So here’s the thing that kept coming up for me as I was walking around the streets of San Francisco tonight after 2 glasses of wine and 3 cigarettes and listening to a few hours of Question the Rules audio on my iPhone while sending random texts to twitter and my BFFs.

I’ve been trying to write copy and promote the 3 Days to Video program and I keep saying that I’m getting stuck by various insane mindset problems and procrastination and blocks against self promotion …. but really that’s all a bunch of crap.

The hard part of me trying to explain why you should buy 3 Days to Video is that I didn’t buy it.

I learned how to create videos by making them.

Lots of them. At last count, 147 or so of them.

And some of them sucked.

Well, lots of them sucked.

(dude. look at the first few videos on my youtube page from back in 2007. they are freaking terrible.)

But after hundreds of hours of planning and shooting and editing and rendering and encoding and uploading and promoting …

… something happened.

The videos worked.

The weird thing is that I didn’t feel like I was doing anything.

I was just being myself.

Just talking about stuff that made me uncomfortable or embarrassed. Just showing how I’m an idiot and how my daughter left her dirty sippy cups in the backseat of my car and how I keep futzing with my bra strap.

Just talking about what pissed me off or how things should be changed or what I want to do with my life or what scares the crap out of me.

I was speaking my truth on video.

And people fell in love.

Now, I’m not saying that video works for everyone.

Some people are just not going to be able to speak their truth on video. If it’s hard for you to communicate your passion to a client face to face, if you can easily pass on your message via your writing, if you can’t commit to revealing yourself this way, video may not be for you.

But for some of you, video will be the conduit you need to speak your truth.

The method for you to communicate your passion. To bond to your audience. To create your tribe.

And I don’t want you to keep waiting.

I don’t want you to keep being scared or intimidated by video.

I don’t want you to have to spend hundreds of freaking hours to figure it out!!!

Damnit.

So instead of wasting the next 3 years of your life making all the mistakes I made, spending hundreds of hours learning everything you need to know, posting dozens of mediocre videos until you get the one that clicks, you have another choice.

You can learn how to make videos from me.

In 3 Days to Video I’m going to teach you everything I know about making videos. In a logical, easy to follow way. And you’re going to make your video as we go. So not only do you leave the workshop with one finished video, but you’ll know exactly how to do the next one.

And to get you off your butt and make sure you make a decision asap, I’m giving you a bonus for signing up asap.

If you sign up for 3 Days to Video by this Friday (May 7th) I will personally look at your new video and tell you everything that’s good and everything that needs to be fixed, so your next one will be awesomer.

We can do this live on the phone/skype or I can record a video capture of my recommendations. Whatever works for you.

So, if you want to speak your truth, if you want to bond with your tribe, if you want to take a risk and create a video is works for you, go to 3 Days to Video right now and buy it.

#thatisall

Related posts:

1. Ramifications of a Transparent Life
2. The First Day of the Rest of My Life
3. Finding Ecstasy in Ordinary Life

When I launched the final version of the 3 Days to Video sales mini-site, many of you were excited about how different it looked and functioned, as opposed to a long form sales letter page.

So in the first of a planned series of case studies (on videos, websites, programs), here’s a behind the scenes tour of the new 3 Days to Video site, including the strategy and technology I used to create it!

Let me know below what you think about the new style of sales page, what you think of how sales pages/sites are being used (and what annoys the frak out of you), and what other pages are great examples to model for creating our own sales sites!

Related posts:

1. EPW Live Ep3: Sales Pages – The Long, The Short, and The Video
2. How Did I Become a Video Expert?
3. The *Real* Reason Video is Hard.

On Episode 3 of EPW Live I discussed the latest trends in sales pages, including different types of long form sales letters, short sales letter, mini-websites, and video-only sales pages.

Here are the sites we talked about on the show:

http://www.theclientattractionsystem.com
http://www.morebuyerseverymonth.com/waitlist.html
http://creatingfameclassroom.com/
http://johnnybtruant.com/ibiab/
http://www.stevepavlina.com/conscious-growth-workshop/
http://www.un-marketing.com/6weeks/
http://unconventionalguides.com/wfy.htm
http://thirdtribemarketing.com/
http://twitterwebinar.com/go/?page_id=45
http://www.listcontrolsite.com/posts/secret-back-door
http://gurumastermindvideoblog.com/2008/05/blueprint-for-a-successful-inf-1.php
http://tribalauthor.com/book-marketing-event/
http://4weekstovideo.com/
http://3daystovideo.com/

Don’t forget to RSVP for future shows!

Related posts:

1. Case Study: The 3 Days to Video Sales Mini-Site
2. EPW Live Ep1: Why Live Video & Behind the Website
3. The *Real* Reason Video is Hard.

Editing your videos is the most time consuming and technically-intimidating part of creating videos for your video blog, sales page, or on your main website.

Yes, I know your pain.

There’s the first step, of just getting all of the video into your computer. Compatibility problems with your software, the time it takes for your computer to process the raw footage, what file types your computer accepts to import …

There’s deciding if you are going to use entry-level software like Windows Movie Maker or iMovie, if you are going to up-level to Adobe Premier Pro or Final Cut … not mentioning actually learning how to use the software …

And you haven’t even started editing yet.

Then there’s deciding what footage to use, dealing with sound and lighting problems, where to make the cuts, transitions, titles, graphics, whether you will add music, photos, cutaways, b-roll footage, how to convert and expert your video …

It’s overwhelming.

I get it.

And, I get that I’m a bit of a weirdo.

Because … I love editing videos.

I love editing videos, because that’s where I find the story.

