Sweetstory Media

Crafting Strategic Narratives
Documentary-Style Videography & Photography

Sweetstory Media is a (travel-ready) video service company based in the NY Metropolitan area, serving businesses, educators, brands, and artists. Our passion is in creating timeless, evergreen content that breathes humanity into your stories. We are the story craftsman, you are our canvas.

End-to-end processes: Sales, lead generation, pre-production encompassing scripting, storyboarding, and scheduling; hands-on production handling lighting, audio, camera operation, directing, and teleprompter usage; and post-production tasks including editing, color correction, and sound design.

Moving Portraiteur

Sweetduet LLC

Developed chocolate formulations and designed packaging for optimal visual appeal and consumer engagement

Established and cultivated brand identity through strategic social media management on platforms such as YouTube, LinkedIn, IG, and TikTok

Engineered e-commerce and distribution logistics, including 3PL integration, to streamline operations and enhance overall supply chain efficiency

Established a valuable network consisting of CPG brands, founders, and executives

$150k raised in seed funding

Entered 100+ stores throughout Southern and Northern California Regions

Founder & Content Creator

District 8 Media

Columnist

Woohoo! Sweetery, LLC

Founder & Chocolatier

Obsessive Chocolate Disorder

Production management, chocolatier training, and sales.

Head Chocolatier

SAG-AFTRA

Actor at SAG-AFTRA

Del Frisco's Grille

Server

Actors'​ Equity Association

Actor

The Capital Grille

Disneyland Resort

Parade Performer / Food and Beverage Cast Member

My skills and passions have been acquired through unconventional means. Professional experiences have included videography, photography, musical theatre (formerly AEA), acting (formerly SAG.AFTRA), chocolatier (in French style), developing vegan and traditional confections, parade performer at Disneyland Resort. and having a natural curiosity for the world and those around me. 

In 2020, I founded an organic CPG confections company, Sweetduet Chocolate 🍫. We are currently distributed in Southern and Northern California.

As I continue to grow my CPG network, I have been fortunate enough to stretch my visual storytelling freelance wings as Sweetstory Media 🎥 which exists to provide video services for businesses, brands, educators, and individuals who seek to immortalize their stories through captivating moving portraits.

An advocate for the arts, hard-of-hearing, and the natural CPG industry, I am here to inspire, be inspired, and committed to serving my community of purpose-driven humans. ✨

🙏🏼♥️🎥🍫✨

www.sweetstorymedia.com
www.sweetduetchocolate.com
www.instagram.com/sweetduetchocolate
www.Instagram.com/cosmiclotterywinner

Sometimes, dreams do come true. 💫 

Last week we launched Winged Wellness at Target.  This is an absolute dream retailer for our products that help women with sleep, stress, energy + mood! 

This has been a goal of ours and is a huge opportunity for our emerging brand to lead the charge in prioritizing women’s health for the masses. 
We’re launching in 350 stores nationwide as a test. If we are successful, Target will expand our line. This is our moment to shine and to prove why women need Winged. 

I'm so thankful to Michelle Vaith (MBA) and the team at Bluebird for guiding us through the process and Daniel Johnson for seeing the potential in Winged and bringing us in for this opportunity. 

Lastly, thank you to our community that has been cheering us on and spreading the word.  You are the reason we are here today. ✨

Annie Woo

I'm so happy to share our CPG Shabbat video. The most beautiful evening - 145 people coming together after 3 crazy Expo days to be nourished by delicious food and community. 

Thanks again to our event sponsors who made it possible - OneTable, REALITY Israel, Soom Foods, Floret, Morrison Foerster, Hannah Robbins, Mike Schall. And to Annie Woo for capturing the magic. Anyone interested to sponsor next year pls DM!

All-star CPG Shabbat Organizing Team - Tal Garden Sarah Nathan Meredith Cochran Jeff Henretig

This 6 step playbook is booming right now in consumer health👇


1️⃣ Heavy paid ad strategy (mostly on social)


You start to see them anywhere and everywhere if you’re in their target demo.

……….

