A Chat With Founder of VideoBlocks, Joel Holland

From professionals to hobbyists, VideoBlocks aims to deliver great content to everyone--even the little guys. They provide subscribers with unlimited downloads of stock video, After Effects templates, motion backgrounds and more. VideoBlocks aims to have their customers save thousands of dollars a year. We had the opportunity to talk with Joel Holland, CEO and Founder of VideoBlocks.

What was the inspiration for Videoblocks?

“Videoblocks came out of a direct need. In 2003 I was travelling around the world and making videos. I realized that I had to have a big budget if I wanted to use high quality stock elements like effects or music and I just didn’t have that kind of money. Even though I didn’t have the money, I was so passionate about it that I couldn’t just stop. I knew there were other budget conscious people who were as passionate about making videos as I am, and that’s why VideoBlocks was created. I wanted to help video makers of all stages in a way that they could afford.”

Was there ever a time when you thought that the business would fail?

“As a founder there is always going to be ups and downs filled with a ton of self doubt. Up until 2008, I was actually shipping footage on tapes to people. That obviously wasn’t working as well as I had hoped. Then, in 2010, I thought maybe a subscription model would work. It was a total shot in the dark and I had no idea if it would work, but I felt like it was my best and really my only option at the time. It ended up working out, but at the time, I had no idea what was going to happen.”

What did you feel like on the best day of your company's existence and why?

“I feel like the best day in VideoBlocks existence happened in 2012 when Inc. 5000 released its list of the Fastest Growing Companies in America. They had us as the 4th Fastest Growing Media Company in the whole country. That was extremely validating. We were more confident and it was very helpful from an employment recruiting standpoint. It really brought us to the next level.”

How has the company changed as technology has advanced?

“We are a technology company in a media industry. We are and have always been tech first while our competitors seem to be media first. And because of that, we have to keep up with any advancements. We need to be ready to adapt at all times”

What’s your differentiator?

“Our biggest differentiator is price. We are more focused on getting money into the hands of creators than our competitors. We take care of the community first.”

What’s the level of growth you’d be satisfied seeing in the next year?

“Since 2009 we have doubled every year. But we don’t really focus on that aspect as much. We focus on building great products. We want to just keep building and keep getting better.”

Any final thoughts?

“I am very fortunate to do what I love. Many people just accept the status quo. You need to step back and find something you are passionate about. It is so important to enjoy what you are doing.”

VideoBlocks puts their community first and that is what separates them from their competitors.

Special thanks to CEO and Founder of VideoBlocks, Joel Holland.

You can meet the VideoBlocks team at DC Techday on 10/6!