Grow Your Video Business with Ryan Koral

476. Define Success Your Way with Elisa Trentham

Feb 9, 2026

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Elisa Trentham is a legacy storyteller, founder of Sherwood Media, and adjunct instructor who's learned how to build a video business on her own terms. In this conversation, she shares why elevating client experience matters more than having the fanciest gear, how she's building her own distribution platform through live events, and the importance of defining success based on your values—not someone else's highlight reel.

Key Takeaways

Client experience is everything – From pre-production prep to the actual set, creating an elevated experience for your clients sets you apart more than your camera specs ever will.
Build your own platform – Instead of relying solely on social media algorithms, create your own distribution through live events and community experiences where you control the narrative.
Define success on your terms – Stop comparing your behind-the-scenes to someone else's highlight reel. Your journey, your values, and your definition of success are what matter.
Be a "heck yes" person – If you're going to say yes to something, go all in. But also give yourself permission to pivot when something's not working anymore.

About Elisa Trentham

Elisa is a Knoxville native, business owner, wife, and mother of three who has spent her career capturing stories that matter. Her journey began in her backyard, making movies with friends using her parents' camcorder. That passion led her to Asbury University where she earned a Media Communication degree and gained experience working broadcast at the Vancouver Winter Olympics and on film sets in Hollywood.

After college, Elisa joined University of Tennessee professors as the Media Production Coordinator for an international women's empowerment program funded by the State Department. This role taught her how to tell powerful stories with a simple camera and microphone, and gave her opportunities to travel around the world.

But her most meaningful projects are much more personal to her - creating a "legacy films" capturing the stories of people who have impacted her life, her grandmother, her father, and even her midwife. Through this 10-year business and storytelling journey, Elisa developed her storytelling values of honor, truth, and love.

Today, Elisa continues to help individuals and organizations share their stories through her production company, bringing the same blend of technical expertise and emotional intelligence to every project, whether it's filmed in a boardroom or a living room.

In This Episode

[00:00] Welcome to the show!

[04:09] Meet Elisa Trentham

[04:52] Working With College Students

[08:25] Legacy Storytelling

[10:09] Business And Family Legacy Films

[21:07] Understanding Client's Expectations

[28:02] Advice For New Filmmakers

[36:40] Core Values

[38:16] Don't Compare Yourself to Others

[44:56] Connect With Elisa

[46:26] Outro

Quotes

"Don't just be a, yeah, sure, I guess I'll go do that. Be a heck yes person. Like go in there and if you say yes, like give it your all." – Elisa Trentham

"I can't let what somebody else is doing and what somebody else is defined as success for them... I gotta live this one right here." – Ryan Koral

"It doesn't have to be my forever plan... there's no perfect plan you can make that's going to last for decades and decades." – Elisa Trentham