Favata and Anthony flew to Arkansas for our first mini-doc exposé. We shadowed business owner and designer Kirsten Blowers and her women’s clothing boutique Riffraff. Kirsten gave us unprecedented access to her and her flagship store, as we shadowed the young entrepreneur during a work typical day. As she bounced between the storefront and backrooms, Kirsten told us about the trials and triumphs of building a retail brand. Attributing social media as an incredible business asset, we couldn’t help but capture a semi-meta moment — posing for a film crew selfie (#retailmoviemaker).
The List Spotlights
We partnered with the NRF Foundation to spotlight two of the incredible “Listers” that were recognized at the Inaugural Gala celebration. After the fundraiser bash, we wanted to extend this momentum by performing deep-dive featurettes that focused on two very different stories: millennial startup Kirsten Blowers and veteran champion BG Gary Profit, U.S. Army (Ret.).
Scavenger Turned Social Star
A Hero Among Heroes
Pivoting to a less discussed retail angle, the second featurette focused on retail as a viable career outlet for returning veterans. While the day-in-the-life treatment perfectly complemented Kirsten’s story of self-startup, we wanted to approach BG Gary Profit’s story differently. The man was honored for recruiting other veterans through Walmart’s military programs, and we knew we had to recognize an ensemble of military personnel. Shooting at both the Walmart headquarters and a store in DC, employees were eager to share their initial fears about “starting over” after decades of service. And it wasn’t hard making the parallel that their military training actually equipped them to be excellent store managers.
Anthony Jacoway
Anthony is LAI Video's Director of Technical Services and an integral part of our Emmy® Award-winning team. Depending where and when he is needed, you can find Anthony editing, animating, color-correcting, filming, directing, designing, or generally making our team better.
James Favata
As the Vice President of Creative at LAI Video, James offers his docu-style and motion graphics expertise to transform brands and campaigns. He’s won numerous accolades, including two Emmy® Awards as a Director, for his incredible storytelling and vision.
Helena Lehman
Helena is Leading Authorities’ Senior Vice President of Client Services, responsible for growing business among its clientele of national associations and corporations. During her 25 year tenure with LAI, she’s built relationships across diverse industry groups and identified common needs in content strategy and communications.
