#SeriouslySocial The Podcast
with Simone Douglas and special guest Bevan Jones from Legends with Bevo
transcript
Chris Irving :
Welcome to the seriously social podcast with your host Simone Douglas. This episode features an interview with Bevan Jones from Legends with Bevo.
Simone Douglas :
So today on this seriously social podcast I’m lucky enough to be joined by Bevan Jones from Legends with Bevo. So I’ve known Bevan now for on and off for about five years because we met on LinkedIn originally. So Bevan, thank you for joining me today,
Bevan Jones :
Simone, great to be here. And I’m very excited about your new podcast. Thanks for getting me on.
Simone Douglas :
Well, you’re actually officially our very first guest. So I’m pretty excited by that too . So I guess one of the things that would be great to talk about is you you really do you run an entire show. By finding your guests and networking online, what do you think is the secret to your success in terms of that? How are you making that work for you?
Bevan Jones :
Yeah, it’s a good question, especially the last few months we’ve covered. That’s been a really interesting period, because I’ve been able to connect with a lot of people on LinkedIn, you mentioned LinkedIn before. And that’s been wonderful. And especially with all these people wanting to you know, you’re having a lot more spare time to be able to do zooms and never even heard of zoom before COVID. And so it’s been a bit of a blessing in disguise, obviously, terrible situation we’re in but that’s been really one of the positives is that I’ve been able to get to chat to all these amazing people around Australia around the world. And yeah, just in terms of networking, it’s just been a case of just reaching out to them, not being shy. Like I’m not shy to talk to people in person or online. It’s obviously you got to be prepared for rejection and that sort of thing, but that’s okay. Because everyone’s busy. And some people say yes, some people say no, but I figured the more paper you try, the more likelihood you’ve got of getting paid. When it’s been an amazing few months for Legends with Bevo, and also my, my views, and I guess my reach has increased a lot over the last few months. And that’s been by, by networking reaching out to people and that sort of thing. And by just having that sort of will and desire to just have a crack and not be afraid to get rejected by people.
Simone Douglas :
Well, I think you raise a really interesting point because being willing to ask for exactly what you want is how I’ve ended up with three businesses and doing what I’m doing today. So you know, go back. Eight years ago, I saw a lady speak Hazel Walker, she was out from the States. And she said that too often people don’t ask for what they want, because they’re terrified of hearing the word no. What has been the most amazing thing that you’ve managed to achieve just by asking?
Bevan Jones :
I’ll probably it’s been a few different ones because I’ve had some incredible people the last few months and also wouldn’t want to single out anyone particular, but I guess I’m speaking off air before one of the most unrealistic things I’ll suppose was that I was watching the voice on on a Saturday afternoon just behind switching channels, just chilling out a bit. And on came a guy called Mark Fers. Now, he’s previously been on Home Away, and I still have Home Away back in the day, I don’t get to watch as much nowadays. Don’t hold that against the people that are watching or listening out there. And he was just a really good performer, and just had that really nice, laid back sort of vibe about him. So I thought, now I might just give it a crack and just message him on Instagram and, and see if he replies and if he doesn’t, that’s fine. But he actually replied that same night and managed to infuriate him. And he was just one of the nicest blokes ever. He’s actually really good friends of Chris Hemsworth. So we spoke about their friendship, and he’s also good friends with Sebastian as well. So spoke about that. And yeah, just I’ve sort of found that he was so down to earth and so nice, and that’s a perfect example of, of reaching out to people. And I said, I don’t want to sort of think that people are such a thought that was a really good example of not being afraid to con tact people that you think might be grate for a chat and goes for anyone, I suppose.
Simone Douglas :
Yeah. And I think with that, you often find that if you’re reaching out to people with the idea of just starting to form a relationship that will carry over time that people are happy to have a chart because you’re not selling them, necessarily. So it’s definitely been my experience that when you go out of your way to just help people for the sake of helping people, then the universe delivers up in return. So what has been, I guess, the most interesting thing that’s happened to you in your career, across the board in terms of that kind of thing of someone unexpectedly, you know, connecting the dots for you or helping you in some way that you didn’t think they would?
