Corey and I sat down and realized Vanilla Video needed a third person on the team. It wasn’t an easy decision. In fact, it was a really difficult decision, but any decision that affects burn rate should be difficult. We needed a tripod; a solid base for our business. Bringing on Nicholas as an intern has made our team even stronger. Now, with the three of us dedicated solely to Vanilla Video, we’re more than ready to make video affordable and easy in Chicago.

Nicholas Romano is my brother, which makes bringing him on as Co-Founder tricky. Luckily, Corey and I are approaching the situation delicately. Right now, Nicholas is an intern. If he can prove himself, we might elevate his status to Co-Founder. In these early stages, Nicholas’ job is to run operations and help us with other daily tasks. He’s also valuable because he’s an experienced videographer and editor, which allows him to fulfill work when needed. He may work his way up to a managerial position, which would be ideal.

To avoid nepotism, I did my best to stay neutral during the process; giving unbiased nuggets of advice when I could. Nicholas wasn’t the first candidate we looked at. We met with a few people. Some of them showed interest. Others couldn’t make the commitment. In the end, Nicholas was the best choice. In some ways he’s a blank slate. At only 20 years old, he’s young, but he’s got drive, energy and ambition. He’s willing to work hard and do whatever it takes to make Vv a strong and successful business. What he lacks in experience and credentials, he makes up in hunger and motivation.

Welcome to the team, bro. Let’s build something awesome.

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