Is Your Business Supporting Your Life, or Running It?

In a recent episode of the EO Philadelphia Ignite & Inspire Podcast, Tina Hamilton sat down with Jeremy Schmidt of Edge of Cinema, a company that creates video productions, animation, and video marketing campaigns. 

At first glance, Jeremy's story is about building a successful video marketing company with his childhood friend and business partner, Matthew Scura. But underneath it is a lesson that applies to just about every business owner: growth only matters if it supports the life you're trying to build.

We Don't Always Build the Business We Intended

Jeremy and Matt didn't set out to build a large company.

They started because they loved making videos.

As teenagers, they spent weekends filming skateboarding videos and community events. That passion eventually turned into a business, and before long, they were filming weddings throughout the Philadelphia area.

Like many entrepreneurs, they weren't thinking about scaling. They were thinking about doing work they loved and making a living from it.

That's how a lot of businesses begin. Few entrepreneurs start with organizational charts, strategic planning sessions, or ten-year growth models.

Most start with a skill. a passion, and an opportunity. Then the business grows from there.

Sometimes Life Changes The Business

There was a turning point.

Jeremy's wife was expecting twins. At almost exactly the same time, Matt's wife was expecting their first child. Three babies arrived within a single week.

Suddenly, the business they had built around doing everything themselves no longer worked.

There weren't enough hours. That forced them to ask a different question.

Instead of, "How do we do all the work?"

It became,

"How do we build a business that can continue without us doing everything ourselves?"

That shift changed everything.

They began documenting processes.
Building systems.
Developing trusted employees and subcontractors.
Creating an organization instead of simply creating work for themselves.

Growth Isn't the Only Goal

For years, growth wasn't even on their radar.

Their goal was to fill the calendar with projects they enjoyed doing. It wasn't until life became more complex that they realized growth had a different purpose.

Growth wasn't about having the biggest company. It was about creating capacity. Capacity to spend time with family. Capacity to trust other people. Capacity to step away without everything falling apart.

That's an important distinction. Sometimes we talk about growth as if it's automatically the finish line.

But growth without purpose can leave leaders feeling just as overwhelmed, only on a bigger scale.

Systems Create Freedom

One thing about Jeremy's story is that he never suggested growth happens by accident. It requires intention.

He talked about documenting processes, creating checklists, and building systems that allow other people to succeed.

Those things don't always feel exciting. But they're often what separates a business that depends entirely on its owner from one that can truly grow. 

Many business owners resist creating systems because they think they'll slow things down. In reality, they create freedom. They make it possible to delegate with confidence. They reduce uncertainty.

Build the Life, Not Just the Business

Toward the end of the conversation, Jeremy shared why they eventually moved away from wedding videography.

It wasn't because they stopped enjoying the work. It was because they realized every weekend for the next year was already spoken for. He missed family events. His calendar belonged to someone else. And he knew that wasn't the life he wanted to build.

So they shifted their business toward corporate clients, where the schedule better aligned with the life they wanted.

That's a lesson many leaders overlook.

Sometimes the smartest business decision isn't the one that produces the most revenue. Sometimes it's the one that better aligns your business with your values.

Watch the Full Conversation

Building a successful business is an incredible accomplishment. But success isn't measured only by revenue or headcount. It's also measured by whether the business you're building still reflects the life you hoped it would create.

The full conversation offers a thoughtful, real-world look at leadership, growth, and the people decisions that shape lasting organizations.

Watch on YouTube,