Guus de Beer: From student to entrepreneur building BEAR Creatives

What was your journey leading up to BUas? 

Guus: ‘I took quite a detour to get here. I'm from Breda, where I did my HAVO (high school) but didn’t pass, so I switched to MBO. I initially studied marketing communications but eventually shifted towards something more creative. That’s when I joined the Audio Visual programme at ROC Tilburg, where I spent four years learning the ropes. During the pandemic, while studying, I also launched my own business in video and photography. After MBO, it was either continue working full-time or enrol in another study programme, and I decided to pursue further education. I chose Creative Business at BUas because I wanted to deepen my knowledge of marketing and business, as well as explore other creative fields like graphic design and branding.’ 

‘In January 2025, I rebranded my business as BEAR Creatives, offering services such as media production (video and photography), branding, creative concepts, and a bit of marketing.’ 

Can you tell us more about BEAR Creatives? 

Guus: ‘BEAR Creatives has been my main focus for the past couple of years. One of the highlights was working on a project for Eastlake Festival in Goirle. I was friends with one of the organisers from my MBO days, and he wanted to start a festival. From the beginning, I was on board as their video partner, helping with everything from social media content to brand films and after-movies. Over the past three years, it has grown significantly – last year, the festival attracted around 3,000 visitors, and I had the leadership role during the event, managing video production. This has definitely been my one of my favourite ongoing projects.’ 

Can you describe a project you worked on at BUas? 

Guus: ‘The project I worked on during my first semester of the second year was a short documentary. Our task was to develop a documentary from concept to the point where you could pitch it. We worked in a group of five other students, and I took on the role of director. The theme was about the effects of digitalisation on human connections. We wanted to follow a family for a week and see how disconnecting from their phones would affect their relationships.’ 

‘We spent a lot of time researching, looking into existing documentaries and understanding how people interact with their phones. From there, we brainstormed, developed the idea further, and then worked on preproduction, budgeting, and marketing. It was a highly collaborative effort.’ 

What was your role in the project and what did the process look like? 

Guus: 'As the director, I was responsible for leading the project and bringing my creative vision to life. I have a lot of experience with video productions, so I was able to offer guidance where needed. The process was quite intensive. We started by brainstorming ideas, developing the concept and storyline, and then moved into research. We spent a lot of time looking into existing documentaries and understanding how people interact with their phones. From there, we further developed the idea, working on preproduction, including budgeting and marketing. It was a highly collaborative effort, and everyone had a chance to contribute to shaping the project.' 

What are some memorable experiences from this project? 

Guus: ‘One of the best things about this project was the opportunity to take a leading role in a safe environment, like the one BUas provides. It allowed me to grow and improve my skills. Working in a multicultural environment has been a major learning experience. At times, cultural differences challenged me, especially as I tend to be quite direct in my communication. I had to adapt, but in doing so, I developed valuable soft skills and learned how to interact effectively with people from different backgrounds. These experiences will be incredibly useful when working internationally. Leading a project like this has been a great opportunity for growth, and I look forward to applying these skills in future collaborations.’ 

What are your plans for the future? 

Guus: 'My ultimate goal is to grow BEAR Creatives into a full-fledged creative agency with a team. The leadership skills I have been developing at BUas are helping me prepare for larger projects. I want to work on bigger productions, leading teams on set, and handling large-scale projects. What excites me most is working with businesses that are just starting out but have the potential to become market leaders. I want to help them with branding, creative marketing, and strategy, and watch them grow. My passion lies in seeing both businesses and people thrive.’ 

Where can we learn more about your work? 

Guus: ‘You can connect with me on LinkedIn or visit the BEAR Creative website for more information about my projects.’