We were lucky to catch up with Dan LaCloche recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. The first dollar you earn in a new endeavor is always special. We’d love to hear about how you got your first client that wasn’t a friend or family.

In 2010, I was let go from a small, family-run public relations company, due to a down turn in their economic fortunes. I was given 1 month of severance pay upon my termination, so the clock was ticking. I had 30 days of money before my family and I would fall off an economic cliff. Fortunately for me, a former co-worker had landed a job at a biotech company in town, and they needed someone to record and edit a video of their CEO to send to a meeting in Asia. The job required a video shoot on Friday and editing all weekend. Because I was recently unemployed, I was able to take on their video emergency. Everything went very well, and they remain my client to this day.

Dan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

People know me as Video Dan, and I make video. I own a video content business called DLC.

I started making videos in 1990 when a friend asked me if I wanted to take a few classes at the local public access television station in the Chicagoland area. At that time in my life, I didn’t have a clear career path or a particular passion; but once I sat down in the editing bay, that all changed. I went back to school and got my degree in Television Production and never looked back. Since then, I’ve probably created thousands of videos; I’ve done comedy sketches, documentaries, experimental videos, infographics, commercials, product demos, company culture videos, tutorials, educational videos, and the list goes on. One of the things that all of these videos have in common is how they are connectors; they connect the public to brands, they connect customers to products, they connect audiences to characters. Everyone has a story to tell, and I’m a great storyteller; so I help deliver their stories to the people that need to hear them. I’m most proud of the videos I get to create for non-profit organizations. Typically, they have the most powerful and beautiful stories, and it is very fulfilling to help tell these stories.

I think the thing that sets me apart from other video content creators is what I like to call the DLC Effect. What is the DLC Effect? Well, the DLC Effect is an abbreviated way of explaining my personal brand. It’s my unique perspective on the world around me. It’s a blend of heart, humor, and humility (and probably 23 more things). Ultimately, it’s the reason people hire my company to be their video partner, and I’m beyond grateful to be able to do what I love and be of service.

Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?

All businesses have ups and downs, but 2017 was a real gut-punch for my business. Since reluctantly diving into entrepreneurship in 2010, my business has pivoted a time or two. There have been a few name changes along the way, the services that I provided to my clients expanded and contracted, and I even took on a business partner for a few years. Keep in mind, I didn’t go to business school, so running a business was all done with on-the-job training. Things were going fairly well in 2017 when my wife had a life changing medical emergency that still lingers today. This, coupled with my business partner deciding to leave and pursue a dream on the west coast, threatened to financially sink the business (not to mention my family). Suddenly, I was left with half the clients and half the assets/tools/equipment, as my partner exited the business. On top of that, I didn’t have time to think about it because my main focus was on my wife, who had just started her long road to recovering her life.

It was in this moment that I made a decision. I was going to rise from the ashes. I was going to rebrand. I was going to narrow my focus to creating the best video content that I could, and I was going to lean into being 100% authentic in the way I presented myself and my business. I figured that if I crashed and burned, I didn’t want to live with regrets or second guesses. I simply stopped trying to present myself and my brand in a way that I thought people wanted, and just embraced, radical authenticity.

I knew a couple things. I knew I was good at making videos, and I knew I needed to act fast. I reached out to the remaining client base and secured a handful of projects that would cement a few months of financial stability for the business. I got strategic about networking opportunities–both in-person and online, and I trusted the process. That was seven years ago, and I’m still here, making videos; I’m happy and grateful to say that my strategy worked. I would also add that if you look at adversity in the right way, there are always lessons and opportunities to be had.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new clients for my business is referrals. I realize that this sounds kind of “old school”, but for me, it’s the best. I’m a big believer in trusting the process and focussing on the things I can control, so when I’m hired to create video content, I dive in 100%. I want every video that I create to be the best it can be, and when you deliver on that, clients are happy AND happy to refer you to new prospects. One bonus in the area of referal business that I didn’t foresee is when people that you work with, continue along their career path and move to different companies. When this happens, they introduce you to a whole new batch of prospects, companies, and future clients.

Referals can be a slow burn, but it’s slow and steady!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thedlceffect.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danlacloche/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDLCeffect

Image Credits
Miriam Bulcher