Lessons for Entrepreneurs Starting a Small Business or Startup | Dub Dub Data

 by Fiona Gordon & Sarah Burnett | Co-Founders, Dub Dub Data

TL;DR

After one year of building Dub Dub Data, the team reflects on the realities of starting a data consulting business from scratch, from finding the first client and refining consulting services to learning when to pivot and stay human in the fast-moving world of data and analytics. The journey reveals what it really takes to become a data consultant, grow a trusted consulting business, and create meaningful impact through data analytics, community, and collaboration.

👀 Prefer to watch instead?
We’ve dedicated an entire episode of our unDUBBED podcast to the lessons we learned this year. Skip the scroll and view here.

A Year of Growth, Grit and Small Business Lessons

When two experienced consultants decide to start a business, they know the spreadsheets and the strategies, but not the sleepless nights that come with entrepreneurship. For us, this first year was about testing ideas, finding our rhythm, and learning that running a business is less about having a perfect business plan and more about adapting when things shift.

The Reality of Starting a Small Business in Australia

Building Dub Dub Data from the ground up was a true startup story. Long hours, tough calls, and small wins that felt huge. We learned that success isn’t about luck but about structure, communication, and consistency. Like many small business founders, we had to define our goals, refine our processes, and build relationships that would keep the business moving even when things were uncertain.

This was never just about growth for growth’s sake. It was about clarity of purpose: helping people and organisations make smarter decisions with data. The first twelve months taught us more about resilience, adaptability, and teamwork than any corporate handbook ever could. And while there were plenty of lessons learned along the way, the biggest one was simple. Business is built on people, not plans.

From Idea to Impact: How to Start a Data Consulting Business

Starting a data consulting firm from scratch means leaving behind the safety of a corporate salary and creating your own playbook. From designing the website and pricing consulting services, to managing finances and finding the first client, every decision requires courage and clarity.

Why Every Startup Needs Room to Redefine Its Direction

Instead of waiting for the perfect plan, Dub Dub Data launched with curiosity and conviction. The team learned early that the magic happens when you act, not when you overthink.

They built systems using platforms like Confluence to share ideas and documentation, making collaboration seamless. Most importantly, they had the difficult conversations early, about expectations, fears, and what success would look like as data consultants and partners. That openness became the foundation of everything that followed, allowing them to grow as both professionals and people in the fast-paced data analytics consulting space.

Learning to Pivot When Your First Business Plan Shifts

Every business reaches a moment when what looks good on paper doesn’t feel right in practice. For us, that moment came with the marketplace project, our first big business idea. It had momentum, a clear business plan, and industry interest. But deep down, something didn’t align.

Choosing to pivot was one of the hardest calls we’ve made. We’d invested time, energy, and resources, but trusting intuition over pride saved the business. Pulling back allowed us to focus on what mattered: working directly with clients, refining our product or service, and strengthening our foundations as a consulting business.

That decision became a defining moment in our entrepreneurial journey. It showed us that a solid business strategy is not about avoiding change, it’s about knowing when to adapt and when to double down. Letting go of what wasn’t working cleared the path for more meaningful growth and redefined how we saw success in our first year.

The Power of Partnership in Building a Successful Business

Strong partnerships are the backbone of every successful business. From the start, we built Dub Dub Data on transparency, trust, and open communication. Before we started the company, we had the tough conversations about fear, workload, and the boundaries that would help us stay aligned. That honesty shaped everything from how we define our business to how we make decisions.

Communication, Trust and Shared Vision for Entrepreneurs

As entrepreneurs, we quickly realised that growth isn’t just about strategy, it’s about relationships. Feedback became our currency, helping us navigate tough moments and celebrate wins. We learned that a solid business partnership doesn’t mean avoiding conflict; it means handling it with respect and perspective.

Like many business owners, we also discovered that success depends as much on empathy as it does on execution. Building a culture of openness gave us clarity, confidence, and connection, qualities that keep our business strong, adaptable, and genuinely human.

Redefining Growth in Your First Year as an Entrepreneur

The first year of any business is filled with milestones that look different from what you expect. Growth isn’t just about revenue or recognition, it’s about rhythm, teamwork, and learning how to keep things moving. For us, that meant redefining what success looked like and finding our stride in the fast-paced world of running a business.

We had to learn to sell, something that felt unnatural at first. Like many entrepreneurs, we discovered that sales is less about pressure and more about people. Building relationships, networking, and connecting through social media platforms became just as important as the work itself. Over time, we learned to balance delivery with visibility, developing a stronger approach to promoting our product or service and connecting with our target market.

Balancing Workload, Mindset and Momentum in a Startup

Persistence also became one of our biggest assets. Turning an initial “no” into a partnership required confidence, follow-up, and belief in our business goals. Those moments reinforced that resilience is the true measure of any entrepreneurial success story.

Community connection has been equally vital. Reconnecting with the Tableau and Salesforce ecosystems reminded us that business in Australia thrives on collaboration and generosity. From podcasts to community events, sharing knowledge helped us grow while inspiring others to start a business or strengthen an existing business. When we promote our business, it’s not just to attract clients. It’s to tap into the knowledge of others, learn from successful entrepreneurs, and support small businesses doing great work across the country.

Our first twelve months have been a collection of experiences, both challenges and breakthroughs, that shaped who we are and what Dub Dub Data stands for. We didn’t need a perfect business plan template or to follow every rule of starting a small business; we needed focus, flexibility, and trust. These are the lessons we’ll carry into the next stage of growth as our firm continues to evolve and inspire others to build a successful business on their own terms.

Community and Collaboration: How to Promote Your Business Authentically

Community has always been part of our DNA, and reconnecting with the Tableau ecosystem was a real highlight of the year. After stepping back during our corporate careers, returning to the community felt like coming home.

Rebuilding those relationships reminded us that consulting isn’t just about contracts, it’s about connection. Engaging with the Tableau and Salesforce networks reignited our passion for sharing knowledge, supporting others, and celebrating innovation.

That sense of belonging extends beyond the data world too. Whether through our podcast, collaborations, or client relationships, the people we meet and the conversations we share shape our business just as much as strategy or delivery ever could.

Lessons Learned from Our First Year in Business

Running a data consulting business is a masterclass in resilience. The first year came with many “oh no” moments, missteps, underestimated workloads, and lessons that could only be learned through experience.

What Every Small Business Owner Should Know in Year One:

1. Perfection is the enemy of progress

Coming from corporate environments where every deliverable had to be flawless, it was hard to unlearn perfectionism. Early on, the focus was often on polishing presentations, refining frameworks, and getting every detail exactly right. But they soon realised that momentum mattered more than manicured detail.

Launching fast, testing ideas in the wild, and getting real feedback from clients proved far more valuable than waiting until everything looked “right”. In the world of consulting, done and useful beats perfect and pending every time.

2. Boundaries are essential

Not every opportunity is the right one. One of the earliest shifts for the Dub Dub Data team was learning to say no. It is tempting to take on every client, especially in your first year, but misaligned projects often create more stress than value.

Setting boundaries early meant working only with organisations that shared similar values around transparency, curiosity, and collaboration. This not only protected their time and wellbeing but also strengthened their reputation for integrity and quality work.

3. Feedback keeps things moving

In a partnership, silence can be costly. Open, fast, and honest feedback not only improved projects but strengthened the working relationship. Both founders learned to give feedback directly but kindly, focusing on solutions rather than blame.

This same principle extended to client relationships too. Regular check-ins, clear communication channels, and shared progress updates built trust and made it easier to navigate tough conversations when expectations shifted. Feedback became a shared habit, not an uncomfortable moment.

4. Small starts are smart starts

Instead of chasing large, complex projects right away, Dub Dub Data focused on pilot programs and proofs of concept (POCs). These smaller engagements gave clients the chance to see value early, and gave the consultancy the space to refine their methods and templates before scaling.

It was a practical way to test demand, validate services, and avoid overcommitting resources too soon. Those early POCs helped establish credibility and provided valuable case studies that opened doors to larger engagements later on.

5. Remember your “why”

When the late nights pile up and the to-do list feels endless, it is easy to lose sight of the bigger mission. The founders made a conscious effort to reconnect regularly with their original purpose: helping people and organisations make smarter, faster decisions with data.

That purpose became their compass during uncertain times. It guided how they built processes, chose clients, and shaped the company culture. Remembering the “why” helped keep motivation high, even when the workload was heavy or the path unclear.

6. Stay human in a data-driven world

Perhaps the most powerful lesson of all was that data consulting is not just about technology. It is about people. Every successful project, partnership, or podcast episode came down to human connection and listening deeply, understanding needs, and building trust.

For Dub Dub Data, this lesson reinforced their belief that data is most valuable when it is personal, accessible, and aligned with the people who use it. Staying human, even in the most technical spaces, is what sets great consultancies apart from good ones.

The Evolution of Dub Dub Data’s Focus

Over the past year, Dub Dub Data has refined its niche within data analytics consulting. The business moved from broad data consulting projects to a sharper focus on the Tableau and Salesforce ecosystem.

By specialising in the tools and platforms they know best, the team has been able to deliver more impactful outcomes. Their work now integrates machine learning, automation, and data science capabilities into streamlined solutions that empower clients to act with confidence.

Partnerships across the APAC region have helped expand their reach and enhance their consulting services, providing innovative approaches to analytics and cloud migration.

Community connection remains at the heart of the business. From podcasting with global data leaders to hosting a new Consultants and Freelancers Tableau User Group, the goal is always to share, educate, and connect.

The Joy in the Journey of Starting and Growing a Business

Amid the late nights, spreadsheets, and strategy sessions, the real joy of running a business has come from the people and the progress. Every conversation with a client, every solved challenge, and every unexpected laugh along the way has reminded us why we took the leap to start our own business.

This first year has been as much about personal growth as it has been about business growth. We’ve seen our ideas evolve, our confidence expand, and our business strategy mature with each project. And through it all, we’ve stayed anchored to our purpose. Helping others make smarter, faster decisions with data while creating a business that reflects who we are.

We’ve learned that success doesn’t come from following a fixed business plan, but from staying adaptable, connected, and true to your values. Every small victory and every setback has been part of a larger story of resilience and renewal. It’s what makes entrepreneurship so rewarding and why we believe that every new business deserves to be built with both courage and care.

Why These First-Year Business Lessons Matter

For anyone thinking about starting a new business, know that there’s no single roadmap. Whether you’re building a startup, launching a consulting business, or testing a fresh business idea, the best advice is to start and keep moving. Validate your business, stay close to your customers, and focus on your unique value proposition. Those steps will shape not only your company but your mindset as an entrepreneur.

As we look to the next chapter, we’re excited to keep learning, evolving, and sharing what we know. We believe that when business owners work together, share stories, and tap into the knowledge of others, they build a stronger, more connected Australian business community.

So here’s to the next year. To more lessons, more laughter, and to helping others turn their business ideas into thriving, purpose-driven ventures.

The first year was never about chasing scale. It was about building something real. And that is exactly what makes Dub Dub Data’s story worth following.
 

Ready to Start or Scale Your Data Journey?

If this sounds like the kind of partnership your organisation needs, now is the perfect time to connect.

Whether you need help with data strategy, analytics consulting, or automation, the Dub Dub Data team brings clarity, collaboration, and creativity to every engagement.

👉 Book a consultation today to explore how our data consultants can help your organisation make smarter, faster decisions with data.

And if you have not yet listened, tune into the full anniversary episode of the UnDUBBED Podcast for insights on the lessons, pivots, and progress behind Dub Dub Data’s first year.

unDUBBED Podcast - D26 One Year In: The Real Lessons Behind Building a Data Consultancy

Follow us on your favourite platform:

🎙️ Unscripted. Uncensored. Undeniably data.

In this special anniversary episode of unDUBBED, Fiona and Sarah celebrate one year of running their data consultancy, Dub Dub Data. They pull back the curtain on the real journey of entrepreneurship - from perfectionism and self-doubt to building a trusted partnership and managing clients with confidence.

The conversation dives deep into business growth, data consulting, and the personal transformations that come with leaving corporate life to build something from scratch. Fiona and Sarah share candid reflections on the early decisions that shaped their business, the power of feedback, and how open communication has helped them navigate challenges and strengthen their partnership.

They also unpack what it really takes to succeed in consultancy - from setting boundaries with clients to embracing imperfection, redefining success, and learning when to say no. Whether you’re dreaming of launching your own data consultancy or looking to refine your approach to client management and business growth, this episode is packed with practical lessons and real talk from two entrepreneurs who’ve lived it.

💡 Key Takeaways

● