The Big Swing: Recent Episodes
Sam Barcroft
Do you love hearing the secret stories of brilliant entrepreneurs? In each episode of The Big Swing, Sam Barcroft interviews a pioneer from the world of content to find out the three biggest decisions they made on their way to success. And to top it off, they finally decide which was their one Big Swing - the move that changed everything. And at the end of each episode, Sam uses his thirty years of experience in the media to uncover the brilliant insights in the episode that we can use to help us progress.
Dawn Airey is a legendary leader in British Media.
She has been at the top of ITV, Sky, Channel 4 and most famously Channel Five where she was the debut Director of Programmes before becoming CEO and Chair of the Board.
And that’s before heading off to Yahoo!, before becoming CEO of Getty images and then moving upstairs into board roles at Thomas Cook, EasyJet and the FA, leading the development of women’s football.
In this special episode, Dawn shares some of the ups, downs and sheer craziness of her media career at the top of the tree, and explains why:
⁃ She learned early on to be happy feeling uncomfortable in new roles
⁃ Why the truism that “nobody knows anything” is part of the fun of working in media
⁃ How the tech culture of radical 360 assessments every quarter gave her new skills to help lead her teams
In the week that has seen International Women's Day, and the debacle of cancel culture finally taking hold at the BBC, it was my pleasure to deal with one of the smartest and most positive leaders in media.
Let's all celebrate Dawn.
Produced in association with the brilliant Spirit Studios
Executive Producer: Fred Casella
Sound Designer: Will Horrocks
Producer: Lauren Abery
Created by: Sam Barcroft
And to join the Creatorville community, where we support creative entrepreneurs to grow valuable businesses, subscribe at Creatorville.coThe Big Swing on TwitterThe Big Swing on LinkedIn
Justin Crosby founded Boom Dialogue 13 years ago. Boom is a go-to, international PR agency representing prestigious clients who produce and distribute award-winning TV and video content across all genres. Justin has successfully raised the profile of many companies, including my previous business Barcroft Studios.
But when Covid hit, years of his hard work were wiped away as the PR industry shut down overnight. Armed with a black book of TV's biggest names, he created called Tellycast, a weekly TV industry news show podcast. Tellycast has grown from a podcast into a franchise, including a newsletter, website and events business.
Justin’s inspiring story shows how with nothing more than a microphone and computer, he grew a podcast that helped keep the conversation going for producers when they needed it most, during lockdown.
Hosted by pioneering new media entrepreneur Sam Barcroft, in this episode, Sam explores:
- The role of PR in the content and media. How the two need each other.
- How conquering imposter syndrome and following a passion can build into much more.
- Being armed with one skillset and the right network, you can conquer different markets and succeed.
Justin Crosby
Boom Dialogue
Tellycast
Sam Barcroft
@sambarcroft
Creatorville.co
Produced in association with the brilliant Spirit Studios
Executive Producer: Fred Casella
Sound Designer: Will Horrocks
Created by: Sam Barcroft
And to join the Creatorville community, where we support creative entrepreneurs to grow valuable businesses, subscribe at Creatorville.coThe Big Swing on TwitterThe Big Swing on LinkedIn
**Dan Snow co-founded History Hit - the world’s premier digital platform for all things history - on the sly, as a few anonymous social media accounts whilst presenting prime-time history shows for the BBC.
As a top television presenter, Dan was living a charmed life. But he was passionate about joining the digital revolution - so he jumped in despite the potential danger of disrupting his career.**
Today, HistoryHit is a subscription video service, home to extraordinary documentaries; one of the most popular history podcasts on the planet, and of course there’s all the action on twitter, instagram and across the socials too.
What is amazing about Dan's story is that he didn’t have to do it. As he regularly acknowledges he was deeply privileged to be born into a family who loved history and understood content: both his parents were journalists. And yet he opted to take the hard road of entrepreneurialism rather than the easy path that many expected.
