Stump & Root

Tim (00:00)
Hey, I'm Tim

Sarah Faith (00:01)
And I'm Sarah.

Tim (00:02)
And this is mic'd up marketing, a segment of the brand roots podcast. These are the conversations we have anyway, whether we're deep in a strategy call or talking shop after a client meeting, but now we're miking ourselves up and hitting record.

We talk about the ins and outs of running a brand studio, what's working on marketing, what's broken and how businesses can actually grow with a strategy that makes sense. So if you're a creative marketer or a business owner trying to figure it out while building something meaningful, you're in the right place. This is miked up marketing. Let's get into the show.

Sarah Faith (00:36)
All right, hey Tim, hi. I am excited for today because we get to do an interview with you of your story and your entrepreneurial journey and how you ended up starting a company and fulfilling a lifelong dream. So I am gonna just ask you some questions on just like your journey and I'd love for you to.

Tim (00:38)
Hello.

Sarah Faith (01:02)
First, just introduce us on who you are and what is it that you do at Stump and Root.

Tim (01:09)
Oh, well, I'm I am a husband, a father of a two year old daughter and soon to be son coming on the way. I have.

believer in Jesus. haha I'm big into filmmaking and design and marketing and I

Sarah Faith (01:26)
You

Tim (01:34)
Hill Run, marketing studio, creative studio called Stump and Root. As I hope you guys know by now, and this is something that I've dreamed of for a long time. And so that's who I am and what I do.

Sarah Faith (01:46)
So where did your creative journey begin?

Tim (01:51)
My career journey began.

On October 7th, 1994, suddenly. So as a kid, I've always been into artistic stuff. I'll say I've had art on both sides of my family. My mom's side, it's mostly music. So my mom is a classically trained singer. She sang in Brooklyn Tabernacle for many years. And her father was a

acoustic guitarist and on my dad's side my grandfather was a artist still is and he's painter mostly but he did a lot of great drawing and so I kind of had that influence immediately and you being into like Pokemon all that stuff it just like you know kids draw then you just you notice that you're a little bit better than most people and I would say that's pretty much where my journey started there.

Yeah.

Sarah Faith (02:36)
So you were drawing doodling around and then was there like an evolution of that? Did that inspire like some other gifts for you?

Tim (02:47)
Well, I think I've always just been into the arts as a whole. My father, when he was younger, he had like film cameras and stuff. And so that was, I think it was more of a hobby. I don't think my dad is particularly explicitly artistic in a nice way, you know? So I think it something that he just enjoyed doing, you know? And so I have all this stuff in the background. Like my parents, like,

Sarah Faith (03:05)
You

Tim (03:13)
you know, as most parents do when they go on vacations, they have cameras. And so at a young age, my parents bought me a coolpix like an nikon coolpix like their standard, like, you know, point and shoot camera. And so we just take little pictures. And when I was super young, I would make little films, little shorts with my cousins. And, you know, and just like, you don't realize what you're doing because you're just like, that'd so cool. And just because

You know, you don't really realize that these are careers or these are passions or callings even, I might say, on your life, just, you do it because you like doing it. so I would say I had all these things kind of swirling in the background and I really noticed with filmmaking,

Sarah Faith (03:47)
Yeah.

Tim (04:00)
I just, was always a big fan of movies. My parents, like we're from New York and I mean, movies are big everywhere, but especially in New York, it's almost like a way, like a culture of going to the movies. And so that was something I grew up with very much. It's regularly going to the movies. So like going to the theaters is almost like a religious experience for me. You know, just the smells, the popcorn, the lights, the, you know, the seats.

Sarah Faith (04:22)
and experience.

Tim (04:23)
Yeah, it's almost like going to church, not quite, but it just makes me feel at home in a lot of ways. So that was just something I just grew up with and kind of set the stage for who I am.

Sarah Faith (04:33)
Who's as a side topic, who is the best filmmaker? If you're such a movie guy.

Tim (04:38)
⁓

Sarah Faith (04:40)
or who's your favorite?

Tim (04:41)
Well,

I have a few, there's, would say there's definitely a top five of best filmmakers, at least I don't know, widely known because there's other ones I'm just, you know, like, don't know any of those French filmmakers that make that avant-garde crap. But I would say, you know, obviously Spielberg makes the best movies. He literally invented the blockbuster movie. I would say he's definitely top two, top three.

Hitchcock of course like iconic filmmaker like made yes a lot of these guys they just they they create the template for filmmaking and Then now it's like well other people do it really well, too But like but they didn't create the template so Hitchcock was definitely one of those pioneers for that Orson Welles, know obviously another incredible filmmaker and More recently Denis Villeneuve is incredible, you know, I think he's

Sarah Faith (05:19)
Mm-hmm.

Tim (05:30)
quickly elevated to my top favorite more recently. yeah, I mean, everyone loves, you know, Quentin Tarantino and you know, some of those other guys. I've always been a big fan of Ridley Scott. He's made some of those incredible films, most important films of all time. So those would be my short list.

Sarah Faith (05:33)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, that's I think that's its own podcast episode for sure. So you're it sounds like you're you know, you're drawing, you're you're doing your artwork. And then it's like it's you're watching these movies growing up in that culture in New York and movie making, which can also coincide with music, obviously, because so much of, you know, a movie story is with music. There's

Tim (05:50)
you know, I'm like, don't even get me started.

Sarah Faith (06:14)
It's like just straight up arts and creativity and innovation. And then was there any other gift that kind of like that came from that, like or just inspiration that came from watching those movies and, you know, you're doing your art and everything.

Tim (06:30)
I don't, I don't know how to answer that. I mean, I eventually learned that I could sing like I was never something I grew up knowing I could sing. eventually I how to the piano and I've always wanted to play the drums. Never, never learned how to play the drums though. But, I would say I just, with all those things, you know, those, I eventually started to put them into practice and that's how it actually started developing, you know,

Sarah Faith (06:40)
Mm-hmm.

Tim (06:54)
with more intention, like with art, you know, like I have this story of like my grandfather, he would babysit us, my dad's side and he would, we'd always ask him to draw stuff. And so one my favorite video games at the time was called Jack Two from Naughty Dog. make the Last of Us. They, and so we had the strategy guide and so we would say, Hey, Papi draw this. And

And so he would just draw these incredible drawings for us every time he babysit us. so that's kind of really where we, both me and my sister got our artistic skill. My youngest sister, Olivia, she has more of music side. And so I feel like I'm the middle child of more than one way. My oldest sister, she was more...

Sarah Faith (07:17)
you

Mm-hmm.

Tim (07:36)
specifically drawing art art wise and then I was both my little sister was music so that's that

Sarah Faith (07:44)
Yeah, yeah, I feel like different art forms could like reinforce each other. And, you know, usually with someone's into one thing, it's they're into all these other art forms as well. And so was just curious on like that process for you. Was there a moment where you realized, hey, you know what, like, I love art and I love filmmaking and

I don't want this to just remain a hobby. would be really cool for me to be able to actually like do this like for work.

