Daniel Moore, Founder of Dissident Agency. "I don't want to create in MCR/LDN, I want to be in Staffordshire"
Welcome to the knot pod. I'm your host, James Routledge. And the knot is the home of good news for Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire. We're on a mission to change the narrative about where we live. And that's why every day, we share with you positive stories, events, things to do, and journalism that all shine a light on what's great about this place we call home.
James Routledge:You can find us online at www.thenot dot news, where you can sign up by email to get curated, no ads, no clickbait news direct to your inbox. On this podcast, we're interviewing inspirational creatives, entrepreneurs, and leaders from across Stoke and Staffordshire. Episodes are out every other Wednesday. And you can watch the entire thing on YouTube too. Before we get into it, I'd like to thank our partners, Dissident Creative Agency and Stone, for recording and producing this podcast.
James Routledge:Duchess China, for providing the great tea sets. And Wandering Bee for providing the candles. I hope you enjoy this episode and join the knot for everything great about Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire. Welcome to the Knot Pod. Welcome, Daniel Moore, founder of Disson Agency.
James Routledge:Good to have you.
Daniel Moore:Cheers, mate. Thanks very much for having me in my own studio. I appreciate it.
James Routledge:Yeah. Well, that's that's the first thing to say. We did did a pilot episode the other week with George, of which I tried my best to explain dissidents, but we'll do a better job today because we're gonna ask you all about it. But just so everyone is aware, you are kindly sponsoring the pod by giving us access to this incredible studio space here in Stone in Staffordshire with I mean, I would call this world class audio and video. I don't know if that's pushing it, but to me, it's premium grade.
Daniel Moore:I would say so. Yeah. I think it's it's definitely up there, you know, without without getting, like, essentially, movie cinema cameras in here, for no reason. Yeah. For everything else is pretty much industry standard for, like, I guess, the highest level.
James Routledge:Yeah. And that's and that's one of the reasons I wanted to partner with you for this because I wanna show that here in Staffordshire, like, we've got this is the quality we've got. Yeah. So I'm delighted to be doing this together. I know we're we're gonna hash it out.
James Routledge:We're gonna see how it goes. But, I thought I put on record that I'm, yeah, I'm really pleased that we could partner for this pod.
Daniel Moore:Same here. I'm I'm genuine. I'm really excited for the podcast and and, like, hearing more about, like, Staffordshire and the people from Staffordshire and, the stuff that kind of goes under the radar. I'm excited for that just from seeing the socials and already I'm just like enlightened and, infused by like Staffordshire.
James Routledge:Good. Well, that's the knot is rubbing off on you, which is which is good. But today, I wanna I wanna obviously, I wanna hear hear your story. The big the big reason for me of doing this is to make people visible in this region and, you know, make people aware of the great people on the ground building stuff, doing stuff. I have definitely got a lean and bias towards anything creative.
James Routledge:So, you know, you're a great example of that. And, also, I've got a lean and a bias towards entrepreneurs, people that have created and started stuff. I grew up here, and on some level, I think I felt can't be creative, and I can't be entrepreneurial. Yeah. I didn't even know those doors were open.
Daniel Moore:Now you just assume it's, if if you have any inkling of, like, creativity and ambition in in that sort of that sector. Like Staffordshire isn't for you. You need to leave. You need to go to Manchester, London, maybe even Birmingham, maybe even like Edinburgh or something like that. You just you go to the big cities.
Daniel Moore:But, yeah, you never think, cool. I'll do it all here.
James Routledge:Yeah. I'll do it all in stone. Yeah. What's your so wind us back. Where did you go up?
James Routledge:And then what was your world in terms of, like, creativity and entrepreneurship? Even if we go right back to, like, school or
Daniel Moore:Yeah. I mean, the broad strokes. I'm from Nottingham originally, but I've I, moved to Stone, when I was 7. So basically from here. You know, I've got very few memories of Nottingham.
Daniel Moore:I might have a little bit of accent kind of poke through, but that's about it. And then, so grew up in stone. School, normal stuff. Didn't particularly enjoy school, particularly well. I wasn't I didn't consider myself to be super creative, to be honest with you.
Daniel Moore:Like, I did art classes and kind of of thought it was alright. But I wasn't like, yes, art's my thing. Like, I really resonate with that. And then I but I've always taken pictures and had always been, interested in photography, even just from like a a gadget point of view. I I was always the kid who who who took all the family photos.
Daniel Moore:Like when you look back at the galleries of like, of of me and my family, me and my mom and dad, it was there's no pictures of me because I'm always the one taking them. And then I basically got into photography because I, missed an opportunity. I was gonna be a plumber, because I thought that looked interesting to me. It looked like it was a job that didn't involve office work and stuff like that, which is ironic because I spend most of my time in an office now. But missed that opportunity and I got recommended to do the photography course, by my now wife's auntie who worked at the art staff at college in the art department.
Daniel Moore:So So
James Routledge:that door kind of opened to you, not not through luck, but just through someone that you knew essentially?
Daniel Moore:Yeah. Yeah. And, they obviously they'd they'd noticed that I was, you know, I thought I was always taking pictures and stuff. And and they said, why don't you do a photography course? And I didn't even know that was a thing.
Daniel Moore:I didn't know photography as a career was a thing. Wow. I think I 2 years of college, really enjoyed it. 3 years of university, really enjoyed that. Went to Derby University.
Daniel Moore:Stayed there for a little bit. Got a couple of, jobs, in, Nottingham and then in Burton on Trent. So I didn't move too far away. Yeah. But I I missed Staffordshire straight away.
Daniel Moore:Really? Yeah. I missed I missed I missed the I missed the canals. I missed people not fighting outside my door at like 3 in the morning. I I missed being able to walk out at night and not see a soul.
Daniel Moore:There was there's lots of things that when you when you move out of like, stone in particular because it's quite idyllic, you miss stuff. You but you don't realize they're there until until you until you move
James Routledge:away from it. Away. And I I'm interested before we go into, you know, loving on Staffordshire. I just find it mad that plumber and photographer
Daniel Moore:Yeah.
James Routledge:Are pretty different. Yeah. And maybe if that door there's absolutely nothing wrong with being a plumber. If that door hadn't been open to you to photography, what was a huge passion? Mhmm.
James Routledge:You know, you could've you could be a plumber now and
Daniel Moore:Yeah.
James Routledge:You know?
Daniel Moore:Loaded, probably.
James Routledge:Yeah. Yeah. Loaded.
Daniel Moore:It
James Routledge:was Always always need people always need your services. Yeah. I
Daniel Moore:think there there it was part of that plumbing boom. There was like a thing where it's like, oh, you should be a plumber. You'll make loads of money. They're really in demand. And I remember leave I was kinda leaving school thinking I have no idea what I wanted to do.
Daniel Moore:All of my sort of school life had been in the center around riding bikes everywhere. So I had no, like, real like, I'd never really thought about a career other than, like, I don't know, riding bikes.
James Routledge:How would you know about a career in the creative industry? Because I mean, we're we're a similar ish age. We've grown up in a in a similar era, I think. And I'm exactly the same. I I don't think I knew of jobs in the crate industry.
James Routledge:And what's I find fascinating about that is it just shows that that my world was kinda small and narrow. Mhmm. Because, obviously, I would have been I was watch I was consuming entertainment. I was playing video games. I was seeing advertisements.
James Routledge:Mhmm. But no one ever opened that door to say someone makes those.
Daniel Moore:Yes. Yeah. You don't think about you don't think about the fact that everywhere you look, especially back in the day, you see images. And some professional creative has made those images or those designs or those videos. Yeah.
Daniel Moore:You don't sort of, like, break it down that that much, do you know? You know, at school, certainly back then, I didn't really I I I don't remember ever being much in the way of, like, career choices and decisions other than kind of, like, quite basic ones like armed forces and stuff like that. Certainly for someone like me. And yeah. So it yeah.
