SME News Q4 2025/ 50 Empowering the VFX, Film, and TV Industry With Brookeland Coaching, Brooke McGowan’s goal is to empower people in the VFX, film, and TV industry to take control of their lives, financially, emotionally, and socially. From “starving artist” in the VFX industry to building six income streams that have enabled her to move to Barbados and continue earning from a beach club, Brooke doesn’t rely on theory, she uses her battle-tested, lived experience to inspire and motivate others. Having been awarded the title of Best Industry Specialist Life Design Coach 2025: Brooke McGowan, we speak to the lady herself to gain a deeper insight into her story. “This is personal development meets financial freedom,” Brooke begins. “Too often, people think they need to choose between working on themselves or working on their income, or that one must come before the other. We believe they go hand in hand. Too many chase income to end up unhappy, which makes money and work feel stressful and unappealing. But when the focus is on building character, resilience, and vision with a business goal, the natural side effect is money.” With the belief that people’s value lies in who they are as an individual, and Brooke wants them to understand that they are far more than just their job title or the tasks they perform. “They don’t have to be tossed around at the whim of an unstable industry,” she tells us. “When artists know their worth and build lives that give them freedom and fulfilment, the industry itself will change. Studios that exploit people won’t survive, while the companies that put people first will thrive because the talent will be choosing the studios, not the other way around.” Brooke's mantra is “People over projects”, which she first heard at her spiritual youth group as a teenager. This means that it is all about finding your customer first, to be followed by building the product or service to solve their problem. “Too many entrepreneurs fall in love with their own creation and only think about the customer second,” she says. “I always say: talk to people, ask them what they need, and then build it with them. That’s how you create something people actually want.” She continues, “This doesn’t mean simply doing everything a client or customer asks for. It’s about knowing what they truly need and being willing to stand firm in that, even if it means turning someone away. I’ve said no to potential clients when I knew they weren’t ready for the programme. That’s why I created "You Are The Asset", a community designed as a starting point for anyone who wants to begin building with intention. Not everyone is ready for The Income Studio, but the community ensures there’s always an accessible path to start the journey the right way.” Guiding Brooke in her work is a 3-F Framework: Fun, Freedom, and Fulfilment to guard against stress, overwhelm, and burnout, which too many people face during their careers. She tells us that Fulfilment comes first, recognising the importance of providing genuine value and helping people; next comes Fun, where you have to enjoy what you are doing, otherwise you will come to resent it; and Freedom represents the business model, where you must know where you want to take it, as she says, “I prefer models that create time freedom; yes, the launch phase takes effort, but the right systems keep serving people and generating income long after your direct time has been spent.” Brooke points out the importance of clarity and consistency in all this – Making sure you are clear on who you serve and how you are serving them. Then, you must show up consistently, as success isn’t built on a one-off effort; it’s the result of showing up every day. Looking ahead, Brooke tells us that the focus over the next year will be on growing the "You Are The Asset" community to over 1,000 introverted solopreneurs who are ready to realise their potential and design their life of fun, freedom, and fulfilment. Additionally, she will be launching a book in 2026, which will be an expansion of these ideas, as she says, to “cement them into a practical blueprint, and make this way of living and working accessible to event more people”. Brooke concludes, “It’s about giving individuals the tools to design lives and incomes that truly excite them, while reshaping what making money feels like – freedom and value, not greed.” Company name: Brookeland Coaching Contact name: Brooke McGowan Website: www.vfxlifecoach.com
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