UNTAMED PRODUCTIONS - A 6 YEAR JOURNEY
UNTAMED PRODUCTIONS - A 6 YEAR JOURNEY
LISTEN TO THE FULL IN DEPTH VERSION - 30 SWEET MINUTES OF REAL, RAW, HONEST TRUTH
It’s my 6 year business anniversary and I wanted to peel back the curtain and share some of the highlights of how UNTAMED PRODUCTIONS came to be.
Allow me to preface this with as a child, I was immersed in the arts: performing, drawing, music, dancing etc.
At age 9, I wrote my first screenplay with my girlfriends at school. On the weekends, we’d get together, sharpen our pencils and write the script. During recess at school, we’d rehearse the scenes. My 9 year old brain would try to conceive of how to accomplish all the shots. (I should mention, as a 9 year old, in the 90’s… we didn’t have access to video cameras…. YET!)
INSIGHT #1 : YOUR CHILDHOOD LEAVES CLUES. WHAT DID YOU LOVE DOING AS A KID?
I excelled in these subjects in school, making honor roll in high school...and audaciously deciding to pursue the arts in post secondary education. I studied in Quebec, France & Belgium.
At age 18, I started my first business with a franchise company College Pro Windows. I had 4 full time employees, over 600 customers and 6-figures in sales by age 20.
A vivid memory I have was jetting off to Paris on Vacation (my first time to Europe ever!) and my manager ran the team + the biz. It was the ultimate freedom!! By my second year in the biz, I was playing in the Rocky Horror Show downtown Toronto every night, while my company was growing and generating sales. I KNEW I had tapped into something: USE THE BUSINESS TO GENERATE CASH FLOW + LIVE AN AMAZING LIFE. Except it wasn’t easy, every day was a challenge and the pressure eventually caught up with me. Because behind the success + glory, was a sad girl engaging in harmful self behaviour.
INSIGHT #2: HUSTLE + SELF BETRAYAL REIGNED. I HAD A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN BECAUSE I HADN’T YET LEARNED WHAT HEALTHY SUCCESS LOOKED + FELT LIKE.
But I took the money I had made and moved abroad to continue my education in 2009.
At the end of 2013, the day I had feared arrived. Done school, now what? How on earth would I ever find a way to monetize my art? (and a J O B was *always* out of the question.) I’m a creator. I will find a way!
It was in December 2013 when I did an online branding course and through the exercises, I discovered my brand UNTAMED, that encompassed everything I stood for. The 24 year old Brittany defined it as: the freedom to be who you are, and do what you want to do in life.
I had just written my thesis on the impact of storytelling and I had always loved branding and messaging and basically the idea that we get to decide who we are and how we want to show up in the world. We are in the driver’s seat when it comes to crafting our public image.
So I started helping online business owners with their branding.
In 2014 I received my Masters degree at the Université de Nice, France. My visa would expire and I needed to find a way to stay in France. At the 11th hour, I discovered a Film Program and embarked on a SECOND Masters degree.
Which ended up being a blessing in disguise.
INSIGHT #3 : YOUR PATH ALWAYS UNFOLDS IN DIVINE TIMING. EVERY OBSTACLE REDIRECTS YOU CLOSER TO YOUR DREAMS.
It was what I TRULY had wanted to study the whole time. With the true spirit of an entrepreneur, I decided I was frustrated with the education I received and saw so many holes in effective ways to train actors to reach their truth + emotions. So… I partnered with a colleague, printed 500 flyers and went around town promoting these new ACTOR MASTERCLASSES. ( Called Le Showcase à l’Américaine in French)
I did this for about 2 years, generating 20k+ in sales, and building a phenomenal community.
( live my passion: check, make money: check, build community: check!)
Alongside this, I was continuing my second Masters degree in Film Studies, and developing my online business in branding + messaging.
