DIY Video Unveiled: Clues from Mike Mortlock for Building Habits, Scaling Time, and Impactful Connections

Mike Mortlock:

Chris Schwager: [00:00:00] I had a I accidentally drowned in March this year. How do you manage that? In my brother's pool. I was I was doing breath I was doing breath holds. Oh, so Mike Mortlock: you blacked out? Chris Schwager: Yeah. Yeah. And I was being a bit of a dick and just In the game of, um, holding my breath, you know, for 3 minutes, and I'd successfully I think I'd done that. And then I was like, oh, cool, man. I'll go for 4. And what I did mistakenly is I expelled all my air and I don't I didn't even need I mean it was so silly that I even Needed to go on underwater for it. But anyway, I expelled all my air, went down, and immediately I knew something wasn't right. And it was my lungs burning, and I was like, oh, I'll just sit with it for a bit. And I I passed out within, you know, about the first 30 seconds. And, um, and I was out for 4 minutes. My brother was timing me on the side of the pool, so I was out for 4 minutes. And then by the [00:01:00] time he was alerted to, you know, me not being right because all of My kid the my kids were swimming in the pool. His kids were swimming in the pool. It was, like, totally traumatic. And my my daughter found me, like, blood coming out my mouth at the bottom of the pool and all that. And, um, anyway, my brother-in-law pulled me up, resuscitated me, and and According to him, it took another 4 minutes to to get me back. Oh my gosh. 8 minutes all up. And so what what I why I'm telling you this, And, um, I always like to start my own podcast with stories about myself, it seems, recently. Sure. Now it's hot news. Right? It's my show. So, um, the the where where I got to why I told you that story is because There were so many people affected by that, and it spawned on a whole bunch of change as a result. So some people go, oh, look. I've got a, You know, thirst for life now and all this is well, for me, it was like, alright. Well, am I am I happy in [00:02:00] in life? I am I happy with what I'm currently doing? And The business for me, the point of unhappiness was the feeling that I was doing all of it and not, um, And not reaping the rewards, not seeing the value from from all that effort and time that I put in. And so I I gave Brendan a nudge. And, you know, it's funny. It happened so quickly. Like, immediately, it was done. You know? It was like he he was gone. We worked out the legalities, and I took over and gutted the whole business and fired people and, you know, Got my cost down and all that type of stuff. And then, you know, I've most of the time, I have to pinch myself at how quick it happened, how easy it happened, And how, you know, those the worst the worst divorce breakups that you can ever imagine. Those types of things are the stories that You hear when you're going through this, um, yourself, and it was all bullshit. As as all of those stories always are, they seem [00:03:00] to be kind of like the common denominator of Divorces that they're bloody and and and horrible. Well, it just wasn't like that. It was very amicable and professional, and and, uh, He wrapped up, and that's it. But it's all signed and done. And I'm now king shit Mike Mortlock: here at Ridge Films president of . Chris Schwager: Anyway, I've given you that preamble. I don't know I don't know if podcast listeners have heard that full story, but anyway, I thought I'd intro with that. Welcome To the Video Made Simple podcast, this is about video, but it's also about business. It's also about getting to know my clients a bit more, getting to hear their stories as well. And I've got Mike Mortlock here who's from, uh, MCG in Newcastle And we did a we did a bit of video marketing for these guys. They they were great at hybriding their own video, so they produce their Uh, to camera presentation from their own DIY video studio in their office. And then we came up and did some professional [00:04:00] filming. Yeah. Look at it. I mean, like, it's Absolutely amazing. In fact, your video is the your video is the 1 that I go to to show people that sort of hybrid model of model of of, um, of how businesses can record part of their own professional video themselves and then leave it to others to to Do all the location filming. Um, look. Welcome to the show, Mike. Thank Mike Mortlock: you. It's a it's a it's a delight to be Conscious with you, which I've learned not to take for granted since hearing your story. Well, Chris Schwager: look, you know, It is what it is. You know? I I I I have a very pragmatic view on life, and and when I Spoke to therapist and whatnot. Well, my good therapist, he's very, very, uh, in fact, I just saw him this week. It was talking about, You know, the universe pulling me back in. And this this being very much feedback on a lifestyle of, you know, not erratic, but going pretty extreme. Like, I'm a bit of an [00:05:00] extremist when it to health and lifestyle and things like that? And he was just like, hey, man, you know, to the universe and slow down, bro. Listen to your wife. You know, she's telling you to Mind Frankie, who's 5 at the time, who's just barely, you know, swimming. And I'm like, oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. She's fine. I can see what she's doing. Uh, you know, it's that's a dick move as a parent as well, you know, not to to not just stop and go, oh, yeah. No. You're right. I'll just sit on the side of the pool and, You know, and observe. I was just it was all about me. And, um, I had to shift that and listen to people and be more empathetic. I think afterwards, it was more about Listening to people and being more empathetic to people and and, um, understanding that their circumstances are not my circumstances. Like, They're going through something very unique, um, in their own way of seeing me, you know, dead on the side of the pool as did my wife. I mean, she She trudged around the house at times like I was a ghost. [00:06:00] Like I like I was already dead. Like, she was the widow. It was man, it was, um, but, you know, we're in really strong place now, and, um, and it's And it's amazing. And it forces it forces dramatic change, you know, when something like that happens. Um, you know, I'm still doing what I'm doing and exercising, Taking care of myself, but it's like, alright. Cool. Like, how do I, uh, you know, uh, get what I want out of life In a more fruitful, you know, way rather than kind of, um, rather than, uh, I think maybe Making excuses for why things aren't the way they are, but without the change. You do know what I mean? Mhmm. Yes. Have you ever been through Dramatic change like that, Mike Mortlock: Mike. Yeah. I think, um, probably a couple of times. Like, when I was When I was younger, I had some health issues, so I ended up doing, like, year 11 and 12 over 3 years. And, you know, there were certain directions I wanted to go in life that weren't, um, that were sort of taken away [00:07:00] actions I wanted to go in life that weren't, um, that were sort of taken away from me to some extent, like, because believe it or not, when I was in kindergarten, I didn't wanna be a quantity Sevea? No one's ever said that. But I'm quite happy doing it where what I'm doing now. I was hit by a car riding a bike. That was about 4 days before a triathlon in Wollongong that I was convinced I was just gonna, like, limp through, And the wife was sort of sitting there looking at me going like, no, no, son, like it's not gonna work. I was on a walking stick for 6 months. Um, and you know, those sorts of things, like, it's it's that quintessential idea, isn't it? Like, anyone that has, like, a terminal illness, You know, it forces them to have a look at their life and then especially if they have a time limit on what they're able to do. They go, I'm gonna be here for 18 months, so I'm not doing this crap anymore. