Work — Han Connects

How I work

Almost all of my work comes from networking, so most people I work with I'm friends with before we start, and if not, by the time we're done. Honestly I feel lucky that it works that way. Everyone only gets to live life as themselves, so two people can go through the exact same thing and come out seeing it completely differently, and getting to meet that many people and see that many versions of the same world is kind of its own wisdom. The more people I meet, the more I notice how much everyone has in common, and the differences are the part I find most interesting.

Because I'm independent and not working for some big brand, there are no strings attached. I get to work with the person and their brand one on one. What they're bringing me is their passion, and letting me in on it is a trust thing. If I can't see why it matters to them I'll miss the point completely, so I take the time to understand exactly what they want, however long that takes. I also just can't do anything well without a real reason behind it.

There's a line I think about a lot, that there are as many languages as there are people. Everyone thinks and communicates a little differently, and my job is basically translating, from their head to mine and then from mine to everyone else. A lot can get lost along the way, which is why I work closely and iteratively and build an actual relationship, because people who understand each other communicate better.

Getting to know someone also shows me how solid their foundation is and how much creative freedom I actually have. Some people have their own thing going and don't want it changed. Some want a back and forth for ideas and inspiration. Some want to hand off the creative side completely, but that only works after we've talked enough to build trust. Wherever they land, what I bring is grounding. My whole work and social life is online, I consume a ridiculous amount of media and I remember most of it, so I've either seen something like it before or I can bridge it to something close and build something new from there. That's what makes an idea feel real instead of just imagined.

how a project actually runs

Once we've talked it through, I pitch back what I see in my head as a step by step rundown, basically my interpretation of what they said handed back to them. That lets us check it against the original idea. If something's different, sometimes it's a miscommunication we catch early, and sometimes it's a better idea neither of us had until it showed up in the gap.

After approval I get to work. I'm realistic about timing. I have ADHD so my work ethic runs a little different, I ramp up once things get going and I'd rather go hard for three days straight than work modestly for a week. That's just how I am, and I plan around it.

If a project needs more than I can do alone, I put together a team that can. Usually that's people I trust, which often means friends, and the thing I've had to learn is that once a friend is working on something with me, they're a business partner first on that project. The expectations are the same for everyone and they can't bend because we're close. Honestly that's what makes working with friends work, and I love it, because I can rely on them.

how I learn fast

You'll notice the work below is all over the place, different creators, different formats, different tools. Part of that is I have a lot of interests, but mostly it's because I like taking on projects that aren't my own, which means I'm constantly forced to learn. That's how I learn best, by applying it on the spot.

I learn quickly because I stack what I know. When I pick up something new I look for the similarities and differences with everything I've already done, the same way I do with people. The similarities give me a base I can already navigate, and the differences show me where I need to explore or figure things out. So I'm not relearning from zero or studying stuff I'll never use. I can open almost any piece of software and find my way around it, and I'd guess I start most new things already knowing 10 to 25 percent of them.

That adaptability matters more than anything right now. Things online move fast, and if you can't take what you've learned and move on to the next thing, you get left behind.

Leading a team comes easy for the same reason. I take input from everyone, cross reference it, and make the call with everything we have. Everything I learn goes into one web where every string connects to the others, which is why I don't do anything without knowing why, and why thinking ahead beats panicking into the next move every time. If you're starting to notice that the way I connect with people is the way I do everything else, that's kind of the point.

Selected work

CoClip A paperclip carabiner from two students in Hong Kong

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I met Dita and Max through a random video. They're two international students in Hong Kong, Max started the brand and Dita, his classmate, was helping with marketing. Dita found my page and asked if I could help, and even with the time difference we were on a call within 24 hours. It was 10AM for me at a cafe (the last time I ever do that, it was so loud) and 10PM for them at home.

They were just finishing manufacturing their first product, the CoClip, a carabiner shaped like a paperclip. I loved it right away, it had that everyday look with an actually functional design, and after working with a lot of clothing and fashion brands I already had a feel for where something like this could go. We used every minute of our free one hour Zoom, and it was enough to talk through where they wanted the brand to go, set clear goals for the product, and map a plan toward them. The thing I pushed hardest on was knowing the ending. If you know how the story ends, you don't skip the steps you should be taking now to get there. By the end of the call they gave me full creative direction, as long as what I made moved us toward the goals we set.

Between work and trips I put together a production team of four, and within 48 hours we were shooting.

That's our inspo board coming together. Sticky notes, charms, scraps, and the Hong Kong newspaper the product was packed in when it shipped, which I'd held onto. We made it out of whatever was in our bags, and it ended up doing two jobs, showing off the product and capturing the streetwear feel of the brand. We didn't even plan it, we decided on it that day.