2️⃣ Use of lifestyle, fitness and general wellness influencers


Not necessarily experts or people with credentials but lots of pretty, young women (for lack of other ways to put it) who have a 

→ Personality
→ Interesting, glamorous life 
→ A health journey to share 

……….

3️⃣ Strong use of health claims that align with what’s trending in wellness right now


Language that suggests they can fix, cure, treat, or resolve all your health struggles.

From migraines and joint pain to brain fog and insomnia…the list goes on…making them come across as a silver bullet.

……….

4️⃣ Targeting of health issues that often tie back into vanity or insecurities 

(Which mostly target women)


→ Wrinkles, complexion, acne  
→ Bloating, gas, gut health, digestion 
→ Weight gain 
→ Hormone imbalances  
→ Hair shedding, hair loss, slow growing hair 
→ Sex drive 

……….

5️⃣ Aesthetic branding (design, packaging, etc.)


Design that “looks good” in your fridge, bathroom, bedroom, purse, kitchen, etc. 

Appealing to the “wellness as a status symbol” situation we’ve moved toward in the past decade.

……….

6️⃣ Messaging around the need to take your health back into your own hands like 

“Take back control”
“Own your health”
“Reclaim your health”
“Know yourself” 


Which are great in their ethos, but  

Can send the message (depending on the context) that modern life, institutions, and physicians can’t and shouldn’t be trusted.

———

This is all a long way of saying 

Having great marketing is a winning short term strategy. 

You will blow up if you follow that playbook ^ and do it well. 

———

But the real questions are 


→ Is it ethical? 

Is it okay to use leading health claims that align with insecurities, trends, and vanity? 

……….

→ Do the results hold up over time? 

Should short term rapid growth be prioritized over long term retention, stability, customer trust and loyalty?

……….

→ Does this replace the need for a high quality product with research to back it?

Does the average consumer really care about what’s in their products if it’s overridden by brand appeal and aspiration?

……….

→ Who are the real experts in 2024?

What constitutes an expert today? Is it someone with credentials, influence, strong communication skills, ability to convert…?

———

It’ll be interesting to see how consumer health evolves in the next 5-10 years. 

Cause right now, I’m seeing a very heavy reliance on marketing.

———

Obviously I’m not against that or bashing it. I work in marketing.

But I don’t think it should overpower or replace other aspects of a great business.

———

Especially in an industry like consumer health that’s so personal and impactful to people’s long term wellbeing.

#consumerhealth #healthandwellness #healthmarketing

The #1 most effective way you can thank a service provider for a job well done...

Is to spread the word about them. 

Tell your investor networks. 
Offer a testimonial or review!  
Share with your founder friends.

90% of our business at Orchid Holistic Search (probably like most service providers) is via word-of-mouth through our existing networks with Clients, PE and VC groups. We do virtually no marketing (because ROI has been so low - & no, I'm not open to pitches!) or cold-calls (because they are much less effective).  

It's all about the relationships in our world, so when we have a Client make an intro to potential new client or person of influence on our behalf, we are always incredibly grateful.  🙏🏽✨

We went out of our comfort zone this year at Expo West and hired Annie Woo to document some video testimonials from Clients that will go live on our website soon!  Thank you Annie for the nudge, and for all of our Client partners and industry friends who continuously support us. 

You know who you are, and we 💖 you! 

#gratitude #referrals #executivesearch #serviceproviders

Regenerative Agriculture. What started as a movement to grow healthier soil which in turn grew healthier plants, animals (which includes us humans) and communities, is quickly becoming nothing more than a popular phrase to make money. General Mills was one of the first large corporations to jump on the regen band wagon and are a perfect example. Their new "loaded" cereal is just that. Loaded. Heavy metals, Glyphosate and other pesticides along with other toxins were found. If we truly want to see Regenerative Agriculture work, we can't continue down the same path, using the same tools that got us in trouble in the first place. If we truly want to heal the land, grow healthy food and people, then we have to reverse the trend. This includes downsizing industry and regionalizing the system. Small and midsized companies have one thing that large scall corporations don't and never will have. Love of their product. Passion for what they do. Customers they know and care about. The answer my friends is love, not profit. Enjoy your breakfast! 
#regenerativeagriculture #knowyourfarmer #letsheal #love #regionalsystems #zenhoneycutt

momsacrossamerica.com • 8 min read

General Mills "Loaded” Cereal is Loaded with Dangerous Levels of Toxins

Taking a personal turn today...

