AP 1194: Where Are They Now? Joaquin Elizondo

AP 1194: Where Are They Now? Joaquin Elizondo

Pat Flynn:
What's up, everybody? Pat Flynn here, and welcome to episode 1,194 of AskPat 2.0, and this is a special month here in November of 2021. And all of this month, we're going to hear “Where are they now?” episodes. These are episodes where we invite back previous coaching guests here on the show, who we coached, who I helped out, who I guided a little bit. And we're going to hear what they did with that information and what has happened since.

And today we're talking with Joaquin Elizondo, and Joaquin is from, this is an amazing business, HollywoodEditingMentor.com. He helps people break into Hollywood as an editor. So it's in Hollywood, but niche as an editor. And he has a very specific niche even within that. There's a lot of people online who teach editing, but he teaches the business of it and how to actually break through into this industry, how to develop relationships and network.

And it's so cool. He's a mentor to so many people. And we're going to talk about it a little bit in the beginning here, where he was, last time he was on the show, but more so what has happened since, and now what are some of the... and this happens with everybody who comes on. It's like, okay, what new problems are we facing now? Because yes, what got you here, won't get you there. So we implement new things, we reach new levels, but when we reach those new levels, there are often new challenges, sometimes even bigger. And the last thing we want to happen is to fall back and get sort of further behind than we were when we first started.

And Joaquin's doing some amazing things, but he's gotten to a point where he needs some help, and we got him at the end here. And I can't wait for you to hear this because Joaquin is just such an amazing person. And he truly is in this to help people. We talk about everything from coaching to pricing, to his course, and scaling, and all the stuff that you need to know. So here he is, Joaquin from HollywoodEditingMentor.com.

Joaquin, welcome back to AskPat. It's great to hear from you again.

Joaquin Elizondo:
Hey Pat, it's great to be here again. Thanks for having me once again. It's great to talk to you.

Pat:
Yeah, man. Last time we chatted, I know that your business, which is, you're a Hollywood film editor, right? You do a lot of that stuff, and you still do that stuff, but you've also added this business to help and mentor others do the same thing. And right when you were starting out the last time, in episode 1,137, you were taking on a lot of one-on-one clients at the time. And just really getting started there. Take us back to what it was like, starting your business back then. And then we'll kind of go through the journey of what has happened since, because it has been a while.

Joaquin:
It has. Yeah. And the thing is, I started this business during the pandemic, and so I was not working. I was in, editing films and TV shows. So I had a lot of time, free time to do my one-on-one sessions. Then Hollywood opened back up again around, I think, October of last year. And I've been going nonstop ever since. So I've been trying to at the same, grow my career, but also grow this mentorship program. And it has been growing, and the community has been growing. And I have a podcast, and I've been now giving lectures at universities, at nonprofit organizations in San Diego, like the Media Arts Center. It's just, like I said, I'm getting really busy with the mentorship program. But at the same time, I also keeping busy with my editing career, and that's growing. So I've been trying to manage both.

Pat:
We'll talk about that, and we'll see if we can guide you to the next steps because I've been there before with a lot of new opportunities. We often say yes to a lot of things and then we just go, “Wow, there's just so much going on.” And it's especially hard when you really love doing it. And I know you love what you do. So HollywoodEditingMentor.com, when that was starting out. Tell me about what really helped put that on the map between the last time we chatted and this time. What were some things you did to get more clients and to have more success with that?

Joaquin:
Definitely. I think the one-on-one sessions definitely helped me get my name out. Right? Because there was certainly a void that needed to be filled with regards to, say, how to break into Hollywood, right? People that were looking to break into Hollywood editing, specifically. And then I think, obviously during that pandemic, people just had time, a lot of time. So people were wanting to learn new things and had the time to then, say, do these one-on-one sessions. Right? So with that, that kind of got the word out. Obviously, getting testimonials from people was key. I started in the podcast, I had some of my mentees on the podcast kind of sharing their experience, working with me one-on-one. So that got the word out.

