From Screamo to Storytelling: Why Focus, Boundaries, and the Right Story Matter in Business

On an episode of The Profitable Creative, host Christian Brim sat down with Will Dickinson, founder of Visual Campfire, to talk about entrepreneurship, mental health, and the power of storytelling in a world drowning in content.

Will’s journey is anything but linear. He moved from being in a screamo band that gained traction in the early days of social media, to commercial video production, to startup marketing leadership, and then back into storytelling through launching his own company. Along the way, he faced a life-altering health crisis that forced him to rebuild his identity and redefine what success could look like.

This conversation lands on a truth most entrepreneurs eventually learn the hard way: business growth and personal growth are not separate tracks. They are the same track.

Visual Campfire and the meaning behind the name

Will explained that the name Visual Campfire wasn’t a quick branding decision. It came from a deep belief about where stories begin and why they matter.

Long before written history, stories were oral. They were shared around a campfire, connecting people through shared meaning, lessons, and identity. That image stuck with Will. When you steward someone’s story well, it feels like that same kind of connection: warm, human, and real.

Christian immediately connected with the idea because his own team uses “Campfire” as a recurring discussion point to share client stories and wins. It is a simple practice, but it reflects a bigger truth: communities are often built from shared stories.

There are no straight lines in nature, and there are none in entrepreneurship either

Will’s career mirrors what Christian called a natural principle: straight lines are a human invention. Real life moves in curves, detours, and reinventions.

Will’s band gained momentum through grassroots online engagement. But like many creative stories, it fell apart just as it started to break through. After years of instability, he received an unexpected call from a friend inviting him to intern in commercial video production. He showed up without experience, borrowed clothes, and learned quickly.

From there, he became what Christian jokingly dubbed a “video ranger”: someone who could be dropped anywhere with a backpack of gear and capture a compelling story.

Then the unexpected hit.

While working on a documentary project in Mexico, Will returned with what he believes was a parasite. The medication he received caused a severe allergic reaction that crippled him overnight. The early prognosis suggested it might be permanent. He lost his physical strength and the career he had built.

Unable to continue production work, Will shifted into the startup world for several years, eventually working in marketing leadership roles including content licensing and major partnerships. But storytelling never stopped pulling at him.

In May of 2024, he launched Visual Campfire in earnest.

The transition from number two to number one

Christian asked an important question: what is the biggest challenge when you move from being a key operator for someone else to owning the whole business?

Will’s answer was not tactics. It was mindset.

He described a tendency to catastrophize and dwell on mistakes, something that becomes especially dangerous when you are the one responsible for everything. As an entrepreneur, mistakes happen. If you cannot recover quickly, you get stuck.

Christian added an important layer: entrepreneurship can be isolating. When you struggle in a job, a manager or team can provide cover. When you struggle as the owner, it is all on you.

That pressure can push anyone into a spiral.

Anxiety, panic, and the cost of saying yes

A major turning point for Will came with a severe panic attack that sent him to the edge of the emergency room.

He knew he was under stress, but he did not realize how close he was to the breaking point. He compared it to being in a storm: you can see the storm, but you may not know your boat is taking on water until it is almost too late.

The root cause, he realized, was his commitment to saying yes to everything.

In the early days of Visual Campfire, Will told himself he needed to accept every opportunity to rebuild momentum and sharpen his production skills again. That decision created short-term progress, but it also created long-term strain.

He learned one of the most painful lessons in entrepreneurship: saying yes to the wrong work can block you from the right work.

The moment he declined a project that did not match how he wanted to work, it felt scary. He was turning down money. But soon after, a better-fit opportunity closed, one rooted in stronger relationships and aligned expectations.

The story is simple, but the implication is huge: boundaries are not just about self-care. They are a growth strategy.

The trap of doing everything because you can

Will also talked about a common entrepreneurial temptation: bundling every skill into the offer.

With experience in video production and startup marketing, it was natural to consider building Visual Campfire as both a production company and a full marketing solution. But as he tested the market, it became clear that video was what created the strongest pull and repeat business.

The larger lesson is one Christian reinforced: just because you can do something does not mean you should.

Focus is what turns talent into leverage.

The real value is not the camera, it is the clarity

Christian put Will on the spot with a question every creative entrepreneur should consider:

What do you do that produces the most value for others?

Will’s answer cut straight to the core. The most valuable skill is not technical production. It is the human work of finding the right story, clarifying who it is for, and connecting the unique value of a person or business with the needs of the audience.

In a world obsessed with going viral, Will noted something many people miss: the goal is not maximum views. The goal is the right views.

Some of his most lucrative LinkedIn posts were seen by only a handful of people, but the right person saw them.

When you honor the audience, you stop trying to impress everyone. You start trying to connect with the people who actually need what you offer.

Christian called this out as a rare and powerful capability in the marketplace, not only in video but in marketing as a whole. Plenty of people have talent. Far fewer people understand the true intersection of story, audience, and problem-solving.

Profit is not the enemy

Another strong theme was the relationship between passion and profit.

Will pushed back on the idea that profit is inherently negative. If someone provides meaningful value, they deserve to make a great living. He used a simple example: you want a dentist who cares deeply about the work, not one who is just showing up for a paycheck. The same holds true for any business.

Christian agreed and expanded the point: many small business owners are driven by a genuine desire to help people and solve problems. Storytelling helps those businesses connect with the customers who need them.

Growth for growth’s sake becomes a beast

The conversation moved into a broader reflection on scale.

Christian shared a moment from a room full of entrepreneurs where a speaker asked who could cut their business in half and make more money while working less. Many hands went up. It exposed the illusion of growth: bigger is not always better.

Will added an important perspective: companies often hit an inflection point where they become a machine that has to be fed. As the machine grows, it can demand sacrifices that reduce humanity and care.

That is why intentional business design matters. The business should serve the owner’s values and life goals, not consume them.

Christian shared his company’s mission as an example: enhancing the lives of clients and team members. If the business is not doing that, it should not exist. That kind of clarity helps entrepreneurs decide what to keep and what to let go.

Entrepreneurship and inner work are connected

In the final stretch, the conversation became more personal.

Will referenced a quote that stuck with him: “The more I heal, the less I want to achieve.” Not because he wants less impact, but because he began to see how much achievement can be driven by pain, insecurity, or the need for external validation.

Christian took that even further: many entrepreneurs start businesses as a way to fix themselves without realizing it. They talk about freedom and money, but underneath it, they are searching for worth, belonging, or proof.

When the business becomes a coping mechanism, the results can be destructive unless the inner work is addressed.

Will’s purpose in one sentence

As the episode closed, Will shared a definition he is still refining, but it is powerful in its simplicity:

To take amazing stories out of the dark and put them into the light.

That purpose can apply to nonprofit work, corporate work, startup fundraising narratives, and everyday businesses that care deeply about what they do.

It is also a reminder to every creative entrepreneur: your business gets stronger when your message gets clearer.

Now, Do This!

Want more conversations like this about turning passion into profit without losing yourself in the process? Listen to The Profitable Creative here: https://www.coregroupus.com/the-profitable-creative

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