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| Pete Gallo in Studio |
Peter Gallo is living his dream. On a clear morning he can walk outside, gaze east and watch the sun rise over the Manhattan Skyline. On any given evening he's a short train ride away from the sights, sounds and sizzle of the world's most energetic city. Peter's days, however, are his biggest dream-come-true: He has turned his passion into his profession.
Last year, as the owner of Home Video Studio in Hasbrouck Heights NJ, Gallo netted over $100,000.00 providing "Video Services for Everyone" - from simple tape/DVD transfers to full-blown shooting and editing - to his many clients, both personal and corporate. And the best part? He did it all from home. "New York City is a great place," laughs Gallo, "but I wouldn't want to work there."
Pete's journey to this uncanny yet enviable position began over eight years ago as the happy outcome of a "misfortune" that seems increasingly common these days. Enjoying a career as an Electrical Engineer he suddenly found himself laid off from his corporate job. Isn't it times like these that the entrepreneurial urge seems to surface in self-determined people? It sure did for Peter. He realized that sometimes life kicks you...but he could at least determine the direction!
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| Film Transfer |
What could have been a bad time for Peter Gallo became a season of clarity. "I sat back and looked at my strengths," says Peter. "I loved video as a hobby but I thought 'I wonder if I could do this for a living?' Plus I've always had an attitude of self- determination and empowerment...you know? If anything is going to happen it's up to me. It seemed like the right time and I just figured there's got to be a way to do this." His only reservation was, naturally, some concern about going it alone.
Ironically (or not) Gallo then became aware of Home Video Studio by way of a friend (who later became a Home Video Studio owner as well) who had seen an advertisement about their home-based video franchises. Gallo followed his hunches and attended a discovery day in Indianapolis called Show 'N Tell. He liked what he saw.
"All my concerns about entrepreneurship were addressed," say Pete. "Here was a company that had a proven plan...had taken the lumps...had invented the wheel so that I didn't have to."
So Peter made a decision to be a Home Video Studio owner. He opened up his studio in August of 2005 with modest goals that he meticulously set out to attain. "My first goal," laughs Peter, "was to not be a statistic. I remember reading somewhere that most start-up businesses were gone within five years. I did not want that to happen to me."
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| Pete Gallo at the 2011 Hanley Awards in Las Vegas |
Peter gets serious, however, when he reveals his heartfelt beliefs on what has guided him from the very start and sustained him for over eight years: "It all comes down to attitude. Failure is not an option to me, and I take full responsibility for my business. I harbor no feelings of entitlement. If something goes wrong I take the blame. On the other hand, I enjoy when things go right. It's all on me. That's what I was looking for when I started this and that's what I have."
Pete brings this attitude to work with him every morning, and it shows:
It shows in his daily marketing activities. "Home Video Studio has a plan on how to make your studio visible in the market. If you follow it your phone will ring," says Gallo.
It shows in the respectful faces of his clients. "I have really learned how to relate with my customers. "Out of all my awards for video excellence I'm very proud of The Relationship Mindset Award."
It shows in his Home Video Studio colleagues, among whom he is a past Studio Owner of the Year: "... the camaraderie, support, the training, the advice has been the most valuable. We have over sixty studios. That's a lot of colleagues to share and compare notes with. I also like the competition...we push each other. I want to excel and be at the top, that's just the way I am!"
And it shows in his daily bank deposit. 'Nuff said.
Does Pete Gallo think he's successful? "There's plenty to learn every day, but I'm on the right track," says Pete, "I make a good living doing something I enjoy so much I can't even call it work." And, in the offing, is a probable move to a storefront. "We've grown so much that I'm waiting for the right circumstance to open up a retail space. I'm in negotiations right now and it looks promising!"
Here's to the next eight years!
