5 Things That Served Us and 5 Things That Didn’t Over the Past 5 Years!

We’re turning 5 today!

A lot of memories, mistakes, deadlines, and funniest office jokes have been made over the past 5 years…

A milestone like this calls for reflection, so to celebrate, we’re taking stock of 5 things we’ve done right (that have paid off)… and 5 things that didn’t quite serve us. Maybe other creative agencies or production companies can benefit from our list…

👍 Things we’ve done right (that have paid off) 👍

1. Work with People we Like and Trust… and a People-First mindset; caring for the industry means caring for the people in it; That looks like: paying fair rates and encouraging a balanced work-life relationship. It comes back as: attracting crew & cast that want to add value

2. PR like in the old days! Public perception matters. The way other sectors view our industry shapes its future; From how we communicate to how we present ourselves on set, it’s about taking care of locations and suppliers’ goods as if they were our own, and making small gestures of appreciation – a bunch of flowers goes a long way!
It comes back as; recurring collaborative opportunities…not just for ourselves, but for other businesses in our industry. It’s how we’re valued beyond our own circles.

3. No sticking our heads in the sand…Communicate…even the hard things. Crew, suppliers, clients always know where they stand with us. There’s a psychology behind waiting longer or being quoted more; if people know why, they’re more willing and able to understand and accept it.

4. Deliver premium on shoestring budgets…we take pride in our ability to pull it off despite (often extreme) limitations, but this can be a double-edged sword…see “What didn’t serve us” #3.

5. Having two office dogs; great for morale and forcing lunchtime walks.

👎 What didn’t serve us: 👎

1. Not networking enough…working on our own stuff can keep us in a bubble. Being more open, social, and attending events is on our to-do list for our new life year. So hit us up for your screenings/ mixers/ events!

2. Saying yes to stay in the flow of things. Defaulting to ‘yes’ isn’t strategy… it’s scarcity mindset. It’s hard to disappoint, but saying ‘yes’ without carefully considering the energy and resources we’re committing to has been the banana peel we’ve slipped on more times than we care to admit.

3. Overdelivering: here’s the double edged sword mentioned in #4 above…taking pride in our work is part of who we are, but delivering a Ferrari on a Volla’s budget has broken our backs (and the bank) before. Learning to match scope to budget will protect our team and keep projects sustainable.

4. Riding 3-6 month project waves without a bigger picture plan…it can feel like being in the trenches 100% of the time. This year, we’re making space to strategise and stay ahead.

5. Having two office dogs…online meetings lose focus when Sakkie jumps into frame.

Thank you for being part of our journey! Here’s to the adventures our 6th year will bring…

Love,

The Bobbies