Most corporate videos are watched once, forgotten instantly, and never spoken of again.

I help internal comms and marketing leaders make sure theirs are not.

I’m Joe Hickey, founder of Shatter Media. I work with brands like British Gas, Arriva, Rathbones and Knight Frank to turn strategies, announcements and events into clear, human stories on video.

My focus:
• Messages people actually understand and feel
• Leaders who feel real on camera
• Content that supports your wider comms plan, not just another “nice video”

If you own engagement, adoption or alignment inside your organisation, I help you create video that does its job.

Joe Hickey

My eldest has just captured me!

It's not what you think!

A little throwback to the end of last year, my son's school assignment was to shadow his old man in a days work.

That just so happened to fall in the infamous Budget Day.

His task, document the day, what we're doing, a few tips a long the way, and edit it into a story-driven vlog style video to showcase a bit of the behind the scenes of some of what I do.

How did he do? Let me know and I'll pass on the feedback!!

📽️ 📽️

Joe Hickey 🎥

Turning strategy, change & events into stories your people remember | Video for internal comms & marketing leaders | Founder – Shatter Media

Stories Are Back! 📖

Not LinkedIn Stories, Although, unpopular opinion, I didn’t hate those.

I mean actual storytelling.

The King of Shortform content TikTok, has been quietly pushing micro-dramas,  short-form, episodic content that hooks you, then makes you come back for the next part.

This is feeding the holy grail of metrics, retention time. It is also driving repeat traffic due to content consumers coming back to see the next episode.

So that's great but what can we learn from this?

Simple:
✅ Think in stories, not snippets
✅ Build episodic arcs for your content, not just one-off's
✅ Don't just bolt CTA's at the end, but weave them into the content;
Tease - Demonstrate - Social Proof

This isn't just a trend, it's a consumer's behavioural signal.

And honestly, it’s exactly why I built my BrandStory Video product in the first place, documenting real journeys, showing experience in action, and proving quality instead of claiming it.

If your content feels forgettable, it’s probably because it’s not telling a story.

If you want help doing that properly, you know where I am.

🎬🎥🎬

Longform Vs Shortform 🎥

So which is better?

In a nutshell... 🥜 neither.

Each serves a different purpose. 

Let's keep it simple

Shortform = Attention, visibility 👀

Longform = Trust, connection, authority

Utilising both effectively, deployed at the right time, leads to conversion and action!

If you're interested in how, then let's chat 🗨️

🎥🎥🎥

The importance of flexibility!

Now I'm not one who can do the splits, but I'll give it a go!

Ok, ok, maybe I don't mean that kind of flexibility, god knows I'm not as nimble as I used to be.

Yesterday demonstrated how being flexible cannot only help you go the extra mile for the client, but also save your own arse!

To set the scene quickly, I was running a camera operator job for an event at a racing circuit, classic cars, lots of noise and the smell of fuel, it was a lot of fun!

Not my gig, but a friend of mine so I was assisting him and his team, the client wanted a really simple video of classic cars with some racing and rally drivers flying around the circuit as part of his presentation, which would be shot in the morning, edited quickly after and added to the PowerPoint.

Simple enough until we checked on the hired camera (which for events we hard wire power in) and the batteries weren't working.

3 large batteries, completely dead, a faulty charge, and no way of getting power out onto the track to the camera to capture the footage.

None of us panicked, none of us worried, we ran a couple tests to ensure there was no way of rectifying the hired kit.

Then, as I always tend to, I had some of my own kit with me, including my camera for a "just in case" moment, this was that moment.

We were right in time, I got my camera, got set up, ran out, got the shot. 

Problem solving is all part of the job, it's the fun part.

Video solutions can impact business in a big way, gain attention, build trust and concert clients, reach out and lets see how video can help your business 🎥🎥🎥

A luxury hotel CEO just went viral on TikTok.

With a simple method...

