer um doctor told us that he has maybe two months and I was like ha out of nowhere like it just it kind of you know, kind of like sits you back and you're like I mean something you will never expect and everything's hard because you know they don't know if they can make it here right? My dad since day one. He's like whatever it takes I'm going to go there I want to see my son. You know, getting his degree and for him it was really really important to be here. Um I mean I've always said that my dad is the strongest person I've ever met and he just found that energy or something to for him to make it here. Um, and. Unfortunately the day that I was supposed to go that I supposed to go to my ceremony. He has a really bad. Um it. It was just a tough day. We called the ambulance and they sent him to the to the emergency room and. You know it was a terrible day. He he did the doctor pretty much says we don't know how long he has left but we have to surgery right away right? and brain cancer surgery in the brain long story short. Um.

36:23.85
Carlos Bown
It was probably a few weeks after that and and I'm thinking. Okay I just finished my Mba. My dad is very sick. What am I gonna do I really have no plan um have no jobs job off I had some job offers but I was like I want to do something that I know I can be with my dad.

36:43.43
Carlos Bown
And and that's when I was like well I've been I've been helping my gym with social media. What if um I get a better camera and I start doing social media for more businesses and that's pretty much where bound media started. Um. Right? When my dad got sick I wanted to spend as much time as possible with him I didn't want to have a 9 to 5 and then come back home and just hey that you know have to go back to work tomorrow and I just started figure started trying to figure it out there just trying to find clients going to a few restaurants in town. Hey. I really like doing social media. Can we work something out I come here 2 times a week take some photos from your social media. Um I'm learning how to take really good photos. You know you don't have to hire anybody I'm gonna take all your professional photos and yeah man it just kind of from there on it. Um, it just escalated into what I'm doing right now. I don't know how far you want to get into the the whole process of me getting to where I'm at right now but I always say that my dad getting sick. Unfortunately he he passed a few months after that, but my dad getting sick.

37:58.89
Carlos Bown
Me in ah you know in a route that I would have never expected and and probably would have never happened so I don't know if I always say that my dad it's the most important person that's ever my mom and dad had had awesome parents. But. Um, my dad was always that person that I looked up to I always thought since I was a kid he was the smartest person I've ever met in my life I always thought he was right I remember when I was like 8 and somebody told me you know like your that is actually not perfect. I'm like what do you mean is their parents are perfect right? Like you always think that um and. I don't know it. It almost felt like it was meant to happen even though it was the worst year of my life. Um, it kind of brought me into a world that I would would have never expected to be in which is content creation and and all this and you know. Um, since the beginning I I work hard I wanted to make him proud he was there for for a little bit of my early success getting my first social media client that was paying me okay money and you know I was always kind of like um you know keep keep trying he he's He's going to be proud of you and I want to make him proud.

39:12.51
smacey
Wow! yeah.

39:13.15
aaronmannes
Yeah man, Thanks for sharing that I mean that's obviously a tough story but ah hopefully you can look at it now as you know like you said like ah ah, a kismet sort of gift in a way to that little nudge a little that like.

39:25.33
Carlos Bown
Absolutely.

39:29.70
smacey
Are.

39:29.87
aaronmannes
Most beautiful gift most you know selfless like push in the right direction. You know.

39:33.76
Carlos Bown
Yeah, and it almost helps me all the time because there is a lot of projects that all I can think of it all I can think of is my dad will be really proud or I want to make my dad proud because you know. Thinking about my first project in golf that was my dad's passion right? and that was what brought us ah like really close together. He's the one that taught me how to play golf and it's what got me in in the United States you know my I owe this sport a lot but I never had the opportunity to do.

40:07.10
aaronmannes
Um.

40:10.10
Carlos Bown
To combine both worlds what I grew up with which was playing the spoor of golf and what I'm doing right now and I got a really cool opportunity to to make um like an ad type of deal for Scott Stallings which is a pg to a player and and.

40:25.31
aaronmannes
Yeah.

40:29.71
Carlos Bown
This day I think I think that was maybe a year and a half two years ago to this day. That's probably my favorite project I've ever done. Um and the whole time all I can think is is all I can think of is my dad like like like he'll be his mine will be. You know he wouldn't believe it that I'm doing this right? like. Kid from Venezuela and now he's doing something that he loves in the sport that he loves and shortly after that I got the opportunity to go to um the phoenix open with Scott and the players with him as well and every day I was just like.

41:06.34
aaronmannes
Yeah.

41:06.49
Carlos Bown
My dad was love too like I know he's looking. He's he's there with me but I know he's proud and it it helps you you know he brings you that like extra energy that extra push like hey he's he's watching and I want to make him proud.

41:23.59
aaronmannes
Yeah man, what a story? Um, and ah I mean first of all music golf photography I think we're the same person right Seth and the the hair the hair too. No it.

41:34.60
smacey
Um, yeah I was I was letting I was letting Carls get through his story and saying you guys should hit the hit the links together and I'll drive the cart.

41:41.72
aaronmannes
No, but beyond beyond that ah, just like I love that there's these There's these little things in life that just can be this um this like golden ticket this chip this it can move you. It can move you from Venezuela to America because of a. I'm going to call golf ah like a so stupid frustrating game. It really is but it's a silly game. Let's let's all whack a ball over and over into a small hole like for 5 hours it's crazy it's it's borderline insanity I think that we enjoy it so much. It's a weird.

42:02.14
Carlos Bown
It is.

42:09.81
smacey
Are.

42:17.40
aaronmannes
Magical sport it really is because it on paper just looks insane, but ah these little skills photography. Um, we can speak to that Seth just these communities these networkings all because of the camera um are retreats meeting people traveling all those things.

42:20.51
Carlos Bown
Yeah.

