Daniel Daggers: I was listening to a podcast the other day, and there was a guy talking about where success [00:00:05] comes from, and he said that there’s a fine line between success and [00:00:10] addiction. And it was quite interesting what he said. He said, when you’re a child, [00:00:15] if you have too much trauma, it can lead you to addiction. So whether that’s [00:00:20] drinking or alcohol or whatever it may be, you could even be work. I’m semi addicted [00:00:25] to my work. If you have just enough trauma, it propels you to success. [00:00:30] And I found that really valuable. And I don’t like. [00:00:35] For instance, I have a team of 34 people now. I want to protect all of them. You know, if [00:00:40] they go to war, they know I’m behind them kind of thing. Yeah. If they’ve got an issue, I’m there to support [00:00:45] them. That’s my role. I think that it’s, um, extremely valuable life [00:00:50] lessons and going through the thick of things really shapes the human being. And [00:00:55] so you want people to understand and appreciate what [00:01:00] great is, what good is, what bad is. Otherwise, you just become [00:01:05] just too soft.

[VOICE]: This [00:01:15] is mind movers. Moving the conversation [00:01:20] forward on mental health and optimisation for dental professionals. Your [00:01:25] hosts Rhona Eskander and Payman Langroudi.

Rhona Eskander: Welcome [00:01:30] to the Mind Movers podcast. I like to call it the [00:01:35] Mental Health Podcast, where we delve into the stories of those who inspire us to think deeper [00:01:40] and dream bigger. And that’s why I’m honoured to have Mr. Superprime Daniel [00:01:45] Daggers. I had the honour of meeting Daniel through my incredible friend Nina, who’s also been on the podcast. [00:01:50] Daniel has made him a name for himself as one of the top luxury real estate [00:01:55] agents globally, with a career spanning over a decade. And we’re going to get into that. [00:02:00] He’s known for his dedication to clients and expertise in closing significant deals, and Daniel’s professional [00:02:05] journey is nothing short of remarkable. And I truly mean that because I like to bring people on here that truly [00:02:10] inspire me. So I’m talking totally from the heart. Beyond his success in real estate, he’s [00:02:15] also a passionate advocate for mental health. So one of the reasons Daniel and I connected, I don’t know if you remember our chat in Chiltern Firehouse, [00:02:20] where I was talking about being trolled and having people that tried to also, like, ruin my life at one point by also [00:02:25] trolling my family. And you could relate to that somewhat, because we were seen as people that were doing something in [00:02:30] a very traditional career path, but doing something that was different, particularly online. He’s [00:02:35] also venturing into a new realm with an up and coming project with Netflix. I know that we can’t [00:02:40] say too much, but I’m super excited and they definitely need to watch [00:02:45] out. What’s the American one with all the American people on it? Yeah, Selling Sunset needs to watch it. I was once [00:02:50] in a program like that for dentists, by the way. It was like, that would be amazing.

[TRANSITION]: It’s really.

Rhona Eskander: Amazing. It got pulled [00:02:55] though last minute. But anyway, so it’s an absolute pleasure to have you here today. And I’m really, really excited. [00:03:00]

[TRANSITION]: Pleasure is mine.

Rhona Eskander: Yes. Amazing. Okay. So I want to start from the beginning. Daniel I always like [00:03:05] to start from the beginning. I want you to tell me a little bit about your childhood, your upbringing, [00:03:10] where you grew up and what it was like.

Daniel Daggers: Okay, so I have a yemenite-israeli mother [00:03:15] and a father from Stoke Newington that makes this love it. [00:03:20] My father was a kitchen designer when they had me worked for Magnet and Southland, which was [00:03:25] a really big brand at the time, and ran around designing kitchens and then supplying them. My mum [00:03:30] is a stay at home mum, which I think is a professional job, especially when she has to raise someone like me. I [00:03:35] had loads of loads of energy, grew up in Maida Vale, grew up in local authority housing till I [00:03:40] was, uh 11. Life got a little bit easier. Dad started doing a little bit better and [00:03:45] we moved out from there into our own little place when I was about 13, 12, 13, [00:03:50] something like that. I had a really interesting background in terms of my life at the time. As a kid, [00:03:55] I didn’t know what local authority housing was. I really love where I live. I had a little garden at the rear, [00:04:00] kick the ball up against the wall, was on my skateboard, ran around with the kids, [00:04:05] local kids on the street, skateboarding down the street, played football opposite until mum came [00:04:10] out and said, hey, come in, dinner’s ready. When all the other mums would do the same. Played in the local [00:04:15] park in Paddington Rec, which everyone called the Rec and went to a local boys club at the time. [00:04:20] So youth centre now, but boys club at the time had a lot of challenges, had [00:04:25] a lot of challenges.

Rhona Eskander: Tell us a little bit about that.

Daniel Daggers: Um, well, I was fortunate enough to [00:04:30] get into a primary private school, which was new and just down the [00:04:35] road, and because they didn’t have any kids in it, there was like a quota of [00:04:40] ten kids that could come in for free. So we didn’t have much at the time. So my parents got me in, [00:04:45] which was great. It was a Jewish school, and I saw what successful [00:04:50] people look like. Then, you know, where mums and dads would turn up in a Mercedes and [00:04:55] all that sort of stuff. Never, never seen that before, really. My dad drove around in a Laguna or Sierra [00:05:00] with a roof rack.

[TRANSITION]: Um, nothing wrong with that.

Payman Langroudi: No. There’s nothing. I loved it, I [00:05:05] didn’t know any different. And then at night I would go to the local boys club, which was called Paddington Boys [00:05:10] Club, and I would be with kids that had nothing or very little, often [00:05:15] single parent backgrounds. Kids are up to everything. Trouble [00:05:20] that you cannot imagine. I was bullied, it was challenging. I had to fight.

Rhona Eskander: So [00:05:25] this was in your new school?

Daniel Daggers: No, I wasn’t really bullied at school. It was a different kind of attitude [00:05:30] at school. You know, I was the kid at school that didn’t have as much as everyone else. Even though I had amazing [00:05:35] parents that loved and adored me and cared for me like you cannot imagine. And my upbringing was [00:05:40] great. But when I went to the local boys club Youth Centre, I was a kid that had everything. [00:05:45] I had both my parents, I had food on the table. Everything was great, like I was none the [00:05:50] wiser. And the other kids there, they were single parent households going through really tough times. [00:05:55] They went straight into crime pretty quickly, a lot of them, and [00:06:00] I was the black sheep in every environment I was in. Yeah, totally. But [00:06:05] it was one of the wisest things my parents ever did was sending me to that boys club, because I learned what [00:06:10] different kinds of people or how different kinds of people lived. [00:06:15]

Rhona Eskander: Do you know, I really resonate with that. So. I had my dad on my podcast. I don’t know if you [00:06:20] saw the clip.

[TRANSITION]: You know.

Rhona Eskander: On a couple of weeks ago and we talked about my upbringing because people [00:06:25] have a lot of preconceptions about how I got to where I am today. And one of the main things is that, you [00:06:30] know, we came to the UK and we actually didn’t have much money at all, and my dad had to start from scratch on [00:06:35] the NHS, which wasn’t a great salary for a family of four, but my mum didn’t want to send us to the local [00:06:40] state school because they were really rough. And um, what happened was, is that she [00:06:45] ended up finding a job in retail. Now for her, that was really difficult because she had a degree from Berkeley, but it [00:06:50] actually wasn’t valid in the UK and she didn’t couldn’t afford to go back to university. So she decided to [00:06:55] go into retail, worked on a shop on Bond Street, and every single penny was spent on our schools. But we like, never went on holiday, [00:07:00] never ate out anything like that. Look, everyone has privilege to a degree because, you know, even when I tell the [00:07:05] story, people are like, at least you have parents that love you. Like, I get it, we all have degrees of privilege, like, you know, and [00:07:10] but I really understood that when they sent me to a private school, we couldn’t even afford uniforms. We had to buy, like [00:07:15] the second hand uniform from the, you know, from the sort of like charity shop within the school. And kids [00:07:20] made fun of me. And like you said, I wasn’t being picked up by cars. You know, I had to take the bus. And [00:07:25] when I went to my friends houses, they were living in, like these incredible houses, and we were living in like a small [00:07:30] little house in Swiss Cottage, you know. But all that stuff drove me because seeing [00:07:35] kids and parents that provided that made me feel in a way that I wanted to [00:07:40] prove something because there was so much judgement on my parents and what we couldn’t afford. But it also made me feel [00:07:45] like I want that as well, and I have.

[TRANSITION]: How old did you start.

Daniel Daggers: Feeling that way?

Rhona Eskander: I would say that started [00:07:50] at about. So I came to the UK when I was five, but I think I really felt it when I was about 8 or 9.

Daniel Daggers: Okay, [00:07:55] so I didn’t feel it at all.

[TRANSITION]: Oh really?

Daniel Daggers: As a kid I didn’t feel it at all. Um, I [00:08:00] loved my youth, I loved it, I loved playing football on the grass opposite [00:08:05] with all kinds of people you could ever imagine. Right. And [00:08:10] I love just having the ball in hand, playing football, going to school. I wasn’t great [00:08:15] at school at all. I was none the wiser, I was none the wiser, [00:08:20] and I enjoyed it immensely. I’d have all those years again, even with [00:08:25] all the bullying and like, you know, I remember going to bed when I was, um, very young [00:08:30] and I’d been threatened, you know, like, this is going to happen to you tomorrow [00:08:35] kind of thing. I remember being in bed at 8 to 9 years old thinking about stuff like that. But, [00:08:40] um, I loved my youth, I loved it. I couldn’t have thought of anything better. If you gave me a [00:08:45] football and put me in the park or in the youth centre or on the grass opposite, and my dad would come out every night almost, [00:08:50] and kick the ball up in the air and we’d play. I was none the wiser about everything else. I knew nothing about chauffeur driven [00:08:55] cars and Rolexes and glamorous hotels. We hardly travelled. I went to Paris once [00:09:00] without going to the family home abroad. I went to Paris once until the age [00:09:05] of 18. Yeah. And then, you know, you get a bit of independence and you start [00:09:10] wanting to travel a little bit, and then your mates start having birthdays abroad and all [00:09:15] that sort of stuff. Then you explore Europe and all that, sort of. I mean, it’s I loved my upbringing, [00:09:20] but it was the wisest thing ever. My parents sending me to that youth centre.

[TRANSITION]: Why?

Daniel Daggers: Because it [00:09:25] gave me so many skills. Because I can speak to anybody. Anybody. [00:09:30] I can speak to anyone you could ever imagine. It doesn’t matter. I can speak [00:09:35] to an Iranian family and know little things about their culture. I can speak to a muslim family, know little [00:09:40] things about their culture. I can speak to just an English family that live around the corner. Love [00:09:45] to go to the pub every night or whatever it may be. Jewish, it doesn’t matter. Religion, [00:09:50] race, it doesn’t matter. I’ve experienced conversation with those people. Sometimes difficult, [00:09:55] sometimes easy. And I love it. And it’s given me such a great skill set to [00:10:00] engage with people that it was. It was probably the wisest thing anyone’s ever done for me. [00:10:05]

Rhona Eskander: Interesting that you say that, though, because I do think to a certain degree. I mean, look, some [00:10:10] people can learn interpersonal skills, but I think emotional intelligence is [00:10:15] actually something that people are gifted with. I do think you’re somebody that has emotional intelligence because you have [00:10:20] related and you understand it’s something that I believe I’ve also been blessed with. Prav always says [00:10:25] this Prav is my business coach, and it’s because I have deep empathy for every single human [00:10:30] being that I ever speak to, and I really try to meet them where they’re at, despite where they come from. I don’t think that’s [00:10:35] necessarily something that, you know, you pick up. I’m not sure.

