We had the good fortune of connecting with Daniel Nanasi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Daniel, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
When we started our careers, my business partner and I were roommates and worked 14-18 hour days. We were absorbed in what we did because we loved the idea of growing a business and brand and creating video content. For 5 years we basically only worked. As we got older, more experienced, and more mature we realized that although nonstop work is what got us here, it ultimately wasn’t sustainable. We realized in order to be better at what we do and to be healthy humans in general we had to step away from work at times. We got out of our bubble and spent time on hobbies and travel as well as started families. “Working” less is better for our careers and creativity. You have to stay inspired in order to create greatness. You need rest to be at your best. The long hours we put in up front allowed our business to grow so we could work smarter, not harder. Work/life balance is a constant, sometimes daily, challenge (especially having young children). It’s great that we were able to struggle when we could and now use the time we’ve earned to continue to do what we love doing for a living.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Our video production agency creates brand films for companies and organizations. We started in 2014, but have been creating video content professionally since 2007. We create content with context, meaning we dive deep into the brand, message, and audience to engage viewers. We are a small team that does custom work. I’m proud of the fact that we’ve grown our business, client roster, and quality of our work slowly but properly. It’s been a long road of dedication, focus, ups and downs, and sacrifice to get where we are. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it because this has always been, and still remains, our passion. As a partnership, the two of us always have been able to fill in each other’s gaps one way or another, so we’re able to persevere through challenges easier than if we were alone or relied on employees. We’ve learned to stay focused and to employ our past experiences and failures into everything we do. For us it’s a marathon and we’ve failed enough to know to just keep at it. Our story is pretty unique, but we just want everyone to see our work. The proof is in the pudding.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
When friends visit from out of town, I first take them to our office inside of Tyler Station in Oak Cliff. It’s the original Dixie Cup factory where wax paper was invented. It’s a historic factory brought back to life and there’s nothing like it around. Then I take them through the Bishop Arts District and surrounding areas to show the uniqueness of North Oak Cliff. Then we cross the Zang bridge into downtown Dallas. We pass through the city into historic Deep Ellum which has experienced a revival in the past several years. It’s also where we used to live and first started our careers, so it’s full circle. I love taking visitors to authentic, hole in the wall, taco joints and then through Kessler Park to see some of the crazy custom homes.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Our greatest mentor, Edward von Hohn. He taught us some very basic, but profound, things about people and good business. What he taught us continues to bring us happiness and success. The One Thing (book) and my wife for being there from the beginning…and still staying by my side.

Website: thinkbrandedmedia.com
Instagram: think_branded_media
Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/think-branded-media/
Twitter: @Think_Branded
Facebook: facebook.com/thinkbrandedmedia
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/think-branded-media-dallas
Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/ThinkBrandedMedia
Other: https://upcity.com/local-marketing-agencies/profiles/think-branded-media

Image Credits
Joel Chapple Anna Wilder Ed Bailey

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.