IAM721- Photographer Helps Realtors Grow With Video Online

Riley is the owner of Blue Skye Media! Blue Skye Media is a real estate photography company located in Northern Virginia servicing realtors from Fredericksburg up to DC! They provide it all, Photos, Video Tours, 3D Tours, and Aerial Footage! What sets them apart is that they also provide YouTube and social media services to help realtors grow their business with video online!

• CEO Hack: (1) Using the calendar on my phone (2) Producing as much content, especially on YouTube
• CEO Nugget: Done is better than perfect
• CEO Defined: Leaving today better than it was yesterday

Website: http://blueskyemedia.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blueskyemediallc/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blueskye_media/

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Transcription

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[00:00:02.20] – Intro

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

[00:00:30.19] – Gresham Harkless

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast, and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Riley West of Blue Sky Media. Riley, it's awesome to have you on the show.

[00:00:38.89] – Riley West

Yeah. Great to be here. Thanks for the invite.

[00:00:41.00] – Gresham Harkless

No problem. Super excited to have you on. And before we jump in, I want to read a little bit more about Riley so you can hear about all the awesome things that he's doing. And Riley is the owner of Blue Sky Media. Blue Sky Media is a real estate photography company located in Northern Virginia, servicing realtors from Fredericksburg up to DC. They provide it all, photos, video tours, three d tours, and aerial footage. What sets them apart is that they also provide YouTube and social media services to help realtors grow their business with video online. Riley, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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[00:01:10.09] – Riley West

Yeah. It's a good start, man.

[00:01:11.40] – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Let's make it happen. So they kick everything off. I wanted to kind of rewind the clock a little bit, hear a little bit more about what led you to get started with your business, what I like to call your CEO story.

[00:01:20.09] – Riley West

Yeah. So, I graduated from college in the spring of two thousand nineteen. I graduated with a finance and economics degree. So kind of a little bit off track of what I'm doing right now. I apply and use all that knowledge in, you know, running the business on that side of it. But I was always interested in high school and college. I got interested. It was video, making videos, and video editing. When drones started coming out more, got one of those and started messing with that. I really like the perspective you can get from those guys. And then just started diving more into the editing side of it all, figuring out how to make things look better, how to make video look smoother. And when I graduated, I did, like, the whole basic graduation kinda kid thing. I applied to, like, you know, fifty, sixty different jobs.

All in, like, the financial field. Wasn't really hearing back from from, what I was expecting. When I was a senior, one of the best classes I ever took, I took it was not gonna be able to remember the exact name of it, but the whole essence was building a blog and then running that blog slash website. And we did a lot of, photo editing and video editing in that class as well. So it just really kinda opened me up to how can I take the videos that I want to produce for, at that point, I was thinking about making videos and working with small businesses on, like, their YouTube channel. And, once I graduated, I did that for a little bit. Then one day, I was actually on YouTube, and I saw a video on how you can make 03:60 tours with a 03:60 k camera.

And I had one of those at the time, and I well, obviously, I still do as well. And I started messing around with different software, and I, you know, I started thinking, okay. I can make these for realtors. And if I have the 03:60 tours down, I have the video videos down, and I have the drone footage down, I just gotta figure out how to take photos. So I and just through, multiple multiple listings just progressively getting better, And each listing, each payment I was getting from the listings, I was just reinvesting, reinvesting into better equipment, better software, and just constantly and and and I still do this nowadays, any kind of downtime or free time I have, I'm on YouTube or Google just searching, figuring out how to do things better. And, so, I mean it came down to me figuring and picking my niche of real estate and realtors came down to watching that YouTube video on how I can make 03:60 tours with this little camera that I have. And, and yeah. And then the rest is just what I'm doing right now.

[00:03:57.19] – Gresham Harkless

Nice. I appreciate that. And and, it's so funny because, I was an English major, and I'm definitely far out from there kinda into some aspects. But it's so funny, like, the number of people that once you get get your degree in often, especially because you get it at, a younger age where you're trying to figure out exactly what you do. And then to kinda hear, like, you were led,  to that opportunity in that class, and you got to see all the different things and all the different ways you can use things that you were talented on. And sometimes it breaks down those, I guess, doors of passions and interests that you have, and it seems like you just, run with it ever since then.

[00:04:28.30] – Riley West

Yeah. Definitely. And, like, a thing that I always say as well, like, just whenever someone asks me about my story is that, yeah, I do come from a background of finance and economics, but, I mean, I am using that every day in the business aspect of it. I'm marketing my own business, the accounting, and just kinda figuring out where my numbers are, and how I can make my numbers better. And, so, like, there's still, like, a large part of that that I'm still using every single day. And I took my passion for, video and video editing, and just pretty much content creation in general and, merged that with my educational background in business and made Blue Sky Media from all that.

