Founder in focus

The following interview is an extract from our fourth annual Top 200 Women-Powered Businesses Report, produced in collaboration with Beauhurst.

Click here to read the full account. 

What was the journey that led to you founding LS Productions?

The story really started back in 1995 - I was working as an air stewardess at the time and met my husband, John, in Tenerife. He was a freelance fashion photographer. We moved back to Scotland together and had three young children. At the time, he was travelling around the world, visiting lots of different production locations. Each time he came back, he would tell me about the production locations, the good and the bad. We realised together that many of these locations could be emulated in Scotland, meaning John could be around a bit more.

John said to me, “You are good at organising things and getting stuff done; why don’t we try and bring clients to Scotland?” The business then started as a hobby. We would drive around Scotland on the weekend with our young children, building a database of potential production locations. Within 18 months, the business was up and running. We were a tiny company turning over £100,000 (if we were lucky). I learned by simply doing everything: invoicing, budgeting, paying bills, setting up an office, learning how to employ someone, and writing contracts. In the early days, I was the only full-time employee working while raising three children.

What core principles have made LS Productions successful as the business it is today?

From the beginning, I always emphasised the importance of values and would rather not be involved in a business than get this wrong. When it comes to instilling these values in our business, three main principles guide us:

1. Articulating the values clearly so everyone knows them and truly takes them on board.
2. Be nice—as a business, we all work incredibly hard, but this only works because we treat each other well and create an environment that encourages people to be the best they can be. If you make people feel valued, they will be far more motivated.
3. Be fair. It is crucial to create an open and honest workplace culture and ensure that everyone knows what is expected of them.

When building a team, I have always focused on these principles to ensure we hire the right people for the business.

What have been the key drivers of growth?

Early on, to give the business the best chance of success, I had to surround myself with good people. Crucially, I got involved with Scottish Enterprise and joined the speed mentoring programme. It matches founders with people who want to give back to the small business community in Scotland. I was paired with Stuart Gibson, who had a financial background and could guide me in writing my first business plan, forecasting financials, and growing the business. He remains a trusted advisor to LS today. Similarly, I joined Vistage and was introduced to Paul Pinson and a cohort of fellow business owners and founders. I have been part of the programme for 13 years, and it allows me to meet like-minded individuals monthly to share insights and ideas.

When I reflect on the growth of the business, from £100k of revenue to over £10.0m, hiring and working with the right people has been crucial. In the early days, I was doing it all by myself, but that was unsustainable, both personally and for the business. While I have always remained focused on the financials and growth plan, having weekly calls to plan and review it has been instrumental. Having a CFO and fellow team members from whom I can ask challenging questions and continue to learn has been paramount. Surround yourself with the right people, invest in them, and give them autonomy and the platform to let them shine.

What are some of the challenges you have faced as a founder developing a fast-growing business, and how have you navigated them?

As a founder, business owner, and mother of three children, it has always been a challenge to balance my life at home with the demands of an ambitious and fast- growing business. For years, I, like many female business founders, felt guilty both at home and in the workplace. I was never able to switch off and often felt I was doing it all. Now, 15 years later, I can finally take some time for myself as a result of building a team that is aligned with our goal. However, as the CEO of a company with 78% female employees, I have been dedicated to ensuring I create an environment that allows all to balance the demands of work and life.

Secondly, there is undoubtedly a lack of female representation on the boards of venture capital firms, business organisations, and broader initiatives. The disparity in funding for male and female entrepreneurs is stark, with only 1p in every £1 of fundraising going to women. This lack of representation creates a disconnect between some of the crucial platforms that enable businesses to prosper and female entrepreneurs.

Finally, the economic environment and being a founder- led and owned business have been challenging. COVID-19 created numerous headwinds as companies reduced marketing budgets and restricted LS’s growth opportunities. At the same time, as my husband and I are the majority shareholders, we have been limited in the investments we can make in the business. Despite these challenges, we have navigated the lifecycle with a strong growth mindset and are proud to have grown the business 100 times in the last 15 years.

What excites you most about the future of LS productions?

Scottish companies often limit themselves by not seeking opportunities worldwide. As we scale the business internationally, we pride ourselves on being a company with strong Scottish roots that produces global shoots. We operate in a $3.00t market and must look beyond our back garden to make the most of this opportunity. We realise that to create ongoing partnerships with companies and producers; we have to be able to work with them on a global basis.

Similarly, the market environment seems to be turning in our favour. Commercial enterprises are increasing their production budgets, and we continue to develop our partnership with the U.S. TV and Film sector, which is emerging from the Hollywood strikes. Over the last two decades, we have built a reputation as good people who produce great work and consistently deliver excellence to global businesses such as Nike, Dior, and Uber. With a lot of hard work and some luck, the future is bright and exciting for LS Productions.