Daniel Moore:It was it was complete, like, has fluke or luck that I kinda found myself in the creative industry. And then, of course, your eyes are open soon as you go to university, especially. That
James Routledge:opened your eyes even further.
Daniel Moore:To all these other creatives and all these different, you know, elements. And we were talking earlier about the fact that there's, was it a a collage, magazine Yeah. In in Newcastle. Yeah. And we were just like, that's cool.
Daniel Moore:I didn't know that was a thing.
James Routledge:Yeah. I I find it crazy that I didn't know so much about here. You know? I didn't even I think back now and, you know, you said you did your photography. You'd say you did photography at Stafford College.
Daniel Moore:Stafford College. Yep.
James Routledge:I mean, I wouldn't have even known that for me, my world was I went to school in Cheedol at Paine's. It was quite an academic school. Mhmm. For me, the path was GCSEs, a levels, uni. Mhmm.
James Routledge:That's, like, kind of no other possible Yeah. Outcome. I maybe heard of people that went to other colleges, like, in the distance and studied different things. But if I'm honest, I thought they were weird Yeah. Which is so unfair Yeah.
James Routledge:Yeah. Because I just had no idea that there was other that there were other options. And was that was your school like that? Was it if was it kind of just one path?
Daniel Moore:No. I think I think there was, from what I from my recollection, there was kinda 2 paths. There was a levels if you didn't know what you wanted to do. So you were still kind of, like, vaguely trying to educate yourself, stay in the education system for the time being until you've got some more qualifications. And then there was college for people who wanted to do something quite specific.
Daniel Moore:So if you wanted to get into like mechanics, straight into college, if you wanted to get into bricklaying, straight into college. Arts and and and design and stuff, that's straight in straight into college because you had that, especially on BTEC, you had this clear path. You could obviously still do a levels at at college, where you did like 3 or 4 different, things, but yeah, at the time I was like, you know, I just wanna do I just wanna take this
James Routledge:I think you've just described the difference between 6th form and college better to me than anyone else. Yeah. I think you've just described joking and never thought about it like that.
Daniel Moore:And then there was, so and but then my, this probably an insight into my sort of psyche was, I I was always quite independent as a kid, only child. And Snap. Very, very much like, yeah. If you want money, go and work. If you, this is kinda almost the opposite of the only child thing.
Daniel Moore:But, my parents were like really pushed into me that, you know, you need to you your own they'll help help, but that you're just kind of your own man, you gotta make your own way. And I always considered, the the guys at school, these guys in 6th form that that basically I always thought they were too scared to to move away, To to like it was kinda like the college guys were like, I wanna meet meet brand new people, new friends, and go somewhere completely different. That's brave. Gotta catch a boss or catch a Yeah. You know, whatever.
Daniel Moore:And the 6th form guys were like, oh, that sounds too scary. In my head, that was what that was like. And I was like, I'm gonna be a brave one. Yeah.
James Routledge:When you were gonna go into a world that because other than other than photography being a passion of yours that you were doing as a hobby, by the sounds of it, at home, You're like you're making a pretty conscious decision at 16 to go, yeah. You know what? I'm gonna study this.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. And you could you could really tell, like, you know, the you know, you you went for the interviews. Like, I'd like I I was, like, one of the few people that went on their own. Like, no. My parents didn't come with me to any interviews.
Daniel Moore:Any I asked the questions that or they asked me the questions or whatever. I remember sitting around thinking, if you're here with your mom. And it was like it was like a point of pride. And the thing that's kinda stuck with me forever, like, do it on your own. Yeah.
Daniel Moore:And I don't know whether that was kind of part of that kind of, moving into the college thing of, like, I need to prove myself to some extent.
James Routledge:Met different people as well. Like, I bet you met actually be actually mates and people that had the same interest. Yeah. Through college.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. There was a few lads from, from my school that that did go to college, certainly my year, that went on to do that trades and stuff. So you might see those guys knocking about in Stafford, but certainly there was no one in my, year that did any, I don't remember anyone that did any, creative subjects. So they were because of, the at the time, the art bit of the college was completely separate to everywhere
James Routledge:else. Right.
Daniel Moore:So you only kinda mixed with the art students. And yeah, there was no one from my school that I'm
James Routledge:So how did you feel from I mean, take I'm I'm asking you to go a bit back, but from 16 to 18 then
Daniel Moore:Mhmm.
James Routledge:You're in you're living in stone. You're you're going to college in Stafford. Can you remember what, like, as a creative, were you sort of were you inspired or were you, you know, like, what did you see for your life at that point? Because I remember, if I'm honest, at that time in my life, I think that's where I started to lose a bit of hope with this area. I think I think it, like, yeah, 16, I'm starting to make decisions about a levels, and and I think it's a bit of, like, disillusion started to creep in.
James Routledge:And you touched on it at the start of the pod, which is kinda like, if I'm in the creative industry, I need to leave. Yes. And I think that's where at 16 to 18, I just started to look around me
Daniel Moore:Mhmm. You
James Routledge:know, going to Mount Saint Hanley and Newcastle and whatever, and just start and think, I'm gonna have to leave. Like Yeah. What how am I gonna be anything here? That's how I started to feel.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. I think, I think for the the the main things that I remember from college was really just I was I was just dossing. So there was, I think there was career wise, I wasn't considering it that much. Like, the industry, the creative industry and stuff like that. It seems like at the time, I'm I was doing something I was enjoying.
Daniel Moore:I'd also been given a a load of freedom that I wasn't used to, and I completely took advantage of that and didn't do a great deal of work. Totally dust around. I mean, in terms of the actual creative industry, I don't think I was particularly aware of it, to be honest with you. We had a good college. I think one one of the indicators for me was our lecturers were, you know, what I I wouldn't consider to be artists.
Daniel Moore:Like, they were really good lecturers, really good guys, good teachers. But I remember thinking, like, if you're the if you're the sort of spokespeople that isn't the right term for the creative industry, the photography industry for this area, you guys are from this area and you've stuck around, I I guess I need to move, because I I I imagine moving into a a different location is, I don't know. It was, it looked like if you stayed in this area, the best thing you could do is teach. It's kinda what I'm getting.
James Routledge:Yeah. Yeah.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. And they were great they were great teachers. But yeah. I wasn't I wasn't aware of like local amazing photographers apart from like, I think it was like we got introduced to that one guy who's like a sports photographer who did like the football and stuff. And I was like, it's not really for me.
Daniel Moore:So yeah, there wasn't I I wasn't aware of a lot of, like, locally cultural things like, sort of surrounded in photography, but also I wasn't looking for it. I bet if I looked, I'd have found something.
James Routledge:You might have done. Yeah.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. But, yeah. I very much like college was the doss for me. It was university where my eyes opened, I think, to Really? To the industry and to creativity and and
James Routledge:What did that make you wanna do then? Like, was it straight away, I wanna be a photographer and go out on my own? Or was it, I wanna get a job in the Crave Industries or in advertising agency? What was the Yeah.
Daniel Moore:I think it was like it was gonna be like fashion, I think. I I really wanted to get into like fashion photography. I I kind of I did a fine art degree. So there was kind of an element of, like gallery work and stuff like that I was really intrigued with but I quickly realized that that was kind of no way to make a living. Yeah.
Daniel Moore:Unless you're amazing. But I really enjoyed that area. But I just sort of thought you know I think studio stuff like fashion was kind of my my roots. I thought that'd be really cool, and, didn't didn't do that.
James Routledge:Yeah. How did that tie in with with then home? Because, like, it sounds like when you went, you mentioned Derby for Uniq.
Daniel Moore:Mhmm.
James Routledge:And then that, like, kinda longing for for home and stone. Yeah. How did how did you start to marry that? Because the story so far, I think, is you're a creative person. Maybe even you're an ambitious person.
James Routledge:Yes. You go in Asafoeture. Yeah. Currently, I think if you're more honest, that's the story. And I'd sort of even though I wanna change that Yeah.
James Routledge:I would I would debate anyone that says that's currently different. Yeah. So, yeah, how did you, like, square that circle?
Daniel Moore:Yeah. I mean, my when I was when I was out of Staffordshire, my I I really had no intention of sort of coming back. There were certain things that I missed. But I thought, I'm I'm a city boy now. I could go to London.
Daniel Moore:I could go to Manchester. I could do whatever. But there were kind of there was definitely elements that I that I really missed. And, my wife, who who's a director in the and and my partner in in business, She's from she's from here as well. I mean, she's got family.
Daniel Moore:I had no family in Staffordshire. As soon as I left, my parents left as well. They were like, see you. I'm gonna go to the Lake District. So I had no ties back to Staffordshire apart from my wife's parents and and that and her family.
Daniel Moore:So I thought, well, that would be really nice. And, it was kind of chance that I moved back just because every single job that I got after university got me we sort of went I went further and then started coming back towards Staffordshire. And I've always said like stone in particular is kinda like a magnet. If you could you can try and leave, but it's very difficult. Eventually, you'll come back.
James Routledge:So those draws well, family is a big draw?
Daniel Moore:Family was a big draw. I think the, it's just the environment really. You know? I I I've I would have been more than happy in the city, but my wife wouldn't have been. I think my wife would have would have much preferred to to be here.
Daniel Moore:So the biggest draw was the fact that we we would want to have kids at some stage, and we knew that our careers, wouldn't necessarily allow for us to not have help,
James Routledge:you
Daniel Moore:know, with with with children. So that was a massive deciding factor for, like, actually, let's move back. We didn't have kids for, like, I don't know, like, 7 years after move after moving back. But it was kinda like
James Routledge:It was in the plan though.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. Yeah. My sort of, like, forethought was, like, let's let's let's put down some roots here. But, my main concern was, like, what am I gonna do for a career?
James Routledge:Of course.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. Because the last job that I left before I sat on my own, I got sacked from. And that was like Burton on Trent, and it was really weird to have a creative job in Burton on Trent for me anyway. Not slacking off Burton on Trent. It just just seemed like because it's easy.
Daniel Moore:You
James Routledge:didn't expect to have a creative role there?
Daniel Moore:No. You just like it's known for, like, breweries and stuff like that, isn't it? And then I couldn't find anything, remotely close to here that either paid well enough that all that wasn't a like, these these things we call pixie photo where they'd rock up in like a mother care and do, like, baby photos and stuff like that. That's about the closest thing you could get to, like, a like a a
James Routledge:And you're not settling. It sounds like whilst you'd you'd settled on the fact I wanna be here Mhmm. You don't wanna settle in your work. No. Because I I hear that a lot from people.
James Routledge:It's like, I think sometimes they feel that if they're going to move let's say they grew up here back Mhmm. Back to this area or if they're staying in this area, the fear is that ambition you've got, you kinda just sacrifice it.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. Just just get rid of it. I'll make do. Anything. Yeah.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I I used to see a lot of people that, like, you I I, you know, I know people that are, like, like, sort of trodden down sort of broken artists, but they're, like, working in a in a pub. And they're like, woe is me.
Daniel Moore:I'm like, I know that I know that, like, they you can tell they, like, they should've they should've gone to London. They wanted to go to London, but it's they've they've accidentally stayed here. And but they've not made the most of it or or or it's not worth it.
James Routledge:So what was your approach? You can't so you can't find anything?
Daniel Moore:Can't find anything. So, decided to set up my own thing. So I set up my own studio in 2012. I'd moved back to Stowe in 2011, I think. So I like, 5 year I guess, 5 years 5 years away, from from this area.
Daniel Moore:And, yeah, set up my own little studio. And, yeah, like, never never looked back essentially.
James Routledge:That as part of the opportunity. Because if you're entrepreneurial, which you you clearly are because you've you've gone on to and we'll get into it, but that studio has gone on to becoming a creative agency over, I'm sure, an evolution. Mhmm. But, clearly, you've you've come back and not found anything. So, oh, I'll just do it myself then.
Daniel Moore:Oh, okay.
James Routledge:Like, I'll I'll have a go. Yeah. I feel like I really see that as the draw because, obviously, one way of looking at it is, like, you just said, woe is me. Oh, there's nothing. Yeah.
James Routledge:There's nothing. I'm gonna have to give up on my dreams. Oh, great. I'll work about it. Yeah.
James Routledge:I just give up. I'll give up. Mhmm. And I understand. I'm not I'm not belittling that because I do understand why people can look out in their area and think, gosh.
James Routledge:There's there's nothing here. Yet on the flip side, for me, that's quite an exciting kind of land grab opportunity Yeah. Just seeing that white space. And you at the time probably thinking, what? There's some part of your brain must have gone, what?
James Routledge:There's not a single Yeah. Job for a photographer that I can find. Like, 10 years ago, I know we've not had the same social media boom there there, but even 10 years ago, that is Yeah. For for you as a I don't know what I'm gonna imagine, a talented creative at the time to find nothing
Daniel Moore:Yeah.
James Routledge:Is pretty wild.
Daniel Moore:Really, really difficult. I mean, there was like a portrait studio, I think, in Hanley or something like that. And but it it had never been my career, you know, to, you know, it would it would have been like a stepping stone, a a small stepping stone or something. But, yeah. I just decided to set up my own thing, because partly because I kind of saw the opportunity.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. But there's nothing here. Yeah. In the local area of of what I wanted and and kind of of my breed of photography. The stuff that I wanted to do again, like the kind of pixie photos, which I don't even think exist anymore.
Daniel Moore:These kind of cutesy baby pictures and quick turnaround, you know, kind of bland, which is very different to what I was doing, which was like kind of more rock and roll portraits and stuff. So I kinda set that up, did my own thing. But also I think, you know, it kind of it lends itself to the Staffordshire as a great place to have or create your own opportunities because I was 20 2 when I set up my my first studio. Within 3 months of being sacked, I had, like, a studio. I'd taken out a I'd been to the prince's trust and had some training.
Daniel Moore:Took out a, like, a loan, like a business loan type thing. I'd see like a business plan and that kind of thing. Sell my own studio. I had signage. I had like, you know, I had stuff built into it, computer.
Daniel Moore:And I was like, jeez, I'm 22 and I've got this. Like, how amazing is that? And it I've just I could I within 3 months, I had it. And I think if you were in London, you'd be stuffed. Imagine that.
Daniel Moore:Imagine that.
James Routledge:Imagine that. Felt like you were getting a lot of support or because it was it was from a price perspective. It was actually possible?
Daniel Moore:I think you probably get support anywhere like that. I mean, the Prince's Trust were pretty cool. But really, it was just like it was the cost. Like, like, if you tried to get a premises as a 22 year old, a reasonable sized premises, it wasn't huge, For, you know, you'd you'd still sort of 1,000. Yeah.
Daniel Moore:You know, it'd be it'd be a lot, but I
James Routledge:don't know.
Daniel Moore:It'd be a lot of money. My first studio was a 100 and trying to think now. I think it's a £180 a month rent, which is bloody good. Like, that's amazing. Yeah.
Daniel Moore:And And kind
James Routledge:of that is accessible to anyone, isn't it? You know, like Especially
Daniel Moore:with a loan.
James Routledge:Still a 180 quid a month. Yeah. Still real money that needs to be spent. But there's a world where anyone can see a price like that and go, oh, you know what? Like, I can use some savings or take a loan or whatever.
James Routledge:It feels, yeah, it feels approachable.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. And, yes. I for me, you know, that that was even even in stone, which is, like, I guess, kind of expensive for the local area in terms of, like, costs and stuff like that of like, premises and and area. I thought this is I can do this. This is alright.
Daniel Moore:So, yeah, that was that was massive for me. And I I just sort of thought like I remember thinking to myself, if I was in Manchester, I probably wouldn't be able to do this. No. I'd oh, I I'd have to take out a massive loan. It'd be more expensive.
Daniel Moore:And and then the the risks and the there would be more
James Routledge:More competition. Yeah.
Daniel Moore:So, and I wasn't the best at marketing or anything like that. Certainly not at the time. So, you know, it allowed me to sort of ease into entrepreneurship
James Routledge:Yeah. If that's a word. Entrepreneurship.
Daniel Moore:Entrepreneurship. We
James Routledge:can have entrepreneurialship as
Daniel Moore:well. Yeah. I like that one.
James Routledge:Yeah. That was very good. And it's cool. And I think also when it comes to space, it's actually such a big place with so many tap towns
Daniel Moore:Yeah.
James Routledge:From everything from the, you know, stone, you know, Trentham, Stoke, Han like, literally, you name it. There's all these different spots. A lot of space.
Daniel Moore:A lot of cool buildings as well.
James Routledge:Loads of cool buildings. Yeah. A lot of just a genuinely, from my perspective, a lot of a lot of opportunity. Mhmm. And then how when you were there and you are you've you've gone in, I'm gonna go freelance, start my own thing in Staffordshire, young age.
James Routledge:Just so and I'm sure, you know, you could you could probably talk for about 5 hours on on the ups and downs of that. But just generally, like, how not how has it been? Because that's a bit too obvious. How we how easy I know it's hard starting your own thing, but, like, did you feel a bit like I'm on my own doing this? No one cares.
James Routledge:This is a big place. I can't meet anyone. I don't now now you're a bit older and wise, and you've probably seen Yeah. Other people go on different journeys in in other cities and other places. Yeah.
James Routledge:Yeah. I don't know how would you I don't know how would you just rate your experience,
Daniel Moore:basically. I'm sorry. I'll rate my experiences of being a business owner in Staffordshire. I think there there were a couple of factors to that. So location, Stone's a great location because I I as a studio, I was essentially delivering services to pretty much Stafford, between Stafford and, let's say, Leek.
Daniel Moore:It's probably roughly the the area. And then I don't know what left and right would be. But Yeah. Sort of those areas. But even so far as like Canwick and stuff like that, we we were getting people coming to us.
Daniel Moore:We have people from Wales. Some and some people, like, even as far as like You've
James Routledge:got quite a big radius to work from.
Daniel Moore:But really, like, as soon as you say Staffordshire, like, at Staffordshire based blah blah blah, it's quite a big area.
James Routledge:Yeah.
Daniel Moore:Decent variety of people, decent variety of incomes. And, so that was that was brilliant from a from a location point of view. Very few were early days. But for the most part, the whole time that I ran a portrait studio, very rarely did I have people from Stone come. Yeah.
Daniel Moore:Such a small place. Yeah. Stoke, Stafford, and all those sort of kind of surrounding areas. Super, super busy with with, with those kinds of, clients. And then, I guess the it's kinda the mentality.
Daniel Moore:I it's hard to put my finger on, but the mentality of people from Staffordshire, Stafford and and Stoke, people. I don't know. There there was, like it's hard to describe it. There was never confrontation, Like, in terms of, like because essentially, portraits is take some pictures, have a good time, and sell them. That's kind of it.
Daniel Moore:There was very few times that I had a bad time in my job because of the people. People came to me. They were really most of the time, almost all the time, super nice, really generous, and and loved what I did. And, I don't know whether that was just like a regional thing, but I remember in Nottingham when I was in a portrait studio there, I would some some people were even like hostile. Odd.
Daniel Moore:And I don't know whether that's just a city thing, could be a Nottingham thing. Maybe I was just a bit of a knob, and I can't remember it. But I remember, like, I I remember being, like, uncomfortable around quite a lot of these people that I was photographing because they just weren't that nice. And I very rarely, very, very rarely had that
James Routledge:kind of That has really resonated.
Daniel Moore:Mhmm.
James Routledge:Yeah. I just I'm having so many memories of I mean, I spent 8 years in London, building a business in London, and met some incredible people, obviously. Yeah. Yeah. I had plenty of scenarios feeling intimidated Yeah.
James Routledge:Feeling like I'm not welcome, feeling like I'm sort of sort of like taking someone's time that they don't want it to be taken, you know, where a bit like, gosh. Yeah. Just just feeling, yeah, a bit anxious and just I suppose there's that competitive nature. There's there's a there's an ego. And I could never thought about just the quiet basics of the people.
James Routledge:But since I've been back, I've just yeah. I've actually not had a negative interaction. No. I genuinely haven't had a negative. I'm not gonna say I've loved every single person I've ever met in Staffordshire because that's obviously not true.
James Routledge:And, you know, I'm not best friends with everyone. But, yeah, now I think about it. I've never felt like yeah. That I know what you mean. It's the hostility is not quite right, is it?
James Routledge:But it's, yeah, I've always felt a warmth actually.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. I I remember they'd be like, you know, I'd be I'd be setting up to a shoot. I'm like, hey, guys. I'm Dan. I'm I'm your photographer.
Daniel Moore:I'm just gonna run you through what what we're gonna do and, so and and then and then the I get like someone to go, just get on with it, mate. I'm like, woah. Where's that come from? And I'm like, that's a bit that's a bit weird. Kinda came out of nowhere and was unprovoked.
Daniel Moore:And, you know, that kind of thing would happen in in Nottingham. And they'd be like like, I don't know. Just bad vibes. Not all the time, obviously. Yeah.
James Routledge:And this isn't just not we're not we're not berating Nottingham. No.
Daniel Moore:I'm from there. They're like they're kinda my people. But, but, yeah, like, it it would be, whereas in Staffordshire, I've pretty much not had that at all. And it's and it's like, it it was always a, a pleasantness and a kind of respect. And we're getting a bit sort of too deep into the psyche of of staffership.
Daniel Moore:But people have always said, like, Pete Stokies, especially, people always say Stokies are super friendly. And I've never thought, oh, yeah. All Sokies are dead friendly. I've never had that kind of thought. But then I think, again, it's one of those things like as soon as you go go away, you go, oh, it's it's not just the fact that I'm used to how friendly people from Stoke are for instance.
Daniel Moore:And now I've gone somewhere else and realized that other that that, like, other people are hostile. What what feels hostile to me is just it's just because I'm so used to how friendly people are.
James Routledge:It's it's it's cool that it's come up because I I was on a Reddit forum the other day. Mhmm. Right? Reddit Reddit Stoke on Trent.
Daniel Moore:Okay.
James Routledge:Don't ask me why, but I was on there. And a lot of the narrative online about Stoke and the wider Staffordshire region is is overwhelmingly negative. It's it's almost the anti of what you've just described. It would almost make people from this area sound pretty bigoted
Daniel Moore:Mhmm.
James Routledge:Pretty racist, and pretty hostile Yeah. Actually to anyone else. But that's actually a very loud minority. Mhmm. And someone on this Reddit forum was like, hey, everyone.
James Routledge:Everyone's pretty down about Stoke, but this was about Stoke in this case. But I like it here. Like, almost I like it here.
Daniel Moore:It's nice. Why does anyone out?
James Routledge:Why do you? And the first thing that came up, location was a big one. Yep. As a in a genuine, not like, oh, so we can get out quickly. Yeah.
James Routledge:But, like, no. Like, it's a good location. Yeah. I can go to different places.
Daniel Moore:It's nice not to be trapped.
James Routledge:And then the biggest one is people. Yeah. And, like, it's I've never actually heard anyone talk about it in a business perspective of, are you obviously, you've gone from 1 photography studio to now a a creative agency. You're a services business. You're working with people.
James Routledge:You're hiring people. Mhmm. I've never thought about it that way of yeah. It's like it's just quite easy. Yeah.
James Routledge:Or it's it's nice to do business here.
Daniel Moore:It's just comfortable to earn a living with especially when you're dealing with well, at the time, I was dealing with the general public. And the general public were generally pretty nice. So that was yeah. It was it it made my life a lot easier. And there's just those little moments that you remember like from your like previous jobs you're thinking.
Daniel Moore:I remember being like really uncomfortable around these these particular people or being, the girls would like in the sort of the book until I get off the phone like you have a nightmare with these guys. Like they're horrible. You know? Like, I never had that here. Mhmm.
