Meet Brennan Tolman | Entrepreneur, creator & lover of people

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brennan Tolman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brennan, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Freelance videography is unlike any other job in the world – it’s easy to make the same $50k a year as a salaried worker with working only 20-30 days a year. The problem that most freelancers have is how to make money the remaining 335 days in the year since they struggle to book new clients that often.

I founded Tolman Media to solve this problem – we sell wedding photography & videography bundle packages to brides all over the world for a great deal (usually between $2000-3000 for both photo & video) and then give those jobs to our amazing team of freelancers to fulfill. This allows them to fill their schedule with paying jobs so they don’t have to work at a call center or as janitors in between their own personal shoots.

As of right now we have over 3,000 creatives (photographers & videographers) in every state in the US, Canada and the UK.

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I absolutely hate budgeting – my life is creative chaos and I prefer it that way. Every time I’ve tried to spreadsheet out my spending I end up wanting to give myself a lobotomy. Instead I prefer to track what I call my “resting balance” in the bank account. I have 4 different businesses as well as 4 rental properties that I own & manage, so I’ve set up my personal finances in a way where all the money has “settled” in the bank by Fridays and I know exactly how much money I have left (aka my resting balance) in the bank.

I also travel a lot to create content for Tolman Media so when I purchased my home I dug out a walkout entrance into my basement so I could rent it out. This means I’m essentially living for free so I don’t feel bad paying a mortgage when I’m rarely home.

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Risk and reward are forever intertwined. However I believe that with today’s technology you can minimize your risk to almost zero when trying to start a new business venture. Even just 10 years ago if you wanted to start a lawn mowing business you’d have to take out a loan, rent a billboard for $15k and cross your fingers that the customers would roll in. That’s a fairly massive amount of risk for a completely uncertain marketing attempt.

In today’s amazing day and age you can spend as little as $5 a day on Tik Tok, Instagram or Facebook Marketing in order to test out a business idea. Within 30 days you’ve only spent $150 and you’ve got mountains of data on who is clicking on your ad and which price points they are interested in. Anyone could learn how to run digital ads for free on Youtube and then test out a business concept for just $5. This new technology mitigates the risk required to start a business tenfold.

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I grew up near Salt Lake City, Utah with the stunning Rocky Mountains as a backdrop. Utah is an extremely pro-business state and the people are the kindest out there. When I was a young college kid starting my business I had loads of support from family & friends. They gave me positive feedback on my wedding videos that allowed me to improve and eventually train over 3,000 creatives around the world!

Utah is also a very forgiving state. When I was a 24 year old college student my business was making well over 6 figures and I didn’t know anything about sales tax or how to property remit it to the state. Eventually this triggered an audit with the state and I learned that I had been doing things wrong since the beginning of my company. If the auditor wanted to they could have ended my entrepreneurial career right then and there with a massive fine I would never be able to pay. Instead the auditor understood that I wasn’t trying to be malicious, I was just a stupid college kid. He taught me how to fix things and pay the back taxes I owe and set things up for the future. With his coaching I was able to improve as an entrepreneur and continue moving forward.

If I had lived in a different state I feel like my dreams would have been crushed then and there – Utah gave me a chance to change and improve.

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The most important factor behind my success has been my team. I’ve had a lot of betrayals and horrible business partners along my journey, but I’ve also worked with some of the most wonderful people to ever walk the earth. These people have lifted me up when I was beaten down and improved my company in ways that I would have never thought of.

As an entrepreneur I’m really good at creating momentum and getting businesses started. I struggle with the small details though required to run a multi million dollar business. My managers have been experts at creating systems that have allowed the company to move smoothly and grow in size & revenue.

I’ve learned to be careful who I surround myself with and to get to know someone extremely well before becoming business partners with them. A business partner is like a spouse in many ways – they will slowly change the way you see the world and how you show up in life. Make sure that the only people allowed in your inner circle are those that have the same goals as you and want to see you grow.

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I believe with every fiber of my being that people work best when they have time freedom. This is a principle that many corporate companies disagree with. Out of all 3,000 members of our Tolman Media team only 4 work in a physical office (with unlimited PTO). I have tried very hard to create a company where my employees & contractors can work on their own time. I believe that a job shouldn’t be based on a set amount of hours but instead certain tasks. When I structure employee salaries I create a list of problems I need a new employee to solve, then base their salary on how much I’m willing to pay for that problem to be solved. If they are so talented that it only takes them 20 hours a week to do their work I’m thrilled for them! Most employers would be furious that the employee wasn’t working the full 40 hours, for me as long as the tasks are completed I really don’t care how long they take.

Structuring a company like this facilitates a culture of trust & respect. I respect my employees time so much that I want them to utilize it in whatever way they want. The president of my company goes to Disneyland like 14 times a year and I actually encourage it! I believe that it refreshes her and allows her to take a step back from the craziness of business. This clarity of mind allows her to be more productive in 20 hours than a desk employee would be in 40.

