Meet Rachel Banu

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Banu.

Rachel, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My job is still a bit undefined, so getting to the point that I am at now has been figuring out what I am passionate about, growing in my own style, and being confident in delivering a product that will make each client happy at the end of the day. I started making home videos at a super young age. It started with a using a camcorder to tape myself lip-syncing to a full Shania Twain CD. I have always loved being creative – I even dropped out of nursing school because I didn’t have enough time for arts and crafts, but I wasn’t sure how to turn that into a full-time job. Honestly, the job that I learned the most from was selling office supplies door to door in the middle of nowhere Tennessee. I had purple hair and spent my lunch break crying at Waffle House. I learned how to deal with a lot of “no’s” and learned how to celebrate the little wins (like selling a roll of paper towels). Most importantly, I learned those cheesy sales techniques that actually work. Instead of applying those to printers and toner, I started selling my work – what I was really passionate about. And that is way easier.

I am a self-taught videographer and photographer. When I was learning how to do everything, I would say “yes” to EVERYTHING. So many of my nights were spent on YouTube the night before a big project figuring out the logistics for a shoot. It made me so much better because pressure forced me to get better at my craft.

Moving out to LA was a defining moment in my life because it is so easy to fail out here. I wanted to move out to LA because I felt too settled and comfortable in Nashville, Tennessee. Growth always happens when I put myself in uncomfortable situations. Pressure, discomfort, and risk are what formed my job and work ethic.

Has it been a smooth road?
Anyone that has tried the freelance life knows that there are a ton of ups and downs. One day I’ll feel like I’m killing it and the next have a break down in my car. Learning how to transition a hobby into a full-time job was a major struggle, but it also makes for the best job. I had an idea of what I wanted to do, but actually defining that job was the difficult part.

My friends around me have always been a huge support. I am surrounded by other friends that are freelance as well. At this age, I don’t deal with surface level relationships. So when I have a terrible and discouraging day, I can be honest and vulnerable – having a good cry is just a part of the freelance life. Having these honest relationships means that I really get to celebrate the wins, and people know that it’s not a bragging thing.

I was just living in an apartment that was with an artist, photographer, and model. It was the absolute best because we were all so creative together and got to collaborate in so many different ways. Most importantly we were not competitive with each other. We were truly happy for each other and each win that we got. I am so lucky to have had that environment to move into 15 days after moving to LA. This city is hard and discouraging at times. If you don’t have those friends that you can make the Kim Kardashian crying face with you won’t make it here.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Banu – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
BANU is a social media company that will basically take on the job of creating a concept, shooting content, editing, and posting. We offer different levels of marketing and management. I work with my clients to see what they need and then create a marketing plan personalized to them. I mostly work with YouTube clients in LA. I work with my clients to come up with video ideas that they are actually excited about and figure out how to make their personality shine through the video. Think of most makeup tutorials – they can get pretty boring unless you feel like you really know the influencer and love their personality. At my shoots, I try to capture as much content as I can so we will take photos and video throughout the shoot. I am somewhat of a control freak so I do all of the shooting, editing, and posting. Because of this, I can only work with a few clients at a time, and thankfully I do not have to say yes to every job. The thing that sets me apart is that I am actually really excited about all of my work. I won’t put out work that I am not happy with. I really enjoy each step of the process so sitting in front of my computer for hours at a time trying to fix one thing that is driving me crazy in a video is a normal day for me. I drink a lot of coffee.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Best would definitely be the food. I mean, the ease of being able to drive to the mountains, desert, beach, or forest is pretty cool – but nothing can beat the tacos here. What I like the least would probably be parking. The whole driving experience of LA is its own beast.

Pricing:

• Shooting Rate: $100/hr
• Editing YouTube below 5 min $175
• Editing YouTube 5-10 min $250

Contact Info:

• Website: rachelbanu.com
• Phone: 6784625023
• Email: rachelbanumedia@gmail.com
• Instagram: @rachelbanu

Image Credit:
Yana Yatsuk

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