Find your flow on camera, with Holly Gillen.
Listen to this episode or read the blog post below!
I am joined by the leading lady at Holly G Studios, to talk about creating business cinema that provides value to your clients and drives sales to your creative business.
With the increase in popularity of video platforms such as Instagram and Tik Tok, it is hard to avoid getting in front of the camera as part of your marketing approach. But does that mean we all have to start learning viral Tik Tok dances?
Thankfully no!
What I love about Holly’s approach is that she focuses on using video content to create true value for viewers and not worrying about keeping up with the latest trends just for the sake of ‘the algorithm’.
As someone who started her career behind the camera, Holly is no stranger to the discomfort of being on the other side of the lens. Good thing she tamed her butterflies and is filled with tips and techniques on how to embrace the nerves and let the true you shine.
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“Darling, you had the power all along”. - Holly G
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Credits: Sound production by hearnoevilmedia.com
Know the four pillars of video production.
First things first. Before you even think of picking up that camera, sit down and think about your four pillars:
1. Why?
Why are you creating this piece of content?
What purpose does it serve?
How does it benefit your business overall?
2. Who?
Who is your audience?
Where will they see you?
Are they following you?
3. What?
What is your message?
What are you trying to get them to do?
How are you wanting them to feel/react?
4. How?
How will you create this content?
Will you do it yourself or outsource it?
Where will the budget come from?
Once you have answered these four key questions, then the fun starts!
Change your mindset in front of the camera.
I totally get it, the idea of picking up a camera and filming yourself - even if you are alone - is terrifying. It can bring up a lot of feelings and insecurities and, for many of us, we would rather go diving with sharks than even think about putting ourselves in front of the camera.
What you have to think about is that those butterflies that you are feeling? They are nerves and nerves are good. Nerves mean you care.
I once asked an actor friend of mine if they still got nervous performing in front of an audience. What they responded with has stayed with me ever since.
They told me, yes, they do still get nervous before a performance and that if they were ever to stop getting nervous, they would stop performing. You get nervous because you want the audience to experience something special, and you care deeply about providing that to them. If you are not nervous, you no longer care about your audience, so why would you be acting then?
Instead of running from the nerves, understand that that is what being outside of your comfort zone feels like. You will never grow if you avoid that feeling.
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Make your life easier by spending time on pre-production.
One of the most common mistakes people make when they start making video content is that they turn on the camera, start filming, then edit later. I’m telling you, you will throw your hands up in the air out of joy if you flip your process around and make it top heavy.
Pre-production should make up 60-65% of your production time. Pre-production is content planning, location preparation, equipment set up, script writing, etc. By having all this planned ahead of time, you will cut down immensely on editing and will also avoid blabbering into the camera.
Thriller, filler, spiller.
Inspired originally by the advice florists use to create arrangements, the thriller, filler, spiller technique is a go-to for Holly G for how to plan the content of your videos. This is how you can use it in your next video:
Thriller - the hook. How are you grabbing your audience’s attention? Rather than starting your video introducing yourself, pick one key point of your content that is going to entice the viewer to stay. What are you going to teach them? What tool can you give them? What problem are you going to fix?
Filler - The content. Now that your viewer knows what they are going to get from watching your video, now is the time where you have to deliver what you promised.
Spiller - The call to action. Now you have given them something that is of value to them, this is when you ask for what you need from them in return. A visit to your website? A purchase? To book a consultation? This is your time to ask.
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Episode 102 Transcript
Linsi Brownson
[0:08]
You are listening to Be Brilliant In Your Business, the podcast that helps you create a rich business and meaningful life. I'm your host, Linsi Brownson, and I'm here to deliver a creative cocktail of pep talks and practical tools to break the habit of being busy so you can have what you really want in life.
If you are new to the podcast, welcome, I am so glad you're here and look forward to being part of your brilliant business.
Before we dive into today's episode, I'd like to remind you that if you're a fan of the show, the best way to show it is to share it. Take a screenshot of this episode and tag me @linsibrownson, or leave us a review in your favorite podcast app. It means so much and I love being able to connect with you a little bit more personally.
So, are you ready? Let's go.
Hey, hey Mavericks. Welcome to the show. Today, I have a fabulous guest and we are talking about creating video for your business. And not just any video, but business cinema. Isn't that a great term? I love it. It is not my term, my guest, Holly G, your go to Video gal, this is what her and her company are all about is creating business cinema, which as she describes, is content with a purpose and a plan. And thinking about every video that you make as a piece of the larger whole.
So, as she calls it big pillar content. And automatically I love this because, as you know, my perspective, my opinion on creating content is that we do not need to create a ton of it and we don't need to be on the constant hamster wheel of what's next, what's next? But rather to take an intentional approach and to create less and better stuff that we can utilize in more and more ways. Things that get more valuable over time, instead of just disappearing after 24 hours.
So, I am super excited to jump in and talk with Holly today. And I just want to give you a little sneak preview. We have some bonus content at the end. So, after this interview we actually hit record again because we were talking about something that was so relatable that I know you want to hear. I'm not gonna say too much about it, yet, but stay tuned till the end because the last, I think, five minutes of this episode, we're getting real deep, and you're gonna love it.
So, let's jump in and talk with Holly.
This episode is brought to you by 30 Day Done. My simple framework to take your best ideas off the back burner and get them done in, you guessed it, 30 days or less. And you're going to do it without overwhelm or overworking because burnout is lame. I'll show you how. 30 Day Done is free for you inside the Maverick HQ. A resource vault that is chock full of helpful tools for your business. Visit linsibrownson.com/maverick to join now.
Hello, hello! Welcome to the show, Holly G. I'm so excited to have you here.
Holly G.
[3:19]
I'm so excited to be here, Linsi. Thank you so much for having me on.
Linsi Brownson
[3:22]
I am thrilled to talk with you and, you know, I'm already picking up on your nickname Holly G. It's a Holly G. kind of day.
So, I'm yeah, I'm thrilled to have you here. Today we're talking about getting started and getting consistent with creating video for your business. Before we jump into that, let's introduce you to the listeners a bit. Tell us what you're up to.
Holly G.
[3:46]
So, my name is Holly G, I am your go to Video gal. And I teach leading ladies and high performers how to be comfortable and confident on both sides of the camera by teaching them about business cinema, which is the way that I described, like, the next level video, so, video with a plan, a purpose, a system, and a strategy. And my background is in video production. I worked professionally in the industry for a number of years before I started my online business way back in 2013. And I truly love every day that I get to do this, it is my super passion.
Linsi Brownson
[4:30]
That is amazing. And that already gets my wheels spinning when you say business cinema. And specifically when you define it as having that plan, having that purpose, I think that leads right into some of my questions for you, which is around, you know, having this intention behind video or the things that get in the way of business owners who want to start doing video or who do videos and are very inconsistent with it. So, I think that it already sounds like the direction we're headed here is that strategy, having some intention behind it, is really going to bolster that for your business.
So, I would really like to know… You know, we here - and I'm air quoting this because I get information from all over the place - but, you know, it's not really any surprise that video is a very powerful platform and it just continues to be even more powerful for business owners. And that is everything from Instagram, and TikTok kind of short videos to YouTube, which has been, you know, the leader for so long, Facebook Lives, all kinds of different content. And so, I would say that the majority of business owners today who have any kind of online presence, do have some belief, at least that video is something they “should do”.
So, how does a business owner with everything that they've got going on, you know, how should somebody decide what different things should they consider to decide if doing video is right for their business?
Holly G.
[6:01]
Sure, I mean, first, you want to make sure that you have the bandwidth for it, because this is not, like, it takes a little bit more effort and energy to create video content for your business than it would for you to create a written blog post, right? Because there are other things that you need to be taking into consideration. You know, showing up on camera, it requires you to be in a certain, you know, in a certain frame of mind and have, you know, a certain amount of energy and then to go through the whole process of recording and planning and producing and, you know, creating this what I like to call, like, a big pillar piece of content. That's like a big pillar piece of content that you can then break off and create lots of smaller pieces of content.
I know you were just chatting with Abby, recently, and that was such a great episode and she did such a great deep dive into re-purposing your content. And when you create, you know, big pillar pieces of content using video, it gives you that opportunity to then take that content and, what I call, pollinate it. Pollinate it all over the place, you know, you can pull out those little blurbs that you are talking about the main points and turn those into so many other pieces of content.
So, first and foremost, do you have the bandwidth to create a video? If it's just you and you don't necessarily have any additional support or help, you want to start off slow and small, and then build and grow from there.
You know, maybe that's just showing up on Instagram Stories as your video and I'm using like you know, air quotes, but as your video type of content that's and that is video content, right? As opposed to creating a bi-weekly show on YouTube, or showing up live every week on your Facebook page, you know?
So, you want to take into consideration how much time and energy you have to give to this project. Then, you know, you need to think about your why.
