A Web Series That Tells Emotional Stories About People's Past Hardships and How They Are Thriving Today

The interview below featuring Kiwi Callahan was conducted and published by Jeremy Campbell who's Founder and President of the collaborative freelancing website specifically built for video and film projects, Spidvid.

Kiwi is the creator of the inspirational web series, "where i don't belong." This series features the stories of amazing people who are living their lives to the fullest, have an intriguing story to tell, and serve as inspirations to the rest of us onlookers.

You can watch a past episode below, and read what Kiwi had to say in our interesting Q and A.



1. What's the story behind you wanting to develop "where i don't belong" into a web series?

Well, the more I started looking at many of the issues that we face today-- both here in the U.S. and just as a planet in general-- I started seeing that the root of many problems is a lack of empathy. When we don't put ourselves in each other's shoes, all kinds of things can begin to seem acceptable, even if they are not. So I thought I would try and combat that by actively putting myself in places where I wouldn't normally find myself, and use that as a tool to illustrate the idea that we should all try to do that in our minds more often. It works well, because it naturally lends itself to being entertaining and educational at the same time, which is the best way to get people to pay attention to what you have to say.

2. Who is involved with the project?

Pretty much just me right now... I'm still finding my voice as a journalist, so I wanted to start out alone so that I could solidify that. Eventually it would be great to have someone else hold the camera so that I could participate a little more in whatever environments I find myself in. My husband helps a lot though, and I wanted to credit him as "Moral Support" at the end of each video, but he vetoed that idea. He appears as "Technical Advisor" instead, because he helps me find better solutions than throwing the computer against the wall when I get frustrated.

3. How do people's interesting personal stories inspire you to give them a voice and share their story with the world?

One of my favorite things is seeing people when they are in their element. That's what I really love to deliver in my pieces. There's something magical about the transformation that happens when someone goes from their everyday selves to what they're like when they're doing something that they're really passionate about. Sometimes it's subtle and sometimes it's night and day, but it's always cool.

4. What are the core goals for the series?

I want to show people how important it is for them to want to know more. It's easy to stop on a surface level of any conversation, but real progress never gets made unless we really stop to examine things on a deeper level. If we all got into the habit of actively looking for a more complete picture, we would all benefit from it.

5. Are people reluctant to be really open about their lives during the video shoots? How do you get people to open up to you, being a total stranger to them?

So far people have been really receptive. I think it's a little easier to open up to someone who approaches you and says "Hey, it probably sucks that you have to deal with this stereotype on a daily basis. Would you like to help me get rid of that?" as opposed to someone who wants to exploit your story for their own gain. It doesn't always work that way though. I tried to get the Hells Angels to comment on this most recent episode, and even though I asked them very politely many times and brought them cookies, they still said no. But they were very nice about it, and I'm sure they get a lot of people asking for the same thing, and they can't just talk to every single person who comes knocking on their door. I can't really hold a grudge for that.

6. What have been the biggest project challenges and struggles to date?

My biggest challenge right now is time. I'm my own camera person, video editor, sound editor, fact-checker, and producer, and I also work full time as a Wine Director and Beverage Manager for a busy midtown Manhattan restaurant, so finding the time to wear all of those hats can be a little daunting. I don't have a lot of down time, but the trade-off is that I get to do what I love, so really it's all okay in the end.

7. Do you have any tips or insights for producing a web series?

Just do it. You don't even have to have a fancy camera. My first video project here on YouTube was shot with only my iPhone, and it currently has over 7,000 views--not a huge amount, but a lot considering that it was thrown together with my friends and my phone in about 3 days. Content is what matters.

8. Where can we watch "where i don't belong," and what can viewers expect from the series in the future?

You can catch every episode on my website at WhereIDontBelong.com.

As for the future, you can expect me to keep bringing you stories of people who are defying expectations not just here in NYC, but also out in the rest of the world. I have some great ideas about how to take the series to other states and other countries, and some of them are very close to coming to fruition. Now I just have to figure out how I'm going to work sleep into the plan...