Detours

I’ve won awards for explainer videos. I’ve also saved a company over a million dollars by creating them in-house. But one of my favorite prizes? A pair of socks. I’m Angie Norris, and this is Side Hustle GPS. Today, we’re stopping in Creator Coast to explore Explainer Videos—and why you shouldn’t underestimate clarity. Back in 2013, I was working in my corporate career at Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Services. Our team wanted short videos that explained ideas clearly. When we explored outsourcing the work, the quotes ranged from five thousand to fifteen thousand dollars per two-minute video. My boss asked me to give it a try. I was an absolute beginner. But I started learning how to plan a storyboard, organize a message, and turn information into something people could follow. Over five years, creating those videos internally saved the company more than a million dollars compared with what we would have spent outsourcing that work. That experience taught me a lot. Especially this: a video can look beautiful and still leave people confused. You have to know what you’re trying to explain. Who’s watching? What do they already understand? And what should make sense to them by the end? Those questions help you decide what belongs in the video—and what you can leave out. Now, about those socks. Russell Brunson held a contest to create an explainer video about why people should attend his event. I entered. And I won. Part of my prize was ClickFunnels socks and some other swag. Yes, I became a very excited owner of a pair of socks. But what mattered to me was knowing that something I created had connected. I’ve also received recognition through the Viddy Awards for my explainer-video work. And to think, I started as someone who didn’t know how to make these videos at all. I learned by doing. I still love creating them today. There’s something satisfying about taking an idea that feels complicated and helping someone say, “Oh! Now I get it.” That’s the result you’re working toward. An explainer video might introduce a service. Show how a process works. Help a new customer understand what happens next. Or explain a product without overwhelming people with every detail at once. You can use animation, doodles, screen recordings, footage, or a combination. The style should help the explanation. And AI can help you prepare. You can use it to organize a rough script, suggest a storyboard, or spot language that might confuse a beginner. Then you check the facts and shape the explanation around the actual audience. A business owner may understand their offer so well that they forget what a new customer needs to hear first. You can help them find that starting point. That’s a service worth exploring. You don’t have to begin with a huge production. Start with one clear question and a short video that answers it. So here’s your first money move: Choose a product, service, or process you understand. Write down who needs the explanation and the one thing you want them to understand. Then draft a short script. Show the problem or question. Explain how it works. Finish with the next step. Sketch a few scenes before you start creating. And when you have a sample, show it to someone unfamiliar with the subject. Ask, “What did you understand? What still felt confusing?” Their answer will tell you more than whether they liked the background music. So here’s your question today: What does a business keep explaining over and over that a clear video could help people understand? Explore Explainer Videos in Creator Coast at SideHustleGPS.com. Simple can be powerful. And sometimes the skill you learn by giving it a whirl becomes something people recognize you for. Maybe even with a pair of socks.