From zero to $500k in 2 years with Josh Langmade (Part 2).

Episode Transcription

Den Lennie (0s):
Hey, guys. It’s Den here, and this is Sally and she’s helping me with the podcast episodes today. She’s actually snuck upstairs here into the office. And today’s episode is the second part of an interview I did with Josh Langmade, who runs Media Core in a small town in the Midwest of America called Rochester. It’s a town of about a hundred thousand people. And Josh runs one of the biggest video production companies in town. And in this second part of the interview with him, we’re going to talk about some of the challenges you have as an entrepreneur, running a business, and also learning about his process and how he is sort of trying to kind of do something different in the marketplace by looking at the existing successful businesses in the time and replicating that.

Den Lennie (48s):
So in 20 years’ time, he can be like those guys. So I think you’ll find this a really interesting chat.

Josh Langmade (55s):
I feel like our company has grown on relationships in general. I can go through the list of our clients and tell you all about them just because we take the time to know about them. We grab lunch or grab coffee. And so relationships have always been big. And this year, you know, as we grow and as we’re going to continue to grow into the future, I had an idea of just like, you know, and it was inspired because I, I look at the old guys in town. These are guys that are selling their companies that are, you know, not doing anything anymore, but just having coffee with good old boys. And you know, every single day they’re doing this and I’m like, man, like these guys own the entire city.

Josh Langmade (1m 42s):
And there’s just little groups of them that just have coffee every single morning. I’m like, that’s fantastic. They’ve probably known each other their entire lives. And they’ve done these crazy things together and I’m like, that’s going to happen again. You know? And let’s start now creating these groups. And we call it our breakfast club, but it’s, it’s, we’re, we’re capping at like eight guys and it’s, you know, I went one by one and I handpicked and tried to invite guys that I thought would get along that knew each other, that didn’t know each other, but are the movers and shakers.

Josh Langmade (2m 23s):
These are the guys that I think will be doing big things in the city for years to come. And we meet every other week for breakfast and we’ve probably had 10 so far and it’s so much fun. I, it was a couple of days this Wednesday, actually, where I was there. And just, it’s not about business. Like business stuff will come up, we’ll talk about land or buildings or what’s happening, but it’s just, it’s the relationship piece. It’s the laughing, it’s the fun. And I know it’s going to benefit. And it’s just so enjoyable.

Josh Langmade (3m 5s):
You know.

Den Lennie (3m 6s):
Well, you guys are going to be…

Josh Langmade (3m 6s):
Yeah.

Den Lennie (3m 7s):
In 30 years who some young guy, late years going to be like, oh, those guys that sit in cafes and drink coffee and have fun. And I think that to me is the spirit of entrepreneurship. You know, we talked a lot just before Christmas in the group about the idea of wealth creation and what that means. And, and while, while money is a factor in that, it’s about planning and creating the life you want. And that is what you can do when you run a business. Now, it’s always very inspiring to hear two guys sitting on a call like this, or an interview going, Hey, you know, he started three years ago. Now he’s got a company that’s doing half a million dollars a year and he’s got this great team.

Den Lennie (3m 50s):
And you know, his plan is to do this and that in the future. But of course, it’s easy retrospectively. And I think to talk about these things, and I think as entrepreneurs, we have this unusual balance between an absolute self-belief that you can’t fail, but at the same time at nagging self doubt every day, that you’re not good enough. And that combination it’s very unique because you just don’t believe you can fail and you will outwork anyone else to make sure you don’t, you’ll never, ever give up. But talk to me about the actual journey of entrepreneurship for you in a video production company, because You know, A lot of videographers and filmmakers start behind the tools.

Den Lennie (4m 40s):
They want to hold control of everything. They want to do everything themselves. And they get very caught up in perfecting an edit for example, and they blow their profit because they spend too much time on the edit. Tell me about your philosophy and your journey in the last three years of how you’re managing to still produce very high-quality work, but also control the process. And some of those moments on your journey where it’s been difficult.

