"The real challenge is to find a balance between the need for change and the need for stability."
Germán Ucar Tweet
Germán Ucar is a Videographer and Photographer who’s been featured on UK’s national television. Currently based in Manchester (UK), he has continued to serve international public speakers, entrepreneurs, small businesses and startups since 2018.
“My motto is to make sure my customers’ stories and brands shine brighter through the power of professional video and imaging”, Germán said. Engaging videos and digital content empower people to share their business ideas with a larger audience to make a more significant impact.
Photography is his second strong point, having worked with various TEDx organisers during his career. German’s work is characterized by its creativity, engagement, and persuasion. Whether you’re looking to capture your company’s essence or to showcase your products in the best light possible, his photography will exceed your expectations. His galleries have helped businesses position themselves as experts in their field, and his unique style will make your brand or business stand out from the competition.
Germán is also the co-founder of Bros in Mktg, a creative Video Marketing Agency that specializes in creating engaging and persuasive videos. From there, they support businesses of different sizes and sectors to promote their products and services online, harnessing the power of video content.
Some of his clients include businesses in the manufacturing industry such as Wogaard or Fastech Engineering, well-established startups such as Othership, Leslie Tech, or Whering, relevant charities for the Uxbridge community like SHOC or Trinity Homeless Projects, or renowned professionals in the Public Speaking sector such as Elliot Kay, Elaine Penhaul and his own brother Jose Ucar.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Germán Ucar: Hi and thank you. It’s a real pleasure to be here today and I’m excited about doing this interview!
I’m German Ucar, a videographer and photographer based in Manchester. I’m also the co-founder of Bros in Mktg, a video and digital marketing agency that specializes in creating engaging and persuasive videos. As the name implies, I co-founded the company with my brother in 2018. We support businesses of different sizes and sectors to promote their products and services online by harnessing the power of video content.
As for my personal background, I was born in Venezuela, in a small city in the east of the country called Cumaná. At the age of 14, we moved to San Sebastian, Spain where I spent my adolescence and part of my adulthood.
Back then, photography and videography were just hobbies. I enjoyed taking photos and videos of the sea, waves and surfing, which is one of my passions. And I liked filming and taking photos of my friends while surfing.
Prior to becoming a photographer and videographer, my professional journey went down a more common path. I studied and graduated as an Electrical Engineer in the Basque Country University. I always wanted to live in an English-speaking country, and my brother had already been living in the UK for a while, so the decision was made for me to move there and then we decided to start Bros in Marketing.
Videos are a powerful marketing tool and businesses are increasingly in need of producing videos for their marketing and sales strategies. We work with all sorts of companies from charities, SMBs and corporations.
It seems that I cannot escape my past and so we’ve also worked with businesses in the manufacturing industry such as Wogaard or Fastech Engineering. Our clients also include, coaches, public speaking professionals, and successful and established startups such as Othership, Leslie, EcomPilot and Whering to name a few.
Oh, and I’m humbly proud that a video that I created for SportWorks was featured on national television on SkyTV at the ‘Sport Gives Back Awards’, which I think is a pretty cool story to tell.
2020 and 2021 threw a lot of curve balls into business on a global scale. Based on the experience gleaned in the past couple years, how can businesses thrive in 2022? What lessons have you learned?
Germán Ucar: I’ve learned that in order to succeed, you need to be adaptable and flexible! Flexibility I’d say is the key to success. Being able to pivot to avoid some of those curveballs will allow businesses to overcome difficult situations, whether they are internal or external.
The good thing about the current market is that it has made businesses more resilient and aware of what they need to do to succeed in the face of adversity. Businesses understand that they need to adapt and change with the changing world. Learning from past mistakes and adapting to today’s needs is fundamental.
For example, in the past, companies would focus on one product or service and try to dominate the market with it. Today, businesses are more aware of their strengths and weaknesses and are able to pivot in order to get ahead in the market.
That was certainly the case with my business, videography is a very interactive medium and so I needed to think of ways that I could still keep my business going while keeping my family and clients safe.
At the beginning of the lockdowns, I have to say I was a bit scared about what would happen with my marketing and video production business. But everything going online was actually a blessing! Because many of the people who lost their jobs and started their own businesses, needed support with digital marketing and content creation and consequently, my business grew!
The pandemic seems to keep on disrupting the economy, what should businesses focus on in 2022? What advice would you share?
Germán Ucar: In the past, businesses were disrupted by technological advancements and now they need to learn from the pandemic. The best way to prepare is to learn from the past so that in the future, we will be better prepared for another major pandemic. Businesses should focus on investing in preventative care and pandemic readiness to be better prepared for the next unexpected event.
They should focus on acquiring new skill sets, building a team that is diverse in thought and having an open dialogue about what’s next. Invest in having a strong position online! I have taken this from the past 2 years. Branding and digital marketing have to play a key role from now on. It doesn’t really matter what your sector is because every industry will benefit from being online.
It’s important for businesses to understand that the future is unpredictable and it’s important to stay on top of trends.
How has the pandemic changed your industry and how have you adapted?
Germán Ucar: As mentioned before, It’s all about being flexible and knowing when to pivot and in which direction.
For my industry, the pandemic was ironically beneficial. Don’t take me wrong, it’s been a hard time for, I’d say everyone and every business. But, it turned out that many businesses were created and were remote, online! If you think, a huge percentage of companies, conventional and more innovative ones, are offering hybrid roles to their employees which was kind of a taboo proposal in many industries. Now it seems feasible, effective and sustainable.
