How I Keep a Creative Business Thriving by Choosing to Adapt, Not Die

Stewart Cohen is a Canadian-born film director and photographer who runs a boutique production company in Dallas, Texas, creating people-centered content for marketing companies and advertising agencies. On this episode of Unscripted Small Business, host Zaneta Chuniq Inpower talks with Stewart about the working reality of a creative business — balancing the art against the bottom line, adapting to new technology, and staying steady through the ebb and flow.

From an early mentorship at the University of Texas to a boutique studio that shoots both stills and live action, Stewart Cohen Pictures is built around one specialty: working with people. As Stewart puts it, “It’s all about people. Whether it’s a celebrity, a real person just off the street, a pharma ad, an athlete — doesn’t matter, as long as it talks back to me.”

Adapt or Die: A Small Business Owner’s Mindset

Asked how he has grown to manage the many needs of the digital and AI age, Stewart framed it as a mindset shared by every small business owner. He likes change, aims to stay on the “front edge” rather than the bleeding edge, and keeps experimenting — often through work that is not client-driven at all.

“I think we all, all small business owners probably have this same mindset, is that you adapt or die. And part of it is I like change.” — Stewart Cohen

“I’ve always been one to try to stay up with it — not necessarily the bleeding edge, but definitely on the front edge of it.” — Stewart Cohen

The 30-Million-Asset Licensing Company

Beyond the production company, Stewart owns and manages a media licensing business — a stock agency that serves clients who don’t have the budget, time, or need to commission a full production. It’s smaller than a Getty, but the scale is still substantial.

“We still manage 30 million digital assets, stills and video, that we have available for licensing for people that don’t have the budget or the time or the need to actually go out and do a full-on shoot.” — Stewart Cohen

Balancing the Creative and the Fiscal

Stewart believes the reason so many creative businesses fail is the balance between managing the business and managing the creative. He treats his work as a personal service business built on relationships and repeat clients, and he stresses reading the profit-and-loss sheet every month.

“It’s easier to keep a client than to find a new one. So we always make sure we take care of our clients.” — Stewart Cohen

“I definitely think you need to understand your profit and loss sheet, and to be able to go through that on a monthly basis and understand what things are costing.” — Stewart Cohen

Riding the Ebb and Flow

Some months in a small business simply aren’t great, fiscally. Stewart treats that partly as a mental state — saving during the good times, and trusting that the lean stretches pass.

“Now I’ve been doing it long enough that I kind of know the sky’s not falling. There will be a tomorrow. It might not be tomorrow. It might be next week.” — Stewart Cohen

Why I Became an Entrepreneur

When Zaneta asked whether he set out to build a photography business, Stewart said no one had ever asked him that. His answer traced back to growing up in Canada surrounded by small-business-owner fathers — he simply assumed you were supposed to work for yourself.

“My dad was a small business owner. My stepfather was a small business owner. And I never knew any better.” — Stewart Cohen

“I thought you had to be in your own business, and I just didn’t know any better.” — Stewart Cohen

An Open Management Style

Stewart runs a decent-sized staff with daily or every-other-day morning meetings where anyone can throw out an idea. He credits that openness — and a willingness to keep evolving — with keeping the studio current.

“It’s not my way or the highway. It’s what’s best for us. And people come in with ideas, and it’s like, hey, that’s a great idea. Let’s try it.” — Stewart Cohen

Doing It On Command

On the value of a professional versus a phone camera, Stewart pointed to what he’s actually hired to do: deliver on command, under tight constraints, for specific and difficult stories.

“You have four minutes. So you have to be ready with three setups, the lighting all set up in each one, and you’re going boom, boom, boom, boom, and everyone’s smiling still, and that’s a success.” — Stewart Cohen

Reading, Biographies, and the Origins of People’s Lives

A voracious reader, Stewart favors biographies — especially the early chapters, before the fame. He read enough of Richard Branson’s story to understand how a kid on the street built Virgin, and he even recommends the New York Times’ annual book of obituaries as a source of ongoing inspiration.

“I really enjoy the origins of people’s lives and how they got places.” — Stewart Cohen

“The road’s never over, and people have come from a lot worse than I did.” — Stewart Cohen

Three Takeaways for Aspiring Creatives

Stewart closed with quick advice for anyone building a photography business or a small business of any kind: stay open, stay connected, and stay current — while keeping an eye on the bottom line.

“Be very open to comments from other people. You don’t have to take them all to heart, but be very open.” — Stewart Cohen

“Go out and meet people, network, be kind. There definitely is no place in this world for people that aren’t friendly. So be nice, be gracious.” — Stewart Cohen

Learn more about Stewart’s work at Stewart Cohen Pictures, or connect with him on LinkedIn. Listen to the full conversation with host Zaneta Chuniq Inpower on the Unscripted Small Business podcast.