169: Lessons Learned From Niching Down w/ Mark Skala

Season #1 Episode #169

Every entrepreneur, really every person, has had feelings of self-doubt. This often rears its ugly head in the form of imposter syndrome. To succeed, you need to get past these feelings. Often, leaning on the support of others reveals your potential you may have been blind to all along.

Mark Skala is the founder and creative director for Skalawag Productions, a food and beverage production company that helps clients deliver high-quality consistent content for all areas of their brand. He’s also a Studio Sherpas student and a very good friend of mine.

Mark shares the lessons he’s learned while getting into a very specific niche. Through trial, error, and experimentation, he found that he can shoot what he loves and build a company around that. Refining a sales process was a big part of this and Mark explains how he put that into action.

One thing Mark had to learn to overcome was imposter syndrome. This is something that I think we’ve all dealt with at some point. Mark found that focusing on the successes and ignoring that voice of doubt will go far to vanquish feelings of inadequacy. It also helps to have the support of others who see the value in what you provide.

Mark and I both figured all this out as we went along. We talk about how just putting in the right work and developing proper systems will eventually pay off. It takes confidence, self-awareness, and persistence. Once these have been realized, success can follow.

If you could film in any niche at all, what would it be? Tell me in the comments on the episode page!

 

In this episode

  • What people fail to understand about finding a niche
  • How subscription and retainer content can bolster your business
  • Why training like Luke Skywalker will help you overcome imposter syndrome
  • The importance of implementing the right systems for success
  • What to do to get trust and buy-in from your clients
  • The value of leaning on others in your line of work

 

Quotes

“I think the biggest misconception about finding a niche, or any sort of passion, is about the time it will take you to get there.” [5:38]

“The things you’re dealing with now, those problems, will change and you will overcome them. You will be better for it. Thinking about it from that perspective helps you deal with that demon on your back.” [18:46]

“You have to do the work to figure out what your path is. Then put those things in place and develop processes. Instill that in your employees and yourself. Good things will happen when you put in that work.” [27:43]

“You should keep a calm head and believe in yourself and your ability to overcome hardships that you face. Persevere, be smart, and don’t mortgage your home for it!” [41:05]

 

Links

Find Mark Skala online

Follow Mark on Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Episode 140 with Wes Wages

Onward Summit

Check out our upcoming Studio Sherpas course

 

Additional Links:

Check out the full show notes page

Do you have something to share on this podcast? Fill out this form here.

Be sure to take the Studio Sherpas survey for a chance to win some incredible prizes (if we do say so ourselves!)

Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas

Tune in to our weekly Facebook Lives

Follow Studio Sherpas on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

If you haven't already, we'd love it if you would take 1 minute to leave us a review on iTunes!