I always go through the four pillars of pre-production. Why, who, what, how. When I talk about video, this is foundational. I tell people, like, if you don't know the answers to these four questions, put your camera down and walk away.
First and foremost, why are you creating the content? How does it fit into the bigger picture of your business? Why is it important to you? Why is it important to your audience? Why do you care? Why should anybody else care? And how is this going to help increase your bottom line? Right? Because we are running businesses, which means that we are in the business of generating income. And if that isn't going to help you get to where you want to go or isn't in alignment with the rest of your business goals, then maybe this is not the right time for you to start using video.
But if it is, then you need to consider the rest of the questions. Which are who, who is your audience who is going to be watching these videos? Where are they hanging out? How do they want to see you show up? How are they consuming content from you? Are they on Instagram? Are they on LinkedIn? Are they somewhere else? You know you want to make sure you're taking all of those things into consideration. Are you new? So, do you need to use a platform like YouTube which has which is a search engine so you have the ability to reach a whole new base of people through optimizing your metadata when you're creating content for the platform?
As opposed to Instagram stories? Instagram Stories are typically only being shown to your audience, right? There aren't I don't too many people who are just popping into you know, strangers, Instagram stories, right? You know, the people who need to be following you. So, there's a little bit, you know, a different difference there.
So, who is your audience? Where are they? Then, what type of content do you want to share with them? And last but not least, how? Why, who, what, how? How are you going to do it? Meaning, how much time do you have? How much money do you have? Are you going to be hiring out any parts of the process because it is a process and it does take time? And you will need a system behind you to kind of keep everything organized and flowing. Which, you know, it goes back to creating business cinema because we're not just creating willy-nilly video here, we're creating business cinema video with a plan, purpose, system, and strategy that helps move your business forward. Not just creating video for the sake of creating video because it's the new great thing to do. I don't know why I said new it's not new.
Linsi Brownson
[10:36]
Yeah, no, but you're so right. Because I think that, again, because of the boom of TikTok and Instagram being a video platform too it is sort of one of the newest, hottest things are your video? Yeah, exactly. That's so funny.
But yeah, I think that you, you are definitely speaking my language here, and knowing that this takes a lot of intentional effort. [Yes.] Whether you are intentional about it or not, it takes a lot of effort. And so, I really think that having this, the answer to the why, the how, for sure should be something that you're thinking about on really a daily basis, right? What is my bandwidth? What is this actually doing for me? What is it doing for my clients? What is it doing for my business?
Holly G.
[11:25]
Absolutely.
Linsi Brownson
[11:26]
Awesome.
Holly G
[11:26]
More to the how, actually, is your equipment? Like, do you have the stuff? Like, how are you actually going to make it happen? Because if you don't really think that part through you get stuck, you know, in perhaps the planning, or perfectionism or in between the knowledge gap, because you're like, Yeah, I know how to think I know how to make videos, but you don't really, you're not really thinking through the entire process. So, you stay stuck. And you don't actually it just is a forever item on your to-do list, like, make videos. Let's do reels. Let's get on YouTube.
Linsi Brownson
[12:00]
That's exactly it. Okay, I have two little light bulbs that went off too. The first one is that a lot of at least my clients in my world are very resistant to, like, the Instagram videos with the pointing and the dancing and the like very trendy and quirky stuff. And so, I think that this really lends itself to that deeper sense of unprofessionalism, that a lot of small business owners are like, I don't want to do the dancing and the jumping, and the snapping and like all of those things. I want to create something that is actually meaningful. And so, I think this gives a really good structure to put somebody in that frame of mind to really recognize there is value in what they're creating and what is that, what is that value?
However, that I think leads a lot again, I'm mostly speaking about my clients, to that sort of perfectionism and that procrastination because then they kind of overthink the answers to these questions.
So, how do we navigate that?
Holly G
[13:06]
So, that's the landmine, right? There is a lot of mindset stuff that comes up around video. First and foremost, don't feel like you ever have to do anything the way that somebody else is already doing it, right? You are in your own lane, you are your own person, you understand yourself, and hopefully, your audience better than anybody else does so, you get to set the tone, you get to decide how you want to show up, you get to decide where you want to show up. Just because people are making pointing dancing videos on, you know, multiple platforms do not mean that that's how you need to show up in your business if that is not something that you are comfortable doing or is not in alignment with your business or how you typically show up or how you would you know standardly show up in a specific industry. You get to decide. Like, that's the beauty and joy of, like, running your own business and coming up with your own plan and doing everything for yourself.