Daniel Moore:So That's really I don't know I don't know what what that is about. Cities and and kind of places like this, you know.
James Routledge:Yeah. I think I don't know. Maybe it's I mean, you could argue that because there are less, there's less quality offerings. Mhmm. You might say that people are then more grateful
Daniel Moore:Yeah.
James Routledge:Of what we have, or it could just be a, you know, in a lovely way, like a hark back to that sort of older working class mentality of, like, we're all in it together, and and we've kept that sense of camaraderie. And I hope that continues really.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. It's it's respect thing. Yeah. The thing as well, there's nothing there's a lot of respect in Staffordshire. Like, people respect each other a little bit more.
Daniel Moore:It's a bit more old school in in in sort of that way. And but I think also because it's the it's that classic thing of, you know, you get someone from London. It's like coming to visit someone in Staffordshire, and then you're walking down the canal.
James Routledge:Yeah. Every time.
Daniel Moore:And and you say hello to the people that are walking past and they go, do you know them? I'm like, no. Yeah. Why do you say hello to them then?
James Routledge:Because I because it's nice. I'll never forget moving back from London and walking around Trenton Gardens, honestly. I I honestly, I was walking around and I was with and I got back. And I like said to Sarah, I was like, I felt like people were looking at me. Yeah.
James Routledge:Not not like as if I genuinely look at celebrities. Yeah. If people were like, hello. I know it well, I just because it had been so long and London is a place where people don't look each other in the eye, that felt so foreign to me. Mhmm.
James Routledge:And it's not just like people are hello. It's a big old hello. Like, it's a big smile, like, good morning. Yeah. As if they're absolutely delighted you're out.
James Routledge:It is lovely, like, that rubs off on you. It makes you just happy to be alive.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. I mean, walking with your kids down the street and old ladies just coming and stopping and, like Yeah. You know, give them like, rough in their hair and stuff. And it's sweet, isn't it?
James Routledge:Yeah. That's what my mom does. Although, I mean, when I was younger, I used to think, mom, like, you can't just you you can't just
Daniel Moore:grab someone else's baby. Like, it's not right. Depends how old you are. Depends how old and sweet you are.
James Routledge:Somehow used to manage to get away with it. Yeah. I think she's got that sweet that sweet love, but yeah. Which is yeah. Long may that continue.
James Routledge:I hope we I hope we sort of we, in the next generations carry that on. And tell me about going from, like, studio into agency, because now we're here, you know, just to paint the picture for people like dissident. I call this dissident studios, by the way. I don't know. I'm I'm gonna go
Daniel Moore:So it's not the right term. I'll let you I'll let you consider it. With that.
James Routledge:Yeah. You've got loads of cool space on the White Bridge Industrial Estate. This is, like I said at the start, a really high quality studio, great camera setup, video, audio. You've got sort of offices here. You have a lot of other studio space in this same building.
James Routledge:So you've obviously come quite a long way from that, you know, portrait. Yeah. Portrait, portrait studio, kind of 1 man bands as it were. Yeah. Just, like, was that conscious?
James Routledge:Did you did you wanna grow? Did you start getting demand? Just Yeah. Yeah. How did you go from that to there?
James Routledge:Because also, that's a that's a whole other level. There's there's, oh, I'm gonna be a freelancer in Staffordshire Mhmm. And I'm just gonna make enough money to to have a good life for myself Yes. Which is a great place to be for loads of people. That is another step of I'm gonna build a business here.
Daniel Moore:Yeah.
James Routledge:You know, that's another level of ambition and aspiration.
Daniel Moore:Mhmm.
James Routledge:And a lot of people, that might feel like an even bigger hurdle.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. It was certainly scary.
James Routledge:Yeah. But did you feel the same way again like before of, oh, no one else is doing this? So there's opportunity or yeah. Yeah. How did it come about?
Daniel Moore:Kind of. Yeah. I think the beautiful thing about the creative industry is once you get into certain niches, you could I could have another creative industry agency down the street, like down next door to me, but they'll probably do something completely different. Mhmm. You know, because it's because the work the work has changed so much now where creative agencies aren't just like competing for the same clients and all that kind of thing.
Daniel Moore:It's it's so niched. So it's quite nice. So location for for to some extent doesn't actually matter from the client's perspective within reason. Some would prefer you to be in London or Manchester. But but then if you're in Manchester, that alienates the London clients and all that kind of thing.
Daniel Moore:But yeah, so I mean, I essentially, I I know. I've I've ran the portrait studio up until last year. So that went for what, 11 years or something like that. I hadn't shot a portrait in like 3 years. But, Molly who works for us sort of took it over as, as the commercial stuff was growing.
Daniel Moore:But it was just organic growth. I would I'd always done commercial stuff under the same sort of brand as the studio. And that kinda kept growing. And I never really looked for it. It was just kinda there and I enjoyed it.
Daniel Moore:And it was, it was a lot more problem solving. And then I I kinda got more into marketing and kind of a realization that it wasn't just about taking pictures. It was about solving a client's kind of and it's a cliche, but it's like solving a client's problems. And kind of trying to break down, like, what they needed these pictures for, you know, and and so there was a lot more kind of creative thought process and and and sort of, like, bit more brand, bit more marketing, and and that's that's really started to grab my attention. So I became more interested in that.
Daniel Moore:And also I'm a bit of a projects guy anyway. So once I've got good at something, I'm very quickly moving on to another thing. I'll keep doing it, but I'm like, cool. What about a helicopter pilot or whatever? You know what I mean?
Daniel Moore:Let's go do some random stuff. But it's kind of always been centered around this industry, the
James Routledge:creative industry. Were those first customers, and and who are they now? Because, again, I'm sort of holding the the void the the voice of I I imagine the skeptic to to kind of Stoke and Staffordshire who don't well, who are your customers? Yeah. Who's around here then?
James Routledge:And, honestly, again, I'm, like, embarrassed to say this, but when I first came back here from London, I like I I I sounded I I was a snob. Mhmm.
Daniel Moore:I
James Routledge:was I always no no businesses around here Yeah. Which is pathetic, but I but I was like that. Yeah. So what yeah. How who were they?
James Routledge:First customers? Like, who are they now?
Daniel Moore:Ah, just You know what? So, I mean, the the I I give a shout out to Marshlokes, because they were one of the first sort of big, well known local and kinda guess kinda national brands Yeah. For Marshlokes. People come and
James Routledge:stay there from all over the country.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. Big spa, beautiful place. And I was my wife was working there at the time. And I was trying to build up my portfolio in the in the sort of like commercial section. I I really like the idea of shooting like, hospitality.
Daniel Moore:So spas, hotels, restaurants, and stuff like that. Well, that'd be that'd be cool. And I was really into, like, interior photography at the time. So I I started working with those guys initially for free. I did some like like sort of like portfolio building shoots, like, on my terms.
Daniel Moore:And and then and then we ended up being a client, for for a good few years. We did, you know so a lot of the stuff that you see on there sort of like, brochures and stuff, still my imagery from like a quite a quite a long time ago. And, so they they were amazing. And then that kinda really stoked the fire of like, okay, like, restaurants. Really wanna get into restaurants.
Daniel Moore:I did a lot of restaurant, like, promo Yeah. Restaurant launches, menu new menus and stuff like that. So, so we've got into a lot loads of great restaurants in Staffordshire. Mhmm. So that's that's amazing.
Daniel Moore:And then but then quite a lot of like service based customers. So, I had like, we had things like local accountants, law firms. We would do loads of their sort of branded stuff, like, you know, shoots in their offices, headshots, all that kind of thing. And there was like like weirdly, like, just picking off random, like companies that I've worked for. There's a company on this industrial site called would like to play who do who hand I don't know if they hand they don't know if they hand make them, but they make these wooden jigsaw puzzles for, like, kids.
James Routledge:Wow.
Daniel Moore:And they're like I don't know. Like, they're painted, and they're really eco friendly. 2 doors down from here in my old studio. You know? Really cool.
