Different Words, Same Story: Why We Interview the Team, Not Just the Business Owner
- James Ashlin
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
Why We Interview the Team, Not Just the Business Owner
One of the questions we're sometimes asked at ActionCOACH Video is why we spend time interviewing multiple members of a team when creating a business video.
Surely the owner knows the business best?
In many ways, they do.
They built the company, set the standards, and shaped the culture. They're often the best person to explain why the business exists and what it stands for.
But a business is experienced through the people who work in it every day.
That's why we like to hear from more than one voice.
Different Words, Same Story
Recently, we filmed AP Dental and spent time interviewing several members of the team alongside the practice leadership.
The owner spoke about treating patients like family and making recommendations based on what they genuinely felt was best for each individual.
It was a clear philosophy and easy to understand.
As we moved through the interviews, something interesting started happening.
Different members of the team began describing the practice in their own way.
One person talked about how supportive everyone was.
Another described it as the best practice they'd worked in.
Someone else spoke about the family atmosphere.
Others mentioned communication, teamwork, and the relationships they had with colleagues and patients.
Nobody was trying to give the same answer.
Nobody had been handed a script.
Yet the same themes kept appearing.
Different words, same story.
That's usually a sign that you're seeing the real culture of a business.
Staff See The Business From A Different Angle
Business owners naturally see things from a leadership perspective.
Their team experiences the business in a different way.
Reception staff see how patients feel when they first walk through the door.
Nurses spend hours supporting patients during appointments.
Clinicians build trust with people over months and years.
Each person sees something slightly different.
When those perspectives come together, you get a much fuller picture of what the business is actually like.
For a dental practice, that's especially important because patients interact with the whole team throughout their journey.
The Best Moments Are Often Unplanned
One of the comments that stood out during filming came from a team member who said:
"I'm obviously not getting paid for saying this, but the boss is really nice, the staff are really nice, and the patients are really great as well."
It's not a polished marketing line.
Most business owners would never write it into a script.
That's exactly why it works.
It sounds like something someone would genuinely say to a friend.
Those moments often become some of the strongest parts of a video because they feel natural and honest.
People trust real experiences.
Culture Shows Up In Conversation
At ActionCOACH UK, a lot of attention is given to culture because it plays such a big role in how businesses grow.
What interests us when filming is whether that culture shows up naturally in conversation.
When team members describe similar experiences without being prompted, it tells you a lot.
You start to hear the same values repeated through different stories.
You hear people talk about how they're treated, how they work together, and why they've stayed with the business.
Those insights carry weight because they're based on experience rather than intention.
Better Interviews Create Better Stories
From a filmmaking point of view, interviewing several people gives us far more to work with.
One person might talk about customer care.
Another might focus on teamwork.
Someone else might explain why they've been with the business for years.
Each interview adds another layer to the story.
The finished video feels more rounded because viewers aren't hearing a single perspective for three minutes. They're hearing how different people experience the same business.
What We Learned From AP Dental
The strongest message from the project wasn't delivered by one person.
It came from hearing the same values reflected across the team.
Patient care.
Supportive colleagues.
Strong relationships.
A workplace where people enjoy coming to work.
Those themes appeared again and again throughout the interviews.
That's why we make time to speak with more than just the owner whenever possible.
The owner can explain the vision.
The team shows what that vision looks like in practice.
And that's often where the most interesting stories are found.
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