Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Cassara.
Hi Anthony, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
During high school, I because fascinated with video production. I loved watching movies and wanted to learn how to make them myself. I have always been good with technology and computers, so it was natural for me to gain a deep understanding of how to work a camera.
I had my first experience being an Entrepreneur as I would make video slideshows for teachers (who would actually pay me) and videos for prom, the football team, and the basketball team. I soon had a small following of teachers who wanted video slideshows made for their families for the holidays.
A very important part of my personal story was the realization from my parents that I found something I was into and good at. My parents purchased a consumer camcorder for me and I would make movies with my sisters and my friends in the backyard, then edit them with editing software that I taught myself how to use.
When I went to college, this passion continued, and I earned a degree in Media Services while making money on the side using the University video equipment. After college, I became a video editor with Comcast SportsNet, but I always had a passion for small business. My father was an entrepreneur and always encouraged me to be in control of my own destiny. I put in my two weeks’ notice as a video editor for Comcast SportsNet in Chicago and instantly landed a retainer for double what I was being paid at Comcast. I then rented an office space, hired my first employee, and never looked back.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I tell people all the time that the number one thing you can do as a business owner is simply keep moving forward. We started our business in 2008, have gone through the very many ups and downs of the US economy, seen the evolution of new tech come and go, all the while staying true to our Four Golden Rules of do what you say, finish what you start, show up on time, and say please and thank you.
I have been fortunate in my now 20+ year career to position True Productions in a way it can evolve to the world outside the four walls of the office. For example, we used to have a large office space with multiple people, a lobby, pool table, green screen studio, and lots of salaries; and then Covid made us adapt to work from home, which then allowed us to have more time with our families and loved ones and not spend 90+ minutes each day in the car.
We positioned the business in a way that there are two major areas of focus. Web Development and Video Production. This helped balance the business during high-demand and slow times. When web is up, video may be slow and vise-versa.
What has not changed, however, is the dependability of my team and our main product of customer service.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
True Productions is a boutique, digital agency specializing in video production, website development, and marketing automation services. We work mainly with small businesses and owners and marketing directors. We are different because we have fanatical customer service and we are the opposite of waiting on hold and trying to get a hold of somebody to help you.
All of our services cater to what small businesses need to be successful online. We focus on Servant Leadership and live by our Four Golden Rules which drive everything we do. We run on the EOS operating system for task management and stay committed to a small team of people that are treated with respect.
I would very much want people to know that we offer incredible customer service and hands-on project management. We use our unique toolset allowing us to build unbelievable website experiences for fractions of what they would normally cost somewhere else.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
I really do believe the number one thing you can do when starting a new venture or learning to play an instrument or changing your diet or starting to exercise or whatever it is you want to achieve is to do whatever the thing is consistently.
Research the thing, commit to the thing, and do the thing. Consistently.
Noticeable change doesn’t happen overnight. When I first started True Productions, it was a video company and then a client said to us, “Can you help me with my website needs because I don’t like my current web person?” I said, “sure, we could help you with that!” even though I had no idea what I was doing.
The result? We added a whole new division to True Productions. It was fake it ’till you make it for sure. The same thing happened with our CRM division.
Over the years, there’s been a great combination of saying “Yes!” to certain things, but also having the courage of saying “No” to others. You must always be willing to learn something new. A quote that I always go back to is, “A pro is always in school.”
At True Productions, we serve as somebody’s trusted authority, and we help our clients and guide them through the evolution of technology in their lives and work. Another important lesson is that you can’t teach somebody something that they think they already know.
You have to continue to have an open mindset and be willing to learn.
Pricing:
- $799 for Essentials Package
- $1,999 for Strategic Package
- $2,799 for Growth Package
Contact Info:
- Website: https://trueproductions.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tpmediaservices/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tpmediaservices
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonycassara/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@trueproductionsllc
- Other: https://trueprolaunch.com/