42:36.67
aaronmannes
Um, it's just it's so cool these things that you can put into your life and and really work at and and not quit on and just keep going and then it's it's like a video game like things unfold like levels unlock like oh you kept going for this long. This is unlocked now you know and you like you just level up and it's really cool to sit back and listen to a story like that and just see that sort of alchemy from Venezuela to here to running your own business getting your masters I mean not not to. Sidestep over that too your education and your master's pretty much paid for with a little bit of work and help. It's just an incredible story top to but bottom.

43:25.69
Carlos Bown
Yeah, and at the end I mean at the same time. Well first. Thank you so much for you know Um, the kind of words about all that but I feel like I don't think I like everything that I've accomplished is it was up to me. Um, like when I when I got here seventeen years old by myself like obviously I had great ah had a lot of support for my parents but they were in a different country right? I had to figure out myself. How to you know um cook how to do my own everything by yourself at that point like. You can get in a rabbit hole that it's itself to get out and um I just feel like again not to some cliche. But if I was able to do it I feel like anybody can like it's it's something that if a kid from Venezuela that.

44:03.56
aaronmannes
Um, and then.

44:21.34
Carlos Bown
Didn't know how to use a camera and out of nowhere finds out this passion and then creates his own business and um so far it's been pretty good I feel like anybody can do it just have to again I hate when it I sound cliche but it's it's so true like I feel like. A lot of people have a lot of excuses and in my mind I'm like there is such It's such a privilege just to be in this country being american being you know, surrounded by a lot of opportunities again. No not there is floss in every country. But. Just by being in this country, you're ready one step in front you 1 step ahead of everybody else. Um, and really like if you if you wanted like I have there's people from all the and there's people from Mexico from Venezuela South America that always ask me questions like hey.

45:03.35
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

45:17.45
Carlos Bown
Ah, do you get there and it's almost hard to like answer that question. It's like I'm not going to tell them hey yeah, just move to America and like figure it out. But at the end of the day like it's up to you to to make it happen and and um I mean I've I've always said that I've had um. And incredible support system like the friends that I've had along the way really have been incredible again. A great mom and dad that were there to support me and every time I needed it? Um, but but it's been great man I mean looking back I I don't often look back into. The the days of me like playing golf and like my Mba um, and obviously my dad's sickness. That's kind of something that you try to block often, but but all that made me who I am today and I think that's one of the reasons why I try not to take any opportunity for granted because I'm like. You know I made it this far like let's keep going. There's really I'm not gonna put myself limits right now I feel like I'm I mean I'm six two thousand and eighteen six years in as a full time photographer videographer I think I'm just getting started. You know there's so much.

46:27.90
aaronmannes
Yeah.

46:30.68
Carlos Bown
More to accomplish and and I'm not gonna get complacent now I'm you know it's just.

46:35.13
aaronmannes
No, and you you shouldn't and you said you know, not that anyone can do it but anyone can do it if they have one one key element which you do have is to be able to look fear in the face and kind of say. Like I'm going. Ah I'm going to keep going I'm gonna go anyways. Ah moving from a country to another country that that takes some sort of courage bravery or the need to flee right? So people that are comfortable often. Don't want to step outside of that comfort. You had enough discomfort I think to say well it is scary to move to a whole new country but maybe not as scary as here, right? like you had that that ability to to look at it and and just take that leap and once you do it one time. Once you get through that fear 1 time the next time you're ah so you're scared of something. It's easier to look back and go like yeah but I just did that and this is scary but I'm just going to push through I'm going to buy that drone and tellma I can do it because I'm a little nervous about it. But it's it's not worse than leaving my country to come to a new country. You know? so you you will again level up and build up and it's ah I think almost anyone can use that in aspects of their life if they're trying to do something or gain something but they have to be honest with themselves and say like do I really want to leave this.

48:08.16
aaronmannes
Spot that I'm in for the uncertainty of that new spot and that's why people move usually like their their situations change when they hit rock Bottom We talk about that a lot like things go really horribly, you're at Rock bottom.

48:20.19
smacey
In.

48:25.90
aaronmannes
You get? Ah, you go to the doctor and they say like you need to start exercising you like you don't have long to live. That's when you might start exercising like oh I'm ah I'm at Rock Bottom now I'm an exercise ah when the doctor said I was fine I didn't change any of my habits right? So I think it's just interesting. Ah, to to think about and reflect when we're all sitting here listening to this story and and being like ah there is this thing I want to do But What's holding me back is it I'm too comfortable. Is it fear is it I have excuses whatever the excuses are probably a root of fear and not wanting to move or put yourself into Danger. So It is just ah of of I don't know I Love the story.

49:06.77
smacey
I think what's interesting too and Aaron you just kind of touched on this is sometimes pain or significant pain or when our backs are against the wall is is fuel for a lot of people I mean there's no, there's no.

49:19.28
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

49:24.60
smacey
Better way to say it for myself I think unfortunate events were an igniter for me to be on a trajectory of photography and want to do the podcasts and just like try to be better in every aspect of my life. It wasn't when I was all hunky Dorian like comfortable. Slacking off and doing nothing and you know same for you right? You found your photography through. Not so nice times. Um I think what you're what you're talking about too is and this relates to carlos' story is that there's an undeniable stack of proof.

49:48.67
aaronmannes
Yeah, absolutely.

50:01.61
smacey
That I'm able to overcome things that are thrown at me right? As as you go as as you go through your life and you can build this list of this stack of undeniable Proof. You can look at that list and this is what I'm I'm actually physically writing this out right now I'm trying to go through the stages of my life. And write my own personal stack of undeniable proof that I can look at and say well this problem you're having right now or this difficulty or this barrier look at all these other ones that you overcame and you figured it out. There's no, don't even.

50:31.24
aaronmannes
Yeah.

50:36.44
smacey
Think about making an excuse. It doesn't make sense to and I think for anyone I think for anybody who finds himself routinely making excuses start this list start a stack of undeniable proof that you you have the ability even if it's small stuff if you want to read more.