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do that thing that I dreamed about. Um, it'd [00:08:00] be love it'd be lovely for us all to have that insight without potentially drowning ourselves in a pool or having a terminal illness. But Sometimes it just kind of it takes that. Right? It's it you need to be shocked out of your complacency. Chris Schwager: Yeah. Yeah. And look. It's Yeah, it's, uh, it's an unusual 1. I didn't believe that anything really would be that different. And afterwards I was like, what changes now? Like, You know, do I owe people my life? Like, what what's the cliche kind of response to this situation? Because for me, it was blackout. Right. It was like, oh, I had a nice little sleep. I woke up. You know? Yes. I had broken ribs and bloodshot eyes and coughing up blood and all that sort of stuff. But I was I have a fairly like, oh, yeah, it should be right type of outlook on life, you know? But it was, You know, the blackout of being unconscious was as much of a blackout as the first conversation that I had with Brendan Afterwards where I said, I don't wanna do this [00:09:00] anymore. Something's gotta give in this business. You know? It's either I'm leaving or you're leaving. Do you know what I mean? Like, Yep. Because it's just too there's too many years of it just being the same and That lack of disruption. I think, um, you know, it's it's amazing when you push the button on, like, a whole bunch of Decision making, how quickly that evolution like, it just wow. It's a completely different thing. You know, like, overnight, I changed the the look of the the website, for instance, from, you know, oh, video marketing to everybody to, like, Here you go. Now it's DIY video. This is the channel we're going. Because I had I had, uh, you know, the control. You know, I had the ability to just go, look. This is what I I believe. This is where I think this this business needs to go. You know, it's like a really unique thing. Nomad is doing it. Let's grow this fucking thing and get it going. You know? Um, [00:10:00] but, yeah, anyway, that's that's, uh, that's the the the Back story to the last 6 months. I'm super pumped to have you on the show because I often don't hear the full story, I guess, of of my clients When they, you know, they we do the install and then do some coaching with them, and then it's kinda like, I don't know if it's if it's working, how it's working For for them always, you know, it's it's just the people are busy, you know, and, um, and time poor and sometimes just don't get to grab These types of moments. And so I guess what I really wanna, um, get from you is a bit of a case study out of this. Um, a bit of a, like, what were you doing before? Where where was your business at? And, basically, where is it, you know, now? So problem solution results. So the first question for you is, I guess, what were you doing from a marketing perspective? Um, where were the kind of gaps? What were you what were you needing in business to to take your things to the next stage. Mike Mortlock: I think, [00:11:00] um, there wasn't necessarily any problem. There were just Tweaks that we could do. Right? Like, I I used to be quite a perfectionist in business, but then I realized, like, nothing would ever be good enough to give the Full quality rubber stamp, so nothing would be rolled out. Um, so we sort of dispense with that and, you know, we were doing a lot of video stuff? Video marketing. But it was with, um, our kind of dodgy equipment. Right? Like, I used to be a musician, so I understood a little bit about Audio and microphones, um, but I started a podcast 5 and a half years ago, and we used to just record Through Skype, through some little add on, and it would break sometimes. Sometimes the audio would be out of sync. I even had someone Send me an email saying, like, I really didn't like how you were talking over this person. And I said, oh, look. I you know, if I when I listened back So that I'm horrified, but that wasn't actually what was happening [00:12:00] in reality. And then the person wrote back and they said, you know, I don't actually believe you. I thought, like, What do I do with that information? Like, I just thought, ah, okay, you know, good good luck to you. But we had all sorts of just technical things like That and and, you know, most of the video would either be webcam, which was kind of easy, or we had a digital s SLR that took forever to set up and then you'd have to, you know, rip off the media and then, you know, download massive files and send it. It was a bit of a pain in the backside. But but what the DIY setup gave us Is, um, an ability to walk into a dedicated space where it was ready to go at the flick of a button And and consistency. I think that's the most important thing. You know, shooting something on your iPhone or on your webcam or your, you know, your digital camera. Um, everything that I've done since you set up this system for us is with this background. The only [00:13:00] thing changes is, you know, sometimes I get a bit fatter, Um, or I'm wearing a nicer shirt. But but I think that's great. I like and and if you look at our background, I know this is probably an audio podcast, in which case this is, Um, no. This is video. Not used. It's totally not good. No. This is video, baby. You look at our background, it's it's just a a white wall. Right? But it's It's it's lit in such a way that you don't actually need anything more than that. I know we talked about, you know, dressing it or doing something fancy with it, but, Honestly, it's just kinda fine, and it just makes it makes the content and the delivery the star rather than being distracted by the background. But, Yeah. What it's done is it's just given us, like, an easy, consistent way, um, to be out there, to do what we do, And to do it in a professional format. I think there's just something about having a meeting with someone. So I do do meetings, uh, in this Studio as well. Like, you just see someone show up with [00:14:00] this level of lighting and, you know, audio quality and video sharpness, and it's like, Okay. Well, this is this is a proper person. He means business. Chris Schwager: Yeah. Totally. Right. And, like, with regards to the background too, it it is a common thing. It's like, oh, what do I do With more background, it's like, well, we