[00:05:09.80] – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Absolutely. And I think that's one of the big things whenever you're starting a business or you're growing a business, you don't just use, like, one specific skill. Finance and economics, that's huge, because you need to make sure your numbers. You make sure you're taking care of those things. But I think that a lot of these skills because you are growing a business and building the business, you also have to be able to kinda think outside the box. So even those, degrees or perspectives that don't even seem like they would apply a lot of times can give you that way to kinda set yourself apart and uniquely do things. So, appreciate that. So I know I read a little bit about Blue Sky Media. You touched on it as well too. Could you take us through exactly what you do for your clients and how exactly that process works?

[00:05:50.89] – Riley West

So like you mentioned before, Blue Sky Media is a real estate photography company. So we handle all the visual marketing that the realtor needs to sell a listing. So once a realtor gets a listing from a client, they will reach out to me and say, hey. I want just, for example, I want photos and a three-dimensional tour of this listing. And all the service that all the services that we provide are photos, video tours, three-d tours, and aerial footage. So the realtors can kind of pick and choose what they like. So, some realtors like the 3D tours, while others just refer to the video tour. So that really comes down to just personal preference.

So once they order that, we pick a good date for me to come out on-site at the listing, depending if it's occupied or not and, if the current homeowners need to prep the house anymore. So I get there on sites, and I just pretty much fulfil the services that the realtors need, for the visual content that they want to use to sell that listing. So go out to the photos, do the video tour, and I get all the content back to the realtors. Even if I'm busy, which I have been recently, I always get the content back under twenty-four hours as well.

[00:07:10.50] – Gresham Harkless

Nice. I absolutely love that, especially the efficiency of that. And I think that you could probably definitely speak to how far it goes to get that opportunity to showcase, like, different properties from a visual perspective and how, you can really what I think probably the realtors, even buyers, and sellers from that standpoint are trying to do is to to create that opportunity for somebody to buy a home or a condo or whatever that they're looking for, but also be able to sell that if they're on the other end. And I think that the visual part is such a big because you wanna be able to kinda get that feeling of what it's going to be and what it's gonna look like before sometimes you even step through the door.

[00:07:47.10] – Riley West

Yeah. I mean, especially nowadays where everyone is going more digital. I mean, heck, I mean, Coravana, you can now buy a car purely online, and have it delivered to your house. I don't see the real estate industry getting there, quite yet. But, I mean, with these 3D tours and video tours, you get a pretty good understanding of what the house looks like from the inside without even having to go out and visit it. So, I mean, there are tons of opportunities that, I could see that the industry moves towards in the future just really based off of the technology, that, I mean, Blue Sky Media is using and then also,  just the different ways that realtors are using to market there, their listings as well.

[00:08:26.60] – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Absolutely. And I know I touched on it a little bit, you know when I read your bio. Do you feel I call it your secret sauce? Do you feel like your secret sauce, the thing you feel sets you apart, is that ability to kinda, as I said in the beginning, kinda use YouTube and social media to set you apart and take that and incorporate that video aspect into everything they're doing.

[00:08:44.60] – Riley West

Yeah. So a big thing that I try to do when I'm, showing the difference between, Blue Sky Media and another real estate photography company is that I don't want to be just that guy that comes out, just real quick because I have ten other listings that day to go do And, you know, just get your photos and videos. I want to build relationships with my realtors and help them grow on their social media platforms. So, I noticed that lots of realtors I mean I mean, quite frankly, they're busy. I mean, realtors selling a house is there's a lot of work that goes into it, so they don't necessarily have all the free time to go through and make sure their Facebook page has good content of their listings up there and, make sure that everything looks right. And, a big thing that I see that realtors aren't using is YouTube.

Being able to go onto YouTube and post, how-to videos on the real estate market talking about, why you should choose a fifteen versus a thirty-year mortgage or,  also putting your listings on YouTube as well because that's something that people enjoy looking like watching,  like, reality TV. People wanna see, like, the inside of someone else's house and, like, their life pretty much. And, that's just something that I can help them with because I have the understanding, the knowledge to do it, and then I can save them time and then make it.

It's professional-looking work as well so that when someone that isn't from around the area searching houses in Northern Virginia, they find this realtor's channel on YouTube. They check him out for a little bit and they say, wow. You know, this guy, one, knows what he's talking about because of all these how-to videos that he's posting. And two, this guy has a lot of great content in his listings. So if I ever think about selling my house here soon, I wanna list with that person or that realtor because look at all these platforms that, my house is gonna be going on. So, like, the odds of my house getting on the market and then getting off the market selling real quick, those odds are a lot higher just based on those things.

