Meet the Host: The Story Behind the Podcast | Ben Baldwin

Business coach that I went to once.

One of his best piece of advice was if the conversation is not going to be of any worth to you or to them, then just move on.

Because otherwise it is just a.

The weather is nice.

At the end of the day, you're running a business.

Your time is money.

And I think with having young kids as well, I'd rather be spending time with them than talking with someone about the weather that I'm not going to be doing business with.

Hello and welcome to Burco and Beyond, the local business podcast for Burkhamsted and the surrounding areas.

I'm your host, Ben Baldwin, and this week I've mucked up on the guest booking.

So we haven't got one, but I have got a plan.

This is going to be what is commonly known in the podcast arena as a meet the host.

That'll be me.

Let's find out who's interviewing me.

Welcome to Burkham beyond the podcast.

Our guest today needs little to no introduction.

He's the king in the north.

He puts the rave in gravy.

He's Ben Baldwin.

How long have you been practicing that for?

I literally came up with that, like, as I was walking up the stairs.

I love it.

Right, first of all, go easy on me.

And secondly, actually, no, firstly, thanks for stepping in.

And secondly, go easy on me.

I'll try to go easy.

I remember I was the host of the host.

I was the guest on episode five.

Yes.

So you can see how easy Ben went on me.

So, yeah, good luck.

Hello, Ben.

Hello, Azeem.

Thank you very much for guesting on.

Your podcast and thank you for having me.

That's okay.

It's already weird.

This.

It's quite.

Feels really different sat in this chair.

It's quite nice and I really like being in this chair.

Thanks for wearing a jacket as well.

Maybe I need to up my wardrobe game.

Well, you know, I sort of built this, as I said, built this from scratch and I felt like, you know, you deserve me to.

All right, we don't need to keep back reffing your episode and the fact that this is your back reffing, as in back reffing.

Referencing for the benefit of the tape.

It's my episode now.

Yes, it is.

So you are the founder and director of Chuff Productions.

Yes, I am.

And you're also the host of Birkin Beyond.

I love the fact that you had to look above my head at the poster that's there and read the name of the podcast.

It was more because you didn't want.

To get it wrong?

No, I looked it because I was like Berkham, you know, like I was appreciating.

Ah, got you reading.

Is there a question coming?

Yeah, there is.

Sorry, yeah, we've got to crack on.

This is like past Freddie's bedtime or whatever.

Sorry, Fred.

No, now you have to tell everybody who Fred is because Fred works with.

Us at Chaffer Productions and Red Brown Studios and he is an excellent editor and a good friend.

Oh, he's working for you now as well, is he?

This is.

You've commandeered my only member of staff.

Right.

Awesome.

I'm the host.

Any.

Excellent.

So anyway, back to the podcast, the Questioning.

Yes.

For anyone who's been listening but doesn't actually know much about you, even though I've given you an excellent intro.

Yes.

Who are you and what do you do?

Hello, my name is Ben Baldwin.

As you previously mentioned, I'm the host of Burke and Beyond, the local business podcast for Berkhampstead and the surrounding areas.

Yeah, so Chuff Productions is my video production company.

My background is like yours in broadcast tv.

Mine is a bit longer ago when they were still doing things on tape in broadcast.

So I was a. I'll go even further back from that if you like to.

I was born and bred in Sheffield, or born in Sheffield, brought up in the Peak District and then Sheffield again.

Moved to London when I was 18 to go to drama school.

I failed the first year at drama school, which is pretty difficult to do.

I didn't know that.

See, there's little gems here for.

For you.

So I actually spent four years at the Central School of Speech and Drama because I was lucky enough to be able to repeat.

My first year was a jobbing actor for a bit, then got bored of not having a job and being skint, started to do promotions, some other bits and bobs and so that was like on trade stuff.

So the old days of going out and doing drink sampling or cigarette sampling and stuff like that.

That sounds great.

And then I did a job for someone.

I took a camera with me, started recording and that's how I got into video.

And then I'd always wanted to do something, you know, radio presenter or TV presenter or something like that.

Was lucky enough to work on some travel programs as a pa, then as a sound guy and then I just did.