Daniel Moore:It's similar in, like, loads of mad shops. So, yeah, there's, like, loads of, like, really under the radar businesses. Do do you
James Routledge:think because Staffordshire and I think and and Stoke on Trent, which is the city of Staffordshire, let's say, is a collection of 6 towns, and it it doesn't look like a typical city should. Because in my mind, a bit my assumption is a city is a small circle of high rises. Yes. Really, that's what we all see a city as. Yeah.
James Routledge:Anything New York, London, whatever. I suppose the assumption is that, well, where are they? Yeah. And that my experience since being back is, yeah, I'm I'm off to I'm off to the industrial estate. Yeah.
James Routledge:And I'm walking into a building, and there's, like, 300 people in there. Yeah. And that's where they are. Yeah. And, yeah, fair enough.
James Routledge:They're not, you know, they're not it's just it's just different, but then I think that that leads me, and I'm sure many of the people to have the assumption, not me now, but me previously, to have the assumption that there's not there just isn't businesses here. There aren't businesses here. And there are. They're just yeah. They might be on a big industrial estate or yeah.
James Routledge:They're tucked away in a different random location.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. It's like, you know, there was, I got a call, and then we never did any work with them, but it was like and I only started noticing it after I'd had the call. There's this like type of truck called I think it's called a Cheroux. I might might be mixing this up. I had a call with the geyser who was who was like the head of Cheroux for like the UK.
Daniel Moore:They were he's like the main distributor of these crazy, like, refrigerated backs of trucks. And it's it's literally on the a 500 on, like, neck on, like, on the way to Hanley from Stone. Yeah. I'm like, there it is. Like, I wouldn't have even noticed it before, but, like, but that that's a huge business.
Daniel Moore:Like, you see them all over the country.
James Routledge:Think we like. I say we. I'm use I don't know who the royal we here here is, and maybe I'm just just reflecting on myself.
Daniel Moore:Mhmm.
James Routledge:I think, like, maybe we have a bit of a judgment of, like, those kind of businesses, like, as if they're not cool in some way. Yeah. You know, the only cool business is like Google.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. Whereas Nando's.
James Routledge:Yeah. What about, yeah, what about the the business that builds refrigerated trucks that keep our food cold? Like, we need that. And there are there are a lot of those businesses in this in this region, in the in the wider midlands Yeah. That, yeah, they're not exactly like you fancy, you know, you fancy ecommerce brand or the latest whatever tight tank top or whatever, but they're literally keeping the country ticking over.
James Routledge:Every time I drive through Stoke or something, I just think, like, these businesses here are just they are like the cogs of
Daniel Moore:Yeah.
James Routledge:Yeah. The Midlands is like the industrial heartlands.
Daniel Moore:100%. And they're so random as well. I I I love driving through industrial estates in Staffordshire. I've been like, there's a vets there. Yeah.
Daniel Moore:There's, there's, like, some qualify some some qualify some sort of financial services type thing. Yeah. And there's a massive three d printing company at the later end. It's weird.
James Routledge:It serves, like, Norway's entire fleet or something random.
Daniel Moore:Absolutely mad. I think, I think what I think Staffordshire is not known for having huge, huge industry anymore. It's not like it's not like super famous for anything other than, I guess, pottery.
James Routledge:Yeah.
Daniel Moore:Which obviously is still thriving and still doing really well. Not as much, I guess, not as not as much as it used to. We've got the like like West Midlands, like, you know, loads of, like, steel fabrication. Yeah. And and you still see that.
Daniel Moore:Like, I've got clients in, like, Birmingham and sort of surrounding areas that's still in, like, metal fabrication and all that kind of thing. And they're huge big industrial estates. I think Staffordshire's just got, like, obviously got the potteries, but it's just got a real good random mix of really eclectic, really interesting businesses.
James Routledge:Don't need to just work with businesses in Staffordshire either. I I am get like, the low you've told me before, like, it's actually you now work with mostly businesses that aren't Yeah.
Daniel Moore:I mean, if anything global Yeah. And and national. In fact, I would say, like, probably 70% of the clients that we work with, don't have their head office in the UK. They're sort of overseas, but they've got like a, you know, a a office in the UK that, that we that we work with. So they tend to be quite the foreign brands for the most part, German, like Swiss and stuff.
Daniel Moore:And then we've got some, obviously, some homegrown stuff. But we still got Staffordshire clients holding on to them.
James Routledge:Yeah. Yeah.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. They're on legacy price, and they're paying about an eighth an eighth of what my other clients are paying.
James Routledge:Do you do you feel like does this location play into any of that in terms of your attractiveness to other national or international brands, or is that not even a link? Is it just the fact that you do good work?
Daniel Moore:Yeah. I don't think it really factors in. There's a couple of benefits. I don't think there's ever really a downside apart from, and I had it the other day. I had a, it's kind of forensics y law type company in the other day.
Daniel Moore:And they were like people that they would they were coming to do, like, podcast stuff. And they were like, you know, it's it's kinda it's it's weird bringing people from Manchester to Staffordshire to do a podcast. And I'm like, why is it? Seems that seems odd to me. It's like an hour.
Daniel Moore:That we got the train, like, why don't you go in and drive? And it's like almost like different rules for for different people. So some people are like, right, everything's got to be in Manchester, or everything's got to be in London. If it's out of Manchester, that's that's awkward for me. And that's okay.
Daniel Moore:You can there there is peep there are companies like us that are in Manchester that you can go to. But, so that's the only time that I've been it's been weird that, like, but most of my, you know, most stuff's like online. We, for the most part, either shoot stuff in the studio or travel. So we travel loads. So that makes no difference to the clients as a rule.
Daniel Moore:They typically don't need to travel to us unless they really want to. And in which case, it's not a big deal. And a lot of these guys a lot of the people that we work with typically are scattered all over the country anyway. So they're not like, I don't think I've got I think we've got any central London clients at all. It's like Oxford Hall.
Daniel Moore:Like, all the all the all the sort of distribution centers are all over the country. So it makes no difference then. The the big benefit for us though is our travel because we tend to travel a lot. Like, tomorrow we're in, like, Dudley, so not a 1000000 miles away. Yeah.
Daniel Moore:I would do a full day shoot there. That's not a big deal. If we were in London, that would have been a big deal. Mhmm. And so being pretty much slap bang in the middle of the country is really beneficial for us.
James Routledge:I bumped into a freelance, filmmaker the other day in a coworking space in Hanley. And he's ended up, he's ended up here because of, his wife, which I think is a story for for for a few people. But also, he was like he goes out on shoots. So he was in Spain at shoot. So jumping on, you know, getting getting a flight from probably Manchester or East Midlands.
Daniel Moore:You got your pick picker at airports. Great.
James Routledge:Birmingham. He was like, I'm in Leeds next week for a shoot, and then I'm in London another week for a shoot. So that central location Yeah. Is for people that are either freelance or they're traveling a decent amount to do their work. Yeah.
James Routledge:Works really nicely.
Daniel Moore:It's perfect for us. Like, we're we're, like, one of our clients is a private health care, provider. So they've got loads of hospitals or they're literally all over the country. Yeah. And then they used to have a an agency like in the north, an agency in the south.
Daniel Moore:And now they pretty much just just have us, because we're sort of perfectly centered in the middle. We're never a 1000000 miles away. The cost of travel isn't that much for us unless we're having to take like trains and Yeah. And all that kind of thing. And, yeah, typically, a shoot's never more than 3 hours away, so it's easy.
Daniel Moore:Whereas if you're, yeah, if you're stuck down south and then you've got a shoot in, let's say, Edinburgh Yeah. That's a plane ride, really. Yeah. You know? Whereas we'll be like, yeah.
Daniel Moore:We'll do it tomorrow. No problem at all. So it, I love the location for that. You know, sometimes, like and no matter what you do, shooting in Central London's a nightmare. Whether you whether you're from London or not.