[00:10:41.60] – Gresham Harkless

Definitely, the better. So absolutely love that and appreciate that. And I wanted to, switch gears a little bit, and I want to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app, a book, or a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

[00:10:54.79] – Riley West

Definitely and I did this before, and this is probably gonna be silly because most people probably use this or have another thing that that do the same thing. But using my calendar and my phone, I never realized how useful that can be. I was always the kind of person that was just writing on a piece of paper. But now, the second I get a listing from in, like, an email or text, that's gotta go when it's on my phone or my calendar. Probably my biggest CEO hack is just any kind of advice I can give to someone to produce as much content as I can. And, put it out on all your social media platforms even if you don't have it on them, at the most minimal amount, at least on Facebook. And if you have enough time to create a YouTube channel, definitely on YouTube.

[00:11:40.39] – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. I love that as well too. And that kind of brings me I was gonna ask you for what I call a CEO nugget, which is kinda like a word of wisdom or piece of advice, but I wanted to kinda drill down on that. You know, for people that might be listening to that might not want to or maybe be apprehensive about making that thirty-second video, is there's should, should it be polished? Should it be perfect? Or should you just kinda go out and do it? How would you, kind of, I guess, advise somebody who's thinking about that?

[00:12:06.50] – Riley West

Yeah. Definitely. And I struggle with this too because I consider myself somewhat of a perfectionist. Mhmm. Especially when I'm creating my videos for my own business for, you know, for Blue Sky Media. But, something that I'm been trying to live by is that and I'm gonna butcher, the exact saying, but it's done is better than perfect.

[00:12:28.20] – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. That makes so much sense. So I wanted to ask you now my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping to have different, quote, unquote, CEOs on the show. So, Riley, what does being a CEO mean to you?

[00:12:39.20] – Riley West

I think being a CEO means well, first and foremost that, technically, I'm not the CEO of of my company. I am because, it's not like I am, leading any other people. After all, it is just me here at Blue Sky Media. But I think a CEO and,  I take this every day, running my business is leaving yesterday or, today better than it was yesterday. And, so whether that's, impacting, in in my case again, impacting a realtor's listing so that it has the best content and it's going to do the best possibly can when it's out there in the market. I mean, that's my number one goal, and as a CEO or as a business owner, I want to see my services and my clients succeed.

[00:13:25.70] – Gresham Harkless

Absolutely. No. I love that. Appreciate that definition and that perspective. Appreciate your time even more. What I wanted to do is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you can let our readers and listeners know, and, of course, how best they can get a hold of you and find out all the awesome things you're working on.

[00:13:39.79] – Riley West

Yeah. I mean, thank you for having me. This is this is great just to kinda be able to sit down and talk about, the business a little bit and, share your kind of side, of the things that I'm talking about as well. if you're not moving forward, you're moving backwards. That resonated with me because you just said it right there. But if you're not moving forward, you're moving backwards. And, where society and, really where I see the real estate market going is we're going online. more and more people are they're checking out the listings more in-depth before they actually go out and see them because they want to maximize their time as, you know, as everyone does.

So, any realtors out there that,  have thought about making a Facebook page or a YouTube channel, I highly recommend it. Get out there, get in front of the camera. Don't be afraid to mess up because everyone's gonna mess up. I have an entire blooper reel of me just, stumbling on my words. And, it's hilarious because I'm the one recording too, So, like, I go back and I'm just,  laughing at myself pretty much. But, just be yourself in front of the camera. Don't be too serious. Just, be happy-go-lucky because you're living the life because you're selling real estate and, that's what you love to do. You're helping clients and helping people find their dream homes, their dream neighbourhoods. And yeah, it's just getting in front of the camera and, and, you know, do it from there. I kinda stumbled right there. I don't know how I can pick it up.

[00:15:03.79] – Gresham Harkless

No. You're good. And where where would people, that wanna get in touch with you? What's the best way for them to do that?

[00:15:08.70] – Riley West

Let me think. And if anything I talked about, during this podcast resonated with you and something that, you as a realtor or even as a small business owner are looking to get more into, better content for your listings, or, you know, just better content on your social media pages and YouTube, it's it's really easy to reach us. You can just give me a text or a call at five seven one three seven nine two five eight one, or you can check us out on our website at blue sky media dot com. And other than that, thanks, Gretchen, for having me. This has been a blast, and, I wish everyone the best of luck.

[00:15:40.89] – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Thank you so much again, Riley, and we will have the links show notes. And for people who are listening, it's a blue sky with the e at the end. Correct?

[00:15:47.89] – Riley West

Yeah. Blue, just regular, and then skyemedia.com.

[00:15:52.00] – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. And we'll have that link and information in the show notes, but I, you know, appreciate you for being on the show. Appreciate that reminder as well too on how important it is to constantly, you know, get better at your craft and provide value in in so many different ways. As you mentioned before, it could manifest itself in very, you know, obvious ways, like showing exactly what the buying, and selling products product, process looks like, or it can be, something different as far as showing what might be down the street or what might be great to do that weekend. So I appreciate you for reminding us of that, and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

[00:16:22.39] – Outro

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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