50:39.52
Carlos Bown
That's a good reminder for.

50:39.94
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

50:55.76
smacey
Read a page of a book write that down in your stack of undeniable proof I have the ability to get through a page if you can get through 1 page you can get through 2 you can get through 3 you can get through 4 you get to that point where it's just you can't argue with objective evidence in front of you. And Carlos' ' story shows that figured out how to get out of Venezuela figured out how to get a golf scholarship figured out how to be a ta and pay for a school figured out how to make photography a thing that list is large and will continue to grow and when the next difficult thing comes you just look at the lists whether it's in your head or on paper.

51:21.23
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

51:26.26
aaronmannes
Yeah, and 1 one more very important thing I'm going to try to unravel is if you go back and listen to Carlos Story again there is very little negative speech. Even even the worst part of that story.

51:28.40
smacey
Right.

51:40.61
smacey
Good point.

51:45.19
aaronmannes
Was like yes I know that was a horrible time but I do look at it as somewhat of a gift right? The whole time is a He's telling his body and Brain. What's the Bright. So How do I want to label this. How do I want to perceive this. How do I want to shape my world with my words. And words are magic like they really are and there's for every carlos in that situation. There's many people that would that would just pull the ejector seat and be like oh my dad's sick I got a bail on everything you know like I got bail on school I got a bail on golf I'm going home to to help out. Ah and. Not that. That's an excuse and not that that's not a good thing necessarily to do families very important of course. Ah, but I'm just saying the way we talk about things we can make it a huge tragedy or we can make it not so pleasant, but okay and we're going to get through it.

52:27.21
smacey
Um, right.

52:41.95
aaronmannes
Like there's just there's just no one that's going to hide from the nastiness of life. There's no one out there. That's going to not have shitty things thrown in their face throughout this lifetime. It's it's impossible. So at that knowing that we have two choices we can.

52:54.29
Carlos Bown
I'm sorry.

53:00.60
aaronmannes
Really dwell in the negative and the victimhood of it which is kind of silly because everyone's going through it therefore by definition. It's a normal normal so or we can use it to find the silver lining find the gift find the push find The. Um, the piece the the lesson whatever it may be to keep going to be nudged to be put a fire under you Whatever it may be is a big part of that is his language and everyone out there your language I don't. I Can't fly a drone I've never fallen a drone before versus? Yeah yeah, I'll figure it Out. It's as simple, it's It's the language and you're telling yourself. Ah best A better. Go figure this out versus now I'm not gonna.

53:43.81
smacey
Um, right right.

53:52.50
smacey
And back to the the stack fund now proof I've figured it out before like we got to start making that list long by doing stuff right? Otherwise you have nothing to look back on. You have no confidence right.

53:59.65
Carlos Bown
You know and it's yeah this industry I mean I will say and anything and that anybody can do. It's It's such. Ah, it's such a mind mindset thing I've always felt like.

54:00.55
aaronmannes
Um, yeah, yeah.

54:16.37
Carlos Bown
I've always feel like I've been I'm a positive person I kind of um, see things in a very positive way. Of course I there's gonna be moments that you can um, go back into you know, kind of like the well on things. But I've always felt like ah i'm. Um, positive and and I try to make the most out of it but mindset is so important in in our industry because really, there's no, um, no ceiling when it comes to like the clients that you want to work for. Clients you want to work with or like the people you want to share the floor with it's um, it's crazy just by you saying that I start thinking about like our people that I've had the pleasure to work with and like some of the goals they had um and which I just remember talking about like. Wouldn't he be sick if if at some point I'm just thinking about my friend carly her goal was always to work in the bodybuilding industry and like find more of the you know the the per the instead of like the spoor of bodybuiling more like. Ah, people to know the athlete through her photography like the the sad moments the happy moments that whenever they win when are they backstage and she always said I would love to work with seabum which I mean at that point like Chris Bum said is.

55:48.20
Carlos Bown
You know, undeniably the most the the most famous person. Um in that industry and ah 2 people in the whole industry get to work with them and it's the photographer the videographer and then there's probably hundreds of thousands or thousands of people trying to the same thing. Um.

55:51.89
smacey
Are.

56:06.46
Carlos Bown
And she always had that mindset like I just really want to do it I'll make it happen reaching out to people making connections and I mean long story short that was about two years ago she's been working with him for a full year um it just something that just kind of opens your your eyes or like. I mean a year before she was saying that I was like her ultimate goal and now she's doing that and even when I go back to like the clients I've worked with it's it's something that I remember seeing this athletes as like the top of the top right? like.

56:26.99
smacey
A wow.

56:42.60
Carlos Bown
Wow like if I ever get to take a photo of them. They'll be crazy and then to the point that you're traveling with them and getting to you know, ah tell their story using your equipment and there is only handful of people that do that and then there's thousands of people that want to do the same thing like.

57:01.41
Carlos Bown
I Always think like why me like why was I put in this position that I'm getting to work with dream clients and and that's when you look back and you feel you you started like trying to figure out like why did I get these opportunities that people don't and at the end of the day. It's just it's your your mind.

57:16.40
aaronmannes
Are are.

57:21.30
Carlos Bown
Like I like to again I don't want to get super like in the woo woo part of it but I like to manifest a lot of things that write I write I write down things I you know I want to do this and it just really helps me and even if it's even if.

57:25.90
aaronmannes
Now Let's do it.

57:30.30
smacey
Um.

57:39.70
Carlos Bown
It doesn't like directly help you to get a client whenever you write it down like your goals or like things that you want to do in the future and you like close your eyes and you think you you put yourself in that position. Um, if at some point you actually get that position. It's almost like you've been there before. You've already lived through that moment you're like okay like I created this now. Let's make it happen instead of being Morph ah of a shock and I often think about it I'm like how I don't know if you guys are up you know in the know about the crossfit.