don't really know what your background's gonna be until that lighting goes in. And that's what we tell most people is just don't bother with it. Just Let the lighting go in. Let us set up, make sure we got the right frame, and then we can look at what the background's doing at that point. There's so many people like yourself that go, you know what? This is this is good. This is good enough. Like, I'm popping out of the frame. It's it's not distracting. It's simple. You know, I don't have to worry about stuff. Um, I remember your first the first time we met on Zoom in your office, and I think it sounded good, but it looked Shit. It looked horrible. It was like it was like a a mural in the background, and I'm sure you probably still got that in your office. But it was just so so busy, so flat, [00:15:00] And it was like, oh, wow. Um, I don't know what what's going on here, but my brain's hemorrhaging from all the This it's the cycle of a lot of people. Mike Mortlock: Yeah. You know, and and, like, I'm not in that room now, but, um, you know, I I was just gonna Switched to my laptop camera here just to give you an insight of to what it would look like otherwise, but, um, that option has now disappeared. But it's just It's just garbage. It doesn't matter how good your laptop is. It doesn't matter how good the camera is. You know, it's it's normally down too low, so you're kind of looking like This or you're looking up. The lighting is is you know, the lighting you're just getting from the front of the camera and the ambient lighting. Whereas In this studio, we actually have all the lights turned off. We have a little bit of bleed from the window, but it's, you know, it's it's The main light I've got above my head. There's 1 that's kind of underneath, you know, at sort of chest level, like, coupled behind me. Yeah. I mean, you've got all the technical terms. And, you know, it's glamorous, [00:16:00] baby. When it comes to glamour, I need all the help that I can get. Um, so I'm sure we must have paid extra for that 1. But But it's just yeah. It's just it's just so easy. And and even though I am a relatively tech guy, Setting setting the bar at 1 button turn on has has kind of ruined my life for all tech From here on in because it's just so good. That's Chris Schwager: fucking hot. Hey, um, did I did I tell you we just closed a deal in New York? You didn't? So we're international, baby. Woah. Yeah. There's no stopping you now. Yeah. So Susan like Susan and I are like, Well, can we just drop a, like, quick trip to LA and maybe you can skip off and go to New York and do the job? And I'm like, well, why don't we just have, you know, New Year's in New York, Times Square. You know? Like, all this this is the sort of shit we talk about now as a result of again, like, [00:17:00] as a result of Just having this safe existence. You know? Uh, sorry. This, um, not from a result, the safe existence. From From having that safe existence and then having this change in our lives. Um, these are the types of conversations that we have, No. It seems like every day now, um, which is exciting. But look, back to you, man. Like, that that's, um, that's so that's such a great there's such a great Couple of grabs there. What what were you looking to use the DIY video studio primarily for? Mike Mortlock: What there I suppose there was a number of different things that we thought we could use it for. Um, we wanted to be able to use Uh, a teleprompter. So we had, like, a teleprompt app on an iPhone, but it's it's It's good, but it's not as good as what you can do with a laptop and a proper teleprompter. So that was that was something. We wanted to have a setup so that, um, both [00:18:00] us directors could come in and use it and also our business development people. Some of them are local here. Others, you know, they might be in WA or Queensland or Victoria or something. When they come in for a training day, we just go, Here's some scripts that we've written. You know, put it in your parlance. You know, put you a little spin on it, and then let's punch out some content that we can schedule for the next 6 months. Right? And and instead of it being them on their iPhone in a car or out the front of somewhere and, you know, sometimes that is nice to have a little bit of a a break, But not every time. Um, so that gives them some great consistency, uh, and and professional, uh, image as well. So, Yeah. It was really just being able to do the meetings, being able to do the teleprompt stuff, and then also things like webinars and podcasts. So I I have a podcast. I'm a co host on another podcast. I'm a guest on a lot of different podcasts. Like, I've probably done 30 different ones. So Every week, [00:19:00] I'll I will either record or or be a guest on sometimes between, um, 2 and 7, you know, like, it's quite a lot. So being able to come in here, turn it on, and look down the barrel instead of that normal, like, The camera's up here and it's like, hey. Hey, Chris. How are you going? Yeah. Good to see you. It's just so impersonal. Like, it's weird. Right? It is weird. It is. I can actually look at your face and I can I can see the outline of the camera behind it And your your your face is pretty much right in the middle right now? And I can Yeah. Play around with it and move it around, but I don't normally have to. It's normally pretty Chris Schwager: good. You gotta ask yourself, are you satisfied with the way that you're presenting yourself And your personal brand to your market. And for 4 years now, people have been really struggling to clarify the way they look and sound On camera when it comes to doing video calls and recording their own personalized videos. And there [00:20:00] is a solution. The DIY video program helps you personalize sales Video and emails, record professional marketing videos, look and sound amazing in every video meeting without the tech hassles, and you also get professional video editing and practical training So that you can present like a pro. You don't have to do anything in that initial setup because the studio is installed for you. You get your coaching and the training so that you can then go on and be a video professional and wipe out poor quality videos Forever. Why don't you go to ridge films dot com dot a u slash d I y and check it out for yourself? Yeah. It's great, isn't it? And, like, if you are A little bit tech savvy, and and I love, uh, some of my clients who who, you know, at least know how to fucking connect a camera to their laptop. I mean, it's It's funny. The PC users are the ones that I've seem to get so frustrated with. It's like, oh, just pull pull open your camera app and, like, oh, what's that? It's like, well, you gotta type in camera into the search, and let's let's work through this together. Uh, I [00:21:00] don't wanna have that issue with Mac Users. Um, they just seem to be, like, with it and, you know, moving through. But, anyway, look, that aside, not not discriminating by any means because I'd say half of our Half of our clientele are PC users. Uh, what about, um, you know, moving through when when you kind of journey