Talofa lava and welcome to Behind the Lava Lava Business Spotlight, where we highlight businesses and nonprofits that are making a difference in our community. I'm your host, Michael Tan. And today I'm joined by my wife, Samantha. In this segment, we placed a person behind the business, giving them a platform to share their unique experiences and connect with a wider audience.
Our goal is to promote these businesses and give them the visibility. They deserve. Our show is brought to you by Matai watches, a luxury timepiece brand that embodies the essence of the Pacific islands. Whether you're searching for a practical watch to wear in your everyday life, or a stylist accessory that compliments your relaxed island vibe.
Matai. Has got you covered. This is behind the lava lava. Let's get started today. We're excited to introduce Analei Samase'i'a, the founder and CEO of Think Brilliantly, a marketing and creative agency. They specialize in helping businesses of all sizes from startups to multimillion dollar companies, improve their brand, showcase their products and achieve their desired success.
Welcome, Analei.
Thank you, Michael, for having me. Thank you, Samantha.
Can you tell me about yourself, where you're from, your family and where you grew up? Sure. I am born and raised in California. In fact, we live in California. lived in California. I've lived in California my entire life. I've only been in Utah three years. We just had our third year anniversary.
I am married to my wonderful husband Blair, and we have two kids of our own, Chad and Savannah. And then we always, I always say we have our other kids, Michael, Raymond, Tasha, and Karina, and they are my husband's cousin's kids that we helped co parent, and we You know, we love them. We always call them our other kids.
So all together, we'll have six. And then we have our grandkids, everybody all together. And then, you know, all of our kids are all adults. So Blair and I have two dogs at home with us. So can you tell us about your business and what services you offer? Sure. Thank you. My company is Think Brilliantly. We are a marketing and creative agency.
We offer a lot of different services. Primarily, we offer video. , production for TV, uh, TV commercials, um, social media ads. We do, uh, product videos, products, photography, lifestyle, photography, graphic design, trade show events, organization, public relations management. We also have little side nuances that we do as well.
So if you have a product that you're looking to get into retail, we can introduce you to sales groups that sell into retail stores like Target or Walmart. And we can make those introductions and they can see if your product is viable at retail. Also, if you have just invented a product and you need help prototyping or finalizing and kind of getting those final tweaks, we work with industrial designers to help you with that.
So we offer an array of different services. So I like to take things back to the beginning, the origins. How did this business start? Well, uh, funny enough, it was, uh, I, it's kind of been my career. I kind of stumbled into the career of marketing. , I hadn't, I'd only been in sales. This was when I was quite younger, so I'd only done inside sales before.
And, . I had been hired into a company that was doing, like a, a two wheeled skateboard called the wave. And they said, Hey, do you want to do marketing? I said, never done it before, but okay. And my career just kind of rolled off from there. , so it naturally happened when the pandemic hit and I was laid off from my current job.
You know, the factories that stop producing. . There was nothing going on within the industry. And so, but they hired me back as a consultant then I kind of realized that there is. for this, for this niche. There is a need for, , people to continue to do this. So that's how I think brilliantly started.
And what made you come up with the name? Think brilliantly. You know what? You're always trying to find something that, um, works right. You want it. I had so many different names, like so many different names and, , I was just thinking about it and I was like, but we want people to think so intelligently, like think brilliantly.
We want them to be like, okay, it's brilliant. It's wonderful. And that's kind of how the name started. Yeah, it, I find it very hard to, to pick a name for a business. , it took me . Maybe two days, I can't, I can't, it was stuck in my mind trying to come up with a name for the podcast and it was probably the same with you trying to come up with a name of your business.
Uh, it stays with you until you, you actually put it out there and yeah. And you try to be unique and different and stand out from other people. So what makes your business unique and different from others who are in the same industry as you are? Well, I think one of the things that makes us so different is that I can do everything in house.
I have a production crew in California who are fantastic. , I've worked with my creative director for gosh, 17 years now. And my producer and my DP, my director of photography, I've worked with them for 10 years and they are incredibly talented so we can do everything in house, whether that's video production, photography, we do all of our editing in house VFX, uh, animation, , stop motion graphics, even drone, extreme drone.
We can do that as well. , so it's really fantastic. I. And I do everything else myself, the marketing, the PR, trade shows and events. I handle that all from my house here in California. So I don't have a huge overhead. I don't have an office. My crew is freelance. So I am able to, you know, really be hands on.
If a client needs to change directions very quickly, we can do that. There's not a whole lot of red tape. We can pivot and make sure that we're, we're attacking the client's needs, directly and, um, You know, and I can pass my savings on to my clients.
Who is your target audience and how do you cater to their needs? My target audience is basically anybody who needs my services. So my. production crew has worked in various industries. I myself have worked in multiple industries. I've done kids toys, I've done action sports, , my producer has shot music videos.
He has produced, , you know, VRBO, he's done McDonald's, he's done Bacardi. My DP is the number one pet director. So any in the United States, so any kind of pet commercial you've seen, whether it's Purina or Tidy Cats. He's shot it probably. So there is not one industry that isn't available to us. Like we have been able to really reach out and touch any industry.
And starting off and you could talk about your current. Problems that you're facing, what are some of the biggest challenges that you've faced so far as a business owner? Yes, as a business owner. I think the initial startup I was really lucky because I've had experience with startup companies in the past So I saw I sort of knew what to do, but not You know, getting new clients is always tough, understanding like tax liabilities and making sure like my, uh, liabilities insurance is up and my workman's comp is up, you know, all that kind of stuff.
So that's, that's a lot of things that, , is challenging when you are a small business owner.
How do you measure the success of your business? I measure the success of my business, I guess, a couple of different ways. So one, how happy my clients are. , if they're repeat clients, which I'm happy to say that, um, I've had 100%, 100 percent repeat clients.
Um, how happy my crew is. We've been together for a long time and we're still friends, thankfully, so, um, that's good. The. Response that our work gets from consumers and other businesses, the reputation that we have within our industry. So whether it is like a wardrobe stylist or a hair and makeup or, , you know, talent agencies or studios, you know, they're all really happy to work with us.
So that to me makes it very successful. can you share some stories about your success with any clients or just. , just a successful stories of your business. Well, I have, , one client that I used to work for this company called Yvolution and the,, our Asian country manager, he, he and I became good friends.
Um, and a few years ago he contacted me and said, Hey, I have a factory here in China that is looking to, , put their products in the United States. They want to open up an Amazon shop. Can you talk to them? So we had a Skype call with him. . I was trying to explain to him, you know, how things work here in the United States.
They were still kind of skeptical, , but they decided to give us a shot. So they agreed to do one video with us and now two years later and eight videos later, I'm really happy to say they've been repeat customers to us. We're already planning for. 2024 we, they have a very successful storefront on Amazon where they've been able to have sell through because of the assets we've created for them.
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Analei, can you elaborate more on, , Your corporate career a little bit. Yeah, thanks. I started my corporate career, gosh, years and years and years ago. I started out as an inside sales rep. So I just, you know, I did that for a couple of years, just making phone calls, um, out of the office. And then I got hired on to a startup company.
Literally was like two rooms and they had a brand new product that they were bringing out that two action board called the wave. And I was doing inside sales for them too. , their marketing director left and they hired somebody new and he asked me, you know, as we were, you know, kind of passing in the hallway, he said, Hey, have you ever done marketing?
I said, Nope, don't even know what it is. So he said that he needed some help. So I kind of, I transitioned over to, to marketing and started out, with experiential marketing. That means marketing with an experience. So it's something that you can hold, touch, taste. That kind of stuff. , and they were creating a school program for this action board.
Um, so we just started out in Orange County, going to a couple of schools. So I had that up and then as it became more and more popular, we just expanded. And so within a year's time I had it nationwide and we had 50, instructors or instructors across the United States. I had a team of 13 in house that I was managing.
, And it just kind of evolved from there. So once we decided to pull back on experiential marketing and in the United States, um, I was able to transition to do, to teach our international dealers how to do a school program in their countries to help us sell through. And then for the U S I started moving towards learning how to do media buying.
Um, we started, Buying media on channels like Nickelodeon, Disney, uh, Cartoon Network. So I got educated on how to do that. Then they needed somebody to run the production department. So I kind of got thrown into that too. So I started running production with videos and photography. Then I kind of expanded into PR and trade shows and events.
So then eventually. I moved on and my other company, Yvolution, that I worked with, again, brand new startup, the owner started in his bedroom and then hired me. I worked from my apartment in Redondo Beach, so we worked together for a while like that until we opened up our office. And again, ground floor, we had to wear multiple hats.
So not only did I do a school program for him and then all of the other. Um, marketing aspects, I was able to then move into more of the entertainment side. So I got involved in licensing and I moved into things like celebrity gifting. And I worked with I heart radio network on their celebrity events and influencers.
And then I moved into merchandising. So my career kind of just evolved and I just kind of. I went along with it and did my job, , but that's how I just really understood how much marketing is needed. And there's so many different segments of marketing, whether it's social media, whether it's traditional marketing, whether it's, you know, whatever it is.