Hosted by pioneering new media entrepreneur Sam Barcroft, in this episode Sam explores:
- Just how small the first entrepreneurial move can be to set the ball rolling
- The role that pride and shame can play in the entrepreneurial journey
- How important it is that the initial dream behind your idea is true to your personal passion
Dan Snow
@thehsitoryguy
HistoryHit
Sam Barcroft
@sambarcroft
Creatorville.co
Produced in association with the brilliant Spirit Studios
Executive Producer: Fred Casella
Sound Designer: Will Horrocks
Created by: Sam Barcroft
And to join the Creatorville community, where we support creative entrepreneurs to grow valuable businesses, subscribe at Creatorville.coThe Big Swing on TwitterThe Big Swing on LinkedIn
Remy Blumenfeld is one of television’s original entrepreneurs.*He is a trailblazer who set up Brighter Pictures, one of Britain’s most successful independent production companies from his front room in 1991.
Remy built it into one of the UK’s leading production companies, identifying a niche that allowed the company to pioneer a television format revolution.
They created hit series such as FLAVA for Channel 4, Love Match for ITV, Take the Mic and Gay Straight or Taken - elevating minority culture into the mainstream.
A decade later, Remy sold Brighter Pictures to TV powerhouse Endemol, becoming creative director.
But at a time in his life that warranted a celebration, Remy faced the break up of his relationship, and a life-threatening health condition...*
After being a successful entrepreneur, Remy retrained to become a leading media coach, and now is helping other people - including our host - to find success.
Hosted by pioneering new media entrepreneur Sam Barcroft, in this episode Sam explores:
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The reasons we seek acceptance
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Why becoming known for being the best at a particular thing is vital to success
-
How cheating death can be a gift
SOCIAL LINKS
REMY BLUMENFELD https://www.vitality.guru/
Twitter: @RemyUK
Sam Barcroft
@sambarcroft
Creatorville.co
Produced in association with the brilliant Spirit Studios
Executive Producer: Fred Casella
Sound Designer: Will Horrocks
Created by: Sam Barcroft
And to join the Creatorville community, where we support creative entrepreneurs to grow valuable businesses, subscribe at Creatorville.coThe Big Swing on TwitterThe Big Swing on LinkedIn
Jonathan Skogmo is not easily put off. His first business was shut down for being deemed illegal by the grown-ups. He was 10 and had syndicated his newspaper delivery round.
**A few businesses later (including above ground pool installation and mobile DJing), he found himself unable to get hired as a valet in Hollywood, desperate to break into the entertainment industry.
Eventually, whilst working as a labourer, his employer took pity and granted him an entry into the world of clip shows. Once he survived the hazing, Jonathan quickly realised that the dinosaurs employing him had no idea how the internet, and Youtube, could disrupt the entire sector.**
And that is when Jonathan’s rollercoaster ride to success starts.
Jonathan went on to found and run Jukin Media, the viral video powerhouse that figured out how to pay people for their home videos, and then licence this user-generated-content for brands.
From Wired Magazine to the Wall Street Journal - Disney, CBS, Paramount, pretty much any media brand you care to mention have featured Jukin videos. Fail Army, People are Awesome and Pet Collective are all Jukin channels which together have garnered over 200 million fans and 110 billion lifetime views.
‘Pioneer’ almost doesn’t feel like a big enough word for what Jonathan has achieved in an industry which didn’t exist before he founded Jukin in 2009.
Hosted by new media entrepreneur Sam Barcroft, in this episode Sam explores:
- The importance of test business micro-proofs as soon as possibly after starting
- How to seize the opportunity of capturing multiple revenue streams
- When when to walk away from an offer to buy your company
Jonathan Skogmo
@JonSkogmo
Sam Barcroft
@sambarcroft
Creatorville.co
Produced in association with the brilliant Spirit Studios
Executive Producer: Fred Casella
Sound Designer: Will Horrocks
Created by: Sam Barcroft
And to join the Creatorville community, where we support creative entrepreneurs to grow valuable businesses, subscribe at Creatorville.coThe Big Swing on TwitterThe Big Swing on LinkedIn
Debs Paterson is a multi-award winning director of premier drama shows - especially fantasy and sci-fi - for the likes of Netflix, Showtime and now Disney+. Check out her work helming the resurrection of the Willow saga.
**But her journey to the top required unusual levels of resilience, persistence and positivity: she had to recover from a near-death experience and rebuild her career from scratch not once, but twice.
Even then, the success she wanted nearly eluded her.**
If you need to listen to an inspiring story of possibility in the face of adversity then this is the one for you.