through this process, You know, filming and and then finally biting the bullet, investing and all that. What were some of the big key moments, I guess, for you In not just the hardware, but also the coaching around it and what you got from a communications perspective. Mike Mortlock: Yeah. Because we talked about how, uh, might be a case study for you of the hybrid model. Right? Because we did a a full Company branded, uh, video. I don't know what you would call it. Company profile. Company profile video. Right? And I suppose if you're In Sydney or you don't have the setup, then you can do it in your studio. Right? And, you know, we're only an hour and a half or so down the road, [00:22:00] but There wasn't any any real necessity for us to be there because we had it in situate, and you came in remotely, and we stood on the x, And we're like, hi. I'm Mike from MCG. And you're like, more energy. I'm like, hi. I'm like, are you sure, Chris? I seem like a wanker. Like, Wanker is exactly where we need to be, you know. So you you encouraged us in a in a sort of a fun way to to open up a little bit. Now my business partner Marty is is a funny, like, irreverent bloke, but as soon as you press the red button on him, He's like, hi. I'm Marty. Sadly, I don't know what it is. It's like he's kryptonite. So, um, I think us doing it together, he could kinda I see that, like, I had a little bit more pep in my step. And, you know, privately, I'm probably, like, way more monotone than than he is. But being able to do that and get the coaching, and And even though I've done heaps of presentations and lots of video stuff before, I got a lot of help from you on the on the timing, On [00:23:00] the pauses, on the accents, all that sort of stuff. So it wasn't just, here you go, guys. You hit the button, open your camera app, you got a video thing. It was actually some training to help us get the best performance for that corporate video, but that that's a skill set that we've been able to use elsewhere as well. And Chris Schwager: so where else? Because I often say, oh, yeah. You know, you can apply this to the relationship with your wife, and you can, you know, do live presentations better. What whereabouts for you? Have you noticed that it's been Mike Mortlock: useful? Yeah. Definitely, um, don't try it at home. But yeah. Like, every every podcast I do, every especially if I'm reading from a script. Right? As soon as I'm not off the cuff, I think the delivery and the performance innately drops because You're not just speaking from the heart and and talking about, you know, what you wanna talk about. You are hitting on points that you need to do. So I actually feel like that's It's really, really [00:24:00] important is to to is to remember that when you're reading off a script, you've gotta try and talk like I'm talking now, like human beings. Like and that was something that I took away from that is, like, no. Like, you you you gotta be like a human being having a conversation. You gotta be engaging. So I've just tried to think about that For every video that I've done, especially reading off script, and and even in physical presentations as well. A friend of mine who is gonna do some presentation, uh, coaching with me talks about, um, individuals having, like, a Netflix trailer. Right? Because because if you think about you're sitting at home, you're you're looking for your next thing to binge, you know, you might only give a trailer, like, 3 seconds. Like, it's horrifying How thrifty we are with, like, our attention. It's like, it's gotta grab me or I'm out. So I I try and think about that as well. Like, if you are too monotone or there's nothing engaging about you. Like, you're you're setting fire to whatever opportunity [00:25:00] might have been on the other end of that line. Well, Chris Schwager: it's a taught skill, though, isn't it? And I don't think people you know, I think maybe even talking DIY somehow people Think well, does that mean I've got to try and, you know, figure this out, this presentation thing out myself? And it's like, well, no. The best results have always been that it's a support skill and that we can cram everything you need to be able to connect with your audience better in a very short period of time using a methodology that we've been doing for years. Right? Mike Mortlock: We didn't spend much time either. Like like, apart from, like, recording the bits, It's like the actual training. It's you know, it it wasn't ours. Right? Like, we sort of pretty much did the whole thing within an hour or hour or 2. And and we did, like we looked at the videos of this is what you were, like, for and this is what you were, like, after. And, um, I think Marty went, holy shit, like, that guy sucks. You know? And I was sort of like, [00:26:00] oh, wow. I improved quite a bit. Um, I wasn't sort of expecting. I thought I was doing alright, but he yeah. It was pretty stark for him. Chris Schwager: Yeah. It provides that immediate Feedback, doesn't it? It's like, well, hang on a sec. You know? Yeah. I've been pounding you for the last, you know, 60 minutes here, but Let's watch it back because, you know, the playback provides the evidence that you sucked. Yep. Now look at you now. Right? Like, look how amazing you are and how much more focused Mike Mortlock: you are. Exactly. It's it's hard, though. Like, I I would, um, I would sort of let people know that they're not necessarily gonna enjoy it if they're introverts. Right? Like Good. I'm an I'm an introvert, but have have learned a lot of the skill set that I was, you know, at least halfway along the way. But if you'd never done anything, it is gonna be painful. But by the same to give you a parallel about why I think it's A worthwhile investment is that [00:27:00] when we started the business, we didn't even put our faces or our names on the about us or meet the team stuff because We just kinda thought, well, that's just what, like, wanker real estate agents do. Right? Like, they're on every bus stop. You know, like the king of This suburb and with a big cheesy grin, I'm like, we don't wanna be that wanky sort of stuff. But we soon realized that people wanna have Relationships with people rather than businesses or brands. Now it might be a bit different if you're Apple, but I know so many people that'll say, Uh, you know, I I've got a friend that's bought a property. They need a depreciation shed on. They're like, oh, you know, give Mike a call. And they go, Oh, where's he from? Like, where where is he from? It's just Mike. Right? Because it's the guy rather than the Chris Schwager: business. Yeah. There's a lot yeah. So keep having these discussions about about brand company and personal branding to people. It's like, Fuck, man. People obsess about this in some in some cases, and I know from personal experience. Um, and [00:28:00] it's just like, well, are people investing in your Bloody brand or are they investing in you? I mean, fundamentally, you know, it's coming back to you and providing the service, a wonderful service. Um, and and because of that, you get you get rewarded. You get paid for for