58:14.45
smacey
Yeah, let's get into that.

58:15.22
Carlos Bown
Um, industry. But there is 2 big names. There's 2 big names. Um both technically 3 big names of like all time goats and one is rich ffraning and the other one's Matt Fraser um and I've had the opportunity to follow rich frowning. Through his last two year two thousand and twenty one to the last two years of his career I was his photographer um, the only photographer that he had at the crossy games. So everything that he posted in the last two years was my photos. And I used to look at rich running before I even did photography I will look his Youtube videos and he'll be like a god to me right? like this is the guy that's like the goat like 4 times cross against champion and then I got in the opportunity to that in my mind. It's kind of like how did this happen. And then a few years after that now I'm working more closely with Matt Fraser which is the 5 times crosser games champion. Um, right? off rich. There was a gap one year gap in between and then he won five years in a row and now I'm doing his Youtube channel I you know. Follow him closely I do a lot of his ads with a few other content creators. But again, it's 3 of us. How did I get this opportunity that a lot of people won and again I don't want to sound like cocky or anything. But I think I've put myself in so in that situation.

59:46.27
Carlos Bown
To get those opportunities like I created my own opportunities I didn't expect anything from anybody and I think that's something that I see a lot. There is people expecting to receive opportunities and to just wait for them to like ah hey which it can happen sometimes somebody reaches out to you hey? ah.

59:57.18
aaronmannes
Um.

01:00:03.84
Carlos Bown
You want to come to this project with me and stuff like that. But if you really want to get those opportunities you have to put yourself in that situation Network create relationships you know, ah use your mind as an you know as an advantage like I like to manifest things as I said before and you know like.

01:00:20.70
aaronmannes
Um.

01:00:22.30
Carlos Bown
Create your own opportunities open your own doors If you'd expect people to do that. You're going to end up in a rabbit hole of I I saw the day one of the guys that I know he posted something like ah I Just don't understand people that are not willing to help you to open something like that that in my mind really.

01:00:23.14
aaronmannes
Yeah.

01:00:42.22
Carlos Bown
Like I understand what he's saying like a lot of people are not willing to like help others but at the same time if you live in that mindset of like expecting people do things for you. You're just going to be stuck in the same spot like go get it. You know like get get your own create your own opportunities.

01:00:58.32
smacey
Right? I think what you're talking about is the difference between people who make life happen and those who react to life those are 2 very distinct things.

01:01:13.62
Carlos Bown
Yeah, yeah.

01:01:16.40
smacey
And I think it's it's important to try and figure out how we can start making life happen as opposed to reacting to the things that come our way because then you're not in control of your destiny.

01:01:23.83
Carlos Bown
Yeah, absolutely yeah.

01:01:24.34
aaronmannes
Yeah, yeah, when you're when you're Seth to the point I think because I just keep thinking about this is when you're when you're very comfortable. You're going to react you'll react to things that might take you out of your comfort when you're. Uncomfortable. You're going to move because you want to get into comfort. You want to get into a better situation. So to Seth's point of running and marathons and cold plunges is creating those little biospheres of disk.

01:01:44.86
smacey
Right.

01:01:59.15
smacey
Of al.

01:02:02.70
aaronmannes
Of ow of discomfort and getting through it. Ah for overall like me, you're doing well you have clothes you have shelter you have you have a girlfriend you have a cute dog like life's pretty good overall um, it's hard to work and now I work carlo sono if you know this but I work in a middle school. So I have like tons of data of kids and like just mental like observation of what's going on and I'll have this conversation many times. It's my new thing to say the kid will be like what do you want to do in your future but I want to be a professional golfer. Oh yeah, let me see your screen time. Oh 8 hours yesterday trade 8 hours of your screen time with practicing golf and I guarantee that you will have a career or college or some sort of profession in golf if you put 8 hours a day into golf versus being on your phone. The the.

01:02:57.92
Carlos Bown
I'll scroll here.

01:02:59.31
aaronmannes
Overall environment nowadays and this is one school in 1 town in 1 state of the United States so it's not everywhere and it's not everyone. But I believe looking at kids' sports the way they hold themselves. It is very easy to be a savage and. The top in your sport the top in your field. The top pianist the top guitarist if you know how to avoid all the distractions. Avoid the comfort. Avoid the door dash delivery avoid netflix 1000 videos on Tv and you can say I'm going to go practice my skill. While everyone else is being distracted. You can be a savage but that skill takes taking yourself out of the comfort and making yourself uncomfortable and not very many people want to do that kind of.

01:03:41.50
Carlos Bown
Absolutely thank you.

01:03:53.60
Carlos Bown
Absolutely I agree. Yeah I will be a lot more competition I after right ahead? yeah.

01:03:56.41
smacey
Um, good though, good though because then then when you when you show up, you're already ahead of 99% of people by just showing up and strapping your shoes on or picking up your camera and going outside.

01:03:58.15
aaronmannes
Mike drop.

01:04:03.21
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

01:04:11.24
smacey
Like you're ahead of everyone and that feels I'm sorry that feels good. It feels good personally I'm not saying it's oh yeah, like people wallow down below. But when when you're out running for example, like I was today and it was cold and there's nobody around I'm like sweet.

01:04:14.30
aaronmannes
Yeah.

01:04:14.51
Carlos Bown
Yeah.

01:04:28.31
Carlos Bown
Take.

01:04:30.20
smacey
Just all I did was walk outside. You know there's nothing special about me to be able to do that at all and I think that's what separates really like when you look up to really great people. They're very good at just being consistent at boring things.

01:04:36.13
Carlos Bown
Yeah.

01:04:48.57
smacey
I mean it's not very rare are the lebron James where it's just an insane talent mixed with the incredible work ethic. Those are one in a billion most people who are who excel at things are just very good at continuing to show up routinely.

