Today we’d like to introduce you to Tristan Cusick.
Hi Tristan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I first picked up a camera in the summer of 2017… Three months later, I found myself skipping classes in college to hop on a tour bus with a platinum-selling artist. Needless to say, I had a lot to learn, and was way over my head. But – when you get thrown into the deep end, I guess you learn how to swim pretty quick!
I ended up going to just enough of my college classes to graduate and then moved on down to Nashville. After months of coffee dates and freelance gigs, Nashville became my home and the beginning of something bigger than myself, CUSICK Media. I started my business in 2021, which we all know was following a tough year, but CUSICK Media was my silver lining in it all.
Cusick Media is a Content & Social Media Development company that collaborates with companies, brands, and artists to develop eye-catching pieces of content to tell their stories. After a few months, the CM team started to grow, which has been one of my favorite parts of this journey. My first hire, Zach Pigg works alongside me as an additional Creative & Editor.
He allowed us to take on more clients, care for them more efficiently, and ultimately changed the game. Six months flew by and the team grew a little bigger. Brecken Hobbs was hired to add some marketing/producing power to the team, allowing us to expand into the Social Media Management world as well. As we look into the future, we are so excited about what’s to come.
This July, our new program will be rolling out for the music industry, which we deeply believe is going to change the way the industry looks at content. We’re stoked to continue growing the team, learning more along the way, and, most importantly, having a blast where we are.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
This road has been anything but smooth.
Moving down to Nashville in the middle of a pandemic was the start! Getting connected with others in this town doesn’t happen fast, it’s called a ten-year town for a reason, but adding in the fact that everyone was scared of one another because of the pandemic was another layer.
But, through that adversity, I learned to really value relationships and spend time and effort nurturing them. Rather than going out and “networking” I would DM people on Instagram and ask them to get a coffee. Most didn’t respond, but the ones who did, I still have a close relationship with to this day.
This is the way to make it in this town. Care for each individual well, bring your whole self to the relationship, share what you know and be a listening ear. If you can do those things, with a little time and luck, I believe that anyone can make it in this town.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
At Cusick Media, we specialize in content creation & social media management. We create digital assets including photo, video graphic design, and motion design, primarily for the music industry here in Nashville. However, over the last 18 months, we have been opening our scope to service commercial clients as well!
For the music industry, we have made music videos, lyric videos, visualizers, album covers, and more. With our new commercial clients, we have the privilege of creating videos that tell the story of the brand, helping companies clearly communicate their values and mission in an entertaining way. The project we are most proud of is hard to say, but there are a few that stick out to me the most.
We shot the music video for Mitchell Tenpenny’s Bucket List, over the course of 5 days, in various locations around Arizona. This was an experience I will never forget because I basically got to go on a Roadtrip with friends and get paid for it lol. Coming in second would be the music video for Tracy Lawrence’s Don’t Drink Whiskey, which depicts a painful love story between a cowboy and a ballerina.
Getting to work with Tracy, the soundtrack of my childhood, and bring his vision to life was truly an honor. What sets us apart is our intentionality for clients, conviction to serve, and forward-thinking creativity. We care for clients at the highest level and make sure that the content we create, as well as our engagement on social media, is cutting edge and authentic.
It is our job to tell your story, and our privilege to build a lasting relationship along the way.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I am a huge fan of the book Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss, the podcast “How I Built This by Guy Raz” and the podcast “Nateland”. These have all shaped the way I lead my life.
The first two have served as stories and lessons that have guided my business. The third just gives me some laughs, because life and work can be hard, so every once in a while take a break and have a good laugh!
Contact Info:
- Website: cusickmedia.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cusickmedia/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/cusickmedia/posts
Image Credits
Chelsea Rochelle, Evan Mattingly, Zach Pigg, and Mitchell Tenpenny
