#61 – Building The Silent Disco Company with Toby Burns
What if you could turn a teenage side hustle into a company that runs over 4,000 events a year, without raising a penny of external funding?
In this episode, I'm joined by Toby Burns, founder of The Silent Disco Company - the UK’s leading provider of silent disco infrastructure for parties, weddings, festivals, and corporate events.
Toby shares how he went from entertaining kids at birthday parties to DJing luxury events, and ultimately scaling a business that’s redefining how people experience music and nightlife.
He breaks down the realities of self-funding a company, the importance of sales over branding, and how AI is helping streamline his operations today.
We also dive into lessons on hiring, managing burnout, investing in property, and why every entrepreneur should think about building a business to sell; even if they never plan to.
00:00 Introduction to the Silent Disco Company
01:02 The Journey of Toby Burns
02:51 Innovating in the Event Industry
04:45 The Importance of Sales and Innovation
07:34 Balancing Work and Personal Life
15:00 The Role of Education and AI
24:53 Navigating Challenges and Opportunities
36:16 Always Be Hiring: The Entrepreneur's Mindset
36:41 Balancing Hands-On Work and Leveraged Work
38:05 The Impact of Government Policies on Entrepreneurship
38:40 AI and Automation in Business
39:17 The Burden of Taxes on Business Owners
46:57 The Importance of Owning Assets
53:27 Building a Business to Sell
55:16 The Future of AI and Education
01:00:20 The Silent Disco Experience
01:12:10 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Follow Toby
LinkedIn - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/toby-burns
Website - https://thesilentdiscocompany.co.uk/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@TheEventrepreneur
Get In Touch
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/jay-lawrence-5a4b3357/
Website - ambitiousmindspodcast.com
Instagram - www.instagram.com/ambitiousmindspodcast
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Ambitious Minds
The Podcast for Fellow Ambitious Minds!
Welcome to Ambitious Minds, where Jay uncovers the inspiring stories of relatable, ambitious individuals who are all looking to leave a mark in their industry - whether they’re climbing the corporate ladder, launching startups, or reinventing their careers.
Each episode covers key topics such as career growth, entrepreneurship, overcoming impostor syndrome, networking, personal branding, business strategy, and the relentless pursuit of success. Expect raw, relatable insights from rising stars and industry disruptors who are turning their passion into progress.
If you're an ambitious mind looking for career advice, business inspiration, or motivation to take the next step, I hope this show brings you some inspiration and relatability, and helps you see yourself in aspects of these stories.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- No. of episodes: 62
- Latest episode: 2025-06-13
- Business Entrepreneurship
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