Liverpool digital marketing agency Castle has seen record growth since Parachute Regiment veteran Danny Walker dropped in. Tony McDonough reports
A Parachute Regiment veteran who built a multi-million-pound business portfolio has pushed digital marketing agency Castle to record growth after investing in the business.
After a decade in the parachute regiment and special forces support group, working in highly specialist roles, Danny Walker left the military and has since set up several successful businesses, since he left in 2016. This includes successful online coaching platforms, that helped over 4000 monthly subscribers from all over the world.
He then utilised his expertise to help celebrities and athletes with their own online coaching platforms, achieving significant growth and helping make positive change on a mass scale.
Danny’s diverse business portfolio is now made up of a combination of businesses he has founded and invested in across a range of industries, including finance, property development, eCommerce and most recently a luxury gin. These businesses collectively employ more than 75 staff members and even more contractors.
This month he won Business Leader of the Year at the Ex-Forces in Business Awards due to his successes as an entrepreneur. His win was announced at a ceremony in London on September 8. Danny was one of 12 finalists out of thousands of veterans, and other nominees for awards included those from large multi-national companies such as Rolls-Royce, Barclays and Amazon.
18 months ago, Danny became an equity investor in Castle, a premium digital marketing agency based on Castle Street in Liverpool City Centre with an impressive client roster that includes NHS, Hilton, Gillette, Flight Centre and Dam Health, to name just a few.
Around the same time, Castle, originally called Verb Marketing, founded by Dean and Georgina Currall, had relocated from Brunswick Street to Castle Chambers due to rapid growth and a big increase in headcount.
As well as becoming an equity investor in Castle, Danny has established a business development unit at the firm to drive further growth. This move has paid dividends. Since he joined the business as a director, revenue is up 94%, and they are on course for a record-breaking year in 2023.
Danny first came to Castle as a client back in 2016. Castle’s team provided marketing services for Danny and his businesses. And the staff of both businesses shared an office, bringing them closer together. Danny then decided to invest in Castle.
He said: “The main reason I wanted a marketing agency like Castle in my portfolio is that it’s the engine room for all my other businesses – it’s what drives revenue.
“Owning a marketing agency is one of the most valuable things to have as an entrepreneur as it’s the vehicle to get your businesses where you want them to be. Especially so with Castle, as they focus solely on revenue generation for their clients.”
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“Every business needs marketing. With a team of 50+ marketing experts covering a wide range of expertise, Castle can generate significant growth for a wide range of businesses at the fraction of the cost of hiring in-house teams.”
And with Castle’s previous track record for delivering results, it’s not hard to see why Danny saw this as a lucrative investment. Castle has been nominated for numerous awards in the past few months due to their work for a range of clients.
“One of which, another of Danny’s investments, Castle has taken from a start-up to generating over 2000 leads a month, with a potential revenue generation of £3.5 million a month.
Another, an eCommerce elite fitness wear brand, has seen a 99% increase in revenue this quarter compared to the last.
Utilising his skills, strengths and background, Danny also helps others who want to make positive changes in their lives. He assists them to find their true potential and attain a resilient mindset. He coaches individuals on a 1-2-1 basis and teaches them how they, too, can run a successful business.
Looking to the future, Danny wants to continue to learn, grow, help, and push the boundaries to make constant positive changes around him.
“My ambition now is to work on projects that benefit and elevate Liverpool as a city. Castle has generated hundreds of millions for businesses across the world. Now I want to make sure we’re also looking closer to home and investing in our own city, supporting Liverpool businesses as a way of elevating the local economy.”, added Danny.
“I have the capabilities to make these changes with the help of the businesses I own. And I’m committed to doing my bit to drive significant change in this area.”