We recently connected with Heather Ender and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Heather thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?
Almost daily, it seems, I’m pinching myself wondering if this is all real. Do I actually own my own business? I think it’s often hard to believe, because I spent so long toying with the idea of going off on my own a small part of me thought I would never actually do it. I tend to be a very calculated person and spend way too long assessing, planning, debating (ask me how long I’ve been saying I’m getting my first tattoo….). So the fact that I actually made the leap and am at the helm of my own ship helping clients craft and create the video content they need for their business is truly a dream come true.
That’s not to say some of less glamorous realities of being your own boss haven’t come creeping in. Having to navigate and balance project workload with administrative tasks, the uncertain income and expenses month-to-month and the inconsistency of schedule have all taken a toll at one point or another. And nothing tested me more as a business owner than when I added “becoming a mom” to my resume. I have a beautiful, happy baby boy named Marshall. He’s 9months old now and when he was born I was quickly reminded of some of those assets that make having a “regular job” so awesome. From not having any paid maternity leave, to trying to keeping my business moving while learning how to parent a newborn, to drowning in hospital bills from subpar health insurance – the thought of a salaried job with good benefits never looked so enticing.
But then I thought – what would it all be for? I had spent so long building myself up, would it be an injustice to simply leave it all behind? Plus, I just created this amazing, tiny human and what do I want him to witness as he grows up? And that’s when it all became clear. As a mom, I want my son to witness my continual pursuance of my dream, even if it’s hard at times. I want him to see that I chased a passion because I knew it would allow me to be both challenged and fulfilled in my career. And I want him to be able to look up to me as a role model as he learns what he loves and wants in his life.
Is owning your own business a walk in the park? Not even close. Is it challenging? Absolutely. But someone once told me that challenges are opportunities and with that mindset I believe that I am on the right path and I am so proud of all I have accomplished and all that is yet to come.
Heather, 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?
I’m a producer by trade and started High Grove Productions in 2022. I’ve been in the film industry for over 10 years now. After attending Emerson College for documentary production, I went on to produce for several companies in both Boston and Denver, after relocating to Colorado with my husband. Each job was an incredibly valuable stepping stone in my career, but I always craved something more. I thoroughly enjoy being a film producer and I’ve had the privilege of heading up hundreds of projects for various companies and agencies throughout my time in the industry, but I longed to be fully in control of my role and the projects I touched. It truly was a combination of this yearning to be my own boss and the welcoming film industry in Colorado that ultimately gave me the confidence to start my own production company.
I have a longstanding love of documentary work, or really just any project that involves real people and their stories. One of my favorite roles as a producer is getting to play interviewer. I enjoy being given the opportunity to become a mini expert on a topic and work to craft the messaging for that story using someone’s real experiences. Interview-driven branded content is truly my bread and butter. That being said, High Grove Productions also works on animations and scripted commercials, too. Regardless of the style of content, I pride myself on being a consistent and thorough touch point on any project – helping client navigate pre-production, production and post-production phases.
As far as how it all works, I’m pretty proud of the set-up of my business and how I choose to operate it. In its simplest form, I’m a freelance producer. Production companies, agencies and other entrepreneurs can hire me for help with producing and production coordination. But I also wanted to be able to scale bigger; I wanted clients to be able to hire a production company when they needed “soup-to-nuts” services. So I ultimately decided that I would create a business entity that could scale up or down depending on the ask. And I’ve been able to both freelance with companies and build an incredible network of my own clients who all keep me busying living out this dream of mine.
What’s really helped me be successful with my business is the dedication I provide to all of my clients and the partnerships I’ve been able to build with vendors. The key to success in this industry is relationships; it’s finding the right, like-minded people and treating them with respect and giving them the opportunity to bring their best selves to the table. I am nothing without the teams I hire and the clients I create for. Having the opportunity to build these relationships and being able to bring the right people together to create exceptional content is the most rewarding aspect of owning my company and I feel it has gifted me with success.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
Producers are a little bit of the unsung hero of production. We’re the person that makes it all tick and many may not understand our full value until we’re not there. As far as finding and retaining new clients, it’s really been a mix of word of mouth and then attracting clients who value and respect that unsung hero – someone who is going to always show up, have a plan, be able to pivot when needed, and thoroughly communicate throughout the entire process. And I pride myself on providing all of that whether I’m simply being brought on as a producer or if my company is being hired as a creative partner.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding part of film production for me is the process. I love wrapping up a final video and thinking back to that first kickoff call with a client where it was just an idea. The satisfaction I get from being part of the team who helped brainstorm, write, direct, produce, shoot, edit, animate and finish that idea into a valuable asset for a company is what gets me out of bed every day to do this work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://highgroveprod.com
- Instagram: @highgroveprod
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherender
