Tashoma Vilini

Full transcript: Tashoma Vilini on London Real

0:04 This is London Real, I am Brian Rose. Joining me today is Tashoma Vilini, recent graduate of our Business Accelerator. Welcome. Thank you. Five minutes. Tell us about you. Where are you from, what do you do? Okay, so my name’s Tashoma Vilini, I’m 27 years old, visual effects and filmmaker based in London. And yeah, so I graduated from university about five years ago studying business.

0:28 And whereas the majority of my friends went off to get Fortune 500 jobs, I decided I wanted to pursue my passion in filmmaking, and I just got stuck in the film industry. Started off as a runner, kind of worked my way up, but during that process I realised that there were, like, a ton of filmmakers around me that had great stories, you know, a lot of talent, but just weren’t able to really make ends meet.

0:50 And, you know, this was why I joined the film industry in the first place, because, you know, one day I want to make films myself. And I figured, well, this is something that I need to figure out, how you make money from this stuff, otherwise it’s just not ever gonna materialise. During jobs I got a job working in distribution, I got to understand a bit more about the industry, and after that job I just concluded that the film industry as it is isn’t built for diversity, it’s built for mass audience.

1:23 So my company, Nitrate, what we’re doing is we’re building a video on-demand platform that allows filmmakers to actually make the films they want to make, and then use their audience to promote the film for them. It’s really simple, so they get paid in cryptocurrency for promoting the films that they enjoy. Very cool. Okay, cool.

1:40 And why consider this accelerator? Where are you at with your business, where were you at personally? Why join us on this adventure? Well, I’ve been working on this project now for about a year with my team, and we got to the point where, okay, we have done the prototype, we’ve done all the work in terms of the business plan, financial forecasts, all of our stuff.

2:06 One thing I was missing was, okay, we don’t have traction, no one knows about us, no one knows who we are, and we had limited funds, and I didn’t want to have to approach investors without doing that work. Also, I knew that we’re a media company, and London Real is an amazing media company. I figured, you know, I’m just gonna go learn from the best, when I know nothing about the social media thing, and, you know, put myself out there and get an engaged audience. Sure, yeah.

2:22 Okay, why London Real? How’d you know about us? Bulletproof Coffee. When I was studying in my final year, a lot of people were drinking it, and I got really into it and looked online. I saw your face pop up and I kind of got into your content from there. Oh yeah, okay.

2:46 And you pulled the trigger to join the course. What made you finally do it? Because it’s a big investment of time and money. What made you think, okay, I got to do this with these guys? It was just the thought that, you know, I wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip out of my hands. I knew my tendencies, that I have a tendency to be a perfectionist, you know, and at this point, when you’re approaching investors, you want to make sure everything’s perfect. Yeah.

3:17 And I figured, you know, I need to be in an environment where, one, I’m competing with other people, and two, I got someone behind me to really kick, you know, the answer from wasting time. So this is what the experience gave me. So yes, you are a perfectionist.

3:25 Talk to me about the first two weeks. You join, I’m throwing video modules at you, the accountability doc, we got two live calls per week, you got a hundred and fifty students around the world. What’s that feel like? You just get thrown in the deep end, basically. You see everybody, so it’s almost like a race line. You see everyone doing this stuff, videos, I’m like, you know, I’m not gonna get left behind on this one, I’m gonna do the stuff. I was vibing. It’s exhilarating, it was great.

3:57 You know, I had the opportunity to put vlogs out there that I’ve been procrastinating on for so long, and the response I got from my social network was super positive. As in, like, I was so nervous that they would be like, oh, what the hell is he doing in Berlin? But no, everyone was really supportive, and that just gave me an extra boost in what I’m doing, and, you know, the idea behind this project and why I’m doing it. And so it was great.

4:21 Nice. What did you struggle with? Well, I struggle, as I said, with perfectionism, and also just at times, and I say perfectionism because I’m great at putting together ideas, you know, like taking concepts, smashing them together, and, you know, putting a team together and getting other people on it, right? When it comes to execution, it’s like I can just be so, like, oh, like, it’s not right, it’s not perfect.

4:53 And this is something I’m still learning to get over, but doing this experience just showed me, like, you don’t need to wait, you know, it doesn’t need to be perfect. Doing something is better than nothing, you know. So, yeah.

5:01 Talk to me about the community, your classmates. You’re meeting a lot of them for the first time this weekend. What are they like, what was it like to have them there on this? It’s just, I tell you, like, living in London, it can feel like you’re drowning sometimes, you know, because it’s such a big city, everyone’s so focused on what they’re doing, etcetera, etcetera.

5:26 And having that class, I had Team Rose, Team Rose, having that class, you know, you’re just surrounded by, like, high-performance individuals, people that actually want to do something and make a change, and willing to help you as well. And, like, also super supportive. I feel like, well, as you said, I’ve made, like, some really good contacts I really think I’m gonna know for a long time, you know. And, yeah, it’s just, I really couldn’t believe it myself, you know.

