Dynamic Duos: The master and his apprentice

This week in Dynamic Duos, we hear from Abe’s Audio founder Abe Udy, and chief operating officer Harry Badcock.

October 24, 2025 8:00

In Dynamic Duos, Mumbrella each week asks two colleagues with a professional and personal affiliation to share with readers the importance of workplace relationships in an increasingly hybridised world of work.

Abe Udy:

I first met a young Harry in 2008 when he answered an ad I’d placed looking for a wedding DJ to work for me. But once I’d met him, I could tell that his skills extended far beyond just playing the Macarena, and I hired him to join my fledgling audio production company as a junior audio producer.

Harry was a gun. He was creative, easy-going, very likable, and had an X-factor – clients loved him!

After hearing how he interacted with clients, I soon realised he was much more than simply an audio producer. He had an X-factor – people really liked him – and he started naturally building relationships with our clients. I also noticed he was a natural leader; our team respected Harry (some years older than him), and he was a valuable contributor to our culture.

After a few more years, Harry (sadly) left for an overseas adventure. But several years later, we reconnected. Harry had grown and gained experience working in both account manager and station manager roles for ARN.

So, I invited Harry to return to a newly created Client Partnerships role, and then to take on the role of COO.

As a founder, letting go and delegating many of the things I once did (because there was no one else to do them) has been a learning process. But it’s a pleasure to work closely with Harry as I’ve done this. I trust him implicitly, we work well and closely together, and I really appreciate and value his friendship, guidance, discernment and wisdom. He is also a family man, and it’s been a pleasure to support and do life with his young family.

Harry really cares about the business – and treats it as his own – a rare thing. We are also both galvanisers – in that we naturally pull people together for a common goal. It’s a trait that helped me get clients when I first started the business, and one that Harry naturally leans into when he’s working with our existing clients or chatting with new prospects. I love working with him, and am very fortunate to have him as part of our leadership team.

Harry Badcock:

I first met Abe when I was 17. I was finishing up my diploma in sound production and answered an ad in the local newspaper for a DJ, and I went into Abe’s Audio for an interview. While I was there, I stumbled across this incredible studio, just five minutes from my house. I remember thinking, “Whoa, what is this place?”

I ended up chatting with Abe, and we just clicked straight away. I asked if I could do some work experience to fulfil a requirement for my diploma, and he said yes. At the end of that week, he actually offered me a job. I completed my studies, joined the team as an audio engineer, and worked with Abe for seven years.

After that, I stepped away for around seven years, but we always kept in touch. Then, three years ago, I came back, and I often joke to Abe that I do seven years on, seven years off. So we’ll see what happens in the next chapter.

What’s kept us connected over all these years is that we’ve got a great relationship that’s built on trust, respect, and a shared passion for creating really great audio. Abe and I share a lot of the same habits, hard work, are passionate, and have a drive to keep moving forward within the industry. But we balance each other out in ways that make working together both productive and fun. That’s why, after all these years, we still enjoy working alongside each other.

Abe on Harry:

Most memorable moment with Harry: Driving down the highway to our Launceston office with 2ks of fuel left in the tank, and being 15ks from the nearest fuel station. It was touch-and-go for a while!

Best word to describe him: Trustworthy.

Most annoying habit or endearing behaviour he has: Both annoying and endearing – he seems to only own two shirts (both brown), so photos of our team over the years look very boring!

Harry on Abe:

Most memorable moment with Harry: There are honestly so many memorable moments. But if I had to pick one standout, it would be the support he gave me in my personal life.

There was a time when I needed to step back from full-time work for a short period, and Abe was there for me the whole way through. He adjusted my hours, reduced my days, and made sure I had the space I needed.

It was only for a couple of months, but it meant the world to me and my family. That kind of support really showed his character, not just as a leader but as a person who genuinely cares about the people he works with. That, for me, is one of the most memorable things and a perfect example of what makes Abe so special.

Best word to describe him: Passionate.

Most annoying habit or endearing behaviour he has: One of Abe’s habits is what we like to call “digging holes.” He has this way of working where he’ll go down a rabbit hole on something, and before you know it, he’s dug himself deeper and deeper.

But the funny thing is, he always manages to climb back out with style. It’s become such a running joke around here that one Christmas, the whole team bandied together and bought him a golden shovel as a gift. It was our way of saying, “Yep, you’ve dug yourself a hole again, but we love watching you get out of it.” It’s classic Abe!