Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Opinions expressed in this episode are personal. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this streaming platform.
[00:00:08] Speaker B: Good day, everyone, and welcome to another edition of let's Be Diverse. I am your host, Andrew Stout. This episode is dedicated to all my loved ones who supported me through this journey. Those who have left us will always be in our hearts and will never be forgotten. Today is an interesting topic. We're going to talk about the benefits of visibility as I think it's super important in today's world. We, whether you're a business owner or a huge organization is super important. My guest today is Jesse Shuk. Jesse, thank you so much for joining us today. I appreciate you taking the time to come on the show.
[00:00:42] Speaker C: Oh, Andrew, thanks so much for having me. What an incredible topic. I feel honored to chat with you about it.
[00:00:47] Speaker B: It is super, I think it's a super important topic and you were the person that I had along all the time to, to talk about. So I'm super excited.
How are things with you? What's going on? What's new? What's going on in your world? Give us the deets, give us the tea. Give us it all.
[00:01:03] Speaker C: The deets and the tea. Yeah, I, I'm actually battling a bit of a cold, so if I sound a little bit froggy, then that explains that.
But otherwise doing well and just keeping on with our business. We, I own a content creation agency, so we help folks do content creation and do it well and professional and get engagement and reach more people. And so yeah, I've been doing, I've been doing video since I was 10 years old and, and I love it. So I'm lucky to say that I, I get to do something I'm passionate about.
[00:01:41] Speaker B: That's a key word for me there, passion. I think when you're doing something, whether it's especially professionally, if you don't have the passion for what you do, you're just not going to give your all, you're not going to put your full emphasis in it. And when you do have the passion, you can just hear it and see it in the person's face and hear it in their voice and, and it's super important when, when you have that for sure. So it definitely sounds like you have it. And through all our, our conversations I could just tell that you do have the passion for what you do. So that's super important. So before we begin, I always have a fun thought provoking question to get my guests going. Are you ready for your sage, Essie?
[00:02:23] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:02:25] Speaker B: So your question is if you had A TV show. What name would the TV show be? And who would play you?
[00:02:33] Speaker C: Oh my goodness.
Who, what name would.
So the first thing that comes to mind is the modern day muse.
And maybe that's top of mind because I'm moving in a new direction and that's the name that comes to mind. And who would play me? I mean, the first person I thought of was Drew Barrymore because I've just been compared to her in personality and such, both quite quirky in nature and I was told I looked like her growing up. But then I also went to Charlize Theron because I think that she's just a very, very impressive actor. So I would say it would be one of those two people, but I think Drew Barrymore would probably nail it a bit better.
[00:03:36] Speaker B: Those are two good actresses for sure. I agree with you. I think the Drew Barrymore getting to know you and then seeing a lot of stuff that Drew Barrymore does, I think she kind of fits you a little bit more than, than Shirley. So. Yeah, I think you picked. I think you picked a good one there.
[00:03:53] Speaker C: Okay, excellent.
[00:03:55] Speaker B: Well, thanks for having fun with me. I really appreciate you doing that. Why don't we get into the nuts and bolts of this thing here and start off with you telling us a little about you yourself and of course your. Why.
[00:04:07] Speaker C: Yeah, me, myself. So I am an Edmontonian, born and raised. I grew up on an acreage just outside of the city. I grew up in and amongst the trees. So I love nature, I love being outside, I love camping because that gets me outdoors and we do a tremendous amount of it.
I was always very creative as a child. I was writing poems, so poetry and songs and I would listen to my yellow Sony Walkman through the woods and kind of come up with things.
And I started playing with my grandma and grandpa's VHS camcorder when I was quite young and started shooting commercials and music videos with my cousins. I was the second eldest of 11 grandkids. And so I fell in love with capturing content and performance at an early age. And in grade 12 I did an aptitude test and it said broadcast television. So everything felt really aligned. I went for a two year program and at 17 years old and by 19 I was graduated and working in my field.
So yeah, I was a television producer, director, on camera host for many years, over 20 to be exact. And I did everything, everything from filming oil and gas videos up in Fort McMurray where I was H2S trained and through to being an on air reporter, entertainment reporter for City TV and then the last eight years of my career before I started my business, I was the co executive producer on a television series that was multiple award winning, very gritty, very impressive TV show that you can actually find on Netflix and Amazon Prime.
[00:06:08] Speaker B: Oh, what was the name of the show?
[00:06:11] Speaker C: The show is called Blackstone and it takes place on a fictitious first nations reserve. And yeah, it was called the little show that could by a lot of industry folks in Canada. We were nominated for what is our Emmy of Canada for best Dramatic series and we won multiple Canadian screen awards which again is our Emmy. And we actually beat out Stargate SG1 in Vancouver at the Leo Awards one year for Best Dramatic TV Series. So we had about half the budgets of the big shows. But we're really, really creating waves with this television series.