Hosted by pioneering new media entrepreneur Sam Barcroft, in this episode Sam explores:
- How to face up to the reality that the trajectory of your career will definitely not pan out as you expect it to.
- The power of finding positivity, of finding hope in the most unlikely moments to carry you through the toughest challenges.
- And why being adaptable is vital on your journey to the stars
Debs Paterson
@DebsPaterson
Debs Paterson
Sam Barcroft
@sambarcroft
Creatorville.co
Produced in association with the brilliant Spirit Studios
Executive Producer: Fred Casella
Sound Designer: Will Horrocks
Created by: Sam Barcroft
And to join the Creatorville community, where we support creative entrepreneurs to grow valuable businesses, subscribe at Creatorville.coThe Big Swing on TwitterThe Big Swing on LinkedIn
Noah Media Group is multi-award winning production, distribution and technology company. They made their name producing lauded feature length sports documentaries that have won BAFTAs, Emmy’s and been selected for the most prestigious film festival in the world: Cannes.
Not only that, they are now developing new technology to harness the massive amounts of data that flows from screenings to help creators make better informed decisions about their projects. Also, stung by experience, they are determined to help other producers get a fair deal when it comes to supporting the production and distribution of their films.
CEO and co-founder of Noah Media, John McKenna, shares his career highs and lows that lead him to co-found and lead his premium documentary disrupter
Hosted by pioneering new media entrepreneur Sam Barcroft, in this episode Sam explores:
- Why John chose one of his biggest mistakes as one of his Big Swings.
- How to balance the ‘head’ and the ‘heart’ when making professional decisions.
- Just how scary it can feel to follow through on disrupting established practicies.
John McKenna
@pjmc10
Noah Media Group
Sam Barcroft
@sambarcroft
Creatorville.co
Produced in association with the brilliant Spirit Studios
Executive Producer: Fred Casella
Sound Designer: Will Horrocks
Created by: Sam Barcroft
And to join the Creatorville community, where we support creative entrepreneurs to grow valuable businesses, subscribe at Creatorville.coThe Big Swing on TwitterThe Big Swing on LinkedIn
In this special episode of The Big Swing, our host Sam Barcroft, is joined by one of his key business partners from Barcroft Studios, Chief Creative Officer Alex Morris to relieve the highs and lows of growing - and then selling - Barcroft Studios.
The company was founded in 2003 in Sam’s spare bedroom in Tottenham, London in 2003. With a background as a picture editor for UK tabloid press, Sam’s goal was to create a picture agency that would break global news stories. Little did anyone know that the company that Sam & Alex would sell for millions of pounds in 2019 would be a multi-award winning, multi-media digital production company and agency that had pioneered original online content for a global audience of millions, and perfected the art of leveraging that short-form expertise to create world renowned long form documentaries for the likes of Netflix and the BBC.
In this episode:
How hard is diversification - balancing cash flow and commercial risk … the importance of culture - intangible aspects of the business (like office space) … the pros and cons of raising money for your business
Alex Morris
Sam
@sambarcroft
Creatorville.co
Produced in association with the brilliant Spirit Studios
Executive Producer: Fred Casella
Sound Designer: Will Horrocks
Created by: Sam Barcroft
And to join the Creatorville community, where we support creative entrepreneurs to grow valuable businesses, subscribe at Creatorville.coThe Big Swing on TwitterThe Big Swing on LinkedIn
Paul Harris is a world-renowned photographer who was the go-to for Hollywood’s A-list celebrities (and beyond) in the 1980s and 1990s. He counts Hunter S Thompson, Richard Nixon, Muhammed Ali, Carrie Fisher and the Williams sisters among the long list of icons who have trusted him to photograph their portrait.
But Paul is also a pioneering businessman who helped transform how photo agencies work, setting the digital template for how all agencies operate today.
Paul’s extraordinary story is about how a passion and love for photojournalism and a keen interest in emerging technology combined into a true trailblazing business success.
**From humble beginnings as a local photographer in Devon, England, via war photography in Southern Africa, Paul ended up in Los Angeles during a golden era of analogue news photography.