Then of course it started getting bigger guests on the show on the podcast. So I got Emmy-winning editors and composers. I mean, people from the Queen’s Gambit, right? I mean the composers, the editor, shows like Insecure, Mare of Easttown. So obviously then I'm getting high-profile editors on the show and then people start to listen more. And obviously, they're providing really good advice for people because I don't want you to just to hear it from me. I want you to hear advice from people who are far more successful than myself and have been doing this longer than I have.

So the podcast has been really great for growing this community. I started a private Facebook group where I make myself available there once a month. I do a live Q and A sessions, and really what it is, it's besides me being there and answering questions, it's a way for people to network, right? This industry is based on relationships and networking. So I let people there connect, right? It's a safe space for people to connect and meet each other. I think a lot of people have a hard time with networking. And so I tell them that this is a community. It's a place where you can go up to someone else and you can say, “Hey!” No problem, meeting new people and introducing yourself. And so people have been liking that, that has helped. Obviously doing lectures at universities, like I said, has also helped. I'm partnering up now with other companies like EditStock, and EditMentor, Pro Sound Effects, I'm doing some videos for them right now. That's getting the word out. So, yeah. It's been a busy year.

Pat:
That's awesome though. I'm super stoked for you, man. There's a lot of things to unpack there. I'm curious with the one-on-ones, how many, or what was the max that you were able to handle? Because there's always going to be, like, you can't take on everybody eventually. How many were you taking on? How much time was that taking you?

Joaquin:
Well, what I realized was that it, because at the time when I started, I was doing an hour-and-a-half sessions. And I think at the beginning, I had maybe between five and 10 students. Right? But what I learned was that, it's not just the hour and a half, right, that you dedicate to one-on-ones. There's a lot of other more time that you dedicate during the week. Because I make myself available to them during the week where I say, "Hey, I have a private Slack channel," where I say, "Hey, do you have any questions? Hit me up? That's part of the package." Right? And so if people send for example, "Hey, take a look at my résumé or I have this question," that's time. Right? So I then realized that it was not just the whatever, hour, hour and a half that I was doing in the private mentoring sessions. There's more time tacked on to that. Then my next random enrollment, I reduced that time to now hour sessions, but still now as you get more students, so then that's a lot more time you're investing also during the week.

Pat:
What was your day-to-day like? How many calls did you have per day?

Joaquin:
Well, per day, I mean, it varied. I mean, that was the thing. I kind of opened it up. I said I had a period of enrollment and I told people, “You pick the day and time that works for you based on my availability.” Now, the thing is that when... I work on, on TV shows and films and so I can only do these are the sessions when I on hiatus, in between projects. And it's very tough to gauge when I'll be available. So then if I only have, say, like a month or two, I tell people that's the only, I can only take on so many students, right, during that time, because once I get rolling on a project, I just can't take on students. That's the thing.

Pat:
That makes sense. Can I ask you how much you charge, or how much were you charging and how much are you charging now? Did you vary the price points at all with that, or has it remained the same?

Joaquin:
It has remained the same. I charge about really, well, I guess like per hour session, $150. And I started that because it was kind of, call it “pandemic pricing,” right? And so it was a way for me to get clients and get testimonials. That was very important to me. Now my plan is, moving forward, is to hike up the price. I mean, there is—I clearly know, I'm fully aware of it, but for me it was something new. I needed to kind of launch this thing. And now that it's gained popularity, that community is growing, yes, definitely the price is going up. So what I did was I simply reduced then the time for those sessions, but I kept the price the same way. And obviously depending, I sold it as single sessions or four sessions or eight sessions and priced accordingly. But yes, I need to, maybe something you can help me out with this year, setting the price for that.