The real goal of the shoot was this ad, the clip worn on 20+ pairs of pants. It shows how many styles it works with and leans into one of the most popular ways people were already wearing it on social. We actually had about 40 pairs and some got cut. I showed up that day with a suitcase and two giant boxes of pants spilling out.

It ran on their website and socials, and CoClip shipped about 100 units, which is honestly impressive for something that started as a project for Max's business class. When his time abroad ended and school changed, keeping the brand going got hard, so it's on pause for now. Even so, they still keep me in the loop on everything that's coming. Max still plans on a new clothing line and another batch of CoClip, and I can't wait to work with him and Dita on the next round.

@mzxcle Editing and content strategy for a fashion creator

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@mzxcle is a creator I'd actually been taking inspiration from, so when she was looking for editors I reached out, and again we got on a call fast. The role turned into more than editing. I helped brainstorm ideas and gave input on her content schedule, since she was trying to post more while being a busy fashion student at Parsons. She had about 50K on Instagram, and before we ever talked I went through her content and her audience, so I understood it from the audience side before hearing how she wanted it done. My job isn't just doing what I'm told, it's bringing my insight and making the best version we both can.

Her first request was a day in the life, mini vlog style. It looks a little bare because this is the cut before we added her text, but the simple editing was on purpose. It matched how she wanted her content to flow, gentle and authentic like her.

Editing is an art form, and as the editor you're now responsible for representing that person, so you have to understand them and what they want to say, even when it's more of a vibe than something you can put into words.

As a busy student, a lot of her real behind the scenes footage is slow, and she wanted it to be more interesting. I did that by showing the results. Before any text, the idea was basically “who says sewing is boring?”

This one was for her separate work account, where she shows her designs on other models. It was shot on an old iPhone 5 because she wanted it raw and unfiltered, the process of being behind the scenes and watching your work come to life.

Sound design The part nobody notices

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Sound design is the part of my process people don't notice, but they notice the results. A finished video is supposed to feel full, especially when you're showing a place or a product. The biggest flaw in digital marketing is the physical distance between the product and the viewer. You can put a product in front of anyone in the world, but they can't hold it, and the whole point of being engaging is closing that distance.

sound design only

final cut: music + sound design

Play one, then the other. Starting one pauses the other.

This is from my own page, me styling an outfit and breaking it down layer by layer. The layering keeps you watching and the on beat cuts keep it moving, but listen past that. I'm 20 feet from the camera and you can still hear my footsteps, the jacket zipper going up perfectly, the clothes rustling, the keys jingling on my pants. That's all intentional.

Sound is one of only two senses that make it through a screen, so it has to be used. Hearing a material makes you imagine feeling it. How does the jacket sound, did the zipper catch? A viewer picks that up without thinking about it, and it's my job to plant it. Even the start sounds like a radio you just tuned into, and the end drifts off into background noise before it loops.

These are clips from a short film I made for my page. The footage was completely silent. In these 3 clips, about 13 seconds total, you're hearing 40+ sounds building an environment that was never actually there, and once the music goes on top you can't tell.

Some are obvious sound effects, others show a change in the environment, a feeling, or a physical action.

Personal brand Sponsored work on my own page

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A lot of my following came from letting people in. People are drawn to charisma and to people who clearly do things because they love them, and they attach to those personalities. Growing tens of thousands of followers mostly from our relationship content is proof of that, and it's what brought brands to my page.

Sponsored by Sundae School, an NYC brand doing modern clothing inspired by traditional Korean style. They sent their sweat sets, and I chose to show them in everyday life with my partner, the idea being matching with yourself and matching with your person.

Seeing two people actually connect feels grounded, and it brings people closer to the product. People want to see themselves in something, and when they picture themselves in that moment, they're picturing themselves in the sets.

Also sponsored, by Cold Culture, a European streetwear brand. They sent the clothes and my partner filmed with me in the “styling my boyfriend” format, a hook that already works. It feels raw, like we let you into a slice of our life, and it reached over 300K views organically.

The format pulls people in for different reasons. A girlfriend sees a cute way to shop for her boyfriend, a guy sees a way to dress better, and some people just enjoy watching. Whatever brought them in, by the end they've watched the outfit come together on a real person, so the product is what they leave with.

These are just a few examples. A lot of the work I've done with other brands is under active NDAs, or I no longer own it, so I can't show all of it here. If you want to know more, email me and I'll tell you what I can.

hanconnects@gmail.com