As I said, it was the day of tape.

Used to carry a tape round with me and anytime I could, it gets stuck in the camera and I would record a couple of pieces to camera and that created A reel that got me a job on some travel programs.

I worked for sky for ITV on their revenue generated channels.

Did loads of when you swore on my own podcast.

Then I did loads of live tv, you see, four hours a night, three times a week with unscripted.

And because that was revenue generated stuff.

So it was gaming and gambling.

That was then.

It kind of killed my presenting career because people thought that was the only thing you could do.

So at the same time I ran, started Chuff Productions on the side and then that got bigger than the presenting career and here we are now in Berkhampstead, nearly 20 years on.

That's amazing.

So, yeah, Chuffed will be 20 in September.

That's awesome, dude.

And I'm sorry that your career at Babe station didn't work out, but you know, bigger and better.

Does anybody know what that station is?

Well, look, Google it, okay?

No, don't.

Don't Google it.

And it wasn't there, though.

It was recorded in the studio upstairs, was it?

So one of the studios we worked in, believe it or not.

You didn't know that either, did you?

Yeah, it was that genre of TV that was being filled in that.

Yeah.

Anyway, moving on.

Different times, different times.

So how did you end up in Bergamstead?

How did I end up in Bergamst?

That is, that's.

It's a nice little story that actually.

So we, my wife and I, Katie, had lived in London and we wanted to start a family, but didn't want to start the family in London.

We just got a bit annoyed, a bit sick of London.

We were in southeast London and we started looking for places to live and my family's still up north.

Her family are either in North London or in the Cotswolds.

So we were kind of looking at places.

We were looking other side of Hertfordshire actually, to start with, because at the time Katie worked in north London, so that was the, that was the thing for her to get there.

Anyway, long story short, someone mentioned Berkhamstead and we came to have a look around Burko and we had a pint down at the boat with our good friends Sadie and Michael Groome, who many listeners of the podcast will know.

And we were talking about, oh, we're going to move out of London, we're going to start a family.

And the best piece of advice anybody's ever given me was Sadie Graham who said, don't have a baby and then move out of London.

Move out of London and then have a baby.

Because that is where you meet all your Friends through NCT classes, which.

Did you do NCT classes?

Yeah, well, we did Bump and Baby.

It was a different flavor, like the.

Modern flavor of it.

Modern version.

And you know what we have.

And that was.

It was.

It was so right.

And so we ended up not living in Berkhampstead because couldn't afford it.

So we ended up in Cheddington instead, which is two stops north on the train.

But it was.

It's brilliant because we've got all the open spaces.

It's easy to get here.

There's a.

There's a longer story of how we found Chattington as well.

That was with someone I was working with.

And they said, oh, you want to try this little village that no one knows about?

And I'm pretty sure we ended up buying the house that she wanted.

Anyway, that's another story.

So, yeah, that's how.

That's how I ended up in Burkhoe.

And then actually, it's Sadie's fault again that I ended up in that Shuffed Productions, ended up in Berkhamstead because she was moved.

She had an office in what was the old dairy on Lower Kings Road.

She moved out and said, do you want to take over the office?

Because it's becoming available.

Because she knew I was looking for somewhere I'd kind of outgrown working from home.

Little did I know she was gonna leave her husband behind as a subletter.

So Michael and I shared an office for a few years and then we moved out of.

We moved out of there just before COVID actually, and then we moved back into Burkhamstead into this very building six years ago.

So, yeah, just at the back end.

Of COVID and it's a great space.

It's nice.

Yeah, it's a lovely space.

If anybody wants to come look around it, perhaps record a podcast or something here or.

Yes, please come record all your content here.

And also the Rec Cinema is over the road.

Rec Cinemas over the road.

The Mad Squirrel is.

Is at the end of the road, as is the Dower House.

So it depends on how you feel.

You could turn right for coffee, turn left for beer, or straight across if you want to watch a movie and do all three.

Yeah, yeah.

And Quirky's at the end as well, so it's brilliant for.

Have you forgotten someone's birthday for birthday cards or whatever.

Not allowed to buy my wife anything from Ann Quirky anymore.

