FEATURE
Chloë was the youngest winner yet of the Tees Businesswoman of the Year .
“ I got chatting to a guy with his own production company , and he was making a television pilot – a cross between Top Gear and the Gadget Show – and he invited us to go along ,” she explains .
“ Lou helped with the sound , and I mucked in behind the scenes , and we suddenly realised that this was what we were meant to be doing .”
While continuing their wandering across Australia , then South-East Asia , the seeds were sown for their future business .
“ We were ingrained in the travel culture , and we could see that businesses weren ’ t changing with the times . Social media was moving fast , but they weren ’ t keeping up .”
Clover and Lou started creating content and were “ buzzing ” when their first paid job – making a social media video for a café – earned them $ 60 .
The couple returned to Teesside at Christmas , 2017 , and set about establishing the business from Clover ’ s family home in Redcar .
“ We spoke to as many people as possible , and probably annoyed a lot of them , but it worked . Things just snowballed ,” she remembers .
Support from a Teesside University start-up programme enabled them to move into an office in Victoria Road , in Middlesbrough , and Simon Pettett became their first employee as an apprentice content producer .
“ Moving into Vicky Road was huge for us . We were legit – it was happening ,” says Clover .
A year later , the flourishing company moved to the Boho 5 building , near Middlesbrough College , and a pivotal moment came when Riot Games – the global company behind the League of Legends online game – got in touch .
“ They were launching a UK tournament and wanted a series of films of the trophy being made . It blew our minds because we were suddenly going global . We were doing what we set out to do .”
Wander Films now employs 14 people – including Clover ’ s brother , Olly – has clients across the UK , and is “ spreading like a virus ” across the floor at Boho 5 .
“ We find the real brand for companies by connecting to people on a very personal level ,” she says . “ We ’ re different in our mentality , the language we use , and the way we dress . We don ’ t try to be anything we ’ re not .”
The awards that have come Wander Films ’ way are testament to the success of that philosophy . Chloë Clover was globally recognised and listed in Forbes 30 Under 30 this year . The company was named Tees Business of the Year in 2020 , with Clover winning Newcomer of the Year .
She also won the Rising Star title at the Tees Tech Awards , though Wandering Star might have been more apt .
Now , she ’ s the fourth Tees Businesswoman of the Year following an awards ceremony in September that was a raw mix of emotions because her beloved Grandmogs had died a few months earlier .
“ I can ’ t put into words how important she was . We all revolved around her , and she ’ d have been so proud ,” she says .
What made it even more moving was that Business of the Year was the Personal Support Network , a home healthcare service , founded by Clover ’ s mother , Ruth , following her years of graft as a social care support worker .
It was an “ unforgettable night ” for the family , but Clover is quick to underline the importance of Lou to the Wander Films ’ success story .
“ It ’ s not fair for just my name on the award because it ’ s ‘ us ’. Lou doesn ’ t like the spotlight but that doesn ’ t mean she ’ s less important .
“ I couldn ’ t have done it without Lou . She ’ s amazing – the machine behind it all . She has such incredible standards , knows when to rein me in , and I love her .”
The couple still live in Redcar – and it ’ s clearly a formidable partnership . Wander Films is continuing to expand , and always looking for fresh talent , with a current vacancy for a cinematographer .
The latest big project involves creating a documentary series about independent production companies . It means Clover and Lou are frequently rubbing shoulders with wellknown figures from the television industry – but they always come back to Teesside .
“ This area is massively important to us and always will be . Too many talented people are lost to London , and we need to change that . Our aim is to break the mould , and bring the TV and film industry to Teesside ,” Clover declares .
But doesn ’ t it all add up to being surrounded by structure – the thing she always hated ?
“ Yes , but Lou deals brilliantly with that , and the truth is I ’ ve never been so happy in my personal life and professional life ,” she replies . “ I suppose I just had to go round the world to find the thing I loved .”
Chloë Clover may not be wandering as much anymore – but she ’ ll always be striving to be different .
22 | Tees Business