I’m filming the stories of 40 founders over 40.
You’re invited to a unique and cinematic, one-of-a-kind founder story experience.
One 60-second film by an Emmy award-winning director.
One professional portrait by an expert photographer.
Flawless makeup by a professional makeup artist.
Why founders over 40
By 40, most founders have built something real. Clients who trust you, a reputation that travels by word of mouth, and a way of doing the work that took years to figure out.
But outside that circle, almost no one knows. Referrals bring the next client, until they don’t. And the content that’s supposed to fix it either eats your week or doesn’t sound like you.
What people remember is why you do the work, told in your own words. That’s the part that rarely makes it onto a website or social.
So I want to sit down with 40 of you and get it on camera.
What you walk away with
| A 60-second founder story filmA documentary-style interview that tells your story in your own words. Professionally directed, filmed and edited. | $2,500 |
| Professional portraitsMagazine-ready, retouched, and unmistakably you. The photos that finally match the leader you’ve become. | $550 |
| Professional makeupCamera-ready, flawless, and still you. Walk onto set looking and feeling like a star. | $450 |
| Total value | |
| Your price as one of the 40 | $998 |
Limited time invitation
Week of November 30
One day. Three experts. All you.
Professional makeup by Yana
Flawless makeup by Yana, a professional makeup artist for over 20 years. She’s done makeup for television, film and celebrities, has worked with NBC, CBS and TLC, and is a licensed esthetician. Polished or natural, it’s your call. Just arrive with a bare face.
Portrait session with Micaela
Your chance to have a portrait that shows who you are now, after everything you’ve built. Retouched and ready for your website, LinkedIn, press and speaking. Micaela has spent more than 20 years behind the lens, and her sessions are “guided, never forced,” so you relax and look like yourself.
Your 60-second founder story film
A 60-second film of you telling your story in your own words. It’s directed by an Emmy award winner with 25 years of experience and shot by a professional crew with professional cameras, lighting and audio. A second camera films behind the scenes. Edited, color graded and delivered within two weeks.
Additional photographs, videos and products available for purchase.
How it works
Apply
A few questions about you and your business. About two minutes.
Reserve your session
If it looks like a good match, you’ll go straight to checkout.
Consultation
Before your shoot, we talk about how YOU want to be photographed and filmed and what story we’re telling. We’ll plan your wardrobe and makeup too: colors, fit and what to bring, so you walk in knowing exactly what to expect.
Shoot day
About two hours in a private studio in San Diego, the week of November 30. Makeup with Yana, then your documentary-style interview with me, then your portrait session with Micaela, about 30 to 45 minutes each. You’ll get the studio details once your date is set.
Video & image reveal
Within two weeks of your shoot, we’ll get on a Zoom call to reveal your finished film and a selection of your best images. You choose your complimentary portrait, and you can order more portraits, social cuts, a longer website edit or your raw footage.
This is for you if you…
- do great work, your clients know it, and strangers have never heard of you
- get most of your clients from referrals, and you’re tired of waiting for the next warm intro
- didn’t spend years mastering your craft to become a full-time content creator
- hired someone to write your content, and it didn’t sound like you
- paid an agency and got a template and a monthly report instead of clients
- would rather let the work speak, because self-promotion feels fake
- feel awkward and anxious in front of a camera
- wonder if it’s too late to put yourself out there
Who’s behind the camera
Nervous on camera? Most people are. You won’t be doing this alone.
Rick
DirectorRick is an Emmy award-winning director with 25 years of experience, including 20 years at NBC and Telemundo. Today he runs Etopia, a storytelling and marketing agency in San Diego. He has spent his career directing people on camera, and he’s the one asking the questions in your interview.
Yana
Makeup artistYana has been a professional makeup artist for 25 years, doing makeup for television, film and celebrities, and has worked with NBC, CBS and TLC. She’s also a licensed esthetician. After turning 40 herself, she made it her mission to help women over 40 figure out what works on their face now.
Micaela
PhotographerMicaela was born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden, and bought her first camera, an analog Canon, while traveling through Mexico in 2003. More than 20 years later, she’s a San Diego brand and portrait photographer for entrepreneurs, creatives and business owners. Her sessions are “guided, never forced.” In her words: “Come as you are. Be seen, fully.”
Keep being seen
Packages start at $1,818.
Raw footage
Every minute we film, unedited: your full interview plus all the behind-the-scenes footage. Use it for future edits, hand it to your own editor, or keep it as the complete record of your story.
Your portrait of choice + additional portraits
Your first digital portrait is on us (a $295 value), chosen at your reveal and yours to use anywhere: your website, LinkedIn, press kits, speaking bios and print. Want more? Additional retouched portraits from your session are available, so you have the right image everywhere you show up.
Social cuts
Short vertical edits cut from your interview and made for Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts and LinkedIn. Your story in your own words, ready to post.
Private makeup lesson with Yana
One-on-one time with Yana. She shows you how to recreate your look at home with what’s already in your makeup bag, what to keep and what to change. Learn it from a makeup artist with 25 years of experience. After turning 40 herself, Yana made it her mission to help women over 40 figure out what works on their face now, and she teaches it in The Over-40 Makeup Method.
Website & long-form edits
A longer version of your story for your homepage, About page or sales page, where people decide whether to trust you. Also available as a cut for talks, pitches and press kits.
Mission 2 Message: monthly marketing
Keep showing up long after shoot day. Every month we film one session with you and turn it into 12 short, documentary-style reels. Captions and hashtags are written for you, and every post is scheduled on your content calendar. You keep running your business, and your story keeps reaching the people it’s meant for. Founding partner rate, 3-month minimum.
There’s no obligation.
Your film and portrait are yours either way.
Questions people ask
I’m not comfortable on camera. Is that a problem?
No. Most people aren’t. The interview is a conversation, and I direct you through it. You don’t memorize anything.
Why is this $998 when it’s normally $3,500?
Because I want to tell these 40 stories, and this is how founders get to know how we work. Some will want to keep going afterward. If you don’t, you keep everything.
What should I wear?
Your favorite outfit: a dress, a suit, a shirt, a coat, even a hat. Solid colors work best on camera. Arrive with a bare face, and Yana takes it from there.
Where does the shoot happen, and how long is it?
In a private studio in San Diego. You’ll get the details once your date is set. Plan on about two hours.
Is it refundable?
No. Your $998 reserves your session and isn’t refundable.
You are the one we have been waiting for.
If you’ve built something and the story behind it deserves more than a line on your About page, apply below. I’d like to hear it.