We recently connected with Hewitt Pagenstecher and have shared our conversation below.

Hewitt, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to start by getting your thoughts on what you are seeing as some the biggest trends emerging in your industry.

The importance of video for businesses has never been more prevalent and impactful then it is today. Trends in the video and social media landscape that I’ve seen are the impact of both short-form vertical videos such as Instagram Reels, TikToks, and Youtube Shorts as well as long-form videos such as video podcasts or behind-the-scenes, documentary style Youtube videos.

Since TikTok is the fastest growing social media platform, other websites and apps are trying to compete by putting this style of video at the forefront of their feeds and discovery pages. Algorithm aside, it makes sense that short-form vertical videos are so consumable and popular. The vertical dimensions make them take up the entirety of your phone’s screen, making it the default full screen for mobile devices. The fact that they are short make them extra bingeable. Youtube Shorts can be no longer then a minute, Instagram Reels’ max length is 90 seconds, and Tiktok’s max is 3 minutes for most accounts. Reels and Tiktoks go rival far more then any other type of content making them a great tool to optimize a business’ visibility and engagement.
Fun fact: Short-form video creates the largest ROI then any other form of content – Hubspot

Long-form video content, such as podcasts and behind-the-scenes videos, are also gaining momentum. These formats offer a deeper level of connection with the audience, fostering relationships and building trust over time. Whether it’s through thought-provoking discussions in a podcast or a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a product, businesses are using long-form video to educate, entertain, strengthen their brand presence, and deepen their connection with their audience.

At Amygdala Media, when developing a content strategy we enjoy creating a balance between both short-form videos and long-form videos. One strategy we do is produce podcasts for our clients and release episodes on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more! These podcasts include genuine and insightful conversations that allow businesses to network with guests and build a connection with their potential customers by entertaining and educating them. We use footage from the podcast to make multiple short-form vertical videos that we put on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin, Tiktok, and Youtube. These videos not only raises awareness of the podcast, but grow each respective platform we promote it on. Video podcasts are an efficient way to create a lot of high-quality content in a short amount of time and effectively raise awareness of a business. One of our clients you can check out is Acumen Executive Search and their podcast Hiring For Good.

Hewitt, 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?

The reason my I got into video marketing is because it seemed fun. I associated marketing with filmmaking which I always wanted to do. I went to Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon where I received a Bachelors in Business Administration with a Concentration in Marketing and a Minor in Psychology. When I was in college, in addition to working in the campus mail room and local retail stores, I created promotional videos for Student Life with friends and colleagues. My interest in psychology ended up having a big influence on my business’ brand and name, Amygdala Media.

The amygdala is a part of the brain that is responsible for memory and emotion so I like to ask my clients how they want people to feel when they see their content or think of their brand.

I founded Amygdala Media in 2019 to help businesses of all sizes share memorable & compelling content that accurately depicts their values, brand, & personality. I love learning about local businesses and helping them share what makes them special and impactful with their customers. I am heavily involved in various Portland communities, including the Portland Executives Association, one of Portland’s oldest business networking associations. I am also a prominent part of the Portland comedy scene where I produce one of the city’s most popular stand-up comedy shows, Laugh Basement, which brings laughter and levity to people every Monday at The Goodfoot Lounge. I have also interviewed countless business owners and nonprofit leaders on Amygdala Media’s YouTube channel where I raise awareness of impactful, local businesses and people.

I think what differentiates Amygdala Media from other businesses is we specialize in both video and social media strategy. So not only will we create a high-quality video for your business but make sure it is released in a way that is optimal for the social media landscape.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I am a big fan of The Go-Giver by John David Mann and Bob Burg.

The Go-Giver is about how the key to being successful is making giving rather than receiving your first priority in business and in life. In the form of a business parable, the authors explains why and how you can change from being a go-getter to a go-giver by practicing the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success. I love sharing these laws with my peers and am a big believer that your success is directly correlated with how much you look out for other people.

The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success are:

The Law of Value:
Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.

The Law of Compensation:
Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.

The Law of Influence:
Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.

The Law of Authenticity:
The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.

The Law of Receptivity:
The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Being creative nourishes your soul! At least I know it does mine. I think we all need a creative outlet to some degree. It contributes to self expression, exploration, and connecting with other humans. As Albert Einstein said, “Creativity is the imagination having fun”.

I have somehow positioned myself where most of what I do for fun and work involves creativity and an audience interaction. I am a standup up comedian, comedy show producer, and media producer for businesses. I honestly think practicing all of these things help each other out, meaning there is an overlap in skills. In addition to being fun, performing standup comedy improves my public speaking, creative writing, and confidence. The most rewarding thing about it is making a room full of people laugh from something I wrote, edited, and refined at other shows. Something I built from scratch.

When I make a video for a business it is a very creative process. From conceptualizing the video to making the shot list and editing it all together, it is creating an experience for the viewer that hopefully is entertaining and enjoyable. The most rewarding element of this is the business owner’s reaction when seeing the final product and also hearing the feedback they get from their viewers on social media.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://amygdala-media.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amygdalamediallc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmygdalaMedia/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hewitt-pagenstecher-080073bb/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HewittComedy
• Other: See my Interviews with business owners here: https://www.youtube.com/@urbannetworkpodcast