But it was only when he started to discover the potential of digital photography that Paul's biggest opportunity presented itself...**
Hosted by pioneering new media entrepreneur Sam Barcroft, in this episode Sam explores:
- Taking big risks early in your career
- Being brave about doing things differently
- How you choose your business partners, and how you to leave when it’s not working out for you.
Paul Harris
Accidental Road to Hollywood (15min film)
Sam
@sambarcroft
Creatorville.co
Produced in association with the brilliant Spirit Studios
Executive Producer: Fred Casella
Sound Designer: Will Horrocks
Created by: Sam Barcroft
And to join the Creatorville community, where we support creative entrepreneurs to grow valuable businesses, subscribe at Creatorville.coThe Big Swing on TwitterThe Big Swing on LinkedIn
Online subscription platforms are one of the toughest things to build in media-land. Even storied, venerated media brands like The Times have struggled to get this business model to work.
But Tobi Oredein has successfully created and scaled BLACK BALLAD - the UK’s most popular multimedia platform for black British women - despite the odds being stacked against her.
Packed full of high quality, super-relevant articles, BLACK BALLAD resonates deeply with the thousands of people who pay to subscribe each month.
It's the go-to digital destination for this community - a place where they can be safely seen and heard in all their diversity, and Tobi has advertisers queuing at her door.
Tobi’s success is all the more remarkable for the fact that the entrepreneurial journey is so tough for those from working-class background, for people of colour, and even harder still for women of colour.
The story of Tobi’s success is not celebrated enough, and it speaks to the power of passion when it comes to creating high quality content for an under-served audience.
Hosted by pioneering new media entrepreneur Sam Barcroft, in this episode Sam and Tobi explore:
- What real engagement with a community means for entrepreneurs
- The challenges of breaking in to journalism
- The importance of living your values through your business and the benefits that brings
- How success can change you in unexpected ways
- The need to stay flexible in order to win big
To get in touch:
Tobi
Black Ballad
@IamTobiOredein
Sam
@sambarcroft
Creatorville.co
Produced in association with the brilliant Spirit Studios
Executive Producer: Fred Casella
Sound Designer: Will Horrocks
Created by: Sam Barcroft
And to join the Creatorville community, where we support creative entrepreneurs to grow valuable businesses, subscribe at Creatorville.coThe Big Swing on TwitterThe Big Swing on LinkedIn
To celebrate the end of the work year, Sam has shared his thoughts about how to end 2022 positively.
Thanks so much for listening to The Big Swing Podcast, where we hear the secret stories of remarkable content pioneers.
Produced in association with the brilliant Spirit Studios
Executive Producer: Fred Casella
Sound Designer: Will Horrocks
Created by: Sam Barcroft
And to join the Creatorville community, where we support creative entrepreneurs to grow valuable businesses, subscribe at Creatorville.coThe Big Swing on TwitterThe Big Swing on LinkedIn
Jim Eliot is one of the UK’s most successful and prolific pop producers
He has written hit songs for Kylie Minogue, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Halsey, Olly Murs and Leona Lewis to name just a few.
So how did Jim do from writing jingles in a broom-cupboard, to lounging by a pool in the French Riviera toasting his latest No. 1 hits?
From Creatorville, the home of content entrepreneurs, comes The Big Swing Podcast, revealing untold adventures of entrepreneurship behind some of the world’s most successful content creators.
Hosted by pioneering new media entrepreneur Sam Barcroft, in this episode Sam explores:
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The subtleties of looking out for your best interests; it doesn’t always mean chasing your dream.
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The difference between “backstage” success vs “onstage” success and how the former can more easily allow you to build the life of your dreams.
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The importance of maintaining a balance between your goal and ambitions on the one hand, and serendipitous opportunity on the other
Jim’s songs on Spotify
Kish Muave
Sam
@sambarcroft
Creatorville.co
Produced in association with the brilliant Spirit Studios
Executive Producer: Fred Casella
Sound Designer: Will Horrocks
Created by: Sam Barcroft
And to join the Creatorville community, where we support creative entrepreneurs to grow valuable businesses, subscribe at Creatorville.coThe Big Swing on TwitterThe Big Swing on LinkedIn
Jessica Hargrave is one of Hollywood’s most sought after documentary producers.
But Jess started her career working in the mail room of a Hollywood agency, making films with her best friend in her spare time.
