Some companies are created from business plans, market research, or startup funding. Klein Creative Media came from something much simpler—and much more human:

A surfboard. A camera. A need for balance.

And a love for storytelling that refused to fade.

This is the story of how a young woman who just wanted to spend more time in the ocean became an Emmy-winning director, a mother who rebuilt her career on her own terms, and the founder of one of Southern California’s most trusted boutique video production companies.

A Curious Beginning: How Surfing Accidentally Led to Television

When I chose my college major, I wasn’t thinking about career paths—I was thinking about waves.

Communications sounded flexible enough to allow more time surfing. But fate had other plans.

One UCSD class—VA70: Introduction to Video Production—put a camera in my hands for the very first time.

I learned:
● How lighting changes emotion

● How sound shapes meaning

● How stories connect humans instantly

● How visuals create memory

And in that moment, something clicked.

Surfing gave me peace. Storytelling gave me purpose.

I never looked back.

Two Decades in Television: Fast, Gritty, Unforgettable

After graduation, I dove headfirst into the world of television.

It was the perfect training ground: chaotic, demanding, exhilarating, and full of opportunity. I worked across:

● Reality
● Documentary

● Lifestyle

● Interview-driven television

I learned how to:

● Work fast and accurately

● Create compelling narratives under pressure

● Direct on-camera talent and real people

● Conduct interviews that pull out honesty

● Manage crews, schedules, and complex logistics

These were formative years—years filled with 16-hour shoot days, endless travel, and the adrenaline of production life.

I thrived in it… until everything changed.

The Moment That Broke the Spell

Television doesn’t slow down for anyone—not even new mothers.One day, after leaving work to take care of my child, I was reprimanded for putting family before the production schedule.

That moment stuck with me. I call that my "Aha moment". In that moment I realized:

● I didn’t want to miss my children growing up.

● I didn’t want my life controlled by call sheets.

● I didn’t want to spend another decade choosing between career and motherhood.

And so, after 20 years in television, I did something unthinkable:

I stepped away.

Not because I stopped loving storytelling—but because I needed a different version of it.

Seven Years of Stillness—and One Persistent Creative Itch

Being home with my kids was wonderful. I finally had balance, time, and space.

But creativity doesn’t sit still forever.

It whispers. Then nudges. Then taps you on the shoulder relentlessly.

Eventually, I picked up my camera again. Not for TV networks. Not for celebrities. For small business owners who needed help telling their stories.

I shot:

● Real estate videos

● Product videos

● Small branding pieces

Clients kept coming back. They told others.

And my “small side projects” turned into something bigger—something real.

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