Rising Stars: Meet Jacob Arechiga of Los Angeles / OC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacob Arechiga.

Jacob, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Here you go:

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**Finding the Frame: Jake Arechiga’s Path to Purposeful Storytelling**

I’ve been telling stories my whole life. Through music, through a camera lens, through every late-night edit and last-minute gig. I built something, piece by piece, and I knew exactly where it was all heading.

About ten years ago, I started turning that drive into a craft. Working gigs across Southern California, I honed my skills through music videos, live event coverage, and the kind of scrappy, figure-it-out-as-you-go content work that builds real instincts. I worked with various businesses including UFC Gym and more, building a reputation as someone who could handle both the technical and the creative sides of production.

Over the years, those skills compounded. Branding projects sharpened my eye for story. Every shoot, every edit, every campaign taught me something new. And somewhere along the way, I realized the thing I loved most wasn’t just making content. It was making content that meant something.

That realization led me to McKinley Children’s Center, a youth-services nonprofit dedicated to uplifting kids and families across Southern California. McKinley offers a wide range of services including mental health support, residential programs, youth development, education, and family support services, all rooted in a trauma-informed mindset. The organization runs two non-public schools and has offices spanning Hemet, Riverside, Hesperia, and even staff embedded in corrections facilities in Downtown Los Angeles, meeting young people wherever they are in the system. As Marketing Coordinator, I also get to be part of the Goals Grant, which launched the Just What Works project (led by Jason Rinker), an initiative focused on reducing calls to law enforcement from STRTP programs and expanding better outcomes for the kids and communities we serve. From event recaps, donor videos, and external facing videos, every piece of content I create helps people understand why McKinley’s mission matters.

I feel like everything I’ve done has been pointing here. The music, the video/photo production work, all of it. It was all training for this.

For me, the best content has always been about connection. At McKinley, I’ve finally found a place where that belief isn’t just welcomed. It’s needed.

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?
Honestly, it was hard. When I first started out, I was figuring everything out on my own. Learning the craft, investing in equipment, and trying to understand how to take someone else’s vision and translate it into something that actually communicates what they want to promote. That last part is something people don’t talk about enough. It is not just about knowing how to shoot or edit. It is about listening, understanding a brand, a feeling, a goal, and then building content around that. Early on I got that wrong more times than I would like to admit. But every misstep taught me something. The expensive gear purchases that did not pan out, the projects that did not land the way I hoped, the clients who pushed me to think differently. All of it added up. Looking back, the struggles were the education. I would not trade any of it.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a content creator and marketing coordinator who specializes in visual storytelling. Whether it is a documentary-style donor video, an event recap, or a full brand campaign, I focus on creating content that connects with people on a real level. I am known for being able to wear a lot of hats. I can concept, shoot, edit, and deliver, and I understand both the creative and the strategic side of marketing. Working across nonprofits, businesses, and the music world has given me a versatility that I think is pretty rare. People come to me when they need someone who can take a vision and run with it from start to finish.

Honestly, the work I have done at McKinley Children’s Center. Being able to use my skills to tell the stories of the kids, families, and staff who make up that organization means more to me than any commercial project I have ever worked on. Seeing a donor video move someone to give, or watching a grand opening recap capture a moment that the whole community worked toward, that is the stuff I am most proud of. It is content with real stakes and real impact.

I think it is the combination of where I come from and what I can do. I did not come from a traditional marketing background. I came up through music, live performance, and hands-on production work. That gives me a different perspective. I understand how to read a room, how to find the emotion in a moment, and how to build something that feels authentic rather than polished for the sake of it. I also genuinely care about the mission behind the work. At McKinley, that is not just a nice thing to say. It drives every decision I make creatively.

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memory was probably hearing my mom say “you should always print out photos, they’ll mean so much when your older”

that means so much to me now cause looking back at them, I get to be reminded of so many good memories.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: jacobdeanfilms
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-arechiga-914549178