👋 Hey Reader!

Here’s what I’ve got for you in today’s issue of WFH Dads:

→ The first impression you make on a video call

→ Recommendation of the week - My productive home office tour

Let's get into it.

Video calls say more about you than you think

If you find yourself getting on Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet calls with potential clients or higher ups at your company, you have to understand this: the way you show up on those calls leaves an impression.

It goes beyond what you're wearing or how confident you sound.

It's also your camera, your audio, your lighting, your framing.

This leaves a different impression:

Than this:

So even if you aren't a content creator in your day job like I am, it's worth investing a few hundred dollars in some basic equipment to level up the professionalism of your video calls.

Audio

You don't want to be the person people are struggling to understand because your audio is so bad that the 'isolation' and voice cancellation technology is making you sound super warbled and digitized.

A proper microphone will solve that.

The Maono PD200W mic is fantastic for about $100. It sounds great and it works wirelessly which is super rare for these types of 'podcast style' microphones (though it can also plug in via USB-C connection and traditional XLR).

I've linked to the version that comes with the 'boom arm' instead of just the regular stand so you can push it out of the way more easily when you're not using it and so it takes up less desk space.

​Here's a great review of it where you can hear how it compares to other similar mics of that style.

Lighting

If you can arrange your desk so that there is a window in front of you and natural light is coming in, that's the simplest thing. But you also don't want your lighting to be completely dependent on how sunny of a day it is.

I recommend getting the Elgato Key Light Neo. You can adjust how bright it is, you can adjust the color (I'd lean more towards white than yellow), and it's super compact.

While you can mount it to the top of your monitor, I recommend getting the version that comes with a table mount ($90 altogether). The light looks more professional if it's off at a 45 degree angle instead of directly in front of your face. And the table mount keeps your desk space clear.

​Here's a video that shows you how to set it up.

Video

I've never been a fan of most webcams because they generally just kind of suck. I started using my professional video camera as a webcam years ago because it was the only way I could get that nice blurry background that webcams historically just couldn't do.

But now there are webcams that can give you that nice blurry background!

The YoloCam S3 is the webcam I recommend. It's small, relatively inexpensive ($200), and most importantly, gives you that sweet, sweet, blurry background.

​Here's a great video that shows what the webcam footage looks like as well as how to best dial in the settings.

Backdrop

Most people just put up a virtual background and call it a day. That's fine (and better than doing the artificially blurred background where you're just sitting in a huge blurry mess like my example above) but the background is such an opportunity to stand out in a sea of sameness.

Most of the comments I get about my setup are a result of the thought I put into what's behind me when I'm on a call (though the camera, mic, and lighting help).

Here's a few things to keep in mind:

• a white wall is fairly dull; throw SOMETHING on the walls
• consider putting a colored light or two in the background
• have something that could serve as a conversation piece
  • play guitar? have a guitar up on the wall
  • do martial arts? have a boxing glove or colored belt visible
  • really into Lord of the Rings? have your LOTR Funko Pops on display

​This video does a great job of explaining what to consider when setting up your background. It's targeted to people wanting to build a YouTube studio but the principles are the same.

The takeaway

If you're only meeting with team members to work through current projects, or you're cam off, mic off 95% of the time, you probably don't need any of this.

But if you are meeting with people you want to make an impression on, or just want to level up your setup for the sake of your own professionalism, here's what I recommend you prioritize:

• Prioritize the mic if anyone's ever told you 'I can't really understand you.'
• Prioritize the light if you aren't facing a window
• Prioritize the camera if you've always wanted a real blurry background
• Prioritize the backdrop if you want people to say 'wow, love the pro setup!'

I feel this post sums up why your video call setup may be worth the investment:

Would love to hear what you think though. Do you feel you could benefit from leveling up your video given your role? Or is it less of a priority?

Recommendation of the week

My productive home office tour

If you really want to do a deep dive on all the tech and gear I have in my office (which goes beyond the basics I've mentioned above given my role), then check out my full home office tour!

What about you?

You looking to upgrade your mic, light, or camera in your home office?

Thom Gibson Founder of WFH Dads ​​​

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600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
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