Tim (08:12)
Yeah. Well.

Well, I would say that it was never an option for me, like doing art as a career. Just growing up, my parents are very much, more pragmatic when it comes to career choices and stuff. And so I, from a very young age knew that I couldn't be an artist. You know, because of course you always have the, the idea of like the starving artist. And, know, when I was younger, I was like, I loved and I still do.

Sarah Faith (08:17)
Hmm.

Tim (08:38)
love dinosaurs. But, you know, every young boy wanted to be an archaeologist or paleontologist because, that's so cool dinosaur bones. But I'm like, it's probably probably wouldn't have been a good career for me in more than one way. you know, I had all these like different ideas and I didn't know what I wanted to be. I was something I always struggled with as a kid. Like I didn't have one specific career path planned out because I did have one specific skill set.

and that caused a lot of different kind of, you know, tension in my life. But I just do, had things I really liked. And I would say an inciting incident for, you know, for this stuff, I would say it was originally from New York. So we moved to Lancaster about 20 years ago now. And I was sitting down watching signs, you know,

with Mel Gibson and I M. Night Shamalan's Signs which is one of my favorite movies and I was looking through the special features because I go, you know, bored. Let me what else is on this DVD and then there was like a making of like documentary video and I'm like what? yeah, people make these movies like this is something people do. You know, it's not just like, you know, plop from the heavens like, you know, something out of like the Ten Commandments like it's a real thing that people

do for their lives. And just seeing the behind the scenes, like, this looks so cool. And telling a story that, not that it resonated with me as a 10-year-old or 11-year-old, but seeing such an impactful story. I how good the movie was just at that age. And so it was something that just awoken that idea of becoming a filmmaker. And I couldn't really shake it since.

Sarah Faith (09:48)
Yeah.

Yeah, I could see that like aha moment coming into your brain and being like, wait a minute, this doesn't have to just remain a hobby. Like I could actually make money from this and like literally live out my passions and stuff. And it's funny how like kids can have that like awareness even just like a young age. It's like, wait, something shifted. And so for you then was.

Tim (10:29)
Something has

changed within me.

Sarah Faith (10:32)
Don't even get me started. will sing that whole score. That's the podcast episode, me just singing Wicked. We're Wicked fans, for anybody who wants to know. So was there any part of you that was like, well, I should probably then like, hone in on these skill sets and like, maybe go to school or like, how did you even start to really like get into that? Or was it all just like, hey, I'm just gonna self.

Tim (10:38)
Yeah, let's do it.

Sarah Faith (10:59)
Be self-taught.

Tim (11:00)
Yeah, I've always wanted to, I think.

I start that I blame my parents too much. I can't because they're trying to do what they think is best, you know, like, you know, and I had a lot of discouragement, not for my parents, but just other people in general, just like, you know, the family member would just be like the most dis like, you'll never be able to do it. You'll you know, you're not, you won't be good enough and people will hate it. And so like, I, you know, I would say I was

Sarah Faith (11:21)
Yeah.

Tim (11:25)
kind of that typical melancholic film boy. And I didn't know that I was part of that until later. I'm like, oh, I'm like everyone else who wants to be a filmmaker. But I would say I wanted to become a go into film school. But I.

Sarah Faith (11:34)
Mm-hmm.

Tim (11:41)
Well, I guess what I did was I graduated high school and I didn't really do amazing in high school, like for school. Like I would get A's and B's, I was, you know, I think the term for me would be like a C student. And I don't think that a lot of people had high expectations for me, you know, family included. And so I applied to the school, local, Millersville, and I got in and I didn't know what I wanted to do. I was like, what the heck do I do?

I had thought about doing film school, like I saying before, but it's something that I guess I didn't take seriously myself. Not that I didn't fantasize or dream about it, because I did. There are things that I dreamt about, like a YouTube channel I'd watched, like Film Riot. think pretty much everyone who's into filmmaking, who's at least younger, has watched Film Riot on YouTube.

and tons of YouTube shows like Indie Mogul was the other big one at that time. And so just like everyone else at my age, high school age is like you learn by watching YouTube and you fantasize about going to film school. And the problem is, and I do have jealousy for this people is I didn't have friends growing up, but a lot of other people who are into filmmaking, they did. And so

they were able to do short films in high school. were able to, you know, I could, I literally, there were, there's a couple of groups in my high school that were into the stuff. could, you know, don't want to be me to be their friend. I, but, yeah, so I didn't have the environment where I can grow in that practical way. So I had to like grow inside of my head as far as my skillsets. like I've,

Sarah Faith (13:04)
you

Tim (13:16)
told this to other people where I didn't have a computer that could run any editing software. I had like this old like, you know, Windows PC. Like we didn't have a laptop or anything. I just had this family computer and I would just my turn on the computer. I would just watch tutorials and videos and and how to use After Effects and Premiere and all these Adobe softwares.

So I learned how to use it long before I could actually use it, you know, and that was something that I just committed to doing. the other person I loved was Andrew Kramer with a video co pilot. What's up? Andrew Kramer here. Anyway, so he, was a hugely influential person. And, and so I just learned about a lot of different stuff and watching movies and just trying to grow in the small ways I could.

Sarah Faith (13:43)
Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Mm.

Tim (14:03)
Yeah, it wasn't until college where I actually got a computer. think my sophomore year, I got my own laptop that could run all that software. yeah, I was like, oh man, you know, and I was, graduated high school early, I was 17 years old. So my first year of college, turned 18. So.

Sarah Faith (14:10)
It's life altered.

Tim (14:20)
So I'm just trying to think what else.

Yeah, so I didn't. Yeah, I've always wanted to go filmmaking school. There are some schools like Full Sail University. That's something I like fantasize about going to. That's one of the not the big ones, but that is a popular one. You know, it's not like New York or L.A. or anything like that, where they have the actual big filmmaking schools that the real filmmakers go to and not to imply that real filmmakers don't go to Full Sail. But

Sarah Faith (14:28)
Yeah.

Tim (14:44)
But Full Sail is a different kind of school. It's like a full-time school where you can't work and it's like a two-year straight program. Part of me wishes I could have gone because there's a lot of that practical experience you do get. And also the connections, which is one of the more important things you get from school. But that was something that kind of skipped over me.

Sarah Faith (15:02)
Yeah, there's like so far just sounds like there was this desire to I'm going to learn this no matter what, even if I don't have all the equipment, all the software. It's kind of it's kind of funny to learn a skill set without actually being able to like do it. You know, it'd be like watching like a piano tutorial and then not having a piano to practice on. And so

like your mind just becomes this like this like bottomless pit of information. But you're like, I need to get this out of me. You know, I need to actually put this somewhere. And so it's cool to be able to finally, finally be like you have the equipment and you're just like, I'm going to do it. And this is it was just like a long time coming for you when you had mentioned school and everything and was.

Were you able to just like learn at like Millersville at least some skill sets to get you by or like was how was your like college experience with that?

