Mad Little Badger
Mad Little Badger is a media production company based in Cape Town. They believe that amazing images evoke emotions in people that cannot always be described as much as they can be felt.
It is with this in mind that their sole focus is to produce great still and motion pictures. They have a broad spectrum of clients, and their work ranges from branded content and commercials to music videos.
Nicki Priem, CEO and Head of Production at My Little Badger, explains how the company started, after a fun video he had made went viral.
Nicki had been working as a freelancer in the film industry, in 2013, when demand for his services led to the formation of Mad Little Badger, together with his partner Liesel Priem, who is now the Head of Marketing & Administration.
Mad Little Badger’s Journey With LevelUp
Mad Little Badger had been working with both RCS and TSIBA on a number of production projects, when they were introduced to the LevelUp programme. Initially, the company provided services to the LevelUp team giving them exposure to the programme, and the Mad Little Badger team decided to join the programme themselves, in 2021.
“The program created a hurricane in our lives!” says Liesel, “We had no idea that we didn’t have everything in place for our business.” The LevelUp programme impacted the Priems ’ business significantly; altering the business structure and facilitating compliance, such that Mad Little Badger is now eligible for funding. Nicki says that the programme taught him to employ human resources for aspects of his business that are not his expertise. “We’ve hired an accountant for the business. It’s like a cloud has lifted and now I can concentrate on what I do best!”
The Priems say that the highlight of the LevelUp programme was the online sessions, involving other like minded entrepreneurs with whom they could mutually share the issues they were experiencing in their businesses. LevelUp has enabled the team to reimagine their business from different perspectives.
The Future For Mad Little Badger
As a production company, much of Mad Little Badger’s work is conducted on various film locations. The industry in South Africa is also reliant on work from international clients. The impact of Covid-19 on the industry did not spare Mad Little Badger, who had to scale back significantly, including retrenching some of their permanent employees. The impact has seen Mad Little Badger adapt to conducting business online as much as possible.
However, they say they are also grateful for the new skills that they have had to acquire and adapt to. “We haven’t stopped making content; we are keeping our pencils sharp, so that when the work does come back, we’ll be ready for it.”