providing a kick ass service. You know? Is that is that is that yes. It's probably umbrella to underbranding, but, um, but, yeah, I think I think it's a lot about human Interactions. Mike Mortlock: I certainly encourage individuals that, um, maybe think, oh, you know, I don't know about this all being on camera stuff. Like, There there will be things that are likable about you. Right? Unless you live in a basement by yourself with no human contact, You are likable. Like, if you have a friend, you are likable. And I think you've just gotta go, alright. This might be a bit uncomfortable. I might not wanna watch myself. I certainly don't listen to any podcasts I do. I don't watch myself back on video because [00:29:00] I hate it and I think I look stupid and I critique myself. But, um, but at the end of the day, you just kinda gotta go, I wanna build this business. I'm good at what I do. I'm passionate about what I do, and I'm gonna share it. Right? And if people think that I'm a dickhead or whatever, then, you know, you can't please everybody. And I think sometimes it's empowering to think, Alright. Well, who is this person that's critical of me, and what do I have in common with them? And what you often find is you have nothing in common So much that if they thought you were a good person, you're actually probably on the wrong track. Right? Chris Schwager: You know, It's, uh, it's so interesting that people think it's gonna be a walk in the park, and it's actually a stressor. The the 90 minutes, I actually Expect people to be sweating, for them to fuck up, for them to feel be uncomfortable. And I want them to go through that feeling because it's like, well, if you had to learn how to Fucking weld. Right? And not only weld, but welds within 30 seconds and have a perfect weld [00:30:00] after 60 minutes. Well, you're gonna learn how to weld, and they're gonna Teach you how to do it properly, and you're gonna be shitting bricks because you don't wanna blind yourself and do something wrong and make a mistake. Right? You're setting expectations of what you can What you can can and can't do, and you're constantly being pushed to make sure that you, by the end of that session, are able to weld within 30 seconds, and it's a perfect It's a perfect take, so to speak. Right? And so the same thing really happens in in the video coaching and on camera training for People that are trying to deliver and connect with their audience. I mean, their 1 their number 1 goal when people read from a teleprompter for the first time is to not Fuck up the words. Yeah. That is nothing to do with connection, nothing to do with how they're conducting themselves and using their body language and inflection and tone and all that. That's all that's that's not even on the radar. It's just don't make a mistake. You know? Don't look like a dick in front of camera. And [00:31:00] by virtue of the accumulation, that wiring of the brain, all these things that you now have to consider, Stand on the mark, smile, look down the barrel, you know, high tone to start, you know, working your way through using inflection and tone at comms and full stops and working, you know, all of those Things, uh, repetitiously going through the training is an accumulation, and it's up to your brain to determine how Well, you cope being loaded up with all those things to do at once. And most people well, like I say, most people like, 99 percent of people I coach succeed and are really, really happy with their their final take and the what the what they're able to What they're able to not only do in the presentation, but what they're able to do in life. I've had people that have come through With dyslexia and real battled real crisis with [00:32:00] regards to public speaking. And they've, in that little session, Told me all of this. Right? And I'm like, oh, yeah. Don't worry about that. It's okay. Let's you know, let's let's let's you'll be you know, by virtue of the Attractions that I create for people throughout that session is providing their it's not it's not giving their brain an opportunity to think about the doubt and the negative And what they can't achieve. It's only the upside. It's only what they're how they're improving. And then the language that they're giving to themselves By saying, yes. I can actually do this. This is actually this is getting easier and easier and easier, and here's the evidence to show me the before and afters. And, You know, it's actually fuck. Hang on a sec. I'm actually not as dyslexic as I thought I was. Yeah. It's fun. It's unbelievable. Mike Mortlock: I think, um, yeah, it it wasn't I wouldn't say it was fun. In fact, now you've talked about welding. I was like, Gee, I wish I'd picked the welding 1. But, you know, at the end, when [00:33:00] you do compare start to end, That's that's where you kind of that's where all the, like, pain and the stress of, like, oh, I've got another 1. You know? I feel stupid. That's where it all sort of becomes worthwhile. And you're right. Like, I can remember looking at the auto queue and going, alright. Well, like, I said the twice or I I stumbled and and did a bit too much of an s on this word. Like, I got that 1 done. Yay. Like, the end. I'm like, woah. That's That is not the end. Like, that's the lowest bar in video presentation that you can set. Like, yeah, absolutely. You don't wanna be stumbling or stuttering on words, but If that's all you've got, like, people aren't really gonna watch that. Unless you are, like, the number 1 expert in a particular niche that just Has people just tuned into whatever you say? If you're trying to engage people that don't really understand or they're on the fence or you're explaining something that they don't understand, Dan, you have to have some level of [00:34:00] engagement. Right? Yeah. Chris Schwager: That's it, man. Thank you for thank you. I I I like you as a as a guest because you keep Keep pausing and kicking back to me and, uh, more so than most of my guests. So you're obviously proficient in the world of podcasting. But look, what what else, man? Like, uh, with regards to big wins for you, big things that you thought that you think have been, You know, a direct result of just having having this at your fingertips now. Yeah. Can you can you, um, Tell me a story of any of any of those that have been, um, changed for Mike Mortlock: you. Yeah. Look. Well, we've got a a really good VA that, um, Post produces our our video clips. Um, so if it's super high end stuff, we give it to you like the corporate profile. But if it's just like, this is what happened in property this month, I can come in here, do my little piece to camera, Hand that to her [00:35:00] and get this, you know, beautiful little piece that goes out. And I think the big win is the big win is that, Um, I've made a couple of referrals to you as I mentioned, uh, last time we spoke because people have sort of said to me, oh, Mark, your marketing's really good. Like, who do you use for that? In their head, I think they think it's like a firm, like a marketing business. So if I only just went with them, like, that'd fix my