[TRANSITION]: Mhm. I mean, look. [00:10:40]

Payman Langroudi: We all get put in different situations in life. Right. And some of them [00:10:45] we take too naturally and some of them we learn from and so on. But in, [00:10:50] in that exposure to these different types of people, what were your conclusions that everyone’s [00:10:55] worth talking to or what was the I.

Daniel Daggers: Think when you’re when it’s probably a bit like food, [00:11:00] if you taste a lot of different kinds of food, then you see [00:11:05] a difference. But you don’t see a difference. Like it’s just what you fancy, what you like, what you do. But it’s still [00:11:10] food, right? These people, human beings. I loved engaging with them, and [00:11:15] I learned. I learned so much. Now, I didn’t know that as a kid at the time, I thought, you know, oh, this is annoying. This [00:11:20] is frustrating. They’re different. I’m different. And I talk to my friends that have children and [00:11:25] say to me, you have to expose kids to things that are different to them. They have [00:11:30] to learn at an early stage, because otherwise what you know is what you know. And if you only know a very narrow [00:11:35] amount of information around people and how to speak to people, then that’s where [00:11:40] they’re going to sit for the rest of their lives. Unless they’re very brave and having the [00:11:45] ability to speak to so many different kinds of people wealth, status, race, [00:11:50] religion, I feel really comfortable with everybody. I never feel uncomfortable, [00:11:55] and I love that more than any piece of education [00:12:00] that I’ve been given that skill. You can get up, go anywhere around [00:12:05] the world just to do anything for your profession, and you can take that skill that will [00:12:10] benefit you in the future. And that’s the wisest thing that I’ve, I’ve, I’ve had in my [00:12:15] life, for sure. And the funny thing is it didn’t cost us anything.

Rhona Eskander: My question is, how did you overcome the bullying? [00:12:20]

Daniel Daggers: You sort of grit your teeth and keep going.

[TRANSITION]: Did you tell your, I didn’t really have any?

Daniel Daggers: Uh, to [00:12:25] a certain extent, I think. Yeah, to a certain extent, when it’s on your doorstep, [00:12:30] you can’t run away from it. So you have to learn how to deal [00:12:35] with it. And the way I dealt with it was being really good at football. Um, [00:12:40] that was our common language, and I was thankfully very good at it. [00:12:45] So I got some respect from the kids, especially when we got older. They [00:12:50] were like, he plays football with us on a Sunday. He’s really good. I want to protect him. So [00:12:55] ironically, the kids that had struggles with became my bodyguards on [00:13:00] the football pitch. Yeah, they went on and had really difficult times, but still now [00:13:05] when I, when I drive through the neighbourhood, sometimes I see the guys from the boys club and they’re all wave [00:13:10] and and I love that because I know that they’re supportive of me [00:13:15] because I’m still one of them. I think going through those challenges as a young man [00:13:20] has enabled me to overcome more challenges as I’ve got older, [00:13:25] and life is very quick to challenge you.

[TRANSITION]: Yeah, 100% [00:13:30] at any opportunity.

Daniel Daggers: So having the skill as a as a young human being, [00:13:35] learning the skills as a young human being, as much as it may hurt any parent, is [00:13:40] extremely valuable 100%.

Payman Langroudi: The constant struggle between do you provide the most comfortable [00:13:45] life for your kids, or do you let them be shaped by the challenges? [00:13:50] Because at the end of the day, if it’s only a comfortable life, then they end [00:13:55] up soft. You know they can’t handle.

Rhona Eskander: Pain is where the growth happens.

[TRANSITION]: People forget that pain. [00:14:00]

Rhona Eskander: Is where the growth happens.

Daniel Daggers: I think it’s really I’m not a parent, so I can’t speak for parents. I [00:14:05] think when you have a problem, you should share it because you only know what you know and there are other people [00:14:10] that know other things. So that’s that’s one point that I would probably sort of stress. [00:14:15] Hopefully one day when I have children, I will want my kids [00:14:20] to appreciate life. And I was listening to a podcast [00:14:25] the other day and there was a guy talking about where success comes from, and [00:14:30] he said that there’s a fine line between success and, and [00:14:35] addiction.

[TRANSITION]: Um.

Daniel Daggers: And it was quite interesting what he said. He said, um. [00:14:40] When your child. If you have too much trauma, it can [00:14:45] lead you to addiction. So whether that’s drinking or alcohol or whatever it may be, [00:14:50] you could even be work. I’m semi addicted to my work. If you have just [00:14:55] enough trauma, it propels you to success. Um, and [00:15:00] I found that really valuable. I think that parents and I don’t [00:15:05] like. For instance, I have a team of 34 people now. I want to protect all of them. You know, [00:15:10] if they go to war, they know I’m behind them kind of thing. Yeah. If they’ve got an issue, I’m there to [00:15:15] support them. That’s my role. I think that it’s, um, extremely valuable [00:15:20] life lessons and going through the thick of things really shapes the human being. [00:15:25] And so you want people to understand and appreciate [00:15:30] what great is, what good is, what bad is. Otherwise [00:15:35] you just become just too soft.

Payman Langroudi: How did you take from [00:15:40] sort of being a one man band to being a boss?

[TRANSITION]: Well, this is.

Rhona Eskander: No, we [00:15:45] need we need to rewind pay because we want to know how. So we got the school right. So then [00:15:50] how did you end up in real estate?

Daniel Daggers: Super simple. I didn’t want to be a real estate agent. I wanted to be a professional footballer. [00:15:55] Just like a lot of boys. And now girls that grow up in the UK, I wasn’t good enough. I knew [00:16:00] deep down I wasn’t good enough and I broke my collarbone. I was I was still at I was just coming out [00:16:05] of school, did sixth form, didn’t have the grades to go into university. [00:16:10] So they said, no, you can’t do real estate university. I wasn’t going to be a doctor. I wasn’t going to be a dentist. [00:16:15] I just don’t have the durability when it comes to studying things. I [00:16:20] find that really difficult. I’ve always found it difficult. I couldn’t spell, I still can’t [00:16:25] spell. So you just found it hard to probably, I don’t know. Yeah, I found it hard to read. I [00:16:30] think arguments that I had with my mum when I was a kid about reading was like painful. [00:16:35] Um, she wanted the best for me. She just didn’t know about dyslexia. And I think I’m self-diagnosed. [00:16:40] So I, you know, I can’t, can’t say for sure. So I wasn’t great at school. Um, [00:16:45] but I had a good way with people and the and the teachers like me because I was a [00:16:50] good boy, so studied, uh, business in sixth form. And that’s the [00:16:55] first time that. Someone clicked the light on for me. It [00:17:00] was literally that moment. The light went on and I was like, now I have a subject that I [00:17:05] can use. I can go and earn a living and find some independence. And immediately [00:17:10] I took to it like a duck to water. I was really interested in the topics I was learning [00:17:15] about tax and how to dodge tax and all that sort of stuff, you know, as a kid.

Daniel Daggers: But it’s true. You’re just trying to find solutions. [00:17:20] You’re trying to find your way through it, and the teacher would laugh and so on and so on. I did well, [00:17:25] and I had to do a two week work experience. So we went to a local estate agents [00:17:30] called Vickers at Time in Maida Vale, and they knew my dad. So my dad had a word and said, look, would [00:17:35] you take my son on for two weeks? I went in there, licked loads of envelopes [00:17:40] and stamps and just learnt a little bit and was helpful. I think [00:17:45] I got £100 gift voucher which was great. And then I went to finish off the course and then [00:17:50] I went to study surveying at college in Neasden, and I knew [00:17:55] from the first day that it wasn’t right for me. I broke my collarbone playing football in the park with some friends, [00:18:00] lost my opportunity at Hayes Town Football Club, which was a feeder club, and [00:18:05] I got a phone call from the boss saying, hey, we’re looking for somebody. One of [00:18:10] our agents has left. Would you be interested in joining? I had a phone interview, said everything I shouldn’t have said. [00:18:15] They still gave me the job and I started working at 17.5. Spotty teenager [00:18:20] walked through the office door. Remember? I was petrified. There’s a phone. There’s the fax machine over [00:18:25] there. There’s the draw, the details. All the properties, make phone calls, show property, do [00:18:30] deals, make money. And that was that was how it started. I [00:18:35] didn’t want to be an estate agent.

Rhona Eskander: So then at 17, did you know that you had the knack for what you were [00:18:40] doing? No.

[TRANSITION]: So you just went. I was.

Daniel Daggers: Petrified. Are you serious?

[TRANSITION]: Yeah, yeah.

Daniel Daggers: Pick up the phone, call [00:18:45] a stranger. Tell a stranger that you know what they’re looking for. Then entertain them. [00:18:50] Pick them up in your car. Even though you’ve only just passed your license and you’re petrified to drive around and [00:18:55] and park, reverse park with someone in the car who’s older than you. You’re a kid. [00:19:00] You know you’re a kid and then say, okay, you need to carry loads of keys around. Figure out [00:19:05] how keys work because you have loads of keys or loads of different keys to doors and all over the place. I mean, it was a nightmare and [00:19:10] it sounds weak, but it’s true because you don’t want to fumble in front of somebody. And I was driving [00:19:15] around in my blue Vauxhall Courser. Yeah, we had a spoiler at the back row, and, [00:19:20] um, I didn’t feel that I had the knack of it until probably [00:19:25] 19. Okay. And at 19, there was a moment where I was in negotiations with somebody and I [00:19:30] opened it to the floor. It was a small office, only about eight people, and I explained [00:19:35] the issue that I’ve got and everyone was thinking about it. I’ve got guys there double my age and more. And then I found [00:19:40] a answer to my own question that no one else thought of, and [00:19:45] then went, that was a good idea. And that’s when I knew. Yeah, that’s when I knew, like, um, okay, [00:19:50] I get this, I get this now. And it’s not because I love selling real [00:19:55] estate. The hack is not about selling real estate. The hack is [00:20:00] understanding people.

[TRANSITION]: And that’s your love.

Daniel Daggers: That’s the hack. Yeah. I never went [00:20:05] out with somebody going, I want to say I want to make £400 because my commission, the first property I ever sold, [00:20:10] was £117,000, and I think I made £200. I was [00:20:15] never going to be phenomenally successful in that role selling that value property. I [00:20:20] needed to build my. I didn’t know this. My personal brand. Make a good impression. [00:20:25] This is where my mum, when my mum used to say to me, hey, walk down the street with your head held high. [00:20:30] Don’t drag your feet. Dress smartly. Smile at people. When you cross your legs. Make sure [00:20:35] the base of your foot isn’t facing a woman. Walk on the right side of the road. All those things [00:20:40] allowed me to make a good impression on people. So thank goodness for my mum, right? [00:20:45] Even though it was painful at the time, she did exactly the right thing and [00:20:50] I made a good impression on people. And I knew that even if I hadn’t sold that property to somebody, one [00:20:55] day they may come back to me and say, I remember you.

[TRANSITION]: I [00:21:00] like, yeah.

Payman Langroudi: It’s the game of trust, isn’t it?

[TRANSITION]: I was going.

