Capture Your Authentic Brand Story With Video (Guest Kerri Feazell from Concurrent Productions)
The Magic of Authenticity
When I mention authenticity, your eyes might be rolling. I know, there’s that word again. But I can’t stress the importance of it enough. I remember back in the late-90s, I was getting a lot of flak for my attire. This was nothing new to me, as I’ve dealt with this my whole life. My look was not the norm, think gothic rocker with a hint of glam, sprinkled heavily with Hello Kitty. Eventually the negativity and the hazing got to me. Perhaps because I was in college, studying business and wanted to be taken seriously. Let’s face it, I stood out like a raver at a cotillion. Being fed up and tired of being ridiculed, judged and giggled at, so I made the bold and stupid move get rid of a large part of my wardrobe. At least I gave it to a charity and hopefully some lucky goth got my Herman Munster platforms. After cleansing my closet, I regrettably did a One Eighty… I went to J Crew and the Gap to purchase a new wardrobe. Thinking about this now makes me want to vomit. I actually started wearing jeans. Yes, the blue kind and worse…I wore a belt and tucked in my shirt! I can triumphantly say, I never put on a pair of khakis. Sidebar – if khakis are your thing, then wear them proudly, but they’re the ultimate antithesis of my style. But regardless, I never felt comfortable in my clothes. Day after day, not feeling authentic wears down your soul. Over time this “normal” (in air quotes) look was replaced… piece by piece… giant plastic rings…a vintage polyester dress…colorful Lisa Frank backpack…a fun fur jacket…a glittery skirt…hot pink fishnets… electric blue beehive wig… Bowie-style platforms. It was like I was reborn and the real me blossomed again.
When you’re authentic you may get ridiculed, judged and giggled at, but don’t let that stop you. Hiding behind a phony façade is never the answer. You’ll never be able to blossom as a fake; whether it be your brand, as an entrepreneur or the business you’ve created. People see through that stuff. I’ll never be the chick on Instagram with the plush white furniture, expensive manicure, holding a $6 latte, while taking a selfie. Nor do I want to be. If that’s your thing, more power to you, if not, stop pretending. For me, it’s letting my freak flag fly. For you, it might be more of a khaki thing. As long as it genuine, that’s what matters.
Being authentic goes way beyond your attire. You must also embody your values, be honest, transparent, admit to your flaws and be realistic about your limitations. But don’t hold yourself back. You should stretch yourself beyond your abilities, figure things out and take on challenges outside of your current accomplishments. That is part of growth, please do this; its vital to the success of your business that you evolve. What I’m talking about is a dishonest representation.
For instance, once I hired a handyman (I’m using air quotes) to resurface my concrete kitchen countertops. He assured me he knew what he was doing. After he ruined the middle section it was too late, he didn’t warn me and then he spent the rest of the afternoon trying to even out the imperfection so that the countertop looked equally as bad everywhere else. My countertops went from funky-art chic to Fred Flintstone’s abode in one, regrettable afternoon. If he had been transparent with me and said he’d never done countertops, rather than pretending he did, I wouldn’t have had to pretend I was cooking for Barney Rubble for the next ten years. Thank goodness we finally had that countertop replaced.
As a member of my audience, you are most likely an entrepreneur. You might be in marketing, design, SEO, or something else; regardless, video is majorly impacting how we do business. The number two search engine to Google is You Tube. Video is one of the best mechanisms for demonstrating our brand to potential buyers, existing customers, employees, vendors and any other stakeholders. Why is being authentic so important, well…besides people seeing through your BS, your fraudulent representation could be costing you money. Your individuality is what separates you from the pack. I talked about this last week on the podcast, but in case you missed it, if you are selling a product or service that other companies offer, the way to differentiate yourself is to double-down on YOU.
A great way to do this is through storytelling. That’s why video can be such a powerful mechanism for marketing. Telling your unique story is a great way to showcase your business. But you need to feel comfortable; it’s hard to when you’re wearing a mic, there’s a crew standing around, hot lights on your face…and the worst, a camera with a glowing red light staring you down. I love hamming it up on stage, but when a camera starts rolling on me, I become a bumbling idiot. It’s that feeling of permanency that gets me tongue tied. How about you?
In this episode, we are expanding on the authentic branding topic we explored last week. Our focus for this show is about capturing your authentic brand story with video. We are joined by Kerri Feazell from Concurrent Productions, a video production company she owns with her husband Jeff. Using their expertise as storytellers, they create authentic mini documentaries about their clients. Rather than operating the camera, Kerri produces and directs the videos. Between her inquisitive approach and ability to make camera-shy clients feel comfortable, her videos are very natural and unrehearsed.
We discuss Kerri's approach to the business and the challenges of shooting video during the age of Covid. We talk about Kerri's involvement with 1% for the Planet. Heather, the host, gives examples of authenticity from her own life.
SHOW NOTES:
Contact or Follow Kerri Feazell on LinkedIn
Concurrent Productions: Website - Testimonial Video Production - Online Courses
I Reinvented My Life in Business Podcast - Apple Podcast - Spotify
1% for the Planet: Website
Western Aspen Alliance: Website
Aspen Grove Called Pando: Forbes Article - More Info
Thinkific: Website
Corse Method: Website - Lisa Parmley Info
CONTACT HEATHER:
Zeitzwolfe Accounting: Website - Facebook
Contact Heather: Instagram - LinkedIn
Book a Discovery Call (via Zoom) - Click Here
Set up a strategy session with Heather - HERE
Interested in being a guest on the podcast? Do you have a podcast and would like to invite Heather Zeitzwolfe to be a guest? If either apply, please fill out our guest request form.
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