Aepiphanni Off the Cuff

Have you ever wondered how a video is produced from beginning to end? What are the steps in place to successfully produce a video? How do you run a successful production company? Today in our studio, we spoke with Angelina McEwen. She is the Creative Producer and Owner of Express Your Visions, LLC, a video production and photography company headquartered in Atlanta, GA. McEwen, a Ukrainian native, discusses her humble beginnings as a freelance videographer just starting out in her career, and her journey to running a highly successful production company. To view her portfolio, click here.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The value of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) in video production
• The BANK Value System and how it applies to producing quality video scripts
• How our thoughts and habits influence the way we perceive and respond to videos
• How NLP influences us to be better communicators and listeners
• What elements comprise a successful video or advertisement
• The art and science behind video and how it helps companies sell more.

What do you do when you only need insurance for a three-day car rental or when using a car sharing app? Former Babson College student, Matthew Vega-Sanz, is the CEO of and co-founder (along with his brother) of Lula, an insurance infrastructure technology boasting a fully integrated suite of insurance tools. Lula specializes in providing insurance infrastructure to car rental companies, trucking and logistics companies, car sharing platforms, rentals for military personnel, and "everything in between." He does this by honing in on a subspecialty of insurance that is so often overlooked—car insurance that covers shorter periods of time—a concept Vega-Sanz calls episodic insurance.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How to forge a market fit for your product where there is none
• How to be a "student of the start-up game"
• The importance of being a venture-backable business
• How to overcome the mental battle when seeking funding for your start-up
• The hard truth about raising capital without traction
• Why we need to normalize struggle over success

How much thought do you put into growing and developing your sales team? Because your sales team is crucial to the growth and success of your company, you should invest in the best when it comes to sales management. But often, that's an area which is overlooked by many business owners who think they can "do it all" and don't need to outsource when it comes to sales.

Todd Callen is an outsource sales advisor/leader who has been in sales management for over 25 years. Currently, he uses his expertise to help small to mid-sized companies in the Atlanta area scale their growth by managing their sales teams. Business owners call on Todd when they hit a wall in their sales department. You can take his Sales Agility Assessment to see where you stand in your sales department.

In this episode of Season 2 of Aepiphanni: Off the Cuff, Todd Callen and our hosts, Rick and Hazel, chat about:

• When business owners hit a wall and need to call in an outsource sales advisor
• CRMs—what they are and what they can do for your sales department
• The importance of delegating sales management
• What sufficient compensation for your sales team members looks like
• How good compensation drives your sales team to perform at their maximum potential
• How to effectively run a sales team in a remote setting
• How to be an effective salesperson in a remote setting

A vision is the guiding force for any company.

But what happens when you encounter roadblocks to your vision?

Isaiah Nunez is the Creative Director and Founder of DomceptVisuals. He is also a videographer and a director, who has just begun to break into short films. He also hosts his own podcast called Kinda Not Scripted, which is a platform for other creators who are trying to break into their niche. Nunez says consistency, balance, and perspective are the three concepts that serve as the foundation on which his company is built. He takes a vision and builds on the emotional connection through the lens directly to the viewer.

In episode 8 of season 2 of OTC, Isaiah Nunez and our hosts discuss:

• How to work your way around roadblocks to your company's vision
• The importance of establishing an emotional connection with your audience
• The importance of community, or relying on others, when first establishing your brand or business
• How podcasts give new business owners exposure when trying to establish themselves in their niche, but haven't been "lucky" enough to be discovered
• How to bounce back after you've encountered obstacles in your business
• Having the courage to know when you need to take a step back as a business owner
• How to establish boundaries with negative people, without burning bridges
• The importance of hiring and delegating work to others so you don't burn out

Joe Yazbeck is an internationally acclaimed speaker and leadership coach for top industry executives, public servants and entrepreneurs. He is the bestselling author of the book titled No Fear Speaking, and the book has been published in 8 languages. He has also given over 4000 presentations in his 35 years of speaking.

Learn more about personal branding and being a better communicator in Off The Cuff Season 2 Episode 6

By the end of this episode, you will:

• Understand the difference between authentic and synthetic branding.
• Learn how to build your personal brand the right way.
• Learn how to master speaking even as an introvert.
• Know the 5 C's of a commanding speaker.
• Learn how to get people to buy into your brand and win their trust.
• See why personal branding matters to your business.

Ingrid Ahumada and Luis Almanza work in the data analytics space where they help businesses analyze and make sense of data. This helps them make better-informed decisions that lead to radical business growth. They have been doing this for three years.

