Locus Podcast

Flying drones, running a media company, and still in school: Donovan Riley of Donni Media | The Locus Pod Ep. 3

On this episode of The Locus Pod, I sit down with Donovan Riley, founder of Donni Media and a drone pilot who's building a real media business while still in school.

Donovan breaks down how he got into flying drones and FPV, what it takes to turn a skill into paid work, and how he runs his own media company on top of a full class schedule. We get into the gear, the learning curve, landing clients, and his advice for anyone who wants to turn a creative skill into a business before they even graduate.

In this episode:
How Donovan got into drones and FPV flying
What makes FPV different from traditional drone work
Starting Donni Media while still in school
Turning a creative skill into paying clients
Balancing school and running a business
Tips for aspiring creators and young founders

Check out Donni Media: https://www.dbrmedia.company/
Follow Donovan: https://www.instagram.com/donnimedia/

The Locus Pod is a meeting place for conversations on business, tech, and AI, with the people actually building things. Subscribe for new episodes and follow along for clips.

Hosted by Kahlil Ballenger
Instagram: @aiwithkahlil
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kahlilmb
Produced by Creative Flow Studio https://links.creativeflowstudio.us/?src=podcast

#TheLocusPod #FPV #Drones #DronePilot #Entrepreneurship #StudentFounder #Filmmaking #ContentCreator

From a college dorm idea to a patented product: Grady James on building Velocity Vane | The Locus Pod Ep. 2For episode two of The Locus Pod, we headed out to James Ranch in Durango, Colorado, Grady's family ranch, to sit down with the founder of Velocity Vane, a weathervane company he started while still in college.Grady walks us through how the idea came to life, what it actually takes to get through the patent process, and how he balanced building a business with being a full-time student. We also get into the role his family has played in backing him, where he's taking Velocity Vane next, and his honest advice for anyone thinking about turning their own idea into a real product.In this episode:How Grady got into weathervanes in the first placeNavigating the patent process as a young founderStarting a company while in collegeThe support system behind the business: family and ranch lifeWhat's next for Velocity VaneTips and tricks for aspiring founders and inventorsCheck out Velocity Vane: https://velocityvane.com/Learn more about James Ranch: https://www.jamesranch.net/The Locus Pod is a meeting place for conversations on business, tech, and AI, with the people actually building things. Subscribe for new episodes and follow along for clips.Hosted by Kahlil BallengerProduced by Creative Flow StudioInstagram: @aiwithkahlilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kahlilmb#TheLocusPod #Entrepreneurship #StudentFounder #Patents #SmallBusiness #Durango #Colorado #Startup

HE BOUGHT A COMPANY AT 23...What does it actually take to buy a business at 23 years old — just weeks after graduating college?In this episode, we sit down to talk about acquiring a company at a young age, navigating the small business loan process, taking on real financial risk, and figuring out how to lead a business when you’re still learning in real time.We break down how the opportunity came together, what financing and due diligence looked like, what he learned through the acquisition process, and what comes next as he works to grow the company.We also get into a bigger conversation about entrepreneurship, local business growth, branding, marketing, web design, SEO, content creation, and building businesses in communities like Durango, Colorado and Santa Fe, New Mexico.As young entrepreneurs working in website design, local SEO, branding, digital marketing, social media content, and creative strategy, we’ve both learned that sometimes the fastest way to grow is to jump into the deep end before you feel completely ready.In this episode:• How to buy a business in your early 20s• Buying a company right after college• Small business acquisition financing and loans• What the business buying process actually looks like• Lessons from becoming a young business owner• How to evaluate a small business opportunity• Entrepreneurship after college• Building and growing a local business• Local SEO and Google search strategy• Website design for small businesses• Branding and brand strategy• Content creation and social media marketing• Marketing for Durango, Colorado businesses• Marketing for Santa Fe, New Mexico businesses• Taking risks early in your career• What we’ve learned from entrepreneurship so farIf you own a small business in Durango, Colorado, Santa Fe, New Mexico, or the Southwest and are trying to improve your website, branding, SEO, content, or overall digital presence, this conversation is especially relevant. We talk about the realities of building companies from the ground up, making imperfect decisions quickly, and learning by doing.

COMING TO ALL PLATFORMS SEPT. 7TH