People like to hear what makes other people tick, that enables them to enjoy success in their careers or passions in life.
Two Kelowna men are hoping that formula will prove to be a winning recipe for a new website concept.
Lee Rempel and Stefan Matis have embraced a concept they call Passionate Living In Action.
“We want our website to ultimately be a resource that shares and provides information about all things positive and passionate,” Rempel said.
“We believe the audience is out there, it’s just a matter of growing the website and turning it into a self sustaining business venture.”
The main building block for the online business enterprise is shooting video interviews of people, and asking them about their passions in work and life.
The videos are about three minutes in length. A free copy is given to the interview subject to use as they see fit, while Rempel and Matis plan to post a copy of it on their website.
They have already shot eight videos, among the interview subjects being a doctor, realtor, yoga instructor, fitness trainer, therapist and chiropractor.
“Our plan is to film a wide spectrum of people with different interests. It doesn’t cost them anything other than their time for a brief interview to share what they are passionate about in their lives,” Rempel said.
The current videos can be viewed on YouTube (www.youtube.com/mplia) while the PLIA website is still being developed.
Rempel, 45, is an electrician by trade. He is born and raised in Kelowna, who has worked his trade mostly in the film industry in the Lower Mainland.
The idea for PLIA had been kicking around for some time in his head when he was introduced to Matis, 27, by a mutual friend.
A videographer and photographer, Matis was immediately taken by Rempel’s idea and the two began putting the idea into action.
“We believe we had a unique idea. We were talking about the idea for about 2 1/2 years. During that time we were looking around at other reality programs and websites to see what other people were doing,” Rempel said.
“We are not recreating the wheel with this idea but we felt focusing in on people’s passions in life and why they feel the way they do about them was something nobody else was doing.”
So last fall, the two began approaching people to be filmed for their online enterprise, and have found an enthusiastic response.
“I guess what people wonder the most is will it cost them anything, and it doesn’t,” Rempel said.
Matis said modern technology allows them to film and edit the produced videos with minimal equipment or space.
“All you need is a camera, microphone and computer and you’re set,” said Matis, who noted that some people who had been interviewed for television previously were taken aback by their minimalist approach.
Rempel said the two are getting better at interviewing people and keeping them on message so they don’t end up with an excessive amount of footage that can’t be used.
He said Jon Summerland, Okanagan film commissioner, has seen some of their initial videos and complimented them on the production quality.
“He’s been very supportive of what we are trying to do and we appreciate his stamp of approval on it,” Rempel noted.
For more information, go to www.myplia.com