Originally had a work post planned, but then realized I wanted to share something a little closer to home.  

Going all-in on my consultancy was a big leap.  

More responsibility, for sure, but also so much more meaning.  

My perspective has shifted - 

the fear is still there, 
that inner critic still whispers doubts...
but I feel STRONGER.

Here's the thing: I am good enough.  

I know my value, 
what I've accomplished, and 
what I'm capable of achieving.  

That's enough to build on.  

No negative experience will steal my spirit or crush my dreams.  

This is about working with amazing people who are making a real difference!
  
Here's to chasing what sets your soul on fire, friends!  

What are you passionate about? Let's lift each other up in the comments!  

#TakingTheLeap #SelfBeliefMatters #SelfAwareness #Truth 

P.S. Huge shout out to my Unmuted Women. You know who you are, and you've been such a great influence over the past month. ❤️

Just a quick share to let you all know that Annie Woo and I have something cooking in the kitchen....    More to come ...

Nothing gets me going more than humans engaging with other humans.

Here are a few of my favorite memories from CPG Shabbat at Expo organized by Daniel Scharff, Tal Garden, Sarah Nathan, and Meredith Cochran.

A beautiful video of this evening is coming! 💫 

Sweetstory Media 🎥 

EDIT: Random thought— I was just thinking the other day that Expo West is the kind of place you can “grow old with your colleagues”— I can see CPG Shabbat being just that! 😝😝😝

To the naked eye, the stars are separate. ✨

Energetically, they are interconnected. 

Humans appear to be separate. 🧍🏾‍♀️🧍🏻

Energetically, we are all connected.

I know this to be true in my heart, but sometimes confuses the shit out of me.

😅

I've worked in the food industry for over 15 years.

Scooping ice cream and cashiering at Disneyland Resort, waiting tables at Manhattan's steakhouses, mashing plantains at Smorgasburg with the inimitable Manolo López, opening a chocolate shop in LES,  selling homemade chocolates at Farmers Markets

and starting my own CPG brand Sweetduet 🍫 .

As my company grew, I couldn't help but notice the vast distance between us as consumers and the source of our food.

I long to be SO MUCH closer. 

When my friend Disa Pratt invited me to her family farm to partake in chicken-processing, I jumped at the opportunity to learn.

Sweetduet Around the World - Chapter 7 - 
Darling Brook Farm is about Disa, her son Kai, and fiancée Lily's aspiration to get to "know a land intimately" and to become self-reliant on food.

If you've been curious about the farm lifestyle and would like to know more, stay tuned for a BONUS episode as I interview the family on how they started.

Sweetstory Media 🎥
Sweetduet 🍫

You don’t have to shout from the mountaintops. The right people see you.

During the pandemic, a mother and son decided to join forces and invest into land together.

"What would it be like to intimately know a piece of land?"

to grow most of the food and become as self-reliant as possible?

Disa Pratt, her son Kai, and fiancée Lily share with us what it looks like for them on their family farm, Darling Brook Farm. 🐐 🐓 🥚 🥛 

Get your popcorn ready 🍿 for Sweetstory and Chill.
Sweetduet Around the World, Chapter 7 - Darling Brook Farm is dropping tomorrow!

Watch the Premiere here: https://lnkd.in/eict_fST 

Sweetstory Media 🎥 
#slowcontent #homestead #farming #familyfarm #sweetstory

People - Anna Ison, Kathryn Oh, MD 
Places - Smorgasburg, Williamsburg
Things - Hopscotch Fermented Breakfast Pudding

📸 Photo tip: I laugh because I almost didn’t post the photo, criticizing myself for not knowing better to take it from over Anna’s right shoulder to minimize the photobombing of the two guys… 

but this was the short moment I was given and the most important part was that the moment happened.