problems. I I I I sort of maybe thought that in the past as well, but you've got to bring the content. Right? And if you're putting video up, Like, the firm's not gonna do the video for you. Like, you've gotta have the idea. You gotta do the presentation. Um, but, yeah, people are asking me, like, who's who's doing your stuff? I'm seeing you all the time. It's really good. I've spoken to people that are spending 2 or 3 times what we're spending, and they're looking to us thinking, like, well, we want it to be like you. And I'm like, Well, spend, like, a third of the money, and I can make that dream come true. You know? Yeah. Well, Chris Schwager: actually, it's a good point, like, on ROI, I [00:36:00] guess, because, you know, we've had Clients say to us, well, shit. I've just spent 22000 dollars on 5 videos professionally shot and edited and all that, and I'm not that happy with them. You know? There's a no brainer getting this thing. No brainer at all. And that, you know, you go in install and they've had bloody videos published within the week Because they're just ready they're ready to go. They're ready to have they're they're ready to have that fluidity, that kind of streamline Ability to just get get it done without having to without having the the video Process the video professional video production process, slow them down, bog them down because it is because it can be Slow. You're engaging third party, you've got to coordinate schedules, you've got to get scripts together, identify products and Exactly what's going on and all the creative and all the messaging and all that. Um, so, yeah, it's a lot of back and forth. But how for you, I [00:37:00] guess, how has, uh, it been quantified? I mean, you kinda talked about it a little bit, but Yep. Good good ROI for Mike Mortlock: you. Oh, yeah. Like and and it's It's the gift that keeps on giving. Right? We paid for this studio setup once, um, and it's perennially available. Right? And Just little things like my podcast has only just gone on YouTube in the last 6 to 12 months, something like that, Um, because, you know, it wasn't really a great look, um, with the background, you know, the busy background you're talking about. So, Like, I'll jump on a program like Riverside, like, we're on, um, at the moment. I'll record that, and then I'll I'll finish the podcast, and I'll open up the little camera app, which comes with Windows. Right? It's pretty easy. It's not special stuff. And then I just say, you know, um, hi, everyone. I'm [00:38:00] Mike. I just had a wonderful podcast with Chris. We talked about blah blah blah, and I think you'll really get this out of it. And, uh, you know, without further ado, here's Chris. And then I hit the stop button, you know, I go to the files, I drag that into Microsoft Teams to my marketing guru, And she'll stitch that together, and it is just so quick and easy. So it's not just, like there's more to it than just buying the equipment. It's like, alright. We had to pay x for the equipment and now we've got to make sure it's, you know, it's worthwhile or we get some good videos, but it's just like it's There's more to it than that. It's all the meetings as well. So if I'm, like, pitching for business and I show up with the professional Level and I'm looking someone in the eye instead of, like, you know, like, hey, um, yeah, no. Good to chat to you. It's just I'm doing that. How does that look? Is that, like, about what the laptop camera would look like? It's good, isn't it? It just feels weird. Like, I feel weird looking up, Um, instead of looking at you. But then, by the [00:39:00] same token, if you're staring at the camera and you're not staring at the person, like, you feel weird, But it might look alright to them, but you miss the time. You miss the queues. Yeah. Like, you might have something really important to say, and I can see that on your face. Um, so I'll go, alright. Yeah. It's Chris's turn. But if I'm looking at something else, it just doesn't work. It's it's really hard. Chris Schwager: You gotta ask yourself, are you satisfied with the way that you're presenting yourself and your personal brand to your market? And for 4 years now, people have been really struggling to clarify the way they look and sound on camera when it comes to doing Video calls and recording their own personalized videos. And there is a solution. The DIY video program helps you personalize Sales video and emails, record professional marketing videos, look and sound amazing in every video meeting without the tech hustles. And you also get professional video editing and practical training so that you can present like a pro. You don't have to do anything in that [00:40:00] initial setup Because the studio is installed for you. You get your coaching and the training so that you can then go on and be a video professional And wipe out poor quality videos forever. Why don't you go to rich films dot com dot a u slash d I y and check it out for yourself? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And, like, I've I mean, you probably know this already, but I've had meetings. You know, I get all these Clients on Zoom calls that are wanting this setup, but, you know, still give me the crappy webcam, and they're in silhouette. And I'm going I'm trying my best to try and connect with these people, but All I'm seeing is the side of their head as they're talking to me, you know, and, um, and a silhouetted bloody shot. And then it's Funny. I go out and meet him and install it or whatever. And then it's it's just when I get on that first coaching call over Zoom with them, and we're in our we're both in our In our, um, DIY studios. It's like, holy shit. That's what you look like. I mean, how much [00:41:00] More intimate is this conversation now between us because we are looking at each other and eyeballing each other. But also just the fact that I can see you clearly, it's making it so much easier to to identify with you, um, whereas Whereas before, it was very much about the audio and just trying to kind of grasp for the words because because visually, you couldn't see a lot. I mean, I I equate this to I don't like doing selling over the phone. I don't like it. Certainly don't like the back and forth over email and things like that. I find that the if I If I can't get him to a video call to do the selling, to to go through the sales process with them, it's Fucking near impossible to to to get anywhere, you know, because you just don't you don't have that interpersonal relationship with them? You know? Yeah. And it's and nobody's traveling like, no. I mean, I'm, I, I don't want to [00:42:00] travel. I mean, You know, this is this is the best solution for for us given that I'm also showcasing the studio here As well. But, yeah, it's, uh, it's a new it's a new thing. It's definitely still very new for a lot of people, and I think just Sheer just due to the fact that they're still kind of popping into Ted's camera shop and going, oh, how do I make myself look and sound great? Yeah. They're not still not finding the solution yet, you know, but, uh, that will come. That Mike Mortlock: will