And so I'm excited that think brilliantly has so much different experience that we can accommodate and we can really work across any industry. Yeah. And that's amazing because media and marketing is not easy. It's a very difficult marketing and it's not meant for everyone. Like I stay in my lane on what I can do.
I just stay in podcasting and doing little interviews when I'm out in public, but it seems like you've dipped your toes in almost everything in media and marketing. So what kind of, um, what kind of community support do you need? Help with referrals would be great Referrals are great. I think sometimes people get a little Nervous to call because they've seen the work that we we do and we do amazing work and they think oh, well I probably couldn't afford that or whatever, but we work with all budgets.
So whether you are somebody who is thinking about starting a business and need some guidance or you are a startup or you're a multi million dollar business, we can work with you. So, , referrals are great. If you see this and you think of like somebody, you're, you know, sister who's starting her business or, you know, you're the job that you work at.
Oh yeah. You guys need a TV commercial or social media help or something. Referrals are great. We work with everybody. And if you're not ready to work with it yet, with work with us yet, that's okay. We'll still keep in touch. And all of our consultations are free, especially with me. Um, we can talk several times if I need to bring my team in to kind of coordinate and figure things out, um, we can still do that and it's not going to cost anything.
We just want to make sure it's going to be a good fit for both of us. Yes, you heard that everyone. It doesn't matter what your budget is. Just reach out to Analei and, and you can discuss whatever deal it is to help you with your business. So Analei, um, how do you? Give back to the community.
That's a great question. I love it. Um, I actually am a part of the new Utah Pacific Islander Chamber of Commerce or also known as UPIC and the Women's Executive Alliance also known as WEA. Um, I actually. I saw the way a president, um, law Wolfgram speak in an event. And I was so moved by her passion in helping women in our community.
, and I realized that would have been such a great help for me. I had no help. I was always, you know, for one thing in corporate, I was always one of the very few women at the level I was at. I was definitely the only Polynesian in my industry that I ever saw. And so it was so great just thinking that there's.
A specific organization to help us to build to that. , everything that you pick and way are doing is tremendous. And everybody on the boards and the committees, they are working tirelessly to bring our Pacific Islander community programs, events, everything to help us provide resources and opportunities that maybe other communities.
before, but maybe ours, ours did not in the past. So I'm really excited about that. It's a lot of work, as you know, Michael. So, , I think it's, it's tremendous what we are doing and. Everybody's eye is single to helping our community grow and giving them as much resources and opportunities as I can to uplift themselves and to help them grow their businesses and for our listeners.
Analee and I are the media and the media and marketing team for the UPIC and Samantha here is the event organizer. So we are all involved with the Utah Pacific Islander Chamber. In some way, we're out there in our business community and nonprofits. We're trying to help them start, grow, or try to improve upon their businesses.
I'm trying to... Be a resource to our people out here in Utah, especially our Pacific Island community, because we need that extra push. We need that help. Um, it's hard for our people to reach out for help, but why try to reinvent the wheel when you have people out here who are ready to serve you, um, ready to, , Back you up, be on your side.
, if you're interested, please visit on Facebook or an Instagram, the Utah Pacific Islander Chamber of Commerce. We are available for, you know, whether you want to start a business or you're already a business owners, , check us out. Um, so Analee, what are your future plans for your business? Where do you see your business going?
Well, I'm looking to put together a production crew here in Utah and also one in New York. Um, I'm also beginning talks with, , international companies, and international agencies to be their production arm here in the United States. There are several international companies that want. The American look and feel, but they don't know who to contact, so they go to their agencies that are in their countries, but they don't exactly know where to go as well.
So I've been reaching out. I have several meetings set up with different agencies to be that go to here in the United States. So slowly, but surely, I'll be expanding out.
, so Analee, for those who want to enter the media and marketing industry, what is your advice to them starting out? Well, luckily in this day and age, I think people can enter into media marketing without too much effort. Most people already, because of what we have in the palm of our hands with our phones, with social media, tick tock and all that kind of stuff.
I mean, that's fantastic. I would say, you know, I did not go to college. I did not. I. Did not graduate from high school. I took, um, an adult class and I got my diploma. Then I had severely undiagnosed, severely severe ADHD that was undiagnosed. Now I use that to my advantage. And I use that because I can handle multiple different things.
I think that you always have to play to your strengths. So figure out what you're good at. I'm really good at organization, organizing things. I love to do that stuff. And if you look at different, , Segments of marketing and media. That could be it. Take classes if you want to, but really be open to learning from people.
I worked with a bunch of people. And again, like I said, I didn't go to school for marketing at all. Everything that I've learned, I've learned on the job and I was really open to what people were saying. I tried to really absorb it, , and be able to. Translate that into my own career. So figure out what you like.