Tim (15:57)
Well, so at school, I just was I was undecided for the longest time like the first literally two years because I didn't know what I wanted to do. You know, like I want I knew what I look I knew what I wanted to do. I just didn't know what I wanted to do. That makes sense.

Sarah Faith (16:03)
Mm.

Yeah.

Tim (16:11)
Um, you know, I actually, found a note from my high school self, like I think my freshman year of high school saying that I secretly want to become a graphic designer. It was just such a weird thing. Like that it's almost like I didn't allow myself to have desires in those ways. Like I didn't allow myself to want to become a filmmaker or a graphic designer because, you know, I won't make enough money because my biggest insecurity growing up.

in some ways still is, is being able to provide for my family, for my own family. Like, and so, maybe other men struggle with that. not sure, but I definitely struggled with that for a long time. Like I would be inadequate to provide that I wouldn't be, I wouldn't work hard enough. I wouldn't do whatever to, provide for them. And so it, to me, it was almost like a pipe dream to be able to get married, have a family.

my wife stay home and I am able to work and provide. So, you know, I had a lot of anxiety about that stuff growing up and, and so kind of go back to school. Like I didn't know what I wanted to do, you know, and so I was undecided for a long time. And then I had talked with by, uh, my youth pastor. I mean, at that point I was 20, 19, 20 years old, but he was, uh, like a mentor to me. And so

we were kind of talking through it and he was like, well, so I know someone, my, my one friend's sister-in-law, think, or, and so she used to go to the church or something. Anyway, she was a connection of his and she was a graphic designer and a Christian. And so she, he linked her up with me and had a phone call with her and she had gone to Millsville as well. And she was just talking about the career and all those kinds of things. So she gave me a lot of

awesome advice.

Yep, her name is Michelle Perez. She she actually interacts with me so I'm like done so she gave me a lot of helpful like points and right direction and And so I became you know, I at first will let me even before I became a graphic designer major I I was My I was say I was pushed to do computer engineering like software and stuff and if you know me

you know, my brain doesn't work that way even a little bit. I think there's part of me that does like some of it, like the logic-based stuff, you know, if-then statements, but it's just my brain could not handle it and I struggled so severely. And that was really the beginning of the end for me at school. And I had a class, I had actually a few computer science classes and...

Part of me liked it, but then the other part of my guy just can't my head around this stuff. Like I was not built for this and it was like, you know, square in a, in in a round peg, you know, like I can't fit into this, you know, and I'm sure like a lot of people can relate to feel like, I'm not supposed to be here. This is not what I'm supposed to be doing. and so I, I remember like sitting, waiting for tutoring.

Sarah Faith (18:44)
Yeah.

Tim (19:03)
in the class and the guy think he wasn't even real. I don't know. Maybe he just knew I was like a lost cause for it. And he like helped me a little bit public. Okay. And then I just remember like some they're crying because I'm like, Why can't I do this? You know, and and so then eventually, you know, I flunk out of those classes, of course, and it wasn't from a lack of trying. I really tried. I just I couldn't do it. And then that's when I got to graphic design.

Sarah Faith (19:30)
Hmm.

Tim (19:31)
But in truth, I'd been doing graphic design for a few years before that, that point, just helping with church, like, bulletins and stuff like that. But yeah, I'm in college now, and so I finally get into it, and I start to feel at home because I'm an artist,

Tim (19:42)
It was all connected. was, cause there's not really much of a design program in Milledgeville. Maybe there's a bit more of it now, now that it's been almost 10 years since of, you know, man, it's crazy getting older. But, uh, so we, uh, and I enjoyed a lot of it, but you know, it was like, it was almost like the damage was done. Like too much damage is done from

the computer science stuff because I just could not get my brain back on right. You know, just screw up left and right. And I liked doing the work and I learned a lot, but I just it's like I it's like when you're falling and you try to catch yourself like with like by running, but you just like I can't I'm falling too fast to catch myself. And so so that's pretty much what happened. And I, you know, I struggled and I, you know, subsequently flunked out of college because I just couldn't catch myself.

You know, even though I had gotten into the program that I liked, you know more or less and I definitely have major issues with the design program at least at the time but I But there's also some other great teachers there, too. So I don't want I'm not trying to throw shade at you know People like it was there was a lot of passion there, but I just I couldn't handle it You know, couldn't I think I got into college too soon And I didn't know what I wanted to do and then I took a pretty

huge misstep and I think that really kind of, you know, screwed it up for me and I have to take personal responsibility. I'm not blaming it on anything else. Like it's me at the end of the day, but, but at least there were reasons why that happened.

Sarah Faith (21:08)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, like school, I think could be so hard for creatives because it's, it's not really designed for that. Even if it's like college, sometimes like not everybody has the same learning channel and some people can struggle with different, like, you know, mental issues. ADHD is like a really common thing among creatives too. And

like just professors could have some like really crazy desires or like standards for their students that they're like, hey, I'm just in here to like do my art, you know, and have fun. And like they take it almost like too seriously. And, you know, that that can just be really discouraging to a lot of creatives post school. So like you flunked out. You're not feeling too great about that, obviously.

Where was your next steps in your journey?

Tim (22:00)
Well during while I was still in school I got a job at this video production company and you know that itself is its own little story, but I got hired to do motion graphics for For another company it was a know, it was one of their clients and so that's what I was doing I got hired and for the time it was really great pay 17 an hour

And it was my first real job, quote unquote. Like I had worked at Chick-fil-A for like three years. And then I got a job at Staples for a little while. And I was still there through college. then I got this job at this video production company. And it was a very interesting experience, to say the least. Lots of those people who left the company, have their own.

production companies now and they're incredibly talented. I would say they were the talent in the company to put it nicely. so I, so that's why I was hard to do this motion graphics. And then I, you know, all this stuff was happening in the background, like through college classes. And I had, uh, I was gaining weight also. And just, I was going through so much like inner turmoil and I really struggled with, uh,

you know, food, I'd say the least. you know, again, that could be his whole other story, but I, I just wasn't doing well, you know, mentally. And, and so with that, and I held out to that job for a little while. And, and so it was like, I finally had a job in this really cool place and I was doing film or video production. Like initially it started just as motion graphics, but then I,

everyone in the company left, you know, for many reasons. But it was just like me and two other people there. And then eventually it was just me and one other guy. And so that was fun. But

But that's where we ended up going and that's what we were doing.

Sarah Faith (23:44)
what was the next step beyond flunking out of school and like, you know, you're now in this production company and like, it sounds like it was a step in the right direction because like your dream is to do movies and like you love

you love film and everything, but then you're able to exercise some of these other skill sets of motion graphics and all of that. But it also sounds like there was just like hardship and like challenges kind of surrounding you within that role. Was there anything that kind of sticks out about it or like a challenge that you had to overcome in that job?

Tim (24:08)
Yeah.

Well, so the boss was a hothead, to say the least. And I remember talking about the story when I first got the next job I got after it. It was such a turn, such a difference. But he was a young guy. was probably a little bit younger than me. am now. But back then, several years ago, almost 10 years ago now. And so

Sarah Faith (24:29)
Mm.