Really ripping the rug up on first nations reserves. Challenges, issues and are of course heroes of the story were the new wave, the new generation that wanted to make change and heal and, and yeah, it was, it was a really phenomenal experience.
[00:07:13] Speaker B: It sounds, it sounds like it was and it sounds like you. Yeah, you knew from a very young age what you were. What you're going to do, it seems like, which is pretty cool. A lot of people haven't figured out a young age and there's a lot of people who actually start a career and then they've done different things or. I know myself, I wanted to be a, a gym teacher when I was in elementary school. I never ended up being a gym, A gym teacher, but that was something that I wanted to do and it's always because I getting into high school I really got to know and really like and admire the gym teacher in my high school and that was why I wanted to do it. But I just never did it and knew what you were going to do and knew you liked and ended up doing it. That's pretty cool.
[00:08:03] Speaker C: Yeah. For many, many, many years for sure. Yeah. And now I work with businesses to empower them to create content for their own brands.
[00:08:12] Speaker B: That's awesome.
[00:08:13] Speaker C: So kind of taking all of that skill set of over 20 years and I started my own business, Modern Muse and very much embody a muse. And in the work of content creation and the work of many things, my goal in life is to inspire people to rise up and see their own potential. Right. And so it's in many different forms, but with modernmuse media it's really in the form of content creation and how you can get comfortable in front of the camera and how you can start creating content to build your business and really expand your reach online.
[00:08:56] Speaker B: So you probably gave a little bit of a sneak peek of what your answer might be on this. But we're going to go in a little bit depth or a little bit deeper into it. So what I want to know is what is visibility and why is it so important?
[00:09:09] Speaker C: I think that for me, and this would be my own definition without really quickly Googling it here on my computer, visibility is the representation of our diverse humankind. I think it's incredibly important for people to be able to see themselves represented as it pertains for me in pop culture and media and in content and in different roles documented through history, because it gives permission be able to strive for that. And when I talk about this, I think of kids, right? I think of kids growing up and watching tv, I think of kids. And we are often inspired by someone doing something that we dream of doing.
And when you have that visibility, when you can see yourself in that role or playing that part or doing that thing like being the first female president, then suddenly that opens up the world to all of our dreams and all of our dreamers, which I think is so important for this world.
[00:10:25] Speaker B: It certainly is. And I love when you said that you know how, how you represent and how you're shown in. In different roles. You know, in an organization aspect, I. It's very important to be shown in your different role as well. I'm a huge believer in storytelling, and I'm sure in your business you think that this is very important as well, because we all want to hear about stories about different individuals. And like you, you talked about how you started out and where you began and where, you know, what brought you to where you are now. And people want to hear that stuff. So, you know, by being visible and creating your own visibility, you definitely gives you that opportunity to, to show yourself to different people in a different light.
[00:11:16] Speaker C: Yes, definitely. And I think a big part of that is also being vulnerable.
Big, huge part of it. And we're seeing a bit more and more of that. But people who share those stories about what they've been through and what they've been able to overcome and accomplish in the face of adversity or fear or doubt or other people's opinions.
Those are the stories that we continue to consume as content. I mean, you look at any of the Hero's Journey, you look at any of the Star wars or any, any, any story structure is us really seeking out mentorship, seeing that mentorship, that mentorship believes in us, that we can do this. And Then we are able to overcome.
And yeah, I think we all just continue to need to be inspired daily and with, with, through visibility. If we can see ourselves in that room, role of the hero in the hero's journey, then suddenly it becomes achievable for us because if they can do it, I can do it too.
[00:12:26] Speaker B: So in your experience of all your years working and now you're owning your own business now, and you're probably working with different businesses and organizations, trying to help them get out there, what is an example of good visibility?
[00:12:41] Speaker C: I don't, I'm not one to be a broad strokes person because I think that could be different for every organization as long as it exists, as long as there's awareness, as long as there's intention.
I also don't love the idea of tokenism. I'm gonna say the word. And that may rub people the wrong way. We give energy, we put power in words, but the actual definition of that is putting someone in a role because we know that we need or want to have more diversity within our team, but not because they're the best person for that role. For me, we have had a variety of different folks working here at Modern Muse. I've recently hired a content creator who's come on and she's also a facilitator and she has cerebral palsy. And so I didn't know that. I didn't know that when I hired her. I didn't know that when I brought her on. Then the first indication of is that we went to shoot a video and, and when I met her in person and she, you know, her hand is a bit, she doesn't have full use of her hand and, and so the way she operated the tripod, which she was able to, and it was fine, but it was because I hired her because she was the best person for that job. Right. And because she was and still is a go getter and I liked her personality.
