For more than a decade, Brodie Kane has lit up our television screens, radio airwaves and social media feeds with her infectious personality and wonderful sense of humour.
But after a devastating redundancy last February – and the onset of the pandemic – she was left in an anxious position as media companies began to fold and lockdowns began to take hold.
So, Brodie decided that it was time to embark on her own journey – and after more than a year, Brodie Kane Media is flourishing. She told her story to Kelly Bertrand as part of Capsule’s Chats over Coffee series – to see the video in full, click here!
The below is an edited Q+A from our Instagram Live chat. Answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Capsule: Hi Brodie! I’m so excited to talk to you about business today – people will know you from the telly, the radio, your podcasts – but they might not know you as ‘Brodie Kane, Businesswoman’ and owner of Brodie Kane Media! Tell me about your journey? I know it was kind of similar to Capsule’s!
Brodie: I always thought it would be a cool thing to be your own boss, to work on the things you wanted to work on. But it was a ‘one day’ kind of thing – a ‘not right now’ kind of goal. In February last year I got made redundant, and I wasn’t expecting it AT ALL. It was just before the pandemic, and it was a huge shock. And then you guys lost your job too – the a*** was falling out of the entire media industry.
So I thought, what am I going to do? No one is going to be hiring the jobs that I do, and everyone who had them would hold onto them. This is all I’ve done since university. That first lockdown was an emotional cluster to be honest. But then I thought, why not try to pull the things you’re doing together and form a business around it?
I don’t know how business model-esque it is, but I was like, let’s give it a crack, and we can just blame Covid if it turns to custard. So Brodie Kane Media was formed in July last year. Some days it’s amazing, some days it’s terrifying. But it’s mine.
Did you feel brave when you started?
Yes. I mean at the time you’re not thinking too much, but now – heck yeah. Crikey. You actually learn on the fly, and [realise] that the deep end is a good place. When I’ve reflected a couple of times I’ve gone, ‘yeah, this is pretty cool’. I don’t profess to know in a year that I know enough, but [I] just evolve it as to what I think is working.
So tell me about the business?
A year ago, I had it in my mind that I wanted it to be everything – I want it to be a mini production hub, podcasts, talent management – until I was like calm down, you don’t have to do 17,000 things. So podcasts are the thing I’m focussing on at the moment, I’m really passionate about that and when they’re done well, they’re glorious in your ear holes. It’s an area that’s growing exponentially, and I want to be part of that.
And then I want to start developing… I’m sometimes a bit loathe to say ‘content creation’ because the term is so broad, and it can even mean a mirror selfie (rolls her eyes). But videos, and longer form videos and content, is what I want to do.
For instance, I have a real dream to have with mum, Jo Kane, the JoBro travel show – whether it’s little eight-minute webisodes or what. And then of course, there’s me being an idiot on Instagram.
I mean, none of us went into business with a business degree, or even the basic tools you need to run a company! But that’s what learning and resilience is for, right? Even when you’re starting a business in the middle of a pandemic?
Yeah, there were definitely challenges that came with the pandemic, but it’s also a really good opportunity. I sit more in the entertainment, informative space, so when everyone’s at home, they’re watching something, listening to something, they’re on their phones. So you have to look at it as an opportunity, to create something good that helps people escape the nightmare of the world right now.
How do you love being your own boss?
Yeah it’s pretty cool! The only thing I miss is the office banter, or the Friday drinks. But what I love so much is having creative freedom to do the things you actually want to do. And knowing that you’ve done things yourself, that feeling is so amazing.
You mentioned pandemic-related challenges – are there others that have popped up in your journey so far?
You have a lot of self doubt that creeps in, and that can be really strong. It ties and weaves into imposter syndrome and you start to look big picture, you know –‘ can you keep paying off your mortgage, is this realistic,’.
You have quiet weeks. And you wonder if you’re good enough, and if you’re still interesting enough. This business is brutal and your personality and likeability is so key – if people have had enough of you and decide they don’t want a bar of you, then that’s it.
But that’s where you have your good people around you, and ask for the constructive criticism and the help. You actually don’t want to do it alone. It’s boring.
What’s the future?
I’m moving back to Auckland, which is great – I love the city and it’ll be great to grow the business and I want to get to a point where there are a couple of people working for me. I love Christchurch but I think Auckland is where I need to be to do that.
And I’m also really frothing about the podcast space, people are spoilt for choice. I see it as a viable business option, which is exciting, and I see a whole lot of them sitting under Brodie Kane Media – and that gives a whole lot more people a chance to have a voice.
The one we’ve just launched is Three Gals One Beehive – three women (NO MEN!) hosting it. I mean I’m not anti-men, but how nice is it to have three women hosting! It’s not super pointy-headed, but it’s three chicks at the end of the week being like, ‘geez, here’s what’s happened this week’. They’re amazing, and that’s been such an amazing process to work on.
Check out Brodie Kane Media here!
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