Gef’s 30 Under 30 2024 Winners: Q&A with Joseph Ricciardi

Ten categories. Thirty young visionaries making their mark on the Isle of Man. Introducing the 2024 #Gef30Under30 winners: the next generation of our island’s leaders.

The Startup Grind Entrepreneurship Category Winners knocked our judges’ socks off, proving that living on a small island is no excuse for small thinking.

What is your name and age?

Joseph Ricciardi, age 27.

Job title or role in the community?

Videographer and Director at Ricciardi Media.

How did you start your career or role in the community?

In June 2022 I quit my job as an Automotive Engineer in London to pursue a passion in photography and move back to the island. Initially I was working smaller photography jobs on the island; social media content creation, portrait photography etc. May 2023, the opportunity presented itself to work in a sport that I love, combine a new found love of videography, storytelling and my experience of being an elite triathlete. From there we have exploded in to the world of sports videography and storytelling, working with some of the biggest sporting events in the world and having the opportunity to visit Kenya in January 2024 to work alongside some of the fastest marathon runners in the world for one of the leading running brands.

In one sentence, summarise your journey so far as a young and successful person under 30.

A whirlwind of fun that’s only been going up.

Tell us about your business/industry, is there something interesting about it that most people wouldn’t expect?

Some of the biggest events that you see televised around the world are absolute chaos behind the scenes. Live streaming rarely goes perfect; cameras disconnect, microphones fail, commentators freeze, and at the end of the day you just hope and pray that it was okay.

Have you experienced any hurdles in your career or community efforts and if so, how did you overcome them?

I was very much thrown in at the deep end when the opportunity came up to travel for sports videography. It was a steep learning curve to learn all the new software, equipment and processes. But my background in engineering really helped to allow me to break down the workflow into steps, be methodical about what is in front of me and to be able to figure out issues without getting overwhelmed.

Tell us about why you think you won in the Entrepreneurship category?

I believe I won the Entrepreneurship award because I have taken my business from a local brand to an international set-up in the space of less than a year, while continuing to grow off-island, assist local athletes and charities, and help local businesses thrive with what we have learnt.

Who are your role models, either on-island or off, in your sector or outside of it?

Carel Du Plessis is my current role model, mentor and friend. The head photographer for XTERRA triathlon, I had the chance to meet him while racing elite in Europe and became good friends with him (always make friends with the photographer, then you get better photos as an athlete). He has since taken me under his wing to teach me more about photography, videography and all things media, as well as showing me how to tell better stories surrounding sport. Whether that is the event location itself, or the incresible stories of individual athletes. I have truly valued the past year spent shadowing him and I enjoy working alongside him at every XTERRA event.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

“Let the French speak French!”

If you can’t control the outcome or have no input in the process, then why are you allowing yourself to become stressed over it. Stressing is going to have no impact other than on yourself. So if you can’t speak French, let the French person handle it!

What do you wish you knew when you were getting started in your career?

I don’t think there is one lesson that I wish I knew at the start. Each lesson came along at the right time in my journey and allowed me to grow into the individual and the business that I am today.

One of the first lessons that I learnt is that giving value to others with no expectations often comes back in a greater reward, it’s one of the reasons that I continue to support local athletes with sponsorship proposal and promotional material. As I know how important it is to present yourself online as an elite athlete and how valuable that content can be.

What are your plans for the future?

There are a few bucket-list races and events that I would love to be able to cover, as well as some athletes and individuals with incredible stories that I want to tell. But in all honesty, I’m just planning to continue enjoy every bit of work that comes my way and enjoy all of the travel that it brings.

What changes do you hope to see in your sector or community in the coming years?

I think media production is still quite a male dominated industry, so I’d like to see more women involved. I enjoy working with my fiance as I believe her creativity is incredible and she has insights into different aspects than I do, so wherever it’s possible I love to bring her in on projects.

What, for you, are the benefits of staying on or moving back to the island for young people under 30?

I moved back to the island to be closer to a community that wants to support you and see you thrive. I had the option of staying in England to build a photography business, but I knew I had more chance of success and enjoying the journey if I was surrounded by other likeminded individuals and businesses that also wanted to help you. I think that is one of the greatest positives for the Isle of Man.

What does being a Gef’s 30 Under 30 winner mean to you?

Being a Gef’s 30 Under 30 winner is confirmation that I am on the right path and the hard work that it has taken to get this far has been worth it. Seeing some of the work that other 30 Under 30 winners have done is also inspiring me to continue to grow on the island and build my roots here.