And the same goes for the broad spectrum of folks that I've worked with here on the team. I mean, we've had people from Mexico and Chile and I mean, it's across the board, so. But the presence of diversity is very, very much important and needs to, I feel strongly find synergy with also hiring the best person with the best skill set.
[00:14:43] Speaker B: Yep. I definitely agree with you 100% on that a lot. You know, I feel like a lot of organizations are looking into the.
You're wanting those hard skills, but you definitely, I think the soft skills are becoming more and more important. And I think that comes from, you know, a year, a few years back of, you know, when we went through the pandemic and the world changed, and I think people and organizations looked at things a little bit differently. And you can definitely find somebody. Yes, we're not talking about high executives or what have you, but you can definitely find somebody that can fit roles that, you know, that have those soft skills that you're looking for, that can do the job you can, I'm sure you've. You feel like, or you felt like you could train her to do that job, but she just had that, those, the necessary, you know, she just had those soft skills that you just felt like, okay, she's gonna be a good fit. And I think that that's super important as well, you know, especially when you're thinking about a team dynamic and you're trying to put somebody new into that dynamic, and you already have that great synergy in your dynamic. You don't want to have somebody come in that's going to change that or, or make things a little bit more odd or difficult. So. I love that you said that. I really do.
[00:16:13] Speaker C: And I don't know if I answered your questions. I hope I did. You were asking about how, you know, how that looks in, in organizations, and I, and I. I think it looks different for each organization. And.
Yeah. Yep.
[00:16:28] Speaker B: I love it. I love it for sure.
And I do agree with you 100, that it's different for everybody. It's different for. It depends on what they're looking for. Depends on what, how they're trying to, what they're trying to be, wanting to be portrayed, how they want to get out there, what stories do they want to tell is kind of.
Would make it different for everybody, for sure. Do you, do you think that organizations ignore the importance of visibility? Visibility? Like, do you find that there have been companies who you've dealt with or deal with that, that find it or don't understand the importance of it?
[00:17:08] Speaker C: Yeah, of course, I would say. I would say. Of course.
I would also say in a very hopeful mindset that I see more and more conversation occurring about diversity and inclusion. I see more and more organizations have conversations or, you know, it's a part of systems and policies, or they're bringing in some consultants to work with them on what that looks like and how to best apply it in. In the organization. And so just seeing the amount of progress is very hopeful and, and that's, you know, I'm very optimistic about that.
[00:17:57] Speaker B: Yeah. Because, I mean, you could probably. I'm sure. You see, I mean, what is a better way than to have your company? If you're a company, or even whether you're an existing company or one that's starting out, what better way than to get yourself out there in different facets, but be visible and show yourself. That way, people are not just seeing you. You're reading an email from you, or a text message from you, or having a phone call from you. They actually see who you are. And that, for me, that's rapport building. So you're building rapport not just with people in your organization, but you're also building rapport with potential clients or people that you might collaborate with. So I would say it's would be very important as far as visibility goes.
[00:18:52] Speaker C: Yeah, I would agree. I would agree.
[00:18:54] Speaker B: So do you see a rise in visibility in 2025?
[00:18:59] Speaker C: I do, yeah. Yeah, I absolutely do. I know a few folks, clients, colleagues and such who work in the DEI space, and I see how busy they are becoming and how important that this is becoming. And I think most of all, taken seriously.
You know, I guess it reminds me of.
It reminds me of prior to the pandemic, I would be, you know, in a figurative sense, standing on the top of a skyscraper saying, everybody needs video. Everybody needs video. We're gonna all need video. We're gonna all need to understand video.
I could have never predicted the pandemic, but I was rappelling down that building to ground zero, helping a lot of organizations on how to figure their out, even if it was just to buy the equipment. What equipment to buy, how to set up your zoom screen, how to get good lighting. The same thing applies with dei. I think that there is.
There's always going to be resistance to anything, and it's because we fear what we don't know. And that's just human nature.
[00:20:15] Speaker B: Right.
[00:20:15] Speaker C: But I think that we're on ground zero and people are opening up their hearts and minds. People are understanding that a diverse business is a better business. It is for perspectives and ideation and creativity and productivity. And it's. Yeah. And so I feel like the reason why there's an increase with a lot of these consultants that I know and their workload is the curiosity and the desire to be informed on how they can apply that to their businesses. So I definitely think that there will be an increase in 2025. I definitely hope that there will be an increase in 2025.
