Is there an infamous 7-year itch? Today Ian Priest, founder and the ‘P’ in VCCP joins us on the wild side. Now the CEO of charity Onwards & Upwards, when he discusses his illustrious career journey to the EITW podcast studio today, the entrepreneurial spirit is tangible.

Growing up within an entrepreneurial family, Priest was familiar with the high and lows of running a business from a young age. We learn that the environment you grow up in affects the way you perceive and navigate risk, which in turn reflects in your willingness to do what’s needed to be an entrepreneur. 

Going on to study Business at university, he was able to gain work experience in the ‘big, rigid corporate’ world of insurance and in what felt a more liberated marketing and advertising industry. That’s where Ian’s Agency journey began.

Ian Priest initially worked at the agency IMP (now evolved and trading under a new name) which was well known for its dynamic, competitive edge.

Guest Ian then describes how he took the early influence of IMP and used it as a springboard to form his first merger, HHCL. One of the important things we learn is that, to match the inevitable ups and downs of business, you need complementary partners on the journey with you.

Finding the right people was exactly what Ian did as he went on to found VCCP, now among the highest profile agencies in the world, in a select group including Iris Worldwide. When it comes to picking your partners, it goes beyond people too. Ian explains how scaling up with the right business partner can lead to great things.

After a successful exit, wanting to return to small business, today Ian’s most excited by his charity work with Onwards & Upwards. He’s taking everything he’s learned in his various roles and is now training ex-offenders from Brixton Prison as bike mechanics.

As Ian offers advice to his former self it seems simple. If you have that ability to keep going and work with partners you trust, especially on the bad days, then you’re on the right track as an entrepreneur.

Ian Priest

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-priest-5316a55/details/experience/ 

Ian Millner

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianmillner/

EW

IG: https://www.instagram.com/entrepreneurs_inthewild/ 

TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@entrepreneursinthewild 

X: https://twitter.com/EitW_podcast 

Executive Producer Addi: https://addi.london/ 

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/addi-merrill/ 

Iris Worldwide: https://www.iris-worldwide.com/ 

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/iris/ 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/irisworldwide/ 

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