The REAL secret to scaling your video business.

Episode Transcription

Den Lennie (2s):
G’day, guys! Den Lennie here, Episode 206 of the How to Scale a Video Business podcast. So after Australia having a pretty good track record on corporate and being fairly COVID free, we seem to smash that now, and more than half the countries and a lot down, including ourselves, you in Queensland, we’ve just been announced another one a long time until Sunday, or not nearly as bad as the guys in new south Wales. And then, gosh, they’re not the folks in Victoria of how that ridiculously bad. There we go to that. This art that has our new world. And I think key is if we don’t have to get to get used to this situation for some time, Because It’s not going to wear, but that’s okay because, you know, we can’t control that or we can control is how we spend our time with what I call the extra blessings.

Den Lennie (56s):
If you like of COVID, which is when you are locked down, if you really are unable to film than it does give you an enormous opportunity to do, do you, some other things that I want to just name, check Andrew here. Who’s been on the podcast, a Andrew McLean, in Sydney, who is, you know, he was an in full lockdown just there in Sydney as a team. And so I think the last week had a half a day when he is feeling a little bit can have, you know, overall, but he know he just pulled in the bag and said, write, let’s just use this time and constructively. And I think it’s a great lesson. It is how you can use the time to do the things that you never have time to do. But yeah, because you’re always busy shooting or editing are doing production.

Den Lennie (1m 38s):
Okay. So today I wanted to talk about that. Talk about the fact that, you know, this is, this is the new way we’d got to operate our businesses. So what can you do constructively with this time? If you are in a position where you’re a locked down, if you’re a UK, you are probably HomeFree and then that’s great. And then the US it’s a various, depending on where are you, you are, but we want to do you do today, is his talk about M building, a proven business systems? You know, one of the biggest challenges, obstacles that face business’s when the scaling is a hiring a team and there there’s various, you know, some people are already up for it.

Den Lennie (2m 18s):
Some people are terrified of it and other people, or so somewhere in the middle, that one of the key’s to expanding your team, as you can not build a business alone, you’re the only so far that you can get, you know, a lot with a lot Of filmmakers. And I look at the numbers of a two or three years consecutively. And what typically happens is the, the numbers over then plus, or minus 10% each year, because there were literally doing everything then selves. And so the, the only way you could and scalar business is to hire the team. And the most dangerous number in business is one, whether that’s you or one employee, you know, you’ve got to start to think about how you can make the business more successful beyond just yourself and a common misnomer is that people think that, especially in video production, that we are, the clients want us.

Den Lennie (3m 10s):
So that’s how they’re used to dealing with. So they are expecting to see your and location. And that is not always the case. If you set it up correctly. And so what are the ways you could do that? And, and key is timing. You know what I’m talking about, building systems, that’s not something we should be doing it. If you’ve got an to work, it is something that comes into play. When you’ve got regular clients, you’ve got these no matter of money coming in, or I’d say a minimum 10,000 us as a month before we even start thinking about systemizing, because systems are themselves. Won’t bring you more a business until you’ve already got a certain amount of business on the books already. So what I want to talk to it to you about today is something I’m really passionate about it. And something that I’ve had to Dave Jennings on a podcast from systemology and system hub a couple of times.

Den Lennie (3m 55s):
And, you know, we walked with businesses as well, too, help systemize the business as a, as a separate service, too. The VBA M and a, although it typically, if you do this systemization process with us will generally bring you into VBAs part of that process it as like an added benefit. But, but the key to building proven systems for your business is, is that structure and discipline will set you free. And that is probably the single most important lesson. If you take nothing away from this episode, other than the structure and discipline, we’ll actually set you free. And we’re talking about system’s that you run a, on a personal level business systems, you know, you got your business operating is, and then you’ve got your personal operating system.

Den Lennie (4m 39s):
I got into building systems about three years ago and literally started to transformed my life. You now I run my week like a system. I have a certain things I do uncertain days. I have certain times of certain days, or do certain things. You and I joined the fitness program. It was seven, eight weeks ago. And Monday, Wednesday, Friday, nine 30 till 10:30 AM at the gym, which means I leave at nine and back by 11. And that it’s, that is no a system for my health. We’re doing a nutrition program just now, and I’m using my fitness power. And my coach has given me a calorific M daily limit and a protein gore to hit that as a system for getting healthy. And the key is that I put the data into my fitness power and a track.

Den Lennie (5m 21s):
Every single thing I eat, I measure called the quantities and that’s the system for success. And so systems are, or what will guarantee success rather than leaving things to chance. So, you know, it systems are really the backbone of structure. And I think the biggest challenge that most filmmakers face is getting all of the information about the process that they do do automatically out of there had into a system. You, no, I remember thinking about why used to be in a television camera work to think about how I would lighten interview. And I, I I’d like you to interview the same process every single time. And it goes something like this. I would walk into a room I’d I’d first of all, as a producer, you know, is it a particular say that the person needs to set on if it is a multi year multi dock camera and to be a documentary series and to be there at the camera, looking at left or right.

