We recently connected with Adrienne Bland and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Adrienne, thanks for joining us today. Alright, let’s jump into one of the most exciting parts of starting a new venture – how did you get your first client who was not a friend or family?

In 2014, my best friend came to me with an amazing opportunity. She asked me if I could create a company trailer for her business, Authentic Noise. She wanted a video that could communicate her business’ mission, vision, and unique value proposition. She knew I had a background in video production and thought I could help her with this project. However, it had been years since I filmed anything. I took a break from video production to obtain a Master’s Degree in Integrated Marketing Communication. She told me she had a budget of $800 dollars. So, I used that money to purchase a starter camera and lens. We had a 2-day shoot. On the first day, I filmed a brand activation event for one of her clients. On the second day, we filmed B-roll of her working in her office. I used the footage to create an evergreen company trailer she could use on her website, social media channels, and any press-related events. She was so happy with the company trailer, it made me think there may be other businesses that need marketing videos as well. This was the day, iCreate Media Group, LLC was born.

Adrienne, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

iCreate Media Group is a full-service video production company located in Chicago, IL. We are a small business that specializes in creative video marketing for other small businesses and wedding films for engaged couples. We know firsthand what it takes to stand out. That is how we help our corporate and wedding clients be seen. We are dedicated to making quality visual storytelling accessible to businesses and engaged couples nationwide.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

After graduating from Alabama A&M University with a BA Degree in TV & Film Production, I realized it was hard to find creative work. At the time, creative jobs were few and far between. Corporate businesses weren’t on social media and the only video jobs available were at news stations. So, I decided to work in non-creative jobs. I worked in HR and the transportation industry before deciding to go back to school. I realized I needed to be fulfilled with the work I did every day. I did some research and saw Chicago was a huge sales and marketing hub for corporate businesses. I decided to marry my love for TV and Film with marketing and focus on a career in Advertising. I thought I could make a living creating TV ads and commercials but those jobs were very competitive. I applied for open positions at all the major Ad Agencies in the city but never got hired. That’s when I decided to create my own agency. I already knew the fundamentals of film production and now I know how to write an in-depth marketing plan. I am most proud of the fact that I didn’t give up when I didn’t receive a “yes”. I kept looking for different pathways that ultimately led me to businesses that wanted to partner with me for their video marketing needs. To date, our work has been shown on television, mobile apps, and Times Square in NYC.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Currently, the best source for new clients for us is our client base. Full transparency, our social media needs work. When you work on everyone else’s social media presence, your own social media isn’t being nurtured as it should. That said, social media doesn’t bring in as many clients as we would like. For us, word of mouth is our current client strategy. When our clients launch a new campaign for their business, people ask, “Who did your video ad?” or “Who did you use to film your wedding? They share our website address, www.icreatemediagroup.com and if they like what they see, they book a call to get a quote.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.icreatemediagroup.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/icreatemediagroup
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/icreatemediagroup
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@icreatemediagroup

Image Credits
Anna Jung-Hwa Photography – my headshot photo