10 minute read
Down on the Farm
Former pastor Caleb Anderson and video producer Paul Dowler never thought they would produce a children’s show.
An author and life coach, Anderson had been writing popular daily devotional blogs and recording podcasts for more than a year in Huntington Beach, California, and in the Valley.
Dowler was a set dresser in fi lm and television in Los Angeles for nearly 20 years before transitioning his creative talents to ministry.
He had a vision to turn Anderson’s audio podcasts into video episodes as well, enhancing overall production quality for Anderson’s nonprofi t, Spirit Farm, which has a mission to promote personal growth and development mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Loft 19 in Deer Valley gave the pair the chance to use its production stages, so they packed up and moved to the Valley of the Sun. By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Over the past six months, Anderson and Dowler have produced over 50 video and audio podcast episodes, from weekly meditations and inspirational messages to interviews with local well-loved talents like Scott MacIntyre of “American Idol” to controversial guests such as Martin Kirsten, former bodyguard to Heidi Klum and Chris Cornell of Soundgarden.
But in mid-March, when COVID-19 hit the world hard and fast, the duo knew they couldn’t conduct business as usual and the idea of a kids’ show, “Spirit Farm Kids,” took root.
“I had this idea for ‘Spirit Farm’ to be a personal development company with a faith foundation,” says Anderson, of Phoenix. “I do a podcast and create content for adults. Churches are shutting down and our own young kids were at home all the time online. I thought there has to be better stuff out there.
“We have access to this amazing studio. My brother (Aaron Anderson) is a very talented musician who wrote fi ve original songs for the fi rst fi ve shows. My friend Paul was a movie and TV show guy back in LA. He now lives here. In two weeks, we put together fi ve shows and shot them.”
Anderson and his wife Hilary fi gured it would be the perfect opportunity to provide good fun entertainment while also addressing topics kids might be experiencing, like fear and worry.
“Our own kids, who range in age from 2 to 7 years old, had questions about the virus and why they couldn’t see their friends and family,” Anderson explains. “So, we thought, ‘What a great time to do a kid’s show version of the type of content we are already creating for adults.’”
Dowler, however, knew “throwing together” a kids’ show was not as easy as it sounded, but within a week, on a nonexistent budget, a set was in place; a camera operator, Dowler’s son, Jordan, and a video editor volunteered Former pastor fi nds his niche with children’s YouTube show
Hilary Anderson and son Henry as “Farmer Hilary” and “Henry,” respectively, in “Spirit Farm Kids,” a YouTube faith-based children’s show.
their time and skills; Anderson’s wife, “Farmer Hilary,” a Pilates instructor, signed on as on-air talent, while “Farmer Aaron,” Caleb’s brother and local worship pastor, wrote and performed original sing-along songs for each of the fi rst fi ve episodes.
Each episode is approximately 15 minutes and is available on YouTube. “Spirit Farm” hopes to continue producing more if it can secure fi nancing.
“We hope that kids from 3 years old to 103 years old will enjoy the shows,” says Dowler, who also plays the role of “Carl the Cow.” “During this time of uncertainty, our world needs a little infusion of joy and an infl ated cow never hurts.”
Born in Phoenix, Anderson moved back to the Valley from Huntington Beach, California.
“My parents moved us to LA when we were young,” he says. “When they were empty nesters, they moved back.”
Anderson studied business at USC and worked at a “really big church” in Orange County—Saddleback Valley Community Church.
“I learned about big churches and led one
Aaron Anderson stars as “Farmer Aaron” in the faith-based “Spirit Farm Kids.” (Photos courtesy Caleb Anderson)
in Huntington Beach, but I was wanting to get out of that traditional church model and help people grow,” he says.
“I wanted to use digital means and retreats. I’ve written a few books, and I’m continuing to do that. I just wanted to know: How do we serve people and grow and experience God using digital tools? With the COVID-19 crisis, the opportunity just presented itself. Helping kids stuck at home became a priority.”
https://bit.ly/3b8wLVi
Paul Dowler as “Carl the Cow” and Caleb Anderson as “Farmer Caleb” in “Spirit Farm Kids.”
Robby Deziel, left, and Levi Conlow of Lectric eBikes are expected to hit $12 million in sales by their fi rst anniversary on May 30. (Photos courtesy Lectric eBikes)
Levi Conlow and Robby Deziel were passionate about biking. When electric bikes hit the market, they piqued their interest.
“Robby was already a passionate cyclist,” Conlow says. “But then once he heard about the electric aspect, he really dove straight in and really kept asking the question, ‘How can it be better?’”
