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.