Dark Arts

What does your business do, and who do you help?

We are a performance marketing agency that specialises in digital advertising, working across platforms such as Google, Microsoft, Meta and LinkedIn Ads. 

We mainly help small to medium businesses based in East Anglia, providing an affordable but expert service. I do, however, have plans to expand to the rest of the UK and eventually go international.

Why did you set up your business?

I think I always knew I’d end up running my own business. Employment never suited me and I think the whole system is backwards - I wanted to work for myself and be my own boss. 

I’ve tried (and failed) for years to start my own business - from dropshipping and podcasting to making a clothing brand and spoon jewellery - I’ve tried it all. 

In fact, this is my second time building a paid advertising agency - I first had the idea a few years ago and it nearly took off and then Covid happened and crushed that dream. 

But this time it worked! Essentially, I started my business because I wanted to build something for myself and stop working for others.

What stage of business are you in right now? (startup / scaling / established / exit planning / other)

Startup. I started freelancing in February 2025 and transitioned to agency around November 2025 time.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a business owner so far?

Learning to say no. As a new business, it’s very difficult to say no to paying work, even if it is something you don’t want to do.

It took me a while to learn this and I still struggle with this sometimes, but it’s something you have to stick with and have hope that the right people will see where you add value. 

Luckily, I have built a good network of professionals in similar fields over my decade in marketing, and can send them the work that’s not right for me.

What mistake taught you the most, and what did it change?

I have made many mistakes in my journey of getting to where I am now! But if I had to pick the one that taught me the most, I’d say it was putting all my hopes onto other people. 

Putting all my time and energy into one business and when it went away, I nearly lost everything. After that, I realised that the only one who was going to take me where I needed to go was me.

What do you know now that you wish you’d known at the start?

Proactivity is the key. Looking back, I wasted so much time thinking about what I needed/wanted to do that I wasn’t actually going and doing it. And that is what really gets things moving.

What’s one great resource you could recommend to other business owners (podcast, book, etc)?

The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Incredible book on strategy in times of war. It’s very applicable to business.

What habit, system or boundary has made the biggest difference to your business?

Planning my workload day-by-day. I use a Google sheet to plan out each day and if my computer/laptop is on, it’s 90% likely that sheet is open! It keeps me organised and efficient.

How do you make decisions when things feel uncertain or overwhelming?

I try not to rush things in these cases. Before I may have rushed in and got myself in an immediate catastrophe. 

I’m not the best at judging people/situations at face value, so I need some time - a couple days usually - to slow things down and weigh all my options. 

I also rely on my business friends and trust their judgement if I know they have a better grasp of something than I.

What advice would you give to someone one step behind you?

Try to be positive but also realistic. Things won’t always go your way and you may face setbacks, but it’s important to stick with it if you can and not to dwell on the negatives. 

That being said, sometimes, you need to know when to let go and try something else - it’s usually not the end of the world, even if it feels like it.

What does “success” look like for you now - and how has that changed?

For me, success is financial freedom and the ability to not let work govern my life. We should be working to live, not living to work. 10 years ago, my idea of success might have been to be filthy rich, have a swanky office and go on vacation all the time. 

Now, I just want to work in a profession I enjoy and one that allows me plenty of free time, and then I want to get out of the agency life and live peacefully in the countryside to read and write.