From Frustration to Innovation

Here’s the thing nobody tells you about starting a video production company as LGBTQ+ women in a male-dominated industry: you’re not playing the same game with the same rules.

Monique was watching organizations acknowledge the need for bilingual content while refusing to invest in it. Piper was explaining basic business concepts to musicians who were all talent, no strategy. When we crossed paths, the solution seemed obvious: combine Monique’s production expertise with Piper’s business acumen.

Were we ready? Not entirely. But we were already running three mini-businesses between us, so what was one more?

Building Something Different

For twenty years, we’ve been the only prominent BIPOC and LGBTQ-owned video production company in the Triangle. While others chased fads, we focused on what matters:

• Creating safe spaces where clients and crew can be fully expressed
• Obsessing over details that others overlook (like how different skin tones need different lighting approaches)
• Building inclusive teams that understand representation both behind and in front of the camera

We’ve been passed over for promotions while watching less qualified men advance. We’ve had our expertise ignored on set, only to watch those same “oversights” create problems in post-production. We’ve been denied $100,000 equipment loans despite solid projections, while watching competitors receive gifted gear from retiring mentors.

But here’s what those experiences taught us: Your squad is everything.