If “keep doing something until it no longer works” is your motto – does that mean you should wait to make changes to your business until NOTHING’S working?
At what point do you decide to change things up? Do you have to change everything?
I sat down with my friend Katy Henthorne – who is co-owner of The Crew Company – a unique boutique crewing company who sends full camera crews out for shows like American Idol, Dr. Phil, The Voice, Dancing With The Stars….and numerous other shows, corporations, and companies seeking help with their video/film production.
They’ve essentially run the business the same way since opening their doors…with very little online marketing.
But a little over 2 years ago – they noticed a new trend in their industry – one that allowed people to find and hire crews online.
Katy had her eye on this change and made the decision back then that they needed to offer a similar online listing service while still maintaining their boutique personalized crewing company.
She knew that their “matchmaking” abilities set them apart…so having both types of
And so – October marked a new chapter for their business when they launched The Crew List.
I wanted to find out how the launch was going – but also grill her on what led to the launch and get behind the scenes.
I knew she had juice to share…plus she’s my friend all the way back from college, so I knew it would be fun.
Here are some of the topics we covered during our call:
- Why The Crew Company started…and this one is the origin of many businesses, so listen up
- How she hustled her mommy buns off to get her husband to quit his job
- One differentiation that has kept their business going strong for almost 20 years
- How a visible industry change gave them the push and direction they needed to expand the business
- Why they’ve kept their team in the family – and new hires never worked out
But – of course – the last 15 minutes of our chat is the most revealing …
….when I asked Katy to share some of the inside questions entrepreneurs need to ask before they leap into adding high quality video to their business (around 28:36)…
and
…..how even after nearly 20 years of adding value and expertise to their clients, hitting the publish key on their new offering brought up some interesting “feelings”.
Now It's Your Turn
Where’s your business going and growing? Have you noticed a new trend in your industry or among your customers and clients? How can you address those changes and create something to keep up with their needs and wants?
If you’re not thinking about these questions, start today.
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Show Resources
The Crew Company – main site – go say hi to Dave and Katy….especially if you’ve got a video project or need to hire a crew!
Books Katy recommends – These are the books that really inspire her to keep the business growing and evolving:
The Girls' Guide to Building a million-dollar business by Susan Wilson Solovic. So much I already do with our business, but it makes me feel validated, which is important when you are “on your own”.
You Gotta Play Hurt, by Dan Jenkins
1,000 Places To See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz – Why? Because none of this is worth it without having it put into perspective…
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What an honest interview. Thanks! It’s nice to hear that people in business for so long are re-overcoming some of the fears that us newbies have. Great tips on video too!
Jennifer, thanks for commenting.. that’s the part of what Katy shared that I loved the most… the moment of going live and thinking – okay – let’s do this… and wondering “will it work?”… it’s something we all go through again and again as business owners.
-Anne