Josh Langmade (5m 13s):
Yeah. I mean, there’s even this week, there was a, there was a time where I was so stressed. I just got in my truck and I just drove around a little bit because I’m like, I’m going nuts in this. But like you said, there’s also the feeling of, I can’t fail. You know, if anything happens, we’re just gonna do this. We’re just going to bust ass and, and make it happen. But there’s absolutely struggles along the entire way of, you know, especially when you get employees and I take it personally, it’s like, these are, these are the guys that, that I had moved here that I’m responsible for their salaries and their livelihood and things like that.

Josh Langmade (5m 59s):
So there’s the pressure of that now, but there’s so much learning and what you do and you constantly learn. And the process is huge. The big thing, and one of the main reasons why, you know, I don’t even know how I found your podcast one day. And I was just listening. I listened to tons of episodes before I actually joined the VBA. And, but even at that very beginning, it was like, Den, I want to systemize my company, you know, and we’ve done different things and, you know, we’re still going to continue to do things, but one of the biggest struggles for me is just getting overwhelmed because I still have my hands in every part of the business.

Josh Langmade (6m 48s):
And one, it keeps me involved, which is a good thing. And I understand, and because it is my baby, but at the same time trying to grow and with the rapid growth that we’ve seen, I need systems and processes in place to hire and go, this is the roadmap, follow it. And that’s my next big hurdle. And, you know, there’s always been hurdles, you know, when you’re smaller, you’re trying to get, you’re building a reputation. You’re trying to get your name out there and you raise your prices and stuff like that. And it’s a grind, but you, each, each level you’re achieving something and you’re doing something new.

Josh Langmade (7m 32s):
And I feel like now we’re at a level where people aren’t really giving us crap about our price. They’re not comparing us to, you know, some of the other companies in town, it’s like, we’re unique in what we do and the experience that we give our clients. So, I don’t want to be in a price battle. I won’t want them to even call somebody else, you know, but now I just want to continue the growth. So I have to have the big vision, but I need to be able to set the roadmap on how to get there. Yeah. And that’s sometimes it’s really difficult for, for me personally, but I think just, I don’t know, people that have that big, the big ideas, the who I want to do this and this and this, but sometimes it’s hard to run the operational day to day.

Josh Langmade (8m 23s):
When your mind is there.

Den Lennie (8m 26s):
Well, it’s like a seesaw, isn’t it, you’ve got operations on one side and vision on the other and in the middle you’re, you’re late the pendulum and you’re bouncing back and forward all day long. And you know, I think there’s a degree of chaos that exists as an entrepreneur, trying to wrangle all the moving parts in a business. And I think it’s important too, to share with the audience that, you know, there’s been an incredible journey to go from zero to half a million, but I mean, we speak weekly on calls and it’s like, you know, there’s just one problem after another and you set something in motion and it doesn’t work and you’ve got to correct.

Den Lennie (9m 6s):
And correct. And correct. So, so talk to me about some of the other realities of running a business and how, how has working with us in the VBA supported that journey?

Josh Langmade (9m 20s):
Yeah. I mean, some of the big things in business, and this is why I see a lot of freelancers, not succeeding or not moving to the next level is they don’t realize everything that goes into operating a company. They go, Hey, I have a camera and a gimbal and might get some lights, and I’m skilled in what I do, but then they don’t know about the legal. They don’t know about the insurance. They don’t know about the accounting, they don’t, and there’s just all this stuff that goes into operating a company. Then you get employees and then you have workman’s comp and you haven’t, you know, insurance on them. And next thing you know, money is flying out the door and every direction you’re going, like, what the hell is going on?

Josh Langmade (10m 8s):
So my brother who actually graduated with an accounting degree came on at the end of our first year and has been a huge help. And just like he’s worrying and yang. It’s like, we both have the same vision. We both have the same work ethic, but we play off each other’s strengths so well, and he’s been a massive help. And just the operational back end of a company that allows me to think big and be with the clients and, you know, build the relationships and things like that. And it definitely would have been a way slower process if I didn’t have that, but going, moving on now with VBA being on calls and seeing your peers that are, you know, some are earlier on and, you know, they’re not where you are and some are doing twice what you’re doing and each has like unique issues and things like that.

