Patricia loves combining her documentary filmmaking skills with her experience in PR, marketing, and fundraising to help organizations make more money. She had the privilege of working for Loma Linda University Health for more than a decade where she honed her skills in Advancement (public affairs and philanthropy) while specializing in creating story-driven films to achieve goals. In January 2015, she founded Kelikani Consulting.
Patricia is also the producer of the national TV documentary series, “Life on the Line.” An Emmy® Award winner, she has traveled on assignment to more than a dozen different countries including Afghanistan, China, and Ethiopia. Her work has taken her from Presidents of the United States to inside maximum-security prisons. Graduating from Pacific Union College with a double major in broadcast journalism and political science, she also attended USC School of Cinematic Arts for documentary filmmaking where she earned Best Documentary by her peers. Other awards include Best of Show by the Public Relations Society of America, a Gold Award by the Council of Advancement and Support of Education, and multiple film festival awards.
Katie (00:02):
Hi everyone. Thank you for tuning into the hustle Nomics podcast. I’m your host, Katie. And today I’m so excited to be talking with Emmy award winner Patricia Kelikani. She’s a filmmaker and video marketer who shows business owners and entrepreneurs, how to create lucrative videos for high impact and more money in their businesses. So, Patricia, thank you so much for coming on the show today.
Patricia (00:22):
It’s so good to be here.
Katie (00:23):
Thank you so much. And I would love to kind of learn more about you and your background and where you’re from and just how you kinda got to where you are today.
Patricia (00:31):
Yeah, so basically when I was younger, I wanted to be like Lois Lane. So don’t ask me why I was inspired by a comic book character, but really is, it was because she just got to like live this adventurous life and tell these really cool stories. And she had Superman. I mean, the guy looks good in glasses and tights. Like how does he do that, Katie? So basically after college, I you know, in college I graduated with broadcast journalism and political science and afterwards I was so excited to live my dream of becoming a TV news reporter. So I applied for jobs and sent out my resume tapes and basically heard the same thing over and over again, your voice is too high. Your hair is too long and you look too young. So long story short, I ended up taking a corporate job where I ended up creating a department that focused on increasing the business’s revenue with video and that’s kind of how it all started.
Katie (01:42):
Fantastic. And so you started out like with video experience, I’m guessing. So where did you get that experience?
Patricia (01:49):
Okay. So back in my college days, they didn’t teach like the only people who were taught video were like film majors and I wasn’t a film major. So I actually learned on the job through just basically on my own. And then I also took a series course at USC in documentary filmmaking. That was amazing. But yeah, a lot of it was like the actual production and editing and stuff I learned on my own of course, is storytelling. You know, I had that background academically, but yeah, that’s pretty much how it all kind of went along. And it really started when my boss walked into my office and said, Hey, I want to send you an assignment to Albania. And by the way, I want you to take a video camera, which was back then, like this $2,000 cam quarter, right? Like, like $2,000, like cameras were so expensive for not even a really good quality back then, but he really had this interest in video, even though I actually never made a video.
Patricia (02:55):
And yeah, I went in kind of got like a five minute course from the audio, like this audio visual guy who is like 50 years old and had a ton of experience and came back, ended up learning how to edit and created my first documentary from that. And when I showed my bicep, he immediately called in their president of the corporation. And the next thing I knew I was being sent on assignment all over the world and ended up starting this whole new department in all of that. So that’s kind of how it all started. And what’s a cool thing though, is that, so I am like a girl of God and I really believe that like, even though like, I really wanted to be like Louis Lane, right. As a kid, I feel like that desire was put in me though, like to do ultimately what I did and that was to be a documentary filmmaker.
Patricia (03:53):
So yeah, like looking back, it was just, it was pretty amazing. Yeah. It sounds like an amazing experience. And so what took you from that corporate position to actually starting your own business? Yeah, when I got married and then got pregnant two years later, that’s when I, like, I always wanted to be like a part time working mom or at least have, you know, flexible hours so that I can spend more time with my kids throughout the week. And so I ended up creating my own company consulting company and thankfully my like employer was super supportive and they became one of my biggest clients right outside of the gate. So that’s how that started. And then as I would meet with clients in some of these were small business owners who wanted to add video to their marketing just, you know, many of them didn’t have the budget to hire out video.
