Meet Kayla Higginbotham
Your award-winning storyteller and videographer
Hey there! You might know me as Cub Bear, but let me formally introduce myself – I’m Kayla Higginbotham. I’m a passionate videographer, storyteller, dog lover, and frequent visitor of local coffee shops. For nearly a decade, I’ve been producing professional videos that connect inspire and engage.
While I proudly call Lawrence, Kansas home and love everything about the Kansas City area, I’m always up for a creative adventure. Whether you’re across town or across the country, I’m ready to travel to bring your story to life through high-quality video production.
My journey with video started back in 2005 when I was a high school sophomore – and I’ve been hooked ever since. What drives me? The belief that everyone has a story worth telling. Video allows us to bridge differences and highlight what connects us – and that’s powerful.
From dynamic sports and fitness videos to emotional nonprofit storytelling, I specialize in creating content that resonates. Whether you need event coverage, branded content, or social-media ready videos, I’m here to help elevate your online presence with video content that stands out.
Ready to bring your vision to life through video marketing?
Take a look at my portfolio below and see how compelling video can transform your brand and story!
THE STORY BEHIND THE NAME
During my time at the University of Kansas, I had the incredible opportunity to spend three of my four college years as a student intern with Rock Chalk Video, the in-house video department at Kansas Athletics. From working game days to producing creative content for various KU teams, these moments became some of my most cherished college memories.
One day, I got the news I had been hoping for — I’d be traveling to my first road game with the Kansas Men’s Basketball Team. To say I was excited is an understatement!
We hit the road to Lincoln, Nebraska, where I joined two other team members for what I quickly realized was a whole new level of intensity in college athletics video production.
A Day in the Life of a Sports Videographer on the Road
Game day starts early and moves fast. We packed and loaded all our video gear into a van, drove to the arena, set up, and filmed the entire game. Then came teardown, packing up all over again, fueling up the van, grabbing a quick bite (if you’re lucky), and getting back on the road. After a long, action-packed day, we’d usually pull into Lawrence, Kansas around midnight — sometimes even later. It was often 2:00 AM before your head finally hit the pillow.
But honestly? I loved every second of it. These high-pressure, high-energy environments taught me the true demands of sports videography, teamwork, and delivering quality content no matter the circumstances.
One part of traveling for road games with Kansas Athletics was the post-game hustle. After a long day of filming, there was still work to do. On this particular trip, I snagged the captain’s seat in our van and cracked open my laptop to start editing game highlights on the ride home.
Not exactly the dream editing suite — cramped in a minivan, surrounded by half-eaten gas station snacks, and running on nothing but adrenaline and stadium popcorn.
As the miles passed and the exhaustion set in, I hit that tired, loopy point we all know too well. In the words of Rebecca from Ted Lasso, I started “auditioning my complaints.” That’s when Douglas, one of the full-time staffers I was traveling with, jumped in:
“You know, you’re starting to sound like a little cub back there with all your growling and complaining.”
And just like that, Cub Bear was born.
What started as an inside joke quickly became the nickname everyone used. Eventually, it became the name of my video production company — a nod to where it all began: in the fast-paced, high-energy world of college athletics.
“Cub Bear” is more than a nickname. It’s a reminder to stay humble, embrace the grind, and never forget your roots. It’s also a symbol of how much passion and personality I bring to every project — whether it’s a brand story, nonprofit video, or game day highlight reel.
