Local Business Shoutout: PeachyPixx Productions & The Freelancers Academy

One of the people I love to watch is Renee. When I first met her, she was already an established business owner running PeachyPixx Productions. From there, her business has been steadily growing and expanding into new territories. Now she is sharing her expertise with other business owners as a mentor!

Let's welcome Renee for our October's Local Business Shoutout and find out more about the lady behind PeachyPixx Productions & The Freelancers Academy!

Renee

Photo Credit: Renee

Hello Renee! So good to hear from you again. Let's hear about yourself and PeachyPixx Productions & The Freelancers Academy.

Renee Ismail - a self-taught corporate videographer, YouTube enthusiast, speaker, and caregiver.

I started my entrepreneurship journey through my company PeachyPixx Productions, where I offer videography services for keynote speakers, fempreneurs, and small businesses. My passion lies in bringing clients' visions to life through captivating visuals.

Beyond my own YouTube channel where I share expertise, I also find immense joy in mentoring business owners to establish their presence on YouTube authentically, fostering genuine connections with their audience.

Photo Credit: PeachyPixx Productions

Alongside my professional endeavours, I navigate the delicate balance of being a caregiver at home, a journey I openly share on my podcast, "Beyond 40". I also co-host the "Hey, Biz Buds!" Podcast with five other business buddies of mine. Through such projects, I hope to empower professionals to achieve their goals while honouring the different hats they wear, each with its own set of challenges.

PeachyPixx Productions is a corporate video production company started in 2013 to assist business owners in creating purposeful video content for their brands. As it evolved, this independent production house started realising the need to educate small business owners about the importance of content. Slowly, more services like YouTube Mentorship were introduced to empower entrepreneurs to create and monetise their content.

The Freelancers Academy (TFA) started in the middle of pandemic. It is a safe space and community for freelancers, solopreneurs, and self-employed individuals. We believe in helping to build, structure, and scale freelancers in their professional development, locally or regionally. We aim is to support freelancers’ journey regardless of the size or stage of their business.

What inspired you to start your business?

When I first started PeachyPixx, I had the desire of independence. At the same time filling the gap of being a female corporate videographer.

Photo Credit: PeachyPixx Productions

How have you personally grown as a business owner?

Becoming an entrepreneur has helped me grow personally in many ways.

I have become more confident. Running a business requires a lot of confidence, both in my own abilities and in my service. When you are constantly putting yourself out there and taking risks, it can be tough not to let the fear of failure get to you. But if you can overcome that fear and keep going, it will build your confidence immensely.

I have learned to be more decisive. As an entrepreneur, you don't have the luxury of waiting for all the information to come in before making a decision. You need to be able to make quick decisions based on the information you have available. This can be tough, but it's a skill that is essential for any entrepreneur.

I have become more passionate. When you are passionate about something, it shows. And when you are running a business, your passion is contagious. It will inspire your team, your customers, and even your competitors. Passion is a powerful force that can help you achieve great things.

What routine do you follow every day?

As a caregiver while running a business, my day starts as early as 6am. Start by journaling down the day. I'd usually go for morning runs at least 3 times a week, and then settle all morning caregiving duties before 10am where I start working proper. I also break my days into 3 parts. Morning till Noon is where I do my creative work. Noon till evening I will schedule meetings, doing admin work, final 3rd of the day is where my learning is - either reading books or listening to podcast.

Photo Credit: The Freelancers Academy

What are the most rewarding aspects of being a business owner?

Definitely the flexibility.

What books, podcasts or influential leaders have influenced you the most?

I love Tribes by Seth Godin. I can reread that book over and over and still get a lot of different ideas every time I read it.

What advice will you give to aspiring business owners?

Starting a business is hard work and at the start it is a lot of hard work, but always look at how you can work smarter as opposed to harder. At the end of the day you're not doing it for practice and if there are easier or more efficient ways to do things, take advantage of those opportunities.

What is the future going be like for you and your businesses?

For The Freelancers Academy, we have our upcoming summit event happening on 9 November 2024. As for PeachyPixx Productions, I am starting the new cohort for aspiring YouTube creators.

Photo Credit: The Freelancers Academy

Looks like it is going to be a wonderful few months for Renee! Praying for everything to go well for you and all your endeavours! Visit The Freelancers Academy here and PeachyPixx Productions here.