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David Dugan is a business coach and mentor for entrepreneurs. He develops relationships with small to medium business owners who are dedicated to creating financial and emotional growth, hosting events and workshops such as his ‘You Got This! Retreat’. David began his career as a dentist, eventually joining the armed forces where he became a […]
You don’t often hear the word joy come up when you think about the subject of business optimisation. But that’s one of the reasons why David Dugan’s approach to business coaching and mentoring is so unique, not to mention successful. David is a former naval commander turned high-level business coach (an inspiring story of grit […]
Ever had a frugal customer? You give a lovely presentation about the benefits of your business, but the client is still sitting in their chair with their arms crossed. You can hear the hesitation in their voice. When a depleting bank account is all your client can think about, it can lead to some tense […]
Can you predict the future? If you are only thinking about this moment, then, no. Taking your business one day at a time is like driving through a fog storm- you can only see a few feet in front of you but can’t see the tree that fell down a kilometer away. If you don’t […]
Never skip a holiday. As entrepreneurs, it’s no secret that we love to put time into growing our business. But what happens when that starts to take over everything else? Recently, I was having a chat with one of my clients who had spent a great deal of time building his business. He’d achieved a […]
Are you scaling or growing? A lot of entrepreneurs want to scale their business but many of them actually end up growing instead. But surely both are great? True, both can have a positive impact on your business. But if you’re looking to get ahead in the game, scaling is your way to go. By […]
What is money, really? Is it good? Is it evil? What does it mean to you?
“If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” These wise words from Peter Drucker have stuck with me throughout the life of my business. But what exactly was he talking about? In business, if you want to have success, you need to keep track of many different metrics so you can see how your […]
Here’s a question… “Have you ever thought that you were put on this planet to do more than what you’re doing right now?” My awakening to this exact question came in 2005. I was a commander in the Navy and had spent three months in Indonesia, helping with the clean up of one of the […]
Are you expecting too much from your next hire? I’ve seen so many businesses write job descriptions for the “perfect” person to add to their team. They are looking for a unicorn…that doesn’t exist. Honestly, anyone can come into an interview dressed up as a unicorn and be a donkey in disguise. They know what […]
Where to now? Not knowing your next step in business can be one of the most frustrating things. It’s easy for corporate professionals as there’s a clear career progression plan, but entrepreneurs are often at a loss. It’s important to not let this kind of thing overwhelm you. It would be great to have a […]
With great power comes great responsibility. Being the boss or CEO of a company can be great, and it can look even greater from the outside. The truth is running a team is much more of a support role than a leadership role despite the way the media portray things. There are many ups and […]
Are sales synonymous with sleazy? We all know the uncomfortable feeling when a salesperson at a clothing store is pushing us to buy items we don’t want. It makes us feel like a pile of money instead of a person. I’m assuming that that is the LAST feeling you want to give your customers. You […]
Have you ever felt absolutely exhausted and burnt out doing sales? You’re not alone. Many companies structure their sales departments to hit rolling quarterly targets. These targets are usually the brainchild of some psychotic CEO who needs to present figures to a board or shareholders. After about two or three years, the CEO themselves is […]
We could all learn a thing or two from the military. Spending 18 years in the navy has taught me a lot about leadership. On the other hand, being an entrepreneur has also allowed me to discover even more. There are many things I felt after leaving the military. At times, I was disgruntled looking […]
Two words that give entrepreneurs anxiety: profit and loss. When you think about your profit and loss statement, do you feel like your high school math class didn’t prepare you for this? But you need to have a strong grasp on it in order to make sure your business is growing. You don’t need to […]
Sometimes, you employ the wrong people. When I started out in my business, I was so motivated to make a difference for my employees and make an impact on my business. But after a while, I saw my team’s motivation decreasing by the week. This was seriously frustrating for me. One team member eventually left. […]
How well does your business solve problems? Many businesses are started with one objective in mind: to solve a problem. This is as true today as it was in the past. Talk to any famous entrepreneur today and they’ll share the same sentiment. Businesses may have been set up to serve a specific market or […]
How do you talk about your passion without sounding pushy? I know that you talk about your passion a lot and it lights a fire inside of you, but if you are new to the game, it can sometimes sound like you are desperate to get that sale. You go on autopilot and regurgitate the […]
Did you know that there are seven words that can eradicate stress immediately? I was under a huge amount of pressure back in 2003 to 2015. It was the second Gulf War. I was a lieutenant commander in the Australian navy, and I was in charge of the operational section that helped ships go into […]
