Hello! My name is Jake, and I’m the owner of Blue Tie Productions in La Crosse, Wisconsin. If you’re reading this, you’ve stumbled upon the very first vlog/blog entry I’m creating for my business. I’ve seen other videographers do something similar, and after some thought, I realized this could be a great way to share my experiences—and maybe help others along the way. So, let’s talk about why I’m launching a vlog and what I hope to accomplish.
Goal #1: Promoting My Business
This year brought big changes for me personally: I’m going to be a dad. Anyone who’s had kids knows what a wake-up call that can be. I’ve been running Blue Tie Productions for a while, but the news really pushed me to take the “business” side of things more seriously.
- Why Vlogs Help: Social media and video content can be powerful tools for showcasing my work and connecting with potential clients. If you’re reading or watching this, you can get a sense of my style and personality, and see if it’s a good fit for your project.
- Showing My Process: By being transparent about how I work, I can help people decide whether they’d like to collaborate with me—or, equally important, if we wouldn’t be a good match.
Goal #2: Tracking My Journey and Learning
Another major reason I’m doing this vlog is to document my own progress as a videographer and business owner.
- Journaling and Reflection: You often hear advice about journaling, whether you’re learning a new skill or just trying to track your personal development. For me, this vlog is that journal. By talking about (and later watching) these posts, I can see what’s working, what’s not, and where I need to improve.
- Continual Growth: I’ve been doing videography for over six years, and there’s still a ton I don’t know. I’m not here to teach you “the right way” so much as share what I’m learning—and invite anyone reading or watching to give me tips in the comments. Sometimes just having an open forum helps us grow faster than we would on our own.
Goal #3: Insights Into Small-Town Videography
Finally, I want to give you a look at what it’s like to run a video production business in a smaller city. La Crosse has around 50,000 people, with maybe 100,000 in the surrounding area. We’re located between Minneapolis and Chicago, so we’re definitely not a major market.
- Local Collaboration: In smaller communities, there can be a sense of limited opportunities, and it’s easy to slip into a competitive mindset. However, I’ve found that connecting with other videographers and photographers can be a huge plus. For instance, I recently worked as a second shooter for Ben at Morrison Media, and it was a fantastic experience.
- Unique Challenges: Things like rental gear logistics, finding specialty equipment, and scaling a business can look different here compared to a big city. I’ll try to be honest about those challenges and how I navigate them—especially as someone who values staying near family and building a life in this region.
Looking Ahead
Going forward, I plan to upload weekly vlogs (and corresponding blog posts) that share whatever I’m working on—client shoots, gear thoughts, lessons learned, and more. I also see this as a personal challenge to get more comfortable on camera and more active with social media.
- Community Feedback: If you have any suggestions, or if you see me doing something that could be done better, please let me know in the comments. I’ll do my best to respond, though being online 24/7 doesn’t come naturally to me.
- Contact Info: I’ll include my business email and website links below, so if you’re interested in hiring me (or just want to connect), all the details will be right there.
Conclusion
That about wraps up my very first vlog/blog entry. I’m excited to see where this journey takes me—and, hopefully, it provides a little insight for anyone else running a creative business in a smaller community. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for next week’s installment!
—Jake Owner, Blue Tie Productions