One evening,  I sold $2.50 gummies to nearly a hundred students on campus.

Gummies aren’t exactly a necessity, they’re more of a commodity that, in my context, is usually shared with friends.

With that, I roughly defined my audience as study groups. My first thought was that it’s easier to sell to two people with a small discount than to one person, and that others watching would follow the example. Then I thought more about the context and realized that, even if someone doesn’t need gummies, most people want to feel like they belong and enjoy time with friends or a community they’re becoming part of.

So I built a little story: that the bag is perfect for two, and that my friend, who was also selling and was always nearby, became a closer friend because we once shared a bag. Now we were doing this together to give something back to the student who originally owned them. I also mentioned that, personally, I wanted to get over my fear of talking to strangers.

After trying different approaches with different groups, I learned the key was to keep it subtle, make it feel “unique” to whoever’s listening, but still relatable. I also realized I had to connect through a bit of vulnerability, since that’s part of what draws people into the story you carry.

Most of the time, I get inspired from situations, objects, shapes or patterns in everyday life that I usually overlook, some other ideas have been the result of a mix of methods such as random stimuli, analogies, or drawing exercises. The inspiration stage also includes any necessary research for data that needs to be fact-checked.

I then draft a script that must focus on a strong hook (whether visual, written, or both) and a story that keeps the audience engaged for the rest of the video. If needed, I also sketch a storyboard for key parts of the video that I have a very specific vision.

Finally, I record, transfer the footage to my computer, and start editing.

I believe the scripted hook in the first three seconds made it appealing, and the script kept the audience engaged throughout the rest of the video.