5:56 And, you know, in a way I feel like I need to give back as well, you know, because they got me to this point. I want to help them with their journeys and what they’re doing as well. And, you know, it’s taught me a huge lesson, you know. You got to step out of your own way and take an interest in other people in order for things to happen for you. Like, this great experience. Thank you.

6:21 What was your biggest win on the course? Something that you accomplished where you’re like, okay, wow, this is good, or now I can see this future. What was it? It was, you know, like, it was also the hardest of the course. I did the seminar and the webinar. Yeah, the webinar. And I was thinking, I was thinking, how the hell am I going to talk about, and then what am I going to sell off the back of it, you know?

6:44 Because the problem with blockchain technology is, at the moment, the only thing you can do with it is trade cryptocurrencies, and I’m speaking to filmmakers. Filmmakers aren’t interested in trading. So, you know, it was good that I just pulled the trigger anyways and did it, because I was able to get some really valuable feedback.

7:06 And I know some people are interested in blockchain at the moment, but most people are interested in making money or flipping coins, etcetera. But there’s a huge gap in terms of, like, education for filmmakers that want to understand the whole business part of filmmaking, and really, like, understand, like, how business models, like, the moment we have, I actually explained to filmmakers, there’s just, like, a huge gap right there.

7:30 So that was the biggest win for me, understanding, like, okay, there is a way I can provide value straight away, you know, and I don’t have to be one of those startups that has to wait until they get funding in order to provide value. I can do it straight off the back now, all just from the IP and my own brand. Right, so testing it actually made you get comfortable that, wait a second, these people do need my IP, they need my knowledge, and I actually can sell them something that will help them get up the curve. Precisely. Okay, that was good, man. I was so glad you did that. Yeah.

7:56 So, you know, as you leave the course, you know, next three to six months, what are your plans, and what’s the biggest takeaway from the course that you can use? So leaving this course, as I said, I’m gonna start offering value straight off the back. I’m gonna continue with the vlogs, continue with the webinars, and I actually quite like teaching, which is something I never thought I’d enjoy, you know. And yeah, I do, I do like sharing information, so I’ll continue doing that.

8:29 You know, six months to a year from now, you’ll see that Nitrate is a community-funded project, and you’ll see that we have partnerships with major film festivals, independent cinemas, an engaged community of filmmakers behind us, you know, I’d like most fairness, most interest in less talented filmmakers buying this. Oh yeah. That’s where we’ll be, just from providing value from the get-go. So I like that vision. Yeah.

8:55 And what about you, have you changed? If we walked on the street and met the Tashoma who didn’t take the course, how was that guy different than the guy I’m looking at right now? Well, the guy you’re looking at right now is fearless, you know. I feel like I could do anything, man. I feel like, you know, I realised the only thing holding me back was myself. That’s it.

9:20 It was an illusion of feeling like I need to be perfect. You don’t need to be perfect in this world, you just need to do something. So, yeah, the Tashoma Vilini you’re seeing now is someone that just does stuff on impulse sometimes, but sometimes it’s really strategic. But the fact of the matter is I’m doing it, and I’m making progress, whereas before I’d probably just be there in my office, just, like, perfecting some things. Oh yeah, that’s me.

9:51 Good. I like this guy, and that’s what entrepreneurs do. They take chances, you know, all the time, but they do pull the trigger. So it’s good to see you in this mode, man. And look, you got so much talent. You got, you know, for a guy your age to already be putting together people to make companies and be thinking like that, you’re way ahead of the curve. A lot of people need to be 10 years older before they start doing that. So that’s great.

10:14 Again, we’ll get you off the perfection and just get you pushing forward. I think it’s all gonna be upside. All right, like I said, leading with value, you’re just gonna attract all these people that want to help you win. So final question. Just someone who’s thinking about the accelerator, isn’t sure, what do you say? Do it, do it.

10:37 No, I mean, don’t hesitate. Just, if you watch Brian’s content, if you like the people he has on his show, and you want to be surrounded by people with that energy, then there you go. I don’t think it’s something you need to hesitate about. You can only get something positive out of this.

10:53 And I mean, you know, before this course I had never seen myself as someone who was necessarily, you know, had self-esteem issues or was nervous or anything. It exposed a lot in me, and I’ve grown a lot from the process. So I’ve learned about myself in such a short space of time. You know, saved me a lot of time and a lot of future stress. So thank you for that.

11:18 Thank you, it was great having you. We got you for 12 months, so keep cranking with this team, make some big wins, and just keep pulling the trigger. It’s been great having you, thanks for the energy, and as you say, it’s about the journey. I can’t wait to hear more about Nitrate’s journey. So let’s do this. Yeah.