Minnesota natives who now live in Phoenix, the two decided to answer that question themselves. Th rough Conlow’s entrepreneurial skills and Deziel’s mechanical engineering abilities, Lectric eBikes in Deer Valley was born.
“Th e reason the electric bike came to be was because my dad kind of almost pestered us to try to make it more aff ordable just for his own personal benefi t,” says Conlow, a Grand Canyon University graduate.
Conlow and Deziel thought it would be a small eff ort called “Levi and Robby’s Lectric eBikes.” Instead, they shortened the name and chopped off the fi rst E. Together in Electric Dreams Lectric eBikes celebrates its fi rst successful year By Annika Tomlin “It’s kind of cool because it takes the ‘e’ where it’s supposed to be in electric then puts it before the bikes,” says Conlow, who earned his degrees at the University of Minnesota. “We just fell in love with the name.”
Sales have been a surprise for the Conlow and Deziel. Conlow and Deziel started selling the high-end Lectric XP, which retails for $899, in May 2019. It was an instant success where “sales were fl ying through the door,” according to Conlow. Barely a year later, the Lectric XP bike has over 10,000 purchases and earned Electric Bike Review’s Top Choice Award for Best Folding Electric Fat Tire Bike of 2020. Th e company is expected to hit $12 million in sales by its fi rst anniversary on May 30.
“We got the ball rolling with really awesome infl uencers on YouTube,” Conlow says. “Th e beautiful thing is these infl uencers reviewed the bike and the response was overwhelmingly positive, which was a huge win because we didn’t know what they were going to say until the videos came out.”
Conlow and Deziel enlisted the help of YouTube infl uencers to help market their bikes without having to drop an excessive amount of money on ads. Th e guys started with an email asking the infl uencers to review the bike and post a video about it. Eight people accepted the off er. Th e videos have reached more than 3 million views and helped sell 10,000 Lectric XP bikes.
At one point the two increased the price to help combat the bike’s demand. Th ey also had to switch to off ering preorder for the bikes to help give them time to manufacture the orders.
“We were in preorder and we’re asking customers to wait eight to 12 weeks to get their bikes,” Conlow says. “We understood that was a huge ask and we had to be able to support them the whole way.”
The COVID-19 pandemic brought on a surge of bike requests, too. To give back to the community during these unprecedented times, Lectric eBikes will donate 8,000 KN95 masks to health care workers in Arizona.
“In certain parts of New York or on the
East Coast, subway stations and certain transit systems have been shut down and people still need to get around,” Conlow says. “People are wanting our bike to be a solution for that.”
Conlow thinks that during the time of social distancing it’s the perfect opportunity to get out and ride. Deep research
Th e bike came about aft er researching customers’ wants and desires.
“Th e hardest part of creating the bike was the process of fi guring out what customers wanted out of their bikes,” Conlow says. “It was a very lengthy process. At some point, you may feel discouraged because you think you might have it fi gured out and then you go back to square one.”
Once they had that down, it was time to fi nd a place. Th ey ran it out of a friend’s garage and living room, before moving to a building in Deer Valley. Ultimately, the high-end Lectric XP came alive.
Th e duo’s bike remains aff ordable, even though they use name-brand quality parts from LG, Shimano and Tetra. Th e bike’s design has riders’ backgrounds in mind. Th e paint job, the branding, the style and the bigtop tires were all designed to be really cool in the guys’ eyes.
Th e all-terrain tires and foldable frame make the bike easy to pack up and go riding anywhere at any time. Lectric XP folds into a third its size with a hidden battery within the framework.
“Th e foldability is just beautiful because I have a small hatchback car and I can fi t three bikes in it,” Conlow says. “Just being able to go out riding, fold it up and throw it in the car is the best feature of it.
“Nobody wanted to buy a bike they had to put together because they don’t build bikes. So, we ship the bike to you fully assembled. You
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Robby Deziel, left, and Levi Conlow of Lectrice Bikes are donating 8,000 KN95 masks to health care workers in Arizona.
get the bike, unfold it and you start riding.”
Lectric XP maxes out the legal top speed for an electric bike by zooming up to 28 mph. Lectric XP can ride anywhere a normal bike can go.
“With the high performance and speed, our customers are tapping into that youthful fun,” Conlow says. “Many of our customers have said this is their fi rst time biking in 20 to 30 years and they like the way the bike looks and feels.”
Th e company is focusing on its high-end Lectric XP, with no plans to create a new model. Th ere’s always room for improvement, though.
“I think it’s human nature to improve and make things better,” Conlow says. “I most certainly believe that in 2021 we will have a new version of our bike or maybe a diff erent bike entirely to the public.”
Lectric eBikes
602-715-0907 lectricebikes.com
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