#78: Iz Harris - Storytelling at Scale, Processing Abuse in a Mormon Family, and Understanding an Impossible Diagnosis

TravelReligionRelationshipsEducation

Jul 8

Written By Samuel Donner

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Episode Description

Iz Harris is a D.C.-based filmmaker and co-founder of Bright Trip, a video-based educational platform. Iz started developing her filmmaking skills while running a wedding photography and videography business with her husband, Johnny. Her creative drive wasn’t satisfied by making wedding videos and branding stories. After binging Casey Neistat's videos, she decided to become a vlogger. In a year, she went from not knowing the difference between a blog and a vlog to having a YouTube channel with 10,000 subscribers. This channel allowed Iz Harris to develop her creative voice, and her videos covered everything from travel to mental health. After working as a producer on Vox Media’s Travel, Eat, Repeat, Iz co-founded Bright Trip with her husband. With this new venture, Iz Harriss is creating a community centered on learning and curiosity.

Show Notes

Childhood- Iz was raised Mormon and grew up in an idyllic rural town in Oregon with her submariner father and the rest of her outdoorsy family.
Child Abuse-What happens to a child developmentally when they learn at an early age that they don’t have safety in their own body? Your psyche will go to extreme lengths to cope with trauma, but these coping mechanisms can leave emotional wounds of their own.
Adolescence- Still emotionally reeling from complex traumas Iz spent her teenage years as a high achieving chronic people pleaser.
Breaking Point- Iz’s maladaptive coping mechanisms were starting to fail her and her perfect façade began to crumble.
College & Heartbreak- At BYU Iz struggled to develop a sense of self-worth while stuck in a toxic on and off relationship with her high school boyfriend.
Johnny- Iz meet Johnny while studying at BYU. It was a whirlwind romance. They got engaged three weeks after their first official date.
Young love – The couple got married after a six-month engagement. She graduated from BYU with a week-old son. Recent graduates and young parents, Iz and Johnny decided to start their own wedding photography/videography business. They sold plasma to buy their first DSLR, literally pouring their blood sweat, and tears into this venture.
Wedding Business- After moving to Washington D.C. for a job offer that fell through, Iz and Johnny had to scramble to keep their meet above water. But with an over-saturated market could they really achieve the stability they needed for their family?
Henry – Iz searched for answers and turned advocating for her son into her new full-time job.
Partnership - How can questioning the teachings of your shared faith impact a marriage?
Discovering Vlogging - In one year Iz Harris went from not knowing the difference between a blog and a vlog to having a YouTube channel with 10,000 subscribers.
Evolution as Vlogger - She went from hiding behind sunglasses to sharing her intimate therapeutic journey with her subscribers.
Food show and the start of Bright Trip -While traveling with Johnny for his work with Vox, Iz found a way to turn her love of travel into another creative opportunity.
Bright Trip – Iz is the co-founder of Bright Trip Inc, a video-based travel education platform. Unfortunately, right after Bright Trip launched its first language learning course the coronavirus pandemic hit, forcing the travel industry to come to a screeching halt. Iz and her team had to regroup and keep the momentum going.
Mission Goal & The Future –Iz Harris is focused on creating a community centered around curiosity and learning.