[00:21:08] Speaker B: Yeah, I think that there's going to be an increase as well. I know myself being a podcaster, I talk about Podcasting quite a bit. And I talked, I mentioned storytelling quite a few times during this episode here. But I feel like people want, again, people want to hear stories about people and this is a great opportunity to get out there. And a lot of the ways that you're going to be visible, there are some ways that is going to be a little bit more costly, but there are some ways that you can do it that are very economical. But you're going to get yourself out there and, and you're going to be seen by people. And you mentioned a key word, one that I mentioned a lot is vulnerability. It is a great way to show your vulnerability and show yourself. And I think people love that people want to he, you know, people want to hear and see the vulnerable side of people. They don't want to just see the, you know, the, the money making side. They want to hear the, they want to hear the vulnerability side of people as well. And because we're all human, right? And I think people want to see that side for sure.
[00:22:28] Speaker C: Definitely. You know, there's that relatability, there's the inner struggle that we all go through. And when you see someone talking about going through, I mean, I can, I can relate to many chapters of my life. Going through divorce, going through the death of a mother, going through menopause, transition, which people hear me speak about a lot, being neurodivergent as a leader.
And when I start, when I talk more and more about those things and how I've navigated those walls waters, there's people in every single crowd going, oh my gosh, that's me struggling with this right now. And if she can overcome it, I can overcome it too. And I think we, yeah, we do need to talk about our adversity more. Not coming from a place of sitting in the adversity and sitting in the, in the victimness of it, but rather in the.
We can do so much more than what we even like in the realm of what we can even fathom.
[00:23:36] Speaker B: Right. For sure. For sure.
So what's one takeaway that you want the audience to get from this episode?
[00:23:45] Speaker C: That's such a good question.
I just be curious, you know, be curious if you, if you feel resistant energy to any of the things that we're having a conversation about, then there's probably room for growth there. I think resistance in our own self is often reflective of our own self work that needs to be done. It's oftentimes the things that you hear other people say or other people do that trigger you. Right. That are actually things in yourself that, that you maybe need to look at or work on.
Yeah, we are having kind, more kindness and grace and understanding never hurt anyone. No, ever.
So I think be curious about if where your resistance shows up.
[00:24:48] Speaker B: I love that being curious.
I, I, as far as visibility goes, I think it's super, super important.
It's again, it's a great way to get yourself out there, great way to talk to people, get great way to meet people and great way to tell your story and a great way to, to let people know exactly who you are and what, where you've come from, what you might have dealt with and what you're, you know, and the things that you're dealing with now. So if I had a call to action, I would definitely say to organizations and anybody listening to this episode today that, you know, if you have an opportunity to get yourself visible or create more visibility for yourself, I highly recommend it because you can know you can only be more happier to, to do that and you'll see such a big difference. Now I will add if you're going to be visible that you know, that's great. But make sure that you were passionate about your visibility. Don't just go on and just go through the motions and, and, and, and do it just to do it. Be excited about it and like I love your words. Be curious, be interested, be engaged in it and, and enjoy it and have fun with it. And people are going to see the difference in mattering. You will see the difference in yourself than if you were to just do it to go through the motions because you're just not going to enjoy it. And people are going to see that in you for sure and, and your message and it's just not going to come across as you would like. So that, that would be my call to action as far as visibility. Any final thoughts today?
[00:26:36] Speaker C: Yeah, I just, I love what you said about unique stories. You know, Andrew, we all have unique stories to share and ultimately by sharing with each other, we are going to impact each other and we are going to connect on a deeper level. And so, you know, I deal with people being so afraid of being, being visible, being so afraid of being seen right on a regular basis and I guess just the encouragement to know that you may, you may get judged. There are always going to be people out there who will judge and critique. They're doing it anyway. But you may inspire and you may provoke thought and you may connect and being visible takes courage. So I, you know, I dare you to be courageous and be more visible.
[00:27:33] Speaker B: Listen, I want to take the time to thank you for coming on today. I really enjoyed this conversation. I think it was super important. I think it was super valuable and I'm sure the message who the listeners, I think they got the point to what we're trying to tell say here.
You were or have been one of my favorite people that I connected with on LinkedIn from day one. You are. I just love the way that you put yourself out there and the way that you show yourself out there in especially on LinkedIn. And I just love your passion, your dedication for your, for your craft and what you do. And I'm super honored to have you on today and to have you as a connection. It's a, it's truly an honor and I really appreciate you and, and who you are. So thank you for that.
[00:28:24] Speaker C: Oh, thank you for the opportunity for these conversations. I welcome them. Welcome them always.
[00:28:30] Speaker B: You're very, very welcome. On behalf of myself and my guest Jesse, I'd like to thank you all for listening today. And until next time, be safe. And remember, everyone, that if we all work together, we can accomplish anything.
[00:28:43] Speaker A: You have been listening to. Let's be diverse with Andrew Stout to stay up to date with future content, hit Subscribe.
