Episode 107
The Art of Client Relationships (ft. Great Things Studios)
Most conversations about running a video business assume a straight line: pick a niche, build a team, grow. N’tchidjè Doumbia’s story is the opposite. Over more than a decade he has reinvented Great Things Studios again and again, from a rapper’s home studio into a Montreal production company, and most dramatically, from a business that lost 90 percent of its revenue in a month into one that now runs on live medical production.
With Kyrill away, this episode became a long, honest two-person conversation between Ntchi and Dario about reinvention, sales systems, SEO, and staying competitive in an industry being reshaped by AI. It is one of the most practical episodes we have recorded on why client relationships, not gear, are the real asset.
Key Takeaways
- Reinvention is the through line. Great Things Studios has remade itself from music videos to corporate to live medical production, and each pivot was a survival move rather than a plan.
- Corporate work bought stability. Moving off music videos in 2014 brought better budgets, recurring clients, and long-term partnerships.
- One lead can save a business. After losing 90 percent of revenue in 30 days during COVID, a single medical live-production request became the pivot that doubled revenue from 2020 to 2023.
- Sometimes the niche chooses you. Live production now drives about 60 percent of revenue, a direction Ntchi did not plan but ran toward.
- Farmers and closers are different jobs. The farmer does cold outreach and absorbs rejection; the closer diagnoses the real problem and connects the video to ROI.
- Most clients ask for the wrong video. The job is to uncover the real need, which is why Ntchi closes around 30 percent of the leads who reach a call.
- SEO is a compounding asset. Embracing it helped Lapse climb from page 55 to page 1 for a brutally competitive search term, and it reshaped how both studios get found.
- Say no to protect the brand. Knowing when to decline work is part of building something that lasts.
- Compete on what AI cannot replicate. On-site production, live events, and real storytelling are the moat.
From Rapper to Studio Owner: Ntchi’s Origin Story
Before he ran a video production company, Ntchi was a rapper and sound engineer, running a home studio with his business partner John and mixing records for local and international artists. Clients started asking for music videos, he said yes, and one used JVC HD100 bought on eBay later, Great Things Studios took its first step into filmmaking.
It is a reminder that most studios are not founded by people who set out to run a business. They are founded by makers who follow the work, a theme that runs through nearly every conversation on the power of niching down.
From Music Videos to Corporate Video Production
By 2014, music videos were no longer a sustainable business in Montreal. Corporate work offered better budgets, recurring clients, long-term stability, and real partnerships. This mirrors the early years of Lapse Productions, which shifted into corporate video around the same time.
If you are new to that world, our primers on what a corporate video is, the types of corporate videos, and how to choose a video production company are a good map, alongside our fuller guide to corporate video production.
The Pandemic Crash and the Pivot That Saved the Business
When COVID hit, Great Things Studios lost 90 percent of its business in 30 days. Then one unexpected lead changed everything: a medical organization needed live production support. With minimal experience, Ntchi and his team committed to learning live switching, multi-camera workflows, PTZ operation, on-the-fly color grading, and IP-based setups.
That pivot doubled their revenue from 2020 to 2023 and reshaped the niche entirely. Today, roughly 60 percent of revenue comes from healthcare and medical video production, which overlaps heavily with event and live production. It is a vivid case study in adapting fast, and in diversifying where your income comes from.
“You do not always get to choose your niche. Sometimes the niche chooses you.”
N’tchidjè Doumbia, Great Things StudiosSEO, Mindset, and Continuous Improvement
Dario shared how Creatives Grab Coffee itself transformed Lapse’s business by exposing gaps in systems, operations, and positioning. A major turning point was embracing SEO, which helped Lapse climb from page 55 to page 1 for video production Toronto, one of the most competitive terms in the market.
The episode digs into on-page optimization, content strategy, diversifying traffic sources, and how Google’s move toward zero-click results is changing the game. If you want to go deeper, our guide to YouTube SEO pairs well with the wider conversation on adaptability, sales, and SEO.
Farmers vs. Closers: A Sales Framework for Creatives
One of the sharpest ideas in the episode is the split between two sales roles. The farmer does the cold outreach, kicks doors, and carries a high tolerance for rejection. The closer takes over once a prospect is on a call: diagnosing the business problem, recommending the right kind of video, and tying the work to ROI. Ntchi closes around 30 percent of the leads who reach a call, an unusually strong rate in this industry.
Both he and Dario keep returning to one point: most clients ask for the wrong video, and your job is to uncover the real need. That is also where understanding what a video costs and the difference between a production company and a freelancer pays off, and it rhymes with our episodes on new ways to generate leads and how to pitch as a producer.
“Most clients ask for the wrong video. The job is to uncover the real need.”
N’tchidjè Doumbia, Great Things StudiosAI, Automation, and the Future of Video Production
The conversation closes on AI and how it is reshaping search, client discovery, video creation, live events, and staffing. Rather than fear the disruption, Ntchi and Dario talk about integrating new tools while leaning into what AI cannot replicate: on-site production, live event coverage, and genuine storytelling.
It is a grounded, non-panic take that lines up with our longer look at AI and the future of video production. If you are a brand looking for a team that puts client relationships first, explore our video production services or request a competitive quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Great Things Studios pivot during COVID?
When the pandemic erased about 90 percent of its business in 30 days, Great Things Studios took on a medical organization’s live production and taught itself live switching, multi-camera, PTZ, and IP workflows. That pivot doubled revenue between 2020 and 2023, and live medical work now drives roughly 60 percent of the studio’s revenue.
What is the difference between a farmer and a closer in sales?
The farmer handles cold outreach and absorbs rejection to fill the pipeline. The closer takes over once a prospect is on a call, diagnoses the real business problem, recommends the right kind of video, and connects it to ROI. N’tchidjè Doumbia closes around 30 percent of the leads who reach a call.
Why do most clients ask for the wrong video?
Clients often request a specific deliverable before anyone has defined the goal. The producer’s job is to uncover the real need behind the request, which usually leads to a more effective and more valuable project.
How important is SEO for a video production company?
Very. Embracing SEO helped Lapse Productions climb from page 55 to page 1 for a highly competitive search term, and it changed how both studios get discovered. On-page optimization, strong content, and diversified traffic sources all matter, especially as search shifts toward zero-click results.
Will AI replace video production companies?
Not the parts that matter most. Both hosts see AI reshaping search, discovery, and some production tasks, but the durable advantage is what AI cannot replicate: on-site production, live events, and genuine storytelling.
The Hosts
Dario Nouri and Kyrill Lazarov are the co-founders of Lapse Productions, a Toronto video production company, and the hosts of Creatives Grab Coffee, a weekly show about the business of video production.
About
Creatives Grab Coffee is a podcast about the business behind video production: sales, strategy, pricing, team building, and everything that happens off camera. New episodes every week on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
Lapse Productions is a Toronto-based video production company serving tech, finance, healthcare, and manufacturing clients with corporate, promotional, testimonial, event, and recruitment video. Not sure who to hire? Start with our guide on how to choose a video production company.
Great Things Studios is a Montreal-based video production company founded by N’tchidjè Doumbia, known for evolving from music videos into corporate work and, more recently, high-demand live medical productions. Learn more at 514gt.com.
