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How to Look at the Camera

A person taking a self-portrait with a Canon camera in a reflective surface; the background is blurred, featuring a blue-toned setting.

80% of how people perceive you is based on non-verbal cues such as your posture and body language. And just 20% is based on what you actually say.

In this video, I show you exactly where to look when filming — how to look into the camera so people connect with you. And some common mistakes to avoid.

Get this wrong and you look shy, uncomfortable or even worse — sketchy and untrustworthy.

Get this right and you feel natural. After all, your eyes are the window into your soul.

How to Get Great Sound in Your Videos

A digital sound wave pattern with vertical lines in shades of blue and white, set against a dark background. The design resembles an audio waveform or equalizer display.

In this video, I focus in how to get great sound in your videos using an external mic.

The reality is that after your content and how you show up, audio is the most important element in your videos.

If you don’t have good sound, people aren’t going to be able to connect with you and your message. So if your audio is too low or too high, if there’s too much static or background noise, people are going to check out.

The good news is that you don’t have to sink hundreds of dollars into a mic to get great-sounding videos. If you have an iPhone, simply use the headset that came with your phone. Drop the cords down your shirt and clip the mic to your shirt using an alligator clip. Check out this video blog from Jody Jelas for more details on rigging your iPhone up for great sound.

Or if you do prefer to invest in a mic that you’ll use for years to come, I recommend anything by Sennheiser. I use the Sennheiser EW100 G3 lavalier mic. If you look closely, you’ll see it clipped to my collar on every video I shoot… This set-up ran me a hefty $750, but my videos ALWAYS sound great and that’s worth a lot to me. 🙂

Quick Tips for Looking Great on Video

A person in a teal jacket and wide-brimmed hat stands in front of a blurred, abstract background. They are looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression.

For me, this Challenge is about getting into the habit of video — being able to show up anytime, anywhere and be present and real.

That’s why I’m doing this Challenge without planning, scripts, lights or fancy production.

That said, there are some simple things you can do to look great on video.

In this video, I share some quick tips I learned from my 8-year career as a documentary film direct. Such as: how to hold the camera and frame yourself and exactly what to do with your hands so you look more natural and relaxed.

How to Stay on Purpose When Life Takes You Down

A woman in a white dress walks along a paved road holding colorful balloons. The background features green fields and trees under a partly cloudy sky.

In this video, I share my personal strategies for staying positive, motivated and on purpose when life throws me some curve balls. I also reveal how I manage my time to focus on the top outcomes I want to achieve in my business.

Tony Robbins says that true mastery is not about eliminating challenges (that’s impossible), but anticipating them so they don’t throw you off track.

What to Say in Your Videos

A person in a gray sweater writing on papers at a wooden table, beside a laptop and a white mug.

I decided to commit the month of May to getting really good on video by giving myself a personal challenge to do a video a day for 30 days.

I sent out a simple email invitation inviting my following to join me, and over 200 people said yes! The Challenge officially begins today (May 1, 2013)… Join us!

As promised, here’s my first video. No lights. No script. No second takes. 5 minutes and I was done.

The focus of this video is how to approach the 30 Day Video Challenge and what to say when you hit record.

Join the 30 Day Video Challenge (May 2013)

Abstract image with swirling green and black patterns converging towards the center. The design gives a sense of motion and depth, with bright and dark contrasts creating a dynamic visual effect.

I gave myself a 30-day challenge to get super ninja at video in the Month of May, because I know that video marketing is the next level of growth for me and my business.

Instead of going this alone, I thought I’d invite you to join me in this challenge and here’s why:

Video marketing is the #1 tool to:
• build your credibility and relatability
• allow people to look you in the eyes and feel your energy
• increase your know, like and trust factor
• and transform visitors into buyers.

Simply adding a video to a sales page can increase conversions up to 80%. People are 4 to 5 times more likely to buy from you if they can actually see you and hear you.

So if you really want to skyrocket your business and build deep lasting relationships with your tribe, then you need to be on video.

I know that there are tons of excuses not to do video – I don’t have the technical know-how, I don’t have the time, I don’t have the confidence, I want it to be perfect, yadda yadda yadda.

That’s why I want to make this super easy for you to say yes to yourself, yes to your business and yes to your message.

