We were lucky to catch up with Nada Khalaf-Jones recently and have shared our conversation below.
Nada, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
I’d been a journalist, scuba instructor, motorbike dispatch rider, marketing analyst and global traveler before I got to America and became a military wife, citizen, then a Mother to 4 one of them Down Syndrome! And settled in Key Largo – The First Key In Paradise!
My big inspiration is always knowing what extreme poverty and injustice looks like – it’s around us always – I was exposed to it during years of work abroad. The sadness and desperation u feel when leaving them, u sometimes can’t keep it in.
And only solution is to fire up inner hope for those kids, families. And you suddenly wonder why you are so lucky that your kids don’t end up ‘there’ where it seems so hopeless for so many.
That inspired me to keep telling stories. I am a traveling soul I got desperate quick when I realized I’d be ‘settling’ in one location after we had kiddos!
And solo parenting – challenges of life with a non stop global pilot hubby and hormonal roller coaster of one baby after another, in the space of 8 years –
“ I had to keep my head on straight and rescue myself! “
I found inspiration in the new people and stories in this environment of the Florida Keys – music, writing, blogging, drone and video turned into a great side hustle…which became this content creation business.
As a science nerd, career scuba instructor, United Airlines flight attendant and freelance Journalist I was great w multi tasking. Kids too.
Hubby got me a fancy ‘Journalism’ Apple laptop and in desperation – necessity IS the mother of invention – hit iMovie with a madness. It seriously was an obsession – one that only the steady climb out of post partum depression can deliver!
And so I became a master of video editing – self taught – in 6 months! Now I’m Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro and Davinci Resolve slayer!
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?
I loved athletics, the outdoors, science and art at school in Britain. After graduating from University of Ulster and some corporate work that paid well I took off world wide as a scuba instructor with a camera.
So when Drones turned up in 2016 I just gobbled the science and art side of that flying camera concept! Going up!!
At my British high school I was school year book photographer and editor. So the exposure I got sharing people’s experiences professionally translated – 20 years later into great Google Local Guides status once I started sharing in the Florida Keys!
That helped put me on the map, helped me realize the power of great photos and well written reviews – people loved it when I shared the exciting places in my travels. Florida Keys. Europe. London. South America. Japan. Jordan.
“The video editing got better and better. And the cameras too! As a globe trotting Mom of 4 learning to be a skilled hand with GoPro, Sony Alpha Cameras and DJI Drones – the quality of these cameras – the content produced – delivered better quality highly professional productions.”
In Florida my first paid work was for a district lawmaker, then a political candidate, then an Air Force Air & Space Show and so many Weddings, Real Estate films and action photo.
Drone photo and drone video was what put me above the rest. Literally! And where it all gained ground was offering Photo and Video. At the same Event! I had cameras for video and photo one in each hand!
The drones were ahead of their time and I adopted immediately…First Lady Drone Pilot in SoFlo in 2016 – this what flew me out of the gate! So to speak. Coupled with a deep understanding of SEO and marketing and writing I mean – SOMEBODY STOP ME!
Greatest strengths from me for clients is a good understanding of human nature, healthy dose of compassion and professionalism and love. Also honesty about my vulnerabilities.
I have 5 star reviews everywhere for a reason! I love everyone. Even the ones who don’t love themselves! Yeah. It’s true! And my DS kiddo shares that ‘love everyone’ lesson up my nose every day!
My ‘home based’ team has grown to include two fabulous video editors and two assistant photographers, a brilliant videographer second.
Between us we handle tiny elopements, and big weddings. Recently high school football has been the biggest ‘unpaid’ addiction – making those films for the students of the school – and teens going to hopeful D1 future and all the ones who just wanna see themselves play!
MOST proud of work ? The stuff done for LOVE – recent weight lifting meet video – features my two youngest girls – and all the great powerhouse teens who wanna succeed at lifting! I love that crowd!
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
The best method of staying up beat as a team I’ve found is to be dead honest and cut the ‘stress’ out of any delivery in front of others! I NEVER criticize someone in front of a client or their friends. It leaves lasting scars! Try to lead with the joyful, positive message no matter what.
Kids teach me every day that compassion and supportiveness is way better than ‘drill Sargent’s gonna bite my head of! That just makes people freeze up and shut down.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
So this business of mine Nada Khalaf-Jones Photo Film Drone LLC lives off of Google! IG. Twitter. WordPress. And the website nadakhalafjones.com but mostly the Key Largo Chamber Of Commerce!
But also a LOVE for humanity and knowing that I’ve never had to sell to anyone besides a client who has already found me! Because my work is good and when they see they want! There is competition but I’ve developed a multilevel system.
1) Create daily 2) throw away ego 3) uplift others 4) advertise through local social media and global 5) keep your Google My Business website up to date 6) Get reviews 7) blog and follow others who inspire you 8) MOVE with the market and tech. 9) stay in touch with the next gen of content makers
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nadakhalafjones.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nadajonesphotography
- Twitter: https://www.Twitter.com/nadajonesphoto
- Youtube: YouTube.com/nadajonesvideo
- Other: Vimeo.com/nadajonesvideo
Image Credits
Nada Khalaf-Jones