June 12, 2025

#61 – Building The Silent Disco Company with Toby Burns

Show Notes

What if you could turn a teenage side hustle into a company that runs over 4,000 events a year, without raising a penny of external funding?

In this episode, I'm joined by Toby Burns, founder of The Silent Disco Company - the UK’s leading provider of silent disco infrastructure for parties, weddings, festivals, and corporate events.

Toby shares how he went from entertaining kids at birthday parties to DJing luxury events, and ultimately scaling a business that’s redefining how people experience music and nightlife.

He breaks down the realities of self-funding a company, the importance of sales over branding, and how AI is helping streamline his operations today.

We also dive into lessons on hiring, managing burnout, investing in property, and why every entrepreneur should think about building a business to sell; even if they never plan to.

00:00 Introduction to the Silent Disco Company

01:02 The Journey of Toby Burns

02:51 Innovating in the Event Industry

04:45 The Importance of Sales and Innovation

07:34 Balancing Work and Personal Life

15:00 The Role of Education and AI

24:53 Navigating Challenges and Opportunities

36:16 Always Be Hiring: The Entrepreneur's Mindset

36:41 Balancing Hands-On Work and Leveraged Work

38:05 The Impact of Government Policies on Entrepreneurship

38:40 AI and Automation in Business

39:17 The Burden of Taxes on Business Owners