Helm Meeting Humanity

As we move into spring in this exceptional year, we’ve been incredibly grateful for all of the opportunities to storytell and create with our new and existing clients. It’s more than about creating with clarity, excellence, and heart - it’s about the ability to connect with other humans. 

We don’t cut corners, and we won’t let bots do the creative work for us. We’re letting life experiences inspire us but we’re coming up with our own way to say what we need to in this important moment of our company and our collective history. We’re committed to being present. As we continue to create throughout the year, how will you ensure you’re effectively connecting with others?

There are so many reasons to work with Helm, and this year we are highlighting 26 of our favorites!

Here are two that we’d like to highlight this month!

16. Human-focused creative content  

We’re connected through story. In a digital world, it’s more important than ever to hone our craft and our love for storytelling to make people feel something. After all, isn’t that what we all want? Regardless of the industry you’re in, every piece of content needs to tell a story - if you’re not clear on what that story is, we’ll help you get there. But, we’ll also film, create, and work from a place of valuing people over production and believing that every story matters. 

22. Skilled creative team 

Degrees and experiences all hold weight, and our team has both. But our team at Helm recognizes that genuine care for people and the ability to listen and learn also qualifies us to take on our clients’ projects. We’re committed to stewarding our talents and skills well. Our posture is one of continuous learning and dedication to development. We’ll keep growing and developing our creativity for the better. And, in the meantime, we’ll give it all we have here and now. 

The Robert Irvine Foundation is one of our clients that constantly reminds us of the importance of keeping storytelling human. The life-changing opportunities that they provide to service members, veterans, first responders, and their families, are incredibly inspiring. As we continue to celebrate 10 years of Helm, here’s a greater glimpse into one of our beloved clients.

Robert Irvine Foundation: We’ll Go The Extra Mile 

The smokiness of barbeque sauce. The spiciness of cinnamon. The sweet caramelization of melted sugar. These are just some of the sensory experiences when you’re surrounded by the cooking of Chef Robert Irvine and the Robert Irvine Foundation [RIF] team. But it’s more than about the ingredients, it’s about the connection. 

What starts as a simple or gourmet meal turns into hours of conversation. Moments where veterans decide to fight against the darkness and hold on for another day. Moments where a Gold Star family feels seen after losing someone they love. Moments where a first responder is given a service dog and a chance at a new way of living. The moments that we’ve captured with RIF have exceeded our expectations in every way, highlighting and reinforcing the idea that humanity needs connection. We need to be seen, valued, and heard. We need to know that we matter to someone in this world, often before we can believe it ourselves. 

When we think of Chef Robert Irvine, the image of his white chef coat comes to mind, it’s true. But we also think of a t-shirt, glasses, and a commitment to veterans, service members, first responders, and their families, that we’ve never seen elsewhere. Over the years, the memories that stick with us are the tears we’ve caught and the ones we’ve shed when we’ve seen veterans reunite after not seeing each other for years. It’s the ones we’ve wiped away when a dog wags his tail and finds his forever home with someone that needed him more than they could know. It’s the sound of an iBot machine making its way over uneven terrain for the first time, and the laughter that escapes from its new owner. This is a glimpse of what it means to be on-site with the RIF team. The warmth of connection, the fierceness of a cause, the untiring dedication to adding value to more people who have worn the cloth of our nation and who daily save our lives. It’s the unseen moments of gratitude, the quiet exchanges of thanks, and the loud cheers of crossing the finish line over the Scottish Highlands. 

Helm is full of creative services. Your whole story. All in-house.

Photography

Images are essential. Whether you need headshots of you or your crew, a way to highlight your achievements, elevate your social media feeds, show the power of your impact, or capture memories from an event or milestone, photographs are required. Our photographers can meet you where you are, whether on-site at an event or at your place of business. One of the greatest things about our home in The Story Factory is that it holds designated studios with countless backdrops and opportunities for unique images at every turn. Photograph or film your best content, all while staying in one space. We also have the ability to show up anywhere and capture the best photographs we can with our crew who’s able to travel around Philadelphia (and beyond) while you’re visiting. You don’t need to scout out multiple locations in order to get content for every season or a new campaign. When it comes to your image, we’ve got you covered. 

