Community Highlights: Meet Sara Hine of Aras Creative

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Hine. 

Hi Sara, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I started in production, working on movies like Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic before transitioning to commercial production. Drawn to marketing, creative development, and design through my personal interests and background, I moved into the creative realm and worked in traditional agencies before taking an unexpected detour into human-based market research. Those experiences gave me a unique perspective and created the foundation that Aras is built on: human-centered communication, collaboration, and connection. Those values have become our guiding light for creating stellar content that helps businesses grow. 

I formed Sara Hine LLC in 2016, just as I was working towards getting pregnant with my son. While I loved many things about my profession, I didn’t love the type of work I was creating or the masculine nature of the industry. I knew that in order to create the life I wanted; I would have to build something new. I wanted to create a company that worked for women and those who identify as such. A company that channeled the power of the feminine and championed a new way to work–one that is inclusive, sustainable, and collaborative. One that is focused on growing other companies that care about the same things. In 2018 Aras was officially born. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Growing a business is not for the faint of heart. When you imagine starting something new, you understand it will be hard. But “hard” is just a word, and there is a big difference between knowing something will be hard and experiencing it. Growing anything new is a constant lesson in humility and resilience. It stretches you, bends you, and sometimes flat out breaks you. Some days you are riding an incredible high, and the next day you are on the floor in the fetal position. When you can weather a storm, get back up again, recenter yourself, let go of the fear, the embarrassment, and the pain, you start to find the lessons they hold. You can begin again from a more informed place. It’s easier said than done, but over time there is a snowball effect. The more you do it, the stronger you get, the more difficult the situations you can overcome. It is important to remember that it is messy work, and you won’t ever do it perfectly. But it is THE ONLY way to grow. Aras started as a daydream. Now four years later, we have five employees, one new building, and dozens of projects under our belt. Owning a business is still incredibly hard but also hugely rewarding. Keep breathing, keep going, keep beginning again. 

We’ve been impressed with Aras Creative Co, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Aras creates meaningful advertising & marketing campaigns and branded video content for companies who want to make a difference in order to change how people think about the world. With Aras, you get thoughtful attention from the top, not passed off to the intern. We are built to do big work in a more personalized way. 

Aras (pronounced heiress) is a female-founded and WBENC-certified creative studio. We combine interdisciplinary capabilities and diverse perspectives in marketing, advertising, and storytelling with a focus in video content creation. 

We have over 20 years of experience in CPG on brands like Secret, Mr. Clean, John Frieda, Swiffer, Olay, Gillette, Old Spice, Crest, Jergens, Bush’s Baked Beans, Curél, Bioré, Ban and Hoist, to name a few. 

We are one of a handful of female-owned and led creative studios that offer end-to-end creative development and video production for large-scale corporations as well as mid-sized and growing companies. We bring refreshing feminine strength and energy to each project, embracing intuition and creativity in order to connect with humans in meaningful and fulfilling ways. 

We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Hmmm. I once sold everything I owned and booked a 3-month trip, traveling the first half through Vietnam from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi and then on to volunteer as a surf instructor in South Africa. I don’t think most people realize how spontaneous I can be. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://arascreativeco.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arascreativeco/
• Other: https://vimeo.com/user103439995

Image Credits
Odessa James Photography
Sarah Buchan