01:04:48.65
aaronmannes
Um.

01:04:57.11
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

01:05:03.78
Carlos Bown
Absolutely.

01:05:04.70
aaronmannes
Yeah, but yeah and how many how many people are Lebron James's height thousands hundreds of thousands probably that just don't have that work ethic so he has both and it creates like this chemistry of ah an absolute monster. But.

01:05:16.74
smacey
Um, right.

01:05:22.24
aaronmannes
There there's there's tons of people that do have the talent that just never tap into the work part of it.

01:05:26.92
Carlos Bown
I always say and I think and ah put in my head. So. It's a reminder everything that I do every client that I work with I'm replaceable. There is thousands of people that can do exactly what I do and there is an are thousands of people that probably do it a lot better than I do um. Again I'm I'm confident in the work that I provide but I know there's people that do it better right? And probably people do it better than me in the same industry as well and I'm replaceable. There is always that you know it's in the back of my head like hey you're gonna if you're if you get comfortable. You get complacent. You're gonna get replaced is a simple as that like there's so many people that want to do this and they're working hard to do it if if you take you know if you take it easy for a year. You're gonna struggle the year after hundred percent and

01:06:07.29
smacey
Ah.

01:06:23.40
aaronmannes
Um.

01:06:25.10
Carlos Bown
What you said Um Seth I love you. You mentioned that because ah always I remember getting started I will constantly think I know that I'm working harder than the people are trying to do the same thing that I want to do I'm just going to be 1 step ahead of them. All the time I'm gonna try to be 1 step ahead all the time of them all the time and um, the first time I went to the crossfi games was in 2019 which I was a complete rookie I was in the media pi I was like I don't I don't even know what I'm doing here I was probably ah. I don't know if you rank from 1 to 10 of like 10 being somebody very experienced good photographer I was probably a two so I was completely out of my league I got an opportunity because of some but a friend that I knew and long story short I end up on the media pit at the crossy games but I had no business there. But he gave me that push I'm like how how are all these people here and doing such a good job like there is no ah answer then they just work their ass off to get there. Um, and in the back of my head I always thought like the next time a step um the the next time I come here. As you said Aaron I want to be a savage like I want people to look at me and be like oh shit. That's Carlos you know like I seeing his work that that meant grind grinds and that was always my goal I was like if I ever come back here I don't want to be that rookie guy that just I you know shoot up with this camera and it's like.

01:07:55.77
Carlos Bown
You know people are walking in front of you. You're like oh sorry you know I want to be that guy that I'm like that people look up like holy shit like these dude I've seen his stuff. It's really good and his work ethic is great and you know he's here to to fuck shit up and absolutely.

01:08:09.51
smacey
Right? But you had to be the rookie First you had to be That's the point right? you you can't jump levels. You can't jump steps the fastest way is through it right.

01:08:10.30
aaronmannes
Um, yeah I Love it.

01:08:14.86
Carlos Bown
Yeah.

01:08:18.24
Carlos Bown
Yeah, and I love to remind people to that I see being that rookie first and then then now we're doing really cool stuff I love to remind them like dude. Do you remember in 2021 that competition that you were like you didn't know what you were doing. Look at you now. Do you have you? You're crushing it don't don't forget about those days like you know like it's it's very yeah and I tell people the time like to be proud of yourself. There is such a crazy thing like oh you know, like being proud of yourself selfish.

01:08:43.70
smacey
Aaron and I do that too routinely.

01:08:45.75
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

01:08:56.00
Carlos Bown
I Think you should be super proud of what you're doing I think you but both of you should be really proud of what you're building here like you know talking to content creators in a podcast you know hundreds of people listen to it I think you guys should be really proud of what you've built. You know like what are what's the percentage of people that want to do it and.

01:08:57.38
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

01:09:08.56
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

01:09:10.30
smacey
Um, thank you.

01:09:15.17
Carlos Bown
What's the percentage of people out of that percentage that actually you know 3 4 years in a podcast. They're still doing it be proud of it. Be proud of.

01:09:20.50
aaronmannes
Was that you Seth you had some interesting stats about podcast. Do you have a mom.

01:09:22.41
smacey
Yeah I mentioned that it's funny. You mentioned that I mentioned it I sent the stats to Aaron it's 90% of podcasts stop at 3 up but 3 or less episodes and then of that 10% 90% of that like of of that 10% 90%

01:09:41.37
Carlos Bown
Wow.

01:09:41.69
smacey
Stop after twenty. So if you have a podcast that goes 21 episodes or more you're in the top 1 percentile of any podcast ever so 211

01:09:47.92
Carlos Bown
Wow How many episodes have you guys done amazing. You see like that's something you should be so proud of it. It's I mean.

01:09:55.45
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

01:10:00.59
smacey
Um, and and and I I don't know about you Aaron but I get psyched saying we had another great episode. We had another great episode I try not to get too caught up on how many people listened I mean yeah, that's that's a good metric to keep track of but I mean. I'm more focused on the process of trying to build a good product because what's the saying the score takes care of itself right? I think is that a kobe Bryant thing he says I'm just focused on playing my game right? like the scoreboard will take care of itself.

01:10:22.43
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

01:10:27.51
Carlos Bown
Yeah.

01:10:32.75
aaronmannes
Yeah, another another Jack or a golf golf quote but um or bring it back to golf Jack Nicholas said I feel like you can never win I'm paraphrasing. You can never win until you're completely okay with losing and I think that's like an important thing too like you you.

01:10:47.29
Carlos Bown
Yeah.