Why?

We went through a whole cycle of.

I kept forgetting and that's where the gifts came from.

That is a good.

Yes she was mentioning something the other day that she didn't like.

Said I'd take them away then.

Can't wait to go buy my wife some stuff from there.

So when did you start calling it Burko, like a proper local?

Oh, probably early doors because just everybody else was and it's just easier to say than Berkhamstead or Berkhamsted.

I know.

Can still.

I've got a podcast called it.

I still can't get it right.

That's why I call the podcast Burko.

It's that whole accent is accent thing, isn't it, of the, you know, the northern accent.

Burkhamsted.

But I. I have friends who lived here, so I've been here before.

Okay.

Or you had this office.

Yes.

You know, some friends lived by the river near the station and from flat.

It's a canal, not a river, is it?

Yeah, some friends have upgraded it.

Some friends live by the river.

Be tidal before we know it.

But it was really lovely and, you know, so I've been here and yeah, it is really nice.

But I called it Burger from them.

That's because they've all been.

Yeah.

Local for years.

So I've just known it as that.

It's a great town, all of it.

It's beautiful.

I have to say that because I've got a podcast named after it.

Yeah.

I mean, you know, this is where we.

Building a community.

Yeah.

Build our community.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So what is it about this area that makes it such a good place to run a business?

I think.

I think being so close to the high street so works really well and obviously it's a boring answer, but it's like it's got the high street.

You can walk out and, you know, get a coffee, get a haircut, get a beer, go to the shops, do whatever it is.

It's got the independent bookshops, it's got, you know, the bigger bookshop.

It's got lots of cafes and stuff like that, so.

But it's just well connected and for me it's dead easy.

It's two stops on the train and there's loads of businesses around.

I've got to be honest.

We've been.

Obviously, we've been here now six years and we don't do that much business with local.

Local businesses.

There's a.

There's a couple that we do and there's a couple we do a lot.

A lot with.

And part of the reason, full transparency of doing this podcast is to meet more of Those businesses and not necessarily to do business to do business for, but do business with.

Because as you know, the smaller you are as a business, you need to collaborate with other people.

And that's kind of one of the reasons for doing this podcast, is to meet those other businesses.

Surely be great.

It's great if someone's going to come on, find the work space, either do podcasts and stuff with you or do testimonial training, brand videos, whatever with me.

But also I'm doing it because I'm curious and I feel like I don't.

I've been here for a long time in Berco and there's still loads that I don't know.

Yeah.

And we've mentioned it before in the other podcast episode that this area has like a great community and business wise and you know, you see it.

You know, you had Decorum Borough Council Christy on and that was really insightful about business in the area.

I didn't know as much about it until we had.

We.

You had her on.

Yeah, I'm the host now.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

It's fine for you.

It's the royal way for this podcast is absolutely fine.

But it is for this episode only, just so you know.

Thank you.

Unless I'm on holiday, then maybe you could actually pop in and guest host for me.

Yeah.

And there's some massive businesses here as well and real, real, real interesting characters.

So you touched on it just now.

But for those steady.

For people who are hearing about it for the first time, what does chuffed actually do?

In short, we make testimonial and case study videos that build trust and shorten sales.

I knew I was going to muck that up.

And shorten.

I can't say the word sales for some reason.

You can't say sales.

I can't say sales.

I don't know.

How have you got this far?

Let's try that again.

We make testimonial and case study videos that build trust and shorten sales cycles.

I really wish that Freddie could press.

He's going to have to leave in the first attempt at that, otherwise me saying sales cycles is going to sound really good.

But in short, we make testimonial and case study videos because we've niched in that area because it's what we've traditionally done for a lot of businesses, done it really well.

And sales is a struggle for some people.

And Strehls say some people find it difficult to demonstrate what they do.

And actually the best way to do it is to have your clients sing your praises and ask them why you're good at what you do.

I mean, we do loads of other stuff as well, but that's what we specialize in.

Yeah, but you do some great stuff.

You did that video where you recorded the cargo planes, which was amazing.

I don't know.

Yeah, so that's a brand video.

So it was amazing.

