Back Third Founders on Scaling Creativity Without Killing the Spark

In this episode of Fixers & Founders, we sit down with Benjie Hughes and Anna Hammond — the visionary/fixer duo behind Back Third Entertainment, a creative company that blended live music, wedding events, and recording into one unforgettable ride.

Benjie shares how he knew it was time to pivot from passion to process, transforming a traditional studio into a 24/7 coworking space. Anna reflects on finding her voice and value not as a sidekick, but as a builder — shaping the systems that allowed the chaos of creativity to scale.

Together, they unpack what it takes to run a business rooted in art and anchored in execution — and why autonomy, trust, and good spreadsheets are everything. This is one for the founders building in real time.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction to Fixers and Founders

01:30 – Meet Benjie & Anna of Back Third

03:05 – Defining Roles Through Personality Gears

06:27 – What It Takes to Run a Music & Events Company

10:18 – When Derek's Baby Came Early

11:17 – Systems vs Spark: Finding the Balance

13:12 – Big Pivots: From Studio to Coworking Space

15:58 – What They Took Into Their Current Work

21:23 – Soundtrack of the Era

22:36 – Small Moments, Big Impact

28:59 – Outro

Connect with Benjie & Anna

🔗 Benjie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjiehughes/

🔗 Anna’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annahammond/

Mentioned in this episode:

📘 Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belsky

📘 The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E Gerber

Intro & Outro Music: “Which One Is the Jellyfish?” by Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin

Used with permission under a non-exclusive license.

Bandcamp: https://auntcynthiascabin.bandcamp.com

Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/66kb7d5jDmTkMSs1XcOXTQ⁠

Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/auntcynthiascabin

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/auntcynthiascabin