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

Hi Stephen, why did you pursue a creative career?
Storytelling is something I have been attracted to in various forms since I was a kid. Whereas other kids played sports, I tried to convince my cousins to be actors in short movies I’d make with my parents’ camera. Whereas other kids played shoot-em-up videos games, I loved to play Japanese RPGs, like Final Fantasy, which were rich on story. When I was 16, I spent an entire summer writing a feature-length screenplay.

Why did I turn this into a career? Probably because my parents were supportive of me going in this direction. They encouraged me to go to NYU Film School and pursue the arts rather than something much more practical… like going into finance or something.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
After working for a decade in corporate video, it has been a real challenge to change how I approach content creation. Corporations tend to have decent budgets for videos, whereas making YouTube videos requires a more scrappy approach. Corporate videos tend to be supplemental materials for trainings, investor pitches, or conferences. YouTube videos are a different beast; you don’t have a captive audience. It’s been a real shift in thinking about creating hooks instead of building up to a climax, if you will. Also, I still struggle with 30-second “shorts” like Reels or TikTok… or vertical video in general.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Most of my friends these days are runners, so I would take them up to the “iconic” Magnolia Road. It’s a dirt road, but its legendary in the running world, after being popularized in the book “Running with the Buffaloes”

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There’s been two phases of my career. My early career, right out of college, was formative to me. Before I even graduated college, I began interning at an investment bank in their corporate video department. I had mentors there — specifically Frank, Trac, and Allison — who taught me not only how to make better videos but how to behave professionally.

More recently, my close friend and running influencer, Sage Canaday, has inspired me to go “less corporate” and create content for my own running-related YouTube channel, The Serious Runner.

Website: https://theseriousrunner.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seriousrunner/

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@TheSeriousRunner

Other: Serious runner book: https://amzn.to/44F1SCI

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.