Like as a.

As someone who is in the game, as it were, that was really, really good.

Yeah.

And that was.

I have to shout out to Dave Bradbury, who's local as well, who we, we worked with on that, and he did the script and the voiceover.

But in short, that was a brand story video.

But we followed Benson Boone's tour kit from Chicago to London.

And there's a company called Freight Mines and they specialize in flying kit like that around the world.

And it was fascinating, I mean, on so many different levels.

And that's what I really love about my job and is that I get to just take a peek inside other people's worlds.

And I think again, that goes back to just, just naturally being curious and going, how does that work?

And why did that and how did.

But this was.

This was nuts.

It was 24 trucks, I think maybe more on the state side that drove from Salt Lake City to Chicago.

And I was like, oh, that sounds like.

Yeah, it's a 24 hour journey in itself.

Loaded within the space of about six or eight hours onto a 747 cargo and then flown to East Midlands airport.

So we had a camera guy in the States who filmed everything that end.

We had a guy based at East Midlands Airport who picked it all up when it came off.

And then it went into customs and we weren't allowed anywhere near it.

And then we had another crew pick it up in London.

So a lot of logistics and moving parts in that one, but, you know, big airplanes, big cargo and all that kind of stuff.

And just even down to how they stack a pallet, these guys are amazing.

And the other thing was the time of the flight moved and kept moving.

So, you know, from a video production point of view, trying to get crew in the right place at the right time is usually like, well, it's booked weeks in advance and it's done this.

And we literally got a phone call, call saying there's a chance the plane might leave 24 hours early.

And then it was like, whoa, okay, right, hang on.

And trying to get permissions and all that kind of stuff.

So, yeah, we see also all sorts of things, but yeah, fascinating looking into other people's worlds.

Yeah.

So, yeah, testimonials, case studies, brand stories.

I remember that because I was here in the office when you got that call.

Yeah.

I turned it several shades lighter, I.

Think a few expletives later, and you were fine.

Yeah, yeah, it was.

But like I say, it looks really good.

And it's that you sort of.

I'm guilty of it.

I sort of sometimes take for granted the work that we get to do sometimes, you know, we do some amazing things and really cool stuff.

And until I speak to friends, you know, we're mates and like, I've known you for ages and we chat and it's just normal.

You know, I could say to you, I. I've done this.

I've been.

I've done the Olympics.

You.

You know, we were filming planes the other day, and yeah, it's this stuff where it's just.

It's just sort of normal, but it's not normal.

And we're very fortunate to be in this position where we get to do this kind of thing.

And that's why connecting with people locally and speaking to, like, other businesses and people's stories.

Everyone's got a story.

You know what I mean?

I do know what you mean.

Yeah.

And it's.

Yeah, it's really, really cool to do this kind of thing.

Yeah.

And you're right.

I think sometimes I do take it for granted.

Not on that job.

Definitely didn't take it for granted on that job.

There was a point where, you know, where I was going to be on the jump seat on that.

On that jumbo cargo, which is like.

That would have been super cool.

Yeah.

Didn't quite pan out, but, yeah, it did.

Like you say, everyone's got a story to tell and.

And everyone's got, I think in.

In businesses that expertise.

There's a reason, as we're gonna see people who we have on the podcast already, we've had, you know, you've been there as the podcast expert.

We've had the sales expert as well in Lee.

Ben's been there as a leadership expert.

Well, I'm sure we're going to end up with more leadership experts and coaches on the couch and on the chair because there are so many different takes and different ways of looking at business and looking at the ways of mentorship and training and leadership.

It's amazing.

Like I said, those stuff you guys are doing is awesome.

So bringing it back around to why.

We're here, like any good podcast host.

Yes, yes.

I'm centering it.

Okay.

That's why?

I've got the jacket on.

Okay, so why did you start the berg on beyond podcast?

Did you just want to speak to loads of interesting people?

I mean, you've said about the business community side, but was that the only thing that drove you to sort of start this?

No, I, I, again, I'll be completely honest.

We've started this.

Or you've started the podcast side of this studio, which then actually feeds into.

