Who are you?
My name is Mary Boland and I am the CEO and founder of Anchor Hitch Media.
What is your business?
Anchor Hitch Media is a full service video production company. We produce creative, engaging and strategic videos that bring a brand, product or service to life. As most companies now understand, videos are the most powerful marketing asset on most media platforms. Our approach is a discovery process with companies. We dive deeply into what is unique, exciting or beautiful about a product, brand or service and tell that story.
Is there a story behind your business?
There are many stories behind the business. I think “story” is the key word. Everyday we are diving into somebody’s world. One day we’re on a goat farm, the next day we’re underneath a truck covered in shop grease and then the next week we’re sending a drone up at the Isle of Shoals. The business is a collection of so many stories and what you learn is that everyone who is passionate about what they do is interesting and has something awesome to share. I just recently did a job about a sewer company and it was absolutely fascinating and I have lots of great stories from that one!
But a direct answer to your question is, yes, the story behind the business is I was just determined to do this since I made my first video in college. I still have a long way to go, but I have many years of experience behind me.
What problem(s) are you/your business trying to help solve?
The problem for business owners is that they are inundated with expectations for marketing themselves. How do you get your message out in the most effective way possible? There are so many options, Video creation is not only the most effective way to share your message, it also helps you dive more deeply into what makes your company unique which can inspire better brand identity awareness. Your marketing assets shouldn’t just “look cool,” they should reflect who you are! Video takes your target audience into the heart of what you do best. It’s your time to shine.
How is your company changing the world?
My company is not changing the world, but our clients are! We create videos for many innovative people who are trying to get their message out effectively so they can change the world. One of our clients, Blackburn Energy is working on the most badass renewable energy solution you’ve ever heard of. We create product and explainer videos, which he sends to potential investors and companies that will buy his product and they call him back. I guess you could say that by telling these stories we are involved in changing the world. I know Blackburn Energy is going to
change the world.
Why do you like being a part of the bigger CI Works puzzle?
CI Works is the creative mothership of the Northeast. That may sound like an overstatement but hear me out. Even with the growing trend of collaborative spaces, there is nothing quite like the dynamic tenants at CI Works. Not only is each business totally unique (and maybe something you’ve never heard of), so many of the tenants are collaborating in many different ways on so many different levels. I have worked with and produced videos for 10 companies at CI works, so I know my way around here. I could not be more appreciative of the business, but there is even more to gain underneath the surface of the business-to-business relationships.
As tenants here, we are constantly interacting, bouncing ideas off of each other, teaching each other, brainstorming, inspiring one another and potentially leading each other to our next open door. There is an energy here that is palpable. I feel like my neighbors are my colleagues. Everyone has something to offer. I hope they feel the same about me.
What do you hope your company’s next milestone will be?
I am hoping we will grow our relationships with our clients where we are seeing more residual business. The more a company grows their video library, the stronger the video stories become. When footage is repurposed, updated, recycled into subsequent projects, it is oftentimes more powerful than our original assets. We’re hoping to partner with companies to be a regular part of their marketing plan.
What’s cool about your team?
My team is the coolest.
My team changes from job to job. Each job requires specific talents, expertise and vision. I happen to have an unbelievable network of contractors who make up my team from project to project. They are all incredible for different reasons. The one common thread is that we all are passionate about what we do, hard working, intuitive and we are all crazy enough to think video production is a ton of fun!
Are there any causes you are passionate about?
I am passionate about diversity, culture and inclusion. I would love to have the opportunity to work on a video project with a humanitarian cause behind it. I understand how powerful video is and I think that it is incredibly influential in the way we see the world. If I were asked to produce a video for a community or culture that needed a voice, it would make my career.
I covered the special Olympics in NH a few years ago and to this day it is the most important and memorable job I ever produced.
What is your biggest fear?
You have to have A LOT of guts for this job. It is competitive, fast paced, physically demanding, financially demanding and the landscape of expectations changes on a daily basis. I have a ton of energy; I will just have to hope that lasts forever!
What is your proudest accomplishment?
I am very proud to be a woman who is a video producer. My industry is mostly men. Cameras are heavy, the job is very technical and egos are everywhere. I know for a fact that when competing for the same job, a man with a lesser skill set has been hired over me, simply because it is what the industry has preferred. Again, cameras are heavy, so is
the gear and women are only starting to have a place in film. I made it through all of that and now I get to be the lead producer and hire a rich diversity of talented people of all races, genders and body types. I am extremely proud of that.
What is something most people don’t know about you/your brand?
We are less expensive than many production companies or marketing companies because my goal is to stay small. We are not paying a staff of people who are working on your video. I keep things cost efficient by hiring the specific talent (contractors) for your specific job and only what is absolutely needed.
What aspect / attribute of CI Works has been most valuable to your business?
The CEO, Bob O’Brien and VP, Mark Friery at CI Works truly care about the individual success of each one of their tenants. It is not just magic that we are such a cohesive group. Bob and Mark work tirelessly fostering these relationships, scouting referrals for their tenants and bringing in new tenants that compliment the community. I have received over 12 direct referrals from these guys. They also are always around to bounce ideas off of, provide business expertise, vent about the woes of being a start-up and brainstorm creative ideas for collaborations. They are CI Works.