Josh Langmade (11m 7s):
But you can always give advice that kind of jogs your memory and goes, oh, I didn’t think of that. But then there’s the, you know, guys that you’re trying to get to, or, you know, larger sizes that have a whole new, you know, bag of issues that they’re trying to deal with. And it’s like, wow, okay. Like one that’s good to think about. Two, I need to prep for that. But you know, it’s just fun because sitting down with you, Den on the one-on-ones has been, I think just some of my favorite parts, just getting, you know, your thought process. Cause you’ve, you’ve done this for a long time. You’ve worked with a lot of people, but then the other fun side is getting to know some of these other guys in the community being on them weekly, laughing, joking, you know, you understand more about what they’re going through and who they are.

Den Lennie (12m 1s):
It’s like a lunatic, asylum, like, all these crazy nerds who are trying to build businesses, working their ass off to kind of make it work and dealing with all this shit get together. And like, you can let up a bit of steam, you know?

Josh Langmade (12m 14s):
Absolutely. And we joke around and we have fun and it’s the longer you’re in it. The more you, you know, okay. You know, I know that this person’s had this issue. So, you know, even like their goals excite you. So, it’s a huge asset and a huge research to be able to ask a community of people that are doing the very same thing that you’re doing. And it was hard even starting, just going, starting a business, I’m trying to figure out a resource for video production, for education. And none of the courses that I found were on video, none of the, you know, there’s no like books out there really for video.

Josh Langmade (13m 0s):
And I think that’s where I first stumbled across your podcast was, I’m like this guy is talking to video companies and this is exactly the information that I want to hear. You take that a step further. And I’m like for the price, I was like, this is a no brainer to me, you know? And sometimes I get really busy and I can’t be in all the meetings, but at the end of the year, when you, when you look back on what you spent and the things that you learned and what that equated to it’s yeah. I think it’s been great.

Den Lennie (13m 36s):
Well, it was interesting. And thank you, you know, Andrew Fowler in the UK just hit seven figures and he just, he just casually mentioned it on our weekly wins, like, oh yeah, we hit some Biggers. And then the call last week, I probed him about it. And he said, well, when I joined, you know, our goal was to hit 1.5 and five years, and we hit a million in two and stuff like that just fills me with such joy because what I think the VBA has become, is a community and an insurance policy where we’re very selective about who we let in. So there’s a really high caliber and you and I have spoken about this privately.

Den Lennie (14m 16s):
And then when someone isn’t quite the right fit, we sort of encourage them to either step up or step to another program, which is more appropriate for them. But we’ve created this, this, this, this, this VBA has evolved. It’s a mastermind, but it’s also a strong community. And really, I think it’s become like an insurance policy where we’ve had in the last year, three people who left previously have come back because it was called that side. Right. And I think that’s, what’s cool. And, and it’s great to hear your feedback, but also I love when we get together, one-to-one because we can noodle down on, you know, some of the quarterly challenges and I’ll push you on your numbers.

Den Lennie (14m 56s):
And, and I think there’s been instances where you thought you’ve been going great in one direction. And now I think my responsibility as a coach is to, yes, sure. Have fun with you guys, but be the guy to go, hold on, let’s next, go into this area here that you’re kind of brushing over. Cause I can see something. And I think that I feel like the most important draw as a coach is to call out things and ask you to justify decisions. Because as the CEO, nobody asks you to justify your decisions, your team don’t. Talk to me about that is how important is that? And is it important that you know, that I call you out on things and ask you to go into details that perhaps are uncomfortable?

Josh Langmade (15m 39s):
Yeah. That’s an interesting point. Cause we’ve looked at, you know, numbers, you know, last year, every quarter, like you said, and sometimes you go, well, this doesn’t add up. That doesn’t make sense. And you push me to either change it or like figure something new out. And there’s been plenty of times where you call me out on stuff. And then like, after the meeting, I’m sitting there, like I’m going to show him. And it’s fun because there’s cause early on there’s certain motivators that get you to go, okay, you know, I’m going to show them.

Josh Langmade (16m 22s):
It’s been years now. And they see it. And you know, no one is batting an eye at what we’re doing there. And it’s like, well, sometimes you forget other than your motivation, different factors that can push you. And as a business owner, you know, you typically, you have a lot of pride in what you do and you know, there’s a lot of you think you’re right and you’re dogmatic about certain things and for someone to say otherwise, and not that they’re not good points that you’re learning from them, but there’s, there is an element sometimes where I’m like, you know what, I’m going to make this work. And I’m going to show Den that he was wrong. And I was like, those are exciting, you know?

