Meet The Face Behind Innovative Media Group, LLC

I’m Jon Petro, the proud owner of Innovative Media Group, LLC.

I look forward to sharing my story. I hope that you will enjoy getting to know me better.

I had wanted to be a filmmaker ever since I was an eight-year-old child growing up in Kalamazoo, MI. In fact, I can fondly remember dressing up as Steven Spielberg for Halloween during my formative years.

I spent most of my youth creating short films and animation projects with friends, family, and anyone who would stand-in as an “actor.”

However, my professional career in the film industry officially started by accident on my fifteenth birthday, when my parents decided to purchase a professional-grade video camera for me as a present. 

After looking at the latest cameras, it quickly became apparent that the level of quality I was looking for was out of their price range. So, my mother decided to drive me to several video production companies to see if they might have a slightly older model for sale.

After going from one media house to the next, we stumbled across Absolute Video Productions. The owner, Tom Sielatycki, came out to greet us and was so impressed with my knowledge of video production that he offered to give us a tour of their production studio. 

Upon passing through the video editing suites, Tom asked me what software I used to edit videos at home. It just so happened that I had spent most of my childhood and teenage years editing on the same software his team used. 

At that very moment, Tom offered me a job at his company. While I was delighted, I tried explaining to him that I couldn’t drive. Luckily, my mother offered to drop and pick me up every day from work for the rest of the summer until I was officially allowed to take my driving test. 

Consequently, I started work the very next day and began to learn the ropes enthusiastically. I got so engrossed in my craft that immediately after graduating from Gull Lake High School, I moved to Los Angeles, California, and studied film at Los Angeles Pierce College. 

Subsequently, I moved back to Kalamazoo in 2008 and directed my first feature film, Lexibaby, shortly after turning twenty. 

In the years that followed, I worked in many different positions on a diverse number of feature films before accepting a television job working for NBC in 2013. During my time at NBC, I realized that my destiny was to lead other passionate people to tell stories through video. 

So, in 2014 I founded a video production company dedicated to creating high-quality videos. My mission was to help individuals, organizations, and businesses engage with their audiences, build brand awareness, and convey their message through powerful video storytelling. 

Over the past six years, I’ve noticed that the company has evolved. When I first began, my focus was on drone production, and my firm was one of the first in the United States to be awarded an FAA exemption for using drones for commercial purposes. 

I also got very involved in live-streaming large events using many cameras and implementing aerial video shots using drones. While I still integrate drone video into many of my projects today, I’ve slowly progressed into rendering professional services, manufacturing, and corporate videos for larger companies.

I love the process of being able to help convey the authentic truth of these businesses by delivering marketing videos that feel genuine and relatable. My team always pushes the envelope to highlight the human element in every video story we produce. 

I enjoy meeting new people and understanding new perspectives. I feel that each individual within an organization has had unique life experiences that can help me to learn and grow.

Therefore, I work hard, and as an individual, I believe what sets me apart is my integrity. Clients trust me to consistently deliver, and I work with my heart to follow through and maintain high standards.

I also attribute my success to building reliable, meaningful, and long-lasting relationships with each client. I achieve this by listening to them and taking the time to understand what’s important to my clients and their customers. 

My team then takes the feedback and pours everything they have into creating a one-of-a-kind video that makes clients feel proud of their brand, product, and service. As a result, when I witness clients smiling from ear to ear, laughing, or shedding a tear when watching one of our finished videos, it’s rewarding. 

Also, knowing that my team has created a product that will stand the test of time fills me with immense satisfaction. I’m fortunate to have such a dynamic crew to support me in my endeavors.

When I’m not creating captivating videos, I like traveling and experiencing new cultures with my beautiful wife Brittney. I also enjoy working on art projects with my son J.J., and daughter Natalie, as I’m a life-long fan of drawing, painting, and sculpting.

I’m currently in the process of constructing a professional recording studio in a building behind my family home, as I love playing, writing, and recording original music. 

On a final note, I’m incredibly passionate about encouraging people to discover what they love, as I believe everyone has a true calling in life. I think it’s essential not to allow circumstances, stereotypes or other people’s judgment to prevent us from pursuing our dreams.

I have appreciated sharing my story with you all, and I hope you have enjoyed learning a little bit about the things I am most passionate about in life and how those things influence the way I do business.

If you or someone you know could benefit from my expertise as a video producer in Portage, MI, backed by our team of skilled video professionals, I invite you to get in touch. Please visit our website at www.innovativemediagroupllc.com or call us directly at (269)929-5595!

Sincerely,

Jon