In this fifty-sixth episode of My Kind of Business, Alex is joined by Carl Darnell, founder of crdone, a search marketing agency based in Bedford specialising in PPC, SEO and web design for small and medium sized businesses.

He began his career as a marketing apprentice at a local college before working his way up through well known brands, managing campaigns, working with data and presenting marketing performance to stakeholders right up to board level.

In this episode Alex and Carl explore the full journey from apprentice to agency owner, the mindset shifts required along the way and the practical foundations that have allowed crdone to grow sustainably.

In this episode Alex and Carl explore:

• Carl's early career as a marketing apprentice and the path that followed
• The decision to travel and how freelancing abroad led to founding crdone
• Transitioning from freelancer to agency owner and what that shift really involves
• Growing and managing a remote team through COVID and beyond
• Building SOPs and processes that allow a business to scale sustainably
• Hiring for attitude and what Carl looks for in the people he brings into the team
• Creating strong company culture without a shared physical space
• The books and frameworks that have shaped how Carl runs the business
• His mission to make digital marketing transparent and genuinely understood
• Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and why starting with the end in mind matters

Timestamps

[00:00] Introduction to Carl Darnell's story

[01:09] Childhood aspirations and family influences

[02:59] Discovering marketing through an apprenticeship in 2009

[05:08] Transition to Bourne Leisure and managing campaigns

[08:33] Deciding to travel and take a sabbatical

[11:02] Starting freelancing from abroad

[14:54] Building a remote business and industry insights [17:20] Transition from freelancer to business owner

[20:10] Growing the team from 1 to 7 members

[22:46] Impact of COVID and recruitment strategies

[25:43] Creating processes and SOPs for scalable growth [29:41] Building company culture remotely

[32:07] Future vision, mission and growth strategies

[38:07] The importance of mindset and attitude in recruitment[41:13] Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

[43:06] My kind of business is, Carl's vision

Key Highlights

• Transparency and clarity as the foundation of great agency relationships
• Building processes and SOPs before you think you need them
• Why attitude matters more than experience when growing a team
• The power of frameworks like EOS and Scaling Up for sustainable growth
• Starting with the end in mind as the foundation for building a business with purpose

Connect with Carl

crdone.digital hello@crdone.digital linkedin.com/in/carl-darnell

Connect with Alex

alexmccarthycoaching.com linkedin.com/in/alexmccarthycoaching instagram.com/alexmccarthycoaching