Do you suck at video? Get confident with this free video challenge

Do you think you suck at video and would like to get more confident making videos?

Have you never made videos before but everybody is telling you that video is the way to move forward with your marketing?

Maybe you think you are not photogenic or your accent is not perfect and people will not understand you or video is just not for you. But you have this desire within you to communicate, to connect with people, to tell them what you know about a certain subject, about your blog or about your products and services.

If you want to start making videos for your business but it seems too daunting, keep on reading to find out what I did about it and what you can do too.

Start making videos now! (affiliate link)

What is stopping us from making videos in our business?

If you have ever thought of making a video for your business or your life and have shrunk at the thought of getting in front of the camera, ask yourself why. What is stopping you from making videos for your life and business?

I think once you scrape the surface and take away your excuses, there is some type of limiting beliefs at the core that is stopping you. Fear is always paralysing and promotes inaction. When I started blogging, I kept on finding the concept of taking imperfect action, the idea of taking consistent action towards your goals. A lot of people are paralysed by this aim of perfection, needing to have everything perfect and figured out before taking any action.

It comes to mind the words of the Spanish poet Antonio Machado “Se hace camino al andar”, which I would translate as the way is made by walking. In other words, it is in the act of walking that the way appears, as you walk the way appears.

 

Perfectionism seems to be quite widespread, particularly among women. It is ironic that we try to give our best self image to the world and this very thing makes us unrelatable to others, makes us so perfect that other people cannot see themselves in us.

I think it also makes you a target to unwanted criticism. Have you ever felt the need to criticise somebody, particularly women, that look just too perfect?

I think perfection also fosters competition with other women and encourages other women to maintain this image of perfection, in an attempt to keep up with each other.

When we melt down the barriers of perfectionism and allow other people to see us the way we really are, we are making space for other women to do the same. This means to be ok with who you are at this point in time. In essence, it’s ok to be me, just as I am right now with all my perceived flaws and imperfections. The remedy for perfectionism is to start loving yourself just as you are. Of course, showing yourself for who you are can be really scary and a true act of courage when you have been a lifetime hiding your true self, even from yourself.

When my coach suggested to me to start making short videos I was dreading it. I knew I probably would like to do some public speaking and talk to other women as a way to reach them in a more effective way. It seemed daunting. Public speaking and videos are not things I was looking forward to. I am not alone. Speaking is the number one fear in the population, number two is the fear of death. Speaking in front of the camera brings all kinds of issues to the fore.

 

Follow the thing you are most afraid of doing. You will probably find what you are meant to do. Share on X

 

The Light it Up Video Challenge: a free video challenge

When someone in a group I was in commented how much fun she had on the Light it Up Video Challenge I decided I was going to do it. It wasn’t something I was looking forward to, at the time. This all changed as the challenge progressed. I found myself looking forward every day to the video tip and prompt of the day and starting making my video for that day.

 

Niamh Arthur is a heart centered woman entrepreneur who has taken control of her life and created a job she loves for herself. She is also the creator of the Light it up Video Challenge. She is the type of a new breed of entrepreneurs that lead by the heart and think that you can make a great living doing what you love while also providing great value. I loved listening to her and her tips about videos and life.

What Niamh Arthur found out when she was learning to make videos was that those videos that were not perfect were the ones that people commented on and liked the most. She repeats her catchy motto in all or most of her videos and by the end of the challenge you will too have adopted it into your way of thinking:

 

Remember, it’s all about connection, not perfection -Niamh Arthur Share on X

 

How to connect with your audience in your business videos

Most business want to connect with their audience but how is this connection really achieved?

Most people when trying to make a video, particularly for their business or at the beginning of their video journey, will do multiple takes until it is perfect. We don’t want to be seen making little silly mistakes and we want to look professional. This very act of multiple takes until the perfect take is achieved will stop many people from pursuing using videos for their business, thinking they are just simply not cut out for video and they are not good at it. We want to be good from the word go. This is simply unrealistic as my daughter reminds me when I was learning to use the flicker: “Mammy, you just need practice.” In order words, don’t give up, you just need more practice. We give up so easily because we think we are not good at something, when maybe we just need more practice.