Tim (24:49)
I learned what it's like to run a studio poorly, to say the least, you know, because I saw the cool parts of it, you know, like I saw what it's like to have your own studio and like, this is such a cool thing. You can do what you love for a living. Like you could do, you can meet cool people and you can have sometimes a relaxed morning and you can, know, it's like, was like, it was so different than any other job I've ever had. And I think a lot of creatives dream about

Sarah Faith (24:58)
Yeah.

Tim (25:16)
doing that, like working, doing what you love to do and get paid for it. Like it was, you know, a different way, a dream come true. And I knew I was going in the right direction, but it was really tumultuous. And again, he was a hothead. He had to really walk on eggshells around him. And I saw what it was like to lead poorly. And so I did, there were some lessons I learned from him, but not the lessons he wanted me to learn, you know, and

And he was also, you know, pretty insecure and stuff. And so it just like, led a lot of, there was a lot of negativity within that company. you know, like looking back, like I understand why it was like he was stressed financially and he wasn't getting the clients. And I could see like where his errors were within it. Cause down his age where he was at that point. And I'm like, all right, well I would be stressed out too if I had to provide for 10, 15 people. And it, you know,

Sarah Faith (25:52)
to.

Tim (26:04)
because there's a lot more to running a studio than people realize, even if it's a one or two person operation. So I would say I was learning in so many ways what I want to do and how to do it in a different way. one of those things that happened around that same time, 2016, 2017, was this dream to create my own studio kind of grew in my heart.

Sarah Faith (26:09)
Yeah.

Tim (26:31)
and and I uh you know I didn't tell too many people about it because it's like it seems like a pipe dream it's like especially growing up with those insecurities I had before I'm like am I going to be even be able to do work for other people I already struggle with school I'm ready you know but I do but I was always good at work that's I was like well like if I'm at work I can do the work but I always struggle through school and and so I'm like all right well

Am I going be able to do this? It's probably too foolish to even tell other people. And truthfully, I didn't really have many friends at all, if any. there might have been a couple of people I told this dream to, but more or less it was just something like inside my heart. as a believer, as Christian, I wanted to give it an important name and

So one of my favorite passages in the Bible is Isaiah 11 and it's talking about the Messiah. it's the passage is a prophecy about the Messiah, which, you know, Christians know as Jesus. And it's talking about the stump of Jesse, the root of David. And so I'm like, this little name, stump and root. It's like this, it's this double entendre.

or triple entendre depending on how you read it and interpret it has multiple meanings but I really love that stump and root and so I'm like right if I have a studio this is what I want to name it stump and root and so I just held on to that for years and not ever really knowing if I can actually create that studio or if I'd be able to run a studio or whatever and

Sarah Faith (28:02)
there it is. Yeah, I, I think it's cool that you were having, like, it's kind of ironic, like, when you are working at an actual production company, you're met with all these challenges, and you're learning what not to do. And it's almost like this, like foreshadowing of, hey, this is what you don't do, so that you could one day have your own thing too.

And then during that time, you're given like this seed of hope, like this little, this little shoot, you know, a little plant inside, like where things feel really lost and like dead. And it's a name and you hold on to that and you don't let that go. And I just, I think that's really inspiring because like a lot of people look at the, desert or the wilderness seasons of their life is just all.

bad and they're like, there's nothing good that came from that. And that's not true. Like if you if you really look back on your life, often it's those desert seasons and those wanderings where we actually find out a lot about ourselves and, the calling that we have for our life. And that seems to be what like kind of happened for you.

So it's really inspiring, know, like if anyone's listening, they're like, I don't know what I'm doing and I'm at a job I hate. And it's just so stressful or like they're being mistreated by their boss or like whatever, like maybe they just got let go. You know, there could actually be a lot of valuable, yeah, just a lot of value in that wandering and everything. And so we have to remain patient in that suffering because that

that can teach us something one day. So how long were you at that production company? Did you stay a long time or were you like, you know what, I need to get out of here?

Tim (29:48)
It was only a year and a half. It really wasn't that long. I mean, it felt like at that point, it felt like a long time, you know, cause I was a, and it kind of all came to a head, you know, where just because he expected everyone to read his mind, you know, and that's what bad leaders, that's how that's like a telltale side of bad leadership is that they expect you to do what's in their brain. And I, so I was a couple of times, actually one was like right before my birthday.

Sarah Faith (29:50)
Okay.

Mm-hmm.

Tim (30:12)
and I asked for a raise and he and again hindsight is he was extremely stressed out about financials for the company and staying afloat not that I'm giving him any credit because he was a jerk so I won't be that clear I'm clear about that but but I asked for a raise because I'm like well I'm making 17 I'm like I've been here long enough and I'm contributing a lot and I feel like I should earn more

And then of course, and a lot of this how you know you have a bad work culture or just bad company you work at is then all of a sudden all the critiques come out of nowhere. Stuff that they've never told you about or talked to you about. I'm like, well you do this and you do this and that and I don't like this and blah, blah, blah, this and this. And actually with that project you did, I'm like, so why didn't you never tell me any of this? You know, and because they want to weaponize it against you. That's, that's what he did. And, and he told me to shut up and get back to work.

Sarah Faith (30:56)
you

Tim (31:08)
And so I, and then, you know, I just knew it was the beginning of the end, you know, in so many ways. And so then the next year, it was April, and it was sporadic. was not like I was working every single day at that point, because it was just like, all right, well, we'll call you when we need you, essentially. And so was my only job at that point. And I was in school still, and it was just off and on. And so then I...

Sarah Faith (31:10)
my goodness.

Tim (31:30)
I actually know I think at that point I flunked out. I flunked out about that time, end of 2016, going into 2017. I still had that job, but it was just like not going well. Not again, not because of me, but because of just the state of the studio and just not having clients. And so we get to April and

He was down in Florida for project and he, I didn't do exactly what he had imagined, you know, kind of go back to what was saying before. Like I guess missed the mark for him. He had some things he wanted me to do. I didn't realize I needed to do them. And he was so angry with me. He was like, you're fired. He just fired me right on the spot. And, I was like, okay, you know, and I was just like, I

couldn't I was like I couldn't believe it but I was also like good riddance he called me over the phone and fired me essentially and so I I was so done I'm like all right fine and so I just pack up my stuff I clear my computer and I leave and then he tried to call me back because he needed me to finish the project because you know cuz you know he's just he's such a hot head he fired me on the spot instead of like talking me through it and whatever and so and I ignore his calls

Sarah Faith (32:26)
Yeah, toodles!

Hmm.

