Meet Paul Cunningham

Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Cunningham. 

Hi Paul, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
As someone who has Asperger’s, I needed to find something that I was passionate about. I was bouncing around from job to job, mainly in the telemarketing field where I’m having to do things that were very difficult, like talking to people. lol I soon became a manager at one location where I worked for 5yrs, and I really feel that helped me deal and understand how to work with people. Even though I hated the job I learned so much about what my capabilities were and was less afraid to go into the world on my own with my own business. 

I started Cool World 20yrs ago photographing basic stuff from abandoned buildings to nature. Being a musician, I then started working with bands doing promo photos which is where my style started to develop. 

Moving ahead past all the family and wedding photos I did just to earn enough money to do something more creative. I started transitioning to video. This is where things really took off. 

I knew moving into video 12yrs ago that this would be the future with Social Media sites starting to progress and seeing many advertisers on there. I had already been working with some commercial clients with photography and I was slowly able to start doing video for them. I realized that the commercial space is where I wanted to be. Most commercial clients are fairly easy to work with and they pay on time compared to other types of projects. Such as musicians etc. 

Now I’ve filmed well over 100 music videos, and even though they’re great to get your creativity out, there comes a point where it’s just not profitable. Most bands/artists just do not have the budgets they need to produce something halfway decent. I will still do them on occasion when they have an open mind and a good budget. 

Currently, I have several amazing clients, not just here in central Ohio, but all over the country. I travel coast to coast all the time and I’m still amazed and shocked that as an artist, I get to do something I love and make good money at it. It’s still crazy to me to think about that. 

I also drive to most of these places, sometimes being on the road for up to 3 weeks at a time. I like driving cause it’s like a forced mental vacation for me where I can think about creative projects without being interrupted as much. 

The biggest reason I feel I am where I am is because I know how to work with people. I stay humble, honest and make sure I’m always there for them and they feel they can rely on me. I think having Asperger’s aids in my ability sometimes to work with people because I know how to mask and mirror when I’m speaking with someone. 

It’s actually kind of funny that, what some people call a disability, I call an ability. But I never understood that power until late in my life. 

Currently, the business is still growing and I’m working towards not doing everything myself. lol 

I have many different friends that are helping me on projects as I’m trying to move towards a producing role on most of my projects when I can. Since I travel a lot for certain projects, I need reliable help. 

Besides running Cool World I’ve also been the Creative Director for Repli for the last 4yrs where I do a ton of photography and video for the multifamily industry all over the country. Then I recently just took a role on the Board of Directors for The Avalon Theatre here in my hometown of Marysville, OH. It’s a nonprofit organization and I’m looking to help donate my time to help them and to offer my services for free. 

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?
I never went to school for what I do. I had to learn everything on my own. YouTube was not a thing when I started 20yrs ago, so it was a lot of trial and error not only working on my own equipment but learning how to work with people. I certainly made some mistakes along the way but learned a great deal about how to handle those things for the future. 

Also, when starting out, it was difficult. When I decided to not work another job and go full-time with Cool World, it was a challenge to build up clients and pay the bills. It was a struggle for a few years until I started to build a name for myself and then people would start referring me. 

I feel like I wasn’t stable with the business till 6-8yrs ago. Before then it was always a rollercoaster. Never knowing when money would come in etc. 

I just kept grinding it out cause I knew this is what I wanted to do in my life. And besides some business cards and eventually building a website on my own, I haven’t spent in money in advertising. It’s always been word of mouth, referrals or repeat business. 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Since I feel I explained this already I will also mention that I’ve been a musician for 25yrs. I’ve toured all over the country playing in a band and currently I still write and record music from LA to NYC. 

I’ve also got back into painting and have been working on a collection for the last few years when I have time. 

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
It’s all about people! You must learn how to adapt with the many different personalities that exist. You have to be a good listener and be very understanding of people’s needs. We tend to think that everything we do is the right way and forgot about others. It’s ok to be wrong as long as you learn something from it. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.coolworldphotography.com
• Instagram: coolworldphotography
• Facebook: coolworldphotography
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coolworldphotography/