2019…. What a wild year it’s been.
Life overhaul would be an understatement this past year. To give some backstory, 2018 ended with a a gut feeling that I wasn’t doing what I was meant to do. While I’d grown my production company to what many would say a successful place, it began pulling me further and further from where I wanted to be & what brought me into this creative world from the beginning…. Helping NGOs in developing countries.
I thought to be able to accomplish what I had hoped, it would require me to build a company that could continue running while I skipped overseas on projects. Secretly hoping that one day it would turn into more overseas work. While it kind of worked, in actuality I was spending so much time managing local projects that I couldn’t put any effort into growing the other part of the business…. The overseas part… the purpose & heart part.
At the same time, I found myself energized through building some new relationships in the greater film industry which began opening my eyes to other ways of going about my business. I also realized that to really do this thing, I needed a fresh start in a new place. This would allow me to re-frame Simon Eisenbach Productions into what I have always wanted it to be…. a production company purposed to assist those helping others globally.
Ok, now onto 2019 hahaha…
January started off like any other year. Kinda slow for business with everyone just coming back from holidays. I took advantage of this and began looking into where I might want to move. Knowing that a lot of my time had been spent in Africa, I knew I wanted to stay on the east coast. I also wanted to be, at most, an hour drive from a major airport. This meant Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, DC, Charlotte, or Atlanta. I then looked at the cost of living & style of life which instantly knocked out NYC, DC, and Atlanta. Then it came down to work potential, and ease of getting around, which made the Philadelphia area the clear winner. I should also admit that I’m NOT a city person, and wanted a yard (learned this one in Taiwan)!
At the end of January, I went on vacation with my parents and took full advantage by flying out of Philly. Then, upon my return, I spent a few days with a friend & drove around the city/met up with some other friends to figure out where I’d actually want to land. After this little adventure I leisurely made my way back to Utica doing a couple jobs along the way.
While I knew where I wanted to end up, and what the plan was when I got there, I couldn’t just pull the trigger. I still had this pesky office building which needed to be sold before I could seriously consider moving. This gave me a perfect opportunity to just put my head down and work to save up as much money as I could before the move (who knew how long it’d be before I really started working again after).
The roller coaster which became the next 7 months proved tough yet enjoyable at the same time. I knew my plan, just didn’t know exactly when it would be time to execute. There’s been so many incredible high points partnered with just as many lows.
In March/April I took a 3 week left coast adventure starting in Seattle/Tacoma/Portland visiting friends, and checking out the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center (who i’d love to work with one day). Then, down to LA & San Diego for some meetings and spending time with industry people I’d met online but never actually met in person. Finally ending up at NAB in Las Vegas where I had the pleasure of working with GNARBOX by speaking about my work in their booth. NAB for me isn’t just about the show, but about the people you spend time with while you’re there. NAB also led to the absolute worst AirBNB experience I’ve ever had (for real… we had to cancel and find a new place, it was THAT bad).
All while I was traveling I’d been telling people that I would be moving, but didn’t know exactly when I’d be available for hire… It was definitely frustrating, but also the right move so I could enjoy my time left in Utica. Thankfully, while I was on the road, my office building sold. This allowed me to start actually planning the transition. Without having a specific deadline I needed to be moved by, I took my time finding the right housing situation on the Northeast side of Philadelphia.
This spot allows me to easily get up to NYC, into Philadelphia, or down to DC via I-95…. Perfect for everything I’m trying to do. I also wanted a fenced yard for the pup, and a big enough space to continue filming youtube videos & work from home. I started the search on May 1, and of course a perfect spot popped up right away…. only to be gone before I could get down there and look at it. Thus beginning the daily waiting game of looking at houses for rent… only to not fit what I’m looking for or be absurdly expensive.
While the waiting game happened, I was working on my last few projects and starting to get rid of the clutter that had collected in my house (how does one person just end up with so much stuff after 4 yrs at a house haha). Eventually, this townhouse came across my screen & set everything into effect with a big move planned for August 1. This was both a huge relief, but also a huge stressor at the same time. While I’ve been traveling my whole life, and have done longer stints away from Utica…. I’d never actually picked everything up and permanently said see ya later (I did try with Taiwan, but it just wasn’t the right fit).
June/July were fairly leisurely months as I prepared to move, spent time with friends, and golfed a fair amount (I was with friends, so how could I not?!). I spent a lot of this time reflecting on what the last 6 years of working in Utica had done for me, gotten me to where I am, and questioning if I was doing the right thing. While I enjoyed this time period for getting some closure from the place that’d been my home for 30 years, it was also tough because I was leaving friends who had truly become family. This is a feeling that has stuck with me since before the move, and creeps in sometimes when I’m missing friends from home (yes, Utica will always be home to me).
Immediately after the move I had the opportunity to work with GNARBOX at Sony’s Kando. This was a fantastic opportunity to meet like-minded people, learn some things in classes, and of course…. try out the Sony gear I don’t have yet (ugh GAS is such a real thing).
Since the summer, I’ve been starting life in PA, and figuring out what life will be like going into the future. Making new friends, and finding my new places, etc… It’s definitely tough making a big location change & making new friends while being self employed & working from home. This has probably been the biggest challenge for me so far, but is slowly changing.
November’s project with Yezelalem Minch in Ethiopia was a much bigger undertaking than expected. We had a variety of issues due to needing journalist visas which requires a lot more paperwork… which has to be filed a specific way… and sent through a bunch of offices in Addis Ababa (huge thanks to our local fixer Mario for getting this done).
Our trip itself was a huge success filled with a lot of interesting moments (check back for more on this… Instagram highlights some previews). It was probably one of the smoothest trips with travel that I’ve had in recent years. Nesibu & his team run an amazing organization which has a huge impact on their community. Check out our video to see everything they’re up to: https://youtu.be/om_iqpWXxlM
I rounded out the year with a quick trip up to the Canadian Rockies. This was a personal work trip instead of filming for a client. In an effort to continually push myself into new experiences and be ready for any opportunity, I realized I needed more cold weather experience when it came to filming. This was a perfect opportunity to get out, see some beautiful landscapes, and learn a bit about working in that environment along with capturing an out of norm experience.
It’s definitely taken longer than I expected to get going again after the move, but in the long run, it’ll pay off. Things never go exactly according to plan, but I also have a lot of doors opening which couldn’t have happened before. While it’s been one crazy roller coaster of a year, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
If you asked me at the end of 2018 to predict 2019, I would have been so wrong. I take comfort in that, though- Honestly, 2020 holds so many opportunities for Simon Eisenbach Productions, and I cannot wait to see how it plays out!
Let me know what 2020 has in store for you, personally or professionally! Especially if you want to jump on a project together!