So, I just want to make a strong point of that because I feel like people get sucked into that trap. And it you know of looking to how it's already been done. You get to set the rules so do it however you want. Do it however it makes you comfortable.
The main key here, and something you had already touched on, is that you're delivering value. That you are delivering value and you are showing up in a way that makes you feel comfortable and confident. But getting to the point where you actually do show up and you get rid of all of your video blocks and mindset things because there is a ton.
I actually went through my own process where I had to, you know, do a ton of work when I was just getting started even though my background in, you know, video production and I worked for years behind the camera when I got to the front of the I was like, oh, whoa, what's happening over here? I am sweating. Why am I sweating? I feel like I'm having an out-of-body experience right now. And I was so uncomfortable. And I was like, this is crazy. Like, I need to work through this because I have big things that I want to do. And I'm not going to be able to do the big things that I want to do if I can't be comfortable in front of the camera.
Add in the additional layer of, Hey, I'm a professional, and this is what I'm supposed to be doing. Like, if it doesn't look good, if it's not perfect, then people are gonna think I'm a laughingstock. And I kept focusing on all of the other professionals in the industry who were going to look at my video and be like, Oh, my God, ew, what is she doing? She's not an expert, you know? This whole thing that happens. And this happens for everybody don't feel like you're looking at somebody's video and like they're so good. They did this too. This is a process. Nobody wakes up and just steps in front of the camera, I shouldn't say nobody, very few people have the ability and natural ability to just do this in an instant. It takes time because there's a lot of internal things that are happening. There's a lot of stuff that's going on, that isn't necessarily front and center or talked about. And it has a lot to do with, your mindset and other self-sabotaging insecurities. There's a lot of stuff that comes up when you push yourself in front of the camera.
For me, what I did was I literally locked myself in my office studio and I kept making video after video after a video. And through the process, I had an epiphany and I realized that the nervous butterflies, uncomfortable feeling I was feeling I decided to flip that. And instead of it being a negative, I turned it into a positive. I was like, This is what it feels like to grow from the inside out, I am doing something I've never done before. So, my body is reacting and it's growing. It's allowing me to push past where I was comfortable.
And the only way that happens is when you actually do it. You can't procrastinate your way there. You can't think your way there. You just have to get into that position and feel the feelings and keep going. And I guarantee you I know that it gets better, it gets easier because I've done this now for hundreds of people through challenges that I've been running since 2014.
Linsi Brownson
[17:49]
Yeah. Yeah. So, I love that because you can put the why, who, what, and how on paper and you can even have it, like you said, from past experience, from, you know, being a professional in the industry. And it's only all gonna gel once you start putting it into action. Once you have that experience, I love that you describe that feeling of butterflies and actually recognizing like, my body is literally growing right now. I'm actually like breaking old things apart and building new things and understanding what that feeling in your body actually feels like. So, that instead of being so terrified of it, and really believing that it's something you shouldn't be feeling. Yeah, you're like bringing it on and you're willing to actually process through and feel that emotion and no longer be afraid of it.
Holly G
[18:40]
Yes, I'm getting the chills. It is a process and it can be uncomfortable to go through. But once you get to the other side, you literally look back you're like, what was, what was I even afraid of?
Linsi Brownson
[18:49]
Yeah, yeah. Until you get into the next thing that feels exactly the same way and then the cycle begins. [Yeah.] Yeah. That is so true.
Yeah, I love that and I think that that's it's such a powerful experience to have as a human but as a business owner to do something, as you said, I knew I had big things that I wanted to do, and that all this nonsense in front of me was not going to get me there. And I think that a lot of business owners come to that pivotal moment with something in their business. And really recognizing, like, I cannot keep doing things the way that I've been doing them before, I'm going to have to be willing to be scared, be uncomfortable. take that leap.
And so yeah, so I think that this idea - and I'm getting the sense that you're talking about starting small I know you said you locked yourself in your office and just like powered through it, I think that's a really cool I get the visual of you doing that. Just like eating chips on the side, like a gulp of water, like, record, let's go. I mean, I think that that's a really important thing to do because you're right, it is it's, there's the first step, and the, like, you've got to be brave enough to go into the bear cave, and, like, and face it the first time. But then, you also have to be brave to continue to do it as that may be the pressure starts to even lighten a little bit. I love talking about this process of growth. [Yes.]
So, it starts to get a little less scary, but then you actually have new fears that kind of show up as you uncover some of those layers. So, how do you go from fearless or from fearful to fearless or to competent in these videos?
