The Den Lennie Show

Den Lennie
  • 4.5 (10)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Strategic insights for production company owners ready to scale past $250K. We talk about systems, profitability, and sustainable growth. #JFDI

  1. 2D AGO

    Why Your Video Business Stalled at $250k (The S.C.A.L.E. Method) EP #394

    Send a text Most video production owners believe that hitting the $250,000 revenue mark is the finish line. In reality, it is often where the real constraints begin. If your revenue is growing but your freedom is shrinking, you haven't built a business; you have designed a high-risk job that is entirely dependent on your presence. In this episode, Den breaks down why talent and demand are rarely the reasons a production company stalls. He introduces The Scale Method, a structural framework developed after mentoring over 178 video businesses. We move past the "hustle" and look at the mathematical certainty of business evolution. In this episode, we discuss: The Technician Trap: Why being "booked and busy" is actually a threat to your scalability.The 250k Prison: How to recognize the pattern of friction that kills growth in creative companies.The 5 Pillars of Evolution: A breakdown of Survival, Control, Alignment, Leverage, and Expansion.Diagnostic Logic: Why you likely have a positioning or strategy problem rather than a sales problem.The Bridge vs. The Engine Room: How to intentionally design a business that works without you.The Scale Method Assessment: Stop guessing which part of your business is broken. Take the free 2-minute assessment to identify which of the five pillars is holding you back: https://denlennie.com/scorecard Get the Book: The S.C.A.L.E. Method is available now on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GNGK5DY5# Mentoring options : www.denlennie.com Connect with Den on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/den_lennie

    5 min

  2. FEB 10

    From Dark Place to $163k Pipeline. EP #393

    Send a text Twelve months ago, one of my clients was in a dark place. Despite 11 years in business and a high-end portfolio, he was facing $30,000 in monthly overheads with zero visibility on future work. He was the classic Technician. Talented, exhausted, and the primary bottleneck in his own company. In this episode, I break down the exact shift we made to move him from stagnant revenue to a $163,000 pipeline in just eight weeks. We didn’t focus on hustle. We focused on business logic and the correct sequence of growth.  If you are stuck at the $250k to $500k mark, your problem isn't a lack of effort. It is a lack of clarity on which lever to pull next. Here’s what you’ll discover: The Probability Pipeline: Why scoring your leads is the only way to see three months ahead.Killing the Bottleneck: How to delegate creative sign-offs so the business can breathe.The $1,400 Day Rate: Why industry standard pricing is a ceiling you need to shatter.Sequence Over Information: Why the order of your fixes matters more than the fixes themselves.The Farmer Mindset: Shifting from daily operator to strategic CEO.Stop acting like a technician and start building an asset. Mentoring options : www.denlennie.com Connect with Den on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/den_lennie

    6 min

  3. FEB 3

    Why "Passionate" Creatives are Going Broke. EP #392

    Send us a text If you’re a video agency owner doing $250k a year but still spending 70 hours a week in an edit suite, you don't have a business, you have a high-paid job. You are stuck in the "Technician Trap," trading your life for deliverables while clutching onto "creativity" as your profit margins bleed out. In this episode, Den breaks down why the most "passionate" filmmakers are often the ones struggling to pay rent. We’re moving past the "AI is the enemy" noise and looking at the cold, hard business logic of scaling.  If a heart surgeon mopped the floors of the operating room, the hospital would go bankrupt. So why are you still opening Premiere Pro? Here’s what you’ll discover: The $250k Dead Zone: Why this specific revenue marker is where most agencies fail to scale.The Surgeon’s Logic: Reframing your value from "the guy with the camera" to the Architect of the result.The AI Tech Stack: A 3-phase framework to automate the "grunt work" and reclaim 30+ hours a week.The Math of Profitability: Why a 70% margin at $1,000/hr beats an 80% margin at $100/hr every single time.The Ego Tax: How your obsession with "authenticity" and "the tools" is actually a bottleneck for your team.Stop being the janitor of your business. It’s time to take the CEO chair. Mentoring options : www.denlennie.com Connect with Den on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/den_lennie

