“Don’t Be a Wanker”: Dave Buonaguidi’s No-BS Leadership Rule

Naughty, and unfiltered – Dave Buonaguidi, ex-adman turned full-time artist, shares how he blew up a 35-year career, lost everything, and finally found joy. From co-founding iconic agencies like St. Luke’s and Karmarama to walking away from the industry (and his marriage) at 50, Dave tells it like it is – with plenty of swearing, sharp wit, and hard-won wisdom.

If you’ve ever wanted to throw out the rulebook and build life on your own damn terms, this episode is for you.

We Cover:
01:40 – “I just rebooted my life at 55” – The moment Dave walked away from it all

07:20 – Wearing a mask at work for 35 years

08:40 – Why he doesn’t see his past ventures as “success”

10:05 – The brutal reality of founding a business

12:00 – Ripping up the rulebook: doing things differently in advertising

15:00 – Starting over after losing his agency – and his marriage

18:20 – Going all-in with no plan B: the real reason he made it work

20:00 – “If you’re doing it for the money, f*ck off”

32:00 – Letting go: what Dave struggled with most

41:00 – “I jumped out the burning building” – on walking away from everything

42:20 – Why 2020 was the best year of his life

43:00 – Advice for anyone ready to change their life

46:40 – How a screen-printing class changed everything

Don’t miss out on this powerful episode. 

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Chapters

• 1:40 “I just rebooted my life at 55” – The moment Dave walked away from it all
• 7:20 Wearing a mask at work for 35 years
• 8:40 Why he doesn’t see his past ventures as “success”
• 10:05 The brutal reality of founding a business
• 12:00 Ripping up the rulebook: doing things differently in advertising
• 15:00 Starting over after losing his agency – and his marriage
• 18:20 Going all-in with no plan B: the real reason he made it work
• 20:00 “If you’re doing it for the money, f*ck off”
• 32:00 Letting go: what Dave struggled with most
• 41:00 “I jumped out the burning building” – on walking away from everything
• 42:20 Why 2020 was the best year of his life
• 43:00 Advice for anyone ready to change their life
• 46:40 How a screen-printing class changed everything