The Importance of Persistence

DUAL almost never happened.

Last June, DUAL Founders and twin brothers Sam and Ben Brodsky were involved in a car accident that left Ben with a traumatic brain injury. There were no guarantees that Ben was ever going to be able to walk again let alone pick up a camera. In the days leading up to the accident, the brothers were finally feeling ready to scale up their business after six years of building. A new studio space was in the cards, as well as new hires, and a new brand. Now with Ben potentially down and out, Sam faced an impossible dilemma: How do you run a video production business without the support and skills of your other half? How do you move forward after potentially losing everything?

The answer was simple. Persistence, perseverance, and grit. As Ben started his long road to recovery, Sam forged ahead and doubled down on the business. He reached out for help, hired out more contractors to carry out the workload, and believed. There were many sleepless nights, tears, and moments that felt like giving up was the best option. But within the next year, Ben recovered and started to work again, the goals of expanding and rebranding were accomplished; and DUAL STUDIOS opened it’s doors.

Filmmaking is simply a continuous cycle of problem solving. Rarely does it go according to plan and it always takes a little more than anticipated. This is true for any worthwhile endeavor in life. Failures, setbacks, and obstacles are for certain and out of our control. The only thing we can really control is our attitude. When faced with a seemingly unsolvable problem when you’re tired, broken down, and ready to quit, there are really only two options; give up or give it your all. When you give up, you already know the outcome, but when you give it your all, you don’t know the outcome until you take that step. Don’t let the fear of the unknown turn into the misery of regret.

Take the step.