Rhona Eskander: To say like there’s one. [00:21:05] Daniel was speaking. I was like, I never went into dentistry, which a lot of dentists do, being like, I want [00:21:10] to provide like the best, most beautiful, like restorations. For me, it was always a [00:21:15] feeling like I want to do good dentistry, but I want people to feel amazing. And [00:21:20] some of my patients that come to me for consultation five years ago come back. Sure. [00:21:25] Do you know what I mean? And not at that time, because they say, I remember. And one of my patients, I posted a very emotional [00:21:30] story yesterday and she I said to her, like, what makes you chose me? And [00:21:35] she said, because you made me feel through your branding and your persona [00:21:40] that I trusted you. I mean, she didn’t say the word branding. She said on your Instagram. I felt like I knew [00:21:45] you. I felt you had empathy. And that’s what you said. Like a personal brand is so strong yet [00:21:50] so underrated, especially with people that are stuck into that old school mindset of like, [00:21:55] you know, being doing commercial traditional marketing. And they don’t understand that people buy [00:22:00] into the people. That’s the thing that matters the most.

Payman Langroudi: Real estate is very interesting because if someone [00:22:05] buys £117,000 house from you, they still have to fully [00:22:10] trust you. I mean, that’s still 117. Yeah. Well, yeah. And yet when someone buys a £30 million [00:22:15] house from you, it’s, it comes down to trust again. But but in real estate, that £30 million [00:22:20] house can make you so much more money. Right? It’s almost the same amount of due diligence, but [00:22:25] much more money to be made from the bigger deals. Well.

Daniel Daggers: Yeah, 100%. But I’ve done a lot of [00:22:30] thinking about this because we built a really interesting business, which will come to at some point. But people who worked [00:22:35] in real estate or have worked in real estate that sit behind the company brand, there is no [00:22:40] trust in that, you see, because you don’t get to know the individual delivering the service who’s going to be walking around [00:22:45] the most expensive asset you’ve, you’ve owned or own and will [00:22:50] be in your intimate life. You know where your babies are, where your children are, you know where you [00:22:55] sleep, and you have no idea about that individual. Nothing. You know more about your Uber driver that you’re scared [00:23:00] to put your daughter in. Yeah, you know more about your Uber driver than you do about your estate agent. And [00:23:05] the only reason you trust them is because they sit under a banner when they can leave that business tomorrow. [00:23:10] Mhm. Actually, if you have a digital footprint and social media channels, [00:23:15] that person is more trustworthy because they cannot evaporate.

[TRANSITION]: Mhm. So [00:23:20] true.

Daniel Daggers: Right. And the thing is, is that now we’re starting to come to terms with the fact that there’s a [00:23:25] sort of life cycle where we’re coming to a place where you’re delivering a service and [00:23:30] more and more people who are becoming more and more educated that will be able to deliver the same service as me. In theory, [00:23:35] they can you can learn how to negotiate. In fact, we built a course to teach people how to negotiate, [00:23:40] how to greet a woman in a hijab. No one taught me that. I’ve had probably 20 [00:23:45] days training in my life. I had to train on the job. Why? Now? I can train a lot of people, thousands [00:23:50] of people online and give them my skills, but they can deliver the, in theory, the same service [00:23:55] as me from a practical point of view. But they can’t do me. Yeah, they can’t do [00:24:00] me.

[TRANSITION]: That’s what I would say.

Daniel Daggers: And so there’s loads of dentists out there that can offer an amazing service. [00:24:05] Yeah, maybe even a better service.

[TRANSITION]: So I would say.

Daniel Daggers: But if you don’t know who they are, you [00:24:10] will never get that service. And this is the way the world is going. Everyone can [00:24:15] see it now. You know, you touched on the subject of doing things differently, being a bit of a black sheep. [00:24:20] I always want to be a black sheep. I always want people to wonder. [00:24:25] After going through my life that I’ve gone through over the past 20 years at work, 25 years at work is that [00:24:30] if you’re brave enough, you will be a black sheep. And if [00:24:35] you’re self-aware enough and you understand your environment, being a black sheep means [00:24:40] you see opportunity faster than others 100%. And that’s okay. That’s absolutely [00:24:45] fine. Yeah. Enjoy it. Be misunderstood because that’s often where success comes from. [00:24:50] And so I say to the people in my business, don’t be misunderstood [00:24:55] because the world will catch up with you. If [00:25:00] you’re self-aware and you’ll recognise what you’re doing, the world will gradually come up, you know, meet you. [00:25:05] And when they meet you, you know what they’re going to say. They’re going to say, where have you been? [00:25:10] I’ve been looking for you for the service that you offer for years. And you’re [00:25:15] here and you’ll be like, well, I’ve been here for the past 25 years.

Rhona Eskander: But [00:25:20] people, people can see that now because enough people are savvy enough to like, be doing the research, especially on social [00:25:25] media, etc.. I want you also to tell us, Daniel, obviously, I know because one of the first [00:25:30] times we met, I think I just experienced some really bad trolling online. Yeah. And it’s something that I have to deal [00:25:35] with. I talked to Payman about it and like recently I’ve become like more thick skinned about it. But it’s still [00:25:40] it’s still difficult because no matter like out of the like 99 comments, even if two [00:25:45] are bad, you hyper focus on the two and you don’t see the 97 that are good. You know, that’s human nature. [00:25:50] And I know that you told me you had also experienced some things online as well, [00:25:55] because you wanted to do things differently online. You know, you were one of the first [00:26:00] people to become a kind of real estate influencer, as it were. Yeah.

Daniel Daggers: Uh, if you are wanting [00:26:05] to do something that is different to others and you see traction and you see positivity [00:26:10] out of it, and as long as you’re putting positivity in the world, if people [00:26:15] are going to hate on you, then let them hate. Hmm. Okay, I’m putting positivity in [00:26:20] the world. I don’t talk about evil things. I don’t try and put negative things into the [00:26:25] world. If you don’t like me, that’s not my problem. That’s not mine.

Rhona Eskander: Yeah, it’s a you problem. And [00:26:30] the thing is.

[TRANSITION]: Yeah, and that’s fine.

Daniel Daggers: And if you’re going to want to or if you’re prepared to accept other [00:26:35] people’s negativity, and that’s going to stop you from delivering what you want to deliver, [00:26:40] then you care too much about what other people who don’t care about you think. Yeah, I care about [00:26:45] 20 people’s well, I care about the people that work with me. I care about my clients, and I care about my family [00:26:50] and friends. That’s what I care about. I care about their opinions. And they have a good enough relationship with [00:26:55] me that if they feel that I’m doing something wrong, they’re going to tell me because I have honest relationships [00:27:00] with people. But if Peter Pan U-47 one two wants [00:27:05] to wants to. Yeah. No one wants that wants to say something, then I’m going to move [00:27:10] past that pretty quickly.

[TRANSITION]: You know. No.

Rhona Eskander: So tell us now a little bit because [00:27:15] obviously we want to get into the juicy bit about what your current business involves and what you do.

Daniel Daggers: Okay, so [00:27:20] I left Vickers, went to a big firm because I saw there was more opportunities where the world was changing [00:27:25] and it was going from a state agency, small ones, to big corporate firms that [00:27:30] are taking market share, that invested in brand. They invested in offices and had [00:27:35] more exposure. I felt that was the best place for me to go. Went to a company called Knight. Frank, had an amazing [00:27:40] career there, was there for 12 years, climbed that company pretty quickly. I was the highest earner, [00:27:45] I think, for every year I was there practically, um, I pioneered [00:27:50] social channels through that business was generating over £400 million worth of leads a month [00:27:55] through social media. I knew it was the future. It was something I invested in. I enabled that organisation to benefit [00:28:00] from that too. And then I took a role to be the US ambassador. I travelled a lot. I [00:28:05] was curious, um, I knew that I knew a little, but I wanted to know more. [00:28:10] And so I went. Travelling did a lot in the US. A lot of Europe, some [00:28:15] Middle East. And then I went to Australia and I got a taster from lots of different people on [00:28:20] how they were doing things, and that’s where I got a real glimpse in the US as to how social media could have an impact as well, [00:28:25] and certain things happen, which just was obvious to me. And so did [00:28:30] that explored that became the head of the private office at that firm, dealing just with ultra [00:28:35] high net worth community. And then I left. I left under [00:28:40] difficult circumstances. I can’t talk about it. I would love to. [00:28:45] Maybe it would be a book one day. And then I started Drew [00:28:50] Global on March the 20th, 2020.

Rhona Eskander: Reminds me of my name, by the way. I’m just going [00:28:55] to say it’s like Doctor Rowena Iskander saying.

[TRANSITION]: Well, I did the whole thing.

Rhona Eskander: Well, got [00:29:00] complex things.

[TRANSITION]: Yeah. Okay.

Daniel Daggers: Maybe. Yeah. I mean, Drew Global was [00:29:05] Daniel Dagger’s real estate, but I wanted to pivot it into into a platform business, which [00:29:10] is what we’ve done now. And there was value in my name because I was relatively well known [00:29:15] in what I do. And, uh, we’re now 34 people. Uh, [00:29:20] we’re the sixth most influential real estate business across the UK at marketing homes, over £5 [00:29:25] million. We’ve done that in at the time that that stat was about three and a half years. Now, [00:29:30] four years in, we have a Netflix show. We do things very differently to [00:29:35] everybody else.

Payman Langroudi: So explain how that.

Daniel Daggers: Okay, I’ll, I’ll explain I look, [00:29:40] Ryanair is right. Okay. This our world is built on personal brands wherever [00:29:45] you go. Previously you would meet me in an office and then when you leave the office, my [00:29:50] personal brand would evaporate until you remember me. Okay? Nowadays, you don’t need to do that anymore. People [00:29:55] can find you on social media and they’ll follow your journey irrelevant. Regardless. [00:30:00] They’ll just. I’m interested. Okay? And you document and they stay in touch with you. [00:30:05] So your personal brand is always relevant. It is there and it’s talking all the time to people. [00:30:10] So drew is an incubator. What we do is we take [00:30:15] an individual that wants to deliver an amazing service, and we give them all the attributes [00:30:20] to do that with technology, content and media plus a network. Through [00:30:25] the technology that we’ve got, we compound that value of that person’s business [00:30:30] and we water them and we enable them to grow as far as they want to grow, [00:30:35] make as much as much money as they want to build their teams, whatever it may [00:30:40] be. But we enable them and that is our business. So we have somebody [00:30:45] recently who’s just started to build their team, so it’s not an individual. There’s now two [00:30:50] of them because their business is getting bigger and we are essentially their partner in growing [00:30:55] their business because I believe that people go to people, not organisations, [00:31:00] but people. True. Because that’s where trust lies. I talk about three words in our [00:31:05] business trust, likeability and respect. The [00:31:10] other three words, and you can only really do that with a person.

[TRANSITION]: 100%. [00:31:15]

Daniel Daggers: Not an organisation.

Rhona Eskander: And that applies for medicine and dentistry as well. Of course it does, because that’s [00:31:20] exactly. And that’s the way the world is turning. It’s interesting because a lot of businesses are also pivoting into that. [00:31:25] Recently, I think you guys probably know, um, Steven Bartlett invested in [00:31:30] a place called until, um, which is like a community based, but one of our dentist [00:31:35] friends is actually, um, yeah. So one of our dentist friends is actually heading the dental side [00:31:40] of it, and they see that he’s actually my business partner as well. But anyway, they saw an opportunity [00:31:45] to say that, like people as you are, like they’re really leaning into their entrepreneurship. They recognise [00:31:50] their their own brand. And, you know, the ability for like a space like that allows them to grow within the community [00:31:55] with their brand, you know, which I think is interesting because a lot of businesses are pivoting [00:32:00] into that. And I think it’s important.

[TRANSITION]: It’s obvious.