Pat:
Yeah. I mean, pricing is such an interesting psychological thing. Right? And what happens is when you increase the price, the perceived value of what you're offering is even higher and yes, you might have less people purchase, but you'll be able to help those who do purchase even more deeply, and you get almost a higher quality clientele who's likely to do more of that work. Right? And you get even better testimonials as a result of that. And typically, and it's, I love how you said, this pandemic pricing, getting started. I think that's important. You're at that stage now where you can make these decisions, especially if you want more room and time back, right? It seems like your time is starting to get stretched into all different places. You're getting invited to universities, you're doing the podcast now, which is super cool. I want to get into that next, but you can get some time back and still, like if you had half the clients paying twice as much, you'd make the same amount of money in half time also.

So just something to think about, and it feels like ripping the Band-Aid off. It is a big mental leap that you have to do. You have to just make that leap. It's tough. And the nice thing is you can make it with the next client and see how it feels. Because I think a lot of us are afraid to do that. We might feel like we're going to get pushback or a person's going to go, "That's ridiculous." And when that person ends up purchasing at the higher price, you go, "Wow, I could have done this all along." And then you start to open up more possibilities. So let's talk about the podcast. When did the podcast come out? What is it called, and how did you get connected with all these amazing people on it?

Joaquin:
Well, [inaudible] named Holly—it's the Hollywood Editing Mentor Podcast. You could find it at HollywoodEditingMentor.com or any of the podcast, your favorite podcast platform. Well, honestly the podcast came, the idea came from the fact that, well, I used to do college radio. I always wanted to be a radio host. But also I figured that, like I said, I wanted people to hear advice from top Hollywood editors, and that kind of goes back to the idea of networking. How would... I found all these guests simply by networking? I think I have gotten pretty good at it over the years. And honestly, that's one of the reasons why I created this Hollywood Editing Mentor program because I realized just how important networking is and something that I didn't practice before earlier on in my career. And it wasn't until I got to Hollywood and figured out how to break in that I realized the importance of networking.

Honestly, that's how I got to know all these people. It's just relationships. I mean, either if it's just through other friends, you know, that's how I've gotten out, like I said, Emmy-winning editors on the show. And so that also helps because obviously then they share the episode. I really encourage people to share it, obviously their episode, and it gets tracked. And I think what people like about the show is that the approach that I take with my show is that it's more about real-life experiences, kind of pulling the curtain on Hollywood and sharing, say, stories from the cutting room. There's already a lot of podcasts out there that talk about, say, the craft of editing, and so that's being done.

What I'm doing more is, like I said, sharing personal stories, personal experiences. So where we dive into like, say, we'll talk about, say people's fears that they had maybe early on in their career, challenges that they faced with producers. Right? Which I think is really important. I think a lot of people focus on the technical skills of the job. Sure. It's important. But what I realized is that it's the softer skills that have really opportunities for me. And I've also seen how people who lack those soft skills, how it's held them back from advancing in this career. So that's what I'm really trying to push with this podcast.

Pat:
I love that. You're very clear with the unique selling proposition of the show. And I think that's so important, a big lesson for all of us. So I really love that. You're also getting invited to go speak at universities. How did that happen? Was that also through networking, or did somebody reach out to you as a result of your podcasts? How did that all go down?

Joaquin:
The podcast, I got to say, people started listening to it and they just start reaching out. I mean, they just start, people start reaching out, professors start reaching out from schools. You know obviously, then, I also went to the University of Michigan. So I have that connection, I still keep in touch with my film professors. And through just social media also. The Media Arts Center organization in San Diego reached out to me; I've done lectures with them. So it's been through the podcast and just simply social media. And I think that the fact that I'm pushing these kind of more, the importance of networking and the softer skills that I think, like I said, not many people, or if anyone is doing that with editing specifically. Because when you talk about editing, it's mostly always about the technical side of things, which again, it is important. Trust me. But what I'm saying is that I've realized just how the soft skills can really, like I said, open up opportunities for us.

