The Boss Of Dad & Growing Scarlet Butterfly Media

Stacey Sweeney of Scarlet Butterfly Media recently acquired 'Laurence Sweeney Photography' in her quest for business growth and diversification. That makes her 'the boss of dad'. An interesting dynamic emerges.

It is definitely Stacey’s business. Her vision, values and drive are taking Scarlet Butterfly Media to new heights. Determined to grow a business that really delivers videos and images their corporate and commercial clients rave about, she lists good listening and true understanding of client needs as key to her success so far.

But that’s not all. She’s determined to build her reputation based on honourable practice – a trustworthy, safe pair of hands. That’s not to say her videos are safely boring. On the contrary her 1-2 minute promotional shorts are regularly gaining her clients 4K-5K hits within 48 hours of their release. This traction has clients praising her work.

Helena Samsun of Life Saving Training: “Working with Scarlet Butterfly Media has been absolutely fantastic for our business. The promotional video we had produced has without a doubt boosted our sales. We’re so impressed with the style and quality of the video and amazed at how little we had to do!

So where does Dad, Laurence fit into all this? A successful commercial photographer in his own right, Laurence is enjoying a second career. Moving from corporate banking into photography to follow his dream. As Senior Trade Director with RBS, reflecting how far he’d come from a 16-year-old school leaver with few qualifications to confidently sitting opposite the Head of a Dusseldorf business worth €80million. Knowing what he was talking about gave him a sense of accomplishment. With nothing left to prove in the corporate world, time to indulge his love of photography, moving from good amateur, semi-pro then to full time successful professional.

Just 23, Stacey’s ambitions include growing a full media studio to build an award-winning team of talented people. She plans to grow organically, spotting and acquiring talented individuals who share her values. Aware of how difficult it is to find and keep good people, the key to growth plans include actively seeking and nurturing local talent.

Which is exactly where Dad, Laurence fits in. Laurence states “It’s Stacey’s business. I’m responsible for corporate still imagery but my real role is to mentor and support Stacey”. Together they’re building a culture of development and support to naturally include the nurturing and support of the in-house team of talent Stacey is looking to build.

Quietly spoken Stacey speaks of how starting this business helped build her confidence and resilience. Stacey admits she’s struggled with anxiety from a young age. Now, supported by NatWest Entrepreneurial Accelerator she’s able to stand in front of a room full of people and pitch her business. She’s also learned to say no to projects outside her scope and become the face of her business.

Working with the Accelerator programme, she shaped her business idea and, more importantly, got paying clients very quickly. Within three months she built a portfolio of corporate videos working with other businesses in the Accelerator. Stacey credits this start for her success today