Editing is where the creation happens, where I take what I thought I was going to shoot, what I had planned in my outline, the message I thought I was going to speak … and learn what the video is really about.

I love editing videos, because I can craft how I want to be seen.

I can find the funny. I can find my message. I can find the one time out of 5 or 6 shots where I got it right and sound moderately brilliant. Or at least not like a complete idiot.

Editing is my art.

But you don’t have to edit.

Yes, I know that I sell a program that teaches you how to edit videos (among other things).

But editing is not required to create videos that bond with your audience and speak your truth.

Instead, you can create videos that are “recorded live.”

In other words, you just shoot your video, from beginning to end, and post it. Maybe you add a title at the beginning or a call to action at the end. Maybe you add nothing.

Recorded live is a huge time savings.

You can shoot a video and get it up in a matter of minutes. You can shoot from anywhere and easily upload from anywhere straight to yourtube or facebook … even right from your phone or laptop.

Recorded live is real.

When you include all the “uh’s” and when you forget words and and plane flew overhead and the demo didn’t quite work the first time … that can be endearing. You’re taking us behind the scenes, not hiding behind pillars, you’re sharing your message with us, raw.

Recorded live works.

But recorded live doesn’t work for everyone.

It takes practice. You must be able to carry your energy for the entire shot. You must at least get your message across, because there’s no fixing it later (without a completely reshoot). You can’t let us get bored.

And some of you are so intimidated by the shooting, the idea of having your face on camera, that the meek protections that editing has to offer will help you be okay with letting the world see you on video.

And that’s the bottom line.

Edit or don’t edit. I don’t care.

Whatever it takes to get your damn video up.

If it means you need to edit. If it means you can’t edit.

Later on … you can futz with it, add transitions, cutaway to b-rolls, get a new haircut, use better lighting, do a better job maintaining your energy, actually remember to do your call to action … yes.

You can and will improve everything.

But, in the meanwhile … edit. Don’t edit. Whatever.

Just post the damn video.

Do you edit your videos? What’s hard about editing videos, for you? Do you prefer videos that have been edited or the recorded-live video style?

To learn how to make your own videos, check out my newest video program 3 Days to Video live virtual workshop or get the free Quickstart to just learn the basics!

Related posts:

1. Make Your Videos More Awesomer: The Advanced Video Series Coming Soon
2. People Don’t Buy Stuff From Videos. They Buy You.
3. Review: Question The Rules (verdict: awesometastic.)

Somehow the conversation (via @ replies on twitter, comments on a blog post, in real life at cocktail party, whatever) turns to my business.

And blogging. And making online videos.

And the “how to make a video” questions start …

• what camera do you use?
• do you film in HD?
• what software do you use to edit the videos, iMovie or Final Cut or Windows Movie Maker or Adobe Premiere Pro?
• do you host your videos on YouTube or Viddler or do you host the videos yourself?
• do use special lighting or external microphones or green screens or animation?

… and even though I politely answer their questions, I cringe inside.

Because they are worrying about the wrong things.

Making videos is not hard because of the technology. Or because of the editing. Or because of the cameras or graphics or equipment.

Making videos is hard because it’s you.

Because there’s nothing to hide behind.

It’s your face. Your wrinkles. Your hair that won’t sit right since the last time it was cut.

It’s your energy. Your passion. Your personality displayed for everyone to critique.

And as much as you can try to hide behind multiple HD cameras, fancy lighting, professional makeup, stock animation and moving titles and flashy transitions …

… your truth (or lack thereof) will be visible for us to judge.

And that scares the crap out of most people.

Which is why most people talk themselves out of doing videos … by getting stuck in the technological details.

As an excuse. To avoid the spotlight. To avoid the exposure.

To avoid sharing their truth with the world.

So …. is this you?

I’d love to hear from any of you who are nervous about making videos — please share your experience in the comments below …

Why are your videos not up yet? What is holding you back? Have you made videos and not posted them? What are you missing?

To learn how to make your own videos, check out my newest video program 3 Days to Video live virtual workshop or get the free Quickstart to just learn the basics!

Related posts:

1. The Real Reason I’m Moving to San Francisco
2. The #1 Most Important Thing re Video
3. Make Your Videos More Awesomer: The Advanced Video Series Coming Soon

I get asked questions about making videos all the time.

What camera do I use, how do I set up the lighting, where should I shoot, where do I host the video, how do I to edit, what software should I use, etc. ….

But that’s missing the point.

There’s one thing, one huge most important thing, that must be in your video, or you are wasting your time.

To learn how to make your own videos, check out my newest video program 3 Days to Video live virtual workshop or get the free Quickstart to just learn the basics!

So what questions do you have about making videos? What has your experience been with video?

I’d love to hear from you!

Related posts:

1. The *Real* Reason Video is Hard.
2. How Did I Become a Video Expert?
3. How to Make a Video When You Have a Zit

While in Los Angeles for my Mastermind meeting (tell you more details later, including a video of me riding a bull. really.), I stopped by Lesley Bohm Photography for a new set of amazing professional photos as I expand my brand (and since I’ve lost 30 lbs!! since my last set of photos).

Here’s a quick-edit video of the shoot for your fun & enjoyment – all the pics coming soon!

~ Elizabeth

Related posts:

1. The #1 Most Important Thing re Video
2. The *Real* Reason Video is Hard.
3. Case Study: The 3 Days to Video Sales Mini-Site

I know that all of The Wealth Spa readers don’t celebrate Easter, but I’m sure you can still appreciate a cute kid singing holiday wishes to you!

~ Elizabeth

P.S. Don’t forget to enter The Money Tree Contest! The entries are coming in … (and don’t forget to add how you will implement the system asap)

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