After the “blip” that was the Covid-19 pandemic, Cindy Laufs set a revenue growth target of 20%. It was a considerable challenge, considering Hustle Media’s growth “toggled around 10% year on year”.
Laufs admits it was “nuts” but her team was “desperate to forget the phrase ‘a new normal’ and just get back to normal.”
“We returned to our business at breakneck speed, driven by the need to erase the two years that almost wiped us out. A lot of us stepped into a manic role of overachieving because of a sense of survivor’s guilt that our business came through the other side standing,” Laufs explains.
But that “breakneck speed” resulted in burnout for Laufs, and she had to step back for a while to regain her equilibrium.
It’s tough being an entrepreneur, but Laufs is back with her business story.
Why did you decide to branch out with your own business/venture, rather than work for other companies or corporates?
During my career, I primarily worked for companies and corporates, and I was just never getting where I wanted to be. I realised that this limited me from achieving the life I envisioned for myself. I craved a challenge and knew that I would need more than a 9 to 5 corporate job to attain my goals. I wanted to push myself beyond my limits, reach new heights personally, and create a legacy business. I find immense satisfaction in accomplishing the goals I set for myself and my business. It’s a feeling like no other, and it motivates me to keep striving for success.
Give us a brief history of your media venture? What gave you the idea? How did it begin, and how has your business journey unfolded?
Before my mid-30s, I dedicated my entire career to the media industry, working in various capacities such as magazine publishing, production and business development. In 2015, I worked for a company that launched a creative campaign that I believed targeted the right audience but failed to hit the mark due to a mismatched channel. As I was not part of the marketing team then, I had limited input, and the campaign did not perform as well as expected, resulting in a significant budget loss. It was then that I realised, “I could do better.”
I enrolled in a part-time digital marketing course at Red & Yellow to fine-tune my knowledge and lay the groundwork. That same year, we landed our first client and partnered with someone with significant access to the retail industry, securing our first two malls. Although the partnership has since dissolved, our clients remain.
Since then, we have launched two divisions within Hustle Media: the Design Division and Hustle Media Influence. We are also about to launch a secondary company that will focus on offering 360 marketing services for property developers. Our running joke in the office is that our business development strategy is “throw it at the wall and see if it sticks”.
At Hustle Media, we strive to deliver high-quality work that rivals that of big agencies but at affordable rates. Our tagline is ‘Built on passion. Fuelled by excellence’. We live and breathe this, embodies our dedication and commitment to excellence in everything we do.
What challenges did you face as a media entrepreneur and how did you overcome them?
My challenge is personal and speaks to my leadership. Shannen Watson started with Hustle Media in 2017 and is the Robin to my Batman. Shannen began as a social media manager and now holds the position of client service manager, running our studio. She is incredible and has built Hustle Media with me every step of the way. She is incredibly resilient and efficient. I handed over the management of staff members to her, which put a lot of additional pressure on her, and that’s where I failed her. We changed direction this year, and now we manage team members together, with me as the lead. Our working relationship reminds me of the viral audio clip “He’s my best friend, he’s my pal, he’s my homeboy, my rotten soldier, my sweet cheese, my good time boy.” It’s symbiotic, and it works well for us.
How is the current load shedding nightmare affecting your business and what strategies have you employed to tackle the challenges?
When the first bout of heavy load shedding hit, it was incredibly stressful, and we had to adapt quickly. My husband’s business was a casualty of load shedding, and I was determined that it would not happen to Hustle Media.
As Hustle Media is primarily an online business, we needed to remain connected during load shedding, so we put measures in place. We sent a courtesy message to all our clients, stating that we understood their frustration and remained committed to service excellence which was very well received.
Load shedding has inadvertently had an impact on our business. We work with a lot of content, which is often delayed because of load shedding and has slowed down some processes. I have deep empathy for businesses that struggle more than us or have completely shut down. I am grateful that we are still operational. However, there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel for small business owners and the economy as a whole.
Has there been a moment of success that has really stood out for you and that is your favourite on your journey? To what do you attribute your success?
Working in a business that I built is an everyday achievement I’m proud of. It’s a constant source of success that motivates me to push harder. Looking back, two pivotal moments stand out – the launch of our Hustle Media Design Division and Hustle Media Influence. These sub-divisions have grown exponentially in the past three years, allowing us to diversify our business and revenue streams.
The challenges of entrepreneurship can be daunting, but our unwavering determination to succeed has brought us this far. Our success is not by chance, but rather a result of our relentless grit. And, of course, our wicked sense of humour helps us power through even the toughest days
What characteristics do you think make a successful media entrepreneur?
You have to have tenacity and grit. For me personally the only way to maintain being an entrepreneur that gives my all every day is healthy habits and discipline. I am dogmatic about my daily habits and the disciplines I follow every day. You also have to blindly belief that you are capable even on the days that you don’t feel it.
Your advice to young media entrepreneurs or those looking to start new media businesses?
Progress over perfection. You just have to start. If you wait for all the circumstances or elements to align, it will either hold you back or significantly delay you. At Hustle Media, we had a “Year of Yes”. We said yes to every opportunity that came our way, figured it out, did it well, and learned on the go. It was one of the best decisions I ever made in our business journey. Another key piece of advice is to stay connected with your peers in the industry. You absolutely need that sounding board.
What, in your view, needs to happen to encourage more media entrepreneurs, and not just that, help them stay the course?
I stand by the motto “collaboration over competition”. Media entrepreneurs can benefit greatly from working together, sharing knowledge, and pooling resources to achieve common goals. By fostering a culture of collaboration, media entrepreneurs can learn from each other’s experiences, share best practices, and support each other through the ups and downs of running a business. Collaboration can also lead to new ideas and innovative solutions that may not have been possible working alone.
Ultimately, by shifting the focus from competition to collaboration, we can create a more supportive and sustainable environment for media entrepreneurship, which will help more entrepreneurs stay the course and succeed in the long term.
How do you ‘pay it forward’?
You must have a very thick skin to stay the course long-term in the media industry. You have to be a tough cookie. I prefer to pay it forward in my personal capacity. It reminds me to tap into my kindness and humanity outside of being an entrepreneur, especially during these challenging times. The world can be daunting, but giving a stranger a compliment, letting somebody in front of you in line, or buying a meal for a random person might not change the world, but it can change someone’s day for the better. I strive to be consistent in doing these small things.
What quote or passage do you think encapsulates you and your approach to business and success?
One quote that encapsulates my approach to business and success is the African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This quote emphasises the importance of collaboration over competition and the need for strategic partnerships to achieve long-term success in business.
Building strong relationships with partners, customers, and employees is crucial for any successful business. Collaboration and teamwork enable the sharing of knowledge, expertise, and resources, leading to greater innovation and growth.
My approach to business is collaborative, valuing partnerships and teamwork over individual achievement. I recognise that it takes a village to achieve long-term success, and I strive to build strong relationships with others to create a more innovative and thriving business community.
https://web.facebook.com/HustleMediaSA?_rdc=1&_rdr
https://www.instagram.com/hustlemediasa/