come. Yeah. I I think You're right about the conversion stuff with video as well. And I know I think, like, 1 of the first things that I saw, um, from you, Which is really well evidenced by, um, or or real really well done with the DIY system is that I think you held up, like, A card with my name on it so that it was sort of like, this isn't some stock shit that I send to everyone. Like, this is a video for you. Right? Um, so, like, it's [00:43:00] let's very let's say, for example, I had a client that I knew, um, was anxious about the outcome or Just had a question or it's just a a quote and and they asked a particular question. I can jump on here and say, you know, hi, Chris. I Just wanna let you know, I saw your email, and that was a great question about x y zed. And the answer is is this, and just to let you know, I'm here available to contact at any time. Like, It's it's actually a pretty pissant amount of effort. Right? Like, for me to come in here, turn it on, hit the button, yes, it's a little bit of effort, But it's not that much, but it's received as disproportionately a huge amount of effort. Yeah. Right? It's a bit like people write a book and it's like, oh, they're an expert. They've written a book. It's pretty easy to write a book. Like, people have asked me to write a book. You just gotta pay the money and write it, and they'll publish it. Right? It's not that hard. There's no, like, entry requirements. You gotta have a PhD or it's gotta be a great book. But that sort of stuff, it's like, it's easy, but the impact is Is is really huge. They go, [00:44:00] oh, wow. Like, it's a personal video. And if you keep doing these video stuff and people like your stuff, In their head, you're you become, like, sort of a celebrity to them, and that's weird. I actually got noticed on the street in Brisbane. And what I do is so niche. Right? Like, I don't get noticed. So this person rode past on their bike, and they stared at me, and I thought, I don't know what's going on here. And then they rode past, and they looked back at me. I'm like, I wonder if they think, like, I don't know, um, somebody important. And then they started coming towards me, and I'm like, oh, no. Am I gonna have, like, Punch up or something. They're like, are you Mike Mortlock? I'm like, yes. Like, oh, you know, I'm 1 of your clients, and I listen to your podcast, and I've been watching your Stuff. So watching enough stuff to to to be able to recognize what is essentially a middle aged white dude with a shaved head and glasses. Like, I don't have any, like, really strong distinguishing features. Yeah. Uh, so that was that was cool. And and and that [00:45:00] really comes as a result of The setup and doing this sort of stuff. People go like, oh, he's he's really important because he does videos. Yeah. And putting in Chris Schwager: the putting in the effort and being consistent with it. You know? Like, the the job that I told you that I closed in New York, And shout out to Ben Camille, mate. You're a legend, mate. Because you broke it for for us we popped our cherry into the states. For us, it's it we were so charmed at getting that deal. Um, but how that came about Was from him listening to a podcast that we had produced 2 years ago Right. With Nathaniel BB in Perth. And I was like, Jesus. I don't even remember talking about the deal, I think. But the ad roles, like, the mid role and the whatever was in the podcast, That's what he what that's what that's how he found us from that. There you go. And, um, and so having access To what you've got now got access to [00:46:00] and having the intuition to put video forward and, you know, the video first principle that I Always coach people through. It's like lead with video lead with video. Right? Because you're gonna have a far better result By by doing by thinking of ways you can you can combat situations and relationships and and discrepancies and whatnot By using video and talking them through it. You know? And, um, and, uh, the the, you know, the Proposal walkthroughs I find. So the reply inquiries are by far the the the best way to do it. And, yes, it's it's a 30 second video. Um, and if you were to do spend 5 minutes, 10 minutes to produce that, I'd say, yeah. That's probably not a great use of your time if You're belting out 10 of these things. Like, you don't wanna spend an hour trying to get 10 videos out. But if you work on racing yourself [00:47:00] And work on the speed in which you can be executing those videos and how you can quickly get them off your desk. Then, you know, I'd put out a video A year, you know, a year or 2 ago where I tested myself on a reply inquiry video. And from the Time that the person appeared in my CRM to the time that the email had been sent with the personalized 30 second video in there was a minute and 15 seconds. And I shocked I shocked myself. Right? But then you think, yeah. Okay. So for me, that was mechanical, and I literally flicked that. But for them, like you were saying, it's so it's such a big effort. It's so personalized. It's like, holy shit. I've never had this Happened to me before, and this guy's gone out of his way, arguably Yeah. Yeah. To do this to do this in this way. Um, and so we get a lot of comments. And the other thing that I coach as well, and if you're not doing this, Mike, then you should be. But to [00:48:00] mention your effort so So when I get into these initial situations and we just kick the start of the meeting and off we go, it's actually an icebreaker for you to be able to say to The recipient and then the line there. Oh, yeah. By the way, did you receive that little reply inquiry video that I produced for you? And they're like, oh, yeah. I did, actually. And I know that was really good. It was good. Actually, and I know that was really good. It was good. Right? And you either you know, it's it's just nice for you to say that. And and it's and it it is a bit loaded in its in its nature, but it's nice to say it. And for them for you to acknowledge that they have consumed it and it is working And that it's a conversation starter as well. And that their their perception is different Then what it would be if it was just a bulk, you know, we'll we'll return your call in 24 hours, You know, email. Mike Mortlock: Your your inquiry is important to us. Um, I I got 1, like, I got an email from a bank recently. This is a [00:49:00] little bit off topic, but the subject was, like, we're listening. Right? Because banks have terrible customer service. And it was all the ways that they're they're listening. And it was from do not reply at bank dot com. Au. And I thought, oh, that is so good. Like, are you like, we're listening, like, in our own special way, in a way that you can't, like, say things, but, like, if we could, we would hear them. You You know, such garbage. But, yeah, I think, like, I'm not a salesperson, but, um, with that, when you're sort of mentioning the effort, Like, you're you're you're reminding them why they liked you. Like, because if they're on that call, it's because that video sort of worked or they thought, yeah, like, Uh, I like this guy or