Diary of an Entrepreneur: Recent Episodes
Danny Lacey
The Diary of an Entrepreneur is an open, honest, and transparent account of my fight to grow a business from the ground up. I'm 10+ years into this journey and only in the last few years have things really started to take off. In each episode, you will hear an open account of the fires I'm having to put out, the teething issues of a fast-growing business, the good stuff, and all other aspects of the day-to-day running of a business - through the eyes of its CEO and Founder, Danny Lacey.
Related websites: https://www.stadamedia.co.uk https://www.dannylacey.business
Owning a business is an incredibly lonely place. All we want is to be everyone's friend. Truth is, you are nobody's friend.
We're talking about finances and how making the wrong decisions can have a disastrous effect on the growth of your business.
Let's look at systems and processes in business and the importance of having them in place as soon as you possibly can. It will save you time and money down the line. It could be the difference between achieving your goals and objectives, and not.
In this episode, it's all about finding your very first client. You have a great idea, you're ready to shout about it - but, you're freaking out at the thought of having to find that first paying customer. What to do? I have some experiences to share on this very subject.
You MUST have a business plan say all business mentors, coaches, experts, banks and other organisations. I agree, but not the old and outdated business plan templates that go on forever. In this episode, I open up and share my own process for creating a more bespoke business plan for Stada Media.
We are back after a 12-month break. It's been a hectic year of growth for the business and I'm excited to share all of that experience and knowledge in the coming episodes. So, what have we been up to over the last 12-months?
Running a business can be a very lonely place and can play havoc with your emotions. In this episode, I share my personal experiences of having to deal with the emotional and mental health side of growing a business and the lessons I have learned. I also share some tactics for dealing with heightened emotions that enables me to make better decisions.
Debt, most businesses will experience debt at some point (if not all the time) and in this episode, I talk about my experiences of dealing with debt in my business.
In this episode, I talk about how important it is to fire yourself as quickly as you can. As well as the importance of timing when it comes to hiring and firing other people in your business.
In this episode, I share just how important patience and momentum is in growing a business.
In this first episode of 2021, I share my methods on managing and growing a team and it all boils down to a Football analogy, and it just works. I also share how difficult it was for me to let go and allow others in on the business during the early days and just how important collaboration is for growing a successful business. Then there's the mental health aspect of working with your team and clients.
In this episode, I talk about the good, the bad and the unpredictability of running a business from the ground up. Sharing my experiences of spending 90% of my time putting our fires and 10% enjoying the wins in business. The effect it can have on your body, mind, finances and relationships.
In this episode, I spill the beans on growing and leading a team. Sharing my experiences of finding new talent and the whole recruitment process. Dealing with many different personalities, hiring and firing and the difference a good versus bad hire can have on the business.
In this episode, I share my experiences of attempting to grow a whole new side of the business that left me having to take a few giant steps backwards to regain focus and get us back on track. A good example of the consequences of trying to grow too quickly.
What you can expect in each episode of the Diary of an Entrepreneur. Join me on my business journey!
Staying focussed and organised has been one of my biggest challenges in business. Until I figured out my Operating System. In this episode I breakdown how I am able to remain focussed and move the needle for the business each week and how I deal with procrastination. I go into great detail in what makes up my operating system - including important documents, tools, and other resources.
In this episode, I share some of my experiences for acquiring new clients and generating new revenue for the business, including almost doubling our revenue one year. I talk about our company sales pipeline and why it's important to set targets for your sales efforts. You will also hear two methods I used for acquiring several of the companies biggest clients, without spending a penny.
In this episode, I share my darkest moments in business. The truly testing times that most business owners go through but many wouldn't dream of sharing publicly. I go into great detail on the struggles with cash flow and mounting debt, having to make redundancies, and the knock-on effect the stress and anxiety had on my mental health. Here's a link to my YouTube channel for the episodes of Diary of an Entrepreneur - https://youtu.be/mCSsZzFvQQQ
I have very clear memories of winning my first client for Stada Media, and the process I put myself through to acquire that client - which ended up being a well known national brand. I also share my experiences of hiring staff, including the steep learning curve after hiring my first member of staff and going from working in my spare room to an actual office. There's also that game-changing moment of us winning a six-figure contract to help set-up a TV channel on Sky TV for one of our clients and all within six-months.
I'm in the thick of growing a business from the ground up with the goal of achieving £10million in revenue in the near future. The Diary of an Entrepreneur is my pledge to share everything about this journey - the good, the bad, and everything in between. I wanted to start by looking back at where my journey began and my attempts to set up business in my teens and the important lessons learned. Welcome to the first episode of the Diary of an Entrepreneur. I wanted to start by setting the scene and a little back story on how I got to where I am today. In this first episode, I share my experiences of setting up (and failing with) two businesses while I was in my teens. My relentless pursuit of a career in radio and just how much all of these experiences have had a positive impact on me in later life.