Taking Big Risks: How David Jones Built a Billion-Dollar Brand Against All Odds | E54

Convinced that technology was the future of advertising, David Jones set out to build Brandtech. But again and again, investors rejected his model, doubting the potential of AI and digital technology in an industry where traditional models worked so well. Despite countless ‘no’s,’ David pressed on, believing he could redefine the industry. And that's exactly what he did. Today, he leads a billion-dollar company that blends tech and creativity to reshape advertising. In this episode, David shares actionable advice on staying resilient in the face of doubt, innovating in a traditional industry, and building a brand that stands out.

David Jones is a serial entrepreneur, bestselling author, and founder of The Brandtech Group, a pioneering digital and Gen AI marketing company. He is also the co-founder of One Young World, a global organization empowering young leaders to drive social and environmental change.

In this episode, Ilana and David will discuss:

- His 180° shift from sports to advertising

- The audacious cold call that got his foot in the door

- Climbing to the top by breaking every rule

- Finding courage by imagining the worst

- Stepping back to leap forward

- Taking Australia’s digital ad scene by storm

- Defying naysayers to bring AI to ads

- Going from countless ‘no’s’ to billions in revenue

- Why he’s all-in on empowering young leaders

- How Brandtech is using AI to reinvent ads

- The business case for ‘doing good’ in the world

- Using your privilege to make an impact

- Turning vision into action

- How excellent storytelling creates opportunities

- And other topics…

David Jones is a serial entrepreneur, bestselling author, and founder of The Brandtech Group, a pioneering digital and Gen AI marketing company. Previously, he became the youngest global CEO in advertising history, leading Havas and Havas Worldwide, and was the only British CEO of a publicly traded French company. In 2009, he co-founded One Young World, a global organization empowering young leaders to drive social and environmental change. He also collaborated on Kofi Annan's TckTckTck Campaign for climate justice and has advised numerous high-profile leaders.

Connect with David:

David’s Website: https://thebrandtechgroup.com/

David’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjonesoyw/

David’s Twitter: https://x.com/davidjonesOYW

Resources Mentioned:

David’s Book, Who Cares Wins: Why Good Business is Better Business: https://www.amazon.com/Who-Cares-Wins-business-Financial/dp/0273762532 

One Young World: https://www.oneyoungworld.com/ 

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