Ain’t I A Woman: Rachel Heacox
In the male dominated videography industry I have made it my mission to not only push boundaries for myself but also lift up and tell the stories of all types of women to help them grow their businesses.
My name is Rachel Heacox and I started my multiple six figure creative business at 24 years old with $500 and a camera. Back then, I was stuck in a corporate job with had a toxic culture and work environment. I was miserable. I decided that rather than conform to a style of management that stripped me of my personal strengths – empathy, creativity, connection – I needed to go out on my own.
I started Heacox Creative Co. (back then Rachel Heacox Films) as a side hustle in 2015 but quit my job and went full time in 2016. Since then I have worked hard to be a leading female videographer in the Dallas community and worked with dozens of different female-owned creative entrepreneurs and small businesses to amplify their messages with visual branding.
In the beginning, I met with some leading male videographers in my field and received advice to “maybe just stick with weddings and leave the rest to the “pros” (read – men).” That was all I needed to light a fire in me. I decided in that moment that I would not only strive to be a successful female videographer but that I would also work almost exclusively with female lead companies. “A rising tide lifts all boats.” Don’t ever tell a determined women she “can’t.”
In 2018 my business experienced a major setback when $10,000 of equipment (nearly everything I had at the time) was stolen out of the trunk of my car. I lost several client projects and received hate online. I decided to lean into the discomfort of being open about what happened in order to try to recover my missing items and as a result faced brutal online backlash – but also I learned my own resilience. A year later, I rebuilt what I had lost and came back STRONGER – tripling the amount of business we did and helping even more women tell their stories.
One of my favorite projects and the one I am definitely most proud of is being able to work with Marty on the Black Girl Magic Summit in 2020. As I strive to be an ally (I believe that it is ALWAYS a work in progress) it is an honor to play a small role in amplifying the message of the women in the black community. My passion is helping other women succeed and their businesses grow – and I hope to do much much more of this work for years to come.
Instagram: @heacoxcreativeco
