"Double down on marketing."
Kerry Barrett is an Emmy® Award-Winning Anchor who turned a paralyzing fear of public speaking into a multi-decade career in broadcast journalism for internationally renowned media institutions like NBC, ABC and Fox TV stations. Now she helps coaches, consultants, business owners and service providers break through mindset issues and cultivate their video X-factor, or what she calls Video IQ (VIQ).
Kerry is a dynamic, engaging and fun personality, but don’t be fooled, she also understands how to offer simple, tactical and practical tips that anyone can implement to get better at video. In fact, her mission in life is to show everyone just how powerful and easy video can be. Kerry’s notable accolades include a first-place award with the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), an Emmy® Award in Breaking News, and an RTNDA Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence.
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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.
Kerry Barrett: My name is Kerry Barrett. I started my business about three years ago. (With zero business background. Someone asked me how I planned to scale, and I had to look up what “scale” meant!)
I teach business owners, service providers, coaches, consultants to create and leverage compelling video for all stages of their funnel, not just social. That means landing pages, webinars/masterclasses, video emails, livestreams, video podcasts, digital ads, etc.
I have 20 years of experience as an Emmy and Telly award winning TV news anchor and show host. I also teach my clients to absolutely crush their on-camera delivery so they have consistency in messaging, leverage visibility and optimize all their video platforms.
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?
Kerry Barrett: There’s nothing like video, especially authentic, *non* highly-produced video to establish a personal brand. Businesses need to double down on video marketing. And if your face is the one your client sees during their service, your face is the one they need to see on camera.
A lot of businesses start and stop with social media when it comes to video marketing. If that’s what you do, you’re missing out on 95% of the opportunities video provides. I’m not a savvy email marketer, nor am I an expert at landing page design. Yet, my emails have a 50% open rate, and my landing pages convert at about 60%. Because I use video.
And I know how to give my viewers an experience when they watch. If you’re not using your video to give your viewers an experience, you’re also missing out. Giving them an experience is how you create superfans.
If you’d like to learn more about how to deliver on camera and a get a video use leverage checklist, check out:
The pandemic seems to keep on disrupting the economy, what should businesses focus on in 2022? What advice would you share?
Kerry Barrett: Video. If you know what you’re doing, you can use video to work outside of your available hours and beyond your available network. Businesses that use video grow 50% more quickly than those that don’t. If you can use your videos to provide insight to your clients and potential clients you’re going to crush your competition that doesn’t. But if your competition is using video and you’re not.. you’re going to eventually be squished like a bug.
How has the pandemic changed your industry and how have you adapted?
Kerry Barrett: The pandemic made the more progressive companies understand the importance of video and digital body language and learning how to deliver on camera. Unless you are providing a physical service (HVAC installation, for example) there is zero reason to limit yourself to your own geographic location.
But that also means you’re going to have clients you will likely never meet in person. You need to optimize anything you do on camera (and quite frankly, do more video) to nurture the relationship. The pandemic has provide me and other businesses opportunities, if you know how to reach them and provide for them.
What advice do you wish you received when the pandemic started and what do you intend on improving in 2022?
Kerry Barrett: Double down on marketing. The great thing about video is that if you have a system and you’re decent on camera, it’s effective and efficient to make. And you likely already have everything you need to make it.. a face, phone and voice.
Online business surged higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for 2022?
Kerry Barrett: If you don’t adapt to this model, you’re going to die. I have financial advisors who can’t bring anyone into their pipeline because they don’t know how to host a decent webinar, or nurture with video. Yet they are resistant to trying anything virtually. I’m not sure what to tell you… your competition isn’t even local anymore. You have competition from small financial advisors from west to east coast.
If you’re not willing to adapt, (your younger potential clients are finding their service providers on YouTube), you should be ready to start cutting back.
How many hours a day do you spend in front of a screen?
Kerry Barrett: 8. But often, I’m recording videos.
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?
Kerry Barrett: I don’t have a team.. it’s just me. But, I use story-telling my videos all the time. Explaining a concept, or challenge. Storytelling stays with people. But people get caught up in it. Story is basically, here’s point A, here’s point B. The story is how you got from one point to the next.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as the real challenge right now?
Kerry Barrett: Capitalizing on all the opportunity. Looking ahead of the curve to see what is next.
In 2022, what are you most interested in learning about? Crypto, NFTs, online marketing, or any other skill sets? Please share your motivations.
Kerry Barrett: Strategy. As I mentioned, I have no business experience. I know nothing about running a business. That may even be a generous description. My clients have come to me based on the videos I put out. I’d like to have more scaling (I know what that word means now) strategy.
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?
Kerry Barrett: Its very simple. Don’t be an a$hole. Your employees want flexibility. Most of them probably do not need to be in the office. Airbnb has 82 positions open as of this writing. Then they announced they would allow their employees to work from home and have flexibility. They had something like 350,000 applications.
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?
Kerry Barrett: I would want to know what my customer is really thinking about video. I know the fears, because I had them. I had a debilitating fear of even speaking to a small group of people, then I became an Emmy and Telly winning TV news anchor and show host. In the apex market of NYC.
I know where my baggage came from. Everyone has baggage about being on-camera. It’s the exact same fear as the one we have about public speaking. But many people don’t know exactly where it comes from. I always say I’m a bit therapist, a bit coach. If I knew the source of the baggage, I could get to the problem quicker.
What does “success” in 2022 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
Kerry Barrett: Success means 4-day work weeks, more time with my kids, more sleep. It’s that simple, honestly.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Kerry Barrett 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 Kerry Barrett or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
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