01:10:50.51
aaronmannes
You're not, you won't allow yourself to be relaxed and do the best that you can unless you're afraid to potentially like make a mistake if you you know Carl if you get if you get tense in golf. You start slicing it off the map. You just lose your rhythm if you start aiming it versus swinging free and just trusting. Process trusting you're swaying trusting the results will be there. Um, and it's the same with this Seth I agree I've when we started doing like Youtube and and I I log into there and see like views or this or that it's it's changed my mindset from where I was before. Where I have to be careful of that like not get down on like ah like this didn't get any views or sees or what's the point like any of that sort of negative talk you have to be very careful with and just say I'm going to make a great product I'm ah keep doing it I'm gonna. Keep just get through this sludge part where everyone goes like screw it screw it I'm out to I have so many better things to do like that you got to get through that part. No one. It could take 2 3 4 years it really could um but if you believe and keep going.

01:11:46.33
Carlos Bown
Call systems Abraham.

01:11:52.65
smacey
Um, right? and it's not sexy.

01:12:02.14
smacey
And you improve the product in that time frame too. You don't just be like oh same product like for 4 years you get to a point where you're comfortable at the product and you're like okay, let's take it up another level and then that accelerates and you get comfortable and then you take it up another level.

01:12:04.18
aaronmannes
Like course now of course yeah.

01:12:12.30
Carlos Bown
I I have have such a I have such a great quote for you guys? Um I don't know on top of the map of my head but I'll find it in a second. But yeah, it talks exactly.

01:12:18.27
smacey
I Guess it's just really not being satisfied.

01:12:22.86
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

01:12:31.22
Carlos Bown
about about that um let's see give me 1 sick and real quick before um, you were talking about golf quotes. There's another good one by gary player. Um I think it's gary player again I'm gonna paraphrase but somebody asked him how.

01:12:37.87
aaronmannes
Um, while you're finding and I've just yeah.

01:12:38.00
smacey
Um, yeah, no.

01:12:49.85
Carlos Bown
How is he so lucky on the golf course and we can look at his ah as ah like how are you how you get so lucky getting clients and he says it's funny that people say that and the only answer is that the more I do it the more I practice the lock here I get and it's so true like you just creating that.

01:12:53.10
aaronmannes
Um, you.

01:13:02.30
aaronmannes
Um, yeah, yeah, yeah.

01:13:05.71
smacey
Yeah I've heard I've heard the saying to be lucky, you have to be good and to be good. You have to be lucky I've heard that one which is kind of corny. But.

01:13:08.27
Carlos Bown
Ah path.

01:13:17.76
aaronmannes
Yeah, but it's true. It looks like we had that talk Seth who was it but that big discussion on is it talent. Maybe it was brooke is it talent or is it hard work person got offended with not offended, but um. Oh. You're so talented at your photography like yeah, okay, but thank you? But what's talent is it just the end result of what we're looking at but we but we use the word in a wrong way. You know he he.

01:13:46.81
smacey
Talents the innate ability off the bat to excel at something exactly yeah. Ah.

01:13:54.64
aaronmannes
I pick up a guitar and you know rip in front of someone they're like oh wow, you're so talented like I didn't just do that it took it took hours of practice and figuring it out and and whatnot like it wasn't just I was zero talent I had 0 talent.

01:14:03.27
Carlos Bown
Absolutely absolutely.

01:14:04.10
smacey
Right? But the talent the talent part would be if you were born with an inclination to understand music and sound and rhythm which some people are that doesn't necessarily that doesn't mean that the product of.

01:14:13.29
aaronmannes
Yeah, yeah.

01:14:20.66
smacey
What they create is because of that solely right, right? but.

01:14:21.57
aaronmannes
Right? And they slept to work to uncover it.

01:14:22.88
Carlos Bown
And our and yeah I found the quote so it's by ara glass it says I wish again, this is perfect for anybody listening. That's a you know content creator getting starting photography videography and you're kind of a spot that you don't know if it's. Go in the right way. So it says I wish someone told me all of us who do who do creative work we get into this because we have good taste but there's this gap for so for the first couple of years you make stuff. It's just not that good. It's trying to be good. It really has potential but it's not there yet. Ah, your taste. The thing that got you into games that into the game is still killer and your taste is why your work disappoints you a lot of people never get past this face. They quit most people I know who do who do interesting creative work went through years and years of this we know our work doesn't have to be the special thing that we want that we wanted to have we all go through this and if you are just getting if way and if you are just starting out or you're just getting this face. You gotta know it's normal and it's the most important thing you can do um. Most important thing got the fun and so small important thing you can do and the most important thing you can do is a lot of work put yourself on a deadline so every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap and your work will be as good as your ambitions. So again.

01:15:56.22
smacey
That would have been tough for you to remember off by heart.

01:15:57.61
aaronmannes
Um, yeah, yeah, ah.

01:15:58.15
Carlos Bown
So Summar Onset Nush Yeah to summarize said is that um by looking at the screen and then on my phone. My view will like all over the place but to summarize that the way I understand this is that whenever we get started. We have like this like.

01:16:06.99
aaronmannes
Um, the ah.

01:16:14.27
Carlos Bown
Idea of like what's what's good for us and like we have ambitions and like we have that awesome like for us again photography videography on art and it's so subjective what you create is like what you think it's cool and and you know the taste is there but your work what you're producing is not. Quite where you want it to be and that's the that's the gap that we'll go through from the moment we get started to the moment that people make it and that gap is where most people I will say ninety plus ninety percent of the people quit because they they have this idea of like I know where I want to be.

01:16:41.31
smacey
Right.

01:16:53.40
Carlos Bown
I know I have good taste but my work hasn't caught up with that yet and then they they just stop right? And what you're saying like maybe both of you like your goal is to have I don't know 5000 viewers per episode but you're not there yet, but you know. Your your product's good. You have to keep that consistency you eventually gonna get there if you know that your product is good and you have that taste that ambition just keep going and don't quit in that gap that most people quit and then that's it like you'll you'll never know.