Tim (32:46)
You know, and I'm like, I'm not going to work for this bozo another minute longer. And I've already dealt with, two bosses that are just like him, like the same personality, you know, and so I've had a fair amount of experience with with bosses like that. And. And so I left it, he he texted me because I ignored his calls, he was like, yeah, leave your stuff, you're done, you know, whatever, leave your key on my desk, you're done. And so and then that kind of set a long spiral.

for many years for myself, you know, from 2017 until 2020, really. That's a long, long time for me. Like, I didn't have a consistent job. I tried to get jobs after that. You know, it was just a whole tumultuous thing. I was briefly homeless for like a half-hot second, and I applied to like dozens of studios, and I was building my portfolio.

I started a film photography club in Lancaster and met tons of new connections and to kind of bring me into the next stage of life. I was dating my girlfriend, now wife at the time. it was just, I felt like nothing was going right and I was just struggling. So that was the darkest time of my life, most definitely.

I felt truly hopeless in every way possible. Like, am I ever going to be able to get married? Can I actually even get a job? won't anyone hire me? What am I supposed to do with my life? And just like all these things. was in my mid twenties. I'm like, what am I supposed to do here? You know, and, and so it was just a deep, deep depression for me, even though I wasn't, I didn't want to stay there. I was still actively trying to work my way and crawl my way out of that, you know, that hole. But I,

Yeah, it just, I didn't really know how to get out of it, but I was just doing my best. You I was building portfolio, my portfolio, trying to build Instagram up and I was doing a little bit of LinkedIn, not too much, but once it blew in, I might, just cause I knew how important it was even at that point. And so I,

So that's what I was doing. then I eventually I started to get to a point where we create our own young adult Bible study at my girlfriend's house apartment. And it was only a few people that showed up. And the one guy who became a friend and I was telling him my story up until that point of joblessness and struggling and so on and so forth. And he was like, bro, I can get you a job like tomorrow.

and I was like, no, and not. Yeah, I love you Sam. So he, so we, we, he gives me this job. The job is at a chicken hatchery and I can't express how much I hated that job. I had to get up before dawn, drive 20 miles and you know, it's stinky, it's hot, it's disgusting. It's you're cleaning up like the equipment

Sarah Faith (35:11)
He said it just like that too.

Tim (35:33)
for hatching chicks and then you're sorting the chicks. It's just like, man, and it was like that for eight hours, you know? And I only got paid 13 an hour. And it was horrible. Actually, I was getting paid like 12 an hour or something like that. And they had, because just like at my previous job, they were underpaying me what they should have been paying. So it's just like, you know, story of my life, literally, of being underpaid for something they promised me. So.

They got squared away though. But anyway, so we, I just hated it, but I had this feeling that I'm only going to be here three months. I had this like deep feeling inside of myself. And so that was like a little hope I held onto, but I was still extremely ungrateful and frustrated because for a long time I was doing freelance work with the company. still do freelance work for occasionally Cross & Crown and they were like, you know, truly a godsend, literally godsend in that dark season. Cause I got at least

I would do some freelance and then I'll have enough money to buy my girlfriend dinner or a birthday present when her birthday was there. It was like I always had money at the exact right time for that stuff and I could pay my phone bill and this and that. So I was okay but I was still living at my parents' house and it was horrible. And so I...

So, and during the time before I had the hatchery job, I had this deep feeling in my spirit. I was like, I don't want manna anymore. Like I want the promised land, you know? And then, you know, if you're familiar with the Bible, after the Israelites complain about the manna, literally this in Hebrew is called, what is this? It's like this heavenly stuff that God gave them to eat. He then

gave them quail, which is a bird. And so after me complaining about this manna, which was my freelancing, I got a job at a chicken hatchery. So the irony was not lost on me at all. And, you know, it was almost like fair enough, God, but also please.

Sarah Faith (37:27)
Yeah.

Tim (37:28)
So, so I had that job and I was, started at end of 2020, you know, and it sucked. And I was like, God, please, there has to be something else for me. can't, because I was like, starting to think about like, do I have to build my life around this crappy job? You know, like, I don't want my life to be this, like living in poverty and doing the sticky work that, you know, I don't like, and I'm not fulfilled in. And so,

I then got an email from someone who thought I was only doing freelance work. It was like, Hey, would you want to take freelance off the road and maybe, you know, interview for this company at this fire pit company? And I was like, this is it. It's happening, you know? And so I got that email probably January 2021 and it was just like, it's going to happen, you know?

And he had known about me through his friend that I bet because we created the film photography club. So, you know, it all kind of circled back, you know, all that work. was just foundational work. I just didn't know it was, you know, like I had made connections to the film photography. I learned social media and all that stuff through that time as well. And so all these skills were still developing, even though I couldn't really put them to use, you know, kind of like how it was with me in high school. And so.

that leads me to I interview and I did a terrible job because you know my it's like my brain and you know Sarah can relate to this where our brains is like shut down we're like it's like and I'm like I don't know you ever seen that episode of Spongebob where they have to open like a fine dining experience like with Krusty Krab and so Spongebob needs to become this high you know

Sarah Faith (39:07)
Mm-hmm.

Tim (39:11)
this high end like a waiter and and so it was a Squidward had to pretend the Krusty Krab was like some high end restaurant that he owned to impress his like rival Squilliam. And so then he was trying to get SpongeBob to be the waiter. And so he's like, forget everything you know. All you do know is like fine dining and breathing. So then you see his like internal head.

Sarah Faith (39:20)
Mm-hmm.

Tim (39:34)
like all his little spongebob's running around his brain or just like throwing out all the files and everything except for obviously fine dining and breathing. So, and then, uh, the heat, they pull it off and it's like the best experience and the spongebob was like the best waiter and everything. And then the, the man, the squilliam he was like, so tell me sir, what is your name? And he's like, my name. And then it cuts back to his head and he's like, what's his name? We threw out his name. So he couldn't remember his name.

Sarah Faith (39:37)
Mm-hmm.

you

Tim (40:02)
So that's, you know, to give you a little short.

Sarah Faith (40:03)
just to

give you all a visual and auditory representation of what goes on for Tim when he's interviewing and me sometimes too.

Tim (40:10)
Answer.

Yep. So that is what happened. And I just, did a horrible job of the interview. Like I, like I didn't fully answer questions because like a mind brain, I'm like, you know, that's how it is. So that's fun for me. But I, uh, but it was still like, okay, well we're gonna, you know, we'll let you know in a couple of weeks. And I had this strong feeling like I'm going to get it and I'm not going to get it at the same time. And I couldn't explain that feeling to me. And so two weeks later I get the job.

or I don't get the job, sorry, I do not get it. He emails me and says, hey, so we're giving you to someone else. However, we have, my brother-in-law has an opening for someone just like you. And so I was able to use all of my skill sets that I'd been growing for those years and years up until that point. And that led me down, you know, the next steps to what would lead to stop and root.

Sarah Faith (40:44)
and

Wow, yeah, it's so funny because like the story that you're telling just so far, it's like, it's not this straight, shoot, clear path. It's like so windy and there's so many twists and turns in it. And it's like, wait, does he get it? Does he not? Like, you know, does he stay at the job? he got fired. no, you know, like you're working at a crappy job, literally a crappy job at the hatchery and.

