Summary
In this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration podcast, Richand Meri sit down with Dan, a serial entrepreneur whose journey spans resilience, innovation, and people-first leadership. Dan shares how an early mantra, “Tough times don’t last, tough people do” has shaped both his businessphilosophy and personal outlook, weaving this message throughout his story of setbacks and comebacks.
The conversation traces Dan’s path from an uncertain schoolleaver to founder of multiple companies. Dan opens up about pivotal moments:being told he’d never make it in marketing by a university lecturer, embracing adversity as motivation, and how he repeatedly built, and rebuilt businesses in sales, home insulation, and eventually the emergency safety tech sector. The hosts and Dan discuss the lessons learned through academic rejection, betrayal by business partners, challenging market changes, and financial risks that cam with a young family on the way.
Dan illustrates how he transformed obstacles into rocketfuel, leading teams with empathy, paying staff from his own pocket during toughtimes, and placing integrity at the core of his ventures. He delves into theinnovations behind his companies Ted Alert and Button, reflecting on the impact of portable emergency devices for the elderly, lone workers, and those seeking greater independence and wellbeing.
The episode explores modern business opportunities in ESGand AI-driven reporting, the role of mentorship, and the value of networking built on trust, mutual support, and shared ambition.
Dan’s leadership style shines through:-
focusing on incremental improvement ('1% better every day'), empowering and nurturing talent, and championing mental health, especially for men.
Listeners will find Dan’s story packed with actionableinsights on resilience, the critical importance of mindset, and the practical and moral power of lifting others as you climb. Dan leaves us with hard-wonwisdom: "Never tell me I can't do it. Because if you say I can't do it, I'm going to give it a go."
01:03 - Dan's Journey After School
04:02 - The Professor Who Said 'Never'
05:16 - From University to Door-to-Door Sales
08:58 - Building a Team and Facing Betrayal
12:15 - Starting Over: A Series of Setbacks
14:15 - A New Industry: Emergency Buttons
16:43 - Launching a Business on Faith
18:50 - How GPS Buttons Provide Freedom
22:24 - Anatomy of an Emergency Call
25:08 - Beyond the Elderly: Safety for Everyone
30:35 - Introducing 'Button' for Lone Workers
33:29 - Health & Safety as an Employee Perk
35:28 - Modern Dangers and Working From Home
37:16 - The Carer's Dilemma
38:14 - The Lone Worker Emergency Solution
42:23 - The Philosophy of Empowering People
44:04 - Nurturing Young Talent
47:11 - Inspiring Success Through Mentorship
52:42 - A Lesson from the Job Centre
55:20 - New Ventures: AI and Carbon Calculation
01:01:05 - Embracing AI Without Losing the Human Touch
01:04:00 - The Power of Teamwork and Networking
01:08:20 - Personal Drive and Overcoming Setbacks
01:10:12 - Learning from Family: A Different Path
01:13:11 - No Risk, No Reward: A Life Philosophy
01:15:58 - Future Plans: A Men's Mental Health Podcast
01:17:22 - Your Network is Your Net Worth
01:18:08 - The Mindset of a Leader: Reaching for the Stars
01:19:16 - Finding a Work-Life Balance
01:20:34 - The Power of a Positive Outlook
01:22:06 - Navigating Mental Health and Brotherhood
01:23:13 - Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Contact Dan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-doust-80990433/
TED Alert:
Special thanks to Charlie our film editor!
#ToughTimesDontLast, #ResilienceInBusiness,#EntrepreneurialJourney, #InnovationInSafety, #LeadershipLessons,#PeoplePowerSuccess, #1PercentBetterEveryDay, #MentalHealthMatters,#NeverGiveUpAttitude, #EmergencyTechInnovation
