Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chance Saechao. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Chance, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Growing up I’ve always had a creative side. Whether it was drawing it art books, animating on my DS, or filming short films on my ipod touch, I’ve always found myself gravitating towards art. All throughout my years in school, I got good grades, and always found myself looking for leadership roles to help others. I eventually learned that I excelled in the classroom not because I was book smart. In fact it was far from that. But it was the fact that I was able to connect and empathize with people on a level that I found different than my peers, and I worked endlessly hard on anything I set my mind to. It wasn’t until until my junior year of high school when I first grabbed mom’s cheap Costco DSLR camera – that she would use to film my soccer games – and starting filming on my own. I tried every industry. From real estate, to retirement homes, to weddings, to music videos, to narrative short films, all the way to e-commerce ads. I started asking to do everything for free because I had fun doing it, and eventually – when I found my groove – started charging $50-$100 here and there. By the time I got to college I came into it thinking I wanted to pursue a career in engineering (because that’s what was considered “successful” in my family). By this point I knew I wanted to have a career in the creative industry, but until I could prove to myself that it was possible to be successful and excel at that, I continued a path in engineering
To balance the school life, and still have a crack at being a full time creative, at Oregon State University I took engineering courses, had 2 part time jobs – one as a video producer for the department of engineering, and a video producer for the college of economics – had a video internship with the college of athletics, and still tried to make a living doing freelance video production.
Eventually, once my video production career started kicking off, I came to the conclusion that I didn’t want to be an engineer at all. I switched my major to the college of business (to learn the business side of video production), and left my part time jobs when my freelance life was able to compensate for the profit I would be losing.
I found myself gravitating more towards narrative storytelling. My favorite were narrative commercials and documentaries. The problem was I had no idea how I was going to make a career out of it. So instead, while doing all the busy work that checked off the paychecks in my video production life, I started to do narrative commercials and documentaries for free. Funded entirely on my own. And it was through this medium that I found my true purpose. My ability to connect and empathize with others allowed me to effectively tell their stories. And my persistent work ethic and drive pushed me to expand my creative skillset to illustrate their stories visually.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I help illustrate brand vision through the lens of a camera. For the past five years I’ve worked on creative projects creating promotional, commercial, and documentaries for companies and brands around the US! Having worked for clients such as Amazon Prime Student, Bose, and The United State Air Force, my diverse portfolio of content has allowed me to help companies and brands market and scale their businesses.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. Selflessness is a big thing for me. I learned to promote and support other’s before you judge them, you’re support can go a long way in helping others chase their own dreams – and in turn – can help bring you one step closer to achieving your own.
2. Fast track your career with mentors. I always looked to take advice from people in places where I wanted to go, and ignored the critiques from people who were in places that I couldn’t envision myself in
3. Fail fast and try everything. I didn’t get to where I was because I stayed in my comfort zone. I achieved what I have because I was obsessed with the art and the future I wanted to create.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
I think the number one challenge for me right now is finding the balance. Sometimes when you’re chasing your dreams it can kind of feel like you’re on an island of your own that other’s cannot understand. There were many times I had to miss out on life experiences that others had before me. But I chose to miss out not because I thought I was better than that, but because at that moment I felt so clear headed on where I wanted to go that I was willing to do the work to get there.
At this point in time, I’ve learned that the creative world works in waves. Sometimes you have to sprint before you can walk for a while and that’s okay. The family and friends closest to you will stay no matter what. And the relationships you build, the meaningful ones, will know that in order for you to achieve your dreams you have to make sacrifices. But I just make sure that I make time for both myself and these valuable people because a dream feels a lot better when you have good people to share it with.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://chancesaechao.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ckstudiio/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chance-saechao-50aa4b207/
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