Exploring Life & Business with Jerry Hooper of CaliKim Garden and Home

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jerry Hooper.

Hi Jerry, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story begins in 1973, when I was 10 years old, on my first trip to Disneyland. Our first attraction was Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. I was impressed with the Audio-Animatronic figure of Mr. Lincoln. As the program neared its conclusion, Mr. Lincoln stood up to finish his speech. The music built, the lights softened, and the American flag appeared in the background, outside the Oval Office windows. The choir and music reached a crescendo, the curtains closed on cue, the lights faded to black, and I was crying.

I remember specifically thinking, “What just happened to me? How did I go from excitement to tears?” At that very moment, I realized that visual storytelling, when synchronized with lighting and music, could move people emotionally. And I was never the same.

Immediately afterward, I began holding Disneyland “shows” in my room using my Magnajector for kids. While playing the Disneyland record featuring Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion, and the Country Bear Jamboree, I would project images to match the narrative. Shout-out to my mom and sisters for sitting through these presentations. Soon after, I began charging 25 cents for the shows—but we’ll save that story for another day.

Next, I made my own dissolve unit: two light dimmer switches taped to each other, with a lever in the middle. I connected two Kodak slide projectors to the dimmers, and voilà! With music playing, I could bring up one slide while simultaneously fading out the other, and vice versa. A “dissolve unit”!

I was doing slide shows of our Boy Scout camping trips and youth group activities. I was hooked. Through these shows, I learned how to move audiences by synchronizing slides with music. To this very day, 50 years later, I still make shows, but now on my computer.

In 2010, we moved into our first home, which had a backyard that was in horrible shape. We auditioned for—and were selected for—a backyard makeover show called Extra Yardage. The gig was this: we would provide the labor, and the show would provide the design and materials. I wrangled up 50 friends to help with the labor. After three days of filming and work, our new backyard was complete. We definitely had extra yardage now!

With the new backyard, my wife could finally plant the “real” garden she had been dreaming about for years. We’ve also had concerts and a wedding in our new “Al Fresco” amphitheater, as the show called it in our episode. We are forever grateful for our Extra Yardage experience.

With the perfect backyard design in place, my wife and I started an organic gardening channel on YouTube called CaliKim Garden and Home. I film using diffusers mounted on old patio umbrella stands, secured with sandbags, of course. She wears a lavalier microphone, too. We treat filming our YouTube videos like a TV production shoot. She’s the talent; I’m the director of photography, production crew, sound guy, and editor. While working at Sony, I would film when I got home from work or on the weekends.

Thanks to this opportunity, she was able to quit her part-time job, focus on YouTube, and start a CaliKim seed shop. She has also authored three gardening books.

At age 52, my “dream come true” moment came when I interviewed at Sony Pictures in Culver City and got the job. This wasn’t a desk job. This was better: moving furniture—indoor furniture, outdoor furniture, office to office. Taking the furniture away and bringing it back. Relocating staff and talent at all levels throughout the lot.

I remember standing alone in one of the empty soundstages and thinking, “Wow! Hook, with Robin Williams, was filmed in this soundstage. The Wizard of Oz, too, and more.”

I especially loved working on production shoots, where our team was needed to move furniture so the production crew could set up a shot. Then we would put it all back afterward. I salivated over the production equipment: the massive diffusers, lights, and C-stands.

Some of my surreal moments included:

Doing a job for—and meeting—Mr. Trebek.

Shaking hands with Norman Lear and thanking him for all the amazing TV shows we had watched together as a family back in the day.

Waving and saying good morning to Vanna White as she drove onto the lot. She always returned the greeting with a big smile and a wave.

Saying hello to Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon each afternoon as they headed to the soundstage for The Morning Show.

My top, top moment came while I was moving furniture in the dining room for a production shoot. The director of photography approached me and said, “Jerry, can we swing the table a little this way?”

Then he formed a widescreen camera frame with his hands and said, “See this?” We looked through the frame he had made. “This is the shot I’m after.”

I was ecstatic. I couldn’t stop grinning. I had “arrived” in the industry. I was the “real deal.” To this day, I cherish that moment.

One of my two saddest moments was the passing of Mr. Trebek. The next morning, in the early dawn, I stood outside his office and observed a moment of silence. What a neat, neat person he was.

The other moment was similar. The day after Mr. Lear passed, I stood outside his office door, his hat still on the hook, and observed a moment of silence.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, not smooth road at all The entertainment industry is exhausting. Early commutes, Long days with many personality types. Late commutes home-I would have to call my wife on the home to help stay focused and awake. Did I mention personalities?

Being a content creator, full time or part time, is trying. The algorithm constantly changes – and it doesn’t come with an instruction manual. Currently, we have 665k subscribers.

Being real, spending so much time together is a definitely an adjustment, simultaneously, there are fun perks too – creating your own schedule, trips, dinners out, etc. We are grateful for what we get to do.
I am no longer at Sony and now work full-time with my wife, creating content. I hold Sony Pictures near and dear to my heart. We are grateful as we learn to navigate the ever-changing trends and algorithms of influencing. Of course, we’d love to have you follow along and leave a YouTube comment letting us know you read this article.
And that [pause for effect] is a wrap.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
As content creators and business owners, we drive every aspect of what we do. We need to stay in tune with what our YouTube audience wants while also considering the goals and needs of our brand partners. Finding the right balance is essential. If our videos feel too much like commercials, we risk losing viewers—and potentially brand partners as well.

Maintaining that balance between serving our audience and delivering value to our partners is an ongoing process. We manage this by setting clear expectations. For example, we remind our brand partners that long-term audience trust and consistent results are often more valuable than a single viral video.

As creators, we also need to accept that we cannot do everything all the time—and that’s okay. We won’t be able to follow every trend, pursue every opportunity, and constantly produce new videos. The key is knowing what matters most and focusing our time and energy there.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was the funny guy. Being funny and spending time with others came before studying, so I wasn’t a high academic achiever. I wasn’t a varsity athlete, either. I played on the drumline in junior high and high school, and I was nice and kind to others.

I came from a lower-income household and never had the latest fashions. Funny enough, I never realized this until after high school—and I’m grateful for that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.calikimgardenandhome.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calicameraguy/ and https://www.instagram.com/calikim29
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaliKimGardenandHomeDIY/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/CaliKim29