Daniel Daggers: It’s obvious. We’ve got a diagram that we show people [00:32:05] to explain our business model. Previously, when you were offering a service, you had to work in an office [00:32:10] and sit in your chair, pick up the phone and deliver [00:32:15] a service. And the person that owned the business would advertise the business through traditional [00:32:20] media. They would have the money to have an office to put your bottom on, and [00:32:25] then you would get the leads and transact. So the owner of the business would keep the [00:32:30] majority of the commission, pay you a salary to do the work, and off you go. And it boils down [00:32:35] to marketing. The reason why that business was set up that way is that the principle [00:32:40] of the business had the ability to advertise. Nowadays, people don’t like watching [00:32:45] brands. It’s very hard for a brand to go and be everyone’s friend and [00:32:50] stay relevant all the time. And people are the best marketers, so [00:32:55] the person closest to the customer is the person of influence, and it is your practitioners [00:33:00] that are the most important people. So what you want to do is you want to put them at the top of the business. [00:33:05] So you invert the triangle. Yeah. So you have many people that are delivering a service. [00:33:10] And then underneath them is the support you give them. So if you give them content and they can push it out [00:33:15] there now advertising, when they bring their client in, you give them the tech stack and the opportunity [00:33:20] to transact with those people. Every business will be doing that when it comes to service industry, [00:33:25] every single business, because your people are the best advertisers, [00:33:30] they’re the.

[TRANSITION]: Best.

Rhona Eskander: 100%. Tell us a little bit about your influencer marketing, because I know that we [00:33:35] talked about it because you were one of it. Didn’t you use a few influencers, I think, before to do tried everything. [00:33:40]

Daniel Daggers: I’ve spoken to influencers. Mac, who is, uh, starred guy. We’ve [00:33:45] done, we’ve done, yeah, we’ve done.

[TRANSITION]: We followed him.

Daniel Daggers: He’s wicked.

[TRANSITION]: Funny. He’s wicked, he’s wicked.

Rhona Eskander: We find him hilarious. [00:33:50]

[TRANSITION]: So, Mac, I’m.

Rhona Eskander: Were you using them, though? Tell us how you were using these.

[TRANSITION]: We use them.

Daniel Daggers: To. [00:33:55] Okay, so there’s another platform that we built called advocate I. It’s an abbreviation for [00:34:00] Word advisor. Another. And the other word is advertiser. So we [00:34:05] can give content to people to push out over their social media channels with a link that drives their [00:34:10] customers to a page that is their own page, so they don’t lose their customers to me, for [00:34:15] instance, and enables them and their reach to advertise our properties. [00:34:20] So we’re enabling people to market properties and earn a [00:34:25] marketing commission, almost like an affiliate.

[TRANSITION]: Like an affiliate marketing. Yeah, yeah yeah yeah.

Daniel Daggers: Interesting.

[TRANSITION]: Yeah.

Rhona Eskander: It’s [00:34:30] amazing. I’ve seen it.

Payman Langroudi: You acted for the buyer.

Daniel Daggers: Yeah, for the buyer all the time. Most [00:34:35] of my business is buyer based business.

[TRANSITION]: What’s that?

Payman Langroudi: So you’ve got normally a state agent will work for [00:34:40] the seller.

[TRANSITION]: Yeah fine. Yeah.

Payman Langroudi: Like these high net worth types. They don’t want to bother themselves [00:34:45] looking at houses. Exactly. Someone they trust. And say I want [00:34:50] whatever it is. What if people asked for because love is a difficult property?

[TRANSITION]: You asked [00:34:55] me this question.

Daniel Daggers: Everyone’s like, what’s crazy that people have asked for? And I’m like, well, [00:35:00] you know, no one’s asked for anything crazy. Okay, just to be clear, [00:35:05] most people that are buying very expensive homes don’t ask for anything crazy. They might [00:35:10] say, oh, we want 400 acres of land, or we want a garage for 20 cars. But [00:35:15] when you talk about crazy, no one asks for crazy. People build crazy. [00:35:20]

[TRANSITION]: Um.

Daniel Daggers: Right. Because they own it. They can do what they want [00:35:25] with it. So I’ve seen Shark Tanks, Shark Tank in London, I’ve seen shark [00:35:30] tanks in London, I’ve seen bowling alleys.

[TRANSITION]: Way, way.

Daniel Daggers: Yeah, yeah. When you throw the ball. Yeah, 100% when you throw. [00:35:35] I didn’t get in the tank. They when you throw the ball down the, down the um the alley, the lights come on as [00:35:40] the ball goes down the alley. Right. Oh that’s I’ve seen like, amazing things. Yeah. London. Yeah. I’ll never say [00:35:45] where because I can’t disclose that. But I’ve seen some amazing things.

Payman Langroudi: Come on. Go on, say some more.

Daniel Daggers: So [00:35:50] it’s amazingly simple. Eraser pads in the back of someone’s house and landing for a viewing. That’s.

Rhona Eskander: I used [00:35:55] to see some amazing houses in, like Bishop’s Avenue. I used to get like.

[TRANSITION]: Amazing.

Rhona Eskander: Like bar mitzvahs and stuff, [00:36:00] like on there with like crazy. Like.

Daniel Daggers: I grew up in a 600 square foot apartment, for God’s sake. [00:36:05] Right. Like authority House, like everything that I’ve seen has been amazing at every stage in my career. But [00:36:10] I’ve seen so many amazing things. Now I’m a little desensitised. Yes, of [00:36:15] course I am. Of course that’s going to be. And also, let’s say you’ve got this amazing home and it’s 100 [00:36:20] million and your agent walks in and it’s, wow, this is amazing. [00:36:25] I’ve never seen anything like this. You’re going to think, well, you don’t. You’re [00:36:30] meant to see things that are similar to this. You shouldn’t be that amazed by it because it means that you’re not [00:36:35] in that environment. So do you want me to be ah. Or do you want me to tell [00:36:40] you the truth? Like, this is beautiful. I love the the finish or the shadow gap, [00:36:45] or I know who that designer is or your piece of art there is beautiful. And that’s what they’re [00:36:50] the things that the client really wants to appreciate. That I sing a similar tune, I’m as knowledgeable, I’m in their environment, [00:36:55] all that sort of stuff. But like crazy stuff. The Shark Tank thing [00:37:00] was amazing.

[TRANSITION]: Yeah, I mean, come on, a.

Rhona Eskander: Shark tank in.

[TRANSITION]: London was amazing, but I.

Rhona Eskander: Okay, so. And then what about [00:37:05] so now you’ve had the opportunity and I know that you’re working globally. So how did [00:37:10] so after you had done like all the travelling left your old job? Did you start the global stuff [00:37:15] immediately when you started your own business? So you were like, right, I’m not just sticking to London, I want to do Dubai, [00:37:20] etc., etc. was that a transition?

Daniel Daggers: Every business is a global business. [00:37:25] I am so strong on this point. You [00:37:30] will find somebody that comes in who would like some help with their teeth from all over the world. [00:37:35]

Rhona Eskander: True, I have someone from New Zealand coming in next week.

Daniel Daggers: So you are a global business, are you? You [00:37:40] are a global business. You’re no longer advertising. This is all about marketing. Everything is about marketing. [00:37:45] Now I’ll put it into perspective as an estate agent 20 years ago. Yeah. Or [00:37:50] more. Let’s let’s go back 100 years. The people you are marketing to. If you had an office [00:37:55] with Daniel estates on it, the people that I was marketing to was in a walking distance. [00:38:00] So four mile radius. So there’s my office, four mile radius. They’re the people [00:38:05] I’m advertising to because it’s on the top of my building and I want them to come past us. Yes. [00:38:10] Everyone starts driving. Okay. If there’s a petrol station opposite, I’m going to get more people know [00:38:15] about our our office and the service that we deliver. So now all of a sudden it’s more than [00:38:20] four. It’s maybe 15 to 20. When our business is [00:38:25] online and you’re creating content and driving people to your business, you [00:38:30] can hit people all over the world. And if they like you, [00:38:35] respect you, and trust you, they may just fly over from New Zealand [00:38:40] to get their teeth done.

[TRANSITION]: They do.

Daniel Daggers: Okay, so every business that [00:38:45] is creating content is a global business.

Payman Langroudi: But what’s what’s the business model. So someone says I’m [00:38:50] interested in buying a house in Marbella. Then what? You contact an estate [00:38:55] agent in Marbella and split the fees with him or something? Is that.

Daniel Daggers: It depends if they want us to act exclusively [00:39:00] for them. So I don’t disclose their name. No one knows about their name. No one knows that they’re looking, which is [00:39:05] very valuable. I will go there. They will retain me. So they’ll pay me a sum up front. [00:39:10] I will travel to that destination knowing what they’re looking for. I’ll speak to the people on the ground and others and maybe clients [00:39:15] that I know that own homes there. I’ll walk them. I’ll go back to the client and say, by the way, these are the three [00:39:20] that I like. Yep. Which will suit you. We need to go and have a look at it. Then people will see who that person is, [00:39:25] and then I’ll act in their best interest to secure the transaction or the purchase [00:39:30] at the best price possible and the best terms possible. Yeah. And they will pay us a [00:39:35] fee to do that. It’s often 2% the buyer. Yep. The buyer will do that. And then you have [00:39:40] to ask or they should ask themselves, well is Daniel going to save me enough time [00:39:45] because it’s time that I’m saving them enough time and money in negotiations, so [00:39:50] that I’m happy with the service that offers. Now most people are thinking, well, is [00:39:55] he going to save? Or most people think, is he going to save more than 2% off the price? [00:40:00] Yeah.

Daniel Daggers: But what’s sometimes more valuable is [00:40:05] if you buy the wrong property. Because it’s really not right for [00:40:10] you, or you didn’t know if there was any structural issues. All title issues and [00:40:15] you buy the wrong property. It can cost you 20%. Mhm. Well I’m [00:40:20] going to make sure that’s not going to happen. As well. So there are loads. There’s loads [00:40:25] of reasons why you would have a person deliver a service for you, but we’re doing that globally. So for instance, I’ve acquired [00:40:30] now over $150 million worth of real estate in the Middle [00:40:35] East for clients, mainly to buy people really well known, half of it in Dubai, [00:40:40] people really well known, some people who are billionaires that no one knows and [00:40:45] they’re on LinkedIn, but no one knows who they are. And [00:40:50] I will continue doing that. And I call it a global mandate. And essentially [00:40:55] I become part of their family office. And that’s it. That’s that’s that’s part of my role [00:41:00] now, as well as running the business and doing the Netflix thing and all that sort of stuff.

Payman Langroudi: What have been the biggest [00:41:05] challenges in this journey?

Daniel Daggers: The past since I started my business. Yeah. If [00:41:10] it wasn’t for Sara who works with me, I would be in the dark on a lot [00:41:15] of things. So when you’re setting up your business, you often haven’t done [00:41:20] a lot of these things before, but there is a tried and tested way of doing it. Yeah. And [00:41:25] I needed Sara’s help to do that because it’s not in my wheelhouse. It’s not my my form of expertise. [00:41:30] So Sara would confess to say that she wouldn’t be a great agent. She [00:41:35] doesn’t need to be. So you do need someone sometimes to guide you. And that person is Sara. She’s amazing. [00:41:40] She was my assistant in my previous firm. Now she’s the CEO of the business and she’s super impressive. [00:41:45] The tricky thing for both of us is that we built a business that is different [00:41:50] to every other business that we know. And so you’re often not only building stuff that [00:41:55] I don’t know about, but maybe Sara has a level of expertise in delivering it, but we’re also [00:42:00] changing everything else that was once built. So [00:42:05] our website is very different. Our website is main website, but microsite is for every one of our agents because [00:42:10] they’re all independent brands, sorry advisors. And we share content to [00:42:15] all these people that then push out over their social channels to entice clients to drive them back [00:42:20] to their own page, not my website. Um, so [00:42:25] we built a wheelhouse that’s going to create a lot of value for the people that work [00:42:30] with us, and that has been immensely [00:42:35] difficult to do. Because you have to think it, picture [00:42:40] it, then explain it and then build it.