And so you're at this new job though. And it's like the prayers are answered and all is well in the world and this is the job, right? Or...

Tim (41:31)
Clouds have parted.

I knew in my heart that it wasn't the job. I knew it was going to be a really good thing for me that would help me push me to the next level. I always knew that. so I loved that job for the first year and a half or so. so I'm not going to get too deep into it. I just will say that I learned a lot. I was able to harness and hone my skill sets, specifically in photography and video.

Sarah Faith (41:41)
Mm.

Tim (42:04)
I I really was able to finally stretch my legs and use the skills I had already learned before, but now actually have the practical skills to kind of come with that. so with the work that we did, I built up the social media from 1,000 people to over 25,000 before Sarah came on board. I did so much.

They were.

Every time I say this, I always have to prerequisite. I'm like, I'm trying to say this in humble way and it never sounds humble. And I understand why it never sounds humble. I always try to advocate for myself because the truth is if you don't, no one else will.

Sarah Faith (42:45)
Ain't that the truth?

Tim (42:46)
And so I tried to say, but also the Bible says, let others brag about you. So I find myself in this kind of like conflicting, like, well, I need to show people and talk about the skills I have what and try not to be braggadocious or whatever, however say it. But I know that I need to talk about my experience. So I will say that I was very successful in what I did and the company benefited greatly because of it. I'll just say that and.

you know, in a way that for our portfolio, for what we did there, like no one, there was no one doing marketing for swing sets, at least not residential swing sets. And even for commercial, no one's doing good commercial content. They have photography, but that's about it. And the truth is no one knew how to photograph swing sets well. No one, not a single one. Everyone was using like their 24 millimeter photo, like lines on their iPhone and it just,

Sarah Faith (43:19)
Yeah.

Tim (43:35)
The swing sets never looked nice and they could never understand why. And then through my experimenting, like, what if I just use these other lenses? And it turned out to work, you know, and obviously they, they look so much better. you know, with the videos we were creating, was, we saw like a dramatic, shortening of the sale cycle. went from like multiple weeks all the way down to like even a couple of days because the selling was happening before they even

Sarah Faith (43:59)
Yeah.

Tim (43:59)
talk

to a salesman. So all that to say, it went well until it didn't. at some point, and you can listen to this part in Sarah's entrepreneurial journey, where we talk a little bit more in depth about this, but I got her on board and it was nice to have a team and someone that obviously is family and that we can work really well together. And then eventually you hired my other friend.

to be to do photography or least some of the photography and then it just fell apart. You know, I'll just leave it at that. There's a lot, a lot I could say and I have, but I will say that it wasn't working and they, I wasn't wanted within the company. And so more or less we were pushed out and we went to this other business selling landscape edging company or landscape edging for this company. And the thing that's really important about this part is that

Right before we left the previous job, I absolutely knew that I wanted to start Stump and Roo. I never, kind of going a little bit backwards, I didn't grow up with entrepreneurship as an idea in my head. My parents, again, so pragmatic, they're like, all right, well, you work for a company, you get the 401k, you do the normal business thing, the normal job thing, you live that life, you...

Sarah Faith (44:56)
That's right, yeah.

Tim (45:14)
get pay raises and so on and so forth. And there's nothing wrong with that. It just, didn't feel like that was me, you know? And I never knew why, it was the idea of entrepreneurship was never introduced to me. But my one friend from college, Sharon, which I met in the design program, he, he was like Morpheus in, in the matrix where he presented me these two options. He was like,

With blue, you can live a normal life, you can have the 401k, but you'll be a slave to someone else your entire life. And here's the blue pill, but the red pill is you can work for yourself. And a lot of the freedom can be in your hands and you can build your dream life yourself and other ways. Look, there's nothing wrong with working for someone else. I really want to emphasize that.

Sarah Faith (45:45)
Yeah.

Tim (46:01)
Because us having a company is like, there will be people that work for us. So I was like, I'm not trying to be hypocrite here. But then this idea, and there's something that never left me, that idea incepted me from the conception. And I could not let it go, this idea of working for myself after that point. And I do have to give a lot of credit to Jaren in helping me and teaching me a lot about that stuff. And so fast forwarding back to SwingSight Company.

Sarah Faith (46:01)
Of course,

you

Mm-hmm.

Tim (46:27)
And me leaving, I'm like, right before we left, was like, Sarah, what if we start something? What if we start our own video production company or content creation company, creative studio? And Sarah's like, I don't know. Let me think about it. then we get pushed out. Yeah. Yeah, that's my nice Sarah voice. So we get pushed out and then I start this new, we're at this new company. And, and so I'm like, all right.

Sarah Faith (46:41)
And that voice too.

Tim (46:53)
We have to put everything else on hold, but this is the important thing. I knew that the work we did here is going to reflect the work we'll do in the future for Stump and Root. And so I was very intentional. like, here are the two frameworks at the very least I want to implement to use. So what I did was I had Sarah Reed's story brand, even though she was familiar with a lot of stuff from Russell Brunson and those people, marketers that she'd learned years and years before.

Sarah Faith (47:01)
That's right.

Tim (47:18)
So I had a restore brand and then the other part was that they asked you answer so I had these two frameworks in my mind of how I want to Do the branding for this company and so that they'll serve as a foundation for everything we do long story short is We are very first video ever in the company. So this was like weeks after like we started in middle to late summer

And we were sitting or heads down essentially for two to three weeks not doing any video or anything. And I'm sure from the outside people are like, what the heck are they doing? But we were doing it the right way, you know? And so then the very first thing that we do, we put it up on Instagram and TikTok. It goes viral simultaneously. And it was like, what the heck? And I'm like, but Toss is like, well.

Sarah Faith (47:46)
Yeah.

Tim (48:02)
not that we expected to go viral, but of course it went viral because we did it the right way. so, and the company was not prepared for it. They made like hundreds of thousands just within those first couple of weeks from that video, specifically from that video. And then a million since then, it's still a staple in their paid ads and stuff. Yeah.

Sarah Faith (48:06)
Mm-hmm.

organic too. Like we never

came in and asked for an ad budget. That was just never something that we did and we were confident in being able to produce a great video and like from the start I don't think we thought it would grow to that level. But that those videos like HGTV picked up on it like

there was people reaching out for brand deals and like, there was just like a lot of opportunity. Like they wanted to showcase the product on HGTV and like, it was like this whole thing and like, you know, it's just like the power of social media. But if we look back on that, it really came from doing.

taking the time to do good branding and really understand like story brand and and all of that. And yeah, we're grateful that we listen to our guts and not like feel that pressure from everyone else, because the temptation is to just as soon as you started at a company, especially in this industry, it's like, OK, quick, put up a post. And it's like we just didn't listen to that.

Tim (49:13)
Yeah.

Yeah. So, so then it was like we were rock stars at the company and, but that wasn't, we were definitely met also with like tribal, weird tribalism and, and we still weren't wanted within the company just because you people were jealous and, so, you know, to kind of sum it up the very end, like we knew several months or few months in we're like, all right, I think we just got to do Stump and Groot. You know, like I don't think it's going to be a long lasting.

