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From Vet to AV Industry Leader: The Scene Change Success Story with Ian Whitworth

In this episode, Michael interviews Ian Whitworth, co-founder of Scene Change, Australia’s most-awarded AV company. He’s based in the Greater Sydney Area. Ian had the most obscure career path; he started as a vet, then a cab driver, and is now a leading figure in the audiovisual industry. After 17 years, Scene Change is still going strong. As a live event business they were shut down for nearly two years, but they survived by creating TV-style impact for virtual events with a national network of high-end virtual event studios, saying goodbye to boring home-office Zoom calls. This allowed them to keep 95% of their people, unlike many in their industry, so the company was strongly placed to bounce back when live audiences returned.

Scene Change has debuted in several locations, including Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart, Hunter Valley, Melbourne, and Sydney. Since its establishment, its growth has always been steady. In the previous year, they generated $25,000,000 in revenue. Despite being a capital-intensive business, they are experiencing an impressive 25 to 27% compound annual growth rate each year, overcoming all odds, including the challenges given by COVID, and most importantly, they are sustaining their growth.

Ian Whitworth heavily emphasized consistency, especially in marketing a fast-growing business. “Great brands, profitable brands are built on just being consistent.” It takes a long time for people to hear and understand the many points of difference you want them to understand. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is your brand. Find your audience, find your niche, and niche down.

This Cast Covers:

Challenges brought by COVID to small-medium businesses.
Innovating the business model to the present-day situation.
Ian Whitworth's obscure path to the audiovisual industry.
Scene Change’s steady and sustained growth over the past nine years.
Starting businesses in areas in which you’re knowledgeable.
The significance of consistency in building your brand.
Learning as much as you can about your business’s many functions.
Sales are a crucial component in establishing brand loyalty.
Avoiding hiring a narcissist that can be detrimental to the team culture.
Perseverance is the key to success in the face of adversity.

Links:

Ian’s Linkedin
Ian’s Company Website
Ian’s Blog

Additional Resources:

Undisruptable by Ian Whitworth
Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life by Rory Sutherland

Quotes:

“We allow them a lot of freedom, control is overrated.” — Ian Whitworth

“If you’re special to a smaller group of people, then you’ll be more profitable.” — Ian Whitworth

“Great brands, profitable brands, are built on consistency.” — Ian Whitworth

“Learn to live cheaply yourself, and reinvest.” — Ian Whitworth

“It’s persistency that gets you through most of these things.” — Ian Whitworth