For this month's member spotlight, Geekdom asked us to turn the cameras on ourselves and share our company journey operating as a commercial drone and media company from 2016 to late 2021 and then to our rebrand as a full-service video production company. During this shoot, we interviewed some of our closest allies for their perspective on the evolution of White Cloud Media Group, and these are the answers that we transcribed from the Final Cut. You can jump to the bottom of this post to watch the video, or watch it here.
This two-hour production left us with a hard drive's worth of meaningful soundbites, which we hope to pull off the cutting room floor and put to creative use soon.
We would like to thank Jon Garcia, Program Manager at Geekdom, and Dax Moreno, Managing Director of Technology at Vaco, for agreeing to be a part of this video.
[Introduction]
Jon Garcia
How's it going y'all? It's your boy, "JRG" John Garcia, program manager here at Geekdom. I'm super excited about this episode of Geekdom Stories. White Cloud is a tremendous asset to our community because they're helping us tell the story of our mission, which is to build San Antonio one startup at a time. We're going to learn about Adam Dusenbury and Elizabeth Reiser with White Cloud. Now let's get into it. Let's check out White Cloud.
Q: How did the idea to create White Cloud Drones come together?
A: Adam Dusenbury
When drones became both affordable and accessible, 10 to 15 years ago, I thought, how cool would it be to be able to document the revitalization and urban development of downtown San Antonio? I was always fascinated by the first aerial photos taken of the city, especially the ones on display at the base of the Tower of America building. From 2016 to 2019, the drone market was being consumed by large-scale corporations in Silicon Valley and forced us to reevaluate really what was working for us and what wasn't. The market literally told us what they were willing to spend money on us for. In 2020, we began to drift away from White Cloud Drones to White Cloud Media Group.
Q: You were an early supporter of White Cloud Drones and you witnessed the early days of the company, including some of the hurdles and hardships. From your perspective, as someone who has worked for many years in the startup tech scene. Why do you believe the company has been successful in the face of adversity?
A: Dax Moreno
It's one of those things that, from a grit perspective, you've got to have something to hang onto. You have to have a single line of focus. And watching Adam develop his leadership, and his vision and really honestly assert his will on the situations that were happening. Finding the right people like Elizabeth and many others that have worked there, from interns to full-time, to contractors, to help make that a reality and find stability amidst that rollercoaster back and forth has been fantastic.
Q: In the early years, you had the chance to do some freelance work with White Cloud, and now, years later, your company Geekdom is a client of White Cloud. How have you seen the business grow over the years?
A: Jon Garcia
I think a huge pivotal point in the growth of the business is when Adam brought Elizabeth on the team. Not only is she just amazing to work with and just a great person in the community, she really helped us with our scheduling, reached out to members of the community to film, and always has everything that we need ready to go. I mean, Adam's cool, but he needed Elizabeth, and so once she came onto the team, I feel like it really took the company to the next level.
Q: You joined White Cloud as Development Director. What was it like not having a background in media production and how did you approach it?
A: Elizabeth Reiser
For the first several months working at White Cloud in a business development role, I saw it as an opportunity to learn everything you would in business school without having to go to business school. The good, the bad, and the ugly. And White Cloud at that time was an opportunity to build something that hadn't been built yet. I was able to come in and determine the kind of processes needed to put in place for us to grow and develop. I don't think I would've found that opportunity anywhere else. And I'm really grateful that I took the leap of faith that I did.
Q: White Cloud Drones became a recognizable brand name early on. Why did you do away with the name White Cloud Drones and rebrand to your earlier DBA, White Cloud Media Group in 2022?
A: Adam Dusenbury
Having Elizabeth helped me realize that drones [side of the business] were actually hurting our ability to sell and tell our [media services] story. That rebrand going into January of 2022, new look, new logo, new website, helped everyone understand, this is what we do, this is why we do it, and this is what we're really good at doing. And so far so good.
Q: Why do you think being a Geekdom member has benefited WCMG over the last six years?
A: Elizabeth Reiser
Throughout our evolution, we've always been able to rely on the Geekdom staff. Philip, Charles, and John in particular have always been steadfast in their support and their offering of guidance and direction. That's just a testament to Geekdom. Me, personally, I don't think White Cloud could have evolved and survived some of the hardships that we have without a community like Geekdom.
Q: Why do you think partnerships like the one between Geekdom and White Cloud Media Group work so well?
A: Dax Moreno
It's very difficult to create a platform for success for yourself. Over time, you learn how to grab the microphone, put the light on you, step in and shine. It is quite another thing altogether when you make it your business to create a platform for others and to shine that light on others and their stories of success. Having that back and forth and having that trusted partner to have there, to be able to tag in and to be able to work and say, "We're both in the business of amplifying businesses, voices, and individuals stories." And so when you unite those two things, it creates just a wealth of opportunity for the future, for the community.
Q: Not only did you start your business at Geekdom, but you acquired Geekdom as a client in the early part of 2020. What has that partnership been like for WCMG?
A: Adam Dusenbury
Geekdom has provided us with the opportunity to work with an extremely diverse set of businesses. Working with Braustin Homes, Big Sun Solar, Allosense, Betty's Co., Outlier Patent Attorneys, David Jones at DJ Law Partners, and all of the awesome creatives like Gabriel Garcia and his group with SA Creatives has become a journey to remember and be extremely grateful for.
[Outro]
Jon Garcia
I truly mean this from the bottom of my heart. It's been an amazing experience working with White Cloud. (And if you want to throw this in at the end) If you need video production help or any creative help, what are you doing? Hire White Cloud. Hit them up. (...) You will not regret it because they're awesome.
Telling the stories of San Antonio is our passion, and we hope you enjoyed learning how we turned that passion into a business. We make creating videos easy by becoming extensions of your production team and acting as your guide throughout the production process. If you are looking for a video production team to produce your next video, let's talk! Email info@whitecloudmg.com.