“Don’t Be a Wanker”: Dave Buonaguidi’s No-BS Leadership Rule episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 5, 2025 · 56 MIN

“Don’t Be a Wanker”: Dave Buonaguidi’s No-BS Leadership Rule

from The Courageous Leaders Podcast · host Joanna Howes

Naughty, and unfiltered – Dave Buonaguidi, ex-adman turned full-time artist, shares how he blew up a 35-year career, lost everything, and finally found joy. From co-founding iconic agencies like St. Luke’s and Karmarama to walking away from the industry (and his marriage) at 50, Dave tells it like it is – with plenty of swearing, sharp wit, and hard-won wisdom.If you’ve ever wanted to throw out the rulebook and build life on your own damn terms, this episode is for you.We Cover: 01:40 – “I just rebooted my life at 55” – The moment Dave walked away from it all07:20 – Wearing a mask at work for 35 years08:40 – Why he doesn’t see his past ventures as “success”10:05 – The brutal reality of founding a business12:00 – Ripping up the rulebook: doing things differently in advertising15:00 – Starting over after losing his agency – and his marriage18:20 – Going all-in with no plan B: the real reason he made it work20:00 – “If you’re doing it for the money, f*ck off”32:00 – Letting go: what Dave struggled with most41:00 – “I jumped out the burning building” – on walking away from everything42:20 – Why 2020 was the best year of his life43:00 – Advice for anyone ready to change their life46:40 – How a screen-printing class changed everythingDon’t miss out on this powerful episode. 👍 Stay inspired by joining our YouTube community! Click the link, hit the subscribe button, leave a comment, and never miss an episode. Your support helps us empower courageous leaders like you!https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2kZ-x8fDHKEVb222qpQ_NQ🚀 Elevate Your Leadership:Book a call for transformative leadership and team coaching:Website: https://thechangecreators.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/ → Join our newsletter for courageous leadership insights and advice. 👉 Subscribe here: https://the-change-creators.kit.com/1a5f3c9e54

Naughty, and unfiltered – Dave Buonaguidi, ex-adman turned full-time artist, shares how he blew up a 35-year career, lost everything, and finally found joy. From co-founding iconic agencies like St. Luke’s and Karmarama to walking away from the industry (and his marriage) at 50, Dave tells it like it is – with plenty of swearing, sharp wit, and hard-won wisdom. If you’ve ever wanted to throw out the rulebook and build life on your own damn terms, this episode is for you. We Cover: 01:40 – “...

NOW PLAYING

“Don’t Be a Wanker”: Dave Buonaguidi’s No-BS Leadership Rule

0:00 56:11

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Courageous Leaders Podcast?

This episode is 56 minutes long.

When was this The Courageous Leaders Podcast episode published?

This episode was published on June 5, 2025.

What is this episode about?

Naughty, and unfiltered – Dave Buonaguidi, ex-adman turned full-time artist, shares how he blew up a 35-year career, lost everything, and finally found joy. From co-founding iconic agencies like St. Luke’s and Karmarama to walking away from the...

Can I download this The Courageous Leaders Podcast episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!