Holly G
[20:46]
It is, there's a quote by John C. Maxwell that says "no one improves by accident", right? You, you have to do, you have to take the action, sit with that feeling, and then do it again. And then do it again. And then do it again.
I usually tell people like you have to make hashtag 100 terrible videos and I'm joking, but I'm not joking. And I've watched people do this in literally days. They come into the From Star To Star challenge with zero, sometimes zero experience in front of the camera, knowing that it's important and knowing that they need to do it within a few days, shining brightly, showing up confidently and fearlessly. And by the end, being so excited and so in love and so proud. Like, it is literally magical. And all I'm doing is holding the space for you while I'm guiding and supporting you for what I did for myself. You don't need you you don't need me to do this process with you, this is something that you can do on your own. Lock yourself in your office. Create the videos. Know that you don't ever have to show them to anybody. But you have to sit in that place. Have to do that work. [Yeah.] Through the other side. [Oh, that's...] I say, for me, on my side, my perspective, the first time I did it, I was literally in tears. On day seven, it was like watching roses bloom. [Wow.] So beautiful. [Yeah.] When people get to the end, they look to me. And I'm like, darling, you had the power all along.
Linsi Brownson
[22:40]
Yeah. Oh my gosh, okay, I love that so much because where we started with this conversation was, like, how to get started with video and how to know if it's important for you and where we always get to at the end of things is, like, it's not about the video. It's about who you become as a person. It's about seeing what you're capable of and having this new layer, this new platform, this new approach, to really show people who you are and what you're all about.
And I know that that's something that you really stand for, too, is this belief that you're showing your face, showing your personality, like, actually giving something of yourself to people through video is the best connection that you can make, not just because of the algorithm and SEO and all, you know, all the tactical benefits those are there too with they're secondary. It's because it's a real, true human connection and it's you learning more and more how to be authentic in your own skin.
Holly G
[23:38]
Starting to embrace your, your, your personality and how you want to show up for your people. And I always say with video, there is no competition. So, if you feel like you're in an industry where there's a ton of competition and you're trying to differentiate yourself or figure out how you can stand out, well, there is no other view. So, it's you.
You are what makes you stand out. I always say at the end of every single one of my videos, you are someone's reason to smile, so don't give up. And what I mean by that is basically there is nobody out there who has your expertise, your skill, set your experience, your background, who speaks the way that you speak, who is going to teach the way that you teach. Somebody is waiting for you to help them and show up in only the way that you can. So, know that you are their greatest hope for whatever it is that you are going to be able to help them with. You are their greatest hope for help.
And when you don't show up every time you break that promise to yourself that you're going to do the video and then you don't do the video. You are letting them down. So, remember that there's somebody out there waiting for you to show up, and only the way that you can they need your help.
Linsi Brownson
[24:53]
Yeah. So, that brings me to, you know, let's talk about getting it done, like, being consistent and going through that process of showing up. So, we know that some of the initial getting-started fears are coming around our own limiting beliefs and our personal insecurities, and our unwillingness to feel uncomfortable about those things. And then getting into it, knowing that continuing to practice, the more that you do this, you become better at it, you become more confident, but it takes that consistency to get there.
So, how do you approach that? How do you start to help people get into that flow of creating this large pillar content?
Holly G
[25:36]
So, I use it I teach people about the seven phases of business cinema, which is, like, super, super in-depth, but the light version of it is, you know, I'll start with this story. When you think about, like, a movie, right? What's your favorite movie, think about your favorite movie. Now think about did the actors just show up on set and just start talking? Did they not have time to pick out wardrobes or locations? Or do all the other things? No, that's definitely not how it happens. You need pre-production.
So, this is the part that people mistake, make the mistake all the time people make the mistake thinking, Okay, I'm going to record a video, and then I'll just fix it in post-production, or I'll fix it while I'm editing it. And it's going to be great. And I'm just gonna wing it. Winging it is not an option.
So, pre-production makes up 60 to 65% of your video planning process. Because when you think about the contents before you create it, you're able to record it in a short amount of time and then you're able to edit it really easily as opposed to the other way around, you're like, I'm just gonna talk and figure it out and I'll just wing it, and we'll just see what happens and then you go to record it, and you're just babbling and taking doing take after take after take. And then you get all these takes in these video footage, which is you know, heavy big footage, you bring that into your computer, and you're like, Okay, I'll figure it out. And then you try to edit, like oh, editing, I don't know, this is editing is just too hard, I can't do this.