Pat:
I want to ask you because there's probably a lot of people here who can feel that you're this networking expert, which you are. Obviously now you're mentoring specifically people who are in the editing field on how to do that and break into Hollywood. And I think that's so important. Can you give us some tips on networking? If we're brand new to a space, where do we even get started? It just feels so heavy. It feels so like, oh, we're on the outside. There's these insiders and they have their little circles. It almost is a little discouraging sometimes. How would you recommend anybody start to get involved in relationship building in any space?

Joaquin:
You said it right there: networking really is about building relationships. Something that I, to me, before I thought it was just simply a, go to an event, a mixer, you introduce yourself, maybe when we used to have like business cards, pass them out, this and that. But what I realized, it's really about building relationships and finding connections with people, and that means putting yourself out there. A lot of it is, it's fear, right? We're shy, or we just, it's really hard for us to go up to someone and just simply introduce ourselves and put ourselves out there. One of the top comments that I get from people is, “You know what? I don't want to bother them.” Right? When I'm talking about, say, going up to someone or sending out cold outreach emails.

Because I talk about that a lot, is I feel that I'm going to bother someone, right? And that's the thing. We're creating this scenario in our head, which is not even the case, right? For the... very likely. And so it's important to get over that and really understand that we need to put ourselves out there. We need to tell people what we're looking to do, what our goals are, because it really is, no one ever knows, we're never going to get anywhere. Right? So it's really just important. I encourage people to always make a post on the Facebook group, introduce yourself. Who are you? What are you trying to do? That's where it all starts. And so I think it's really, again, finding those connections with people. I always tell, you know, put yourself out there in a sense of what do you like to do.

I tell people, put on your résumé at the very bottom, for example, other hobbies. What is it that you like, tell me about your, who are you? Trust me, I've had, for example, a mentee where she started the women's golf club at Chapman University. Right. And I said, "Wow, you need to put that on your résumé because there's a lot of post producers, post-production producers that love golf." Right? And sure enough, her first job, first interview she gets, the post producer looks at her résumé, says, “Oh, so. Asked her, I think, “What golf clubs do you use?” or asked her if she thought like Callaway or Cobra? Which one was better? That was a question. I think she said Cobra. And she got the job. I mean, obviously, that is what got the post producer’s attention, right? Because there's a connection. And how do you do that? You simply, you need to put yourself out there and tell people who you are. Not only, you say what you're trying to do with your career, but simply who you are as a person. That's how you build connections.

Pat:
That's so smart. I love that. I love that story too. That makes complete sense. And I do agree, Cobra drivers are very nice. This Facebook group that you have sounds huge. Is it just you managing it? How are you able to keep everybody feeling like it's a place that is valuable for them?

Joaquin:
Well, yes, that's the thing. It is me doing really everything by myself. And yeah, I am in that Facebook group, making posts, introducing people, doing these live Q&As; like I said, I called them “afternoon tea sessions with Hollywood Editing Mentor.” I'm on there, like around four or five PM. And like I said, just simply answering questions about editing, post production, this career, and also introducing people to each other. But yes, I manage it all. I do all my videos, YouTube videos by myself, the podcast, everything. And that's where, now, I realized I'm at a point where I need help. I can't do it all by myself because I'm also managing my editing career. I love being an editor. I love it. And so I'm not going to let that go anytime soon. Maybe down the line, something I'm thinking about doing is teaching. I actually got offered a position at one of the top film schools in the nation.

I've never been a teacher or anything, but this mentorship program kind of put me, got my résumé to the right people. I see that in the future, but for now I really want to grow my editing career. And so I also want to, I don't want to let go of this Hollywood Editing Mentor program. So I got to admit that I need help. And I also got to admit that that's kind of hard for me because it is… I have a bit of a, I mean, I don't know, I guess control freak if you want to say it. I don't know.

Pat:
Well, you're an editor. Of course you are. It has to be at the exact frame... move, you know what I mean?

Joaquin:
Yeah. So that's tough for me to let things go in general with work, because I just want to be there. I want to be part of the creative process, but I have to, I have to let go of things.

