Creating Authentic Video For Your Pet Business With Chris Bryant / Ep. 119

With new pet sitting and dog walking companies popping up every day (not to mention Rover & Wag), setting ourselves apart is becoming increasingly difficult in a world full of noise. One of the top ways that you can set yourself apart is by using authentic VIDEO in your business. Today, I sit down with Chris Bryant, an expert video producer, to talk about the ways video can help you stand out in the crowd as well as what types of video are better than others.

Chris Bryant was born in Danbury, Connecticut and has had a fascination with telling stories through moving pictures since Jurassic Park stomped into theaters in 1993. He launched his video production company back in 2005. In 2013 the company was rebranded as Empire Studios, where he is currently Creative Director and Principal. He also run Studio 12 Academy, an educational resource focused on video production and running a business around it. Chris is sought out for his knowledge in video marketing, and has been featured in Business News Daily, Inc., Momentology and the Everyday Power Blog, among other publications.

Biggest Takeaway You Don’t Want To Miss

The most common misconception with video is that is has to be professionally done and movie-star quality. This is NOT true. In our industry, I like to say that we are truly selling three things: trust, security, and peace of mind. It may sound a little backwards, but having every single video you make be professionally done can cause people to tune out and not trust you. It can look disingenuous! Chris’s rule of thumb is that for every 10 videos you do, really only 1 of those should be professionally done while the other 9 are more off-the-cuff. Video is a way to show your audience YOU being YOU! They want to see you be real, raw, and authentic.

Show Highlights

Who is Chris Bryant? [2:00]
Why do business owners NEED video and what type? [4:00]
How does video build a personal connection along with trust and credibility? [5:00]
Should video be perfect or imperfect? [7:00]
How important is the audio aspect of video? [10:00]
How does working with a videographer work? [12:00]
What are the biggest mistakes people make when creating videos? [17:00]
What are some great online resources for video? [20:45]

Special Offer

Go to studio12academy.com/bella and you can receive 50% Chris’s upcoming video course, 8 Steps To Creating Amazing Video On A Tiny Budget, launching in November! Also, the first 50 students to sign up are automatically entered to win a $500 camera slider.

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Transcript:

This is episode 119 of Bella in Your Business. Do you feel like your business is going around on a merry-go-round? Well, I’ve got news for you. This episode is sponsored by my incredible webinar series called Jump and Scale. It gets you off that merry-go-round and up to the next level in your business. It’s called Jump and Scale and it’s free for you right now. Just go ahead and sign up at jumpconsulting.net/scale. You will learn how to grow your business, increase your staff, and not be held hostage to business. So go ahead, sign up for free. That’s jumpconsulting.net/scale. I’ll see you inside.

Welcome to Bella in Your Business, where Bella will discuss anything and everything about your pet sitting business to help you land on target. So get ready—Bella’s got your chute. Let’s jump.

Welcome to Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta, and today I’ve got a guest that I actually met on Twitter as we were sitting next to each other at a conference. How funny is that, you guys? Meet Chris Bryant. He is an incredible creative director at Empire Studios. He has a video production company called Empire Studios and is also the founder and lead instructor for Studio 12 Academy. When he’s not running those, he’s a filmmaker and currently in production on a military documentary. Chris has been a wealth of information for me, and I wanted him to be on the podcast today to be a wealth of information for you.

Thank you for having me. You are coming to us from Rome today, I hear, which I really appreciate you taking some time away from your vacation to be here for all of us.

Chris: My pleasure. It’s more of like a work-cation—going somewhere different, doing post-production, invoices, and following up with clients. But when I finish my work at the end of the day, I stroll around and walk about four blocks from the Coliseum. Airbnb, you gotta love it.

Airbnb is amazing. I’m actually staying in one this weekend. We’re having what we call the Seven Queenies Retreat, and there are about six other social media powerhouse women coming. We’re just doing it up this weekend. So yeah, Airbnb is awesome.

So give our listeners a little background. How did you become who you are today?

Chris: It started with opening night, 1993, when Jurassic Park opened. I was just blown away by the power of the moving image and storytelling. I wanted to do that myself. Every book report I did was on Steven Spielberg or animatronics. I went to college for it—Western Connecticut State University. It started as a side gig, unpaid and part-time, but it kept growing until it was doubling every year. Eventually, I quit my nine-to-five, gave two weeks’ notice, and I’ve been doing this full time for three or four years now.

I started my first company in 2005, and it just kept growing. Doing this means I can make my own schedule, pick my clients, and work on projects I care about. That flexibility lets me do things like coming to you live from Rome. My wife and I have been traveling Europe for a month now.

That’s inspiring on its own as a small business owner—designing the life you want to live. Our listeners are either doing that or want to get there, and a big part of getting there comes down to marketing and selling ourselves. We live in such a visual world these days. At the Impact Live Conference, a big common theme was that we’re all media companies that happen to be, in this case, dog walkers or pet sitters.

