Meet Ethan Hoover | Co-Owner at Hoover Collective

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ethan Hoover and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ethan, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Blair and I, being brothers that are 13 months apart, always shared similar interests in the creative world. Whether it be photography, videography, design, etc. As we both continued to hone in our craft and figure out what we’re best at and what roles we enjoy operating in the most, we realized how well our giftings could compliment each other.

Couple that with the desire to be our own boss and have the flexibility and responsibility that comes with that, we decided it was a natural progression to start our own business. Since then, we’ve learned and grown more in our crafts and have further realized what we enjoy doing and not doing within the business and have learned to trust and rely on each other’s professional perspectives more.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Ethan: Throughout my high school and college journey I grew in my craft of videography & creating motion graphics and VFX. As I was studying Business Marketing in college, and working for my University in their marketing department, I was able to combine the things I was learning on the side with my role professionally. It was fun! Fast forward a few years, about to graduate with my Bachelor of Science degree, about to start paying my student loans, applying to over 60 agencies and places of work across the country…I received one call back, got one interview, and didn’t get the job. In debt, and a little panicked, I kept looking for job opportunities. And I found myself searching Craigslist (of all places). On Craigslist, I came across an ad for a small local agency that needed someone to manage social media and do videography, so I sent my stuff over and BAM! The guy, now today a good friend of mine, loved my work and found a place for me, but not as an employee. Instead, he contracted me to do the work, which was completely new to me, but it was the start of being independent and “being my own boss” to a degree. From there, I kept learning and growing, and worked remotely for a friend’s agency down in Nashville while working for this local agency and then found myself launching my own wedding videography business. In less than 2 years, I had 3 streams of very lucrative income – what a blessing. As I was growing in my own craft, Blair was growing in his as a social media manager and then web designer and before we knew it, we were launching Hoover Productions (now Hoover Collective) and going into business with each other. Since the launch of that business, God has blessed us both in tremendous ways. It was NOT easy. Some weeks were slow, others were absolutely insane, but things always work out. Through this journey, I’ve learned patience, better time management, and how to balance work & life a little more (although I’m really not good at it, just ask my wife).

Blair: I believe the most important thing to us that sets us apart in this industry is relationships. When we started our business we put a strong emphasis on building great relationships with all of our clients. Why is this so important to us? Because we genuinely care about our clients, their goals, and desires. We also know and understand that when a relationship is built it allows for much more open and direct communication both ways. Helping us get to a final product that surpasses expectations. Getting to where I am today wasn’t an easy, or traditional, path. I didn’t go to college, and instead I opted to learn web design and web development on my own. One thing that has always helped me in life is my drive to learn. So when I started learning this I dove in full speed ahead. There are many challenges I was faced with but to me they just felt more like games. Getting to see what’s in front of me knowing that if I can figure out a way past an obstacle it will make me better at my job. I’d love for people to know that we’re not just another design agency that wants to churn out products so we can make a bunch of money. Instead, we want to see you, your business, or your organization actually thrive and we’ll stop at nothing to help make that happen!

Website: www.hoovercollective.com

Instagram: @hoovercollective

Linkedin: @hoovercollective