DRYWATER PRODUCTIONS Stephen and Cameron Pickering were in their early 20s when they married in the fall of 2005. He was a recent graduate of film school, and she was still attending college. In their Janesville Gazette wedding announcement, they wrote that they had formed a wedding video company called Drywater Entertainment. That article led to their very first booking as a company. Up until that first official client, Stephen and Cameron had filmed weddings for friends. In fact, Stephen filmed a wedding video on the morning of his own wedding. “We had some basic (equipment) and we had borrowed cameras for past projects,” he said. “Every wedding that we booked, that money went toward camera gear. We never really made a profit. It always just bought that next piece of used camera gear that got us to the next level, or bought us another computer, another software license.” The newlyweds continued to work other jobs while building their wedding video business on the weekends. Relying on word of mouth or networking at wedding shows, their business slowly grew, to the point where they incorporated in 2008 as Drywater Productions. But while weddings provided a great ground floor for the business, Pickering itched to move into more creative projects like television commercial competitions that offered cash prizes. Their first entry, an ad for Hormel Compleats, was a partnership with another video producer who, like Pickering at the time, was an expectant father. Their hope was to win enough prize money to purchase diapers for their new babies. Their work did indeed earn them a cash prize, and that success paved the way for more creative ventures and victories in several other competitions. The high point of their string of competitive victories was a Pizza Hut ad that aired nationally in the pregame coverage of the 2013 Super Bowl. But their growth did not come without facing a moment of truth. Not long after incorporating, the Great Recession hit, and the couple entertained thoughts of ending Drywater. “We lost all our business. All the clients who had hired us canceled,” Stephen Pickering said. “It was a weird, weird time. We had to endure, and we still had to have money to pay bills, so we lived very frugally.” Rather than folding their tent, Drywater took a friend’s advice and decided to pursue a much higher profile locally. They became members of Forward Janesville and exhibited at the Business and Marketing Expo, making valuable contacts in the business community. They also rolled the dice by doing pro bono work for local nonprofit organizations, in hopes the exposure would lead to paying jobs. “We started working a lot of late nights,” Pickering said. “Overdelivering, under-charging, but getting to know people. Getting involved in the community turned everything around.” Indeed, Drywater is now a go-to video provider for everything from corporate videos to event production to TV commercials for highprofile clients like Woodman’s Food Market. After working for years out of the Pickering home, Drywater made the move to a downtown office in 2023. Beating The Odds Nearly Two-Thirds of New Businesses Fail Within A Decade, But These Janesville Companies Are Thriving By Jim Lyke Without a doubt, new businesses are key to economic development and community growth. But starting a business and succeeding at it long term are horses of a different color. According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 1 in 5 businesses fail to make it through their first year. Almost two-thirds of new businesses close within 10 years. What is it that sets apart the entrepreneurs whose businesses not only survive, but thrive? While there are dozens of reasons that businesses ultimately fail, speaking to those who have beaten the odds reveals that there is no one, clear, guaranteed path to success. Each story is unique. We started working a lot of late nights. Over-delivering, undercharging, but getting to know people. Getting involved in the community turned everything around. Stephen (right) and Cameron Pickering incorporated Drywater in 2008 6 | FORWARD JANESVILLE
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