It happened because Kathryn took a 4 hr trek from Boston. 🚄💺

Because I drove over an hour from Westchester. 🚙

Because Anna said yes to taking charge of her mental health to meeting people— to TOUCH, to HUG, to LAUGH, to CRY with! 🫶🏽

Because we met on LinkedIn. 💙

My mind has been so wrapped up in growing my Sweetstory Media 🎥 network in NY that I had forgotten of the last 100 bags of Sweetduet 🍫 I’d shipped over from CA with our warehouse closure.

Someone knocked on my door asking if I had any left— YES! We have a bunch of 83% Chocolate Dipped Pineapples! 🍍

and 2 vintage rotary telephones ☎️ that work!  

Order before weather gets hot! 
www.sweetduetchocolate.com

An excerpt from my diary stood out this morning:
"I need to get CLEAR on what needs to be done."

Written only a week ago, I was surprised at how irrelevant it felt to me this morning.

I wrote a new line:
"I need to get clear on what I WANT."

Admittedly, I have been struggling... muting the emotions of closing Sweetduet 🍫 by keeping busy. 

I tried to ride the waves of Expo to keep momentum going.

I hired a very upscale coach prematurely out of desperation, hoping the money spent would force me to get straight... and while she’s helped immensely to get the tangible aspect of my business jumpstarted...

building a new business model that is in alignment with my SOUL takes time, patience and creativity.

Creativity cannot be rushed.

For most of us, the concept of scarcity is an illusion.

The pressure we put on ourselves is impertinent to our well-being and perpetuates the cycle of building a life that is once again, unsustainable.

Compassion for self is the new word for me with the turn of season.

For those of you transitioning for the first time or for the fifth time, I see you and holding space of compassion for you. 

In frame: Still from "Ch 7 - Darling Brook Farm" https://lnkd.in/eict_fST in my friend Disa Pratt's home
#transition #compassion #mentalhealth

What if social media was completely anonymous?

Like… Person No. 0908885988…

Perhaps Person No. 11111111111111 would be the most famous?

Is there a way to be gracefully and consciously controversial?

I like to think there is.

Looking for an indie movie to watch this weekend while supporting the artist directly (as possible)? 🍿📺

I’m in awe and proud of Stephen Meier on making his directorial debut on his independent film, WOODBRIDGE, which he wrote based on real-life events.

You can’t go wrong with a good coming-of-age theme with a thriller twist, which will have you at the edge of your seat from beginning to end. 

Go watch and support this incredible human being who is doing Hollywood outside of the box! 🎬

https://lnkd.in/ejgc-Kjm

#indiefilm #independentartist

kinema.com • 1 min read

Woodbridge

Call me "Woo Woo," but Orchid Holistic Search is natural products industry's intuitive matchmaker. 🌺 

During Expo, I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Orchid's clients.

Each executive had distinctively unique experiences but there was one theme that tied them all together: Culture.

So what are they all looking for and how has Orchid been an asset to successful client/talent marriage?




"Ruthlessly effective. An amazing curator, not just of talent but culture for our company."
- Paul Voge, Aura Bora

"Not diversity as in color, but diversity of thinking, diversity of experience, diversity of culture. It was important they were able to see that."
- Jagatjoti Singh K. | Starwest Botanicals, Inc.

"A culture fit was so important to me. Not just finding someone who can do the tactical of what needed to be done but someone that was really going to fit into our family."
-Jessica Mulligan, Winged Wellness




This next level awareness and knowing is what Orchid brought to the table with lasting, life-changing results:

"I'm so grateful because it's actually changed my life."
-Ayla Barmmer, MS, RD, LDN, FullWell

"Having someone like Angela who has the network she has and that deep sense of knowing when something is right, what a gift it is to your company."
- Angela McElwee

"Better than I could have ever hoped for."
-Kerry Song, Abbot's




No on, not even you can speak about your company with the perceptiveness that your clients can!

Is it time to talk about building your testimonial collection?

Sweetstory Media 🎥 

Angela Marturano, Matt Marturano, Julia Gonser
#testimonials #clienttestimonials #evergreencontent

orchidholisticsearch.com • 1 min read

Joyful clients share their testimonials and positive experiences with Orchid Holistic Search. — Orchid Holistic Search

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In what ways?

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