It's not just a podcast set, it could be a roundtable discussion set.

It could be talking about families and legacy videos.

How did you phrase that?

Legacy podcast.

Legacy podcast, yeah, that kind of thing.

So we'd be daft not to do our own podcast to promote the fact that we've got a podcast studio.

So I'm kind of doing that with this on our behalf, if you like.

But yeah, mainly just to be, just to find out and have interesting conversations.

We spoke about it before about this.

Just chatting is where is where good stuff happens, particularly in business.

That's why there are so many networking, so many networking events around.

And a lot of them you just go to and it's exactly the same people and they're just trotting out exactly the same thing into a room that probably doesn't have any of their prospects in there.

Whereas here we, we can have, there's an excuse to invite people in to have more meaningful conversations.

Not to sell to them, but just for them to sell to everybody else.

Or.

Yeah, you just never know where a conversation might go.

Your episode is actually the perfect example.

We went off on a complete tangent on legacy podcasts, which was an idea that you wanted to talk to me about as, just as a bit of a sounding board.

And it's like, oh, it's not for the podcast.

I'm like, come on, let's have a chat about it now.

Yeah, go back and listen to the Ben Morton episode.

It was brilliant.

We just, because again, Ben and I know we know each other, we just had a really good conversation, but it's exactly that.

And this is what I said the previous episode as well.

And like you said, the conversations are so important, especially now.

Like it's, I think there's a big disconnect with people generally.

I think social media plays a part in that, you know, like I went to one of those networking events recently and it was great.

You know, I haven't been to one, so for me it was really nice to go and meet people, like minded people and just chat, you know, just, it was just general chat.

But when I was younger, you know, this wasn't about, you know, going and meeting girls or whatever.

I used to love going and speaking to people in the pub or like chatting to people.

And now I find that it's not just because I'm older, because I still have that capacity.

You know, I founded the networking event.

I've been stuff with you, you know, we've done a couple of jobs together.

That networking aspect was just speaking to people.

I've still got it in me.

I still enjoy it a lot.

And you don't do that as much when you just go out and about and not a lot of people do it.

I find that it's a bit.

It's a rarer to have that with people.

You don't get people coming up to you as much as they used to and being like, hey, how's it going?

And chatting.

Well, you know, people are in their own little circles, which is fine and I get that.

But doing this sort of thing for me scratches that itch.

And it's a.

It's the social aspect as well as the conversations.

You know, I think it's all like I keep saying, you know, it's building the community, working with people.

And.

Yeah, and I think that a lot of those conversations that you have at those networking events can just.

They're not.

Let's be honest, it's no good for me and it's no good for you.

Yet on a human level, it might be, oh, it's, you know, it's nice to.

You get to know people and that there might be a slower burn of a collaboration somewhere down, but there are people that you end up talking to at those network events where it's like, what's the point?

Again, not.

Not.

It's for you, for them, or for me.

And actually business coach that I went to once, one of the.

One of his best piece of advice was you go to a network.

I'm not going to remember it correctly either now, but it was basically, if.

If the conversation is not going to be of any.

Any worth to you or to them, then just move on.

Because otherwise it is just a, you know, the weather's nice and at the end of the day, you're running a business.

Your time is money, so don't spend it.

And I think you and I talk about this now with having young kids as well.

Zach is younger than Connie and Nate, but it's.

I'd rather be spending time with them than talking with someone about the weather that I'm not going to be doing business with.

Yeah, I think you kind of get where I'm going with that.

Yeah, yeah, I do.

I definitely do.

What were you seeing locally that made you think this podcast needs to exist?

Was there anything that stood out?

What was I seeing locally?

That I think.

I think being totally honest, I didn't even think about it.

We were just doing it.

Well, we just chatted about it.

Yeah.

To be completely honest, we both discussed.

It before it started off.

I want to do a podcast and purely from a selfish presenting point of view and just get feeling what that was like again and the whole curious and Right.

Well, who am I going to talk to?

What is it that I do?

What's going to make it worthwhile for me and for us and the conversations is going to make it worthwhile for me.

Yes.

We might get some business out of it somewhere down the line.

We might get some nice collaborations.