Den Lennie (6m 13s):
So we get that part, figured it out. And then I would then basically look around the room and just spend some time looking at the available light. Was there any ambient light in the room that I couldn’t control? And then I think about the frame. And so at first of all, just look through, I just let you squeeze my fingers together and look through that kind of frame that way it’s very hard to do on, on audio, but you think you’re an industry and then just Carla it up and you looked through the little hall. It kinda, it gives you a, a pretty good aperture fir for looking for the three shots. And they want to do is I get the camera and I start looking around at finding a frame. So the very first part of my system for sliding an interview is to find a frame at find a frame that set the camera, that frame, and then put the seat’s in place.

Den Lennie (6m 56s):
So I would have the looking room and that’s that, that was that one of the system. The second part, the system would be, I’d always do the backlight first and always generally back late. I’d always generally key late from the same side as the, the way they present. I was interviewing with sitting. So if, if it was on the left, that key from the left, which meant the backlight or the rear hair light was always on the right. So it was always 180 degrees from the key light. So I’d always start with the backlight, because what I would do is if it was using any of the ambient light in the room, I would just bring the level of the backlash just to just a kiss the back of your hair. I never liked to see it looking harsh. I wanted to always make it look natural.

Den Lennie (7m 38s):
And from then I would light the background, I think about, you know, how is it going to separate the background, but what can a late or not late in the background to create some depth? And then finally I would bring in the key light as my final dip, and then the person that tweaked it a little bit, maybe it maybe me with a lot and a bit closer to her, a bit further away. And then you use demos because then it goes back in the days, excuse me, a halogen would like always changes the color temperature. If you didn’t do it, it would change of color temperature. So that was my process for lighting had a similar process for editing. So, you know, we were using processes every day in the work we’re doing anyway.

Den Lennie (8m 20s):
It’s just that we may not necessarily have written that dome and that can be quite a challenging thing to do. And I’m working with a business in, in Dallas at the moment and whereabouts sort of five or six weeks into the systemization process. And what we’re doing is really helping M Brian to do, to extract all of the information from his head. And it’s been a really fascinating process because I can see that the he’s got a lot of these plates because of he’s got some like 60 to 70 projects on the glut one time. And so we are helping him too extract his process as we go through the process. So I’m like, oh, this one turn and a 60 to 90 minute calls. We do. We were able to pull out all the different steps and then write it down and make it look like a roadmap.

Den Lennie (9m 3s):
And then that way, if anyone new coming and can see it as this really interesting process, so that, so that’s how we do it. We, we extract. So, you know, it systems don’t need to be scary. And, and it’s easy to imagine that creating systems is going to be this laborious process that takes time away from your passion of shooting or producing. But in reality, it doesn’t have to be. So what we’re doing with them with a clear system is where we were mapping the customer journey and every process in between. So it will actually allow you to be more creative. It, it, it will allow you to too, you know, we have a clear guidelines for what each single stage of the process looks like.

Den Lennie (9m 57s):
And now the, a Google call, this, that, or KR or objectives and key results. And that’s part of this systemization process, which is like, you know, map everything out and do, what’s got to be what, and then, then you can, then you can set clear objectives and map, what are the key or outcomes are based on the data. You have good systems and processes. So it is systems and processes that don’t exist. Then you find yourself getting stuck in. And what were looking to do too, to scale the business is to look at how your system operates and optimize it. So if you get your system’s built, then you could implement or KR you, or your objectives, like the objections for the quarter might be, we want to grow the business, buy 20%, which means we’re going to get you five more clients in it.

Den Lennie (10m 42s):
And how are we going to find more clients? Well, if, if, if the system for how you get clients in isn’t written done, then it’s a bit like, well, let’s just call people to someone says, yes, but if the system is written dome and you know, you have a lead generation system and you have a pipeline, then you have a, a lead floor or people who are a few months ago made and inquiry, but you’ve not can followed up with him. Then he can be on your list to follow up with it. So that can be your key result as to two to grow your business, buy that 20% increase in that quarter. So that that’s the first part of, of systemization, but lets break it down a bit more, you know, it, simple, the systems are simply what needs to be done, how it needs to be done and who’s responsible for it.

Den Lennie (11m 26s):
And it sounds pretty simple, right? And, and a good thing is his, you know, you don’t have to be responsible if you don’t have a systems and the VBA, we actually have done a lot of the word for you. We’ve actually created a very comprehensive video business system from start to finish. You can literally am implement and modify. So we’ve done a lot of heavy lifting already or is this, how do you have to do is implement it? It it’s a bit like a painting by numbers for a video of, and so I I’ve got this philosophy though that I’m obsessed with it. And so much saw that. And until recently I’d just changed. Monitor’s I had to label on my computer at that said do it once recorded in create a system and why do they do that?