Not because of a marketing campaign.
Not because of ads.
Not because of a trendy hook or jump cuts.

Because she told stories.

✅ Behind-the-scenes moments.
✅ Day-to-day realities.
✅ Human observations from inside a very polished world.

And people loved it.

Millions of views.
Huge engagement.
Increased brand awareness and job applications.

She didn’t just “create content”.
She documented experience.

No over-produced scripts.
No trying to be an influencer.
Just a real person, in a real role, sharing real stories and real personality.

Authority building at its finest.

And it’s a reminder that storytelling isn’t about drama or viral tricks, it’s about context.

Letting people see how things actually work.

Letting them trust you before you ever try to sell them anything.

This is exactly why polished, generic brand videos are losing their punch…

…and why human-led storytelling is winning.

If you’re a founder, leader, or expert wondering why your content feels invisible, ask yourself this:

Are you posting snippets…
or are you inviting people into a story?

Because stories don’t just get watched.
They get remembered.

🎬

Former CFO turned Business Coach | Award-Winning 3x Founder | Solo founders... come join my world. Growth doesn't have to be so hard (I promise).

Most service founders hit a ceiling around 20-30k months.

Not because they or the business aren’t capable, but because what gets you to 25k won't get you to 50k and beyond.

Here's what I know after working with 200+ founders over three years:

The businesses that break through don't work harder - they get radically clear on their numbers, build systems around what actually works and extract the founder from doing everything.

My background:

I spent over a decade as a CFO for high-growth startups scaling into tens of millions. I've also built multiple businesses of my own - from restaurants to product brands.

That journey taught me something crucial: sustainable business growth requires both CFO-level financial rigour and proven operational systems.

Most business coaches will look at your revenue and say "you need more sales." I look at your P&L and see that your people cost percentage is at 68% - which means even if you doubled revenue tomorrow, you still wouldn't have the margin to scale.

That changes everything about what you need to focus on.

I created CALMM to bridge this gap.

It's a 6-month framework that combines financial clarity with operational structure - so founders know exactly what to build and how to build it.

We work on: 

→ Creating capacity (time, profit, mental bandwidth) 
→ Getting clear on what you're actually building 
→ Doubling down on what's profitable 
→ Building systems that protect quality 
→ Installing rhythms that drive sustainable growth

I work with service founders who:

- Are consistently at 20-35k months
- Are stuck doing too much client work themselves
- Have small teams (1-3 people) that can't operate without them
- Get most new business through referrals
- Are ready to face their numbers honestly and execute systematically

If you're tired of guessing and ready to build a business that actually works without you doing everything, let's talk.

📩 DM me or visit theabrook.com

Thea Brook, CMA

Chapel update: I don’t talk about it often but 2 years ago we bought and moved into a 200 year old chapel.

Not a renovated chapel I might add. An actual chapel.

We bought it at auction (terrifying), we decided 5 days before the auction so had no time to do proper checks on it (terrifying/stupid) and Andy hadn’t even been to it.

As it was still a chapel when we moved in:

For the 1st 6 months we had no kitchen.
For the 1st 14 months we had no bathroom.
Until last month we had no heating.

Camping is probably the best way to put it 😂

Last year, we tackled the parts of it that weren’t in great condition - it wasn’t the fun part of a project like this but now all the basics are solid we can do more of the fun stuff.

📸 Here’s the main chapel room and the before and after of one side room…

I feel like a Sunday series on the chapel might be incoming. Might break up of the AI platitudes a bit!

Former CFO & 3x founder | I help founders break the 30k ceiling (with systems, structure & financial confidence) | Get started for free below

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3 years ago today I was told an aneurism in my brain had burst and I needed surgery to stop the haemorrhage.

I was high on allllll the drugs and still felt like someone was trying to pull my skull in two.

It was wild.

I was very lucky. The ambulance had got to me quickly, and the team at Addenbrookes were amazing.

