Honeywave Media

BUSINESS OWNER: Taylor Grote 

BUSINESS NAME: Honeywave Media 

MAIN PRODUCTS/SERVICES: Videography, Photography and Creative Services  

LOCATION: 609 Wesley Parkway, Sioux City 

WEBSITE: honeywavemedia.com 

Short description of your business: 

Honeywave Media is a creative content production house that creates video and photo content optimized for performance on social media and other digital platforms. We help businesses and public figures use social media content to more effectively tell their story. On top of our content for businesses, we create original content to help promote all of the amazing things happening in Sioux City. Currently we have 3 original content series: The Sioux City Show, which is a podcast hosted by me to give an inside look at everything from the local music scene to entrepreneurship. The Hustle and Joe Podcast, hosted by Devin Phaly, is a podcast that focuses on interviews with go-getters and creatives to provide tools for self-development. Straight Work // No Cut is a music video series that utilizes single take videos (one continuous camera recording from start to finish) to allow local musicians to produce music videos that allows their talent to shine at an affordable price. 

What motivated you to start your business? What drives you each day? 

I was motivated to start the business by looking at the way the advertising industry was moving increasingly toward social media. I would watch content on Facebook and basically feel like it could all be done better, so I started Honeywave Media to create the content that I want to see online. The big picture that drives me is helping people see Sioux City from my perspective. I love this city. I’ve traveled all over the world between my time in the military and work but there is nowhere I love more than Sioux City. I think all of the subcultures present in this city deserve a spotlight, so I help provide that as much as possible. 

What’s unique about your business? 

It’s unique that we only create for digital platforms. We don’t aim to make TV commercials so that helps keep things focused on the audiences looking for engaging content on social media. 

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome as you’ve grown your business? 

The biggest challenge that I’ve overcome is just understanding the day to day backend of running a business. I have a film degree, not a business degree, so the details of running a business were pretty foreign to me at first. A little over a year ago, I brought local businessman Brad Lepper in as a business partner and his wealth of knowledge has helped me immensely. 

What has been your greatest reward? 

The greatest reward is anytime our work helps a client get recognition for the work they are doing. 

We created a music video for “Hard Times” by 35th & Taylor that was submitted for a national contest to open a show for Bon Jovi. The video was selected and they opened for Bon Jovi at a sold-out show in Chicago. 

How have you benefited from the startup community in Sioux City and the region? What resources did you use? 

The Swimming with the Sharks competition was a boost for Honeywave Media in the sense that we had positive feedback from local business leaders and some money to help fund our early stages. 

Why is it important for the community to support startups and small businesses? What more can be done to help them? 

It’s important for the community to help support small businesses because they tend to offer great service and awesome jobs for the community. Spending money at a small business rather than corporate chains also helps to keep money in our local economy. 

What is one thing you know now that you wish you knew when starting your business? 

I wish I was quicker to ask for help when I was started the business. So many questions that I spent hours or days researching could have been easily answered by other people with more experience. 

What advice would you give to someone looking to start a business? 

Do it. Bet on yourself. Find your unique skill and figure out a way to monetize it. 

How can the community continue to help your business? 

The community can help me out by reaching out to taylor@honeywavemedia.com if they are looking for any creative services. They can also listen to our Podcasts “The Sioux City Show” and “Hustle and Joe” on YouTube or Apple Podcasts. 

What are some future goals for your company? 

The future goals are to continue building upon our progress and continue to find exciting clients looking to tell engaging stories online.