And if you don't know what you like specifically, try something. Just get out there and try it. And then you can pivot as you need to. There is no better teacher than experience. And that's, that's how I've done podcasting. I've learned by. Going through all the struggles by watching a lot of YouTube and just making a lot of mistakes.
And, and through, through my mistakes, I've learned how to make things easier for me in the editing process and posting and social media and all that. I like to ask this question to our guests for Behind the Lava Lava. We like to learn, do you have a question for us? that's a good question. What do you like best about hosting a podcast?
So I never thought that I would enjoy interviewing people and getting to know them a lot more in depth, but the best part is getting to meet. New people, especially for someone like me, who is completely on the opposite side of the, I mean, very introvert, introverted and what you see from me out in public, that's me pushing the boundaries of me being uncomfortable.
I would rather stay home. Watch TV or anime or something than going out in public Because for me when I go out in public I get very mentally Exhausted after I'm out. So I would say the experience of meeting people and talking to them and actually establishing a relationship, that's, that's the best part of hosting a podcast and it completely takes me out of my comfort zone because I get to learn new things, which with, with every guest, but the other thing is, uh, I do this with the guys, , with all the other co hosts and I enjoy it.
Talking to them because initially this podcast started as a way to, for us, uh, men to, , Talk about her problems and it's almost like a relief for us mentally. So that's the second part of why I love to podcast. That's awesome. I love that because what you said was really key. You push the boundaries of what you're comfortable with.
And when we're. Uncomfortable, we grow. There's a lot of things that I'm uncomfortable with. This podcast, doing this, I was a little nervous and uncomfortable with it. But I, you know, you can't, you cannot grow if you stay within the same little box that you're in. So I think that's very, that's key. And a lot of us, we go through this thing called imposter syndrome, where we, we second guess and doubt ourselves.
So that's, that's actually, that actually affects everyone. Um, but, but I like to just go with Nike and just do it. And everything that I do, if I get very nervous that I'm having a, a guest or doing it by myself, I just do it. And it'll eventually. You know, I'll eventually get used to it and, , get better at things.
Yeah. Well, that's good. Imposter syndrome hits everybody, no matter what level you're at. And it's really, I mean, it's your insecurities coming out, being like, who wants to hear about you or who wants, you know, everybody does that. When you asked me, you know, it took, it took me three months for, for me to say yes, because I'm like, why would anybody want to hear about my stuff?
I just was doing my job, but it's nice. It's nice. It's nice when you. Get over that hump and be able to push through, get out of your comfort zone and do something that you didn't think you were able to do. You have such a great sense of accomplishment. Well, I'm glad you finally joined us today. Thank you for joining us.
I really enjoyed it. I really appreciated you asking me. Thank you. So Analee, shout out some people who have made an impact in your life or anyone who you want to shout out today.
Well, definitely my husband, Blair. He has been my number one supporter through everything. Through, even when I was like, who am I to be doing anything because, you know, again. There's that stigma of not graduating from high school. There's that stigma of, you know, I was the only woman and I had to fight against people always ask me to bring them coffee or to take notes when I'm like, um, no, you know, trying to fight for my equality in this and I would come home so frustrated and be like, Oh gosh, what am I, what am I doing?
And he was, he was always so great about lifting me up, , encouraging me. He believed in me more than I believed in myself. And he still does to this day. So definitely want to shout out to my husband, to all my kids, to my grandkids. You know, it was rough with my kids growing up because I was traveling quite often.
Um, I would be gone for long periods of time. I worked, you know, and I would be gone two hours a day just driving. I worked, you know, an hour from my house. And so I wasn't able to be at a lot of things for them. , but I worked for them, you know, and I wanted to make sure that they had, a life that was.
Enjoyable and happy and good. So they've always been really supportive of me as well. So shout out to them. And, and where can people find you on social media or if you have a website? I do have a website. My website is thinkbrilliantly. marketing and my social media handle for Instagram is think underscore brilliantly.
Thank you again Analee for joining us today. , we really appreciate you sharing your, your experience and especially sharing about your business because running a business is not easy, especially if you're starting it off by yourself. And I hope that our people will reach out to you and give you some referrals or even use you.
Your your services. Um, but thank you very much. And thank you for tuning into this episode of Behind the Lava Lava Bin Spotlight. I hope you enjoyed our conversation and remember the businesses that we feature in our show are always looking for support. So be sure to check out their websites and social media pages.
To learn more and see how you can get involved. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow Behind the Lava Lava and leave us a review and thank you for joining us. We hope you found this interview informative and insightful. This is Michael Tan signing off from Behind the Lava Lava. To Vāso'ifu'a.