Niamh emphasises using your first take rather than doing multiple takes until it is perfect. By doing this not only you increase the connection with your audience but you make your videos pretty fast, it only takes a couple of minutes and you take yourself off the pressure of making it a perfect video; instead, you just do it. It turns out it’s so much more fun this way.

 

perfection kills the connection 

If you are looking to learn more about how to make videos for whatever purpose, if you want to get good at making videos, whether it’s for your business or for a personal reason, this challenge is great, so much fun and you get to connect with a great group of women. You will find for yourself the power of video as you connect and get to know your group participants and you will experience first hand how you have this feeling that you are getting to know them as you watch their videos.

Who knew making videos could be fun?

I knew that to get good at something you need to practice. Having done a total of one video before I joined the challenge I knew I needed a looooot of practice. Practice makes perfect, right?

When I decided to do the challenge, my expectations or goals for it were quite minimal. Start making videos and make 30 videos. That’s it. My objective was just make a one minute video, nothing long, something easy I could commit to. My main objective was to get started and get some practice.

What I didn’t expect was to learn something about myself, meet other women from different parts of the world or have any insights on my business.

What makes a great teacher?

A great teacher is someone who shows you something about yourself beyond the curriculum they are teaching.

Not all prompts created a level of excitement in me. They are questions to get you talking about yourself and your business, what you want to accomplish, etc.

I could see myself getting animated by certain questions and subjects while others left me flat. Video can be a great way to record your thoughts on the moment. “The best videos happen in the wild” Niamh always says, meaning that the best videos are those in which you are able to capture that moment when inspiration strikes and you really want to communicate something to your audience.

30 days of video will certainly help you improve your video skills, getting comfortable and confident on camera and you will be amazed how a few low-tech tips easily learnt as the days go by will make such a great difference to your videos. By the end of it, you will look at videos in YouTube and you will be able to spot little mistakes others are making. I don’t know what the biggest takeaway will be for you but I can guarantee that if you do 30 videos by the end of it you are going to be more confident about getting in front of the camera and will want to make some more.

What you need to record videos for the challenge and your business

The only thing you need for the video challenge is access to some type of camera, whether is the phone camera or the laptop, no expensive equipment needed here. So if the need to buy expensive equipment is stopping from making videos you can scrape off that excuse right now. The only thing needed to make great videos is you and your willingness to push forward when you don’t feel like doing it, those days that you don’t have time or you are not in the mood. As Niamh suggests, you can always record a few videos in one go and you can still learn a lot from doing that.

 

 

I started doing the challenge thinking how I was going to incorporate this challenge into my schedule. I ended up just doing the challenge and stopping everything else. I don’t think I wrote a blogpost during the challenge. If your excuse is you don’t have time you will be surprised at how much time you can pull out of thin air when you want to. After all, you only need one minute to record a video and it doesn’t have to look super polished: it’s just practice.

Some tips for the challenge and for life.

• Resist the temptation to compare yourself with anybody else in the challenge or in life. Just measure your progress.

 Comparison is the thief of joy

• Have a goal. Mine was to get through 30 days of making video, preferably one a day. The thinking behind this was “If I let it accumulate, it could end up being overwhelming and not finishing it.” To get confident at making videos.

You get confidence by doing

I have only made one video after the video challenge. But hey!, now I have 30 videos to look back on and to show that I can do it again. It is not that daunting thing that it was before the video challenge. Of course, if I want to get better, I still need to practice. I’m not going to get good just by magic.

I went from dreading making videos to loving it and you will too.

If you want to push yourself out of your familiar zone, try this video challenge.

If you want to take it beyond the video challenge she has an amazing membership community where you can continue learning how to make great videos for your business.

Remember, it is all about connection, not perfection!

As you can see, I love her motto and I remind myself of it often. I think it is a great affirmation to remember now and again not only for your business and connecting with your audience but for your life and your relationships. We are here to connect.

Start making some videos now! Check it out here and if you do the challenge don’t forget to come back and tell me all about it.