Here are three reasons why bosses need bosses. Today, I get to work with a lot of amazing entrepreneurs. Also, in my days as a Commander in the Navy I worked with a lot of leaders who were also doing incredible thing. What I realised is that the best leaders were the ones that put […]
We could all use more energy. Walk into an office today and you’ll likely come across a lot of people looking exhausted. Morning or night, it doesn’t make a difference. This is because there are a number of things that happen when you run a business, in or outside an office, which can exhaust you. […]
How do you bring joy? As entrepreneurs, we often start our own business for a variety of reasons. One of my reasons was enjoyment. We seek to improve our lives by spending time working on what makes us happy. But what happens when that labour of love starts turning into a full-time, 24/7 job? From […]
can’t hack sleep. I’ve heard too many claims from people saying they can survive on a smaller amount of sleep due to some trick or hack. One lady even told me she only needed 4 hours a night. I’ve got to say, I don’t buy it. It might be sustainable for a busy week. But […]
Are you a Who-er? These days, too many entrepreneurs are jumping around looking for the next best thing instead of focusing on one thing. But if your desire is to expand your business, then you should change your ways. The right thing to do is to focus on the right business strategy at the right […]
Learn to create a bridge between the problem and the solution. Find out how to stop trading time for money. Business coach, David Dugan, shares how to scale and leverage your business. David Dugan is a Business Coach, Lead Mentor for the Elite 500 Mastermind Group and co-author of the book ‘Bullet Proof Business: Smart […]
What does surfing and business have in common? This might sound odd but give me a chance. Surfing and business might be completely different activities, but they share a lot in common. Both require an extreme amount of discipline to have any kind of success. And in both cases, it seems like an uphill struggle. […]
Don’t fall in love with your product. The more wrapped up you are with your product, the easier it’ll be for you to lose track of your client’s desires. I understand that you might have a successful business because of your product, but if you want to continue growing, you need to pay attention to […]
Entrepreneurship is hard. There’s no hiding it. Especially in the beginning. For some people, their industry is great so they have an easy start and don’t look back. But they’re not in the majority. The difference between these fast-growing businesses and the slow ones is a single flame. The fast ones tend to grow and […]
Your business and personal life don’t always get along. In the beginning, running my business alongside having a family caused a lot of clashes. The problem? There’s no such thing as balance. The more we focus on balance, the more harm we bring. Instead, opt for harmony. This is the only way you can reconcile […]
Well, we made it. 50 episodes since we first sat in front of our shiny new microphones and uttered those words… “welcome to the Tradies Business Show”. It’s been a fantastic journey (so far!) and we’ve learned a lot. We’d also like to think the show keeps getting better and we’ve got more planned for […]
Are you cheating on your business? At different times throughout your business journey, you might be tempted by different business ideas. This happens to many of us. But it’s important to understand exactly why it’s happening. If your current business isn’t providing you with the things you need such as intellectual challenge or the financial […]
David Dugan is the business Elite500 Mastermind, where he uses his unique educational, professional and personal experiences to be one of the best business coaches. What fuels his passion to help other entrepreneurs his is deep love for helping other people to achieve their ultimate success. David served in the Australian Navy for 18 years […]
Most entrepreneurs don’t regularly monitor their finances. Surprised? You should be! It’s no secret that businesses should always keep track of their funds. But the truth is most businesses have no idea what’s actually going on. Worse yet, accountants and bookies can also be blissfully unaware. As entrepreneurs, we should know what’s happening with our […]
Shame. It’s a powerful emotion which affects many of us. No matter what stage you are in life or in business, anyone can experience it. Most recently, I came across an occasion where some of the top experts in certain industries were expressing feelings of shame despite their reputation and success. This was surprising considering […]
Don’t put all of your eggs into one basket. Entrepreneurs have a habit of focusing too much on the ‘now’ aspect of their business. This stage involves devoting all of your energy to your current projects. This can appear to be a smart move. It’s only logical, right? “Get this done then focus on other […]
David Dugan grew his business from nothing to 10k per month through leveraging the power of partnerships. In this interview, he shares his strategy and lessons to help you start to tap into the power of leveraged partnerships. After 14 years of mentoring high performance individuals and five tertiary qualifications in his pocket, David has […]
What kind of lifestyle do you want? Most business owners are content with the idea of taking whatever money is left over from their business at the end of the month and living off that. While this can work, it may actually prevent you from being true to yourself and living the life you want. […]
Wouldn’t it be great if you could learn from one of the greatest investing minds around? Well you’re in luck, in this weeks episode of the Get Invested podcast, you’ll get a chance to do just that. Dr. David Dugan has had a massively varied career, he has been a business mentor, navy commander, dentist, […]