[TRANSITION]: Yeah.

Daniel Daggers: So [00:42:45] and that is really difficult. That is really.

Payman Langroudi: Difficult. Underestimate the that [00:42:50] issue on the explain it part.

Daniel Daggers: The explaining part is the most difficult thing. So the two people in my business [00:42:55] who I value tremendously understand my gobbledegook. [00:43:00] Right. That word. Yeah. Understand the way that I can’t articulate what [00:43:05] I actually need. But they can translate it. Elliot and Sara can translate all the things [00:43:10] that I can’t even speak properly about.

Rhona Eskander: I think there’s so much value into leaning into people’s skills. [00:43:15] I often talk about this, you know, people that have I have a really different way of thinking. I [00:43:20] mean, I’m a self-diagnosed ADHD person, right? And my friends always take the Mickey [00:43:25] out of me for it because I multitask. And I know that sounds really weird, but my brain [00:43:30] works best when I’m doing five things at once. It’s really weird. Obviously, the only time I can’t [00:43:35] do that is when I’m focusing on the patient and the Dental when I’m physically like doing the drilling or whatever, whatever. [00:43:40] And so people will say to me, how do you fit so much of your time? And it’s like, because I’m like, when I’m walking [00:43:45] to the gym, I write emails, I plan my content, I’m voice noting my social [00:43:50] media manager saying this to go out and messaging him about the next podcast guest. Do you see? I mean, and I do five [00:43:55] things in that like hour walk and I feel like I’ve achieved so much now. I [00:44:00] experienced difficulties in my working life because people would see success and [00:44:05] they think I’m a really great person to work with, but their brain works very differently to mine, and they [00:44:10] try to force me to do tasks that I’m not very good at. So as you were speaking about, Sarah’s [00:44:15] like, I’m terrible at admin, like within a dental practice, you have to go like the rules [00:44:20] and regulations are a joke, like way worse than like, you know, you’ve got terrible.

[TRANSITION]: Trust as well. Trust me, you’ve got like [00:44:25] AML cuch.

Rhona Eskander: We’ve got like our indemnity, the like the paperwork [00:44:30] is immense. I didn’t have the first clue. And if I’m completely honest, I still don’t [00:44:35] really have a clue. And I own the business because I had a shit hot operations manager. [00:44:40] She’s incredible, has run Dental practices and she’s amazing at the admin, and I [00:44:45] lean into her and sometimes I get a bit panicked because I was like, something happens to her. I wouldn’t know the first clue about [00:44:50] the paperwork and I’m being completely transparent. But she also knows where my skills are at, and that’s bringing [00:44:55] in the patients, doing the marketing, like leaning into that stuff. And I think it’s incredible how [00:45:00] a lot of people try to force people to have these skills that they actually aren’t very good [00:45:05] at, especially in school, as you were saying, you know, you weren’t good at reading and writing, yet people [00:45:10] force that upon you rather than utilising your brain for what it is good at.

Daniel Daggers: 100% [00:45:15] true. Yeah. I, um. You need to hire the skill.

[TRANSITION]: Yeah, [00:45:20] 100%.

Daniel Daggers: You hire the skill. I am, uh, I’ve seen it more and more. [00:45:25] Uh, when you’re running a business that you hire the skill. And [00:45:30] what I would challenge you with is I’m spinning a thousand plates at the same time. I mean, [00:45:35] I’d often say that I probably, in the beginning, bit off [00:45:40] more than I could chew. Yeah, I set up two businesses at the same time, plus a training business. [00:45:45]

[TRANSITION]: Been there, done.

Rhona Eskander: That, got the t shirt.

Daniel Daggers: Um, it’s a lot of work. Thankfully, I have a lot of energy [00:45:50] like you do, and I can spin a lot of plates. But the question is, can you spin a lot of plates efficiently? [00:45:55]

[TRANSITION]: Yeah.

Daniel Daggers: And what I’ve realised over time is that [00:46:00] get really good at giving other people work, and when I try [00:46:05] to do is I tried to give people. Jobs. [00:46:10] They’re not ready for that they will grow into because they know [00:46:15] that I’m there to support them regardless. And if they achieve a job that is that [00:46:20] is a little bit further away than what they thought they were capable of doing, and they achieve it. [00:46:25] You’ll see confidence level rise, and then they’ll attack the next problem [00:46:30] and the next problem and the next problem. Always thinking about a solution. So I like to [00:46:35] upskill people.

[TRANSITION]: Yeah I love that.

Daniel Daggers: And for instance, we got a young lady called Claudia [00:46:40] who came in as an as an essentially executive assistant when she was 21. [00:46:45] If you ask her about compliance, she knows more about compliance than a 50 [00:46:50] year old would. Claudia is unbelievably valuable. In fact, I took her out for lunch [00:46:55] yesterday to Chiltern Firehouse to say thank you. Yeah, because I want her to stay in the business.

Rhona Eskander: I think [00:47:00] making people feel valued is the most one of the most important things. Like, I’ve never [00:47:05] I mean, I struggle with it. I’m going to be honest, because my philosophy was always empower people. [00:47:10] And, you know, for example, a lot of dentists won’t allow, um, their associates [00:47:15] if they’re a practice owner, they actually don’t want their associates to have their brand, to have their own brand. [00:47:20] And the reason is, is because they’re worried that when they leave.

[TRANSITION]: With the clients, they’ll.

Rhona Eskander: Leave with the clients. Exactly. And the [00:47:25] goodwill of the practice then will deteriorate. But my whole thing is, like you said, no one can be Rona. [00:47:30] And actually I want all of my team to have their own brand and be empowered, because actually I want to build a brand [00:47:35] that is focussed on the whole team, the whole setup, not just me. And I think that’s really important [00:47:40] to empower them. However, having said that, a few people [00:47:45] over my time of being a practice owner have shown to develop a big ego and that’s [00:47:50] the thing that I found difficult to manage, you know, because I think that I’ve [00:47:55] empowered them, I’ve given them tools. I’ve been like, do this, water them, as you said. But then some of them have developed [00:48:00] a really big ego, and that’s a difficult thing to control.

Payman Langroudi: Yes. Renee, you were that dentist yourself. [00:48:05] Mhm. Yeah. You know in Joseph’s practice.

[TRANSITION]: But he, he [00:48:10] had.

Payman Langroudi: An ego. It’s a cycle of, of, of work. Yeah. I’m sure you have [00:48:15] this question in your head as well. But with, with your associates do you call them associates advisors. Advisors [00:48:20] advisors. Um.

Daniel Daggers: My view is that [00:48:25] I have to continue to add value to their careers and create more [00:48:30] opportunity for them all the time. Yeah, all the time.

Payman Langroudi: What does that entail? [00:48:35] So content creation you talk about a lot. Yeah.

Daniel Daggers: Content creation.

Payman Langroudi: Do you, do you introduce [00:48:40] them to the clients to your clients. Yeah.

Daniel Daggers: Often I’ll introduce them to my clients if they if they fit [00:48:45] the right profile and they can anticipate and understand the client, then [00:48:50] yes. My attitude to the people that work that I work with is that if you want to [00:48:55] leave, I will help you leave. If you want to go somewhere in particular, I will help you. Someone. [00:49:00] Someone I had to ask. Leave the business. Okay? It wasn’t easy for me. It was the first time [00:49:05] I had to do something like that. But I found them their next job. And I say [00:49:10] to everybody in the business. And I wouldn’t say I was a perfect boss, you know, I don’t even like people calling me the boss. [00:49:15] Some people call me boss. I’m like, I’m a partner. I’m everyone’s partner in the business. But [00:49:20] my attitude is, this is this is the opportunity. It’s endless, and [00:49:25] you’re in a great place to go and achieve whatever it is you want to achieve. If you think it’s somewhere else, [00:49:30] then I wish you well. No problem, no hard feelings, and maybe one day [00:49:35] there’ll be a really difficult moment for me. And I’ll just have to swallow that pill. But I want people to know [00:49:40] that there’s no glass ceilings here. You can do everything that you think you’re capable of doing. I don’t have [00:49:45] that attitude. I have that attitude. And I think that people love that, that [00:49:50] I’m here to support them whichever direction they’re looking to go. And I must [00:49:55] take my deal with them, is that it’s my job to make sure that they have the best opportunity [00:50:00] to grow. And if they think they’re going to outpace our growth [00:50:05] and our mindset and our attitude, then I wish them good luck.

[TRANSITION]: Do [00:50:10] you employ.

Rhona Eskander: People based on their values, or do you create a culture which makes them develop [00:50:15] their own.

[TRANSITION]: Values? Culture? Yeah.

Daniel Daggers: Nailed culture. I was I was a bit concerned [00:50:20] about culture because for many, many years people, people would describe me as egotistical. [00:50:25] They just didn’t understand me. And I was [00:50:30] a bit concerned as a, as a dominant male, that people who are very successful [00:50:35] wouldn’t want to join the business because I would overshadow them, when [00:50:40] in fact, it’s never been like that. I’ve always helped people in my life.

[TRANSITION]: Yeah, I.

Daniel Daggers: Like seeing other people succeed. [00:50:45] I feel there’s enough opportunity for me and for everyone else. So [00:50:50] culture is really important. So I would do things to create culture in my business that make [00:50:55] no financial sense. That’s how you create culture. To create a positive [00:51:00] culture, it has to be things that don’t make financial sense. So for instance, I remember when we [00:51:05] had a little office, there was four of us in the office, and someone [00:51:10] had a moment where I shut the door and I thought to myself, oh my goodness, there’s [00:51:15] four other people that are now relying on me. I’ve now got 30 more, but [00:51:20] they are relying on me. And I had that moment with myself where I got a bit nervous. [00:51:25] But every time someone walks into our office to see us, I made [00:51:30] sure that everyone got up. Everyone went to greet that person with a smile, introduced [00:51:35] their full name, and made a good impression on that person when they walked through that door. If anyone [00:51:40] comes into our office. To say hello. They will feel [00:51:45] positive energy because there is nothing worse. And I’ve sat in an office, [00:51:50] especially the small firm I worked in. There was a small open plan office, seven [00:51:55] people in a horseshoe shape, and when you’d walk in everyone was looking at you. It [00:52:00] is the worst feeling ever when people are looking at you and no one’s smiling. [00:52:05] And so now when people walk into our office, everyone gets up, says, hello. [00:52:10] Hi, pleasure to meet you. This is where I am. This is what I do. And the culture just manifests [00:52:15] from that, from greeting strangers and doing other things that make no [00:52:20] financial sense.

Rhona Eskander: The thing is, feeling is such an underrated trait. And you know, like the famous [00:52:25] quote says, people don’t care what you don’t remember, what you did, how you did it, they remember how you made them feel. [00:52:30] And I think it’s so true in any profession to be honest. And that’s something that, you know, [00:52:35] is typically very, very underrated. I wanted to ask you a little bit as well. So [00:52:40] talk to me about the Middle East because obviously like I’m Middle Eastern. So [00:52:45] I’m like super interested in this. What’s your view on Dubai as in like how did you [00:52:50] get involved. Do you think it’s, you know, booming even more so would you invest [00:52:55] there? Like I’m just curious to know, like in general, because I know Dubai is kind of like one of the other main places [00:53:00] you do work.

Daniel Daggers: Dubai is a cultural hub. It is a [00:53:05] financial hub and it will remain that way for the foreseeable future.