To make 2026 your creative best, or, to hire our team of creative strategists to support your impact and goals, reach out to us. We’ll answer with a real human response. 

To Philadelphia, From Philadelphia

We may travel the world for our clients, but our home is in Philadelphia. The Story Factory, our production house, is within city limits and has been the perfect space to support events happening within our city. The focus of the Semiquincential is centered around Philadelphia, and our team of creative strategists is utilizing our services and skills to make the most of it.

Whether you’re based in Philadelphia, or traveling in for an event, we’ve got enough creative services in-house to be your go-to creative crew both now and in the future. Let us know how you could benefit from our team!

There are so many reasons to work with Helm, and this year we are highlighting 26 of our favorites!

Here are two that we’d like to highlight this month!

19. Within city limits 

We know Philly because we’re in Philly. We’re not in a surrounding area or outside of it and claim to be in it. We’re the real deal. Our team is familiar with public transport, we know our local favorite places to eat and grab coffees, we support local businesses, and we’re in tune with the place we call home. Store items for events, print, ship, dream, meet, create, record, and move through your next chapter in Philly with us. We’re even a certified LBE as a local business entity. Whatever you need, we’re here to help and the possibilities are endless.

7. Boutique builds 

Think you can’t sell merch? With us, you can. Our clients have online shops and pop up shops on site. We offer a hybrid of in-person and online shopping or merchandise capabilities and aren’t afraid to start from scratch, including sourcing, designing, and printing, along with building the site reporting and even staffing on site, as and where needed. So have you thought about custom merch for your event or activation this year? Allow people to remember your brand for years to come!

Philadelphia Ballet is one of our clients who we have had the honor of experiencing immense growth alongside. We first launched the merchandise boutique during their Nutcracker shows at the Academy of Music in 2023. Since then, we’ve added a variety of services and event support, growing with them as they continue to thrive. We are so thankful to work with their incredible team. As we continue to celebrate ten years at Helm, here’s a glimpse of one of our beloved, and graceful, clients.

Philadelphia Ballet: Moved by Ballet

Cellos reverberating throughout the Academy of Music. The elegance of a flute. The resonance of a violin. The ring of French horns. Excitement is tangible throughout the space as we hear the orchestra practicing and warming up for what will be another magical evening with Philadelphia Ballet. 

It’s the shuffle of dancers’ feet as they move throughout the backstage area or the dull tapping of pointe shoes greeting the stage. As we set up for another performance, encountering guests and greeting others in the lobby of what will become dozens of shows for George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, we take a deep breath and recognize the gratitude that we have for supporting such a prestigious organization. 

Over the course of a season, we’ll work through dozens of shows. The sight of families laughing and connecting, or a little girl wearing a dress with tulle or a crown, or even young dancers showing up to learn and be inspired, will stay with us always. Every hoodie, nutcracker, ornament, or any other item sold are tangible expressions of memories made. Patrons who attend can literally say they got the T-shirt. And we’ve helped to provide this experience. 

Even though our work has started months ago, sourcing the highest-quality items, designing the hand-drawn illustrations for some of the merchandise items, or strategically planning the larger-than-life display, it’s the magic of the season, the changing of each ballet, and the connection of couples and families that keeps us feeling like each performance is the first one and the irreplaceable one. 

Philadelphia Ballet enabled us to move into a boutique space in a way we never had before. And, over time, we found that the website and inventory, shipping and storing  items from our production house at The Story Factory, partnering with local businesses like Elixr for a especially holiday drink, and showing up in the shifting weather and seasons, has grown our team and our capacity to see art in a new way. 

Some of our own team have a dance background, and the way that they inform the decisions and keep their own dreams moving forward through connecting to the ones they had as kids, proves to us that creativity in any form, in connection with others, is what lasts in our lives. Being on the journey with them has been fulfilling as we’ve built towards their new studio and all that it will add to the arts community within Philadelphia and our city as a whole. Breaking new ground also means developing new ground and whether through audiovisual, photography, or videography, this journey is one worth documenting. 

