Ian's Story

As the only kid in school without a television, I developed a keen imagination at an early age, incubating my first ideas via the medium of Lego. When our first TV set finally arrived, I was so fascinated I set my ambition to work in broadcasting. My school headmaster didn’t agree, telling me to study company secretaryship instead. Fortunately I ignored him and a few months later my childhood dream was realised when I got my lucky break reading the gig guide - something I used to do at breakneck speed - on the BBC Essex youth/indie show Revolver. I was soon co-hosting the show, playing my own records and interviewing people I admired. My interview  debut - with local guitar hero Billy Bragg - received a ‘don’t you ever f**king do that again’ reaction from the Executive Producer after my teenage interview style strayed into party politics and earned an on-air disclaimer. Three years at university gave me experience in everything from student union politics to presenting student radio (oh, and a media degree). After university I got a job as a runner in a TV production company, where the highlight of my apprenticeship was standing behind HRH Prince Charles in a shoot to protect a lighting tripod falling on him. Once I’d paid my dues photocopying, making the tea and protecting the future King of England, I became post-production assistant on Channel 4’s Friday At The Dome, and worked on a film drama ‘The House Of Bernarda Alba’ starring Glenda Jackson.
I then joined Sol Entertainment, a live event production company supported by Sol beer. As well as consuming copious amounts of Mexican beer, my role here included promoting the Radio 1 American Music Festival. When both my bosses managed to get stranded at international airports, I found myself one lunchtime at Broadcasting House making a presentation to a room full of Radio 1 DJs.
In 1993 I joined Unique Broadcasting where I set out to work in every single part of the business: interviewing Christian Slater, producing Mr.Blobby in a live event, co-ordinating the BBC’s first Music Live event and managing a production of Salad Days for Radio Two/ EMI at Abbey Road. After managing backstage facilities at The Prince’s Trust Party In The Park and a series of MTV Europe Music Awards around the continent, I was appointed MD of production services company Unique Facilities, a role I juggled with managing Financial Times Radio, a joint venture with Pearson and ABC Radio Networks. I launched an in-store radio service for Gala Bingo, produced video content for McDonald’s at The Millennium Dome and launched an online radio station for Cartoon Network.
When Unique floated as UBC Media Group plc in 2000, I took the leap to set up my own consultancy business, securing UBC, its shareholder Noel Edmonds and MTV Europe as my first clients. I went on to help many businesses take their ideas to market: I was digital consultant to Classic Gold and Noel’s Unique Digital Ventures, advisor to the Bluw Group, and acted as interim marketing director at Epoch Innovation Inc’s tech start-up Brightstar.  I also founded a boutique content production business Ignission that created websites for parliamentarians (amongst other projects) and was a founding member of Open Top Music, a music management start-up.
In 2005 I launched OHM London, a small-but-perfectly-formed marketing agency servicing clients including Benetton, MTV Studios, Channel 4's Oneword Radio and Classic FM. Then in 2009 I wrapped up my activities into the Ian Sanders Company. As well as writing three books, being a prolific blogger and a contributor to business websites I have also spoken at South By South West Interactive in Austin, Texas (2009 and 2010) and at London's Royal College Of Art. I’ve been profiled in the Financial Times, appeared in The New York Times, Esquire magazine and The Guardian, and been a guest on local radio in the US, Ireland and UK.
I’m a self confessed ideas junkie.
Who knows what’s next? I don’t (and I kind of like it that way).
I live by the coast in Leigh-on-Sea, 30 miles east of London where I find it a great place to incubate awesome ideas. You’ll usually find me in a coffee shop, brainstorming over an espresso.