The first step in creating a video strategy is creating a video content mission statement. It will answer three questions: what you do, how you do it and why. Once you know these three things you can then create your video mission statement what type of information will you deliver and why. A video content mission statement will help you stay on ta…

Thinking about using video in your business can feel OVERWHELMING. There are so many moving parts, it’s not always easy to figure out where to get started or where to focus your efforts to get the biggest return on your time and budget. You want to be sure you are creating the right content for the right audience and delivering it in the right plac…

The future belongs to the storyteller, if you can tell stories, the world is your oyster." That's a quote from my friend, mentor and master marketer Mike Kim in part two of my interview with him. In part one of our interview, Mike shared his thought provoking personal brand questions known as the PB3, which are designed to help you get to your core…

My guest is friend, mentor, and master marketer, Mike Kim. For those of you who aren't familiar with Mike, get ready to have your mindset about marketing completely reset. ​Mike Kim is a real world marketing pro and he hosts the top rated Brand You podcast. After working as the CMO of a multimillion dollar company in New York, Mike stepped into the…

Marketers who use video are growing company revenue 49% faster year-over-year than those who don’t, according to research from Aberdeen Group.​ We all need data in our businesses to accurately forecast where we are headed. Tracking the results from our marketing efforts goes straight to the bottom line. If you know taking certain actions will yield…

You need to use video for your business and the thought of going live on Facebook sends shivers up your spine? Or even worse, you feel sick or lose sleep even thinking about it? You can’t really put your finger on it. You speak in front of groups of people all the time. Why is Facebook Live different? Learn 7 little known hacks to help you overcome…

Live video is something we all need to do for our businesses and it can be intimidating when you haven’t done it before. I hear from so many of you that you feel paralyzed because you don’t know where to get started, you don’t feel like you have anything to say or that you can remember what you want to share. Learn a simple outline to use for your …

"Good habits make time your ally, bad habits makes time your enemy." James Clear James says to forget about setting goals to get better results, focus on your systems instead. To reach your goals, you need to have the systems in place to reach them. Learn about how habits: lead us to be the person we want to be work for or against us help us create…

This episode is devoted to your questions about: shooting video in the field by yourself lighting for home offices recording music and video making time to create video on a regular basis. There are some key themes that showed up in your questions so I thought I'd do a quick summary of a few things to keep in mind to help you successfully create vi…

Have you ever tried time and time again to reach a goal or a dream, been disappointed, and felt like just giving up? Wanting to give in to that inner voice that says “this just isn’t for you.” I have. This is a personal story about turning failures into a pathway to achieve your dreams. The takeaways? As we are preparing for the new year, it’s a ti…

Has this happened to you? When you look at your holiday photos you think everyone in the shot looks great except you because: Your eyes are shut You hate what you are wearing The camera angle is unflattering You have dark circles under your eyes because of bad lighting I know I’ve experienced every one of these. Worry not, there are some really eas…

We’re all busy, whether we’re running our own business, leading our team or building our career. Taking time to figure out how to put on makeup for video seems like a huge time suck. What about makeup when I'm on camera? is the question I hear most often behind what should I wear? And it’s a good one, because most of us don’t spend a lot of time un…

Do you ever wonder if you should wear makeup or not on video? You're just not sure how much to wear or what to use? It’s a question I get asked a lot. Did you know that how you show up on camera is more than what you are wearing and your makeup? For the next two weeks, I am going to share my Emmy award winning secrets about makeup for video - thing…

We've all watched lots of videos where the background seems out of synch with the person speaking or there is so much going on you are focused on that and not the speaker. And that’s completely avoidable. In today's episode I’m going to cover a simple checklist to make sure your background is appropriate for the video you are shooting, no matter ho…

Creating videos on the fly is something I get asked about a lot, whether its for your product or a business message or idea you need to deliver quickly and effectively. And, as I was going through my morning ritual the other day I thought wow, wouldn’t it be awesome to create a video ritual that would let you get clear about your message and make s…

On Camera Confidence is a result of working with your strengths and developing in areas where you are not as strong. What Can I Do If I Don't Like The Way I Look On Camera? I Know It's Silly, But I Can't Help It... During my career there have been times where I’m really sensitive about my appearance too. When that happens I have had to work to get …

Video is the fastest way for you to create a connection with your audience - the sound of your voice and body language allows your audience to connect with you instantly. Using video lets your audience get a better sense of who you are. When they can see you, it helps you to build trust with them, and when done intentionally, you reinforce your bra…

When you create a video to tell a story, do you sometimes feel like you are shooting in the dark? Or, because you're not sure what to shoot, you record everything and it makes it hard to edit? Wouldn't it be great to know the secrets behind creating stories that connect with your audience? Here's the good news, it doesn't have to be that way for yo…

Interview with Emmy award winning documentary producer, and director Kenneth Kebow about how to create great looking videos on a budget. Ken is a friend, colleague and mentor and has been in the television business for more than 30 years. Some of his clients include Google, American Airlines, Ford, CBS and the United States Marines. He has been hon…

We all use filler words. It’s normal to pause in between thoughts and use uhms, ers, and other filler words. It’s when you use too many of them it interferes with your effectiveness in delivering your message. It also makes your listeners work harder to get to the heart of what you have to say. When filler words fill your delivery, they undermine y…

Using gestures is an effective way to emphasize a point, add energy to your delivery, increase your confidence and connect with your audience. Used poorly, gestures can have the exact opposite effect and create a disconnect with your audience. Learn: Why you often hate the way you look on camera How to think about using gestures What gestures can h…

