Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Lu.
Hi Alex, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born in Overland Park, Kansas (outside of Kansas City, Missouri), and lived in KCMO until I was 3 years old. Due to my dad’s career, my family and I moved to northern Virginia (Loudon County/Chantilly area) where I spent my elementary school years before moving again to the suburbs outside of/that make up greater Philadelphia. I finished middle and high school in the Philly area, and then went to Towson University where I got a bachelors in mass communications with a focus in journalism.
After school, I had no idea what I wanted to do. Before college, I thought I wanted to be a sports writer since I’ve always been a huge sports fan and enjoyed writing. However, my major in college changed my perception of the news, journalism, and today’s world of media in general. I actually grew to dislike platforms like Twitter, and what SportsCenter had become compared to what I grew up watching and loving.
Before graduating, I was recruited by a corporate recruiter who also graduated from Towson to work for an IT solutions staffing firm in downtown Baltimore. It was basically a sales-type job and my first income out of school. I quickly learned I wasn’t cut out for sales and didn’t last longer than 6 months. So I moved back home with my parents in Philly and took a social media analyst job at a PR firm mostly doing blog and social content.
My now ex-girlfriend at the time lived in Maryland, and long distance was hard. I also grew to dislike my PR job, so I moved back to Maryland and found a job in Fairfax, VA doing social media marketing for a small cyber security company. That job lasted 1 year until my position was removed. Then I got a job in Derwood, MD working as a project coordinator for a website platform start-up that created SEO focused websites for car dealerships.
Since 2016, I have hopped around to numerous companies working as an IT project manager. I’ve worked for large corporations like Capital One, Blue Cross Blue Shield, DLA Piper, Meta, Marriott, Hilton, and now RTX. At one point, I thought I liked project management because I’m an organized, structured person, who communicates well. However, it took me 10 years to realize I like some aspects of being a PM, but I hate big corporate America environments, I’m not technical and don’t understand IT, and I haven’t found a PM job or company that I enjoy and feel passionate about.
At the end of 2024, I decided to embark on a journey to gradually transition my career to what I’m most passionate about which is video. I love video editing, videography/photography, film and cinema, production, graphic design, writing, blogging, and podcasting about sports (my favorite team the Kansas City Chiefs), and being hands on and creative in general. So I started a YouTube channel, and that’s expanded from a main channel to also a few sub channels, and I’ve been making videos for the last year and a half outside of my day job. My hope is to one day leave my full-time career and make money doing what I love with video.
Looking back on my life now at 34 years old. I wish I would’ve realized that I love video sooner. As a kid, I loved movies and TV, visiting Universal Studios, learning about how movies are made behind the scenes, etc. I first picked up a camera in elementary school. My dad and grandpa used to film home movies on their camcorders. I would use their cameras to film and make movies of my brother and I re-enacting movie scenes and writing/shooting our own movies. As I got older, I enjoyed making GoPro videos and vlogging my life with friends and family taking trips.
So that’s my story, it doesn’t seem special to me at a glance. But perhaps it can offer inspiration to others to know I’ve had to learn a lot about myself even as a young adult in my early to mid 30s, now with a wife, kid, dog, second kid on the way, etc. Later this year, I’m also finally leaving the east coast. We are moving to the Kansas City, MO area because it’s more affordable and we need to save money. I love sports, all things KC, and video, and am hoping to find career opportunities to mesh all of those passions and interests in my hometown that I never got a chance to grow up. But I can give that life to my kids.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t believe many people go through life on a smooth road, there are always bumps, winding roads and turns. Like most people I think I’ve had my share of struggles personally and professionally.
Overall I’m blessed to have the life that I have, being able to provide for my family with a career I have built and now as a dad and husband.
In terms of struggles, I think career-wise, it’s just been frustrating having spent about 12 years of my professional working life and career after college never really feeling content, confident, or passionate about what I’m doing.
Now my current challenge is to figure out how to balance an FTE daytime job with my true passion and how I can transition to doing what I love for a living, full-time.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Since I no longer want to be a PM, and I want to work in video, I’m going to focus these answers on my video/creative work. I really enjoy creating videos, and in particular the editing/post-production side. What I’m most proud of is being able to stay true to myself, appreciate classic film elements, and bring unique creative ideas and inspirations to life working with what I have. I don’t have a ton of expensive gear, access to the latest and greatest tech, big budgets, etc. I’m working currently within my means to build a living and breathing portfolio of video work samples to show my broad range of creativity, areas of speciality, skills, experience, and expertise, and provide future employers and collaborators with a showcase of what I can do with cameras, editing, graphics, and creativity.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I was actually pretty shy upon first meeting new people, even when seeing extended family once a year during summer vacations. I’ve always been an ambivert, so I usually warm up to new settings once I get more comfortable. I’ve always been goofy, loved playing and watching sports, and had a creative mind. I’ve always been a kind and respectful person. As a kid, pretty much anyone who knew me has always known I was a die hard Kansas City Chiefs fan and just obsessed with all things KC – Royals, K-State Wildcats, etc.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alexlu031.wixsite.com/alu2prodportfolio
- Instagram: @alu2productions
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alex.lu031/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexlu031/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@alu2productions
- Other: https://winorluschiefsnews.wordpress.com
