Lifelong entrepreneur, Emmy-winning filmmaker, and investor

How many years have you been a judge?

1-3 years

What was your first job in the industry? What did it teach you?

Welllll…I had a unique approach to this that was sort of non-traditional. I decided to start a production company (JACKTV, https://jack.tv), with no experience in production, no camera skills, no skills production or post, and no portfolio. I just thought it would be fun. We started filming little biopics for fun, coming up with wild creative pitches for brands, like one time I pitched dropping a car out of the sky from a helicopter! I didn’t get approved. But somehow through that process, I managed to create a successful production company from trial and erroring all of that. It taught me how much you can achieve with so little if you just have a bit of vision, and if you just start somewhere and keep going, you will figure it out!

I’m a lifelong entrepreneur at heart and by practice, so I try my best to convert things I’m passionate about like music, creativity, and video into businesses. Sometimes it works out really well, and a lot of times it doesn’t, sometimes I move very slow, but I never stop!

What project are you most proud to have worked on?

I’m honored to have co-created Enormous: The Gorge Story (https://enormousmovie.com), a feature music/pop-culture documentary about a venue that touched the lives of many including Jason Mraz, Dave Matthews, Pearl Jam, and others. We were lucky enough to have won many film festival awards, an Emmy Award, and 2 Telly Awards. It was written about positively in Rolling Stone, New York Times, The Seattle Times, and many more!

Stream/watch on Amazon, etc:
https://www.enormousmovie.com/watch-at-home/

What’s the most challenging part about your job and/or the industry?

Honestly, it’s maintaining the patience to keep going, keep creating, and keep starting new things. When it gets hard, it can be easy to walk away from creative pursuits, so I try to make progress, even if its the smallest little step forward. Remembering I’m playing the long game keeps me going.

What do you look for to determine excellence in video?

Originality and honesty speak to me currently. I do love beautiful cinematography, scenery, beautiful lighting, and the works… but seeing things that are real and build a relatable relationship with the heart are excellent to me. The story and the connection to the viewer are paramount… I don’t need you to show off your skills, though I appreciate skill, I want to see things that have a natural connection. How can I get that feeling where I have to see what happens, or where the story goes? There’s enough nicely shot things to look at by now, but those who pursue a compelling story with heart are winners in my book.

How do you unwind from work mode?

This one comes easy for me. My home is in Hawaii where I am connected to the most beautiful nature on earth every day. I have a tropical orchard, foil surf lots and lots of waves, and spend most of my time in the warm sun! A break from work is never more than a few steps away for me. Achieving this has been one of the most rewarding parts of my entire life!

What are your current roles and responsibilities and what do you love most about your job?

Currently focused on empowering team members to realize their ability to succeed within our businesses, cracking the growth formula, playing with new marketing strategies, building a new video/marketing social format for the music industry, and working out solutions to creative problems. I love seeing viewers and customer’s interactions with what we create and roll out, it’s a lot of fun to put things out into the world!

What initiatives or projects are you working on now that excite you?

I’m working on a video podcast / show that features live performances with a variety of music artists. It’s unique because it features new music releases that promote the artist, allow listeners to find new music they really like, and at the same time allow the viewer to see the artist in a candid conversation exploring their inner world. Right now, it’s called Tout (https://www.instagram.com/ontout/). *It might have a name change at some point soon!

This excites me quite a bit because I’m on camera for it. That’s been a new experience and I’ve been having a lot of fun with it!