So tell me, why do business owners and entrepreneurs need video in their life, and what kind?

Chris: Great question. Nowadays, more and more people are consuming video constantly. Everyone has a phone, and it’s so easy to shoot. The cost of entry is basically nothing. Distribution is free with YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook Live, and IGTV. There’s no reason not to do it. As a pet sitter or walker, why do you need video?

I’m a pet owner—I love my dogs. I have a Bichon, this 15-pound lap dog named Fluffy, and a terrier mix named Stevie. We rescued them both. Grandma’s watching them now while we’re traveling. If my wife and I are gone or busy and need to hire someone, I want to have a connection with that person. You’re going to be with my pets and in my house. Video builds trust and credibility instantly.

It’s one thing to read a testimonial on a website, but if there’s a video where you can see someone’s face, energy, and personality, you can tell right away if you jive with them. The visual, audio, and energy combined create connection. When people see a smiling face talking passionately about caring for dogs, they think, “I like this person already. I trust them.”

Because video is so accessible now, some people worry they have to be perfect. They think they need makeup, lighting, or a perfect script. What do you say to that?

Chris: Done and good is better than perfect and never finished. If you’re too perfect, you’re not relatable. If you’re too polished, people wonder if you’re real. Being yourself makes the video easier to shoot and builds connection. Memorizing lines sounds fake unless you’re an actor. Have a few bullet points and speak naturally.

You could record a quick 30-second video for a prospective client introducing yourself—just to put a face to a name. It doesn’t matter what you say exactly; it’s about showing your energy and authenticity. Record it on your phone and send it as an unlisted YouTube link.

That’s great advice. I challenge listeners to do just that—answer client questions via a short selfie video. Make it one minute long and send the link with a note saying, “Your questions were important to me, so I wanted to answer personally.”

Now, let’s talk about audio. Why is it so important?

Chris: It’s critical. Your phone mic can be passable, but adding even a simple $50–$60 mic—like a Rode shotgun mic—makes a huge difference. Audio quality determines how long people will watch. If your audio is bad, even 4K video won’t save it.

If you’re using a phone, a wired or wireless mic is ideal. You can find great ones under $100. People fall in love with you through your voice—the tone, warmth, and energy.

Chris demonstrates by removing his earbuds: “See? The sound drops off completely, and it’s terrible.”

Exactly—audio matters that much.

Now, what about cost levels for creating video content?

Chris: It varies. You can shoot and edit your own videos, or you can hire someone. Hiring a freelancer to edit your footage might cost $100–$200 for something basic. If you bring in a professional shooter, costs increase depending on gear, travel, and crew. But you only need high-end professional videos occasionally—maybe one for every 10–15 DIY videos.

That one polished video can act as your 24/7 salesperson, representing your business online. It’s an investment, not an expense. People take you more seriously when your video looks professional.

Exactly. In our industry, we’re selling trust and peace of mind. Professional videos showing who you are, what services you offer, and how you operate can be powerful. Add some B-roll—shots of dogs, walks, and happy moments—to make it more engaging.

What are some common mistakes people make?

Chris: The biggest one—people don’t look into the lens. They look at their own face or off to the side. It breaks connection. Practice looking directly into the lens. Shoot a few videos just for yourself to get used to it.

Don’t worry about being perfect. Worry about being yourself. Trying to imitate someone else’s style feels fake and drains your energy.

Audio and lighting are key. Also, film for the platform you’ll use. IGTV videos should be vertical; YouTube videos should be horizontal. Tripods help too—you can get one for under $25.

That’s gold. Any final online resources for learning about video?

Chris: YouTube, hands down. I have my own channel—just search “Chris Bryant Adobe Premiere Tutorials.” You’ll find basics and advanced lessons. My website, Studio12Academy.com, has a full training academy for video creation and marketing.

The course launching in November is Eight Steps to Creating Amazing Video on a Tiny Budget. It covers shooting with phones, DSLRs, and more. For your listeners, if they go to studio12academy.com/bella, they’ll get 50% off and a chance to win a $500 carbon-fiber camera slider.

Libraries also offer free Lynda.com subscriptions with library cards—great for learning video, photography, business, and entrepreneurship.

That’s awesome. Chris, thank you so much for joining us all the way from Rome. If you want to check out Chris, visit Studio12Academy.com or find him on YouTube—Chris Bryant, like Kobe.

I’d love to hear your feedback. Tag us online and tell us your biggest takeaway. And remember, when life gets you down, always keep jumping.

Thanks for jumping with Bella in Your Business. For more information, free articles, and coaching sessions, go to jumpconsulting.net. And remember—Bella’s got your chute.