We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jiaci Yan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jiaci below.

Jiaci, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.

If you’re asking me how I went about launching my video production business, here’s how the story goes:

As a videographer with several years of experience, I was always passionate about what I did. I would pour my time and energy into every project, big or small, taking direction, following instructions, and making sure my part was done well. I was just a cog in the machine, a small part of something much bigger. However, as I took on more projects, I began to notice that my voice started to carry weight. People began to change their plans based on my ideas, and that’s when I realized I had outgrown the role of a videographer. I was evolving into a creative leader, an opinion leader, and the team began to look to me to take on more responsibility and to lead them in executing projects.

With that evolution came the idea of launching my personal video production business. But having an idea is one thing, turning it into reality is another. I knew it would take more than just passion; it required a strong desire to grow, to learn, and to push beyond what I was comfortable with. As I took on more responsibility, I also began to see the risks that came with it. The uncertainty of the future felt daunting, and I experienced both fear and anticipation. But I also understood that staying within my comfort zone would mean stagnation. Sometimes, you just have to grit your teeth, set aside all doubts, and take that first step forward. If I didn’t step up to embrace more responsibility and push myself to do more, nothing would change—not in a week, not in a month, not even in a year. And that’s when I knew that it was time to act, to truly move beyond just the idea and launch.

When clients came to me for consultations or when the filming team had discussions, I wasn’t just someone who took orders and executed anymore. Instead, I started to help them with project planning, thinking about potential risks, and offering solutions. This was my first step from thinking like a videographer to thinking like a project manager. This shift helped me build a solid reputation for my business, and before long, I started hearing people say things like, “Jason (Jiaci) can do it.” Whenever someone needed all kinds of video production services, people would recommend, “Jason can do it,” because I was always able to help clients tackle their wild ideas and offer workable solutions.

In my opinion, going from an idea to actually launching doesn’t require a dramatic process—it doesn’t need a ribbon-cutting or a party. What’s truly needed is the willingness to take on more responsibility and risk, and a desire for progress. Whether that desire is to help others, improve yourself, or make more money, as long as it’s strong enough, it can push you out of your comfort zone, even if you’re only taking small steps each time. Ultimately, it’s the gradual accumulation of these steps and the active assumption of responsibility that allows you to move beyond the idea phase and launch your business.

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?

As an experienced photographer and videographer, my craft goes beyond simply capturing moments—I tell stories through my lens, giving each frame deeper meaning. I specialize in a variety of areas, including fashion, events, product commercials, real estate, and food & cuisine. Over the course of my career, I’ve worked on projects of all scales, from filming interviews with Nobel Prize winners to shooting magazine covers for Harper’s Bazaar, and participating Fashion Weeks. I’ve also had the privilege of collaborating with industry icons like Katalin Karikó, Maye Musk, and Joe Won.

What people seem to appreciate most about my work is my editing style. I’m often told that my work is visually stunning, yet logically organized—rich in content, but beautifully composed. Clients enjoy working with me because I have an intuitive ability to understand their needs and accurately reflect their vision in my visuals. My work not only holds commercial appeal but also radiates artistic quality. In addition, I frequently include extra footage in the final deliverables, offering my clients additional content for their social media platforms.

I am deeply passionate about video production, which is why I don’t mind going the extra mile and delivering more than expected. This passion is likely what sets me apart and allows me to maintain long-term relationships with my clients. My dedication to my craft ensures that every project I touch reaches its full potential.

What I am most proud of is being a witness to great moments. I’ve watched countless individuals work tirelessly behind the scenes to perfect a fashion show, heard the bell ring at a NASDAQ IPO, and witnessed artists making profound sacrifices during their creative processes. I take immense pride in being part of these projects and witnessing the miracles that unfold behind the scenes. While these moments may seem small in the grand scale of history, for everyone involved, they embody the true essence of life’s meaning.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

The balance between aesthetics and business is a crucial yet subtle challenge in creative work. It’s not just about expressing artistic vision but also meeting the needs of clients or the market. After many years of working in the creative field, collaborating with countless clients, and running my own video business, I’ve come to understand how important it is to manage this balance. Non-creatives may find it difficult to grasp because they often focus solely on the end result—whether the work attracts attention, boosts sales, or meets business goals—while overlooking the internal challenges and efforts creatives face in the process. This is a common struggle I’ve seen many talented creatives experience.

The first key challenge is Client Needs vs. Creative Freedom. Clients often have clear business objectives and market-driven goals, expecting the work to directly serve their product or brand. These goals don’t always align with the creative’s artistic expression or aesthetic vision. As a creative, you have to find a way to satisfy the client’s needs while preserving your own style and artistic value. Achieving this balance requires constant communication, adjustments, and compromises to ensure the final result meets the client’s expectations while maintaining the integrity of your creative vision.

Secondly, to achieve commercial goals, creative work often needs to be simplified or made more direct to appeal to a broader audience. Non-creatives typically focus on “maximizing impact,” while creatives need to figure out how to make their work more accessible without losing its depth. At the same time, clients tend to prefer “safe” and “predictable” solutions, while creatives strive for innovation and originality. The real challenge is finding a balance where commercial needs are met without sacrificing the creativity and depth of the work. What non-creatives often misunderstand is that this balance isn’t about watering down the work—it’s about refining it so that it retains both artistic value and commercial effectiveness.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I’ve had to “unlearn” many habits ingrained in me through my upbringing in school and family, which have often caused struggles in my work. As we talk about my video production business and the journey from idea to execution, let me talk more about how I push myself to achieve goals quickly while avoiding overthinking and anxiety.

So, in many Asian families, we are often taught to “think twice before acting” as we grow up. This has shaped my habit of meticulously considering all potential risks and possibilities before making any decision. While this approach isn’t inherently wrong, it has, in many ways, inhibited my ability to make decisive choices and often led me into a spiral of anxiety and overthinking. So, this is one of the habits I’ve had to “unlearn.”

As for the backstory, when I first had the idea of starting my own video business, I received a lot of well-meaning advice from family and friends. The phrase I heard the most was like, “I just hope you’ve considered all your options.” Although their advice was well-intentioned, this undoubtedly made me more anxious, fear of the unknown, and worry about failure. I ended up reading numerous books on business and delved deep into honing my video production skills. But all of this kept me stuck in the “preparation” stage, and the step I had yet to take was still just the first one. Later, I realized that all those worries resolved themselves as things progressed.

In fact, many business owners I’ve spoken to have mentioned that, in most cases, they couldn’t predict whether their decisions would be successful or not. Success often depends on constant adjustments and learning from mistakes along the way. In other words, taking that first step is always more important than figuring out how to take it perfectly. Based on this understanding, in my journey of turning ideas into reality, I’ve always believed in “acting first, thinking later.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jcyan.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jcyan24?igsh=MTV2MTI2NXh1NWMyeQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcyan94/