Den Lennie (12m 11s):
Because because systems are likely to scale, you know, there is a number of things that you do day in, day out, multiple times a day that are repetitive. And as soon as you start to think about that, an ad up how long it takes over a week or a month, it’s it’s a lot of times that could be done, but it could be a task that could be done by someone else. So the systems allow you to take processes to do repeatedly and allows others to follow them without needing to ask you questions. And you can always take a step back and watch your business grow without your influence, every single stage, a very, a very minor details. And that’s really where a lot of issues arise in a video.

Den Lennie (12m 57s):
A business is that w w w I here this time and time again is that, oh, I tried to hire someone, but then I explained what I needed to be done and he didn’t do it properly. So I ended up having to redo it. And, and actually what’s generally happening in that stage is that there are not that the instructions aren’t clear enough, the objectives aren’t outlined enough. And there wasn’t enough clarity around the expectations of what done looks like. And so if you, if you don’t clearly articulate what has to be done correctly and the first place, then you’re going to find yourself coming up against problems, which is why systems are your biggest tool.

Den Lennie (13m 37s):
And you’re armory, probably the single most powerful tool in scaling the revenues of your business. And, and my video, it was just like accelerated clients. The ones that I’ve implemented systems are at that stage, or have seen enormous growth in normal growth. I mean, you can think of Caleb who was probably up for a hundred percent on a year in terms of revenue. And it puts that primarily Dan, the system’s Andrew who is on the podcast just recently and Andrew Fowler of Lux Films, talk about how, how much of our business has grown. And it probably doubled in the last year and they were there for doing wow. I mean, they’re, we’re doing multiple, six-figures already there with that. They’ve done very well. And, and they’ve doubled in a larger part of that as Darren to Andrew, of course, the systems that they followed the system and they’ve implemented a Andrew’s are no longer editing.

Den Lennie (14m 26s):
He is, he’s just kinda coordinating in producing in fact, is on, hold on this, we can endeavor then. So if he’s listening to this, I have a lovely time, Andrew. And so yes, so system is a really important, and in fact, even our incredible guests, we are on the last week, Jaimee, Maree of Savvy Copy, you know, they use the system for copyrighting that that business is a systemized, a, it allows for a Jimmy to have a team and, and to be able to take on more clients and help more people simultaneously. So we gotta think of systems as there’s always a learning curve in anything. Okay. And is always going to be a period where you feel like it’s a bit painful, but an actual fact that the, the work that, that, that it takes to systematize your business, I’ve seen people’s systemize and this little as three months.

Den Lennie (15m 8s):
So, I mean, when we walk with people as a system ologists, which is the case that accreditation from Dave jetting. So systemology book that I’m, that we have what we are able to go to his exact process as a kind of a verified process to systemize businesses. Then it takes between 12 and 16 weeks, but I’ve seen people do it inside the VBE and that kind of the time, because we’ve got a team and there just really focused on it. And if you have a team, you can always have someone become a system of champion and, and are in our VBA. The guys that had Brian and Kayla and Bailey Bailey is a very involved in the systematization part, the process with, with, with, with Caleb.

Den Lennie (15m 48s):
So Kayla is not doing everything as the business owner. It’s got a great team and who are enthusiastic about this systems as well, and an abandoned chuffed productions in the UK or somebody else is really embracing systems. And how has expanded as a team just to take on this first a full-time employee and that they are getting very involved in the systems. And so what does, is it less, it helps to set you free and, and my team, or, you know, they’ve always been very, very integral in the systemization of the business. And in fact, John, we used to work for me. He went to live in Newark, which is an island or one in the Pacific and a at the times was it didn’t work out. We have to kind of as a leave, leave the company. But when, when milk or came on board or John’s systems, she just followed, we did that through a system hub.

Den Lennie (16m 30s):
And so we were able to, to, to expand the team and we’re looking to expand the team further. And I mean, I’ve, I’ve got various contracted Tim, but we’re looking to expand the full-time team as well. And so the systems that we have built already enabled us to, to have a very clear indication as to what the job description’s are very clear to expectations of what the, the expectations or for the role. And it’s like an instruction manual. So, you know, I don’t want to be having to train people and having to answer questions really five minutes. And, and I’m sure that you don’t either. So it is, it’s absolutely critical to do, to systematize your business at the stage as is that when you’re ready. And then if it, if you’re in a few of you are not at that stage as yet, if you’re the kind of early on in the journey, you can still implement personal systems.