But that's the wrong process. The process is I know, I'm going to make this piece of content because it serves my audience in this way and it connects reverse engineers and connects back to something that I have for sale a few months from now or a few weeks from now. So, I'm going to connect all that together. This is what I want to talk about because this is the type of person I want to attract.
So, you're thinking about this stuff beforehand. This goes into the pre-production process where you're doing the, you know, you're clear on those four pillars of pre-production, you're moving now into thinking about how the things that you have for sale are connected to the video content that you're creating and you are using something that I call the thriller filler spiller to create your script around this specific idea.
So, if you're creating content for YouTube, you can use what I call the thriller filler spiller, which is my video script formula, and basically, the thriller is the hook. How can you thrill that person immediately with what you're saying? Like, what are you saying that's going to hook them in and make them want to watch the rest of the video? What is captivating? Say that immediately, instead of what some people do is, Hi, I'm Holly G. I am a video person, and I do video stuff. And this is my background. And... But wait, didn't you tell me you were gonna teach me how to write a script? Why am I have to hear all the rest of this stuff first, like, nobody cares about that.
First, they want to know what's in it for them. In today's video, I'm going to teach you how to create a simple script in three steps. Stay tuned. Then you go into the filler. Here's how you create a simple video script, you use this formula called the thriller filler spiller formula and I'm going to explain it to you right now and then you explain it.
Then, you get to the that's filler then you get to the spiller which is your call to action. So, now that you've built up a sense of reciprocity by delivering this value that you said you were going to deliver on the promise you kept the promise, you delivered the content. Now, what action do you want that viewer to take? What's the next step?
So, in pre-production, you plan. You plan all of this out, you write your little simple script and boom, you do that for five videos. You have five weeks of content planned in a couple of hours.
Linsi Brownson
[29:43]
I love it. I love the simplicity of that and I'm, like, smiling over here because that thriller filler spiller is also something that people use in floral design. Like, making floral arrangements.
Holly G
[29:55]
Yes, that's right, that's where I got it from.
Linsi Brownson
[29:57]
I Love it.
Holly G
[29:58]
I have to tell you a funny story. So, during my very first video challenge back in 2014, I had a woman named Liz Donaghy, the garden goddess by the sea, and she created a video during that challenge. And she talked about how to create the perfect potted plant. And she used the terminology thriller, filler, spiller, and that always stuck with me. And so, I borrowed that from her. And yes, so fun, right?
Linsi Brownson
[30:26]
I love it. It's perfect. And it's so visual, it works really well for my visual brain too, because I can actually see a floral arrangement with these components [Yes.] in my mind, I love it.
The other thing I wanted to say you're talking about, you know, pre-production is so important to help you kind of keep your head on straight with creating this, like we said, content pillar content is a bigger piece of content that you want to have around for a while. And I can see so many ways, I'm sure my listeners are nodding their heads because we've talked about this in other areas, but what happens when we don't do that pre-production or that planning process ahead of time, is that we overwhelm ourselves so much with the minutia, the chaos, like, the like, so many people are almost like content hoarders where they'll just record, record, record.
If you think about looking at your phone if your photo album - like - you have 1000s of photos that you don't even know what's in there. And the idea of going through that and actually doing something with that is so overwhelming to people that they just bury it and it piles up and it piles up. And the same thing happens with our content, too. If you don't have this, this process, or this clarity ahead of time, you end up creating so much work for yourself that a lot of times you're probably right, that's exactly the reason why we don't finish the video, we don't ever hit publish, we don't get that far because we bogged ourselves down in this, like, overly complicated process simply by not having the plan in place, to begin with.
Holly G
[31:57]
Exactly, you're doing it backwards.
Linsi Brownson
[32:01]
Love it. Okay, so 60 to 65% of that is pre-production. [Yes.] That's amazing. That is good to know. And then how much goes into the final development or the tweaking? What should people plan for in that?
Holly G
[32:15]
So, it depends on, you know, the type of video you're creating. So, if you're just doing like a face to camera, I'm going to deliver these three points, Thriller, filler, spiller, there isn't a lot of, like, finessing you need to do at the end. It's just basically you're just, you know, chopping it up and snapping it together and, you know, adding in some graphics and visual text, maybe if you want, or some did, you know, depending on the style of video that you're looking to create, and just tightening everything up.
And that's it on the editing, super simple. And that shouldn't take very long. We do some things easily in ScreenFlow or Camtasia. Those are the two programs I usually recommend for people who are just getting started. They have enough features that you can do really awesome, amazing things inside of the content inside of the program. But it's not overwhelming like Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro or something that's a little bit more on a professional level editing program.
