I sometimes write articles like this as a form of therapy. They remind me how fortunate I am to be doing what I do, but also how much work it took to get here.
More than a decade ago, I made the decision to dedicate myself to one goal: building Audio Animals into something special. Looking back now, the business has grown beyond what I originally imagined it could become.
At the beginning, though, the idea was much simpler. I wanted to create a job for myself in an industry where finding the right opportunity can be incredibly difficult.
If you're trying to build a career in the music industry and the job you want doesn't seem to exist, one option is to create it yourself. You probably won't start with a great salary, a huge client list or an impressive studio. Those things take time.
What matters is starting, learning and continuing to move forward.
What building a business taught me:
Failure Is Part of Building Something
One of the biggest problems people face when starting a business is feeling as though failure isn't an option. The reality is that things will go wrong. Ideas won't work, money will be wasted and decisions will be made that you later realise were mistakes.
Before Audio Animals became successful, I had already run two other businesses. They did reasonably well, but neither became life-changing.
What they gave me, however, was experience. Every mistake taught me something I could take into the next business. Over time, those lessons compound.
That's why I would approach starting a business completely differently today. Experience teaches you where to focus your time, what matters, what doesn't and which mistakes are worth avoiding.
What I've Learned Building Audio Animals
Hard Work
There is no substitute for putting serious time and effort into becoming good at what you do. The more focused hours you invest in your craft and your business, the faster you can learn, improve and move forward.
Create Opportunities
If the job you want doesn't exist, think about whether you can create it. Audio Animals started because I wanted to build an opportunity rather than spend my life waiting for somebody else to offer me one.
Accept Failure
You will make mistakes. Some ideas won't work and some decisions will cost you time or money. The important part is understanding why something failed and taking that knowledge into your next decision.
Be Visible
Being talented isn't always enough if nobody knows you exist. Share what you know, create useful content, meet people and become part of the industry you want to build your career in.
Keep Creating
There are people who primarily consume content and people who create it. Creating gives people a reason to discover you, learn from you and remember your name.
Control Your Expenses
Every pound spent trying to look successful is a pound that can't be invested into becoming successful. Especially in the early years, prioritise the things that genuinely move you and your business forward.
Build Momentum
Your first client might not change your life financially, but it proves somebody is willing to pay for what you offer. Then you find the next client, and the next. Momentum builds gradually.
Stay Focused
There will always be circumstances outside your control. Put your energy into the things you can influence: your skills, reputation, work ethic, finances, relationships and the quality of what you produce.
Hard Work
Everyone says you have to work hard to succeed, but the important question is what working hard actually means to you.
When I was building Audio Animals, I was willing to put an enormous amount of my time into it. While other people were relaxing, gaming or going out, I was usually working towards the next goal.
That doesn't mean everyone should literally work sixteen hours every day. There is a limit to what is sustainable. The point is that building something exceptional usually requires periods where you are prepared to give it more attention than the average person is willing to give.
The difference for me is that I've always genuinely loved doing this. Even when I'm technically not working, I'll often find myself doing something related to music, audio, equipment, content or the business because it's what I naturally enjoy.
People occasionally ask when I plan to retire. My answer is usually the same: I retired the day I started Audio Animals.
I get to walk into a studio and work with audio every day. There are stressful moments, of course, but fundamentally I'm fortunate enough to have built a career around something I would probably be doing anyway.
Get Yourself Out There
Create Content
Don't only consume what other people are making. Create something yourself. Articles, videos, tutorials, reviews and educational content all give people another opportunity to discover who you are and what you do.
Share What You Know
You don't have to know everything before you can be useful. Share your experience, explain what you've learned and document your journey. Valuable information builds trust over time.
Learn To Communicate
Communication is a skill that improves with practice. Creating content helped me become far more confident speaking publicly, explaining technical ideas and talking about the work I do.
Creating Content Changed Me As Well As The Business
One of the things I enjoy most is creating content. Technically, I don't have to do it, but it has had enormous benefits both for the business and for me personally.
Over the years, regularly making videos and talking about audio has made me far more confident communicating with people. I'm now asked to speak at schools and universities, and I genuinely enjoy doing it.
If you'd asked me to stand up and speak in front of people more than ten years ago, I probably couldn't have imagined anything worse.
Some of that change comes naturally with age and experience, but a huge part of it came from repeatedly practising communication. You can even see the difference if you compare some of my older YouTube videos with the way I communicate today.
Get The Bug
Trust me on this one: when the first genuine order arrives for something you've built yourself, something changes.
You realise that somebody you've never met is prepared to spend their money on a service or product you created. That feeling gives you a fire in your belly. You want to do it again.
I still get excited when orders come into Audio Animals today. The numbers might be different, the business might be bigger, but I haven't lost that feeling.
Watching a business develop is almost like watching something grow up. At first everything needs constant attention. Then it begins finding its feet. Eventually systems develop, the client base grows and the business starts building momentum of its own.
Don't panic if things start slowly. That's normal. Concentrate on getting the ball moving. Once momentum begins to build, use it.
Cut Down Your Expenses
Protect Your Cash
Especially while your business is growing, cash gives you options. It allows you to invest, advertise, upgrade equipment, survive difficult periods and take opportunities when they appear.
Reinvest In The Business
Before spending money on things designed to make you look successful, ask whether that money could generate a better return if it went back into the business.
Forget Appearances
Expensive clothes, cars and nights out don't build a company. There is nothing wrong with enjoying those things when you can comfortably afford them, but don't sacrifice your long-term goals simply to project an image of success.
Looking Successful And Being Successful Are Different Things
Material things have never been the end goal for me. Like anyone, I can appreciate a great car or something expensive, but I've always been more interested in what I can build.
It's very easy to spend money creating the appearance of success. Designer clothes, expensive nights out and cars on finance can make somebody look wealthy without telling you anything about their actual financial position.
I'd rather put that money into something productive. Better equipment. Better facilities. Advertising. Staff. Content. New products. Anything that can strengthen the business and create something with long-term value.
Get your priorities in the right order. Build first. Enjoy the rewards afterwards.
A Final Word...
Life can be difficult, and building a career in the audio industry certainly isn't easy. There will always be circumstances outside your control, but allowing those circumstances to become the permanent explanation for why you can't move forward won't get you any closer to where you want to be.
Focus on yourself and on the things you can actually change. Improve your skills. Build your reputation. Look after your finances. Create opportunities. Set yourself a goal and start moving towards it.
Be selective about the people around you as well. Spend time with people who are ambitious, positive about what you're building and genuinely want to see you succeed. The attitudes and standards of the people around you inevitably influence your own.
You don't need everybody to understand what you're trying to achieve. Keep your circle strong, stay focused and let the results speak for themselves.
I hope you've enjoyed reading this article. If there's one thing I can give back to people trying to build a career in the audio industry, it's the belief that creating your own path is possible.
I didn't start Audio Animals with everything figured out. I started with an idea, kept learning and kept going. If you're prepared to do the same, there's no reason you can't build something you're proud of too.