Daniel Moore:It's just the fact that you're used to that nightmare. Yeah. So, you know, I try and avoid central London shoots. Although I think I've got one in 2 weeks.
James Routledge:Yeah. And what I'm obviously thinking you know, look looking at the future of, like, you've rooted here. I'm assuming you wanna grow here. What do you see as the, like, challenges and opportunities for for you here? Is there anything where you're like, that's gonna be a real issue because we're here?
James Routledge:Or is there anything that you see as, how that's gonna be great? I I I suppose I'm I'm leaning and probably putting words in your mouth. I'm thinking about talent. I can think about people. I
Daniel Moore:was exactly about to say talent.
James Routledge:Do you feel like there's enough talent here? Do you feel like that's gonna be an issue for you? Yeah.
Daniel Moore:Well, as yet unknown. So the I mean, so taking it back, the re you know, the reason why so we, you know, we created Disson, we created the agency, because I wanted to create really cool work. I wanted to work with with great brands. And I wanted to work with really talented people. And that working with really talented people was the biggest part of it.
Daniel Moore:I missed working in a team. Yeah. I used to work in teams in studios, went self employed, very much became the guy who went to work, spoke to some people, and then didn't speak for the rest of the day, because I'd just be editing or doing whatever. It's just quite insular, which to be fair, kinda suited me. But I really missed working in a team.
Daniel Moore:I missed kind of, like, bouncing off each other and getting opinions. And that is literally all we do all day now is literally all we do all day now is get each other's opinions on the work that we're doing. It's amazing. And supporting each other. So that was a huge thing for me.
Daniel Moore:But I but when I looked at the agencies, the agency that I look up to, they were all London, Manchester. Some of them were in, like, up and coming place like Liverpool and, even like the northeast, which you don't typically consider for, like, really creative stuff. But I actually got they've got a really thriving, sort of creative industry. So I was like, but I don't want to move. I kinda wanna stay here where I can, like, raise my kids and and they can have a really good life here and I can do stuff.
Daniel Moore:And I don't, I mean, I don't have to be in bars and restaurants every single night and taking the train to work. So I kinda wanted to create what I what what what I would typically have have created in Manchester or London, because this and originally was gonna be in Manchester, and I just decided not to over here because I was like, I didn't wanna commute. I want to be near my kids. I wanna be able to do the school run easily. And, so I created what I what I would consider to be, like, a a cool agency.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. A big agency.
James Routledge:An agency that's, like, in your mind, on a level with the pea what you class as your peers or the people that you're aspiring to. Yeah. But you're you're doing that in the location that you wanna be in rather than
Daniel Moore:moving else. Going back to perhaps the chat that you were talking about earlier, the the the freelance videographer. Similar kind of process of, like, there's got to be people who are super creative that don't wanna live in London, that don't wanna live in Manchester, and and that are really talented.
James Routledge:I see 2 opportunities there for for you. I think one is the extremely talented creative people that are already here.
Daniel Moore:Mhmm.
James Routledge:And I I'm confident there's an abundance of them.
Daniel Moore:Oh, yeah.
James Routledge:And, again, what I see is just like I've seen in the, what I would call, the start up community of of business owners, because this isn't hasn't got the typical makeup of a city, they're all over. Yeah. They're all over. They're on industrial estates. There are ones having a coffee in Bard in Trenton.
James Routledge:The other ones having a coffee in bare and stone. Like, they're all over, but they're definitely there. Yeah. They're just more spread out, and you've kinda gotta find them. I'm very confident it's the same for creatives.
James Routledge:Yeah. I got I I kinda just know it in my bones. I've met met enough of them, and they're there. Some of them are getting on the train to Manchester. Some of them are getting on the train to London, or some of them are looking around thinking, I need to move.
James Routledge:Yeah. So I see that as an opportunity. And then the second one is is making this I I think a lot of what you've described is the life you want.
Daniel Moore:Mhmm.
James Routledge:Like, I don't think that's that. I think a lot of people want that. You know, a lot of people are tired of the city life. They want something different. So, yeah, I see I personally see that as a draw.
James Routledge:Mhmm. How how is your actual experience of that there when it comes to the team here and finding people?
Daniel Moore:We when we've done, like, kinda traditional recruiting, it's failed miserably. We've really struggled to get, especially marketers, any, reasonable amount of talent. And that could be for a number of factors. It's not just the fact there's no talent here.
James Routledge:Could've been
Daniel Moore:could've been the type of work. It could've been the pay, whatever. The, you know, the the the particular role we were looking at. So when we did that it was, it was pretty it was like it was real slim pickings. Like there wasn't a lot to work with.
Daniel Moore:Loads of CVs, but just not a lot of like what I would consider to be Yeah.
James Routledge:What you wanted.
Daniel Moore:What, you know, what we were looking for. And the rest of my team, I'm, who I'm very lucky to have a really, really good team. And even people who have who have worked with us beforehand, who have left and gone on and done and done other stuff were amazing. All met them through just being a part of part of our network Yeah. Essentially.
Daniel Moore:So Yeah. And and that's perhaps one of the benefits of Staffordshire, I don't know, of like, you know, having this kind of like quite close knit community even for a city. And and certainly if like Stone, you know, every member of the team that I've ever, hired apart from 1, hasn't come through at some sort of like, job listing. They've all come through recommendations or friends or college or university. I used to teach at Stafford College, so I'm a pick of the students then.
Daniel Moore:So we're we're just hiring for a videographer at the moment. Midway to senior. So, kinda like a little bit more it's essentially a replacement of me to some extent. And, I'm concerned. I'm a little bit concerned.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. That, that we're just not gonna be able to find anyone local. Yeah. As in, like, they can easily come in 9 to 5, Monday to Friday or or, you know, roughly around that. I reckon we it might be like
James Routledge:So it's a public shout out, isn't it? Yeah. Yes. Let's do it.
Daniel Moore:To senior, videographers who aren't bothered about getting paid loads, get in touch.
James Routledge:Nah. They wanna do great creative work.
Daniel Moore:Great creative work and and, yeah. No. It's it's I'm I'm a little bit concerned about sort of that level of creativity. Yeah. But to your point, like, there's got to be people who are dying to come back.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. There's got to be people that are like, Jesus, I did not know. Yeah. I've been working in Manchester. I'm working my arse off, at this, like, scary agency that that, like, like, bleeds me dry.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. Or whatever. I'm that's not dissing on agencies, obviously. I think
James Routledge:we should.
Daniel Moore:No. But I don't really enjoy Manchester anymore. And I and I want to bring up my kids closer to my family who are from Staffordshire.
James Routledge:Yeah. I got it. Come back, friends.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. Yeah. You know, we want you back.
James Routledge:Yeah. Especially when we've had such a there has been such a talent drain.
Daniel Moore:There's got the yeah. There's got to be that kind of, like, talent that left Staffordshire, but we quite like to come back. You know, we'd we'd definitely like those guys back.
James Routledge:Well, we'll put a public call out then. Get in touch with, with Diana Dissedant if you're a if you're a yeah. If you're a you've got some experience as a videographer. Yeah.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. I thought I'd and I think you were making a point earlier about, the fact that there's there is creative talent around here. And there's a lot of artists. There's a lot of art going around there, and that's, you know, that's incredible. It's Yeah.
Daniel Moore:The art scene is is is really good. Yeah. I saw a post that you put out, on, The Knot the other day about, my guy, Rob Fenton. And I, you know, I had no idea up until recently that he'd painted Insane. The one of the, Yeah.
Daniel Moore:Which one was it? The one
James Routledge:that It's Nemesis reborn. Remesis reborn. We all know Nemesis. Yeah. And then I think it was needing a lick of paint.
James Routledge:And then him, Ethan Lemmon, and Tom Addis, all from Staffordshire, have then teamed up and and produced the world's first hand painted roller coaster. It's just yeah. It's amazing. And there's plenty more where that came from, which is cool. Part of the reason why I'm doing this, I wanna reach these people.