Linsi Brownson
[33:16]
Okay, I was what is your opinion on hiring for that component of it versus trying to DIY?
Holly G
[33:26]
The answer is time or money. You either have more time or you have more money. So, if you have more time then learn how to do the editing and spend the time to do it, if you have more money, hire it out.
Linsi Brownson
[33:39]
Got it. I'm in a second the hired out. I think that's one of the areas for almost all business owners where it just, like, the cost-benefit analysis, it just pencils out where the cost is so minimal overall if this is something if that's part of your bigger picture marketing plan, that that time is better spent doing something that will produce your income.
Holly G
[34:05]
Yes. To that point, I do recommend that you have some understanding of the editing process so that when you give the videos to the editor, you can explain what it is that you want. And one of the things one of the biggest examples I always use for this is sometimes when you're recording, you might stumble over words, you might want to redo that. Well, you need to give the editor some breathing room. So, you need to pause. And this is not something that people just know, right?
So, if you've edited a few videos, you're like, uh, I can't make a cut because I never stopped freaking talking. You need to pause when you have something that you're going to want to edit out or you need to alert the editor by clapping or waving. We're doing a take two, we're doing a take to take a breath, reset yourself, then go into it to give the editor some space to make those trims and cuts.
Linsi Brownson
[35:05]
Yeah, I love that. So, I'm gonna assume that these are kinds of tips and things that you teach people in the process of learning how to get confident on camera, how to plan these videos. So, how can people who want to get started, who have really done that mindset, work checked in with themselves, they're in a place where they want to be doing this and they're ready to get started? How can they connect with you and where should they start?
Holly G
[35:31]
Sure, you can find me on all the social platforms @hollygstudios and I recommend people starting with From Star To Star which is my program, a seven-day program, where I walk you through. We go through, we do the work in a group setting where you have accountability, you have support, you have feedback and guidance from me.
That's usually step one in the process, and then step two is, like, Okay, great. Now that you're comfortable and confident on camera, I can teach you the processes and systems, and strategies on the back end, so that you can make your videos work for you and your business. And that's my next program up from there.
Linsi Brownson
[36:10]
Love it. So, From Start To Star, and yeah, I totally that since doing is so important to getting that confidence, getting comfortable, I love that you in a very short amount of time can take people through that process and get them to that final destination.
Okay, so From Start To Star and follow Holly G. that you What did you say? Holly G Studios?\
Holly G
[36:33]
Holly G Studios, yep.
Linsi Brownson
[36:34]
Yes, online. Holly, thank you so much for being here. This is such a fun conversation.
Holly G
[36:39]
Thank you so much for having me, Linsi. I enjoyed our chat immensely.
Linsi Brownson
[36:43]
Me too. Thanks, Holly.
Linsi Brownson
[36:53]
So, this is a little bonus recording that we're doing here because we had a really fascinating example of everything that Holly was saying today, everything that she shared about getting in your own way and kind of getting tripped up sometimes and having that body feeling that sort of like takes over you. Holly actually experienced that a little bit today. Tell us about it.
Holly G
[37:13]
The first time ever, because I always tell my husband like, oh, I'm nervous when I do podcasts, and he's like, you're gonna do great. And every time I finish one, he's like, how is it? I'm like, it was amazing. I did great. And for some reason today, like I'm leaving on vacation tomorrow, so that's what I'm gonna, that's what I'm gonna chalk it up to, like, my brain was already like, Hey, we're on vacation.
So, Linsi asked me the first question and I just completely went blank and I was stumbling over what I was saying. And as I was saying it I was having this whole internal conversation in my head, like, What are you saying? What did she ask you? Where, and then it was like, my brain was like, so, let's see where this is going because I don't know. Let's see what your what, let's see what you're doing. And then I started panicking and I'm just thinking, Oh, yeah, Linsi's going to think I'm a I have no idea what I'm talking about, she's probably gonna be, like, why did I even bring this girl on my podcast. And I was panicking.
And I was like, get it together, get together, girl. I'm like, we've been here before, we know this feeling, we recognize this feeling, we're feeling the feeling and we're gonna push past this feeling. And this is the same feeling that you feel when you're putting yourself in front of the camera for the first time. And or doing anything big for the first time that's important to you. I think that's a differentiator. And this is important to me.
You know, if it wasn't important to me, I wouldn't be nervous, I wouldn't. I wouldn't care. But this is important to me. And so, I was feeling those feelings, but I knew I had to flip the switch and, and figure it out and get it done. Anyway.
