We were lucky to catch up with Edgar Garcia recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Edgar thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

Interesting this question came up. Just this summer I found myself questioning whether I was taking the right path as a business owner creating stories, or if I should consider a full-time job.

My small team and I help organizations, nonprofits, and schools with campaign and impact videos, event recaps and coverage, and testimonial-driven stories. Much of this work happens earlier in the year, which means summer tends to slow down. But this year felt especially challenging. Grants and funding were delayed or rejected, organizations faced increased scrutiny, and in some cases even individuals were being attacked. I completely understand why so many groups were holding tight to their budgets, but it left me wondering about my own leadership and the sustainability of my business.

Even so, I am deeply happy as a business owner and proud of how far Robot Productions has come. Out of this challenging season came new ideas. I began asking myself, how can organizations get more value for their money, without compromising on storytelling? That led to an experimental initiative — a monthly retainer program that gives organizations the consistency of having their own dedicated video team year-round.

Ultimately, moments of doubt have reminded me why I do this work. I want to continue telling human-centered stories and remove budget as a barrier to impact. That clarity has given me energy to keep building, even when the path feels uncertain.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Robot Productions actually started back in high school under a very different name – Shy Guy Productions. I was quiet and reserved back then, and the name felt fitting. I still remember talking with friends about how we’d one day make Hollywood movies, and that was my “studio name.”

For my birthday, my parents gifted me a camcorder, and I immediately began documenting everything, from our hangouts to little everyday moments. I still have those tapes. What stands out is that even then, I wasn’t just recording, I was asking friends about their futures. I’ve always been intrigued by the way people think, dream, and process life, and that curiosity was the seed of my storytelling.

When my younger sister was born during my senior year, I documented everything about her first months. I’d edit those clips into homemade videos for my family, and when I saw them laugh or cry because of something I had stitched together, I realized the power of this craft. That feeling, that stories can move people, has never left me.

I went on to study Digital Film and Video Production in college, earning my bachelor’s degree. But the real turning point was an internship with the nonprofit BAYCAT, where I discovered the impact of short-form storytelling for organizations with powerful missions.

Through BAYCAT, I also worked on big movie sets as a production assistant, but those experiences quickly showed me that world wasn’t for me. It felt like an out-of-body experience where I had to be louder and more extroverted than was natural. What I wanted instead was to create authentic, meaningful, human-centered stories.

At the time, Shy Guy Productions wasn’t ready for that leap. So I began freelancing, and soon realized that clients didn’t just need a camera and an editor, they needed a business partner, with licenses and insurance. That’s when I established Robot Boy Productions, which later evolved into Robot Productions, and most recently, Robot Productions LLC.

Today, I partner with talented creatives and freelancers to help organizations, nonprofits, and schools tell their stories through campaign and impact videos, event recaps and coverage, and testimonial-driven films.

Having migrated from Mexico and grown up in afterschool programs, and even working in some of them later, it’s been a full-circle moment to now collaborate with organizations that shaped me as a kid.

What sets Robot Productions apart is that we don’t just make videos. We approach every story with empathy, and we amplify voices that might otherwise go unheard. I’m proud of every video we’ve created, big or small, because at the heart of it all is the same purpose – to give voice to people and organizations who are making change in the world. That’s what I want people to know about me and about Robot Productions. We believe in the power of stories to move hearts and open minds.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients for me has always been word of mouth and community referrals. The work we do is so personal, that trust is everything. When a nonprofit leader recommends me to a colleague, or when someone sees a video we created and asks, “Who made this?” that referral carries so much more weight than any ad or cold call ever could.

I’ve also been fortunate that relationships I built years ago, whether through BAYCAT, community programs, or even afterschool organizations I grew up in, continue to ripple back into new opportunities. It feels very full circle.

So while marketing and social media play their roles, I’d say our strongest “pipeline” is people. Those who’ve experienced the impact of our work firsthand and are excited to share it with others.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I migrated from Mexico as a child without knowing a word of English. I grew up in afterschool programs, not only as a participant, but later as someone who worked in them, and those spaces gave me a sense of belonging and opportunity at a time when everything felt unfamiliar. It wasn’t always easy, but I learned how to adapt, how to listen, and how to express myself even when language was a barrier.

Years later, it feels full circle to now create videos for some of those very same organizations. I carry those memories into every project, because I know firsthand what it means to feel unseen and then to be given a voice. That perspective has kept me grounded whenever challenges come up in business, whether it’s a slow season, a rejected grant, or the stress of running a small team.

Resilience, for me, comes from remembering where I started. It’s knowing that if I could find my way in a new country, a new language, and a new culture, then I can also find my way through any challenge in my career.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://robot-productions.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robot_productions/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edgargarciarbp/