With podcasts and video being such an important part of your brand platform today, it pays to pay attention to your voice. It’s an important part of your brand. Veteran radio personality and voice actor Jeff Gelder shares some of his vast experience with us about developing your vocal brand and how you can work to make sure you sound your best on c…

We’ve all experienced procrastination’s grip when we are trying to do something new.There’s the unknown, learning curves and sometimes it’s just plain hard. This is especially true when it comes to being in front of the camera. If you don’t know what you want to say, or why, where to look, what to wear or how to deliver your message, it can feel li…

Interview with graphic designer Jason Clement on how to select your fonts, filters, photo, colors and logo for your visual brand identity. Jason is an art enthusiast, color savant, and unreasonably obsessed with great design. He works with with well known on-line influencers including Ray Edwards and Mike Kim. Jason helps us pull together all of th…

Your visual brand identity (combined with your verbal identity and the value you deliver) evokes a certain feeling, memories and emotions when people experience your brand. It’s the visual story you tell to communicate your overall message, values, and brand promise through the images, colors, fonts, filters, and videos you consistently use. Being …

Some Of My Recent Favorite Reads Whether you’re looking for a fresh source of inspiration or education, consider checking these out. Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges by Amy Cuddy The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the …

If you think you want to use a teleprompter for video, there're some things you need to know before you do. On this episode of Camera Ready with Val Brown you’ll learn about The importance of: knowing why you are using a teleprompter pacing, volume, pauses and body movement positioning your teleprompter You'll also need to be sure you write convers…

Have you ever had a conversation with someone who was wearing sunglasses and you weren’t? How did it make you feel not to be able to see their eyes? When you look into a person’s eyes you get an idea of who they are. And their eyes tell you things about them that their words might not - it's part of their body language. William Shakespeare said you…

Learn to pay attention to the details that will help you attract the types of audiences you'd like to speak to in the future and what you need to do ahead of time to make sure you look, feel and sound your best on stage including: Who is in the audience Where you are in the room What you will wear With a little planning and some homework, you can m…

Learn how to write a script quickly and consistently and create more content! Using a script template makes to a lot easier to be consistent in getting your content out on time. Having a format to write your videos is a great way to make sure you are including essential information. It also gives you the freedom to write in your own voice and conne…

Key messages are the top 3-5 key ideas you want your audience to know about your product, topic or issue. Your visual and verbal messages need to align with your brand. Learn a simple process to identify and create your key messages to make sure you are communicating the right message to your audience. ? When you use key messages, they Help you sta…

The number one reason I see keeping people from being on camera is the stories they tell themselves about themselves! They usually go something like? I: hate the way I look on camera? don’t know what to say? always forget what I’m going to say? mess up and then people will think I’m stupid ? I’ll share some of the things I’ve learned about self lim…

Photos and video are how people connect with you. And when there is a connection, it builds trust.Photos and video are how people connect with you. And when there is a connection, it builds trust.Finding a good photographer you are comfortable working with who "gets you" and your brand isn't always easy.Investing in a good set of headshots or perso…

You need a good headshot whether it’s for your LinkedIn profile, Facebook or Twitter, marketing materials, a website banner or personality shots for your website. And your headshot needs to support your brand visually and verbally. When people look at your photo, they are looking for an emotional connection. Your headshot invites them to learn more…

Finding the threads in your story can be challenging, yet it is one of the most freeing things you can do. And, it’s critical you get clear about this as you begin building your personal brand. Everything you do will pivot off of your story. Learn about: Why your story is important to your brand How to find your story using a simple 3 step story st…

Wouldn’t it be amazing to know how to use your nervous energy to fuel you, not hinder you when you are on camera? Imagine how would it feel to be able to get in the right emotional place, where you can’t wait to share your message - every time you are on camera? Get clear about your on camera jitters and how to calm them. Learn about: why we get ne…

Depending on the purpose and message for your video and photos, location makes a big difference. Learn what you need know when you choose a location for your video or photo shoot including what: the location you choose says about your brand time of day is best to shoot a video or photos to do ahead of time before you select a location Here are link…

Looking good on camera consistently, whether it’s for photos or video is all about paying attention to the details. There are definite things you can do to enhance your appearance and things you want to avoid. You'll learn industry best practices for men and women from my 30 years working in television. Get practical information you can use right a…

Learn about how people judge you by what you are wearing, the importance of taking the time to plan your wardrobe and what to NEVER, ever wear on camera when you are shooting a marketing video and why. These are tried and true guidelines that will help you when you are deciding what to wear in front of the camera. And once you know the rules, it’s …

Learn about the elements that that create your on camera Presence and how you can ensure that you are in alignment with your brand. Learn about the visual, verbal and value aspects of presence Exercises you can do to define your brand presence How to ensure your authentic self shines through when you are in front of the camera. If you aren’t sure w…

Take the mystery out of being in front of the camera and ensure you look, feel and sound your best, no matter what. In this episode we’ll take a look at how to create a plan so you are prepared to look your best. This works for Facebook Live videos too! Learn what you need to plan for: environment (location, audio, lighting) messages visuals Downlo…

Learn the questions you need to ask before you say yes to your next on camera appearance whether it’s for video or photos. Why are you doing this? Where will it be used? Who are you speaking to? Will this align with my goals and strategies? Knowing the answers to these three questions will help you to create a plan to fulfill your purpose. Download…

Look, feel and sound your best in front of the camera. Whether it’s for business, social media, headshots or television, learn what you need to know to support your brand and deliver your message effectively with credibility and authenticity to your target audience. Special thanks to Scott Holmes - "Follow Your Dreams" music track…