We might be able to give business to some other people further down the line or connect people in that whole networking sense of oh, we had so and so on the podcast.

And they really good for you.

They'll be a good match.

Oh, you're struggling with sales.

Oh, how about Lee?

Oh, you need some leadership in.

How about Ben?

Oh, you need a podcast.

How about.

So just being that kind of Molly Malone.

Would you get that reference?

No.

Freddie, you get that reference?

Molly Malone?

Sure.

Thank you.

No.

Hello, Dolly.

Hello.

Who is the Matt.

The original matchmaker.

So there's a little bit of that going on and as well.

But yeah, I don't think we really thought about it and as I openly say on the podcast, this will.

It will develop and it will.

It started out as just being a podcast for Berko and beyond.

It then made sense actually for it to be more a podcast about local business podcast which thankfully we worked out before we launched.

So it's been that from the start.

But you know, I do want to get other people on.

Let's get historians on and talk about, you know, the crazy history that is around this.

This town and.

And let's get, you know, just interesting people.

So no, I didn't think about it at all really.

We just did it launch messy I think was the words that were used when you've got just not too messy.

The best thing to do is to just start.

Right?

Yeah, but it's that's.

It's the 80, isn't it?

So Pareto's rule.

Well, well, what are you hoping that people get from it?

I think the.

The same.

I hope they get.

They get the same thing.

They get the benefit of that matchmaking, the benefit of that listening.

If someone is, someone is listening and just a little spark goes, oh, oh, that's a great idea.

I should speak to them because I need some help with X or I need some help with Y.

So to help publicize other local businesses, to help build collaborations.

And it's not just businesses.

You know, we've got charities who are going to come on and there's some fantastic charities that do amazing work and need more support around here.

And we'll have them all on and we'll talk about it.

And it's not like we're going to be doing a red nose day or whatever it is, but we'll explain how, how they need help and what, what support they need.

And if people are out there, that can help with that.

And if people are there, can do business and if we can get some of the bigger businesses in the area on that are looking for, to do business with smaller business in the area or solo operators, then yeah, fantastic.

I think it's a real asset for the community.

So you've been in business for 20 years.

This podcast is about business.

Yes, community.

What's one piece of advice you'd give to somebody in business?

I mean, I say that as someone who constantly gets advice from you, so.

But generally speaking, yes, some of it you asked for.

Yeah, I mean, this, like, yeah, let's be clear.

This podcast was not here for me to give business advice.

It was water to interview people who might have advice to give.

But actually every.

Anyone who runs a business has got advice to give.

Of course they have.

Mine would be.

All sorts, but find a mentor, join a business group.

I've been in several masterminds and stuff, all that kind of.

And, and I think what we'll find as we go through this podcast, through the episodes is that it doesn't matter what your business is or what your business do, that they all have the same challenges, they all have the same issues, whether it is hr, whether it's recruitment, whether it is marketing in the terms of, you know, attracting new clients or new leads, or whether it's in sales.

So if we can kind of all come together and help help each other and I can get people on here that can offer kind of advice, then, yeah, that'd be great.

So coming to a close if someone already.

Yeah, that's it.

It flies by when you're having fun, right, doesn't it?

Especially with your powerhouse.

Anyway, if someone's listening and thinking about coming on as a guest, what would you say to them?

Oh, well, that's the best question of all.

If you're listening or watching this podcast, don't forget it's, you know, video podcast as well.

And you want to be in the chair interviewed by me or you if I'm on holiday, then send us an email podcasturcoandbeyond.com and by the time this episode airs will have fixed the email address and it will work.

Or go to the website bercoandbeyond.com well,.

All that's left to say is Ben Baldwin of Chuft Productions and of Burkham Beyond Podcast, thank you very much.

Thank you.

That's all we've got time for for Birkin Beyond.

We'll be back next week with Ben Baldwin and a guest.

You know that's going on the end.

Thanks for watching this week's episode of Berko and Beyond.

If you'd like to be a guest on the show, then drop us an email podcasturcoandbeyond.com and forget to like and subscribe wherever you watch or listen to your podcasts.

We'll see you next week.