Payman Langroudi: Dubai [00:53:10] is a money laundering hub. It’s hilarious. You could, you can, you can [00:53:15] buy a £4 million house with cash in Dubai. [00:53:20]

Daniel Daggers: I’ve never actually tried that.

[TRANSITION]: Um, no no no no.

Daniel Daggers: I’ve heard stories, I’ve heard stories. [00:53:25] I have heard stories, but they’re KYC. Know your client and AML anti-money laundering [00:53:30] compliance, um, has become much more stringent and they’ve just come off the list. [00:53:35] They were the UAE was on the list that said it was a sensitive, sensitive part of the world. I [00:53:40] think that’s one of the ways to knock the UAE. I don’t think it’s like that anymore. [00:53:45] If they want a bustling community and a country to succeed, they have to be [00:53:50] KYC compliant, um, with the rest of the world. And I think I think they’re [00:53:55] getting there if they haven’t got there already, because I know it’s stringent.

Payman Langroudi: You know, money laundering sounds [00:54:00] like such a terrible thing. But, you know, there’s so many situations where you need to move money and [00:54:05] and regimes. Yeah yeah yeah yeah, yeah. Uh, Iran [00:54:10] is cut off from the whole global banking system with a despotic regime as well. [00:54:15] Yeah. People need to move money. It’s so when I say you [00:54:20] can do that in Dubai. Dubai is providing a service to the population of Iran.

Daniel Daggers: Yeah, but they can’t [00:54:25] they can’t continue to do that if that’s taken place or I don’t attract those kinds of [00:54:30] people because I’ve got public very public facing profile. So it’s great because [00:54:35] people people often like that won’t, won’t speak to me. The. To [00:54:40] your question about Dubai, it was a boom bust market. Okay. And if you go [00:54:45] to Dubai, when you get off the plane, you’re being hammered with marketing when it comes to real estate.

[TRANSITION]: Interesting. [00:54:50]

Daniel Daggers: Every post there’s a real estate poster, you know. So it [00:54:55] is very much a real estate tourism play. Um, I do think it’s got legs. [00:55:00] I think you’ll find that a lot of people. You have to think about the customer. If [00:55:05] our world is now much more dynamic and people are fleet of foot and contemporary, [00:55:10] and you can build your business online, where do you want to go? You want to go to a place where the weather [00:55:15] is good, the communication is good, i.e. internet, travel, roads, stuff [00:55:20] like that and where tax is cheap. If you look at the world, the cities [00:55:25] that and countries that are outperforming others are low tax states in the US. [00:55:30]

[TRANSITION]: So true.

Daniel Daggers: Okay, so I knew this was happening. I had a feeling of it. And so [00:55:35] I was in Dubai for three months. I went there for a week and I got locked in. It [00:55:40] was a nice place to get locked in. Weather was great and I told all my clients to buy there. Really? [00:55:45] Yeah, that was in 2000 and end of 2020, beginning 2020 [00:55:50] or something like that. So I made them a lot of money and it was obvious. It’s a no brainer. The thing about the market [00:55:55] is that at the moment when you have when you have boom markets, everyone [00:56:00] goes, well, I just need a piece of the action. So I’m just going to buy something, but it [00:56:05] doesn’t last forever. The boom never lasts forever. There’s always a yin to the yang. [00:56:10] There’s two sides to a coin, whatever you want to call it. And so it will slow. [00:56:15] One day it will slow. And you want to be caught with a great [00:56:20] asset, not a weak one. But people often don’t know what [00:56:25] that is, and they don’t care. They just want to buy be part of the party. So I’ve just acquired [00:56:30] a penthouse there for 30 something million dollars for a client, and we were very astute with our approach. [00:56:35] And you can’t replicate that property, which means it’s going to retain its value [00:56:40] for the foreseeable future. We just bought another villa for somebody for $43 [00:56:45] million. Can’t say where, but that is also something that’s very special, that’s hard to replicate. [00:56:50] And so yes, there’s still legs in Dubai. I think lots of people are going [00:56:55] to be continuing to set their businesses up there. Lots of contemporary wealth will be created there. [00:57:00] And then we’ll see what happens because. The taxman will always follow. [00:57:05]

[TRANSITION]: Yeah.

Daniel Daggers: And people have to ask themselves whether or not they want to be chased by the taxman. [00:57:10] Or commit to it. So Dubai is a very [00:57:15] interesting place. We have a digital office there so we can transact there for clients, [00:57:20] and it will probably be one of the next places we would consider moving to.

Payman Langroudi: What’s [00:57:25] markets I’m interested in this story. Like what’s what is the person. You [00:57:30] don’t need to tell me the individual, but a story about someone who’s bought a crazy [00:57:35] house without even seeing it or.

Daniel Daggers: Oh, it’s happening. It’s happened before. I remember [00:57:40] selling a property to somebody in South Hampstead for 8 [00:57:45] or £9 million, where they relied on the time FaceTime. [00:57:50]

[TRANSITION]: Report.

Daniel Daggers: And my opinion. And [00:57:55] they bought the property.

[TRANSITION]: Were they happy they.

Daniel Daggers: Lived in Australia? Yeah. They’re still there. Are they happy? [00:58:00] Yes. I give good advice.

[TRANSITION]: Um, that’s the.

Payman Langroudi: Trust question, isn’t it? That’s during.

Daniel Daggers: Covid. [00:58:05] I had another client who needed to to rent a property. They had multiple kids. They were living in an apartment. They [00:58:10] needed a house. They couldn’t fly to London, but needed to rent something. So I did the legwork [00:58:15] and we rented a property for three years at £20,000 a week. Wow. So that’s just over £1 million a [00:58:20] year.

Rhona Eskander: I want to ask you something. Right. So I’m sitting here and I’m like, whoa. And or and like, I want all this property advice. [00:58:25]

[TRANSITION]: It’s all amazing.

Rhona Eskander: And like, I’m like, this is amazing.

[TRANSITION]: Yeah.

Rhona Eskander: Do you ever get [00:58:30] scared about falling? I’m talking about, like, you’re so at the peak, right? And I feel like. No, but [00:58:35] do you ever get scared about falling? No, no.

Daniel Daggers: I’m too honest to fall.

[TRANSITION]: Yeah, I [00:58:40] work too hard.

Daniel Daggers: I’m too.

[TRANSITION]: Determined. I throw something at you that’s beyond.

Rhona Eskander: Beyond [00:58:45] your control.

[TRANSITION]: Yes, it will.

Daniel Daggers: And I will have to do what I need to do to.

[TRANSITION]: Get [00:58:50] through it, to get.

Daniel Daggers: Through it. It’s what I do is in my control. What other people do is not in my control. [00:58:55] And I’m not scared of falling. You cannot fear falling. [00:59:00] You have to keep going. Are you fine? Pardon my.

Payman Langroudi: French. [00:59:05]

[TRANSITION]: I don’t think I’m.

Rhona Eskander: I don’t think I’m high enough from for falling. But there are moments [00:59:10] in my.

[TRANSITION]: Life that’s your impression.

Payman Langroudi: You’re not alone. No.

Daniel Daggers: That’s your. But that’s your.

[TRANSITION]: Impression. I’m [00:59:15] not.

Rhona Eskander: High enough. There’s so many regrets that I have of not my self-limiting beliefs [00:59:20] have, like, stopped me from doing things that I want to do.

Daniel Daggers: Let’s put it into perspective.

[TRANSITION]: Um.

Daniel Daggers: You’re phenomenally [00:59:25] successful. Okay, okay, I will say the same thing. If you ask me, I [00:59:30] would go, yeah, I’m, you know, I’m working. I’m just working. I’m just doing what I [00:59:35] think I can do. That’s all I’m doing. Okay? And if I said the same [00:59:40] thing to you, you would say the same thing, which is what you did, which is like, I’m doing okay because [00:59:45] you have a vision of what greatness looks like. Yeah, I know, and you’re attacking that vision, [00:59:50] so am I. That vision looks very different to what I’m doing today, but [00:59:55] in other people’s eyes, I’m phenomenally successful. But I know that I still go home to my apartment. I’ve still [01:00:00] got a leak that I need to deal with and issues that I need to deal with. And my vision of true success is something [01:00:05] different.

[TRANSITION]: What is your.

Rhona Eskander: Vision of true.

[TRANSITION]: Success?

Daniel Daggers: I think that my view [01:00:10] for people is that people are capable of doing amazing things.

[TRANSITION]: People are optimistic. [01:00:15]

Daniel Daggers: I think it’s reality. I think it’s reality. [01:00:20] I think that if you gave people the right education, gave people the right support, gave [01:00:25] people an opportunity, really loved people and embraced them.

[TRANSITION]: True.

Daniel Daggers: They can [01:00:30] achieve more than they think that they can achieve. They just don’t know it. No one’s path the [01:00:35] way.

[TRANSITION]: Mhm.

Daniel Daggers: Nobody. I produce content on social media. There [01:00:40] is no reason why I should produce content on social media. No one else was doing it. Now there are agents out there that are producing [01:00:45] content on social media who are 21 years of age and selling homes for £20 million. [01:00:50] You don’t know who they are because they haven’t built a big enough profile yet. Could that have happened ten years [01:00:55] ago? No. Could it have happened five years ago? Unlikely. Could it happen 20 years ago? No. [01:01:00] I’m a kid from who came from local authority housing that had an average education [01:01:05] that wasn’t excelling, that people would not have said he’s going [01:01:10] to be successful. Nothing said to anybody except for being relatively [01:01:15] good at football that I was going to be successful. Nothing. Yeah. [01:01:20] No one expected anything from me. Yeah, but [01:01:25] a couple of years ago, I won an award. Yeah, that I had no involvement in. [01:01:30] But I won an award. I didn’t sponsor them. Yeah. Put ads in the magazine. [01:01:35] Yeah, I won an award because the effort and results I put in of [01:01:40] real estate residential real estate advisory of the year that Spear’s wealth. And [01:01:45] I got up on stage with no tie in a beard. Ten years ago, that would never [01:01:50] have happened, and a mixed race background that would never have happened. Remy [01:01:55] in my business is a young black girl. She’s 23, highly educated, super [01:02:00] intelligent, hungry, determined. She’s one of only [01:02:05] a handful of young black females in our industry. She’s sold three, 4 or £5 [01:02:10] million homes. Because you’ve had that opportunity five years ago. No. No way. [01:02:15] Jose. Ten years ago. Absolutely not. Today, yes. People are capable [01:02:20] of doing amazing things. Everybody. Everyone.

Rhona Eskander: But they need. But the thing is that they [01:02:25] need so much of what you said. And the thing is, is the love, the support, the acceptance, the education. [01:02:30] Like I often bring up Gabor Maté, I’m sure you know his work. And, [01:02:35] you know, he talks a lot about addiction. You know, that’s his thing. And the reason why I got into his work, he actually changed my [01:02:40] view because he has so much compassion for the situation that people are in. Like, for example, [01:02:45] addicts. Right? You know, there’s such a negative narrative around addicts and there’s such [01:02:50] a lack of understanding of why they end up addicts. And I think the way that he broke it down, [01:02:55] it’s interesting because now I live in Notting Hill, so when I see someone that’s like clearly been injecting [01:03:00] at like 8:00 in the morning, that’s like sat outside the tube station, my mind [01:03:05] has so much more empathy for that person because they were never given love, compassion, education, [01:03:10] opportunities and all those things. But it’s an idealistic lookout, like not everybody is going to.

Payman Langroudi: Think [01:03:15] about those people before you.

[TRANSITION]: Before those people.

Rhona Eskander: Like I think there was like the narrative that he was a loser. [01:03:20] Like, no, not not even like that. They’re a loser. But I was just like, think about it.

