Founder@ Interview
Interview with Natalie Edward-Yesufu
“Work smart, not hard; there is no glory in working hard and not looking after your wellbeing and mental health. I find it bizarre that entrepreneurs and founders glorify not sleeping. The keywords to take away from this are “consistency”, “strategy” and “pivot”. .” – Natalie Edward-Yesufu
Today we feature Natalie Edward-Yesufu, the founder at Transition Stage Company. We hear their story in their own words, their successes, their challenges and their insights.
Let’s start by getting to know you. Can you please tell us a little bit about you and what you do?
I am Natalie Edward-Yesufu a British multi-award-nominated producer and entrepreneur. Founder of Transition Stage Company, an independent production company specialising in events, film, and stage production based in Birmingham. I am also the creator of scriptwriting competitions Enter Stage Write and Amplified.
A great introduction and start to this interview. Can you please tell us, how did you start, from what age, and what made you decide to change direction and start?
In 2011, I was a student at New York Film Academy when I founded Transition Stage Company. I developed the foundations of Transition Stage Company to create professional and effective networking events, screenings, and employment through off-Broadway Theatre in Manhattan and film production.
I made the decision to return to my home town to study at the Birmingham School of Acting, where I pursued an MA in Acting. After completing my degree, I realised that I could make a difference in my home county of the West Midlands and create equality of opportunity in a sector that has such a low ceiling for creatives. And in 2017 Transition Stage Company was launched in the NatWest entrepreneur incubator hub with the award-winning scriptwriting event and initiative Enter.Stage.Write. A second scriptwriting competition was launched in 2021 to focus on ethnic minority comedy stories that weren’t focused on their struggles, but rather the person as a whole.
Thank you for that insight. So can you tell us…What does your business do and where is your company based?
Transition Stage Company is a Birmingham based multi-discipline production company specialising in event, film and theatre production. With two scriptwriting competitions running each year that showcases emerging talent and gives them a platform to share their stories.
What’s the story behind your success? What led to your aha moment? how did you get to where you are now?
Within the creative industries in the UK in particular, it has always been difficult for Black British creatives to find consistent work. We have always had to go to the United States to be successful. For some reason, it was almost impossible ten years ago to be a full-time actor or produce, although now things have changed significantly. So, I went to New York to study and become an actor. However, while working in the USA, I realised I had an appetite for producing films and events. Following this route, I did a producing course at the New York Film Academy where I met the powerhouse Ron Tipp.
Ron helped me create a production company specialising in film and events called Transition Stage Company. Most people know Ron as the Head of the Producer Department at New York Film Academy, alongside being the award-winning producer of Space Jam. A year after giving me the confidence to set up Transition Stage Company, Ron sadly passed away due to cancer.
It was then that I moved back to the UK to my home town of Birmingham to do a Masters degree, where I quickly realised that opportunities were scarce for creatives in the West Midlands. I did not want to go back to the USA to work at that time, so I rolled up my sleeves and launched Transition Stage Company in the NatWest Business Incubator Hub. The ethos of Transition Stage Company is ‘We plant the seed of opportunity by transitioning beautiful ideas into reality, celebrating inclusion and bringing people from all traditions together to enjoy the intrinsic value of all forms of visual arts.’
All you need is that one person to believe you and give you that hand up, and for me, Ron Tipp was that person. I think the key to success is having people root for you and help you on your journey. There is no such thing as self-made!
Thank you for sharing that. What’s been your life’s biggest lesson so far?
I try not to focus on the ‘downs’ of owning a production company, especially not one that specialises in Film, Theatre and Events. For example, the pandemic took its toll on Transition Stage Company, but we bounced back, pivoted the company and split it in two.
But the ups and downs were far worse starting up the company in 2018 than during the pandemic. I remember the first Theatre venue I hired, as the manager tried to escort my crew and me out of the venue, not understanding I was a paying customer.
It was outrageous. I realised that if I looked a certain way there would’ve been no doubt that I was a high paying commercial customer. They were apologetic at the time, but this was a microaggression. I remember I hired another venue that forgot my event because they had such a high turnover of staff and terrible management organisation.
