Next is a Skype interview from my course on video editing. So I guess we can start both by drinking the water and we will continue from there. So I'm gonna drink water is good. We are already hydrated. We are starting the interview just after drinking. Cheers.

Cheers. So this is our official high because you already had an unofficial high as anybody that does an interview should meaning probably a 30 minutes in which we both tried the record, setting the technical aspects up, testing the lightning the voice and the webcams and having problems and glitches with the webcams and answering them. And finally the official Hi, hi. Hi. That's true. You really do get to know somebody when you watch how they handle technical glitches.

And in my case, I don't know if that's a good thing, because that's my sort of weak point. But it's so nice to connect and to do this interview together in this conversation. I am a big fan of your work. I think you have a wonderful warm personality that comes across in your video. And as you know, I'm a big believer in the power of video. Yeah, yeah.

And it was only when we got to know each other. And we asked some questions that I found out a little bit more about how you do video, why you do video, the differences between our approaches, but ultimately resulting in the same thing, which is this greater connection with your students, which is fantastic. So I'm really excited today to sort of talk about some of the aspects of what we do from different approaches and really try to to bring a new perspective and certainly to my students. That's just a real gift. So thank you for doing the conversation. It's it's great to talk to you.

Thank you and I would like to say response. To that, because you had the very worming welcome. Your personality is something that I use. I tend to be inspired by because I'm a very logical person planned person. So when you said warm, I would say, Yes, I am worried and looking at you and the way you are creative and expansive in your courses, I have a lot of things to learn and to educate myself. And it's a great experience.

Oh, thank you. Thank you. I mean, I have to say one thing that I love about this learning community is this sense of supporting one another. And my courses really do focus on confidence and communication, whether that's in person or on stage or pitching in front of clients or really on video, which I think is a powerful, powerful tool. At the end of the day. It's that spirit underneath.

That is really I think, what's engaging students and what's inspiring them To say, Okay, well, here are my obstacles, but instead of me going, I feel so bad about this, you have to just be encouraged to say, you know, this is something I don't know enough about, but I'm going to have this spirit of learning in a positive way. And it just makes everything better. And it actually you can learn better and be more effective. So that definitely comes across in your videos. Absolutely. And, you know, which is great.

Thank you and to dive in into tips and tricks. You know, when you're doing a Skype interview you have usually you have the laptops camera here, and yes, you need to look at it, even though the video of the person you're talking to is right beneath it. And yeah, that person is so interactive and so funny and expresses it he says herself so better that you just can't stay and look at the camera and ignore the person. You're like looking down and then every But this is like, why is he looking down? Why is he looking down? To see that person?

So about for you? Yeah, to start looking at the camera even though the funnies. Yeah, that's so funny. It's I mean, that is one of the things that I teach people to do is really practicing in everyday situations. And because we have these amazing devices, you know, like our phones and things that have cameras built in, suddenly, you can also be the same one. We're like, little buddies.

But, but but to me, you can really practice in such everyday situations, just that one piece, right? Because it's weird to look at a lens. It's weird. Nobody is going to just pick it up and be like, Oh, this is the easiest thing in the whole world. I'm picturing exactly who I want to talk to. Right and that lens because as a human being, I naturally want to look here at your face, right?

Because I want to, you know, you're all the way across the planet. And I want to see your face and yet the experience for the viewer we're actually both of us are more invested in the people that are watching this in the future. So that it's not really about us. It's not me enjoying looking at you right now. It's about me connecting with you and having this conversation and people who are watching it are going to feel more engaged, because my energy is going right into that lens. And to me, that muscle that sort of getting comfortable doing that must begin in everyday situations.

So that even if you're having a video conference call for work, and then like, who cares where your eyes are, right? But you have to practice because it the other person won't realize the reason why they feel more connected to the conversation and your ideas is because you're looking into the lens. They don't realize that it feels off putting it's like if you're at a dinner party, and someone's just not looking at you. They're like looking around the room or they're just talking to the table, but they're never making eye contact you feel left out. Human nature. Yes, actually, we should suggest Mac developers to put the webcam right in the middle of the screen so we can look at each other when During the interviews, yeah, it's funny, it's funny, but there's such human things all my teaching is about really just being a really kind lit up human being.