Patricia (04:59):
And I realized, you know, if the, just like, if these small business owners, entrepreneurs, if they just had the foundational skills, like they could easily make their own videos and still get amazing results. And so about a year and a half ago, I launched my YouTube channel and that has video tutorials on there. And then a few months ago launched a couple online courses to help entrepreneurs with this. So yeah, that’s kind of how all started while you’ve been busy, been very busy. So what was that transition like going from an employee being sent out on assignments to becoming the boss and, you know, having to go out and find clients and all that kind of stuff? Well, I think the hardest, well, okay. What made it easier as far as finding clients is that I would Moonlight as a freelancer while I had my full time job, so I still had like clientele.
Patricia (05:56):
I just got to on those, like I just had more time to work on those client projects, but I think the hardest part though is like, you know, at the corporate job, like I have this whole team, right. It’s not just me. And then once I left, then it was like, Oh, like, this is kind of a lonely, that was the hardest part I would say. And then of course for bigger projects, you know, I’ll bring them on to help me with production and stuff like that. But, but yeah, I would say I am now adjusting Mar to not having, you know, several people around me throughout the day, just to me in my little office.
Katie (06:39):
Right. Yeah, absolutely. I definitely felt that transition was difficult as well. I mean, it’s kind of nice at first you’re like, wow, it’s so quiet. I can do whatever I want. And then it gets quiet. It’s so true. I’m so fascinated by kind of what you do for business owners. I did a little bit of video wedding videography and stuff like that, but yeah, you mentioned on your website that you help business owners really utilize video to make more money. And I think people are so focused on static photos and their website that they’re not utilizing video where they could, and it could be so impactful. So can you talk about a little bit, your approach to helping people use video to really increase sales and grow their business?
Patricia (07:20):
Yeah. So first off, like in the online world that we live in video is the closest thing we have to in-person connections, right? Like, I mean, where do you live, Katie? You’re like, where are you?
Katie (07:34):
Yeah. I’m in Utah about 45 minutes outside of salt Lake city.
Patricia (07:37):
Yeah. And I’m in Southern California, but like with video, we kind of feel like we’re in the same room together. Right. Like when you see, let’s say, you know, when you go to someone’s website and you know, most websites, I would say have, you know, like you said, a picture of themselves and then some text that says like, hi, I’m Patricia Kelly, Connie, and I, you know, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And that’s great. But the problem is that like a lot of people don’t read our content in the tone that we intend for it to be read in. Right. Like people have baggage, which is completely normal and okay. But like when we’re feeling stressed out or when we’re exhausted or if we’re just dealing with like a bad migraine, whatever it is, and we open up our laptop and we go to like, someone’s website, won’t read it that way.
Patricia (08:36):
Right. It would be like, Hey, I’m sure Chicago, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh. And it’s like, Oh my goodness. That’s not how we want to have ourselves presented. Right. We want to literally like connect with our ideal client or ideal customer in a way that engages them and emotionally lifts them up. And the way to do that is through video where they could actively see us smiling, where they could hear our cheerful voices telling them how we can make their life better through our business. And so it really just, it boosts that know love and trust factor so quickly.
Katie (09:18):
Yeah. That makes a lot of sense. Absolutely. And if somebody is completely new to using video, where do you encourage your clients to actually use it? Is it on their website or social media? Where do you suggest they start?
Patricia (09:32):
Well for starting out, I would suggest like incest stories. I think those are, they’re just, it’s kind of a perfect way to get your foot in a whole video door because it doesn’t have to be perfect. Like it they’re short and sweet. It’s not even live yet. And so I say start with instant stories and and show, you know, with Instastories, like those are perfect for behind the scenes or just something you’re doing, you know, personally, like the other day I did an insert story of, you know, hiking with my family over the weekend. So I would say start there just to kind of, you know, get your comfort level up then then yeah. Then you can move on to making a video for home page going live on Facebook, but creating some how to videos on YouTube, that type of a thing. So baby steps are a great question because yeah, baby steps are key when you’re not quite, you know, ready to just jump into the whole video thing.
Katie (10:34):
Yeah. I love that. I’m a big proponent of making everything into like bite sized chunks. So they don’t seem so overwhelming when you’re having to wear all the hats as a business owner. And it can feel like, Oh my gosh, I can’t do everything. But for someone who’s maybe having those feelings in there, like one, the technical side of this is just freaking me out to getting in front of the cameras, freaking me out. You hear all of these things. So what are some suggestions you can give to people to start breaking down those excuses and barriers where they can actually start utilizing video?