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For me family is the most important thing on Earth. My wife and daughter are my entire world and because of that they come with me on all my work trips. Yes, it can be very challenging to shoot video while holding my daughter but I will not compromise. I have found that by bringing my family with me all over the world it has strengthened our bond and made it so I can actually stay longer & work harder. I tried leaving them both at home once and found that I couldn’t wait to get back to them. I wasn’t able to stay as long or work as hard because of it, so now they are part of the deal.

Because I feel like this I also find it very important for my employees to spend adequate time with their family. As I mentioned before almost all the positions in Tolman Media are work from home or build your own schedule so that people can prioritize time with those that matter most.

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My end goal is to build up all those around me. Just as it takes a village to raise a child it takes a village for anyone to achieve success. All we have in this world is each other, and I’ve found that when we each turn outwards and focus on developing others we grow exponentially as well. When you focus on yourself 1+1 = 1.5 but when you focus on building others 1+1 = 10.

I was taught in school that networking wasn’t about finding jobs for yourself but about helping other people get jobs and make connections. I have found this to be extremely true – when I set out with completely selfish goals it’s quite hard to accomplish them without taking advantage of others. But when I set out to help others grow and reach the very best version of themselves my personal growth multiplies beyond anything I thought possible.

If I could spend my days flying around the world, coaching others and helping them achieve their potential then I would truly be filled with the utmost joy.

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I pursued an artistic career because there is something so intensely satisfying about creating something that didn’t exist before you made it happen. Each time I shoot a new video clip or take a picture it’s the first time in the history of mankind someone has taken that exact video in that exact way. Therefore when I share it with my followers I am showing them something new, pure and beautiful. Each person has unique life experiences that has shaped their creative perspective.

I just spent the last 3 weeks in Austria with one of my European business partners and as we explored valleys and vistas together we both constantly had our phones and cameras out taking pictures and videos. Oftentimes we would film the same things but the results were completely different. The subject was the same but the perspective was different – that’s absolutely beautiful to me. I see different elements of beauty than anyone else in the world and my art reflects that in a way only mine can.

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One of the greatest books I’ve ever read is called “Brain Storm” by Lion King producer Don Hahn. The book teaches the value of creativity in daily life, no matter what your job is or where you live. It gives permission to live a more creative life that is unrestrained by cultural or social norms. I bought my first copy in the Disneyland gift shop and my life truly hasn’t been the same since. The lessons I learned within its pages allowed me to express myself more fully and completely.

What should our readers know about your business?
The most important thing I want the world to know about Tolman Media is that every single member of our team is uniquely dedicated to their craft. There are a lot of wannabe videographers / photographers out there in the world – Tolman Media creatives are the real deal. They aren’t doing this just for the money, they are creating because they have to. There is a fire inside them that drives them to constantly be better and try new things.

This fire allows them to master their cameras, techniques and craft. There are a lot of wedding companies out there but they aren’t any that are filled with creatives like ours.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If someone was going to visit me in Utah I would take them to the Christa McCaullife Space Center. It’s an activity unlike anything I have ever done before – it’s literally a Star Wars / Star Trek simulator where you sit in an actual space ship and fly it around completing missions. They work incredibly hard to make sure that your experience is completely realistic and that you 100% believe you are in space completing a mission. The technology they have is so incredibly impressive!

They have multiple full on space ships with different associated missions you and your friends can complete. You usually go with a group of 5-15 people and each have specific roles to play on the mission (Captain, security, pilot). If it sounds nerdy, trust me it doesn’t feel nerdy it feels real. Anyone could have an amazing experience there.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
It might be cliche but I have to give a massive shoutout to my parents. There is truly no one in the world like them. They have supported me since the day I was born and helped me to achieve the success I have today.

When I was a young, broke kid in high school I was offered a job to film a wedding. I didn’t have the camera equipment, computer or software required to professionally do the job so I didn’t know what to do. My parents offered to pay half for all of my equipment and made it possible for me to begin my career. I had to work hard to earn my half of the money which made me feel extremely proud and accomplished.

As my company expanded and grew worldwide they were there each step of the way to keep me humble, grounded and sane. When I was served my first lawsuit I was actually with them in Disneyworld and I can’t think of a better place to find out someone is suing you. My parents assured me that everything was going to be okay and helped me work through all the crazy feelings and emotions that follow being served a lawsuit. Keep in mind I was a 26 year old adult when this happened, not a kid. My parents didn’t judge me or make me feel inferior for being sued, instead they loved me and gave me the advice I needed.

Listen to your parents! They know you and they can help you navigate your life in a way no one else can. Not only did they watch you grow up so they can predict your behavior and reactions but they literally share genetic code with you. This means that advice that comes from your parents is literally genetically tailored for you. In a sense they are half of you so they understand the way you feel better than anyone else (except maybe a spouse).

Thank you mom and dad for always being there for me.

Instagram: @thebrennantolman