Den Lennie (17m 16s):
So I have a very simple personal system, which is, you know, I go to the gym Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and nine to 11. And so I’m only will be probably working from Monday onwards. Sometimes I’ll drop in to the office a bit earlier, we’ve got a call, but a Monday is it always make content there. So its always content there and community day. So I will record some podcasts on a Monday and I prepare whatever coaching we were looking to achieve in the VBA on the Tuesday on a Monday night. And this is in the U S and so that is always my community and content there and far as a prep D and a content area. And then Tuesdays a here and Australia is always my coaching day.

Den Lennie (17m 56s):
That’s when we hold a coaching call is eight in the morning and 7:00 PM at night at which is Australian Brisbane time in the U S it varies from three to five to 60 in the evening or on a Monday and then the UK aides. So it’s usually about nine then and a clock in the morning, the, the boats and we got a client. And so the Africa as well. So that’s a little bit, couple of hours later, like 11th in the morning on Tuesday. And so they choose these other days that I have a coaching calls. I recorded my shorty episode, which is always done life after the call. Wednesday’s are usually as a sales DS. So those are the days when I have a sales and coaching. So I, I, my, my majority of my time is spent focusing on my paying members and my clients, the ones that haven’t invested it with me are the ones that know and trust me that the ones that get the most of my attention and so that I always have slots available for them, if they need to have a chat.

Den Lennie (18m 50s):
And the Wednesdays and Thursday is usually a sales calls, or if they’re in, or, or, or coaching calls. And in Friday is usually a can of pick-up D a, a pickup there where we sort of M you know, I have a, I’m involved with a cup of other things that a man that I’m judging a film competition for, for Sony and Asia and Singapore, and then I’ve, I’m working in some other, the other projects, as you see, we worked with a couple of clients one-on-one to offer them systemization. And, and I also do a lot of reading. I do a lot of eating, a lot of training. I am always looking for an adjunct, or are we looking to study where, or other businesses being successful in other industries and the, how can I extract that information and put it into the lens of videography business?

Den Lennie (19m 33s):
How, how can I, how can I implement that? And I, I’ve been having quite a few chats in the last few weeks with the Dave Jennings, the system hub, we’d be having weekly meetings just to sort of discuss all things systems and, and, and, and, and to share, you know, about that, that masterminding. So I spent quite a bit of time and just, just studying and reading and, and also thinking about how I can make my membership better, how I can help clients achieve more. And that’s really our core focus. So M the, the personnel systems help me to achieve that or on a daily basis. So I, I know what I’m going to achieve, and I don’t have to do any thinking on it. And I think it was Steve jobs who did this first, and I know that Zuckerberg does this as well, which is let you know, judge a book about where it’s the same t-shirt everyday.

Den Lennie (20m 23s):
And the reason for that, that’s a, it’s a personal a system. And his, his, his motivation is I don’t want you to spend any time thinking about what I’m going to wear. I’d rather spend time thinking about how it can make my business better, how to make my community better, or make, make the experience better for the users or learning. And, and I tend to be the same way. I, my wife always M you know, mocks meet. She’s like, oh, how can you just wear or something else? But like when a black t-shirt from Harley, and it’s just, it’s, it’s a tiny thing. But if you don’t have to think about what your going to wear is just like that, put the clothes on and get to it. So it systems exist everywhere. And so how to think about that kind of system is that you already run in your business. How, how do you, how you set a timeline on an edit, you know, that it’s a system and consider that.

Den Lennie (21m 9s):
And, and I think you’ll find it to be very, very interesting. And I’m, yeah. If, if you want to know more about systems are, make sure we link to the other system is training, is that we have below the surface on the website, over it, Den Lennie dot com until then, if we need some help in your business, here is a listen to this. I’ll ask yourself, this has all owning your own video of business. Everything that you dreamed it would be when you first got started. It might be hard to admit, but think about whether you’re genuinely achieving everything that you set out. Two, when you made that decision to grab the camera and go it alone, are you really are working less, or are you really earning more?

Den Lennie (21m 49s):
And are you really in control? Chances are you’re bloody good at what you do, but you are having to work with a dog 70 plus hours a week, whether it’s filming, editing, marketing, or any of the other jobs that come with being the big boss of your own video company. When you’re managing projects constantly searching out for new clients and wanting about cashflow, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture or make real progress. Let’s face it. That’s stress is the lasting you need. When your trying to run a profitable company that supports you and the people you care about truth as a business that provides financial professional, impersonal freedom really is achievable. Maybe you’ve got that nagging feeling that you’re overworked, lacking stability, and struggling to get to where you really want to be right now.

Den Lennie (22m 32s):
It could be, you just don’t know how to make a positive change on your own. So I created a video business accelerator coaching programs to really supercharge your video business with these unique coaching programs. You’ll learn all the tools you need to get complete confidence in the success of your video business. You can take the first step on your journey to a successful business that doesn’t control your life. Let me show you how head over to denlennie.com and click on Accelerator.