Meet Heather Ender | Producer & Owner of High Grove Productions

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

Hi Heather, why did you pursue a creative career?
My passion for storytelling and filmmaking, I’m almost positive, was part of me from day one. There are these really embarrassing old home videos where my brother is doing something cute for the camera, but all you can hear is little me in the background going, “Daddy, daddy can I see? Can I take the picture?”

From my early years on, I can’t really pinpoint exactly what led me down the creative career path, only that there were simply a series of opportunities I gravitated towards. When I was a teenager, I got my very first camcorder and my friends and I would spend most weekends making anything from terrible music videos to B-movie horror films. All of which I edited on this awesome program called Video Explosion. I loved watching all the different components come together to create a final product that engaged people (most often by making them laugh). My high school had a local news station that ran out of the basement of the school and a video production course (which I feel like is unheard of these days, especially at a public school) – both of which I got involved in. From there I decided I wanted to go to film school. And I am incredibly fortunate to have had parents who supported me in this career choice. In the end, I think I’m a little bit left-brained and a little bit right-brained and discovering film production where I could be in a logistical role in a creative industry is exactly where I am meant to be.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
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 at the helm, fully in control of my role and the projects I touched. It truly was a combination of this yearning to be my own boss (plus consistent encouragement from my husband and friends) and the welcoming film industry in Colorado that ultimately gave me the confidence to leave a salaried job and start my own production company.

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 than that; 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 fellow entrepreneurs to partner with, all who help me stay busy and create the best work possible.

The biggest shift for me in starting my own business is that I went from a steady, consistent paycheck and work to earning money when the work was there and not when it wasn’t. The key was finding a sense of balance in my day-to-day. While it’s great when things are busy, I’ve had to learn to relish in the slow times; using those as opportunities to catch up on other business matters or things in my personal life. The great part about being an entrepreneur in Colorado is that you live in Colorado so there are endless ways to find that balance. Whenever I can, I always try and find time to be outdoors. I enjoy hiking, fly fishing, skiing, and just generally being out in the 300 days of sunshine this state affords. Finding that balance between the hustle of work and play is essential for me to bring my whole and best self to my business.

I also recently became a mom, and in addition to it being the most amazing thing I have ever done, it’s also given me pause. As I navigate this working/parenting relationship, I want to make sure I’m creating ways in which I can continue to successfully run my business, while also allowing myself time for my son and family.

What’s really helped me be successful with my business so far is the partnerships I’ve been able to build. 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.

I really feel incredibly lucky to be where I am today. Throughout college, I remember the mentality was if you wanted to “make it in Hollywood” you needed to be in one of the big cities, like LA or NYC. But I never wanted to live in those cities and I just felt if I could find a place I loved then I could find a way to be successful in production there. And I feel very fortunate to have found that place here in Colorado.

As a final fun fact, I’ll mention how I came up with the name for my company. It was born from my last name. My maiden name is Hoglund, which quite literally is the Swedish word for “high grove.” I wanted to pay homage to my family name and also thought it was a nice play on the high alpine forests in this beautiful Rocky Mountain region where I get to do what I love every day.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Though I work a lot in Denver, I actually live up in the mountains and prefer to spend most of my time there. I can easily show friends a good time within a couple hours drive of my house, but also know great destinations for those longer explorations. This state has so much variety – between the front range, western slope and desert southwest – there’s always new terrain and activities to explore. But, of the places I’ve explored in this state so far, I would say some of my favorites are Winter Park/Fraser/Granby area, Palisade/Grand Mesa and Durango. I love strolling down main streets in our tiny mountain towns, hiking 14ers, sipping a CO wine or enjoying a local brew, and finding untapped camping spots. Depending on the friend visiting, I can usually come up with a good itinerary!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people I have to thank who have helped me get to where I am today. First and foremost, my parents. They have supported me from day one in every passion I have chased. It is their love and encouragement that has inspired me to continually pursue my dreams. My husband, Sean, who also owns his own company, for encouraging me to start my own business, supporting me along the way and for making me feel like I can succeed at anything I put my mind to. I also have to give a shoutout to Brian Gonsar, who was my EP at Hill Holliday back in my agency days. Observing his calm, cool and collected nature as he navigated large clients and high pressure projects was a huge learning opportunity for me. He really took me under his wing and I attribute a big jump in my skillset to the opportunities he afforded me and the lessons he taught me. And finally, the teams I work with. Most notably, Mike Anderson with Social Goat, Megan & Blake Sinnock with Bookmovie Media, and the entire team at Lumenati Productions. It’s their partnerships and expertise which really have fueled my continued success. In addition to them, it’s the multitude of crew members and clients that I’ve both worked with in the past and get to collaborate with on a daily basis. I’m honored to have such a network around me. Thanks to Jam Anderson for recommending me for Shoutout Colorado. I’m humbled by the shoutout; it’s so important we lift each other up and support one another in this wonderful Colorado community.

Website: highgroveprod.com

Instagram: @highgroveprod

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/heatherender