On this episode of Build Better Brands, Danielle Clarke is joined by Simon Cooper, a.k.a. Damp Sam, who has built his own business and brand, All Dry Damp Proofing Ltd, and has his own podcast called The Damp Show where he discusses the trade with other tradespeople. He tells the story of how his own branding story has evolved from not wanting to pay to advertise in local papers which has eventually led to a successful side-hustle as a YouTube influencer.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• I never knew things I was learning were sinking in, but when I did my surveyance qualifications, things to do with humidity and the way water evaporates. You think you're never going to use the stuff you learned at school but you do, later in life, even if you think you're not.
• Covid allowed me to slow down and look back at what I've done. I probably had mental health issues growing up, but they weren't called that at the time. In fact, it might have weighed down on me rather than allowed me to move forward. I think everyone's got mental health issues in some form or another, as long as you've got thoughts in your head, some people are maybe more mentally strong than others.
• When people started moving onto the computer to advertise rather than the Yellow Pages, I decided to get my own website, but I paid someone else to run it, which cost about £400 per year. I went to a networking event about 11 years ago and enrolled on a business coaching course where I was talked through different ways of advertising including social media. He told us to go away and make some videos about what we do. I made them, posted them to YouTube and didn't look at them again for a year. When I went back they'd got quite a few views and one of them is still the first video that comes up when you search for Damp Sam! It had more than 500,000 views and led me to monetise my videos and do more.
• Damp Sam sticks in the mind, it's become my personal brand. In the future when I can't plaster any more, I'll be able to create a digital project. I'm setting up a course on how to do the job, where to source the materials, etc for everyone from DIYers to tradesmen. It's going to help towards the preservation industry which will be a win for everybody.

BEST MOMENTS

‘I wanted people to see that I was the best in my field.'

‘Years and years ago the only way to get your brand out there, as a plasterer was posting in the local newspaper and then it was just your name and phone number because it cost a fortune and per word.'

‘YouTube is the second biggest search engine after Google.'

‘Lots of people in my space use long words to describe what they're doing. I positioned myself as no nonsense, straight talking and relatable. I've put everything that I've learned on YouTube so people can refer to it and get value. I've now done over 500 videos and earn about £200 a month from it, all borne out of not wanting to pay for advertising.'

ABOUT THE GUEST

Simon Cooper left school at 16 after realising that school and exams weren't for him and was given the options of a number of manual jobs like bricklayer and plasterer as an apprentice. He chose plastering because he wanted to work in different places every day. He was laid off early on due to strikes going on in his hometown, in Yorkshire, so he started advertising his services as a plasterer for hire and went back to college to learn the trade and to hope that he could branch out from plastering.

Eventually he got qualified in building management and got a job as a finishing foreman for a company building flats. However, the company went bust by the end of the year and he decided to join the RAF as a photographer as it was the easiest job on offer. For this he went to take an exam which he failed. He was at his lowest ebb and in that moment he decided to be the best at what he knew: Plastering.

Eventually he moved into damp-proofing, became a surveyor and set up his own company: All Dry Damp Proofing Ltd. He now makes straight talking no nonsense videos which he posts on YouTube and offers a service giving free advice to people on their damp issues. In between running his company, Simon is also a landlord, trying to set up a hair salon, building an extension and being the world's best Dad.

“Why do I do it? Well, that's simple. I love what I do and I'm still learning. I have 35 years doing this stuff and hate to think I would be keeping it all to myself.”

Website: https://alldrydampproofing.com/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDh4nXWTEAPxsG5JIX3VdIg 

Email: [email protected] 

ABOUT THE HOST

Danielle Clarke is a Brand and Marketing Consultant, University Lecturer and Business Owner.

Since 2006 Danielle has provided brand design and marketing support for clients including Škoda, Gtech, UK Biocentre, UK Mail and GIRLvsCANCER Danielle is committed to helping brands that want to have a positive impact on people's lives. She spends her time consulting and working with business owners to help them attract and retain their best customers.

Insta - @danielleclarkecreative | [https://www.instagram.com/danielleclarkecreative/]
LinkedIn - [https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-clarke-creative/]
Twitter - @D4nielleCl4rke |  [https://twitter.com/D4nielleCl4rke](https://twitter.com/D4nielleCl4rke)
Email - [[email protected]](http://www.danielleclarkecreative.com/)
Website: www.danielleclarkecreative.com

This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.