Bevan Jones :
Yeah, that’s a really good question. There’s been a lot of examples of that. But I guess going back to again, the last few months. One really unexpected situation was getting to chat to diesel, which is also obviously known as Johnny Diesel back in the day, and now better known as Mark Lizotte and he sort of played crime shaming, you know, whilst on the zoom chat, and that was one of the coolest things ever and, and I thought, wow, this is really cool. Like, I contacted someone from Mushroom Records that I sort of connected with a couple of years ago. And just again, a bit like Mark before I just Mark First I just reached out to them and said, Have you guys got anyone that might be out for a chat and was expected to sign now you know, everyone’s too busy, blah, blah with their own sort of stuff trying to deal with this Covid situation and then I’ve got this email saying, Diesel’s free this Friday and nearly fell off my chair. I’m like days will that be unbelievable and then famous chatting to him and and yeah, he was just such a nice bloke as well. So down to earth, and just to hear his his music journey and, um, you know, and after the chat, he’s quite we spoke a bit as well. And one thing I find is that these people that sort of speak to after the chat and are prepared to give their time just shows how nice people they are. And you know, there sometimes is perception that people can be arrogant, and he wouldn’t get the time of day to people for, but I don’t think that’s always the case. Everyone has ability, busy lifestyle, and, you know, the fact that giving you 15-20 minutes sometimes longer just shows that they’re, you know, really nice people. And I just find that really refreshing.
Simone Douglas :
Yeah, well, and I think like you said, there’s an assumption often that people aren’t, what’s the word available? And so you don’t ask. And then there’s also the thing of, you know, too many people then go chasing successful people trying to sell them things as opposed to having those conversations. And one of my favourite experiences in terms of just asking randomly for something was I went and spoke at social media revolution in 2014. So seems like a lifetime ago now. But it was in Canberra and all I did was I sent a tweet to the guy that was organising it going, are you looking for keynote speakers? Because it was the first big social media conference that had really been put on in Australia. And he said, Actually I am I’m like, Well, if you foot the bill for my flights and accommodation, I’ll come talk and he’s like, okay, so I flew over there, delivered my keynote. But after I delivered my keynote, one of my friends was a staffer for one of the MPs over there. So he organised for me to go and have a back of house tour of Parliament House, and all of this other stuff, which was really, really cool. But then, I had some more conference stuff that I had to do and I messaged him afterwards and I said, Oh, where are you? And he goes, are I’m at the Press Club, is the parliamentary Friends of the rugby. We’re watching the State of Origin. He goes, if you want to come by, I can get you in and I was like, no way. Oh, well, yeah. So I spent the night in Canberra drinking with, you know, the parliamentary Friends of the rugby, and then ended up at a bar with a bunch of MPs who should obviously remain nameless. But it was that was the first time I kind of looked at my life and when, if you prepared to ask for what you want, your life can read luck. At least once, and it really does like ever since then. Every time I am a smartass, that’s what I call it when asked for it or just like being a smartass things opportunities rain from the sky, and people open doors. So the best example was laugh about four weeks ago in the middle of COVID. We’re in the middle of shutdown. And obviously owning a pub, the pub is closed, I’m not making any revenue. And my landlord rings me. And I said to him, are you ringing me because he bought another pub? And he’s like, no, why would I do that? I said, Oh, well, you know, because if it was a public goal, or I’d became he goes, there are pubs for silent gold, or I’m like, we’ll go shopping and then we can chat. It looks like you know, in another couple of months, we’ll have another pub out that way. Awesome. And all because I just, you know, throw it out there. So I think if there was one thing on your bucket list that you really wanted to achieve in the next, I don’t know in the next two years. What would it be? Because I think maybe someone that’s listening to the podcast, maybe they can help you achieve it. Who knows?