01:17:27.90
smacey
Yeah I think the hard part for some people is how do I know my product's good like how do I know whether to keep on pushing or whether I need to change something up. That's a very difficult question and I don't exactly have any answers.

01:17:37.10
Carlos Bown
That is true. Yeah, very yeah.

01:17:41.11
aaronmannes
Yeah, yeah I think you have to believe in it. You have to be a little bit crazy a little bit just sort of I believe in this product and there's a for every business. That's successful. There's probably many that aren't um, but.

01:17:47.90
Carlos Bown
Yeah.

01:17:57.49
aaronmannes
But yeah, the the cream rises to the top if you work through it and there is something unique. There is something solves a problem that people want whatever it is um if you keep working at it and pushing it's I don't say it's hard to fail but I feel like it's It's hard to not move somewhere with.

01:18:16.53
smacey
Um, right sorry to not move forward.

01:18:17.16
aaronmannes
Anything if you really again if you really want to there's there are a lot of hours in the day if you remove the garbage if you're that's who that's who.

01:18:25.66
Carlos Bown
Yeah, our percent.

01:18:26.23
smacey
There is also a lot. You can get done in very few hours of the day if you emphasize your focus.

01:18:30.31
Carlos Bown
A yeah.

01:18:36.37
aaronmannes
Sure I'm just saying like practice and learning or studying or even like just remember the beginning I remember the photoshop Youtube tutorial days you know coming down being excited putting it on the big screen and like taking notes like that that was a wild and crazy Friday night. But.

01:18:39.81
smacey
Um, bright.

01:18:50.50
Carlos Bown
For shearmer.

01:18:55.53
Carlos Bown
Yeah.

01:18:55.95
aaronmannes
I wanted to be doing it. You know these conversations were like this. They're rejuvenating like we'll get off and it was yeah Seth and I will talk him we'll like well we'll.

01:19:02.30
smacey
I Feel like you need to go lift weights now I.

01:19:05.61
Carlos Bown
Um, 100%

01:19:09.45
aaronmannes
Re hash this conversation for the next couple days like oh that was a really great point like let's we should make a reel out of that or I really think this conversation kind of encompassed our whole show. So I'm like really really jazzed up about it. Um, and all our all our episodes.

01:19:20.81
smacey
Um, I would agree with that. Actually.

01:19:27.63
aaronmannes
Have something. There's always something to walk away with but this one I'm like I'm giddy because it's like oh this is the whole point of the show. So it's great.

01:19:35.82
Carlos Bown
Yeah, and I mean I agree with everything you're saying there is something so special about like you know sharing. Um these moments with I or or people that you know do similar stuff in you. It just almost feels like was say rejuvenating like. Gosh like it's It's so exciting just to like for me like ah being here. It's it's it's something I Enjoy I Love podcast and it's something I haven't done too much lately and it's like it. It almost feels like ah you know like I love being been in this position.

01:20:05.52
aaronmannes
Speaking of that. What are you? Yeah tell tell us about your podcast that you're gonna that you're gonna pick back up the transition that we had the moment I took it.

01:20:08.40
smacey
Yeah, what's your podcast you be on a hiatus Aaron just Aaron just throws it out expecting him to pick up on it.

01:20:16.81
Carlos Bown
Yeah, um, yeah, it's um I'm 39 episode thirty nine yeah 39 episodes in Oregon very good and I guess the the one I'm gonna do is a thirty ninth ah but yeah I e.

01:20:26.20
smacey
Um, hey you're in the top 1 percentile podcasts.

01:20:34.53
Carlos Bown
I created the podcast it was it kind of links with everything we've talking about. We've been talking about because I feel like what you just said Aaron um that whenever you're getting started you like get excited about doing something new and learning new things and um in. 2022 I think it was at the end of 22 I felt like I got to a point that I was like so stuck creatively that I wasn't doing anything fun anymore. I was just working and I wasn't learning new things or that's where my mind was going to I was like what's happening like I feel like I'm not creative. Um I just I'm not like motivated to or I guess it's not our motivation thing but I just felt like I wasn't doing anything that will bring me back to those days of like oh I want to try something new I want to do something new and and it literally was a full week that I couldn't sleep at night I was like what's. What's happening like my mind is like rushing all the time like what's what's wrong with me and one day one night I woke up with idea of like I woke up with idea of um, what if I make a podcast I enjoy talking to people I love um, learning. Story and the journey about or people that you know do stuff that that's similar to what I do and I woke up with that idea in my mind on Mike Gosh it sounds like such a great idea. Um, you'll definitely be something new I hate being in front of a camera talking.

01:22:07.94
Carlos Bown
English not my first language. It'll definitely be a challenge like I never feel comfortable being you know, recorded live and talking just to random people like you know, being your second language you always have even though I've been this country for 1213 years you always have the little bit of like insecurity that it's not your first language you have an accent or people gonna think you sound dumb. Um, but yeah and I will say yeah if I if I make a podcast is's gonna be really uncomfortable. But it's gonna challenge me in a really good way and I know I'm going to get a lot of positives out of it and as I said it was that morning I started thinking about that I called my friend Ariel Martinez he he has a videoography podcast. He's had for for years. He's had you know, big guests and that. Podcast and I call him like Ariel I just woke up with this crazy idea of like me starting my own podcast. Um, can you give me some tips. He's like yeah bro. Absolutely we talked for about 15 minutes and then I call my orphan. Our friend Matt Susa he's the producer of another podcast in the crossfit industry. It's nothing related to photography. It's just in crossfid in general and that's all I I my hey I know you're producing this podcast can you help me out. Yeah, get this software get this mike this dad like that that'll be they'll be.