Pat:
For sure. What are you thinking about doing to help solve that problem?

Joaquin:
Well, the first thing that I am going to do and I'm currently developing is an online course because what I've realized is that I need to not be there. I need to find a way to teach what I teach in one-on-one sessions, but not dedicate that time. Right? To being actually there one-on-one, so I can go off and do my projects, but still have my course sitting there. Right? So that's in development at the moment. I'm also thinking now about doing a group session. So I'm moving towards that.

Pat:
If you weren't going to say it, I was going to say it. Those were literally the two things I would have recommended to you. So it's good confirmation, hopefully for you and the direction you're going. So online courses, so asynchronously a person can get and learn things from you in their own time. You've done the work upfront to put this all into one space, and then that's sort of like a lower-tier-priced item. One tier above that would be the one-to-many. And then the highest tier is one-to-one. So this is again another case for why you have to increase your prices for one-on-one. Because if you keep your prices for one-on-one at $150, well, you can't charge more than $150 for the group coaching. You can't charge more than $150 for the course. I would say that your digital course could be potentially $150, and then the group coaching could be higher than that.

And then of course, much higher is your one-on-one because your time is what's most valuable. So just some perspective there and some confirmation, validation for you in terms of the direction you're going. But we are doing a lot on the cohort-based courses as well. Meaning it is a group, but we're kind of going through the course together. So it actually plays with the digital course. And it's just a way for people to have that accountability, the networking, very important, like you said, and just the support as they go along without the one-on-one, “You can text me anytime” kind of support, which I know is, can get a lot when there's a lot of people.

So yo, I'm so excited for you, man. I can't wait to... we have to chat with you again, since you're in the middle of building this, if you don't mind us reaching back out to you in the future and we can see how things sort of start to pan out for you. And especially now that we're starting to get out of the pandemic and a lot of choices, a lot more television coming back, and your editing career, just congratulations. Congratulations to you and what you're doing to inspire other people who are looking to follow you in your footsteps. And now you’re connecting with all these other major players through your podcast. It's just really inspiring.

Joaquin:
Well, thank you. Thank you, Pat. Honestly, well, first of all, great to talk to you again, and also just thank you for, you know, I learned a lot from you. Honestly, when I started this program, a lot of it came from your podcast and your website and everything. So honestly, again, thank you for all that you do.

Pat:
Thank you, man. One more time. Where can people go to check out all your stuff?

Joaquin:
You can head over to HollywoodEditingMentor.com. There you can listen to the podcast or check out any of our, my social media platforms. And of course, the online course, digital course is coming soon.

Pat:
Woo. All right. Crushing it, man. All right. Thank you so much, Joaquin. We'll talk soon.

Joaquin:
All right. Thanks, Pat.

Pat:
All right. I hope you enjoyed that catch up with Joaquin. Man, this has just been so incredible, and I'll tell you all of the “Where are they now?” episodes coming this month are absolutely incredible. We have another amazing person coming in next week. So make sure you hit that subscribe button because Joaquin brought some goods. Next week's person, the entire month, it's all going to be amazing and inspiring. And it just shows you that sometimes things take time, but you got to take action now. And the action that you take now determines the story that you're going to be telling others in your future.

So HollywoodEditingMentor.com, and of course AskPat.com is where you can go and get the other episodes, the actual coaching episodes and the “Where are they now?” episodes and potentially get coached as well. You can find the application button on that page. Again, that's AskPat.com, and I'd love to help you out too.

So, thank you again. Thank you, Joaquin. Thank you for listening all the way through. I appreciate you, and I look forward to serving you in the next episode until then peace out. Cheers, and as always team Flynn for the win.

Thanks for listening to AskPat at AskPat.com. I'm your host, Pat Flynn. Our senior producer is Sara Jane Hess. Our series producer is David Grabowski, and our executive producer is Matt Gartland. Sound editing by Duncan Brown. AskPat is a production of SPI Media. We'll catch you in the next session.