And so I always had the side benefit of my work is that you just get happier. It's just, it's just happiness. Because it's really going back to the that energy of who we really longed to be that sort of quiet simplicity being seen being heard. feeling like you're not being blocked by your fears and inhibitions, you're just more in flow. But, you know, there's reality of challenges that come up, it's how we deal with those challenges. And so one thing that I've really learned from you is, is taking this you know, we all gravitate towards what we're comfortable with.

So for me, given also my background, you know, being on camera for a better part of my adult life, to to then translate that as a teacher and be on camera is great, but what I wasn't as comfortable doing is all the technical stuff. So here you've made courses that make it really easy to think about video in a different way. So whether it's whether it's creating video with a stark background that you can sort of integrate yourself into a keynote presentation, which is super fun, or even using ScreenFlow to take really normal situations like Skype interviews or Skype conversations and turning them into really great content by editing them and high quality lectures is awesome. Or even you and you know, when I when I looked at your courses, I hadn't realized until I spoke to you that you were really reading from a teleprompter, which is something that I really teach people not to do.

But but that's because that's my way but because to do a teleprompter, well, you have to practice you have to actually know what that is. So I'm curious to ask you, especially for my students, what are sort of your secrets to making your teleprompter your your script delivery sound as personable and as engaging? What are some of the things Things that you do. Well, at first, I should tell you how I started using the prompter, because since I'm an introvert and as probably all your students know you're an extrovert, but I'm not. That's right. We'll talk about it later.

Okay. Well, you're expressing yourself as an extrovert. I'm like, my sentences are 20% of yours. And I'm talking way less, as we all can see in the video. So when I started, I had, I had trouble being expansive, expanding my words and being creative in front of the wall, because I wasn't in front of the people. When I am trained.

When I'm doing trainings, offline trainings, it's very easy to be creative. Because you're inspired by the group's energy you can catch a glimpse of what they expect, but when talking to a wall with a camera in front of it, it's like who you're talking to nobody. So what I did at first and it is pretty funny. I had Small Teddy Bear, which I put there on over the camera and I talked to the teddy bear. So I was like Hi. And it helped with my emotions because it was funny to talk to a teddy bear.

That jump started my interaction with the camera. And now when I talk in front of the camera, it's actually easier because as an introvert when you start something when you're uncomfortable in a new situation, that's where the hard part is. But once you get comfortable or once you repeat being uncomfortable many, many times you started getting comfortable and then exceeding exceeding expectations in that situation. So if you're an introvert and maybe not that expensive, I suggest putting a picture of a friend maybe or a teddy bear on the camera. speaking to him, her or it? Yeah, I think it's great.

I think it's great i, I offer First of all, I mean, it's, it's funny, but we have a story that we tell ourselves, right? We have a script that we tell ourselves and I am this I am that I am whatever, and we all do it. You know, I'm a vegetarian. I like this kind of music. This is like my definition of myself. So you can say I'm an introvert.

I'm an introvert. I'm an introvert. And by the way, there's nothing wrong with being an introvert. But I also think that you have to be aware of that that's not necessarily your perception. You know, just because it's you who thinks that doesn't mean that that you're any less expressive or engaging or even comfortable? So it's funny because I would say that you're very extroverted.

I mean, you know, you and I contacted each other or whatever there's, there's a connection. Now in terms of demystifying my extroverted nature. I have a tremendous amount of introverted qualities big time, you know, I have a very small group of friends really small, as opposed to someone who loves going to tons of parties that doesn't drains me big time. So I have you know, there's a wonderful book by Susan Cain called quiet to be read quiet words. Yeah. Yeah.

It's a wonderful, wonderful book. And I think that I think that there's, there's a lot of misconceptions about introverts and extroverts. But I agree with you in this sort of like, look at me society, we have to balance that part what what keeps us healthy, what keeps us balanced, and for me, it's a lot of introversion, a lot of introversion. And then when it comes to teaching, obviously, I'm more invested in my students. I'm more invested in my students and in the learning in the teaching and then learning so when I look at the lens in the beginning, I had a little post it that I would make a little hole and I would put that where the nose like the nose would be, and I put it over the lens and I've got smiley faces such as eyes and nose and it's true The more you practice and the more you really know who your tribe is, you know your fans, your students, you know, who are those people, it becomes more and more personal so much so that you don't ever think about yourself anymore.

You know, you're really sending your message to them to one person who's kind of that ideal student. So it's cool