INSIGHT #4 : I GOT PAID TO LEARN THE CRAFT I HAD ALWAYS DREAMED OF - INSTEAD OF PAYING TO GO TO SCHOOL AND LEARN (AND ACCUMULATE STUDENT LOAN DEBT)
I bought my first film camera and started working with actors on camera, creating demo reels, filming scenes and short films (and then entering film festivals). I essentially was learning how to operate the camera, write/adapt scripts, and edit the films in post production.
Short Film “DANGEROUS LOVE”, written by + directed by Brittany Hammond
On set for a film called “Elles”, in Nice, France
Premiere screening of “THERAPY”, written + directed by Nathan Ambrosini
Walking the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival
By 2017, I felt a disconnect in my work. I was helping business owners with their story, branding and messaging. And I was co-hosting live events on a monthly basis. I felt like I was running 2 separate businesses, having two different identities.
When people would ask me what I’d do, I’d NEVER know how to respond. I didn’t know how to articulate my work. (I would switch between graphic designer to event organizer, to co-host, to brand strategist.)
But truly, I hadn’t learned how to OWN my BRILLIANCE.
INSIGHT #5 : I HAD TO FULLY EXPERIENCE + EMBODY THAT WHICH I TEACH MY CLIENTS. THAT MEANS: I GET TO LEARN WHAT “UNAPOLOGETICALLY ME” ACTUALLY MEANS.
By 2017/2018 I finally made the leap to move from Nice to Paris. Expand my horizons. Grow my network. Be the small fish in a big pond...again!
This was a time of the Dark Night Of The Soul and belligerently spending money on coaches and mentors in desperate search for answers.
AKA: GIVING MY POWER AWAY, IGNORING MY INTUITION, FORGETTING MY BRILLIANCE.
They were truly the years where I learned and mastered:
Unraveling the codependent tendencies I had around showing up online
Learning to speak my truth
Healing past traumas and relationships
Healing my money / self worth story
In 2018 I rebranded my company and finally became UNTAMED PRODUCTIONS.
I had produced countless short films, and created a FANTASTIC service of creating Signature Brand Story videos for my clients- internationally.
International, sought-after film maker: check!
I was flying to California, Canada, London, Amsterdam and beyond to produce stunning video productions for my clients.
Those coveted 10k+ months ? HELL YA!
Today, UNTAMED means untethering yourself from the thoughts, beliefs, judgements of other people.
Over the last 6 years, I’ve supported dozens of entrepreneurs and artists through creative direction, consulting and mentoring to:
+ How to discover their inner truth
+Heal their codependency and show up unapologetically as themselves
+ Create community and sell out multiple live events
+ Launch brand new businesses
+Step into their own leadership
+ Reconnect back to their own wealth of self-expression
+Leverage the power of Signature Brand Story videos I’ve produced for them (One client made a $156 000 sale from our video!
I get to write, direct, act in short films produced by my company.
Today, UNTAMED PRODUCTIONS is at the intersection of self-expression, creativity and business, with a focus on conscious messaging, storytelling rooted in truth and mastering the art + business of visibility.
After 6 years in business, I have written a beautiful biography that fully captures the essence of my work:
Brittany Hammond is a film maker, producer and story mentor. She is the founder of UNTAMED PRODUCTIONS and the Brand, INTERRUPTED™ podcast.
She works with creative entrepreneurs, high performers, thought-leaders and visionaries to tap into the #WhiteHot truth of their message, leverage the power of their story, reclaim their voice + express themselves on camera with confidence + conviction.
Her work is a blend of creative direction and an intimate mentorship experience, helping her clients overcome visibility fears, release codependency around being seen, reclaiming their inherent worthiness and tapping into their own wealth of self-expression.
Brittany also writes and produces short films, music videos and Signature Brand Story videos in a collaborative process with her clients.
What does it look like to work with me in 2020? A journey of self exploration, self-expression + self-reclamation! Pick your adventure:
If you would like to collaborate on a film project: short film, music video, brand statement videos, I invite you to check out my work + artistic vision by clicking here. You can contact me at hello@untamedrevolution.com
