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Week 17 - BIG NEWS!
Jordyn Dunseath
June 13, 2024
THE YEARLY FINANCE TRACKER IS HERE!
If you’ve been following along, you know I’ve been working super hard to get this finance tracker out to you guys. I’m so happy to announce that it’s finally ready!
For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, what is it? Well, that button above will take you to the landing page that will tell you all about it, but here’s a quick summary…
I built a Notion template that will allow you to see exactly how your money is moving in your life. Get ready to cancel your Quickbooks subscription and have full control over all of your finances. This is a one time purchase that you can use forever.
I built this template for myself as a freelance business owner BUT this can totally work as just a personal finance tracker as well. I imagine a lot of you who are subscribed to this newsletter have some interest in running a creative business. My CPA has literally told me I am his easiest client because of how I track my finances.
The template will allow you to see your money broken down by month and current totals to-date.
The template will auto-populate your business and overall profit/loss.
You can create financial goals for yourself.
You’ll see your income, personal expenses, and business expenses broken down by category.
You can quickly see all of the subscriptions you’re paying for…and more!
Now on to the regularly scheduled newsletter…
TIP OF THE WEEK
Track your finances. HAHA, just kidding (not really), but I won’t do that to you, hah. My tip for the week is to literally stop worrying. I seriously just want to encourage you in that this week. There are so many things in my life that I want to do. There are so many areas of my life right now that are uncertain and uncomfortable. My goals have many obstacles in front of them. I have bills that seem too high to manage. I have a creative brain that sometimes feels absolutely blank and useless. That’s life. The good, hard, and everything in between ebbs and flows. Worry never makes anything better. Stress is helpful to a point. But I think everyone can agree that chronic stress is detrimental. I know some major scary things happen in life. You might only have a few dollars left in the bank. Of course that is stressful and it’s hard not to worry. But life is so much bigger than the one area that is going “wrong”. Try to focus on what is still good. Like maybe your family and friends. They will help you through the tough times. Worry won’t. It’s not a good friend. I hope this reminder was encouraging and not invalidating. My goal was to uplift you, not to brush past your reality. I see you and I know life can be hard sometimes but you are and will be okay.
JORDYN UPDATES
Literally the only pic I have of the week. A poor representation of my talking head setup haha.
Highs of the week: | Reality of the week: |
Hi guys! As always, I hope you are all doing SO well!
I realize I share a lot about mindset in this newsletter and that’s because I think mindset is SO important within the creative space. So many of us start from a deficit in our creative journeys just because our mindset is off. Thus, I talk about it a lot because I’m passionate about you believing in yourself!
However, this week, I wanted to throw out some practical filmmaking tips just because. Here is a rapid fire list of things to think about.
Lighting is insanely important. If you feel like you know you’re camera well and you’ve plateaued in your skill level…learn lighting. It’s a game changer.
Learn the rules of filmmaking and then break them. Everyone says to shoot in 24fps and 1/50th of a shutter speed to look cinematic. Great. You can and should do that most of the time…but sometimes, break the rule. Get creative. Lower that shutter speed and create some crazy effect.
Remind yourself that you know more about filmmaking/photography than your client (most of the time). You are the expert in that situation. Who cares if you feel like you are an amateur, walk in with the confidence that you are the expert in their eyes. That confidence will take you much further.
Here’s how I justify buying new equipment: if the majority of the time I’m on a shoot I think “oh I wish I had…”. If that is happening the majority of the time, then just buy the new piece of equipment. It’s an investment. Treat it as an investment and use it well to improve your skill and get more jobs.
Use the custom buttons on your camera. It will save you so much time. I have a custom button set to switch my camera from auto to manual focus. This is so much better than using the switch on the lens. Literally a game changer for me in efficiency.
Choose music in your videos wisely. Yes, it takes a long time to scrub through and listen to a bunch of soundtracks. But sound is so important to the overall mood of your story. Spend some time here.
Guys, I have so much more to share. These were the quick things that popped in my brain initially. I haven’t been talking about the online community as much but if you’ve been considering it, I seriously would love if you wanted to join. We have live chats every week where we talk all about different creative problems, mindsets, and work through technical filmmaking and business questions. The group is also great at holding each other accountable to actually pursue our goals. I would love if you wanted to come be a part of the family.
Thanks for being a part of the newsletter family. I’m so thankful for all of you!
Well, I don’t have a newsletter video this week because I’ve been so focused on the finance tracker…so here is the video you’ll find on the landing page…just in case you didn’t click those buttons above and you actually might be interested. I really believe it can be a great resource for you and that’s why I’m just so eager to share. 🙂
This week’s creative challenge:
I challenge you to send me a creative challenge of mine you have completed. So many of you say you love these but you don’t get around to doing them. Go read my past newsletters, do one, and send it! I would love to see. I challenge you to seriously take me up on this challenge.
AN ONLINE COMMUNITY FOR CREATORS!
 | WHAT’S INSIDE? |
WANT TO CHAT WITH ME ONE-ONE-ONE?
 | Do you have specific questions you want answered and don’t know who to ask? Are you in a creative rut and just need someone who understands to encourage you? It is my favorite thing to connect with you guys! No dumb questions here - just two creatives connecting and learning from one another. 60 Minute Video Call | $250 |
MY TOP RECOMMENDATIONS
 I used to not be a fan of this lens…I’ve totally changed my mind. |
AN EXTRA FOR THOSE WHO MAKE IT TO THE BOTTOM OF MY EMAILS :)
There was a lot to read in this email. If you read it all, I just want you to know you’re awesome. I hope you know that I mean it. I seriously believe you will be set apart from the majority of people who just skim and don’t get the full value out of what they sign up for. I want to acknowledge your effort. Thanks for being here. I genuinely hope you feel valued, supported, and that this newsletter is actually beneficial for you. If I don’t know your name already, one day, I hope I get the opportunity to thank you more personally.
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Have a great day!
Best, Jordyn
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