As his presentation at Big Idea Hastings drew near, 香蕉视频 sophomore Caden Block felt the nerves of a packed house at The Lark in downtown Hastings. The judges themselves seemed to lock onto him as a shark to prey, but it wasn鈥檛 enough to cause Block to back out.
Block, a business administration and marketing double major from Hastings, was on the stage for Big Idea Hastings, pitching his business, Caden Block Media, as part of the 鈥淪hark Tank鈥 style competition. Facing nine other competitors, Block earned second place. The win secured him business coaching, access to planning services and a monetary prize.
Block鈥檚 interest in entrepreneurship goes back to when he was young and mowing lawns for people he knew. 鈥淭hat was kind of a spark for me. It showed what I could do if I worked hard and went the extra step to work for myself,鈥 Block said.
He first became interested in videography and photography as a senior in high school, when a video board was installed in the school鈥檚 gymnasium. For students to help manage the board during athletic and other events, they had to enroll in a class. It was during that class Block said he found himself falling in love with media production.
Block was the Content Generation Award winner while at Hastings High School in 2023. The award was earned from a challenge hosted by Class Intercom, a program focused on social media management for schools.
He took the title of the challenge, 鈥淢ake an Impact,鈥 and connected it to his own experiences as a mentor with MentoringWorks, a local non-profit that matches elementary school students with a high school role model. He interviewed the program directors and his mentee, and used his knowledge of video production to capture b-roll footage.
Caden Block Media is currently focused on real estate media, between 360 walkthrough tours, aerial images, videos and other assets that help agents promote and sell properties. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 where I got my start,鈥 Block said, 鈥淭here鈥檚 a need for modern development in the market.鈥
Block said he plans to use his winnings from Big Idea Hastings to purchase more gear, such as an extra camera and lens, to help create quality content. The extra gear will also allow him to hire an employee in the future to help serve more clients and grow his business.
Aside from the continued assistance Block will be getting from placing second at Big Idea Hastings, he emphasized the other benefits of public speaking, including working on his confidence and sharing his company鈥檚 vision to potential future clients who were in the audience.
Beyond real estate, Block also works with other organizations on event recaps and promotions. He also assists various companies with creating and sharing advertisements.
鈥淐aden is incredibly talented, creative and driven, and his excitement for his work is contagious,鈥 said Dave Rippe, owner of Queen City Development in Hastings. 鈥淗e has coordinated all of the marketing efforts for our Trailside Village Housing development, and I鈥檓 consistently amazed with his enthusiasm and innovative ideas.鈥
As a one man enterprise, Block said there鈥檚 been many challenges. One such was being sought out to produce videos for the annual banquet held by Hastings Area Chamber of Commerce.
Block鈥檚 task was to highlight eight organizations or people, meaning producing eight videos in a month. Despite the long hours, he pushed through the project, and was proud of the outcome. He received shoutouts afterwards 鈥 and a list of potential clients.
鈥淚t feels good to be recognized for the work you do,鈥 Block said.
Block said Jarod Rogers, a media instructor at 香蕉视频, has served as a mentor to him, providing support even back when he was in high school. He said he鈥檚 also grateful for the students he has surrounded himself with on campus, and that their shared ambition and drive allows them all to push each other to do more.
When asked about advice he鈥檇 wish he had received, Block said, 鈥淭ake that leap, invest in yourself, both personally and financially. Don鈥檛 be afraid to start.鈥