And after years of hard work and some great independent movie releases, Jess hit the big time.
She burst onto the scene as the producer of the Netflix smash-hit THE KEEPERS, the investigation into the murder of nun in Baltimore that in turn uncovered appalling child abuse in the Catholic Church.
That breakout success has led to lots of amazing films and series, of which the latest is in partnership with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment and George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic: GOOD NIGHT OPPY.
It tells the story of how NASA’s 90 day Mars Rover mission turned into a 15 year epic expedition. ILM used hundreds of thousands of images of Mars to recreate a photorealistic Martian landscape, helping to make this film as remarkable as the mission itself.
From Creatroville, the home of content entrepreneurs, comes The Big Swing Podcast, revealing untold adventures of entrepreneurship behind some of the world’s most successful content creators.
Hosted by pioneering new media entrepreneur Sam Barcroft, in this episode Sam explores:
- What bravery feels like when it comes to following your dream.
- How the obstacles you might face may not be business-related.
- The clever approach of filming the start of her documentaries before pitching them to buyers
- Why sometimes timing is everything - and if it is in your favour, you have to do all you can to ride the wave of success.
Jess
Tripod Media
@jesshargrave
Sam
@sambarcroft
Creatorville.co
Produced in association with the brilliant Spirit Studios
Executive Producer: Fred Casella
Sound Designer: Will Horrocks
Created by: Sam Barcroft
And to join the Creatorville community, where we support creative entrepreneurs to grow valuable businesses, subscribe at Creatorville.coThe Big Swing on TwitterThe Big Swing on LinkedIn
**Pink News was founded by Benjamin Cohen when he was only 23. It was a side-hustle to his main job as an on-screen news correspondent on UK’s Channel 4 News.
Fast forward seventeen years, and Pink News is now the world’s most popular online platform for the LGTBQ+ community, reaching over 60 million unique users per month across their various channels.
From Creatorville, the home of content entrepreneurs, comes The Big Swing Podcast, revealing the behind the scenes stories of entrepreneurship revealed by the world’s most successful content creators.**
Hosted by pioneering new media entrepreneur Sam Barcroft, in this episode Sam and Benjamin explore:
- How any set back can become an opportunity with a bit of hustle and the right mindset/perspective
- What it feels like to bet your company’s future on one big new partnership
- How to bring your partner into your business and work successfully with them
- Dealing with multiple sclerosis as a founder and CEO
- The power of taking urgent action
For more information, check out www.pinknews.co.uk
@benjamincohen
@sambarcroft
Produced in association with the brilliant Spirit Studios
Executive Producer: Fred Casella
Sound Designer: Will Horrocks
Created by: Sam Barcroft
And to join the Creatorville community, where we support creative entrepreneurs to grow valuable businesses, subscribe at Creatorville.coThe Big Swing on TwitterThe Big Swing on LinkedIn
The Times of London calls Levison Wood “Britain’s best-loved adventurer”.
Levison is loved for his incredibly dangerous adventures (including being the first person to walk the length of the Nile) and the captivating way he chronicles his journeys through his photographs, books and documentaries.
But there’s another story that is rarely told.
It's the tale of how a young boy fell in love with the idea of becoming an explorer, and stopped at nothing to achieve his dream.
And how he turned to entrepreneurialism, building an amazing media business to fund his expeditions and grow his personal brand.
Hosted by pioneering new media entrepreneur Sam Barcroft, in this episode Sam and Levison explore:
- How Levison’s childhood inspiration was actually a valuable lesson in entrepreneurship
- The amazing risks Lev took to get his breakthrough show
- What true resilience looks and feels like
- How success can come at the cost of personal relationships
- Why following your true path leads to success
Levison reveals his three BIG SWINGS - the huge decisions which helped him achieve his dreams.
And then Levison reveals which of these was the one BIG SWING that changed everything.
At the end of the episode, Sam breaks down the conversation and analyses Levison's story to pick out the themes and learnings that we can all use to help us progress.
Find out more by following these links:
www.levisonwood.com
@levisonwood
@sambarcroft
And to join the Creatorville community, where we support creative entrepreneurs to grow valuable businesses, subscribe at Creatorville.coThe Big Swing on TwitterThe Big Swing on LinkedIn