01:23:32.33
Carlos Bown
You know, great like you should do it and I'm like right I guess we're doing it I order everything of b and h the day after turn the camera on and I'm saying hey guys I'm gonna start a new thing a new project I'm super excited I'm Goingnna start a podcast called the content lab podcast and it's going to have. People just like me were gonna be sharing our journey from big you know, like um, anything that's interested to talk about and we're gonna have great conversations and and hopefully people can learn from it. You know, like content part the content lab podcast is coming up soon. Stay tuned.

01:24:08.45
smacey
Um, awesome.

01:24:08.60
Carlos Bown
Ah, got my all my equipment learn how to use everything a few days after that I'm running the first episode shaking it was I mean I don't go back to that episode and and like listen to it because it is even though some people enjoyed it I mean it was um I think it.

01:24:20.72
smacey
Um.

01:24:26.10
Carlos Bown
A lot of people got a lot of positives out of it and he taught me a lot and then um, maybe not connected to it. But from the moment that I started my podcast my business Also Um, when kind of like ah you know on a good positive. Um, route and I think it's because I put myself in a situation that was really uncomfortable. It was a new challenge and I was in that spot that I was like creatively like stuck that I'm not getting anything out of what I'm doing right now and it just kind of like brought me back into the the moments of like learning new things creating something from scratch. Let's have people let's talk to people about stuff that we enjoy talking about. And yeah, you know it's ah it's one of the best decisions I've made and you know I've enjoyed every every episode. It's been been. Great. Yeah, well have my.

01:25:16.58
aaronmannes
It's really cool.

01:25:17.85
smacey
That's so awesome. How are your camera batteries guys. Are they good.

01:25:21.78
aaronmannes
I'm yeah I'm getting let him.

01:25:23.30
Carlos Bown
My camera has two. It has a double battery thing So I'm on my second one.

01:25:26.27
smacey
Okay, well we'll wrap up soon. Aaron how is yours all right? Well just one point I want to make from what you said there was. It's so important when you're asking for advice from people who are in an industry or a position where they know what they're talking about when they give advice. Just.

01:25:31.88
aaronmannes
I'm all right.

01:25:46.30
smacey
Just do it. You know like just listen and execute it I think there's there's a lot of people who I feel like who get advice I'm like well I know it's like well what.

01:25:49.22
Carlos Bown
Absolutely I.

01:25:50.63
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

01:25:54.40
Carlos Bown
I and the reason why I did everything so fast is because I was like this is a great idea I know it's a great idea I know it's gonna be probably rough at the beginning. But if I wait two more days three more days to actually pull the trigger I'm not gonna do it. It's it was such a scary feeling. It's like 1 of those like you wake up, you're like oh I have to do this ah and then I just you know I'm going to do it already committed that I'm going to do it I order the equipment. Um I got the mic I got the roadcaster I'm doing you know and.

01:26:24.76
smacey
Nice.

01:26:24.78
aaronmannes
Yeah.

01:26:29.22
Carlos Bown
Yeah, it's ah it's a good reminder that you have to you know, go with your gut feeling man like if you if you really want to do something.. It's going to.. It's always going to be scary. Something new is going to be scary all the time. But if I mean there's only one way to figure it out. Just do it and then. I Mean What's the worst thing that could have happened I do a few episodes I didn't enjoy it. People didn't get the most out of it but hey I maybe learned some stuff that that would have been worst case scenario right? So at the end of the day. It's always gonna be something positive that you're gonna get out of it.

01:26:56.81
aaronmannes
Um, right.

01:27:01.95
smacey
Awesome ladies and gentlemen Carlos Bow thanks for joining us today man that was we'll have well have to have you on for part two because I still have a I still have a list stuff but we appreciate your time today.

01:27:03.89
aaronmannes
That's really cool. Yeah bravo.

01:27:08.76
Carlos Bown
Share it guys did I would love to absolutely? um, absolutely did really? that's awesome.

01:27:15.10
aaronmannes
Yeah, and we have to ah we have to golf sometime and and jam sometime see not like not like probably your level good but decent, a decent decent amateur now.

01:27:19.14
smacey
Yes, Erin's a very good gulfer. Carlos I forgot to mention that yes. Good enough to instruct it well guys.

01:27:30.80
Carlos Bown
That's great. Yeah, it's ah as you said it's a crazy sport before we leave Am Mana I Want to share a quick advice that I feel like um, a lot of people can get out of it and it's something that the more.

01:27:32.66
aaronmannes
Yeah.

01:27:38.74
smacey
Yeah, yes, please do.

01:27:47.21
Carlos Bown
Think about it I notice. It's true and this um in our world of this content creation photography videography. Whatever you want to call it people buy more into people than they buy into the product. So a lot of people ask me what like.? How do you maintain that like long lasting relationship with clients and as necessary before like I'm replaceable. But the thing that that people really like buy into it is that feeling of like family of like you know they really buy into the the person that you are if you're. As I say at the beginning we have good communication with a client I you get in ah in a spot that they feel safe. Um, they feel that you know you're they're a guy you know like the the person to go to. They're going to buy into who you are as a person and not as a product. The product is going to help you for sure if you don't have um. Ah, good product to get to the level. They're looking for. You're gonna get replaced. But if you have an okay product but you're a better person. You're gonna get more jobs and somebody that's really talented, but it's not.

01:28:55.26
Carlos Bown
And there's anyway to say there is not a good person I know a lot of people that are very talented but unfortunately they're not the best people in general and I see them struggling a lot. So if there's something I will Recommend. It's definitely um, be aware that people are watching people. See what you do be a good person help people if you're in a position that you can help people and know that your client's going to buy into who you are more than the product you provide.

01:29:21.52
smacey
Excellent, well for the second time ladies and gentlemen col us bound.

01:29:22.10
aaronmannes
Really good stuff.

01:29:25.31
Carlos Bown
Appreciate it guys. Let's do it again anytime I'm I'm always down for a for a podcast a good chat.

01:29:30.21
aaronmannes
Good chat.