Check Out Jordan McKinnon’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan McKinnon.

Jordan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was working at an airline on the ramp for 5 years, enjoying the benefits of free travel and a flexible schedule. I did everything from scuba diving with reef sharks in Thailand, to backpacking the south island of New Zealand. In 2019, we found out my girlfriend was pregnant. This was a surprise and it made me terrified. I did not feel like I was ready to be a dad. I did not feel financially ready. I did not feel ready to give up the travel and adventures. The months leading up to my daughter’s birth were some of the scariest times and I became a bit depressed. The moment Skyler was born, my fears were gone. I found my new purpose, a new adventure. I love her more than anything in the world and her being born made me think about pursuing my passions. The airline was a great job, but did not push me intellectually or drive me creatively. I had done some photo and video work on the side for a long time, but I didn’t know how to make it a full-time job. With Skyler here, I wanted to teach her by example to follow her dreams. When COVID hit and the airline industry took a turn, I jumped at the opportunity to go on leave and start my photography and videography business. I constantly wondered if this was a stupid decision with the economy, a new baby, and self-doubts in my ability. Going for it anyways, I invested in myself.

By day, I was a stay at home dad and at night I would stay up late studying video marketing, editing, photography techniques and creating my brand. When I gave everything I had into my business, I started booking more than I ever had. Weddings during COVID caused a lot of cancellations and reschedules, which was a hurdle to get through. I had to work with couples to help in any way I could. This meant changing dates, returning deposits, and offering bridal and elopement shoots instead of the full wedding. In this time during COVID, it is clear that the wedding industry is changing. Couples are searching more for intimate settings instead of a traditional large wedding. This helped me develop into my niche- adventure elopement style weddings. Between my love of travel and passion for photography and videography, this type of work fit me perfectly. I plan to keep growing my business, get married myself in the next year to my fiancé, and work towards my passions so my daughter can see her dad doing what he loves.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Mental health has been a big struggle throughout my life. Luckily, I have an incredible fiancé who has always been there for me, supporting my dreams. When my girlfriend was pregnant, my anxiety was through the roof. We barely had enough money for ourselves, let alone another human. I didn’t know what we would do. It wasn’t until Skyler was born that something clicked for me. The love for my daughter drove out all the fear and anxieties I had. COVID changed everything. The airline industry I was in started to crumble, with furloughs and cut hours. I had a new child and COVID threatened my livelihood. The economy was unpredictable and no one knew how bad or how long COVID would affect us. Starting our media production company was a HUGE risk, but I knew I had to commit. I came up with failed ideas for mobile graduation photos, and played with odd packages. Moving to the wedding space, I wasn’t sure how I would get hired if large gatherings weren’t allowed. I persisted and worked out ways to stay busy focusing on outdoor, small intimate weddings and elopements. The challenges of COVID continue even now. Cancelations and moved schedules pushed events into next year. I didn’t want to rely solely on weddings for my income, so I’ve pursued other avenues like real estate and commercial work. Already I’ve been able to produce a video for a big company like Mayo Clinic Arizona.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I started my own media production company “Jordan Roy Media, LLC”. I’ve focused in on wedding videography and photography however I do all sorts of video production like commercial and real estate work. I’m also a licensed drone pilot. With a love for nature and adventure, I specialize in outdoor weddings and elopements. I’m the guy that can hike with a couple up a beautiful mountain for an intimate and epic setting to capture personal vows and lovely scenery. Drone shots really set this apart from typical venue locations. I bring a cinematic style to dreamy locations. Of course I cover luxury weddings too and always include 2 camera angles and audio of speeches and vows. I’m proud to say I give my all to every couple’s wedding. I try my best to make them feel my sincerity through every step of the planning, wedding day and delivery.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The wedding industry specifically is changing quickly due to COVID. Couples are looking for smaller, more intimate settings to get married, instead of having large gatherings. Wedding films are also gaining a lot of traction. Pictures have always been the standard but videos are more and more popular. I plan on focusing more on video to show couples how gorgeous storying telling through a wedding film can be. Photos don’t evoke the same emotion as watching your film. Seeing someone actually burst out laughing, or the squeeze of a hug is lovely when you see it unfold. Wedding films are the future of the industry. Elopements are completely different than they used to be. An elopement was once a way for a couple to get married in secret. They are now becoming a popular way for couples to shift from large parties, to small gatherings and put more focus on each other. Instead of worrying about all the guests being satisfied, couples can go somewhere beautiful and share more personal moments. I think elopements are an incredible alternative to traditional weddings and I hope I can show more people the power of downsizing and taking their important day outside.

Pricing:

• Wedding video collections starting at $1800
• Wedding photography packages starting at $2000
• real estate videos starting at $400

Contact Info:

• Email: jordanroymedia@gmail.com
• Website: jordanroymedia.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/jordanroymedia
• Facebook: facebook.com/jordanroymedia
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXWPGlrWrCKwjRxsXb5pZOQ