    8 min

  4. JAN 27

    Stop Selling Pixels: The $250k+ Video Business Blueprint. EP #391

    Send us a text If you’re a video production owner doing six figures but feeling stuck, it’s because you’re caught in the Technician Trap. You are selling "tasks," such as the lighting, the focus, and the edit, which puts you in a direct race to the bottom against a machine that doesn't sleep and doesn't charge. In this episode, Den reveals why AI is actually the best news for your pricing in a decade, provided you know how to pivot. We break down the Certainty Framework, which is the exact strategy used to help 178+ production companies move from the "Commodity Bucket" to the "Consultancy Bucket" and scale past the $250k glass ceiling. Here’s what you’ll discover: The Commodity Trap: Learn why your "human camera" mindset is currently your biggest liability.The Certainty Framework: Explore the three pillars, Diagnosis, Strategic Alignment, and Accountability, that justify $10,000 to $20,000 fees.Brand Safety: Understand why high-level CEOs are terrified of "AI slop" and why they view your high fee as an insurance policy.The AI Objection Script: Get the exact words to say when a prospect asks why they shouldn't just use Sora or Runway to save $15k.The 2026 Filter: Discover why the next 12 months will replace technicians but allow strategic partners to scale. Stop being the "video guy" and start being the CEO of a strategic consultancy.  Ready to scale? Take the free Video Business Scale Quiz at denlennie.com. Mentoring options : www.denlennie.com Connect with Den on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/den_lennie

    8 min

  5. JAN 20

    Photography Collapsed First | Video Production is Next. EP #390

    Send us a text The creative middle class is dying. While most video production owners are panic-selling their gear because of AI slop, a small group of creators is using this chaos to scale past the million-dollar mark. If your business model is built on "we shoot on 4k cameras and use Premiere Pro," you have become a commodity. In the age of AI, commodities go to zero. Fast. In this episode, Den Lennie breaks down the Human-Only moat you need to build to stay relevant and move from a Video Guy to a Strategic Partner before the floor falls out from under your production house. Here is what you’ll discover: The Canary in the Coal Mine: Why the bloodbath in photography is the ultimate warning for video production.The Integrity Moat: How to become the guardian of your client's brand authenticity in a world of fake content.Outcome over Output: Why charging for brand films is losing you money, and what you should be charging for instead.Efficiency Arbitrage: The secret to using AI internally to slash production time by 50% without lowering your prices.The Mindset Shift: Why scaling beyond $250k is 10% gear and 90% psychology.Stop making videos and start building a business. Mentoring options : www.denlennie.com Connect with Den on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/den_lennie

    7 min

  6. JAN 13

    Why Most Video Businesses Plateau at $250K (The 5-Stage Breakthrough). EP #389

    Send us a text Working harder but still stuck? Most video production companies plateau around $250K to $500K because the structure that built the business can’t scale it. In this episode, I break down the five stages of production company growth and explain how to identify where you are right now. You’ll learn: Why effort stops working after a pointThe five-stage staircase to scaleWhat each transition requiresHow to remove yourself as the bottleneckIf you want clarity on your next move, this episode will give you the framework. Mentoring options : www.denlennie.com Connect with Den on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/den_lennie

    10 min

  7. JAN 6

    $80k vs $20k for an editor? EP #388

    Send us a text Most production companies believe hiring locally is the ethical choice. In reality, it is often the reason growth stalls. In this episode, I break down the real cost of onshore-only hiring and why offshore teams are one of the biggest leverage points for scaling without burnout. You will learn: Why $80K hires really cost closer to $95KHow offshore pay works ethicallyThe proxy workflow that solves file transferHow to build loyal long-term offshore teamsIf you want to move from $250K to $500K without destroying your lifestyle, this episode lays out the shift. Subscribe and follow for weekly insights. Mentoring options : www.denlennie.com Connect with Den on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/den_lennie

    14 min

  8. 12/30/2025

    $60K Dropbox Mistake EP #387

    Send us a text Most video production companies are quietly bleeding money on storage. In this episode, Den breaks down the hidden costs of cloud storage, why keeping every client file destroys margins, and the simple system professionals use instead. You’ll learn: Why cloud storage is a long-term trapThe three-tier storage system that worksHow LTO tape protects data without subscriptionsA six-month archive policy for clientsHow to turn storage into recurring revenue Mentoring options : www.denlennie.com Connect with Den on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/den_lennie

    12 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Strategic insights for production company owners ready to scale past $250K. We talk about systems, profitability, and sustainable growth. #JFDI

Information

  • Creator
    Den Lennie
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    393
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Den Lennie/F-Stop Academy Australia
  • Show Website
    The Den Lennie Show

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