And like, you know, something that Sarah said in her video and we knew it wasn't the promised land. We knew that this was only a temporary holding place that we can grow and kind of show that we are able to do this thing. Like we did it with the previous company and we can do it with this one. then like, all right, if we could do this, that means we could do it for ourselves. And so that's where we started really planning Stump and Root. And it was, you know, maybe February last year and it feels like 20 years ago.

Sarah Faith (49:52)
Yeah.

Tim (50:12)
But it was February of last year and we were like, and my plan was, right, Sarah, we should plan, or actually, let me back up. We had bought this course from one of my favorite designers, or pair of designers. They're a hood spa, if you hear the company hood spa, they do a lot of incredible work. They did the ILM logo. They do a lot of Disney and Pixar logos. They're incredible.

Sarah Faith (50:12)
Literally.

Tim (50:36)
lots of other stuff as well, but they have a course called Freelance and Business Stuff, something. It was all about being a freelancer and going to that. And so we split the course, they pay for it, and then we watch it together and we learn so much. And that really gave us the confidence to go out on our own, I think. We learn about the legal stuff. And so we were slowly working at it.

Sarah Faith (50:37)
Super talented.

Tim (51:01)
you know, it got to be last May about a year ago, almost exactly a year ago, where we are, you know, we're more or less not done with the course, but we were more or less done with it. And so we, we had been doing the branding and figuring out our offers and our website, was building up our website and, so my plan was, right, Hey, let's so August 1st, we want to shoot for getting clients.

That way we can start saving money and then when we're in the right place, we can quit our jobs. But of course, here's what happened. We were pushed off a cliff with no parachute and to say nicely and and so then it was Memorial Day weekend, you know, or after the day after Memorial Day, I come back and we come into the office seven o'clock and then the boss

Sarah Faith (51:35)
Is that what happened? ⁓

Tim (51:54)
and fires us and she was like, oh, it's a hard day to be say yo and fires me, Sarah, her sister, basically my wife, he forgot about that. She existed. She was do. My wife was doing like some freelance writing, more or less contract writing and then my other friend Sam, who got me the first job at the hatchery. He was working there as well and so he laid all of us off because they yep all gone.

Sarah Faith (52:12)
Hmm. The entire department. No one was

spared.

Tim (52:17)
and I have a lot of opinions and feelings about that, but I will save it. And so we,

So then we were like, all right, what do we do? So, you know, my thought process, like Sarah talks about hers, but in mine, I'm like, I'm like, I'm a father, I'm a husband. My wife doesn't work, you know, like I, it was just any man who has gone through this or anyone who's the sole providers, like you understand it. It's like, if I don't work, my wife and my child does not eat. We can lose our apartment. We.

we're paying for a car. It's like the stuff, like it's a big deal. And so I was like, what do I?

Sarah Faith (52:54)
How old was your

daughter then at that age? Yeah, just a little baby.

Tim (52:58)
⁓ well she's a little over a year old.

And yeah, and there's a lot I could say about the frustrations of being fired and especially how they did it and why they did it because it's nothing that we did. We were doing good work. It was, you know, other people within the company. So all I to say is that I was stuck with these two choices, either continue to do Stubberoo and grow it immediately, or I can get another job and risk this happening again for the third time.

fifth time for me personally, but I'm like, I can't work for these people again. Like, I can't work for bosses like this, I should say. these guys who like, they say they care, but they really don't, you know? Like people who you are just a commodity to them. And that's not every boss. There are amazing bosses. And I hope and pray that I can become a boss like that myself, where I value people and they're not some number like,

But at that point I had never experienced that. know, least I didn't. Yeah. So so I'll just say so we those are the choices. And so I had kind of put like a below out on like did my guys please help me. I don't know what to do. And so I had a couple of people reach out and they were like toying around with the idea of like creating a position for me within their company just because at that point I'd been so active on like did for years at that point.

Sarah Faith (54:19)
Yeah.

Tim (54:19)
and posting all of our wins and all the work that I do, the photo, video, design, everything. So everyone knew what was up with me. And they're like, we can find.

Sarah Faith (54:28)
Tim could

master class on LinkedIn. He's very knowledgeable on it. Like you really are. Like you just have a lot of insight on it, but that's just a side note.

Tim (54:37)
In some ways and

other ways I have no idea what I'm doing But And I'm sure that's probably true for a lot most people doing this stuff, but they so there's my options and I Had had that idea but then I was like I said before like but I don't want to get have this happened again and so but the more I worked on stubborn root the more peace I felt and I really took that from God. Oh my god This seems like you want what you want me to do. So that's what I did. I

Sarah Faith (54:46)
Hmm.

Yeah.

Tim (55:06)
we put everything, all of our eggs into the Stumper Root basket. instead of having two, three months to work on this, I'm like, all right, Sarah, we have one weekend to get everything ready. So Monday we can start looking for clients. And so that's what we did. I finished the logo, I finished the website, Sarah's doing the copywriting, and we're doing all this stuff. so then we, and so that's kind of, yeah, and then that leads to the story of Stumper Root. And that's where we are today.

Sarah Faith (55:21)
Yeah.

was a whirlwind.

Tim (55:31)
almost exactly a year later. Our anniversary is the 23rd of May. And you know, it's a huge whirlwind, but such a huge blessing. And I never thought I'd make it here today, but we are, we're here and we're thriving and God's been good. And, and so.

Sarah Faith (55:47)
Yeah, that was a crazy time. And, you know, there's some parts of Tim's story that obviously intersects with my own because we had worked at two different companies together prior. That's actually where we realized, hey, we could we could work together. Like we could actually like bond over talking about funnels and like design and branding, not funnel cake, although.

Tim (56:07)
Not funnel cakes. Click funnels.

Sarah Faith (56:11)
Although funnel cake is quite good.

Tim (56:12)
But also I do love funnel cakes.

Sarah Faith (56:13)
Yeah, we do the funnel cake. But yeah, and it was what's funny, like about just your whole story and then like where it intersects with my own is that it's hard to look at the lessons going into it, right? It's only like in the aftermath where you're like, oh, got it. OK, that's why I needed to be.

to go through that like, that's there wasn't waste in the wandering by any means. And working with these companies, I have like a. A different perspective on it, and so does Tim than most people, because like they, you know, when when you're fired from somewhere, usually people, they're like, well, it was all bad. And I'm like, if you're going to blame something for the bad, you also need to blame it for the good and be fair.

Tim (56:43)
Yeah.

No.

Yeah.

Sarah Faith (57:04)
And what we learned in those jobs was a lot of what not to do. And then also just how we work. And it was an opportunity to bring in the skill sets and hone in on them. also, like, you know, we were going viral at both of those companies and, you know, being able to talk about that, that on like LinkedIn, that actually set us up.

to bringing clients today. And so there was my point is that there was no waste in it. And it I'd encourage anyone listening to really remember that because like if you're in a hard season, like really just I don't mean it in a cliche way, but like really just try to find the good and be grateful and be patient because then you're going to be able to look back and be like, wow, like.