Bevan Jones :
Yeah, there’s I guess there’s a couple of things in terms of that. One is sort of going forward, I was asked the other day what you want to do in terms of Legends With Bevo, and I’m not a comedian, or some people say I can be a funny guy, but I don’t try to be and so I can never say I’m going to be like Rob McManus. But I’d love to have my own talk show. Yeah, because I think I have the ability to be able to talk to people and I’ve been told I’m a good good inferior people and have the ability to get guests on so think maybe, I Graham Norton, but again, without that committed sort of side of things. Yeah, that would be really cool. Going forward as a bucket list thing. In terms of interviews, I’d love to interview someone from overseas like, obviously Michael Jordan would be the ultimate but that would be a massive ask. It’s watch the last dance and I was like, wow, this is just incredible. But that would be not. I don’t know. Seriously, that would be the obviously the my It’s impossible task ever to be able to chat to him, but it would be just be absolutely amazing. Yeah, or someone else from overseas because I really want to try and grow legends better overseas as well. So I think it’s got a it’s great to have it in Australia but I think people overseas would love to. They love Aussies. Yeah. So I think it’d be really cool to get over there as well. So someone from overseas, whether being personal visor, maybe not at the moment with the COVID, but maybe on zoom or something would be on the bucket list for sure. Yeah.
Simone Douglas :
Do you think like, from a digital perspective, a step to starting a talk show environment would be to do something like on Instagram TV or Facebook watch with that being where you might start with that kind of stuff?
Bevan Jones :
Yeah, that’d be really cool. For sure. Yeah. That’s something definitely that could look at as a possibility. Definitely. Yeah.
Simone Douglas :
Yeah. Well and the advantage then with like the zoom technology is of course, they don’t have to be right there with you even and so that geographic dispersement isn’t really an issue.
Bevan Jones :
Yeah. So you’ll talk more like a live perspective though. Yeah, pre- recorded. Yeah, yeah, that’s for sure. That would be, that’s something I’ve been looking at actually because I there are people I like watching other podcasts while other people do. And there’s a sort of show called the chat pack it’s in, in Melbourne. And they sort of do something a little bit similar to maybe whereby there’s some, but there’s two other people rather than just me by myself. Yeah. They sort of do like zoom live every Tuesday night from 730 to 930. And that seems to work pretty well. And I’ve actually started doing my own show with another guy called Jordan, Biggie Stephens, you may have seen before during the plane poll a couple years ago when he bought the Qantas plane and we did that so pre record on zoom, but definitely I would actually like to look into it and have had a bit of time to try and work out how to do Instagram or zoom live. Yeah. Because I think that’s whether it be with Legends with Bevo, or the Bevo and Biggie show, which has a lot to do with with Jordi. I think either of them definitely have, you have legs for sure.
Simone Douglas :
So if you were gonna give advice to a business owner that’s perhaps terrified of video seeing themselves on film hearing themselves on radio or on podcasts? What advice would you give them?
Bevan Jones :
That’s a really, really good question. And one I can definitely answer because a couple of years ago, I got my dream job as a breakfast announcer in the riverland. And now for those people that sort of don’t understand country radio, it’s very different to, to working in metropolitan radio. So, for example, say Jodi and Soda with a show 102.3 their breakfast show on Mix, they have producers, they have probably five or six staff helping them out every morning. And I was actually alone by myself during the panelling. I was doing the producing, I was announcing or doing everything by myself now. I’ve never really done much paddling before. So the first couple of weeks I was massively a fish out of water. And it was like basically a sink or swim situation. And those first couple weeks, I was like, Oh my goodness, I can’t do this is so hard and I’m live but I’m living my dream doing what I want to do. So it’s back in September 2017 I was up in the riverland working in Berri, sorry for 5RM on on radio there. And unfortunately, after six months, I won’t go into it. But they sort of, they said I wasn’t sort of what they were looking for on radio. But as we all know, it’s a pretty brutal industry. And I’ll go into detail but that’s, that’s the way it goes. And it’s actually made me more resilient person, if anything, and that’s a topic for another time. But I guess in terms of that was definitely a case of being thrown in the deep end in those first couple of weeks were terrifying. But by the end of those six months, and I guess that’s what frustrated me about losing the job because I felt like I’d really nailed it and I was getting the panelling good and everything was was going really well and sort of managed to get some huge names on you know, like Karen Ken Leeds, Amanda Keller’s Linda Granger from Home Away. You know, some, some big sports stars as well. And I felt like I was starting to really nail it and then, obviously, yet, the general manager wasn’t happy but that’s fine. That’s everyone has their own opinions on things. But I suppose if it was just a real challenge at the start for those first couple of weeks, I can mention to you, but I can just learn so much from that. And it just goes to show that if you’re prepared to do something and have a crack, even though it can be terrifying at first, it’s it’s all worthwhile. And I think those six months were just such an amazing experience for me. And in a way it’s Yeah, like I said, it’s made me a stronger, more resilient person. And I feel like I’m doing better now than what it was back then. Anyway, so
Simone Douglas :
I think that makes it makes you more prepared to take a risk. Yeah, in business, I think because you’ve raised a couple of points that I think are critical for success in business, which is you have to take that leap of faith. Even if you don’t really know how to do all the things that are in front of you, is very much a case of, you know, not taking your bat and ball and going home. So being prepared to keep moving and prepared to do what it takes and learn what you need to learn. And sometimes that means that we’re like ducks on the water, but it’s you know, that’s very much how my whole career has gone that way, you know, in terms of, you know, I’ve landed jobs, you know, historically that perhaps I shouldn’t have been able to lead. And I’ve worked really bloody hard to learn what it is that I need to learn. And it sounds like you very similarly do the same thing and you radio geek.
Bevan Jones :
Yeah, yeah, credit to you. And yeah, I can 100% agree with that, because I gave up a permanent job in government that was paying a hell of a lot more money to take the job in the riverland. And when I came back to Adelaide, I was basically left with nothing but and then I took another big risk by starting what was chewing the fat rebrands Legends with Bevo, late last year, so, and even then, I’ve been really fortunate to have a supportive partner and their wife, because, you know, from I’ve spent a lot of money on Legends with Bevo last couple of years on paying camera people and, you know, social media boosts and what have you, but I feel like now it’s starting to pay off and I’m heading right direction with it and again I’m lucky Simone I’m definitely a risk taker and but I believe that there’s no point doing something spending sort of five days a week or 40 hours a week, whatever it might be working a job that you just hate and I was in that situation. And now even though my pay is not what it wasn’t the government I’m loving my life at the moment doing what I love, and it just goes to show if you’re passionate about something, and you’re not enjoying where you are with your work situation last too short to be stuck doing a nine to five job you hate. Yeah, looking at the clock and stuff like that. So yeah, each their own some people were happy to just go through the motions and more, just have it in the good money and then go on holidays or whatever, and I don’t care about their work, but my priority, I’d rather enjoy my work more and earn less money, then have, you know, $120,000 a year doing something that makes sense.
Simone Douglas :
I think that’s a really nice spot to wrap it up in terms of, you know, life is too short. You only get one of them after all. So you know If you’re sitting there, maybe you’re listening to this and you’re not really sure where to start or where to start, and you’re in a job that you hate, and you’re looking at the clock, and resenting the fact that Sunday night and you have to go into Monday, then you know, maybe now’s the time to start thinking about what it is that really gets you excited about life and embrace that. Ask the people in your network to help open the door so you can make it happen, so that you can live a life that you love, like Bevan. So Bevan, thanks very much for joining me today.
Bevan Jones :
It’s been a blast, Simone. Thanks so much for having me all the very best in the podcast.
Chris Irving :
Thank you for listening to the seriously social podcast. See our website for more details at www.socialmediaaok.com.au/podcast. Check the show notes for credits music used in the programme and more details about our guests.