I like his setup or I I wanna do something like that. And, you know, you're getting them to sort of, like, Agree with you and have, you know, positive, happy, fun chemicals pulsing around their body when you then might go and say, like, alright. So, [00:50:00] like, Should I invoice you now? Or because because yeah. So you wanted to be able to start that call with with something positive and go, yeah. Oh, yeah. No. I agree. Like, that was Fantastic. Like, I love how you did this. And, you know, you're reiterating that effort, but also, like, starting what might end up being a sales call or a negotiation from a real positive point. Chris Schwager: Yeah. I'm coaching people through that process. And it's and it's not it's not taught it's not like I, Uh, instinctively, uh, doesn't instinctively come to people. Like, there's actually a method to the whole thing, the way that the the email is laid out The subject line and importance of having video in the subject line, you know, then the whole mechanics of how you actually record and get that embedded in with with minimal, You know, piss fighting around. Like, you don't wanna be don't wanna be doing steps that you don't need to do, you know, and, um, that's that's, So, uh, I'm reminded when I coach my clients of how how fucking good it is that you can literally [00:51:00] follow the dots, you know, to to actually achieve This same result with this with with this minimal time and effort put into it as possible. It's it's a process, you know, and it and it It's it's gotta be treated in a in a in a way that is mechanical, not creative. You know? It's not like, oh, people think, oh, it's all creative and, you know, A special message for everybody. It's like, no. I've got, like, the same message for everybody. Like, it's exactly the same, you know? And I do exactly the same thing because I don't have to think, you know. And, um, when you're in business, you've got enough to think about without having to then add something like this on with all of the, you know, all the skill sets That are that are required to be able to achieve, uh, achieve the the result. It's not like, oh, well, I've you know, I'll just quickly Produce a video. No. You gotta figure out your script. You gotta figure out how you present that. You gotta figure out how you can record it easily and quickly and how you layout your you [00:52:00] know? And it's all, you know, it's all loaded inside a a sales process too. Do you have the ability to have a consistent message that you can repeat Because you know that the leads are always coming through LinkedIn. You know, they're all just ads. Boom boom boom. You know, same message for everybody. Um, so, yeah, there's there's a lot to there's a lot to it, but but it's, uh, it's, you know, it's nice to it's rewarding For people to wanna do the same thing because they see it in us and they see how it works. And it's just it's just new and different and fresh. Mike Mortlock: Yeah. It's probably like, It might be a bit harder for you because you'd be probably running a tight ship for a long time, but it's easy for people to say go and look at me on LinkedIn, for example, from 2 years ago. And you'll see, like, me trying different things. You'll see me, like, with an iPhone standing in front of, like, a blurred out office background. And Every now and then, I've done some sort of good stuff, um, but then other times, it's just my iPhone. It's [00:53:00] all shaky or it's a webcam. It's inconsistent, and it's pretty crap. If you look at the difference between me a couple of years ago and today, um, like, The quality that I'm doing now, I could be like a proper important person, like a CEO of Qantas or something, whereas you could never have said that before with the stuff I was putting out before. Chris Schwager: Well, I reckon what you've done in such a short period of time, the caliber of the work that you've You're producing is just amazing. I agree with you. I think it's such a great asset for you to to be having access to it, but also Having the intuition to be able to lead with video and do things and and understand that it's contributing to a greater marketing purpose. You know? So props to you, brother. Props to you. Thank you. Thank you for your business. You know, I I do I do you know, I know that this came through another client of ours. So I really you know, nothing but but, uh, high amounts of appreciation for for you investing in this and and saying, um, giving us So much [00:54:00] feedback in this in this recording as well, which I know is just gonna be so many gold nuggets there that we can, um, that we can pass on to To the prospective client more in the States. Mike Mortlock: It's yeah. It's it's my pleasure, and I'm a I'm a big believer in it. So, Hence, I'm happy to be an advocate for it. I just think, like, businesses need to do more video. They need to have, You know, someone within the business that is a public persona or someone that they feel they can have a a connection to. And that's the that's the 1 thing that I think, Um, I might leave people with is that I'm able to have kind of like an intimate relationship at scale. There will be people that talk to me that Feel like we've been friends forever, but I've never met them. But they've been watching my stuff. You know, like, it's not manipulative, it's It's just the way that it works and the way it it's perceived. And in their heart of hearts, like, I think they will know that, oh, well, Mike doesn't [00:55:00] really know me that well, But they feel quite happy to sort of say, oh, you know, like I heard you say the other day, people should carpet their walls because, you know, you get a higher, um, depreciation deductions for carpet Then, um, JIP writing is obviously a stupid tax joke, but it's like, oh, they listened to me say that ages ago, so they're just happy to bring that up as like an icebreaker. Yeah. It's catchy. It's catchy. Yeah. And they know me, and they know that I'll have a laugh. And I'll think that's funny because I've built some rapport with them, but it's really just come from 1 side. So I I can't be everybody's Best friend. Right? There's only so many people that you can maintain that kind of face to face conversation with, but I'm trying to do that with a database Tens of thousands of people. Um, and, you know, I I'm able to do it with way more people than I than I could if I'm out there trying to have coffees with people or, you know, chat to them on Zoom directly? Chris Schwager: So many great nuggets, mate. Honestly, I take every 1 of these clips and go, yes. Mike Mortlock: Got little [00:56:00] Chris Schwager: packets that we can go and pump out to the market. So thank you so much. Pleasure. Appreciate it. Look, uh, if you wanna know a little bit about Mike Morlock and the wonderful stuff that he's, uh, doing within his podcast and his business, I'll include some Links to show notes to the show notes and you can go and investigate Mark. He's a great bloke. Oh, love him. Love Mark and Marty. Just top blokes And, uh, I've loved following their journey as well. So well done, and thanks for listening.