The Power of Creative Storytelling, with Serious Take Productions

Hey hey! Welcome to episode 212 of Life on Fire. Do you know the story of your brand and the story behind why you do what you do? Knowing your story and sharing your story are two of the most powerful things an entrepreneur can do for their business.

On this episode, I’m joined by Tamara and Danielle of Serious Take Productions. This dynamic duo finds the magic in their clients’ stories and helps powerfully share them through video branding trailers. They are also the people who created and produced Inspired by 11, a documentary about 11 inspiring entrepreneurs.

Today they’ll explain how Inspired by 11 came about, what a branding trailer is, and some simple questions you can ask yourself to get clear on your message. We’ll also talk about an upcoming event they are showcasing, and much more on episode 212 of Life on Fire!

In this episode you’ll hear:

• Where did the idea for Inspired by 11 come from? (3:50)
• What is a branding trailer and why is it so effective? (6:35)
• Simple questions to ask that will clarify your messaging. (10:00)
• What is their motto at Simple Take Productions? (14:55)
• And so much more!

More About This Show

Like so many great entrepreneurial success stories, Serious Take Productions began from a desire to create inspiration for others. Tamara Thompson, the founder of Serious Take Productions, went back to school for filmmaking at The Art Institute after finding a passion for the craft from silly YouTube videos she made!

With her education and experience, she wanted to create video that would inspire others. She put together a web series with contestants from American Idol, The X-Factor and The Voice.

And she did it for free because she wanted to build connections and help people. But when she struggled to pay her bills, Danielle stepped in and suggested she find a way to pursue her interests while making money.

So Tamara took a job as a video production manager for a corporate company, then when feeling as though her creativity wasn’t being expressed, she went to another company. At that company some of her co-workers suggested she watch Shark Tank. She liked it and soon found The Profit with Marcus Lemonis, which she also really liked.

The pieces of the puzzle began to come together when Danielle suggested they start working with entrepreneurs. Then the idea for the Inspired by 11 movie came and everything started to click. They interviewed 11 entrepreneurs about their stories, their pain points, their trials and tribulations. You can see the film for free on their web site.

At the same time, Serious Take Productions began building their client list and helping entrepreneurs share their stories through the medium of branding trailers.

As they explain on this episode, a branding trailer tells an entrepeneur’s story and grabs their message. By collaborating with the entrepreneur, they storyboard the concept out before creating it on video.

The result is that when the story is told in the right way, people buy in automatically, without any pushy sales tactics. A branding trailer is not about convincing people to work with you or buy from you, it's about clarifying your brand and authentically sharing your story.

Also on this episode, Tamara and Danielle give a few questions you can ask yourself to start that clarification process as well as why they created their event, The Ultimate Stage Experience. They both share something you wouldn’t know about them, including Tamara’s 27 hours in a coma following a hit and run accident.