Creative Production: From freelance to start-up.
Founder of PESA Productions.
Went to University at Leicester, there he introduced 'Battle', the first street dance competition in Leicester. This was his first exposure to being a producer, and the creative industry.
He studied Physics with Astronomy at University of Leicester.
After graduation he thought 'What did I want to be?': What did I want to do? What impact did I want to create? Who did I want to serve?
He went to many interviews, and ended up applying for a Conference Producer.
Conference Production: The curation of content and speakers for industry events; generating economic value by bringing people together who share common values, interests or challenges. A keen understanding of the market you are operating in is a prerequisite to developing a highly engaging programme. This requires research; research which gave me unprecedented access to business executives who would share with me their honest feelings regarding their challenges, concerns and ideas.
Transferable skills he got from that job: communication, research, project management, networking and business acumen.
Why set up a company? Profound desire to create something bigger than himself..
The biggest brands in the world eg. Nike, Amazon, Google, are like umbrellas, they encompass many different things, rather than being just about one person. So he wanted to create an 'umbrella' brand, and called it PESA Productions, rather than just working under his own name.
What is Pesa Productions?
It is a content-driven creative production company supported by Virgin StartUp, specialising in premium events and creative content. Our core values manifest via pragmatic and visionary approach to production, with a keen awareness of intergenerational and intercultural nuances.
He called it 'Pesa' because it is his great-grandfathers surname, who was a chief in Uganda. So this represents his strive for something greater than himself. 'Pesa' also means money in Swahili.
Different types of creative production: Events, Film, Photography and Podcast
What is a creative producer?
"'Making shit happen' is a good one. A producer has to be the enabler of creative ideas, their brain is like a giant map combining all the needs and solutions to make sure a vision is accomplished. It is the rock of a project, someone people can rely on but also, someone who manages and directs all the people involved." - Julie Vergez
What advice would you give to anyone looking to become a producer?
"The work we make and the people we make it with should reflect the world you want to live in. Whilst inclusivity in front of the camera is important, it's equally important behind the camera" - Jannis Birsner
Why we should all be producers?
- Proactive about your ideas and practical about the steps needed to bring them into reality.
- Identifying and maximising opportunities.
- Galvanising people/resources around a common vision or purpose.
- Holding yourself and others accountable.
- Being a creative problem-solver.
5 things you should know:
- Value-based networking. Start identifying what you can offer people, instead of what you can get from it yourself.
- Identify your value. This is critical to networking. You are young and influential, you need to own it.
- Customer and client experience. Always be friendly, punctual and keep your word.
- Ideas are useless without action. Don't assume your ideas will come from nothing. Ideas come from working.
- Find your advocates. Know who your ride or dies are.
Closing Thoughts.
Don't just network up, don't just look to those at the top. Look at those beside you, on your level, and find those people with which you can rise up together.
It's okay to fail, just make sure you learn your lesson. Be persistent.
Be yourself.
Contact
Email: Andrew@pesaproductions.com
Instagram: @Kingdom_Pesa/ @PesaProductions
LinkedIn: AndrewOdong
Twitter: @Ajodong1/ @PesaProductions
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