Sam Lawrie, Founder and Managing Director at Hythe Road Studio

Tell us about your background and what led you to become a business owner?

I had been working as a staff videographer/video lead for over a decade and made the move to become self-employed in 2023. However, I got a serious illness (Guillain-Barré syndrome) in May 2024, which kept me off work for several months and made me realise how vulnerable I was just working as a self-employed videographer.

While recovering and unable to walk, I enrolled on a business course through my local council and spoke to a business coach who encouraged me to instead set up a video production agency when I was fit again. I began the process while I was still in recovery and repositioned as a video agency in Jan 2025. 

What do you love most about running your own business? And what’s been the most challenging part?

It feels completely different to being an employee. I love the freedom to choose my hours and the amount of work I take on.

The challenging part is often feeling lost, like I need someone to point me in the right direction about what to do next. The process of doing the job is easy - it is what I've been doing for years anyway - it is networking, finding new business opportunities and staying aware of trends that I've needed to learn to focus on more.

What impact did the bootcamp have on your business or mindset?

The bootcamp was exactly what I needed as the next step to help me scale to what feels like a "proper business" - realising that the biggest limiter to everything is me. As soon as I stop feeling I need to "do" every job, the business can grow much quicker.

Sam Lawrie at a video shoot

Were there any "aha!" moments during the bootcamp that really stuck with you?

I remember being told that a CEO should spend at least 20% of their time focusing on new business, which made me realise I was spending 100% of my time just fulfilling current jobs, and so scaling would be impossible unless I took myself out of the day-to-day doing of the work.

Have you made any changes in your business (or mindset) since completing the bootcamp?

The one-to-one and peer group sessions were brilliant. We set 1, 3 & 5 year revenue targets which initially felt out of reach, but now seem very much achievable. At the same time, they helped remind you why you were doing this - it was to have a better work/life balance and to have fun along the way, so they provided plenty of tips on how to do that and not just feel you are constantly working, now you are a business owner.

"As soon as I stop feeling I need to ‘do’ every job, the business can grow much quicker." 

What would you say to someone who’s thinking about going freelance or starting a small business but feels unsure?

Get prepared with a bit of a buffer fund, but definitely take the plunge! A lot of people will say to you, what if you get ill, what if you can't work, there's no security being self-employed... That's exactly what happened to me. I went self-employed, then got ill and couldn't work, but I'd still say it's the best decision I've made.

What are you most excited about in your future?

Scaling further, taking on staff and working on some exciting new projects with fresh new clients.

Find out more about Sam's work here.

You can also follow him on LinkedIn

Find more information about the 'Business and AI skills for creatives' bootcamp here.