Weirdly, I couldn’t open my eyes for most of my time there so I didn’t even see the people who helped me.

All I could do was touch them and keep saying thank you.

We must never forget how lucky we are to have free, life-saving medical care in this country.

And we must never forget how lucky we all are to be here. I know I sure am.

Sending out a lot of love to everyone on the services today.

We owe you so much 🙏🏼❤️

Years ago I didn’t make time to just be. I was ‘too busy’ building a business. And I thought that was normal.

Man… all the living I now realise I missed.

One of the most impost things you can learn as a business builder is this.

Actively and intentionally resting your mind on the regular boosts your chances of success by 1,369,542,368%

Get out, come rain or shine
Go see your family
Hug your friends

And be fully present while you’re at it.

Happy Sunday y’all.

*official stat from The 2026 IMadeThisUp Report

P.S. Who’s been getting out in the miserable English winter? We did 2hrs walking in the rain on Friday 😍☔️

I’m hiring: a marketing coach and a finance coach - to come and support the brilliant founders I work with.

Here’s what I’m looking for…

MARKETING COACH

You’re data-driven and great at building streamlined funnels. You understand the important of customer insights and buying psychology. You believe less is more and you love working with passionate founders to grow their reach and impact.

FINANCE COACH

You likely have a CIMA qualification and have worked in business partnering roles. You have a commercial mind and know how to help non-financial folk make sense of their numbers in a way that means they feel confident and can take action. You’re very comfortable with Xero and Excel.

These are part time, freelance roles, working predominately with scaling, service-based businesses.

If you (or anyone you know) could be a good fit, please DM me 🙏🏼

I’m closing group coaching program for new members this Friday at 3pm UK time. For good.

If you’ve been considering joining, now is the time.

Strategic Growth is my original coaching programme. For the past two years, it’s helped over 50 founders get clear on what they’re actually building, get into their numbers properly and make real progress on the operational shifts that move revenue without adding more hours.

But I’m moving my focus entirely to CALMM, my premium programme for founders ready to scale past 30k months systematically. 

Strategic Growth has done its job. 
Now it’s time to close this chapter.

The group continues with whoever’s inside it come Friday. If you’ve been thinking about joining, this is your last chance.

What you get inside:

✅ The Complete Strategic Growth Framework - the exact methodology I’ve used with founders to double revenue, boost profits and reclaim time

✅ Your Own Bespoke Growth Roadmap based on what your business actually needs

✅ Weekly Coaching & Implementation Sessions where we work through your specific challenges in real time

✅ Expert Masterminds with hand-picked specialists in marketing, sales, operations, and finance

✅ Comprehensive Tool Library - templates, frameworks, and resources you can use immediately

✅ Private Community of other founders committed to strategic growth

✅ Direct Access to Me - one full day every week dedicated to this group

The investment: £1,200 for six months (or £225/month)

Once Strategic Growth closes, this level of support won’t be available at this investment level again. CALMM is £9,000 for six months. If you’re not quite ready for that but you know you need help building on solid ground, this is your opportunity.

This isn’t for everyone. If you’re looking for overnight success or shortcuts, this won’t work for you.

But if you’re committed to building something sustainable and profitable while reclaiming your time and sanity - apply here: https://tally.so/r/zxMMKk

P.S. There’s a massive FAQs doc inside the link if you still have questions

Who wants to co-work / live with me in Bali for a month? Genuine question.

Last year, I spent a few weeks working from Bali and it was insanely good for me.

✔️ sunshine
✔️ (delicious) healthy food
✔️ yoga / Pilates / gym
✔️ surrounded by creatives

I was the healthiest I’ve been in years and progress on my business was effortless.

I plan to do the same from 
early April for at least a month.

The apartment I want to rent sleeps 3.

I’d love to spend this time 
with 2 other people building 
something they care deeply about.

We did this last year, all on our own schedule, but coming together for 
the odd coffee, dinner or cowork.

