Meet Patrick Harlan | Drone Pilot, Cinematographer, Video Creator, Builder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Patrick Harlan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Patrick, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Taking risks has played an important role in my life/career. I enjoy being a master of one’s own destiny simply because you never know where your life/career will lead. For instance, starting a hobby that I enjoyed that morphed into a pivotal role for my current organization (Urban Soccer Park). In retrospect I’ve had a pattern of taking risks, from working in the Covid-19 units at UAB Hospital, to packing as much as I could in my sedan and driving across country from Birmingham, Alabama to Boise, Idaho to work for Urban Soccer Park which I found off a Facebook add. I also took a huge risk when I was invited to participate in the 2022 Major Arena Soccer League Combine at the ripe age of 34 all while battling chronic Asthma and Ménière’s disease. I figured you only go around once and I never wanted to reflect on my life as a senior citizen and wonder what if? To me, that person is the individual that peaked in high school and refused to move on and I simply did not want to be that person, I wanted to try and achieve anything I could dream of. taking those initial risks propelled me into a wonderful career that would have never been available to me had I stayed in Alabama. I believe this risk taking pattern started early on in my life, for instance, 2 weeks after graduating college in Alabama, I moved to Southern California to pursue a career in medical device sales.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I think what sets me apart is my relentless effort for perfection, I set incredibly high standards for myself. In regards to AirReelers, I’ve had to teach myself literally everything. From shooting video, editing, flying, social media marketing, to carving out a position at Urban Soccer Park to be the media guy. I taught myself everything because I didn’t want to have to rely on other people to find success. And none of this has been easy, especially since I travel so much for work. I have to travel week to week, the most time I spend at home is maybe 2 weeks. What I am most excited about is that people actually like the videos that I create. I find myself in a very unique position, I work for a business (USP) that travels across the country building soccer parks to revitalize underused space and promotes civic engagement. Not only do I build these parks, I also capture (AirReelers) the activation of these spaces and get to witness first hand the excitement and joy in these communities. I have had the opportunity to work in the greater Denver area with 2 flagship organizations. One is the Aurora YMCA and the other being the Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club. I have an additional build coming up in the Denver area with a prominent businessman named Keith Montoya. He was named to Denver’s “Top 40 under 40” by the Denver Business Journal and I’m excited for the opportunity to work with such an established individual.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I honestly don’t go out so much because I’m always busy with my work, but there are some places I would love to visit in Denver. First would be Coors Field and watch a Rockies baseball game. Next would be Empower Field at Mile High to see a Broncos game. Then, Ball Arena to see a Nuggets game and see the Avalanche play. I’ve only been to 2 pro sporting events in my life. I would also like to see Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum since I’ve always been fascinated with planes ever since I was a kid. Elitch Gardens would be fun too because who doesn’t love a good theme park? I would love to see a concert at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater some day. I’ve been wanting to check out Meow Wolf Denver | Convergence Station and witness how creative people can be. I would also like to see the International Church of Cannabis because I grew up in Alabama and we never had anything like that.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have 3 people in my life that have helped and encouraged along my journey. The first is my girlfriend Angelina Bolaños, she has been incredibly helpful and supportive from the purchase of my very first drone, to reviewing video footage with me and providing feedback. I’ve always thought she has done such an amazing job of creating reels about our relationship and that has meant a lot to me. She has also been my rock since I have to travel so much for work. She listens to my gripes and puts up with my relentless pursuit of perfecting my craft. The second is my room mate Jason Soubliere, he has been an incredible team player, provided great support, and a really good friend. He’s even given me work when I was having trouble finding any. The third is my work colleague Shawn O’Shea. He is the person that kept encouraging me to produce more content and also provided a healthy space to explore this venture. I am very grateful to not only have him as a work associate but also as a friend. I would also have to recognize my parents who are just incredibly amazing people, they have always been supportive of my crazy ideas. They have allowed me to figure out how I want to live my life, make mistakes and move forward. I am very blessed to have them.

Website: https://www.airreelers.com

Instagram: @airreelers

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-harlan-60246951

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554686254141&mibextid=JRoKGi

Other: email: airreelers@gmail.com

Image Credits
Patrick Harlan

Angelina Bolaños