The Strange Reality of Taking a Day Off

We are taking a family beach vacation in July. For most people, that's a typical summer tradition. For our family, it's our first beach trip in six years. For context, we took one every year for a decade straight.

"Troy, what's the deal?"

Well, for one, our child went through an Abraham Lincoln phase, so one year we visited Springfield, Illinois. Another year we went to New York and saw a play on Broadway. (Side note: New York City on July 4th is not for the faint of heart.) Most of our vacations became centered around whatever he was interested in at the time.

Honestly, they were great trips. We had experiences we probably never would have had otherwise.

Still, while most people would be counting down the days until their toes are in the sand, I'm staring at the calendar like it's a time bomb.

I'm self-employed, which means a week away from the office carries a different weight. A week away means no work is being completed and no invoices are going out.

After nine years of being my own boss, I've noticed one undeniable truth: I cannot relax.

There is always something that needs to be done.

If I'm working on client projects, I'm noticing the yard that needs mowed, the dishes in the sink, and the laundry waiting to be folded. If I'm doing chores around the house, I'm checking email every time my phone chirps or thinking about how I want to tweak a graphic once I've showered and eaten.

Recently, my wife and I were sitting on the porch on a Saturday morning. The dogs were racing up and down the fence line, birds were at the feeders, and it was one of those perfect, peaceful mornings.

My wife looked over and noticed I was buried in my phone.

"What are you doing?"

"Editing a TikTok video."

I showed it to her. We both laughed. It was genuinely funny.

A few moments later she said, "You really can't just sit, can you?"

To be fair, I've always been this way.

I know rest is important. Shutting down and recharging matters. But the truth is, I'm often at my most creative when I'm busy. Ideas show up while I'm focused on something completely unrelated.

I've solved video problems while out for a run. I've figured out appliance repairs while sorting interview footage. Sometimes the brain needs motion before it can find clarity.

So yes, I'll go on vacation.

I'll enjoy the trip with my family. I'll enjoy seeing the ocean—my favorite place on the planet. There will be good food, plenty of laughter, and hopefully some time to simply be present.

But I'll probably still pack my laptop.

I'll definitely bring my camera.

And at some point, while watching the waves roll in, I'll probably think of three new project ideas, a better edit for a video I'm working on, and an entirely new way to solve a problem that had me stuck before we left.

Maybe that's not a flaw.

Maybe that's just how some of us are wired.

Yes, We Used Tape Back Then

One of the great things about working with new clients is the conversations that happen after the “official” meeting is over. Recently, as we were wrapping up a discussion, a client asked me:

“What’s the most challenging aspect of your industry?”

That’s not an easy question to answer because there are really two answers.

The first challenge is keeping up with technology.

I’m basically a dinosaur in this industry. When I started professionally, we were still shooting on cassette tape and film stock. Everything was analog. Everything was standard definition. And equipment was expensive. Not “that’s a pricey camera” expensive; more like “take out a bank loan” expensive. Which, naturally, also meant it was expensive for clients.

Then came the transition to high definition. Actually, multiple transitions. Different formats. Different workflows. Which meant new cameras, new decks, new computers, new software, and yes… more bank loans.

Now we live in a world of 2K, 4K, 8K, mirrorless systems, drones, AI tools, and workflows that would have sounded like science fiction twenty years ago.

The funny thing is, despite all the changes, the fundamentals are still the fundamentals.

Resolution changes. Codecs change. Cameras evolve. But storytelling still matters. Lighting still matters. Audio still matters. Frame rates, composition, aperture, pacing; those things never go away.

Once you understand the foundational principles, adapting to new technology becomes much less intimidating. The tools evolve, but the craft remains.

And honestly, one of the best things about this industry is that as technology improves, the barriers to entry continue to come down. The gear gets better while, in many cases, becoming more affordable. That’s a good thing for creators and clients alike.

The second challenge?

Managing clients.

And before anyone reads that sentence the wrong way, I don’t mean that as criticism. In fact, it’s one of the most important parts of the job.

Every client is different. Different personalities. Different communication styles. Different expectations. Some clients want detailed collaboration. Others just want reassurance that everything is under control. Part of being good at this work is learning how to adapt to each person and each project.

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “The client is always right.”

Well… technically, they are paying for a service.

But I’ve always believed the real job is collaboration. It’s helping clients create the best possible content — and sometimes that means protecting them from ideas that may not work as well in execution as they do in theory.

We’ve all had moments where an idea sounds incredible in a meeting, but once you start building it out, you realize there’s about twenty seconds of greatness surrounded by two minutes of setup for a very average payoff.

That’s where experience and communication matter.

Not because I’m always right — far from it. I learn something from nearly every client I work with. Some of the best ideas I’ve ever used came from conversations where we challenged each other creatively until we found something stronger than either of us originally imagined.

That’s the partnership.

Before we ended our conversation, I told the client this:

“You understand your industry completely. I understand mine. If we communicate effectively, the project will be great.”

At the end of the day, that’s really what this business comes down to.

Trust.