Discover more about Data analytics and how it helps businesses in Off The Cuff Season 2 Episode 5.

In this episode:

• You will understand more about data analysis
• You will discover the benefits of data analysis in your business
• You will learn how you can start using data analysis for your company or small business
• Luis and Ingrid discuss why they built their own company and the problems they solve
• They explain what Artificial Intelligence is and why it is not the first step in digitizing your business
• You will discover why using data analytics tools trumps traditional methods

You may recognize the importance of mental health in your personal life. But as a business owner, did you know that you need to be watching out for the mental well-being of your employees as well as yourself?

In this episode of Aepiphanni Off the Cuff, Mental Health Counselor, Kyri Harris, shares her knowledge and expertise in the mental health field, not just as a counselor, but as a business owner. Ms. Harris has 19 years of experience as an educator, and 7 years as a mental health provider. By day, she is a school counselor; by evening, she runs her own practice, providing mental health services to patients via telehealth. You can reach out to Kyri Harris at www.designed2excel.com.

In this episode, Ms. Kyri Harris discusses:

• The importance of work/life balance
• Prioritizing family and personal life as an entrepreneur
• Delegating the workload when running your own business
• Recognizing the signs of mental health issues in your employees
• The red flags for identifying an impending mental health crisis
• How to recognize the physical manifestations of stress
• The importance of taking time off work to avoid burnout
• The importance of encouraging your employees to take vacation days for their mental health

Terrell Varnes is the co-owner and music director of WBP Radio in Atlanta, GA. His radio station plays the best of inspirational hip hop and R&B music. In this episode Terrell discusses his love of music, brand marketing and maintenance, and his passion for impacting and influencing other artists in the industry.

Learn more about his passion for music and career in Off the Cuff season 2, episode 3!

In this episode:

• Terrell discusses how being in the hospital because of Covid was a time of spiritual awakening for him. Most people would see it as a bad thing, but he said God used it in his life to grow him in new ways.
• He emphasizes that by understanding your purpose, you can create opportunities for yourself.
• A conversation around how he promoted his brand and maintained that brand presence.
• What it's like being a DJ.
• The importance of not putting all your eggs in one basket as an entrepreneur. How to hustle and have three or four jobs going at once to always have a steady stream of income.
• Your clients' success is a reflection of your success.
• Maintaining humility in the industry.

Nicole Greer is the owner of Vibrant Coaching and Consulting and has more than 20 years of coaching experience. In this episode, Nicole discusses the importance of vibrancy in leadership, the influence of daily habits in leadership, and the impact of accountability between leaders and employees.

Learn more about her exciting path to entrepreneurship and her coaching methodology in Off the Cuff season 2, episode 2!

In this episode:

• Learn what "vibrancy" means in a leadership role.
• Learn why accountability is the job of leadership.
• Vibrant people have the energy to figure things out. They don't wait around for others to tell them how to get started.
• Nicole discusses how leaders need to do self-assessments on a routine basis, to keep their egos in check.
• Leaders need to determine their personal vision and mission statement.
• The tilt model assessment and why it's important for every leader to take it.
• Learn about Nicole's coaching methodology S.H.I.N.E. and how leaders can apply it in their business
• Being conscious about your daily habits and the effect they have on your leadership role.

Ryan Bailey runs an organizational effectiveness company at a Christian counseling practice. He has been coaching/counseling clients/CEOs for over 29 years. In this podcast episode, he shares his journey into and through entrepreneurship, discussing topics like business burnout, passion and purpose, and the importance of balancing work and family life.

Learn more about his journey and experiences as an entrepreneur in Off the Cuff season 2, episode 1! In this episode:

• How both passion and purpose are valuable attributes when it comes to running a business.
• Realizing passion is a result of understanding your purpose.
• Your faith manifests itself in the way you treat your employees and your clients.
• Balance of work and family life is crucial to preventing "burnout" as an entrepreneur.
• There are different business cycles; times where business is booming and slow seasons.
• Wisdom is using the down times in your business to focus on areas that don't usually get a lot of attention.
• Knowing how to apply the same core principles in every facet of your life, not just your business.

Giveaway alert! Click here to download Ryan Bailey's eBook Reignite Your Faith.

eBook Overview: Do you feel distant from Christ? Have you lost the fire for Him you once had? Reignite Your Faith is an eBook designed to help you reconnect to God in ways that are tailored to you, leading to greater consistency and greater enjoyment in Him as your first love. This eBook will also show you how to keep from returning to a lukewarm walk so you aren't left chasing the next spiritual "high". Christ is worth our worship! Are you ready to reignite your faith?