Get More Clients with Real Marketing
Jul 17, 2025Stop Thinking Marketing Is Just Ads
After decades in hospitality management and a deep network of contacts, one business broker couldn’t understand why leads weren’t converting. He wasn’t lazy but he was misinformed. Like so many professionals, he believed marketing was a one-time post, a printed flyer, a Facebook ad. But that mindset is the real reason visibility stays at zero.
Let’s break down why that belief holds people back and what consistent, real marketing actually looks like.
Low-Pressure Videos Work Harder Than You Think
Instead of pushing him to film on location under pressure, I showed him a better way:
Capture some simple B-roll at the venue and film the main message back at his desk with a teleprompter.
It’s faster, calmer, and repeatable. No background noise, no awkward public moments, just clear messaging in a controlled setup. That shift alone gave him structure and confidence..
Marketing Is a Habit
It was never about the camera gear. The real barrier was mindset.
He was waiting for perfection something polished, flawless, final. But marketing doesn’t work like that. It’s about showing up regularly, being useful, and staying top of mind.
Whether it’s a thank-you card, a check-in call, or a short tip video it’s the repetition that builds trust.
👉🏻 Join the Video Confidence Collective Now
If you’re ready to stop waiting and start showing up consistently, check out the Video Confidence Collective a coaching program built to help you stay visible with simple, high-impact videos. Test the waters, see if it’s for you, and start building momentum.
FOLLOW CHRIS SCHWAGER ON LINKEDIN
VIDEO CONFIDENCE COLLECTIVE – Cut through the noise and build a repeatable system to make confident, high-impact videos every week.
COMPLETE VIDEO SUCCESS SYSTEM – Skip the guesswork. Get your studio setup and coaching sorted—so video becomes your easiest win.
RESOURCES – Access valuable guides, downloads, and tools to enhance your video marketing knowledge and execution.
RIDGE FILMS YOUTUBE – Watch fresh podcast episodes, get behind-the-scenes insights, and subscribe to stay sharp.
Video Transcription:
[00:00:00] Chris Schwager: He thought marketing meant running an ad, one ad once. No wonder the listings weren't moving. No systems, no visibility, no clue. And it's more common than you think because if you believe marketing is just about a billboard or a Facebook post, you're already bleeding leads. Real marketing is. Hi, I'm Chris Schwanger, video coach and founder of the Complete Video Success System, and I've spent decades helping professionals create high impact videos that build trust, generate leads, and drive business success.
[00:00:28] Chris Schwager: And if you've ever felt under. Sure or under prepared or just playing awkward with video. This is for you. I'll give you the mindset and strategies to take control, build video confidence so that you show up like a pro. It's time to make your videos work for you. So have you ever met someone who's brilliant at what they do, but can't seem to get the traction they deserve?
[00:00:49] Chris Schwager: I recently spoke with a business owner over 30 years, experience in hospitality, ran multiple venues now working as a business broker. Plenty of contacts. Knows his industry and yet business was quiet, unpredictable leads weren't converting. So I asked, how much time are you spending on marketing? His answer, nothing at the moment.
[00:01:11] Chris Schwager: Nothing at the moment. And this is exactly what we're unpacking in this episode, because this wasn't about laziness. This wasn't about misunderstanding. Like many business professionals, he thought marketing was just advertising. A one-off boost, a single social media post, a printed card, but real marketing.
[00:01:30] Chris Schwager: It's a system. It's how you stay top of mind. In this episode, we wanna explore what it really means to market yourself as a professional, not with gimmicks or hype, but with consistency, simplicity, and intention. I walked him through the everyday actions that are actually marketing a birthday message. A check in call a 32nd tip filmed at your desk.
[00:01:57] Chris Schwager: A thank you card in the mail. Each [00:02:00] one a touch point each one, a micro reminder of your presence. And that's what moves people closer to saying, yes. We all talk all the time about what we are, are not getting. And we also talked about how he, like many had it backwards. He thought it had to be filmed on location under pressure in public, but that's the harder way, the friction filled way and.
[00:02:27] Chris Schwager: It was clear to me that he was not gonna start until everything was perfect. Well, guess what? He needed leads. You think the leads give a shit whether you are perfect? No. You gotta start doing shit, brother. You gotta start doing stuff. You're gonna start taking action instead. I suggested a de-risked approach.
[00:02:51] Chris Schwager: Capture some B-roll of venues when needed. Different things, wonderful things. That's low pressure, right? Nobody's gonna hassle you for pulling out your smartphone. Just shooting a couple of videos. And that way you don't have to put all that pressure on yourself to also deliver your two camera piece out on location as well.
[00:03:09] Chris Schwager: Right? That's, that's more intense. You gotta know your stuff, right? Capturing B roll of the venues when needed. Sure. But do the message at your desk with a teleprompter where you can just read the lines in a studio style setup, saves time, lowers anxiety, and creates consistency because you have a mix.
[00:03:29] Chris Schwager: Mechanism for doing it. You're not worried about the plane going over or the bird tweeting or people walking by someone tell you, what are you doing, mate? You just get on and do it. Don't you Shoot your B roll on location, come back into the edit suite, shoot you to camera piece in the studio in a controlled environment, and then piece it all together.
[00:03:49] Chris Schwager: Ta-da. You've got your video, and that is a process you can repeat, which is super, super cool. We broke it down further. His issue wasn't gear. It was mindset, [00:04:00] waiting until everything's perfect before starting, but marketing is never perfect. It's a habit. Repetition, showing up even when you don't feel ready.
[00:04:11] Chris Schwager: And here is what I discovered. You don't need permission to market. You don't need a big budget to start. You just need to act. Take action, say what you are going to do and then do it. So if you are sitting on great ideas but not showing up, ask yourself what's stopping you. What do you want? Not what you don't want.
[00:04:36] Chris Schwager: What do you want? And if your visibility is zero, how can people possibly choose you? You are gonna start using these secrets. Use them to your advantage. Use them every single day, just like many of you have already done before that. We've helped my friend had decades of experience, but just zero visibility, and the key is education.
[00:05:00] Chris Schwager: You gotta fill your little head of yours with knowledge cha, gp PT. He's not gonna always do it. Get into the sticky nitty gritty, okay? Get to connect with somebody that's gonna shortcut success for you. Alright? And that is education. You pay for education so you don't have to figure this out for yourself, right?
[00:05:22] Chris Schwager: So I'm gonna include a link into the video conference collective into the show notes included in there. Is access to our video course. If you are serious about joining, jot Me DM In LinkedIn or on Yeah, in LinkedIn. And let me know and I'll send you a little intro, a little freebie. A. To get you started.
[00:05:48] Chris Schwager: See if it's your cup of tea, test the waters, and if it is, great pay. If not, no harm, no foul. I'll see you on the next episode. Thanks for listening to the Video Confidence Collective Podcast. If you enjoyed this [00:06:00] episode, leave a five star review on Apple Podcast and Spotify and subscribe to us on YouTube so you never miss an episode.
[00:06:05] Chris Schwager: For more resources, check out the show notes and follow me at Chris Schwager or Ridge Films and see you on the next episode.
