Today we’d like to introduce you to Mastaki Smith.
Hi Mastaki, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Co-owners Chris Williams and myself, Mastaki Smith, had a podcast of our own. Ardes Smith, Content Factory’s Chief Engineer, served as the engineer for our podcast. One day we were having a conversation about the difficulty a lot of our peers were having starting their own shows. They were having trouble finding the right equipment, learning how to edit their podcast, and knowing how to upload the show on the various platforms. I, Mastaki Smith, pitched the idea to the guys about a place that could serve as a “one stop shop” for creators out there who may want to start something of their own. Chris and Ardes immediately bought into the idea and shared ideas of their own like having a photography component as well for local photographers to have a place to rent studio space for their clients.
During that conversation, we reflected on how we helped about eight or nine people start their podcasts, but none of them could stay consistent. After having conversations with these groups of creators we realized that for them editing and making sure they had the proper equipment was literally too time-consuming in a world where many people are on the go and can’t devote hours to learning and/or perfecting a craft. They needed a place where they could come in, grab a mic, record their show, and go on about their day. In comes the birth of Content Factory (CF). CF literally makes it easy for people to come in and get their creative needs met under one roof without the headache of learning to edit or figuring out what to do with your content post-production. We allow the creator to just focus on creating while we help them bring it to life. Like Ardes says it’s literally “come in take a seat and get started”.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Honestly, it has been a fairly smooth transition. We strongly believe that we created a space that was design specially for creators in mind. Being that we too are creators, we tried to make sure we solved a lot of the early issues we faced so that our customers could feel a smooth transition as well. Having said that, naturally there are things that come with being a business owner. For instance, we struggled with marketing CF early on, as well as learning and implementing various social media and marketing trends. We are now smooth sailing in that department, and constantly learning and developing fresh marketing ideas to reach both our target audience and the surrounding community that we serve.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
We operate and own a state of the art podcast and photography studio. We feel that CF is second to none. Our Chief Engineer, Ardes Smith, is one of the best engineers in the South and pushes to deliver high-quality audio on every show. Ardes also has experience from the music industry. So mixing and mastering comes naturally for him. He also has an understanding of what sound is the best to capture the highest quality audio for recordings. Being that we are all creators, we know the challenges that come with creating content. We take the time to listen to our clientele and make sure we are on the same page with those who record shows or book photography sessions at CF. Our attention to detail, the quality of our equipment, and our commitment to the production process, we feel, sets us apart from many other studios.
I, Mastaki Smith, have a background in communications and broadcasting. I also spent time in the music industry. This allows me to help people to turn their creative visions into recorded realities. My background allows me to know how shows should be recorded and edited and what equipment would be best to serve our clientele. Co-Owner Chris Williams also owns and operates a photography business. So this gives him the insight to ensure that we are providing other local photographers an environment they can use to capture beautiful moments and allows him the ability to personally shoot content for clients looking for photography needs.
We have two separate podcast studios. They were created specifically to create a relaxed environment so that content creators felt at home. The Uptown Studio provides a more intimate TV set feel, while the Downtown studio provides more of a traditional podcast production feel. We are so proud of the 15+ podcast shows that have recorded out of our studios over the last year.
We aren’t just business owners of a space. We have experience and background knowledge. We hope to share our gifts and talents with CF patrons and help people create high-quality material to share with the world. It’s more than just a business for us. We care about every podcast show that comes in our doors and every family, individual, or business owner who has chosen our facility for their photography needs.
What are your plans for the future?
We have several plans for the future that we are actively working on. We strongly feel that we have only begun to scratch the surface of CF’s potential. We are extremely excited about the direction the business is headed in, as well as the podcast industry as a whole. Right now, our main goal is to continue to serve and support our clients that are actively working with us. We are also focused on creating space for new podcasts and the opportunity to continue to help others develop and produce content.
Contact Info:
- Website: contentfactorybham.com
- Instagram: contentfactorybham
- Facebook: Content Factory Bham
Image Credits
Chris Williams, Content Factory’s In house Photographer.