So, I felt the feelings and I moved, push past the process and we were able to carry on with the rest of the interview without a hitch.
Linsi Brownson
[38:50]
Yeah. Okay, so what specifically did you do because you did something to like, break that pattern and reset yourself.
Holly G
[38:58]
I just, you know, it was you, you actually helped me because you were like, okay, let's just, let's, let's switch away from the question. We'll just start having a conversation again. And when you did that I got back into my body. I know what I know. I've been doing this for a really long time. I've been in professional video production since 2008. I've been running my online business since 2013. I know, I know - I know it all I just needed to relax and breathe and trust myself that I have the answers. I just started overthinking it too much.
Linsi Brownson
[39:38]
I love it. And thank you for sharing that. So, as we're wrapping our little offline conversation here, I was like, Can we please record this because this is so powerful. This is exactly what everyone is going through at some point in building their business and in trying new platforms and trying new things. And that's such a powerful example and I love that, you know, recognizing you know what, what you have to say you know what you believe you, you know that you're an expert. And none of that, like, means, you know, getting hung up sometimes has nothing to do with who you are, or what you know, or what you're capable of. And yet, we all do it because we have these human experiences.
So, thank you for sharing that because [Absolutely]. that really helped you, like, just sit back, like you said, get back into your body and you actually you did start it because you were, like, I need to pause. And like, for some reason, this just isn't coming together and you are willing to actually, you know, briefly say that. And so...
Holly G
[40:41]
I knew I had to because I was like if I don't, I'm like I'm gonna I can't continue the whole interview like this, like, I'm in my head, like, What are you saying?
Linsi Brownson
[40:48]
Yeah, totally.
Holly G
[40:49]
Thank you. Thank you for being so relaxed, and I didn't feel judged or like, I thought to myself, like, Oh, she thinks I'm an idiot, but you didn't make me feel like an idiot.
Linsi Brownson
[41:00]
Good. And I yeah, I mean, it's so relatable. I'm, like, cracking up as you're retelling this, because it's so relatable because we've, we've all been there.
So, this is a word out to our listeners, like, you can always stop a conversation, you can always pause a situation and say, Hey, listen, I just need a moment. And everything's gonna be fine.
Holly G
[41:23]
Take a deep breath, reset yourself, know that you know what you know the value was inside of you. And specifically, when you're talking about pre-recorded stuff, like, it's not live - like, we can redo it. You can edit it out.
Linsi Brownson
[41:39]
Yeah, for sure.
Holly G
[41:41]
Even live it's even live, you can recover even live, you can do this even live. I've done not to that extreme, but I, you know, stumbled over words and you know, people are just there you know, people are rooting for you. Generally speaking, people are rooting for you. Know that in your mind, too when you're creating your video content, people are rooting for you.
And it's also a great way to attract and repel. We didn't have an opportunity to talk about this, but I'm glad we're doing this bonus content right now because I do want to mention that video is such a great tool for attracting and repelling. You will attract your people, people who love you, or they're your super fans, and you will repel anybody who isn't your person. You know when you end up with a client? Like, why did I say yes to this client? This is not my person. Those people don't even show up. [Yeah. Yeah.] Because they see your video, and they're like, that's not my that's my person, and they move on to somebody else who is their person and that's totally fine. You don't want that person anyway.
Linsi Brownson
[42:42]
Totally. Yeah. People who troll for fun. Troll for fun, they're not going to show up in your calendar.
Holly G
[42:49]
Exactly, exactly. attract and repel. So, thank you for - I'm so glad we did this because I hope that this helps you. If this helped you, give me a shout-out on Instagram. I would love to hear. I would love to hear that.
Linsi Brownson
[43:02]
Yes, Holly G Studios everybody. Thank you.
Holly G
[43:06]
Thanks.
Linsi Brownson
[43:09]
Thanks for listening to the Be Brilliant In Your Business podcast. I hope you enjoyed this episode and if you heard something particularly insightful or inspiring, I would really love to know what it was. And I'd love to get your review.
So, I have a fun way to do this. Come and find me on Instagram @linsibrownson and send me a private message with a voice memo or a quick note. Something that I can share here on the show. As a thank you for sharing your thoughts about the show, I've made a special gift to get you energized and inspired when you open your laptop. I created some beautifully designed desktop wallpaper with some of my favorite mantras and motivational ideas that I think you will love to see. It's a win win and a fun way for us to connect.
So, come find me on Instagram @linsibrownson and let me know what you think.