James Routledge:I don't feel like the current media we've got is gonna reach people. And, really, similar to you, I've come back in this area, and I I've been like, well, where do I find good stuff to do? Mhmm. Where do I find good places to eat? How do I meet good people?
James Routledge:How do I, yeah, just just feel part of this place. And I'll be honest, that was a struggle, I think, for the first year. And I've I've done exactly the same. I'm like, well, no. I'm just gonna make it myself because I see a massive opportunity.
James Routledge:I know there are plenty of those. Like, I walk around I I was in Hanley the other day, and I just don't feel like you can get a good coffee in Hanley. I'm sorry if people are sounding confident. I just as a bit of coffee snarl Definitely. I don't feel like currently I can.
James Routledge:And I want someone to see that, not as a problem, but as an opportunity.
Daniel Moore:And I
James Routledge:want someone to start a coffee shop there. And we were talking last time about, you know, sort of men's wear shop and Yeah. There's there there are a lot of opportunities that I I would love people to see as opportunities over problems. And starting to wrap up, I did this with did this with George last time. So just a few quick fire questions about you you sort you have to, like, sit.
Daniel Moore:So Okay. I'm
James Routledge:ready. You ready?
Daniel Moore:Blue, green.
James Routledge:Favorite place to get coffee?
Daniel Moore:Bare in stone.
James Routledge:Bare stone. Strong choice.
Daniel Moore:I think
James Routledge:that's mine. Mhmm. I've just come from there. Coffee's good. The banana bread's actually a joke, if you
Daniel Moore:know what I mean. And the,
James Routledge:what is it? The cinnamon classics also.
Daniel Moore:That big swell thing. Yeah. That's me. But most importantly, the staff are so nice.
James Routledge:Mate, they actually are. So good. They actually again.
Daniel Moore:And this and do you know what's weird is they stay there forever. Those guys have been working there for years. You know, like, coffee shop people are just like That's that's a that's a stop gap to something else, isn't it? These guys are like career bare, like baristas.
James Routledge:Genuinely, I go in there, and I feel at home.
Daniel Moore:I'm like, hi, everyone.
James Routledge:Yeah. Sick place. Good coffee. Genuinely good coffee. Favorite place to get food?
Daniel Moore:Favorite place to get food would be Proven in stone, the pizzeria. That's probably my go to for for any any kind of any anything like that, really. If I was to have a second choice, if I'm allowed 1, probably would be Sheet Anchor. You never been there, the blockhouse?
James Routledge:I've never actually been there.
Daniel Moore:It's one of the Paragon ones. Yeah. You kinda you smoked meats and Cool. And, craft beers, and and it's got a nice vibe to it. And Yeah.
Daniel Moore:Okay. You can't go wrong with Paragon. You know? Yeah.
James Routledge:Yeah. Okay. So we've got proven pizza. This is strong. I love it in there.
Daniel Moore:Love it. Strong in there.
James Routledge:Yeah. Good takeout. Like, you know, you're just hungry. You want a piece of Friday night. Boom.
Daniel Moore:And they're not afraid to, like, you know, the they do some weird stuff in there.
James Routledge:I I respect that. Yeah. They mix at the menu. And Butternut squash base I had once. Yeah.
James Routledge:I was like, yeah. Okay.
Daniel Moore:Well, the the gushers that go were obsessed obsessed here with carbonara pizza. So it was a full on pizza that was like a carbonara, and and the girls went mad for it. And they don't do it anymore.
James Routledge:They, over I don't know. They've got, like, a festive pizza as well, which essentially it's like a Christmas dinner. Yeah. I had that. Pizza.
James Routledge:Really strong. And you can get good bread there.
Daniel Moore:Oh, is that right?
James Routledge:Yeah. You can get good bread there. If you're ever in there, it's well worth picking up some bread.
Daniel Moore:Because because, that's the only the only place where, like, I really enjoy the crust. Because there's because I so I assume the bread's the same. But, I have all this weird way of eating and and, I tried to make this post go viral and it failed failed miserably. But if you go to Proven, you have to get the garlic and herb dip. Ideally, 2 of them.
Daniel Moore:Yeah. And you eat, You cut the pizza in a circle around. So you basically cut out the middle Yeah. Of the pizza. Eat eat.
Daniel Moore:So you leave this slice like sort of circle of crust until the end. And then you just break that part, dip it, and that's end bit.
James Routledge:It's so judgmental, isn't it? That I just feel offended by that side.
Daniel Moore:It's in the mouth. It's not right.
James Routledge:Yeah. You you should be able to eat however you want.
Daniel Moore:Absolutely. But that's that's my that's my favorite way of eating because, like unless they've already precut it, which they don't wanna go in the restaurant.
James Routledge:To attack the the dip in a new way. Yeah.
Daniel Moore:Yeah, man. So you just got this, like, at the end, you've just got this ring of crust that you can just tear apart, dip. It's beautiful.
James Routledge:And the barbecue dip there is a joke as well.
Daniel Moore:I'm a big fan of that.
James Routledge:Yeah. Huge fan. And then finally, just favorite thing to do?
Daniel Moore:Favorite thing to do in stone
James Routledge:Or Staffordshire.
Daniel Moore:Just stay. Staffordshire. My favorite thing to do is to go for a walk.
James Routledge:Love it.
Daniel Moore:So that we've got, I live in stone. Across the a 500, you've got a little village called Aston. It's got Aston church there. You can walk through there. It's like a little orchard.
Daniel Moore:It's not really an orchard, but it's just some trees. And you can keep walking. There's some beautiful houses, and, it's like stepping back 100 years in time.
James Routledge:Yeah. That's, I think that's on what's called the Two Saints Way.
Daniel Moore:Yeah.
James Routledge:There's a there's a pilgrimage route. I did it last year. Have you seen it?
Daniel Moore:Yeah. Because they put a plaque up on one of the trees. Yeah. Yeah.
James Routledge:Yeah. It's a lovely it's really it's not many people know about that. It's that stretch, I think. Aston by Stone's so nice. Yeah.
James Routledge:Quite a, yeah. Quite a lot of history around there as well.
Daniel Moore:In COVID, I think people found out about it. But up until then, it was like the people that live there, like, because I live on the I stay opposite. That was I was like the best Capes Deepa. And the only reason why I know about it is because we used to build bases in there as a kid.
James Routledge:Build that base. So top so top weekend would be coffee coffee at Bairnstone, pizza at Proven, or maybe a visit to Sheet Anchor
Daniel Moore:Yeah.
James Routledge:And then you're topping it off with a walk Fill some more walk. Stone. Yeah.
Daniel Moore:It's a perfect day for me.
James Routledge:I love it. Perfect day in Staffordshire. Well, Dan, it's been a pleasure. Thanks genuinely again. Thank you for agreeing to partner with us for this podcast.
James Routledge:Thank you. I'm I'm excited to see where it goes here. I'm I'm also excited to tell more people about the work that you do with Dissident, genuinely. I think
Daniel Moore:Thank you, mate.
James Routledge:You deserve to be shouted about, and hopefully, we can find you a great videographer and other creatives Please. That that come flocking to you. And, and just really cool to hear just your story in Staffordshire. I wanna I wanna tell more of these stories, creative people that are here doing great creative work, and I'm sure you'll either inspire someone in some way or or hopefully give someone a route into the creative industries in this area.
Daniel Moore:Hopefully. And, yeah. I look forward to I look forward to the rest of the episodes and and more than not. And, any way that we can be, associated with that is is gonna be cool. I'm learning stuff already about Staffordshire that I
James Routledge:didn't know. Cool. Cheers, mate.
Daniel Moore:Cheers, mate.
James Routledge:Thank you for listening to The Knot Pod. If you like this podcast and want more, please follow us on social media at the knot daily, and subscribe to get good news from The Knot direct to your inbox via www.theknot.news. Join the community, join the movement, and together, we're changing the narrative, and by doing that, we're gonna change the place. And please always remember, when you see something positive in our area, just think, that's one for the lot. See you next time.
