The Man Behind the Camera
When 700+ industry leaders gathered for the Tampa Bay Chamber’s 138th Annual Meeting, Kinard Robinson was among them, but he wasn’t like any other guest in that ballroom. As the Chamber’s story played on the large screens, Robinson watched with extra intensity. He was the storyteller behind the camera, helping compress a year’s worth of milestones and community impact into 5 ½ minutes of video.
“Everyone talks about storytelling and how important it is, but most will focus on storytelling as ‘The’ goal or destination. I don't see it that way. I see storytelling as the vehicle that gets you to your destination. That destination is impact,” said Robinson.
The Chamber Member is the Founder & CEO of Empowering Creative. His agency offers a full suite of storytelling services, specializing in content creation, and advanced marketing automation strategies. Robinson’s approach to projects is a key differentiator.
“I’m thinking and looking at things through a marketing lens, but I’m also looking through a business lens too. I want to make sure that everything we do for our clients is aligned with their overall strategic goals,” explains Robinson. “We’re not just a marketing partner. We are a business partner and my goal is to help our clients attract and shape the next generation of loyal consumers.”
(Pictured: At left, Kinnard Robinson during edit session at the Tampa Bay Chamber office with Chamber communications team. At right, Robinson leading final adjustments to camera and filming at Vu Studio Tampa Bay.)
Robinson’s strategy mindset comes naturally after years in human resources. The 36-year-old creative was first an HR professional. With tenures at the likes of CITI bank and HSN, HR management was his career. That changed in 2013 when he took the first steps into entrepreneurship and by 2020 was the Founder and CEO of Empowering Creative. Robinson applied his college degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology to his brave new world of business ownership. He says the Tampa Bay Chamber’s Minority Empowerment Program (MEP) added priceless perspective to his entrepreneurial journey.
“The first thing MEP did for me was to help me fully understand what the Chamber is and how to leverage the Chamber to grow my network and find partnerships,” explains the 2021 graduate of the MEP program. “The second thing MEP gave me was access, exposure to other aspects of the Tampa Bay region and the business community. Having the MEP sessions where subject matter experts came in and spoke to us about specific topics and having representatives from large organizations, like Baycare, come in too was priceless. If we were hoping to possibly do business with these organizations, this could serve as a potential avenue to help get there.”
Asked about his fondest memory of the 1-year Chamber program Robinson points to the other entrepreneurs in the MEP group with him. “The whole idea of a chamber is to show you the proverbial door of possibilities, but it’s up to you to walk through it. With MEP, I felt like I had subject experts and the Chamber staff walking through the door with me,” recalled Robinson. “There were guest speakers who came and spoke to us who had been in our shoes before. They provided validation. But also, the participants around me were on the same journey as I was, trying to accomplish the same things. It’s double the boost! ‘They (subject experts) did it. You’re trying to do it too? Okay, let’s go!’ It was empowering!” said Robinson of the game changing conversations in MEP.
What’s next for the HR professional turned business owner – creative genius? He’s got his eyes set on the Chamber’s Minority Business Accelerator and working towards meeting that program’s criteria for consideration. His creative eye for video and his knack for strategic conversations with clients will, no doubt, get him there.
“Whether its marketing automation or video production, clients come to us with what they want to accomplish and, oftentimes, with recommendations. We use that opportunity to ask questions, instead of just saying ‘yes’. We ask ‘Why do you want to do it that way? Is there something in particular that you see as most important? I like the way that sounds but have you thought about it from this perspective?’ This dialogue with the client helps open up the vision,” explained Robinson. “My big thing is for my clients to have all the information they need so they can make the best decision for their business. They’re coming to us for our expertise in visual storytelling, and we’re also thinking about it from the wholistic business standpoint. ‘Will this truly fit your brand or truly accomplish the mission for this project?’ “
Robinson is now entering his fourth year as a Chamber Member and has taken every opportunity to plug in. He helped profile cohort members in the Chamber’s Minority Business Accelerator earlier this year, in advance of the World Chambers Congress where the program was recognized by a panel of international judges.
Robinson now ends 2023 helping the Chamber tell its story at the 138th Annual Meeting - Click here to see Full Video.
(Pictured: Empowering Creative's Kinard Robinson with Lissette Campos, Senior Director of Strategic Branding, Marketing & Communications of the Chamber, after the Chamber's 138th Annual Meeting where video debuted December 14, 2023.)