Patricia (11:04):
Yeah. So, okay. The first thing I think is making the decision that yes, like I’m going to go for it. And the key is like transforming that camera from looking like a scary monster or a bad ex-boyfriend to your best friend. Right. So, you know, some tips here, I call it my cruise technique and it’s an acronym and the C is for cheerleader. You want to pretend that that camera is your best friend. Who’s like your best cheerleader or best friend. Does that make sense? So that one friend who’s just always encouraging. You always lifting you up. Pretend that that camera, that phone, right. If you’re using your phone, is that person and then R is for rehearse, just, you know, practice filming yourself in different locations and different lighting and see what works. I do have like specific tips and all of that too, but yeah, just, just prep and just from ready will make you more confident too.
Patricia (12:10):
And then the U is for UN masks. So I like to say Katie, like you did, you have like this group of friends, right. Where you go out and whenever you like have dinner together or whatever, you’re like just laughing and having a great time. Right. So just pretend you’re making the video for your group of friends, because that’s when we’re like truly ourselves. And that’s when we’re just like happy and like, you know, just having a great time. So have that mindset because you really want to show your authentic self through this and that’s gonna, that’s going to be what wins, obviously people over and then the eyes for ignite. So the camera has this, unfortunately this power that zaps our energy. Like, we feel like we’re completely energetic when we’re on camera, but then when we watch it, we’re like, Oh my goodness.
Patricia (13:04):
I look like I’m like tired. So we kind of, we kind of have to like exaggerate our energy even more, just so we look young and energetic and we’re engaging and all of that great stuff. And then S is for stylize. So I am a true believer that like, Hey, if you want to curl your hair, because it makes you feel like more alive and just like better. That’s what I do, Katie. I love just curling my hair. It just makes me like, literally gives me more energy. I don’t know why, but it does makeup. Right? Like do the things that giving them more confidence. Right? Absolutely. Yeah. It really is surprising how that can lift you up, like dressing a certain way can really change your energy. I completely agree. It seems simple, but it works. Yeah. And then the last thing is E for embrace.
Patricia (14:01):
So I don’t know anyone who loves the sound of their voice on video. I don’t know anyone who just loves watching themselves on video, like move pen, likes the sound of their voice at first and knowing things that they look amazing the first time they see themselves on video. But the key here is that, well, you were blessed with a voice that you have people to hear what you’re saying. You’re giving so much impactful content to help your ideal client. So embrace who you are. And you know, a lot of times too, going back to how we don’t like to see ourselves on video. Yeah. I thought that mommy’s, it is because we’re so used to seeing ourselves in a mirror, but that mayor like flips as in a way where we see ourselves like reversed horizontally. And so when we see ourselves on video that doesn’t show him your image, but our true image, we’re like what in the world? And the pact is the fact is, is that we’re the only person who thinks I look weird. Everyone else is like, I know you look the same in, you know, gorgeous as usual. So just some things there to kind of remind you and turn that camera into you at your best friend. That’ll, that’ll make a huge difference.
Katie (15:26):
Yeah. I love that. So practical, but also so powerful. I love that. And so if someone’s really ready to take this next step and start utilizing video for their business, but they don’t necessarily have a nice camera or don’t have the money to invest in something. Are there ways to really use maybe even just a phone or kind of a lower grade camera to make a video that looks super professional?
Patricia (15:47):
Yes, there is. In fact, I have a free training all about this. It’s called a film yourself, like a pro on a phone, but yeah, and that’s what I tell people, like start with your phone and you don’t even have to buy a nice camera if you want to later on go for it. But your phones nowadays are amazing. So like the first thing, as far as filming yourself, one of the first things you want to decide is the location. And I’m a big fan of filming yourself in like your workspace whatever, like tells your story visually of what you do. So like, you know, in some of my videos most of my videos, I actually filmed just in my home office. And sometimes I’ll like put a camera in the background as a prop, you know, to kind of tell that visual story of filmmaking or video.
Patricia (16:41):
And sometimes I’ll put my Emmy award in the background, that type of a thing. And then also another thing to think about is stabilization. So getting a tripod, you can get a tripod for like 20 bucks on Amazon and then like a phone adapter for seven bucks. And you want to just place your phone on that tripod in that way, you can really set it up in any place because of that. I mean, sure. You can like put a pile of books or use a laptop computer to set your phone up, but the tripod just makes it a lot more adaptable and let’s see here lighting. So I see start off just sitting in front of a window in indirect sunlight. That’s going to be the, obviously the cheapest way because the sun thankfully is free. And test it out to you.