Daniel Daggers: You don’t think about history.

Rhona Eskander: Yeah. And you don’t [01:03:25] think about history. And you’re just like, oh, that person is an addict because they wanted to get high.

[TRANSITION]: All [01:03:30] the time. I get high. It’s it’s it’s different.

Daniel Daggers: It’s one dimensional. You look at the [01:03:35] one dimensional element, which is where they are today. Yeah. How they’re looking like today [01:03:40] and what they look like in the future. You don’t ever look back. Yeah. You don’t go. I wonder why [01:03:45] that’s someone’s son. That’s someone’s daughter. I wonder what’s happened to [01:03:50] get there. Right. So you start to empathise more. But empathising greatly doesn’t [01:03:55] mean you are better.

[TRANSITION]: Totally. It doesn’t mean you’re better.

Daniel Daggers: It doesn’t mean that you’re making a difference. So [01:04:00] in my life, I want to make a difference. And the only way I can do that [01:04:05] is by putting positivity infotainment out into this world [01:04:10] that may inspire or enable other people to be the best version [01:04:15] of themselves. That is my responsibility. I can speak to hundreds of thousands of people, [01:04:20] or maybe millions one day. What do I want as my legacy? What do I want [01:04:25] from my life? Do I want to go down as the guy who sold the most expensive properties? [01:04:30] Well, how is that going to help anyone in the future, isn’t it? It will be forgotten about. [01:04:35] I feel like the.

Payman Langroudi: Second you’re in that garyvee moment from when he jumped from wine selling [01:04:40] to just.

[TRANSITION]: Yeah, Gary.

Payman Langroudi: Gary teaching.

Daniel Daggers: People. It’s funny you say that. It’s funny you say that. Gary [01:04:45] V I stumbled across his content ten years ago, which instigated [01:04:50] my growth. Really? Yeah. Really? Yeah. I went to see a talk that he did. [01:04:55] I know people that work with him. There’s some he.

Payman Langroudi: Gets a lot of pleasure from inspiring others, right [01:05:00] I.

[TRANSITION]: Think.

Daniel Daggers: The way I look at the world is that information is no longer [01:05:05] that valuable because everyone’s got.

[TRANSITION]: Access to.

Daniel Daggers: Information. So if [01:05:10] information is no longer that valuable, it’s the human being that delivers the information [01:05:15] that becomes the important part of the delivery of it. Okay. [01:05:20] Do I want to be a person has a positive impact on this world, even though everyone’s [01:05:25] got access to the information? Yeah I do. It gives me [01:05:30] a great feeling. I feel that I’m doing good. And if I go out into this [01:05:35] world and produce content or do a Netflix show or build a business, I feel [01:05:40] that I’m doing it for the right reasons, not because I want to go and buy Bentley. I drive [01:05:45] a nice car, I live in a nice apartment. I see people with humongous homes and [01:05:50] I wouldn’t say they were happier than me, but I do things for the right reason [01:05:55] and that’s why I want to have a real positive impact on this world. Because I think goodness breeds goodness [01:06:00] 100%.

Rhona Eskander: My question for you is, I know you can’t say too much. How did Netflix [01:06:05] come along?

Daniel Daggers: I was producing content on social media.

Rhona Eskander: So when Netflix approached you and [01:06:10] that was that. Yeah. And literally and now there’s a show coming out.

[TRANSITION]: Yeah.

Rhona Eskander: That’s all we can say.

[TRANSITION]: About it, right? You [01:06:15] put out what.

Daniel Daggers: You put out in this world.

Payman Langroudi: I mean, did you know someone did know that they [01:06:20] contacted you cold and say, like, I.

Daniel Daggers: Love your stuff. The thing is, is that when you are one of the first people to do something, I [01:06:25] was one of the first real estate agents that I’m aware of. There may be someone else that I’m aware [01:06:30] of who was producing content on social media. I captured a lot of people’s attention. [01:06:35] There are very famous people that follow me. I’m pretty sure that Mark Zuckerberg [01:06:40] has seen some of my content.

[TRANSITION]: Mhm.

Daniel Daggers: Okay, I know Daniel, uh, Daniel [01:06:45] Ek from Spotify follows me. Okay. When you are the first to do something irrelevant [01:06:50] of black sheep and putting people’s noses out, whatever is you people [01:06:55] see who you are. They see what you do.

Payman Langroudi: What do you think the confidence came [01:07:00] from? Have you always been confident because, you know, you were saying, you know, [01:07:05] you you went to Knight Frank and became the top seller. That takes a confidence. Confidence. [01:07:10] And then and then to start. Is it.

Daniel Daggers: Confidence? I don’t think so. Well, well.

Payman Langroudi: It’s something you know you’re.

[TRANSITION]: Definitely [01:07:15] confident. You’re definitely.

Payman Langroudi: Confident now.

Daniel Daggers: But I’m confident that about doing it’s different. [01:07:20] Like there is there is perceived confidence right where you know I [01:07:25] think I’m confident and I go around and I pretend to be confident, but really I shrivel when I go [01:07:30] home or there is doing the work. And [01:07:35] grinding every day. I’ve worked 25 years. And I work [01:07:40] from the minute I wake up till I come home at a pace that is ferocious and [01:07:45] I want to be the best and do the best at everything that I do. My mom drove that into me. You could [01:07:50] eat off the floor. My mom was so precise about everything that she [01:07:55] did that she made me feel the same way. And it’s a detriment because sometimes, you know, you work [01:08:00] to the bone for something because you’re trying to achieve these levels all the time. But [01:08:05] my confidence comes from doing. And being at service [01:08:10] and getting better. And when you are really [01:08:15] committed to that. You enter into rooms. Very confident [01:08:20] I don’t even feel about. I don’t even think about confidence in my life. I just do me. And [01:08:25] it sounds weird, but when you are so dedicated to something and you’ve [01:08:30] tried to refine yourself as much as possible. That you just do you. That’s [01:08:35] it. You just do you and it’s out of doing.

Rhona Eskander: My [01:08:40] question for you, though, is this. There’s so much dedication, love and passion [01:08:45] into what you’re talking about, particularly with your work. Do you want that to reflect? We don’t [01:08:50] need to go into any details, but do you want that to reflect in your personal life? Have you ever thought how you’re going to like, I love my [01:08:55] friends.

[TRANSITION]: I love my.

Daniel Daggers: Friends that you can like, you can never imagine. I love my my [01:09:00] close friends. I would do anything for my close friends.

[TRANSITION]: Anything family. [01:09:05]

Daniel Daggers: Family as well. Yeah, sure. Every birthday I fly to go and see my parents every birthday and [01:09:10] I try and surprise them. And I care for them tremendously. But it’s hard.

[TRANSITION]: And what about.

Rhona Eskander: Would you like [01:09:15] to have your own family and have thought about how it would interfere with your work?

Daniel Daggers: I think having a family, [01:09:20] if you want to have one and if you’re capable to have one, is the greatest thing [01:09:25] that you could ever do. And I had this conversation earlier today with somebody else.

[TRANSITION]: Yeah. [01:09:30]

Rhona Eskander: And what and do you think that something’s got to give when you do have that family. Yeah. Do [01:09:35] you worry about that.

Payman Langroudi: No, I don’t see Daniel as a warrior.

Rhona Eskander: Yeah. Have [01:09:40] you ever had. Yeah.

[TRANSITION]: I don’t.

Rhona Eskander: Have you ever had very low point? Have you [01:09:45] ever had low points like.

[TRANSITION]: There’s, like, so.

Rhona Eskander: Much positivity and like, you know, what’s the.

[TRANSITION]: Lowest [01:09:50] point? Yeah. What’s the.

Daniel Daggers: Lowest point? Yeah. Well, this morning the car didn’t have.

[TRANSITION]: No. [01:09:55]

Daniel Daggers: Um, look.

Payman Langroudi: But not just. [01:10:00] No no.

[TRANSITION]: No no, no point comes.

Payman Langroudi: To mind.

Daniel Daggers: I’ll explain. I’ve had moments [01:10:05] in my life, a particular moment, particular six months. Where? I [01:10:10] wasn’t performing as well as I had hoped at work. It wasn’t the effort and it [01:10:15] wasn’t the skill. A lot of it was just in relation to the market. I didn’t feel loved [01:10:20] by the people around me. I was, I had been dating somebody who [01:10:25] broke up with me out of the blue. When the signals were green, green, green, it went red [01:10:30] and I questioned. Why? [01:10:35] And as a black sheep you’re often [01:10:40] put in boxes. He’s egotistical. It’s all about [01:10:45] him. He’s Mr. Arrogant. I wasn’t any of that. Not in my eyes. [01:10:50] But had a moment of going. What [01:10:55] am I doing this for? Right. And I shared [01:11:00] it with my best friend and my parents, and I was like, [01:11:05] I don’t understand why this has happened. And I had a moment to reflect, [01:11:10] and I sold a property for over $100 million.

Payman Langroudi: 100 million for one property? [01:11:15] Yeah.

Daniel Daggers: You sold. I sold a property for over $100 million. It was three years worth of work, and [01:11:20] it was the saddest moment of my life. Now, you wouldn’t expect that. You’d be like, ah, you’re [01:11:25] the king of the castle. 0.0001% of the world’s agency [01:11:30] population will ever be in a position to do that. But I realised [01:11:35] how insignificant it was. To my life in that moment, I [01:11:40] didn’t have anyone to share it with. I didn’t feel appreciated. [01:11:45] Why did I take Claudia out yesterday? I say crap because I want her to feel appreciated. [01:11:50] I care for her. I care for her. I care for the people that work with me. Like [01:11:55] incredibly. And I learnt my lessons from that and [01:12:00] I became much stronger from it. And there were moments when [01:12:05] I left my previous firm. I went to see my mum and dad. My [01:12:10] dad’s a softie. He’s a teddy bear. My dad. You could put anywhere. He is the just. Just [01:12:15] got the most amazing way with people. He’s just adorable. My dad, my mum is tough [01:12:20] and my parents gave me, thankfully, this yin [01:12:25] and yang that’s gone through my life. My mother gave me a backbone, a backbone, [01:12:30] be strong. And my father gave me the skill of human being, [01:12:35] really human with people. And it was the greatest combination [01:12:40] that I could ever wish for, and it had nothing to do with me. So [01:12:45] the best thing about me, there’s two things. One is everything that my parents created for me and [01:12:50] my name. My name is a great name. Daniel is a great name.

[TRANSITION]: Good name, good name, great name, [01:12:55] great name.

Daniel Daggers: It’s got nothing to do with me. I didn’t do that.

[TRANSITION]: My parents did that.

Daniel Daggers: Right. So like [01:13:00] this. These are the things that that shape me, that allows me to.

Payman Langroudi: Become like [01:13:05] Gary Vegan. But the opposite way around with him is that the the mum and the dad. Yeah. But [01:13:10] yeah, interesting that, you know, the quality of the [01:13:15] work. Yeah. And the work could be the content creation all the way [01:13:20] to taking Nicole. Was it Nicole? Claudia. Claudia. Claudia for lunch [01:13:25] yesterday. The quality of the work, thankfully, these days [01:13:30] is what makes us. And yes, you know, it hasn’t always been that way. Yeah, yeah.

Daniel Daggers: People [01:13:35] locked out.

Payman Langroudi: Yeah. People locked out. Locked out. Nowadays you’re exposed [01:13:40] by your work 100%.

Daniel Daggers: Now you have to go and show.

Payman Langroudi: People the upside [01:13:45] or the downside.

Daniel Daggers: Yeah, 100%. Now you have to show people your expertise. If you don’t, someone else will. [01:13:50] So now you have to be excellent because someone else will just take that business.