To find out more about Philadelphia Ballet, visit: philadelphiaballet.org 

Helm is full of creative services. Your whole story. All in-house.

Campaign Development

You can’t have a great campaign without a great idea. We believe in not just storytelling, but good storytelling. Our team of creative strategists can ideate on the words and activations you need to move humans and cultivate human connections.

To make 2026 your creative best, or, to hire our team of creative strategists to support your impact and goals, reach out to us. We’ll answer with a real human response. 

An Epic Start to the Year

Let’s celebrate that we’ve just started this year and, already, we’re feeling the call to a higher level of growth and impact. We’ve been preparing for years to be stretched creatively as we welcome 2026 and all of its celebrations to our city and across the United States. 

Our team is always travel ready and we expertly move from one city (or country) to the next, all while giving our creative best. Where will you need creative support this year? Let us know! 

There are so many reasons to work with Helm, and this year we are highlighting 26 of our favorites!

Here are two that we’d like to highlight this month!

17. Event support 

When you need extra hands for your event, look no further than Helm. Our team is skilled at seamlessly integrating with teams across industries to accomplish goals, meet people where they are, be a friendly and welcoming presence during important moments, and do our best to leave people feeling better than when we found them. From strategy and organization to execution of your intended plans, we’ll set up, run, and tear down, all without adding stress to your own team. And, because we love what we do, we may even make it more fun. 

13. Travel-ready creatives 

Need to go global? Live in Texas? Want us to meet you in Switzerland? Live in Philadelphia? We can cover it all. Our team of creatives has expertise in traveling with our equipment efficiently and effectively. We’re not afraid of being on the go, moving and flowing with new cultures and circumstances. From logistics on military bases and physical prep for hikes through the Scottish highlands, to 51 permits in Israel and press coverage for a Former President of the United States, we’re capable of moving and navigating wherever your story takes us.  

Last year, we began working with Goldin and traveled with their incredible team to the 2025 National Sports Collectors Convention! We had an absolute blast at the largest convention of its kind. Our team thrived in their roles as event and creative support and the connections and memories made on that trip will last a lifetime. Last December, we even had the pleasure of working with them for their Netflix premiere of Season 3 of their show, King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch. As we continue to celebrate ten years at Helm, here’s a glimpse of one of our beloved clients.

Goldin : Collecting a new era 

“I feel like we’re a part of the team,” one of us laughs while we debrief on the day we’ve spent on the floor at the largest sports collectibles convention in the country, also known as the National Sports Collectors Convention (NSCC). With thousands upon thousands of sports fans mulling throughout the booths and utilizing every inch of the massive site to trade, collect, and sell, it’s been a wild week. 

For the first time, our entire team flew to the event in Chicago, marking not only the first time we’ve been to that conference, but the first time we’ve all traveled to one place that wasn’t in New Jersey or Pennsylvania. While our team has traveled the world, we strategically move in groups or pairings, so this experience was special. 

Brought in to support and be a part of the iconic brand that is Goldin, an eBay company, also known through their show King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch on Netflix, we assimilated with their team to capture footage of live auctions with professional sports players, take pictures, and be the event support and liaisons for one of the biggest weeks in sports collectibles. 

We wore their merchandise, we met fascinating people, and we learned that one of the best things about our team is the fact that we’re able to be ourselves while also integrating with our clients to support their story. We had unforgettable experiences, teambuilding moments, memorable conversations, and left that week with a sense of accomplishing something new. It was the stretching feeling that comes when you learn new skills and recognize that you’ve grown into something that outweighs the former and encourages you to step into the new. 

Helm didn't leave who we were behind in Chicago, but we did step into a new era of what it means to be able to support stories on a larger scale. So as we continue to print, capture content, and bolster Goldin’s initiatives while learning more about the sports and collectibles world than we may have ever imagined we would, we also recognize that supporting stories from anywhere in the world and across industries  isn’t just a nice thought, it’s becoming our reality. 

To discover more about Goldin and her books or speaking engagements, visit: goldin.co 

Helm is full of creative services. Your whole story. All in-house.