Patricia (17:35):
Like what time of day works best because obviously the sun changes or you can buy like a light kit for two lights and stands for $70. And then of course there are ring lights too, right? That are super convenient as well. So you can really do this on a budget. And then for audio external microphones, like using an external microphone is key to great audio and sounding great. So again, you can get one for 20 bucks on Amazon. My, my go to external mic that I literally keep in my purse and I’ll pull this out for like Insta stories or whatever. If I’m going live recording a video on the go it’s the boy B Y M one. And you can find that on Amazon for $20. So yeah, there were just some it’s like simple things you can do on a budget as well. Like back in the day when I started in video, like things were so expensive, like thousands of dollars, but it’s crazy what you can get now for so inexpensive.
Katie (18:39):
Absolutely. I mean, it really is shocking. And even for example, my, my dad just started doing video on like Facebook lives and stuff. And he got a removable wallpaper of like a brick wall that he put behind him in a corner and it looks phenomenal and that was maybe 15 bucks that’s so yeah, just little stuff like that. It’s just shocking how affordable and accessible it is these days. You just casually mentioned that you won an Emmy, which is amazing. And I would worry about that, what that project was and what that experience was like.
Patricia (19:11):
Yeah. So one of the things that I also do is I am the show runner for a TV show called life on the line, and it’s a documentary series narrated by Lisa Ling. And it really gives an inspiring look into the resilience of humankind. So we tell stories of people like being on the odds, choosing not to give up and and yeah, it areas nationally on PBS and it’s on Amazon prime video as well. So we’re, in fact, we’re just finishing up season five right now. So incredible.
Katie (19:46):
That’s so exciting. What a, what a cool thing to have in your bio. And I can imagine what an amazing experience that was. And do you have a, I know this is a hard question and if you have to think about it, no, take your time. Do you have a favorite project that you’ve worked on over the years?
Patricia (20:02):
Yeah, I have a lot, like, I mean, when, I guess when that comes to my mind is an episode, a documentary that I worked on and it was on. So a lot of these stories are pretty hard. Like they’re not, they’re not like comedies. So this story featured a woman who unfortunately was shot twice in one of the worst terrorist shootings that we had in our country and telling her story though, was just so inspiring and impactful because even though, you know, she almost died, she went through multiple surgeries and years of rehab. She just is such an example of how she still chooses not to give up, but to go on with a positive attitude. And that, to me, it was just so inspiring.
Katie (21:08):
Oh yeah, absolutely. That sounds so super inspiring. And do you have anything coming up in the future? Any projects that you’re working on are just anything at all that you’re super excited about?
Patricia (21:18):
I, well, probably. Okay. So a couple of things. One is you know, the online courses, like I love, I just love like helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses with video and what I like and so excited too, is that every month I meet with my students on a group coaching call. And so I’m able to like work with them through zoom on video and just like get to know them. And I, I just love that. So that’s included with my premium course, the map to lucrative videos.
Katie (21:54):
Fantastic. Well, I’ll link to all of those in the show notes. And do you have any recommendations, whether it be books or podcasts or courses or anything that’s been helpful for you and your journey as a business owner or just personal development that you would recommend to the listeners?
Patricia (22:08):
Yeah. So I would say if you’re starting out, I love the business boutique and I actually joined the business boutique Academy, which is a membership site and that really helped jumpstart my business. Like it really gave me the foundation and just the tools that I needed to really get my business up and going then I would see the next step. Like if you’re, you know, not, not just like starting out, but you’re ready for that next step. I would say the boss mom has amazing tools as well. So I’m a mom, obviously. That’s what I was seeing boss mom, but, but she, Dennis Malstaff Malstaff at leads that up and she is just has tremendous resources and tools as well to really just Uplevel your business. So those are amazing. And then as far as when my favorite books, I love this StoryBrand by Donald Miller. I think he’s a genius.
Katie (23:10):
Oh, fantastic. Yeah. I’ll link all those in the show notes as well. And I know people are gonna want to follow you and check out everything you’re doing. So you, can you tell listeners how they can find you online?
Patricia (23:19):
Yeah. So for my free training video on how to film yourself like a pro on a phone where I walk you through it, all, you can go to lucrative videos.com/training. And then of course you can find me on YouTube and Instagram, all of that stuff. If you go to my website as well, and that’s lucrative videos.com.
Katie (23:41):
Perfect. Well, Patricia, thank you so much for coming on the show today. It’s been such a pleasure to talk to you.
Patricia (23:46):
I know it’s been so great.