In the age of social media, the pandemic has had a significant impact on our industry. We have adapted by focusing more on the things that really make the difference and create an impact out there, such as videos. I started reaching out to more businesses offering our video production and digital marketing services and found that the demand was actually higher than I imagined at first.
What advice do you wish you received when the pandemic started and what do you intend on improving in 2022?
Germán Ucar: I wish I had been told to focus on the basics. The pandemic has caused a lot of disruptions in the market and it was hard to predict what would happen next. What I learned is that it’s important to have a plan for the worst-case scenario. This way, if things don’t go as planned, you’ll be able to recover quickly.
As a business owner, there are a lot of stressors that we have to manage between balancing business and family life, the pandemic just added a whole other level. Also, something the pandemic taught us, or at least me, was to focus on the things that make life worth living! Your family, friends, physical and mental health.
Lastly, it is important to take into account the fact that not everyone has the same idea of what success means to them. The most important thing is knowing your strengths and weaknesses and finding out what you are good at. You should also be aware of your limitations and be able to communicate them to others.
Work on your personal development, mental health, improving communication, polishing your message, and your professional skills.
In 2022, I want my business to be a shining example of how it’s possible for a company like ours to succeed in this unpredictable economy.
Online business surged higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for 2022?
Germán Ucar: As mentioned before, I think the situation during these past two years has made the remote work movement possible. The internet has made it easier for people to find information about what they want and where they want it, in other words, to find you and your business! I think online businesses will keep growing and remote working will definitely be part of our lives from now on.
There will be a lot of new players coming into the market and they will offer better products and services at lower prices. This may cause further disruption in the industry as many companies will have to adapt and make changes to their business model in order to remain competitive.
How many hours a day do you spend in front of a screen?
Germán Ucar: That’s a good question…The average person spends about six hours a day in front of screens. This includes phones, tablets, laptops, and TVs.
With my line of work, I’m forced to sit in front of the screen, I would say on average for about 8 to 10 hours on a typical working day. When I’m editing, it will easily be longer, maybe 12 hours or so, depending on how close the deadline is. I’m fortunate that my work takes me out of the office often and so I’m outside shooting and interacting with clients.
It is very important for people to take periodic breaks from their screens and look at other things in order to avoid eye strain and stress.
The majority of executives use stories to persuade and communicate in the workplace. Can you share with our readers examples of how you implement that in your business to communicate effectively with your team?
Germán Ucar: Storytelling plays a big role in my work. Stories are an excellent way to persuade and communicate because they help us make sense of the world around us.
A recent study found that companies who use stories in their marketing have a 37% higher conversion rate than those who don’t use them, so storytelling is vital to marketing efforts and also very important for videos. A good story with the right structure and length will raise impressions and engagement rates.
A good story is not just a sequence of events, it’s also about the emotions that people experience as they go through those events. And when it comes to communicating with my team and clients, stories can be an effective way to make them feel something.
A good example is the story of my life! From an employee in a foreign country to successfully creating a business in the UK! It’s a story of resilience and overcoming the odds, and it sends the inspiring message that if you really want to do it, you can do it!
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as the real challenge right now?
Germán Ucar: The real challenge is to find a balance between the need for change and the need for stability. This balance is crucial because it impacts how resilient a business is and how quickly it can respond to incoming opportunities.
In 2022, what are you most interested in learning about? Crypto, NFTs, online marketing, or any other skill sets? Please share your motivations.
Germán Ucar: I’m very interested in learning more about the various AI applications which, if used wisely, can help businesses to get ahead of the competition. Also, technology is moving at such a rapid pace that you need to follow it closely, to keep up.
Looking for innovative solutions, and approaches to doing things will make the difference and will keep you in constant development and positively evolving! So I think it’s very important to keep learning and growing and to be able to be flexible and adapt to all the changes that are coming!
A record 4.4 million Americans left their jobs in September in 2021, accelerating a trend that has become known as the Great Resignation. 47% of people plan to leave their job during 2022. Most are leaving because of their boss or their company culture. 82% of people feel unheard, undervalued and misunderstood in the workplace. Do you think leaders see the data and think “that’s not me – I’m not that boss they don’t want to work for? What changes do you think need to happen?
Germán Ucar: The future of work is changing and the workplace needs to change also. I think with the pandemic, people realized that life is short, things can change in an instant, and that company loyalty may not be reciprocated. Also, wages have not kept up with inflation… the list goes on and on.
So I believe that there needs to be more focus on work-life balance. This means that employees should be able to take time off whenever they need it, without having to worry about how it will affect their career or paycheck. Again, it’s about flexibility and corporations need to adapt and give more flexibility to their employees.
On a lighter note, if you had the ability to pick any business superpower, what would it be and how would you put it into practice?
Germán Ucar: By definition, a business superpower, I think is the one thing that makes your company unique and differentiates it from others. It’s what makes your company stand out in the market.
I like to think that the superpower of my company is to be a “connector”. We connect people to opportunities, resources, and services that they may not know about, through video storytelling. As such, we help our clients effectively communicate their messages and create an impact in the marketplace.
What does “success” in 2022 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
Germán Ucar: Success for me in 2022, I think will be a measure of how much I am living life on my own terms, business growth and personal development. Also, spending more time with the people that I care about. This is something that cannot be measured really.
It’s about finding balance and happiness in my work and personal life. Having the freedom to pursue my passions, whether it be cooking or reading. My vision of success also includes making a difference in the world through my work and other contributions to society.
Jerome Knyszewski, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Germán Ucar for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Germán Ucar or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
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