Matt and Katie Chaussee truly believe that providing high-quality media engages and connects people. For that reason, Matt and Katie co-founded Be More Colorful, a Fargo-based company that creates 360° photos and virtual reality tours. Matt shared that “a photo may say a thousand words, but a 360° photo tells a million…that’s why Be More Colorful exists.”
Beginnings
Matt and Katie’s paths crossed in the early 2000s on the campus of North Dakota State University. The two met during a public speaking class and bonded over a shared fear of the subject. A few years later, through social media, Matt reconnected with Katie and the two were soon married. Amidst their love story, the Chaussee’s needed a home for their growing family. In 2015, during their home search, the two found that realtors were underutilizing the technology available to provide high-quality, engaging photos for each property.
“There were some houses that would have 3 or 4 low-quality images focused on the kitchen sink and not the rest of the house,” explained Matt.
It wasn’t long until Katie began to research what could make the media in the real estate market more engaging for customers. This problem led to research into the use of virtual reality tours and photos in the real estate market. The result of the research sparked Matt and Katie to select an engaging platform for 360° photos and virtual tours in the Fargo area. The couple soon purchased a high-quality camera, a fish-eye lens and chose the VPIX 360 platform to integrate the photos into the virtual experience of tours and photos.
Once the couple realized that this was a value that could be offered to real estate agencies and other businesses, the Chaussees needed a name for the new company. Matt and Katie both have previous experience as entrepreneurs. One of these ventures was an Etsy store created by Katie called “Be More Colorful,” which offered custom created digital media for sale. This e-commerce platform never grew into a consistent income, but Katie explained that it “provided the perfect company name for the Chaussee’s new business.” Be More Colorful now exists to promote brand awareness, engage new customers, and tell the story of a company or organization.
Early Success
Since it’s beginning in 2016, Be More Colorful has seen success in its teamwork and community engagement. Matt attributes the success of Be More Colorful to teamwork with Katie. “Katie has the knowledge and skills to produce a high-quality product and provide lasting value for our customers,” explains Matt, “and I bring the marketing and e-commerce knowledge to support our business strategy.” This teamwork has led to a product that engages people towards a deeper community connection.
An example of Be More Colorful engaging community is seen in the virtual tour of downtown Fargo. Matt and Katie explained that making this tour allowed them to “learn more about the community than ever before.” That is the hope of each photo and tour created by their company. Matt and Katie desire their product to prompt others to seek out and explore new places virtually and then experience them in their fullest.
Learn more from Matt and Katie Chaussee and Be More Colorful as they speak at 1 Million Cups Fargo on Wednesday, March 1st, 2017 at 9:15 a.m. at The Stage at Island Park.