Payman Langroudi: From [01:13:55] this property life that you’ve got. Do you see yourself coming out [01:14:00] of property?

Daniel Daggers: I’m not a property person. I’m a people person. Yeah, I could do dentistry if I [01:14:05] could. That’s if I could learn the skills.

Payman Langroudi: To you now. Yeah. You could be having this conversation about any business. [01:14:10]

Daniel Daggers: You could put me anywhere in the world. Yeah, or service industry. I think that what we [01:14:15] could build, we could build for any service industry practice. Yeah. I just love [01:14:20] people. It sounds.

Payman Langroudi: It’s obvious.

[TRANSITION]: It’s obvious?

Daniel Daggers: Yeah. Okay. Look, I’m good, I’m pleased. [01:14:25] And I think my clients see that. And my colleagues see that I love people, I love it, it’s [01:14:30] like a it’s like oxygen for me.

Payman Langroudi: So what does the future hold then?

Daniel Daggers: What [01:14:35] does it hold? Yeah. Think of the wildest thing that’s positive that could ever happen [01:14:40] to me. That will happen for me. That and think of like something that [01:14:45] isn’t great that I mean seriously, I don’t know. So [01:14:50] let’s put it this way. I did something quite fun with the office. I said to the guys, uh, every [01:14:55] Monday we have a meeting. And I said to him, okay, I want you to know that you have no idea [01:15:00] how successful you may be setting up a benchmarking yourself and saying, hey, [01:15:05] here’s the goal. I want to make half £1 million this year. And I would say to somebody, someone said that to me [01:15:10] in the business and I would say, okay, cool. Why? Why half a million? [01:15:15] Why not a million? Why not? Oh, I don’t really know. Okay, so I stood [01:15:20] up in front of everybody and I said, listen, do you guys know what your future looks like five, ten years from [01:15:25] now? Bearing in mind the world is changing at a rapid pace? Do you know what it looks like? I don’t, [01:15:30] but let me ask you a question. Who here wants to bet against me being in a marvel [01:15:35] music movie? Who wants to bet against me being in a marvel movie?

[TRANSITION]: Dead.

Daniel Daggers: Go [01:15:40] for it. Two people put their hand up. There was. I [01:15:45] don’t know how many people in that room, 20, 30 people in that room. So are you telling me that anything is possible? [01:15:50] I find that quite interesting.

Rhona Eskander: People find it, but [01:15:55] people think anything is possible for people that are not themselves. That’s what I’m saying. Like self-limiting beliefs are like, they look at [01:16:00] you, they find you inspiring, they know what you’ve achieved, they know you’ve done it. It’s like Daniel can do anything. [01:16:05] But when it comes to themselves, it’s self-limiting. They’re like, but I can’t do [01:16:10] it.

[TRANSITION]: Which is why.

Daniel Daggers: You have to be a positive force in their life and you have to.

Rhona Eskander: Have that [01:16:15] confidence. You know, you.

Daniel Daggers: Need to be a positive force in other people’s.

[TRANSITION]: Lives, 100%.

Daniel Daggers: That’s why I [01:16:20] say I want to have a positive force. Everybody can do something that they don’t think they’re capable of doing [01:16:25] within parameters. I’m never going to be a professional footballer again, okay? [01:16:30] That’s never going to happen. But I can do other things that I’m physically [01:16:35] capable and mentally capable of achieving. Well, you need people [01:16:40] to push you, support you, enable you, you know, [01:16:45] inspire you. Why not be that that person in your friendship group? Why not [01:16:50] be that person online.

Rhona Eskander: Or personal at work?

Daniel Daggers: But when? But when I was a kid, no one ever said that to me. Yeah, [01:16:55] but thankfully, my parents gave me self-belief.

Payman Langroudi: You. Are you worried about being [01:17:00] recognised?

Daniel Daggers: More rarely recognised, does it?

Payman Langroudi: Does it not get in your way? [01:17:05]

Daniel Daggers: Not really I love people.

[TRANSITION]: Yeah, not.

Daniel Daggers: Not really. But I mean, look, there’s going to be [01:17:10] times where people are going to say, hey, look, can I have a picture or something? And I’ll be like, [01:17:15] sure. And I might not want, you know, I might not feel up to it or whatever it may be, but the privilege of being [01:17:20] in that place is is far greater.

Rhona Eskander: It’s like when you go to like, the Dental stuff and people are like, Dental [01:17:25] stuff.

Payman Langroudi: Would you like to be recognised in the street?

[TRANSITION]: I’d love to. She’s already got you, already get you.

Payman Langroudi: You [01:17:30] like it?

[TRANSITION]: I love it because, like, even.

Rhona Eskander: Like, you know, sometimes on the tube and someone will go, excuse [01:17:35] me, I watch your TikToks. Do you see why I like it? You know, because I’m like. He’s [01:17:40] like, he wouldn’t like it. Yeah, like, because, you know.

[TRANSITION]: Fair enough, fair enough.

Rhona Eskander: Payman made a really good point, actually. [01:17:45] On another podcast, he goes, I think having a really famous name, but not really famous, um, face [01:17:50] is really quite interesting. Who was the example you gave? You said like where people know the name.

Payman Langroudi: Stephen King or something.

Rhona Eskander: And [01:17:55] then. Yeah, but.

[TRANSITION]: Yeah.

Payman Langroudi: But the thing is that, look, I go to a Dental [01:18:00] conference on loads of people say hi and all that, but then in the street no one knows me and [01:18:05] I like that. I enjoy that. And in fact, I was a bit worried about this show here because your reach. I suddenly thought, [01:18:10] oh, people, start fucking up.

Rhona Eskander: Do you know what’s so hilarious, though, is that Payman said to me that some people are like, [01:18:15] we’re like making comments or trolling him, saying that he was using me for the profile. Do you remember [01:18:20] when you told me that people are like.

[TRANSITION]: Oh, I’ve got.

Daniel Daggers: I’ve got something funny to tell you guys about trolling. [01:18:25] I got a message from somebody, okay, saying, why [01:18:30] are you pretending to be posh when you’re really a chav? The day [01:18:35] later, I got a message to someone else saying, why are you pretending to be a chav when you’re really posh? [01:18:40]

[TRANSITION]: Yeah. You cannot. You just can’t please anyone.

Daniel Daggers: Like, that’s not the that’s not. [01:18:45]

[TRANSITION]: The point of this.

Rhona Eskander: You do. And you’re damned if you don’t.

[TRANSITION]: Exactly right.

Daniel Daggers: Exactly right. But but [01:18:50] there’s still the opportunity far outweighs the downside. Yeah. The [01:18:55] opportunity far is and I’m very I’ve got a lot of gratitude for that. The people that follow me, I like, [01:19:00] I love I think that’s wicked. I think that’s absolutely wicked.

Rhona Eskander: We, um, I want to end [01:19:05] on kind of like two different things because as I’m hearing you, um, you have now, [01:19:10] you’re now in a space working with some of the wealthiest people in the world. And although you’re having [01:19:15] a direct impact on the people that you’re working with and your colleagues [01:19:20] and people that would benefit as well in their career, what’s the [01:19:25] argument for people, though, that can’t afford the housing? What about the people that you know are looking for [01:19:30] property, like, you know, young people now, you know, Gen Z, etc. are like, we can’t even afford a house, a [01:19:35] flat. We probably will never own anything in our lifetime. Do you ever feel that you have [01:19:40] a duty of care for those people, or do you ever feel that you know you maybe want to do something for [01:19:45] those that aren’t in the kind of 1% of the world?

Daniel Daggers: So first and foremost, I’m doing [01:19:50] a job that millions of other people does. Yeah, do does whatever [01:19:55] it may be. Okay. And so I’m there to deliver a service. And I’ve worked my way from local authority [01:20:00] housing to where I am today. Um. It may not be. We might if our [01:20:05] world is changing, which it is. This is a bit of a like a wider view from [01:20:10] an optics point of view. We grew up in a world where we were told that we should buy real [01:20:15] estate and get on the ladder as quickly as possible. There’s been very little growth in the UK when it [01:20:20] comes to real estate values for a while, so a question I’ve got to ask. The question I would ask the people that [01:20:25] work with me and myself is ten years ago, if you would have invested your money in a business [01:20:30] and stayed at home. Learned some skills and be [01:20:35] empowered. You may be in a position to now afford to [01:20:40] buy a home. So you’ve walked away from something that the world would tell you to do. To [01:20:45] do something else. Because your opportunity now is to build a business. Because you can build a business now [01:20:50] much faster, much better than ever before. So maybe the opportunity has changed. [01:20:55] Maybe the opportunity has changed. I think that we should recognise that it may [01:21:00] not be for me. For instance, I don’t own hundreds of apartments.

[TRANSITION]: Yeah.

Daniel Daggers: Thousands [01:21:05] of apartments. That might not be my opportunity to to to work that way and do that [01:21:10] and be as privileged to have that. There may be opportunity elsewhere. So I don’t think everyone [01:21:15] has to own a property. Yeah, yeah. It depends on who you are. How [01:21:20] can we help people when I do my very best to do that. So we [01:21:25] built an online course to enable anybody to take, which will give them [01:21:30] sufficient skill and knowledge to go and get a job in a state agency or [01:21:35] build their presence online, because you don’t really need a license to work in the UK [01:21:40] and being a state agent super quickly. So [01:21:45] I’d like to think that we’re pretty balanced. But I want to do more. And [01:21:50] the thing about wanting to do more is that I need to make sure that my business is successful [01:21:55] enough, that I can invest my time and money into doing more for more people. I can’t [01:22:00] do it at the same time because I wouldn’t have the finance, I wouldn’t have the [01:22:05] time. And so that’s a that’s just a balance that I’ll try and find over the next few [01:22:10] years. But I think that if I have more influence and more money and more time, I’ll be able to do more good [01:22:15] things for more people.

[TRANSITION]: I love.

Payman Langroudi: That. Have you have you learned any lessons from the high [01:22:20] net worth types, the billionaires.

Daniel Daggers: That they’re very diligent. What they say is what [01:22:25] they’re going to do. In my experience, they are very kind and they often don’t want [01:22:30] to shout about the support they give people because they can be taken advantage of, [01:22:35] but they want things done efficiently. Time is more valuable than money, let’s put it that way. [01:22:40]

Rhona Eskander: My last question for you if you met your [01:22:45] 20 year old self now let’s go 15. If you met your 15 year old self, what would you tell yourself? Knowing [01:22:50] what you know now?

[TRANSITION]: Keep going.

Daniel Daggers: Yeah, believe in yourself and keep going.

[TRANSITION]: Yeah.

Daniel Daggers: Be [01:22:55] aware of your surroundings. But believe in yourself and [01:23:00] keep going.

[TRANSITION]: Amazing.

Rhona Eskander: Thank you so much, Daniel. It’s been absolutely [01:23:05] incredible. Love always having you feel almost like a burst of energy. Really, really appreciate it. And we can’t [01:23:10] wait to see you on Netflix too.

[TRANSITION]: Hahahahahahahahaha thank you for the opportunity.

Payman Langroudi: I look forward to seeing what [01:23:15] happens to you in the next five, ten years.

Rhona Eskander: Yeah, I know, and you can say he came on nine movies.

[TRANSITION]: I could just stand down. [01:23:20]

Payman Langroudi: Well, absolutely. I feel like you’re going to move on from, uh, properties to to many other things. [01:23:25] It’s very.

[TRANSITION]: Interesting. Next. Garyvee.

Payman Langroudi: Yeah.

[TRANSITION]: All right. Thank you, thank you, thank you. [01:23:30]