There’s no signing up, there’s no paying money, it’s all completely free.

All you have to do is commit to filming yourself once a day starting May 1st – whether it’s for 30 seconds, 1 minute or 5 minutes. You don’t have to plan what you’re going to say or rehearse. You don’t need a fancy camera – you can simply use your smart phone or iPad. You don’t have to be perfect. And you don’t need to do anything with these videos.

What Juan’s Flying Burrito Can Teach You About Injecting More Fun & Adventure into Your Branding (and More Cash into Your Business)

A close-up of a breakfast burrito cut in half on a white plate. The burrito is filled with scrambled eggs, melted cheese, sausage, and vegetables, accompanied by a dollop of sour cream. The plate is on a dark, textured surface.

It’s well-known that humans buy not from their brains but from their hearts….

Yet, so many of us continue to market our businesses in a way that appeals to logic, rather than emotions…

The sad irony is that we start our businesses from emotion – an intuition, belief, conviction or desire that drives us into action – but somewhere along the way we lose touch of what makes us extraordinary and we start doing business just like everybody else….

Whether we start marketing by example or we think we have to be a certain way because all the other businesses in our market are that way, or we simply get so deep into running our businesses that we forget why we went into business in the first place. And we stop running our business in a way that no one else does.

The good news is that’s easier than you think to reconnect with the core emotions and convictions behind what you do. You just have to understand which of the 6 emotional needs is the primary driver for your ideal client…. Or what’s going to inspire them to choose your business because your products and services connect with them emotionally…

Over the next month, I’m going to reveal each of these 6 emotional needs and how they’re expressed through 6 extraordinary businesses in my home town of New Orleans, so you can see some real world examples of how to create emotional marketing with integrity and soul.

Today our focus is on the basic human need for fun & adventure. And that need is expressed through the branding and marketing of Juan’s Flying Burrito (watch the video for an inside look into this establishment)…

How to Get Unstuck In Your Business By Getting Clarity on Your Message

Close-up of water droplets splashing onto a surface with text visible beneath. The motion creates ripples, distorting the words slightly. The image captures the dynamic interaction between the droplets and the text.

Welcome to Tea Time with Marisa & Deb, a new video conversation series devoted to answering your questions and giving you a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how we run a successful business helping thousands of people and making great money without selling our souls (or our lifestyles).

For those of you who don’t know Deb, she’s my online business manager and the most recent addition to the live your message team. She’s the new mom of the business (because every good business needs a good mom) and in charge of taking care of everyone (especially me)!

Since this is Episode #1 (and you only ever do Episode #1 once), we’ve decided to give you the complete backstory on our journeys towards clarity in our businesses, and all the mistakes and fumbles we made along the way…

(Video) Tribe-Building Secrets from an Ex-Documentary Filmmaker: How to Turn Your Message Into a Movement

Silhouettes of six people jumping joyfully on a beach at sunset, with vibrant colors in the sky and gentle waves in the background. A large rock formation is visible to the right.

You may not know this about me, but I was a documentary filmmaker for 7 years.

That makes me a bit of an expert at crafting messages that really move people and inspire them to action.

Whether it’s to support an amazing cause.

Or take action.

Or donate money.

Lots of it in some cases.

But it was only a few years ago that I discovered something amazing.

What I learned in the “entertainment biz” about building HUGE audiences works for YOUR business too.

Folks I’ve been really interested in this, so I’ve put together this quick training video which will show you:

Scheduling Success: Google Calendar Strategies to Tame Your Next Product Launch

A cat wearing a red knitted hat with pointy ears. The hat contrasts with the cats smooth fur, and the background is softly blurred. The cat looks directly at the camera with an inquisitive expression.

Have you ever heard the expression, “The devil is in the details?”

Well there is no area of marketing that requires more attention to detail than a product launch.

I should literally be making t-shirts with the slogan, “I survived my first product launch.” Those of you who’ve gone through one know what I mean…. 🙂

But what I’ve learned recently is that it doesn’t have to be that way. You don’t have to kill yourself over your next launch. You simply have to get the details down – all of them.

In this special video by my friend and mentor, Mynders Glover, you’ll learn exactly how to harness the power of Google Calendar to keep your product launches on track without derailing your life.