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A Guide to Virtual Backgrounds

Quick Guide for a Professional Look

Virtual backgrounds help you maintain privacy, reinforce your brand, and keep the focus on you — not your surroundings. Here’s how to set them up and use them effectively.

✅ Why Use Them?

  • Professionalism: Consistent, polished appearance
  • Privacy: Hide distracting or personal spaces
  • Branding: Showcase logos, event graphics, or a clean aesthetic

⚙️ Requirements

  • Latest version of the Zoom app (desktop, mobile, or web)
  • Virtual Background enabled in your account
  • Compatible device that meets Zoom’s system requirements
  • Images: JPG/PNG, at least 1280×720, ideally 1920×1080
  • Green Screen (optional, for best results): Use a solid color background with even lighting

🖥️ How to Apply

Desktop (Windows/Mac/Linux)

  1. Open Zoom → Settings → Background & Effects
  2. Choose None, Blur, or upload your own image/video
  3. (Optional) Check I have a green screen and select the correct color

Mobile (iOS/Android)

  1. In a meeting, tap More → Background & Effects
  2. Select or upload your background

Web

  • In a meeting: Click the arrow (^) next to video → Choose Background

💡 Best Practices

  • Use even lighting to avoid shadows
  • Avoid wearing the same color as your background
  • Keep a neutral backup (e.g., plain blur) ready in case of glitches
  • Pre-test your background before important meetings
  • Share a team background kit for consistent branding in events

🛠️ Troubleshooting

  • Don’t see the option? Sign out, update Zoom, and sign back in
  • Poor performance? Switch to static images or enable green screen
  • Black bars? Enable HD Video in settings

📌 Pro Tip: A well-chosen background adds credibility and enhances your message's impact. Keep it simple, branded, and distraction-free.

What I Listened to This Month 🎧

One of my favorite ways to learn is by listening. Podcasts give me access to perspectives that stretch from politics and global news to music, creativity, and mindfulness. Last month, these shows caught my attention:

  • Letters from an American – Heather Cox Richardson’s daily reflections on history and democracy.
  • The World in Brief – a quick scan of global headlines that keeps me grounded in the bigger picture.
  • NPR Politics and It’s Just Politics – national and local politics, through sharp analysis and a bit of wit.
  • Left, Right & Center and Tangle – balanced debates that remind me how important it is to hear from across the spectrum.
  • Checks and Balance – The Economist’s lens on U.S. politics, with global context.
  • 10% Happier – a grounding pause with Dan Harris on mindfulness and living intentionally.
  • Today, Explained – Vox’s deep dives into the “why” behind the headlines.
  • TED Radio Hour – timeless ideas, reimagined for today’s challenges.
  • Shawn Stockman’s On That Note – music, creativity, and candid conversation from one of the best voices in R&B.
  • Sound School Podcast – for audio storytellers like me, it’s a goldmine of tips and inspiration.

Why this mix matters

Taken together, these shows form a pattern: they sharpen my awareness of politics and society, help me stay calm and intentional, and remind me to keep learning my craft as a storyteller. It’s not just about staying informed—it’s about connecting the dots between what’s happening in the world, how people are telling those stories, and how I can help others communicate with clarity and purpose.

A question for you

What’s in your podcast queue right now? I’d love to hear what’s keeping you informed, inspired, or entertained.

📚 Books I Read This Month

This month’s stack took me through very different worlds—each one asking tough questions about how we live, what we inherit, and what it means to survive.

  • The Fallen Fruit by Shawntelle Madison — I loved this one. It’s haunting and beautifully written, reminiscent of Kindred by Octavia Butler in its blend of family, history, and survival, presented with unflinching honesty.
  • The Trees by Percival Everett — Part crime story, part biting satire, and part historical reckoning. Everett blends humor and horror in a way that lingers long after the last page.
  • Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich — I’d rate this a 3 out of 4. Ehrenreich does a solid job of covering working-class survival in America, but the book doesn’t bring new insights beyond its well-documented reporting. Still, it remains an important reminder of economic realities many face.

What about you? What’s on your reading list right now?

Feel free to share this newsletter with a friend struggling with virtual events.

My company is Calm, Clear, Media. I produce purpose-driven virtual events for nonprofits and member organizations. I don’t just manage Zoom calls; I create experiences that reflect your mission and engage your audience. My job is to make sure everything runs smoothly so my clients can focus on impact.
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