Josh Langmade (17m 2s):
But absolutely you have to have someone that goes, this is a gut check. Let’s look at what you’re doing and make sure that you’re…

Den Lennie (17m 12s):
Well, also, you know, I think where we sometimes, you know, I’m up against a little bit of, you know, I wouldn’t say friction, but where there’s a bit of pull is that your desire to grow rapidly is like, you want to go a hundred miles an hour and be everywhere now. And I guess where I do is I come back with a slightly different perspective and I go, I’ve been there and done that 15 years ago. And there’s a number of other business owners who are a bit older in the group who’ve been there and done that who like, yeah, we’ve got to carefully guide where that energy goes. And what I love about that is that it’s a very healthy opposition because you’re pushing one direction.

Den Lennie (17m 58s):
I’m pulling in another. And I think what happens is that it just keeps the guide rails in a safe zone so that we are ensuring that you are, you’re not going to waste energy going down the wrong track. And I love that as well because it isn’t all about, Hey, let’s have fun. We’re great friends. This is awesome. There is some, I’ll use the word tension, but the tension in a really healthy way is like, it motivates you to go, well, I’m going to show him. But also you sit and you sleep on it and you go, huh, there’s actually some value in that.

Den Lennie (18m 38s):
So maybe I’ll take a bit of that and a bit of this because our egos can easily go, well, you know, Den’s in his fifties, he lives by the beach. He slowed down, which is true. But I think what’s cool is that I also get excited by what you’re doing, because it keeps me on my toes. I’m like, what am I missing here? Where are my blind spots? Cause I’m learning as much from you because of the way you’re approaching your business. And I think it’s a really healthy partnership. And I think that the great business should be a healthy partnership. There is a mutually valuable exchange of value. And you know, we don’t tie anyone in it’s like it’s month to month.

Den Lennie (19m 20s):
And so we’ve got like members who’ve been with us three years and that’s my way of changing the industry because typically in these mastermind groups, like you got to pay all this money upfront and you’re locked in for a year, You know? And so I think it’s exciting that we’re able to do business differently. And that to me is why I’m an entrepreneur because we get to set the rules. So Josh, as we wrap things up here, tell me, what’s one thing that you could share with a video production company, listening and watching this who is, you know, not quite at the path million a year or wants to grow.

Den Lennie (19m 60s):
What one thing you would share with them about how to get there?

Josh Langmade (20m 7s):
Yeah, I would say it’s really hard sometimes to slow down, to speed up and you know, Den’s right on I’m very go, go, go. I need to push because I’m just not a patient person in general. But when I have taken the time and stepped back and slowed down to build again, the foundation that is going to be strong enough. And for me to build on, we’ve gone much faster in those areas. And there’s a lot that can just constantly learn.

Josh Langmade (20m 49s):
But you know, I’d also say like, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do as fast as what we’ve done without having the right people on the team and making sure obviously culture fit is good. So everyone’s getting along and has a good work ethic, but play off your strengths. You know, sometimes it’s hard to say, I’m not good at this, but you need to kind of self realize, Hey, there’s people that are smarter than me. There’s people that are better than me here. And you know, if we can get them on board and on the same vision and where we want the company to go and we’re going to be much better for it.

Josh Langmade (21m 36s):
And we care about clients. We care about our people. At no means to any of my guys think, oh, Josh is just sitting on his golden throne and I’m here picking up the scraps. It’s like, we’re growing as a team and we’re in a building phase and you know, I want everyone to succeed around me. So just don’t be selfish, work hard and take the time to do it right.

Den Lennie (22m 6s):
So I hope you found that useful guys. I’m going to be doing an interview every month on this channel and also doing some solo episodes, but I’d love to hear from you what kind of things are you interested in learning about on this channel. Please drop some comments below and please do me a favor and subscribe and put the bell on for the notifications and let me know what you think. I’d love to start a conversation with you. See you next week, guys.