#105 Systems, Margins & Mindset (ft. 6 STRONG MEDIA)

On this episode of Creatives Grab Coffee, hosts Dario Nouri-Nejad and Kyrill Lazarov sit down with Kris Simmons, founder and CEO of 6 STRONG MEDIA, a U.S.–based corporate video production agency headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Kris has built one of the most operationally tight networks in the industry, with more than 280 vetted camera crews across the U.S. He breaks down how 6 STRONG MEDIA maintains local presence in every major market, manages pricing consistency, vets freelancers, and protects margins while scaling sustainably.If you’re building a video production company and love episodes about systems and growth, you’ll also want to check out conversations like Scaling Your Business and Managing a Growing Business.

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Who is Kris Simmons & 6 STRONG MEDIA?

Kris is the founder of 6 STRONG MEDIA, a national corporate video production agency that specializes in scalable, repeatable production for clients across the U.S. In this episode, he explains how he moved from being a local operator to building a nationwide network of crews while keeping standards and margins healthy.For more stories on long-term growth and leadership in production companies, explore episodes like Lessons in Leadership and Building a Video Business That Lasts.

Building Systems That Actually Scale

Kris walks through the systems that let 6 STRONG MEDIA:

Vet and onboard new freelancers at scale
Keep quality consistent across 280+ crews
Maintain clear communication and expectations with both clients and contractors
Protect profit margins even when budgets are tight

If you’re in the process of dialing in your own systems, you’ll get a ton of value pairing this episode with How to Improve Business Processes and How to Operate a Video Production Company.

Building a 280-Crew National Network

One of the standout parts of this conversation is how Kris:

Built local presence in every major U.S. market
Developed a repeatable vetting process for new camera crews
Keeps rates and expectations aligned across regions
Uses systems to maintain quality control instead of micromanaging every project

For more on scaling beyond your local market, queue up Breaking Into New Markets and Thriving in a Small Market.

If you’re a brand or marketer looking for a partner that understands national-scale productions, you can also check out our work at Lapse Productions, our Toronto-based corporate video services, and request a free competitive quote.

Protecting Margins in a Competitive Market

A big theme in this episode is margin protection—how to stay profitable when:

Clients are shopping around on price
Budgets shrink but expectations stay high
You’re managing larger teams and more overhead

Kris talks about the importance of:

Pricing based on value, not just day rates
Saying no to bad-fit projects
Building repeatable packages and retainers instead of one-off gigs

If you want to dive deeper into margins and pricing strategy, listen next to Video Strategy & Retainers and Proposals, Sales Strategies & Remote Shoots.

Freelancers vs Production Companies: Who Should You Partner With?

Kris shares a nuanced look at when to hire freelancers vs when to rely on production companies, and how 6 STRONG MEDIA balances both:

Why freelancers are great for flexibility and specialized skills
Why production companies can offer reliability, systems, and strategic thinking
How to set expectations so everyone protects their margins

For more conversations about talent, teams, and collaboration, check out Vetting and Managing Talent and The Importance of Teams.

If your company needs a long-term video partner rather than one-off freelancers, our team at Lapse Productions specializes in ongoing content for brands across manufacturing, healthcare, tech, and more.

Mindset: Thinking Like an Owner, Not a Freelancer

Beyond systems and pricing, Kris spends a lot of time on mindset:

Shifting from “I shoot videos” to “I run a business”
Making decisions that support long-term sustainability
Understanding your positioning and ideal clients
Building a company that can scale beyond your personal capacity

If this resonates, you’ll also enjoy mindset-driven episodes like Power of Niching Down and Key Lessons for Video Production Companies.

Who This Episode is For

This episode is a must-listen if you:

Run a video production company and want to scale sustainably
Are a producer or agency owner struggling with margins and capacity
Work with national clients and need reliable crews across multiple markets
Want to move from freelancer mindset to owner mindset

For marketers and brands who want to bring this kind of thinking into their own campaigns, explore our corporate work via Lapse Productions and our Video Services overview.

Keep Learning with Creatives Grab Coffee

If you enjoyed this conversation with 6 STRONG MEDIA, keep the momentum going with these related episodes:

And of course, you can browse all past conversations on the Creatives Grab Coffee episodes page or head back to the homepage.

About the Hosts

Creatives Grab Coffee is hosted by Dario Nouri and Kyrill Lazarov, co-founders of Lapse Productions — a top video production company in Toronto helping businesses create cinematic content that drives results.