I was forced to call them with the contract, and yet they still did not believe I hired the venue. So I went into the Theatre with a male chaperone and they immediately rectified the error.
This lost me thousands of pounds. What was really frustrating was that if I were a man or looked a certain way I would have never encountered this problem.
My biggest lesson is to keep going! Get a good routine and system within your business and keep going; if it’s not working, pivot and change quickly. There is no secret ingredient to success. It is simply consistency and not giving up.
I knew starting my own business would be arduous, but I am a creative storyteller. Owning a production company is my dream job. If you can’t get the job you want, you have to create it. I am very stoic in my approach to life.
Everyone is scared of failure or scared of not getting to the next level; even the most successful people contend with demons every day and no one has got it together beneath the surface.
If you were to go back in time, what piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
I always stopped and started at the beginning of my career because I did not have the confidence. After all, there weren’t many people who looked like me within the screen and creative industries, especially not doing what I loved to do. But I think you have to take a chance and be confident to fail and learn. I believe women should lean into their goals and aspirations – the sooner you start, the quicker to the destination.
I am a late bloomer because I started late. However, I am doing so well and I am proud of myself. So many people would look at me with bewilderment as if I am mad for working in the creative industries!
After nearly three years I have launched the careers of multiple diverse writers into mainstream TV, Transition Stage Company has won countless awards, we are working with Britain’s leading broadcasting stations and I won Woman of the Year at the City of Birmingham Business Awards.
Furthermore, we have split the company into two and pivoted into new storytelling areas for business which has boosted our profits. These are such exciting times! My motto to anyone reading this is to just keep going!
We’re nearly halfway through our interview so it’s a great time to ask how does your business run. What three tools make your business run better?
We have a simple system in my company. Here are the apps we use:
Dropbox is a great content collaboration tool, especially if you have to work with an editor. One of the dropbox features allows you to give notes on videos via a private, shareable link. This dropbox feature saves time for the client, as instead of going back and forth for days they can simply comment with notes instantly under the video at the precise minute where any changes need to be made.
Slack is incredible! It keeps us on top of work and all documents organised. Slack is a messaging app for businesses that connects people to the information that they need and brings people together to work as one unified team.
Otter.ai is a software that automatically generates subtitles on video footage. It’s great for content creation while editing. We use this software for all our clients’ content.
What do you know now that you wished you had known before?
Everyone is scared of failure or scared of not getting to the next level; even the most successful people contend with demons every day and no one has got it together beneath the surface.
What has been your greatest or proudest achievement or moment?
My proudest achievement is taking the first step in my career, having the confidence to create a production company and doing it with little resources and making it happen. Sometimes you just have to start – you will find a way to make things happen and work out for you if you have the tenacity. It’s important to remember to enjoy the journey.
What future life goals do you want to achieve and why?
I am thrilled with where Transition Stage Company is going. We are slowly moving into TV and pitching documentaries and various screen projects to broadcasting stations. The team and I are excited about the projects lined up.
My goal is to have a factual format TV show franchise along with our successful writing galas “Enter.Stage.Write” and “Amplified”.
To finish our inspire questions…”We believe that sharing inspiring words can inspire others.” If there was one positive thing you would say to someone to inspire and empower them what would it be and why?
Work smart, not hard; there is no glory in working hard and not looking after your wellbeing and mental health. I find it bizarre that entrepreneurs and founders glorify not sleeping. The keywords to take away from this are “consistency”, “strategy” and “pivot”.
“Thank you it has been great learning more about your founder story and Transition Stage Company”
To learn more about Transition Stage Company Visit https://transitionstagecompany.com/
Inspired by this story? Please share this story and other founder stories.
For more inspiring founders stories check out Founder Stories.
Have an inspiring founder story?
Every entrepreneur’s journey is unique and powerful.
Your story of perseverance and success could be the spark that ignites the next generation of world-changing ideas. By sharing your experiences, you’re not just telling a story – you’re lighting a path for others to follow, dream, and achieve.
Disclaimer:
The views, thoughts, information, and opinions expressed in the text, videos, images belong solely to those of the individuals involved, and do not necessarily represent those of Founderat.com and its corporate owners, employees, organization, committee, or other group or individuals.