To mark our 5th year together in the video production industry, the Five on a Bike team have put together some burning questions for our managing director, York Woodford-Smith!

We want to know everything about what it’s been like to start a video production business from scratch; to take it from a solo-run business to a company that can employ 7 full-time staff members.

We also couldn’t take this entirely seriously, so of course we threw in a few curve-ball questions…

York: This is something that I think about all the time. I’d like to see the company having double the staff it has now. So we employ 7 people right now, I’d like to see us having 14 or 15 members of staff. I’d like to think we’ll still be in these offices because we have quite a lot of room here for a bigger team. I’d also like to see us working with big corporations and helping big amazing brands absolutely smash it with video! 

York: Well, I studied Catering at college. I always had a dream of owning my own pub, which I’m not sure I really want to do, but in my head I thought I did. But, if I wasn’t doing this right now maybe I’d be some sort of tech wizard on a boat in the middle of the ocean, doing forex trading or something and sunning myself. But really, I think I’d probably be Head of Video Production or something in a large business with its own in-house team. 

York: I think, as a business owner you have to learn to let go… and I mean really let go. You need to trust the people that you employ, to do the job that you employ them for. You need to trust your team wholeheartedly, because you can’t afford to be worrying about them.

Secondly, I think, time. You need to understand how to best spend your time. Don’t waste your time doing something that you can get someone else to do.

And finally, stress. When you own a business, you learn a lot about stress and how to cope with it. You really need to know how to live with stress and be 100% fine. I’m talking, you’re one week away from the business going under and you’re able to not let it get to you.

So yeah, that’s my three: Trust, Time, and Stress.  

York: I’d definitely snog Jack. I think Harper would be a really good husband… but then again, Walton would make a good husband too. It’s hard because I’m choosing between avoiding Walton or Harper aren’t I? I’m going to marry Harper and avoid Walton. Sorry Walton!

York: I don’t think it was really a struggle to start, because it was more of a natural extension of what I was doing before. I’ve always been a freelancer. With a video production business, it’s more of a constant struggle. You’re the one that the responsibility stops with. If you can’t pay the bills and pay your staff then it is literally all your fault. The main struggle is not letting the daily grind of running a business get you down. You need to learn to be psychologically strong enough to never walk away from your responsibilities. 

York: I think I’d start the day with a lie-in, maybe waking up at 10am. Then I’d like to go to a spa, with a pool and a sauna and a steam room. I’ll go and play cricket, because I always play cricket on a Sunday and it’s one of my favourite things to do. Then after cricket, I’ll go to the cinema, remembering to take my glasses and getting a big box of popcorn and probably stay up really really late. 

York: How was that?

Steph: Well… you do have a wife and kids.

York: Oh shit.