Get results with video storytelling
“Nathan is terrific — his meticulous attention to detail, humor, creative eye, and big picture thinking bring so much to the table. He not only goes above and beyond for projects he works on, but he is also reliable and a good communicator — something rare to the field.”
I’ve seen effective storytelling play a key role in my clients’ success. For example, when a startup consultancy in the legal industry hired me to tell their story to the top 200 global law firms, I developed a video that the CEO took to every sales call. In the first six months, they brought in over $1,000,000!
And when a Montessori school hired me to help them attract parents, the resulting video was viewed over 60,000 times. Parents of prospective students now reference it when visiting the school; the Montessori community embraced it for showcasing their approach to education with beauty and wonder; and teacher in the video was even interviewed by her university’s alumni magazine due in large part to its popularity.
My work
Steph
I thought "Montessori" was just Italian for day-care. But in Steph's classroom I discovered a child-sized world designed for exploration. The self-confidence of the children, and the dignity with which teachers like Steph treat them, was moving.
Montessori isn't well-understood, and its advocates can come across as fanatics. So Metro East Montessori School needed to address misconceptions in a reasonable and winsome way. I'm proud of how Steph addresses these concerns.
This video got a response worth noting and inspired Steph's alma mater to interview her for this profile.
“Thoroughly professional, creatively gifted, and technically skilled, Nathan took my fuzzy vision for this project, helped me hone my thoughts and goals, and produced an outstanding final product.”
National Association of Legal Professionals
How do you sell a service your market misunderstands but desperately needs? Startup consultancy FRS Insight found themselves asking this question when they approached me about a video to re-educate their tough market—the top 200 global law firms—on the value proposition of due diligance.
Mere months after presenting this video and their insights into the lateral partner hiring process in a seminar at the National Association of Legal Professionals, FRS Insight exceeded their revenue targets.
“Nathan...remains at the top of my list because of his integrity, professionalism and attention to detail. The finished corporate video that he produced was of the highest quality and was very well received by both our clients and prospects.”
Codecause
This story was a privilege to tell. It's a microcosm of the exciting developments in St. Louis's startup ecosystem, and how good geeks help our community.
Byron
Some people aren't who you think they are.
It's easy to find pro-cop and anti-cop viewpoints today. But life is complicated. And people are complicated. So how is law enforcement—let alone government or society at large—anything but complicated?
Reductionistic viewpoints don't help us think, speak, and act wisely. As we strive to mature our democracy with fellow citizens who are indelibly different from ourselves, we can learn from those with a foot in two worlds.
Created for the Ferguson Commission, this piece aimed to invite viewers to consider the complex, intertwining issues of race and law enforcement.
Speaking in his musical voice from his favorite chair at home, Byron helped me appreciate complexity and think differently. It also got me more than a little riled up about the problems we face. I hope his story does the same for you, because now is no time to polarize.
This piece has gained wide exposure online.
Nate
"Are stories worth traveling for?" I wondered as I clambered out of my rental car an hour south of Canada. I had come to interview Nate in his hometown of Bellingham, Washington. Nate shows surprising confidence for a young minister. But as he explains, his career didn't begin that way. It's this down-to-earth quality that makes his story believable and ultimately compelling—and totally worth traveling for.
“I loved our Shark Tank application video... It was powerful.”
Forest Park Southeast
One of St. Louis's only full-service neighborhoods is becoming a wonderful place to live again thanks in no small part to the volunteer efforts of its Block Captains. This video inspires and educates Block Captains about their valuable role in the neighborhood.
When I hear "30-minute training video," my eyelids droop preemptively. Yet by interviewing real people, we showed how the work of the Block Captains impacts people where they live. The training content, which is dry (albeit useful) in the training manual, comes to life through credible personal experiences shared firsthand.