Event Support & Production

As a creative agency who is passionate about storytelling in a digital age, we lead the way in ensuring that events don't just happen - they resonate. With your event vision in mind, we offer a variety of live event support services to help you charter the path towards amazing content on your event day.

To make 2026 your creative best, or, to hire our team of creative strategists to support your impact and goals, reach out to us. We’ll answer with a real human response. 

New Year, Helm Edition

Welcome to 2026! We’re SO excited to move into this year. It’s one we’ve been preparing for over the last several years and it’s hard to believe we’re IN it! This year is going to be incredible for the clients we work with, the new ones we have yet to meet, and the city we call home. 

As you prepare to celebrate the 250th celebration of our country, along with the incredible initiatives you already have planned, we’re here to be the team of creative strategists you need to stay true to your story while engaging with every opportunity presented to you this year. Let’s make this year the best year. 

There are so many reasons to work with Helm, and this year we are highlighting 26 of our favorites!

Here are two that we’d like to highlight this month!

3. Story-focused leadership:

Stories are the currency of living. We feel, dream, create, connect, and inspire through storytelling. As humans, this is how we’re wired. And we’re not afraid to honor it. Our President and Founder, Ashlee Hollis, along with her husband, Elijah Hollis, have fiercely set out to tell the best stories we can in celebration of the people we have the honor to meet. If one story matters, they all matter, and we’re committed to believing in people and the power that comes when we lead stories into the future. 

1. In-house creative services:

All of our services are done in-house, with our very own creative crew. We’re not subcontracting  our creative work because our skilled team is capable of accomplishing what you dream to execute, both in 2026 and beyond. 

Jess Buchanan is one of our clients who has transformed how we see the impact of one person’s story affecting another. Her ability to champion other women and give a platform to their voices is inspiring. As we celebrate ten years at Helm, here’s a glimpse of one of our beloved clients.

Jess Buchanan: Impossible Isn’t Final 

Resilience. This is a word that comes to mind when we think of Jess Buchanan. A survivor once rescued by Seal Team Six from a routine field mission that turned devastating in Somalia, her voice has now resounded across the world with messages of hope and healing. The way Jess reaches for her own mountaintops in her life after the deepest valleys has created a movement of open doors for women’s voices to be championed and heard. 

In the quiet moments or the in-between filming moments, Jess is just as genuine and heartfelt. It’s the laughter between cups of coffee and the deep conversations that lead to new insights. When you’re near her, you get the sense that she sees more than you realize and she cares more than you can imagine. And something tugs within when you recognize that she’s turned the most painful moments in her life into opportunities for others. 

While we’ve filmed together in different spaces, a few of them being in our production house, The Story Factory, it’s the gathering of the women Jess chooses to elevate to inspire other women to use their voices for good. When we filmed a group of women who were on their own journey or “pilgrimage” of motherhood, space was created for challenging conversations. 

In the middle of the lights and the recording, it was clear that the stories captured were meant to move beyond the walls of our building and into the world. It would be months later that we would win an International VEGA award for the humanizing result. Jess may be an author and a coach, a speaker and a mother, an activist and a gatherer of people but she is also fierce, kind, and dedicated to amplifying the voices of others. So maybe as the message moves forth and Jess continues to write and speak her way to ensuring her own story of survival encourages people to thrive, 

To discover more about Jess Buchanan and her books or speaking engagements, visit: jessbuchanan.com

Helm is full of creative services. Your whole story. All in-house.

Videography

We move in motion with video. Our team of creatives travel the world and capture content to be utilized in commercials, action-packed promotional videos, and extended narratives for both broadcast and episodic distribution. From technical training videos, adventure and travel documentaries, video podcasts, segments for mass markets and cable or streaming, and even social media reels, we celebrate the humans behind each and every video we create and are comfortable being on-site for live-action content capture, while making sure the people we film feel comfortable and valued each and every step of the way. 

To make 2026 your creative best, or, to hire our team of creative strategists to support your impact and goals, reach out to us. We’ll answer with a real human response.