I see why I was called into that. I see why I was led into that whole experience. And, you know, what Tim said, like it's by God's grace, honestly. What's something that you, Tim, are really proud about with Stump and Roo? And I don't I don't necessarily mean like monetary. That could be something, but maybe just something that you

are learning or that's that's worth more than any amount of money that you could make.

Tim (58:20)
I would say the most valuable thing to me has been being able to see my daughter like throughout the day, like to be like, it's a feeling that most fathers don't, they're not able to have, you know, like a lot of fathers, they'll work, you know, 50, 60 hours a week and they really don't get a lot of time to see their children. And I, I knew I didn't want to be that father like,

Sarah Faith (58:24)
Mm.

Tim (58:41)
I wanted to be there and be there for their childhood and enjoy it and have them know that me as a father that I'm there for them in those moments. Not just in the big times but in big moments but also in between. so having like going up for lunch almost every day is an amazing feeling.

you know, hearing my little daughter open my door and just like come in and run and smile and you know, like it's it's the best feeling in the world. So having that freedom really is amazing. You know, the funny thing is like I remember I when I was working at the hatchery and even even jobs after that, I had this almost like rose tinted glass, like rose, you know, tinted glasses looking back at my jobless period of life because

I was like, why do I miss it? Even though I hated being in the middle of it. But there was a freedom that I had. I was able to walk two, three miles to the city from where I lived. And I was able to sit in a cafe and I can work on my portfolio. And there was all this freedom that I had that I had lost at that point. But now I'm like, have that back. I have that freedom. can.

And we do that. We go to cafes and we'll work on stuff together. And so, you know, that's something that I think I'm super proud of, you know, that I'm able to be my own person, my own man, and work with the people that I deeply connect with and resonate with. And it's a different kind of feeling when you feel like you're in control, you know.

Sarah Faith (1:00:15)
Yeah, I think like the your family makes it worth it. It's like, yeah, that's what I'm doing this for. And there's a verse in the Bible that says like perfect love casts out all fear. And there can be I was actually at a dinner last night with some people at church and one of the the husband, he's a business owner. And we were talking about how

Tim (1:00:20)
Yeah. Yep.

Sarah Faith (1:00:39)
it affords you so much freedom being a business owner, but there can be so much fear wrapped up in it. And yeah, and it's not for the faint at heart. And I think like when like I'll never forget, like going to pitch our first to our first client and we signed that client within eight days and we were both like, I mean,

Tim (1:00:46)
Yeah, it's a double edged sword.

Sarah Faith (1:01:02)
mind you guys, like we were just fired, like our whole department was fired and there was just like a lot at stake. And I remember. We pitched it, we secured the client and we'll always be grateful to that client for that, taking a chance on us. And but I remember I have a picture of it, you hugging your daughter Gemma and right before the call.

And it was just like all the fear goes away because it's like this is who I'm doing it for. I'm doing it for my family. And I'll have to send you that photo because it's come up in like memories sometimes. And I'm like, that's a great photo. It's literally like seconds before we got on that call. So what would you say is the hardest part about being an entrepreneur?

Tim (1:01:32)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, I mean, would say stress is definitely the hardest part of it, you know, because it's like there's no safety net, you know, like, and that's true even for, you know, traditional jobs, there's no real safety net. But, you know, with a with a traditional job, what you're not the boss, you go in, you have a set amount of things you do, and then you leave. But when you own your own business, or you're an entrepreneur, like, you can't clock out.

Sarah Faith (1:02:14)
Yeah.

Tim (1:02:14)
your

brain doesn't shut off, you know, and I think maybe eventually if Lord when we can grow our studio to a place, I would be able to do that where I'm like, right, my work stays at work and my office is at work, you know, and I think that kind of might help a little bit, but, but I would say the difficulty has been kind of hat switching, like going from design to video, to photo, to social strategy, to this and that. So that combined with the stress of like,

growing a business while building the business, you know, while being in the business and it's, yeah, it's, it's, you know, it's, it really isn't a tight rope kind of like that you're walking, that you're trying to balance all these different things and, you know, doing the work for companies, which fuels your business, but then you're growing the company by growing your business.

Sarah Faith (1:02:40)
Yeah.

will be the faces of the business.

Tim (1:03:02)
by building your business, by being in the, it's, it's, you know, it's like building a plane while you're flying it. And it's scary, but it's also like, you know, it'll be worth it. And it is worth it already just by being able to see my family as often as I do and the freedom that it affords us, like that we can, Hey, let's go get lunch with so-and-so, or I can get lunch with someone or a breakfast and, catch up with someone or, you know, just get to know people and make connections and.

Sarah Faith (1:03:04)
Yeah.

You

Tim (1:03:28)
And so, and also we don't have crappy bosses, because if we have a crappy boss, it's because of us, you know? So it's like, like, there's that freedom too. And that's something that, you know, that I really enjoy.

Sarah Faith (1:03:33)
Right? Yeah.

We are the chokehold of it and I think it takes a lot of responsibility. Like if you have an issue with taking responsibility in your life, do not become a business owner because you're confronted every day with your own duplicity and mistakes. And it's yeah, but it's also the greatest teacher. Like if you want to learn so much about yourself and other people and stepping outside of your comfort zone.

Tim (1:03:51)
Yeah.

Sarah Faith (1:04:06)
become a business owner. So it's like life university. Last question, if you could go back and talk to little Tim before all this happened, and he's having just these dreams and realizations of wow, film and art and becoming a creative, what would you tell him?

Tim (1:04:26)
Yeah, like funny. I had posted something like this on LinkedIn where I had created this image, you know, of myself currently talking to my like 16, 17 year old self. And I kind of went through that whole thought experiment. Like, what would I tell myself? what I think the big thing I'll tell him would be remain steadfast. Like

Sarah Faith (1:04:35)
Mm-hmm.

Tim (1:04:48)
it's going to get a lot more hard, it's going to get a lot more difficult before it gets better. And, but don't lose heart because of it. And

Like I, you know, just even to quote myself, I'm like, you just got to keep holding on, remain steadfast no matter what, because you think that the difficulty is the end, but it's not, it's not the end. It's only the beginning. You're capable of more than you realize. You aren't your failures. You aren't the lies, the malice that people have told you. You have purpose and meaning and rejection does not define you. And that's, that's probably what I tell myself. Like, you know,

Just those words. You aren't what people tell you you are. that keep holding on because it does get better.

Sarah Faith (1:05:29)
Remain steadfast and don't lose heart. Tim, this was a lot of fun. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your story. We work together, but I got to actually learn a lot more about you and your story through this and you're a very inspiring person and you're appreciated. Thank you guys so much for listening. This was our little podcast.

And you can find us on our website at stumpandroot.co. If you want to learn more about our branding and design studio, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us. We would love to hear from you. And we're just so grateful for every listen. Thank you again.

Bye.

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