When it comes to high quality video production with a fresh cinematic feel, A-list entertainers, record companies and commercial retailers are seeking the services of RIVETING ENTERTAINMENT! The production company was founded in 2008 by entrepreneurs Andrew Listermann and his wife Emerald Listermann.

In only four years RIVETING ENTERTAINMENT has managed to become one of the most sought after media production company’s due to its incredibly gifted team members and its state-of-the-art video production.

Before we get into our interview with Andrew, check out this awesome video featuring some of your favorite music videos that were produced by RIVETING ENTERTAINMENT. This my friends is RIVETING! 

What inspired you to start RIVETING ENTERTAINMENT?

Andrew:  I have always had a passion for being my own boss. Riveting came naturally as I was working in production under the control of other peoples companies. Nothing, in my opinion, was as smooth as it could be. Payroll was late, crew were unhappy, etc. I felt a lot of things were out of my control because I didn’t own my own production company.

After a few jobs like this I knew things needed to change so I talked to my girlfriend (now wife), Emerald Listermann who is a Finance and Accountant major, about me wanting to open up a production company.

After a few business discussions and me brainstorming names, RIVETING ENTERTAINMENT came to life naturally. Since the founding of our company, our focus has been 100 percent RIVETING and I have not produced a job for an outside company in five years.

Your company has worked with some amazing talent and your work is flawless! What makes RIVETING ENTERTAINMENT unique and different compared to other productions companies that exist?

Andrew:  Flawless? Thanks!! It’s fun to hear such great feedback. We have been blessed to produce for some amazing talent, both on screen and behind the camera. I think what makes us unique is the fact that we operate like a true team and family.

We have each other’s backs and we are all committed to the same goals; to put out the best work possible, keep our reputation amazing with clients and to make money while doing what we love.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced getting RIVETING ENTERTAINMENT started and how did you manage to overcome those challenges?

Andrew:  As I mentioned above, RIVETING ENTERTAINMENT was started by my wife and I back in 2008. We had no investors and we had to self-finance everything from the start. That’s tough for anyone that owns a production company. On any given job you have to float 25 percent to 50 percent of the total budget until you deliver the video. You don’t get paid until a week or two later.

When you produce two to five jobs a month, the amount of money you float adds up quickly! A big part of how we survived is by paying ourselves last and flawless accounting. Normally, we won’t pay ourselves until a few weeks to a month after the job is fully delivered.

Luckily, after five years of successful operation and not one bounced check, we are able to comfortably take on bigger jobs and in turn float larger amounts of money as needed. The finance aspect was probably the biggest challenge someone might not know unless they are in this industry.

The obvious challenge is gaining the respect of the important people in your field like record labels, manager, artists, and directors. There is a lot of competition in this industry so you have to stay on top of your business to make sure everyone knows you are 100 percent for real and can be trusted.

Luckily, after a year or two of being in business, our client base quickly grew and now we are blessed to be trusted by every major record label and pretty close to every A-LIST music artists as well as new upcoming talents.

As an entrepreneur how do you use fear to work for you rather than against you?

Andrew: FEAR exists behind every major decision or risk an entrepreneur takes. It is just natural. The important thing that most successful entrepreneurs do is to turn that fear into motivation. Making big moves or taking chances is scary, but without those steps there wouldn’t be any growth.

It is important to recognize fear for what it is and then turn it into motivation. Take your time making big decisions. You should get advice from those around you that you trust, listen to your gut, and make an informed decision. That is the best advice I can give someone for overcoming fear and making it work in their favor.

Is there a certain book, movie or song that inspires your work?

 Andrew: I personally love reading books that inspire me and teach me how to grow as an entrepreneur and CEO. Right now, I have been reading a lot of Donald Trump books. The most recent book I finished is Donald Trump’s “Think Big.”

I also really liked what I learned in “The 48 Laws of Power” by Robert Greene. Another good book is “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne.

A ton of music inspires me. Different genres inspire me for different things in life. ColdPlay inspires me to be creative. Joshua Radin inspires me to be romantic. Jay-Z inspires me to make money. There are other artists that inspire me, but those are just examples that come to mind right away.

What would you say are the top three skills you have that have contributed to your success?

Andrew: Easy answer: (1) Motivation – I don’t know anyone in my industry that is more motivated than I am. Honest truth. (2) Passion – I am passionate about everything that I decide to do. My peers and friends can contest that sometimes I’m almost too passionate. I want things to be perfect.  (3) Loyalty – one of the most important factors of success in my mind. I think that being loyal is what makes or breaks some people in world of success. I am extremely loyal to those that are loyal to me and give me 100 percent.

I have to add a fourth skill that has helped me so much which is my ability to Focus. My focus is intense. I see things from start to finish and I keep my eye on the end result. Due to my focus, I am able to work through stressful situations and problems that most would run from. Motivation, passion, loyalty and focus have been huge factors that continue to contribute to my success.

If you could go back and do one thing over, as it pertains to starting your business, what would it be?

Andrew: As I mentioned above, one thing that is very important to me is loyalty. If I could go back and do one thing over, it would be to make sure to only invest my time, energy and finances into people that are loyal.

There are a lot of un-loyal people in this industry and I have run into a few that have burned me by not treating me and my companies with the same loyalty that we gave them.

In return, I wasted energy, money and most importantly my time. But, karma is real and loyalty is a huge factor. Moving forward, I have learned to make loyalty a priority for those that I allow close to me.

What do you luv most about entrepreneurship?

 Andrew: The freedom to make and be responsible for my own decisions. If I mess up, it’s on me, but if I do something right, sky is the limit and it feels great!

 Do you offer any career or internship opportunities?

Andrew: Yes, almost everyone that works full time at my companies have started as an intern and moved their way up. We have a great system in place for training people the “RIVETING ways” and giving people opportunities.

It is that persons responsibility to work hard, obtain the knowledge and remain loyal to the company. If they do those things correctly, they have a lot of opportunity to grow within my companies.

How does RIVETING ENTERTAINMENT SpreadLuv?

Andrew: We spread love by keeping things positive, helping others get their careers started, donating to several charities every month and by promoting this interview once it releases  :) Please  be sure to check us out on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and videos from RIVETING ENTERTAINMENT!