It was perfect.

DM me if you’re seriously interested ☀️🌴

Hidden inside your business, you already have the key to scaling faster with half the stress. You just haven't found it yet.

I see this pattern constantly with six-figure founders. 

They've built solid businesses, but growth has 
stalled because the work is too scattered to scale.

Here's what they're missing: somewhere in their past projects, there's a clear pattern. The work that energised them, made solid profit, got incredible results and created raving fans.

Once they find it, sales get easier, pricing 
becomes defendable, delivery gets smoother.

That's the work worth scaling.

In my latest YouTube video I take you through my full process to find yours, worksheets 'n' all.

Link here to watch: https://lnkd.in/es26MrBs

"We had a great month last month."
"Oh brilliant — what made it great?"
Pause.

"Well... revenue was up."

"What drove that? Was it a particular service? New clients or existing ones spending more? Higher margins or just more volume?"


Longer pause.




This conversation happens constantly. 

Founders can tell me they had a good 
month, but they can't tell me why. Which 
means they've got no idea how to repeat it.

The same thing happens when growth stalls. 

"We've been stuck at 30k for six months." 

But when I ask what's changed or where the blockage actually is, there's just... guessing.

This the best way I can describe the visibility 
problem I see in busy, growing businesses.

I've just put out a video on the three most common visibility gaps I see keeping founders stuck at this level - the ones that mean you can't tell a good month from a lucky one, or spot what's blocking growth before it costs you another six months.

If you've had that "I don't actually know" moment more than once lately, watch this: https://lnkd.in/e8At44mU

P.S. Do you find yourself feeling like you don’t want to look because you don’t want to know?

If you're not loving your business despite it technically 'working', i.e. it's generating revenue and people love your products/services, my guess would be that this is the issue:

The business you've built doesn't match the business you actually want.

Here's what I've learned working with hundreds of founders: gratitude and misalignment can exist at the same time.

You can be proud of what you've built 
and still recognise it's not what you want.

You can feel successful from the outside 
and still dread Monday mornings. 

You can be hitting revenue targets and 
still fantasise about shutting it all down.

And the worst part? 

You feel guilty for feeling this way. 

Because you've built something 
that works. People depend on you. 

Shouldn't you just be grateful?

But alignment isn't a luxury you figure out once the business is successful. It's the foundation that makes success feel like something worth having.

Taking time to get clear on what you actually want feels slow. It feels like you're not making progress while everyone else is charging ahead.

But pushing forward with misalignment is the slowest thing of all. Because you can work incredibly hard for years and end up somewhere you never wanted to be in the first place.

Today’s episode of Faster. Slower. explores what alignment really means and how to get started if yours is feeling out of whack. 

Listen here on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/e3duf5rN
Here on Apple: https://lnkd.in/eumu_hPA

P.S. Listen to podcasts on another platform? Let me know what it is and we’ll try to add it!

If I was to host a business retreat at the chapel in the spring, what would you vote for?

Yesterday, I shared some progress shots of the chapel I bought 2 years ago and a number of people messaged me to say WHEN ARE YOU HOLDING A RETREAT HERE??

And I thought: fuck it, why not.

So, I’m curious - what would you be more drawn to?

Option 1: more business / tactical i.e. come away with various tangible actions nailed like your offer refined, your financial forecast working, your content mapped for 3 months, etc.

Option 2: more big picture thinking / strategy mixed with zen, spa vibes.

Option 3: one very focused end-to-end mission ie “launch your podcast in 3 days”.

Whatever we go for it’ll definitely include:

☀️ long countryside walks / deer spotting
☀️ jacuzzi time
☀️ deep, open talks on founder life
☀️ soul nourishing food
☀️ business challenge hot seats
☀️ guest sessions (topics tbc depending on the outcome of the poll)

Any and all other ideas welcome!

The author can see how you vote. Learn more

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