We recently connected with Jane Nicholson and have shared our conversation below.

Jane, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

Starting my videography company, Arrow & Knot Productions, at the age of 19 while still in college was a huge risk. However, at the time it felt more like second nature. Myself and my now business partner Kristen, met in college in 2014 while studying broadcast journalism. It was after buying some cheap camera gear on a black Friday sale that we realized our passion for being behind the camera. Looking back I don’t think we realized how big of a deal starting a business was and how much work you have to put in to be able to financially provide for yourself. When running your own business you don’t have scheduled pay days like you would at a regular 9-5. It could be months before booking your next job and getting paid. There have been lots of struggles in running our business but it has always taught us so much. Now almost 8 years later I couldn’t be more grateful for that risk we took in starting Arrow & Knot.

Jane, 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?

We got into the wedding industry at such an amazing time were wedding videography was just becoming popular in 2016. Through making connections in such a small industry here in Nova Scotia we were able to get off the ground running and book 6 weddings our first summer and then 23 our next. Having our clients trust a us, a brand new business, with capturing such a special day is something we will always be so thankful for. We actually have our very first signed contract from July 2016 framed on our office wall. Such an important reminder of how far we’ve come.

Although we are best known for our wedding videography, we produce just as many corporate videos. We have a passion for story telling through video, whether it’s a love story, or a story of an organization, we are alway honoured to tell it. We are so proud to say we have filmed & produced a commercial that aired on CBC & SportsNet and have won “Best Wedding Videographer” in a local competition three years in a row.

I believe what sets Arrow & Knot apart from other companies is the amount of care we put into our editing. Kristen and I hand the video back and forth countless times. Each going over and tweaking the timeline until we feel it is just right and the story is portrayed in a powerful way. We never keep track of how many hours we put into a piece because I think we’re scared to know the answer.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

A piece of advice we received when we were first starting our company from a mentor of ours was to not go into debt to start your business. We realize this might not be an option for some, but when it comes starting Arrow & Knot when we booked our first client we took that income and invested it straight into our business. This allowed us to purchase more camera gear that would help us actually get the job done that they booked us for.

Now a reminder that we didn’t buy top of the line gear, we bought just what we needed to get by. And almost 8 years later we still are using some of that same gear. We always say it’s more about the skills you have as opposed to what gear you’re working with.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Being present on social media is something that is so important for your business nowadays. Although for us, it’s something we often neglect. After you’re running around all day filming, working on your website, or finally getting to export a video, hopping on instagram sometimes feels like the last thing we want to do. However it’s crazy the increase of inquires we get when we take the time to post more and are present on our stories.

When we were in the first few years of business, we were hungry for content we could post. Something that is great for new vendors in the wedding industry (or anyone looking to showcase what they do) is a styled shoot. Think of this as a shoot where there is a model couple in wedding attire, flowers, a cake, a tablescapes, and more. It’s a day where vendors come together free of charge to show off their work. The photographer & videographer get to show their skills in capturing all the beautiful things, and the baker, the dress maker, and anyone else involved get to have stunning photos and video of their work.

Collaborations like this are such a great tool to get your name out there and to have content to post on social media. Now the real magic happens when the other vendors involved post the photos or videos from the shoot on their accounts tagging all the businesses involved. Helping grow everyones audiences.

Even if you’re not involved in the wedding industry, collaborations of any kind are an amazing way to grow your social media following and presence.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.arrowandknot.ca/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arrowandknotproductions/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arrowandknot/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@arrowknotproductions8076
• Other: https://vimeo.com/user55512124 – Vimeo

Image Credits
Photo credits: Terri Lynn Warren Photography https://www.terri-lynnwarrenphotography.com/ Nicole Lapierre Photography https://lapierrephotography.com/ J Wells Photography https://www.jwellsphotography.ca/ Brittany MacLeod Photography https://www.instagram.com/brittanymacleod_/?hl=en