Story of Sam v. Hees — Founder of Califco Media
Sam is a 20-year-old college drop out that started working full time on his company, Califco Media at the beginning of 2018. Shooting video content for fast-growing startups to Fortune 100 companies. He joined his clients on company trips to places like Malawi and Japan to capture those moments you want to relive.
“Traveling through Japan while making a video keeps you busy with the frame, the shot and camera movement But when looking back at the footage during editing you experience the place for a second time and you see what a special place it really is.”
Why did you drop out of university?
In my last year of Highschool I stumbled upon The Secret. The book basically tells you that if you believe you can achieve something, you will achieve it. Not by doing nothing of course but to keep pursuing that goal until you achieve it. But the key learning for me was that I had to figure out what it was that I wanted to do. Before that, it seemed pretty clear to go to University. But then I thought, is this what I really want to do? Or is this what I think I really want to do based on external influences. Fancy word, I know but I mean other people’s opinions and expectations. This resulted in a ticket to Mexico where I spend 3 months figuring out what I wanted to do by exposing myself to a totally different environment and by doing that, growing as a person. And I picked up some Spanish along the way.
No idea how it ended up with me starting a brand attention company but here I am. Well, actually if I have to connect some dots it would have probably started with me spending some time on a motorcycle in Mexico. One day we went on a tour and I brought my GoPro. From that moment I got interested in filming and editing the material. Back in the Netherlands, (march 2017) I immediately registered Califco Media at the chamber of commerce. My idea was to start producing content for businesses even though I had never held a professional camera.
During this gap year and my time in Mexico I read over 40 businesses and self improvement books. That got me interested in business which led to me applying for an IBA at the University of Amsterdam in 2017. It took four months to realize that studying at a University was not meant for me so I quit and went all-in the business.
If you could spend 2 hours per week on your company, on what activity would you spend it on?
What I would want to do is making a video for a client. What I should be doing is making sure my company is seen by potential clients. Not sure where I have read it but it always stuck with me that sometimes, you should prioritize on what would be the best thing to do right now for my business instead of what you like to do. I only have two hours to spend right.
What book did you give away the most and why? What are your top 3 books that had the most impact on you and your life?
Hmm, good question. The book I have gifted the most in the past couple years is ‘The magic of thinking big’. Lots of people tend to think too small. It is also a Dutch thing to act normal and not stand out too much. We actually have a saying for that.
The One Thing from Gary Keller is also a good one. Focus on one thing and do that really well. For the rest, I do not have any favorites. Things are, I usually extract small bits of information from books I read and then formulate my own principles around them. Hard to mention a top three that really stand out.
By the way, if someone would be in the personal branding / social media industry, which kind of everyone is nowadays, I would buy that person a Gary Vaynerchuk book.
Which purchase of €100,- or less has had the most positive impact on your life in the last 6 months?
A subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud. I almost never spend money on trivial stuff. Everything I earn goes back into the business.
What is something you are spending too much money on?
Nothing actually.
Was there a moment in your life where you failed, that contributed to later success?
Uhm well, when I started out with Califco Media I had not that many clients so a lot of free time. Some small assignment here and there but it was not enough to keep me occupied full-time. I should have invested that time more in learning everything there is to learn about filmmaking. But I did straighten that later on by putting every hour I was not filming or editing for clients, in watching tutorials, trying new edits and reading up on the latest developments.
That said, looking back I would also tell myself to focus more on sales and go on the offense. Instead of making nice videos and wait for the word to get out. Something I got from Gary Vee. If you want to succeed don’t play defense. Go on the offense and generate content, actively bring your service under the attention of people who could benefit from it and follow-up with them.
If you could put a billboard in the middle of Amsterdam, what would you put on it?
It would be something in the form of practicing gratitude. Often people are miserable while they are not recognizing how lucky they actually are. Be grateful for the people in your life and the opportunities we have in the current age.
What is one of the best investments you have ever done? This could be an investment of time, energy, money or anything else.
Investing time in thinking about what I want to do and what I want to accomplish. For me, this was the gap year that brought me to Mexico. I now know where I am headed and how I am going to get there is something to figure out along the way. Like how I stumbled upon video production. Maybe I will be in video production 10 years from now or maybe something else crosses my path. One thing leads to another and suddenly you connect the dots and you’ll see the big picture. Have confidence in yourself, be grateful and kind to others and you are well on your way.
Then focus on your goal and try to do what you are doing in the best way possible. Don’t be content. Of course, you should be proud but don’t just settle. There’s a simple, yet very important difference there.
What is your goal?
Being able to afford living in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. In the sixth grade, we were asked where you see yourself in 20 years from now. My answer was: as a successful businessman with a house in the Hollywood Hills. Quite the answer for a little kid but it always stuck with me. I still have the same dream but the underlying motivation is financial freedom so I can do whatever I want and whenever I want to do it.
Imagine you reach your goal in the coming two years, would you leave it with that?
I would be proud of the accomplishment but not content. I’ll probably find another goal to chase while being grateful for where I am. Not to be mistaken by an endless pursuit of something abstract I’m missing in my life, to be filled up with tangible stuff in the form of goals. I would say I am a happy, positive person. Just don’t want to get bored (haha).
What is an unusual habit of yours?
My favorite number is two. So sometimes when I walk the streets and there is a comparatively big stone, I always try to reach that stone such that I have to take two steps on that stone.
They say every genius has a touch of madness.
In the last 5 years, what new belief or habit has had the most positive impact on your life?
That you should be proud of what you are doing and the person that you are or have become. And to do the thing you choose to do, in the best way you can. Give it everything you have and really put in the effort.
What advice would you give to a young, ambitious student who recently graduated? What advice should they ignore?
Don’t look at what other people have or don’t have. Focus on you. Everybody has his own way of relaxing and blowing off steam but the FOMO on those nights out and parties you miss… it is worth it putting that time and money in something you really care about.
I’m not sure what advice you should ignore but do look to the person giving the advice. For example, when going to the gym you want advice on exercising from somebody that has done it or is doing it. Be critical.
What is bad advice you hear in your profession/industry?
There are many. But that is probably the case in every industry. I know that lots of people don’t accept projects because they feel they are out of their league and don’t have the skills yet. Whatever you get asked to do, just say you can do it and figure out how to do it along the way. Another excuse (I still do it myself sometimes) is telling yourself that you don’t have the right gear in order to create the things you want to create…. So stupid.
Coming back to the Billboard question. I would like to add something about fear. Often fear is something you makeup but it holds back so many people. If something scares you, that is the thing you should be doing. Get up on that stage, go talk to that person or start executing that idea. There is no such thing as the perfect timing.
In the last 5 years, to what have you become better at saying no to?
Saying no to the social pressure of going to parties. It is literally completely gone. What helped is finding out what I want. Not a nice to have but what I must have. It comes down to this. Set yourself a goal and then ask yourself if the next thing you’re about to do is contributing to what you want to accomplish or not. If the answer is no, then should you do it? I also experienced that I feel the happiest when I notice that my actions back up my ambitions.
If you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
Changing my environment. If I’m at the office I go for a walk outside.
Or on the weekend taking the dog for a stroll around the forest or lake. Somewhere where it is quiet. It helps when I’m looking for inspiration or when I’m stuck with a project.
If you like to shoot Sam a message, ask him a question, follow what he is doing or send him something you would like him to take a look at:
www.califcomedia.com
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