Heather Bouvier was just seven years old when she stepped on to the stage at New Albany High School for a summer production of Oliver!—a moment that unknowingly set the course for a life steeped in the arts. Auditioning with My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music, she landed a role in the orphan ensemble, singing about glorious food and picking pockets. What she found wasn’t just a love for performing—it was a sense of belonging. “It turns out theatre is indeed one of my favorite things,” she recalls.

It wasn’t surprising, given her family’s creative lineage. Heather grew up surrounded by artists. Her family played instruments, sang in harmony, designed, painted, sewed, and even drafted architectural floor plans for fun. Road trips weren’t filled with movies in the backseat; they were filled with music and singing. Art wasn’t just a hobby—it was a way of life.

Heather’s artistic drive continued through childhood, balancing school music programs with an array of sports. A pivotal change came when she moved in with her grandparents in seventh grade and discovered show choir. It was an audition-based program with competitive performances, and Heather was determined to be part of it. Show Choir Camp was the best route to take. There was just one catch—she had to fund it herself.

The Business of Dreams

Determined to attend Show Choir Camp, Heather took matters into her own hands. A Gen X kid accustomed to school fundraisers and door-to-door sales, she put her entrepreneurial skills to work. She babysat, sold newspaper subscriptions, and managed a paper route to raise the necessary $286.

“I figured out how much I needed to make each week to reach my goal. Looking back, it was my first real-world application of algebra—even though I struggled with algebra in school!” she laughs.

Heather met her goal, attended camp, and although a sudden illness cut her experience short, she didn’t let it deter her. She auditioned for show choir that fall and, to her devastation, didn’t make it. But instead of giving up, she redirected her energy, immersing herself in choir, theatre, and music. By sophomore year, she was starring in plays, teaching herself piano, and fully embracing the arts.

Her passion led her to the Indiana State Thespian Festival, where she earned a perfect score on her monologue—an unexpected audition that garnered college offers. However, when she shared the exciting news with her grandmother, she was met with discouragement. “Arts jobs aren’t real jobs,” she was told. Without support, Heather shelved her dreams of pursuing theatre in college.

Finding Her Way Back to the Arts

Life led Heather through a series of unexpected career paths. She worked in sales, dabbled in interior design, and even considered law school. But everything changed when she became a mother. Raising her daughter, Katherine (KG), reignited her passion for the arts—especially when, at age eight, KG auditioned for Annie at New Albany High School, the very place where Heather had performed Oliver! decades earlier with Annie being her finale performance her senior year.

“Watching her on stage, I saw the look of pure joy and love. I knew her path was about to change,” Heather says.

As KG dove deeper into theatre, Heather found herself immersed in the world she had once loved. But she quickly realized something: the industry hadn’t evolved with the times. The tools available for actors, crew members, and creatives were outdated, inefficient, and fragmented. Frustrated by the lack of innovation, she took action.

From Stage to Startup

Heather’s experience in sales, fintech, and the start up ecosystem collided with her love for the arts in an unexpected way—she became a tech founder. She built Stage & Set, a SaaS platform designed to streamline the casting and crew process, integrating elements of LinkedIn and Facebook specifically for the entertainment industry.

“We bootstrapped it as long as we could,” she says. “Eventually, we started pitching for capital, which is a full-time job in itself—especially in the middle of the country, even more so as a female founder.” After relentless effort, she secured funding, achieving a $1M valuation in early 2020. But then, the world shut down.

Resilience in the Face of Adversity

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the performing arts industry came to a screeching halt. Without productions, Stage & Set stalled. Investors pulled back, and Heather faced a difficult decision—pivot or pause. She chose to pivot. In July of 2022, she found herself on a film set leading to her next endeavor.

Leveraging her industry knowledge, she began laying the foundation for The B Scene, a product placement company for arts and entertainment. The idea was simple: connect indie productions starting with film, TV, and podcasts with brands that align with their storytelling. It was a win-win—producers receive funding through strategic product placement and trade outs, and brands reach new audiences in authentic ways.

Now, The B Scene has expanded beyond product placement into e-commerce with an app allowing the fans of the productions to shop every product placed on the sets, whether on camera or not. It’s fostering an educational movement, bridging the gap between creative jobs and the traditional job market encouraging aspiring creatives to learn the business of film and patrons to get involved in the process whether through placement or financing. Heather’s work bridges the gap between art and commerce, ensuring that artists—herself included—never have to hear that their dreams aren’t “real jobs” again.

Full Circle

From a young girl singing about “Food, Glorious Food” to a woman redefining the business of entertainment, Heather Bouvier’s journey has been anything but conventional. But one thing remains constant—her unwavering love for the arts.

“When I was younger, I thought success meant being on Broadway, living in a bigger city,” she says. “Now, I realize success is subjective. Each one of us have different markers for measure. What brings us together is a shared love for our community which allows us to succeed together. There is plenty of room at the table.”

For Heather, the stage may have changed, but the spotlight has never been brighter. Heather by way of The B Scene will be contributing a weekly column on all things Arts & Entertainment for Today’s Woman.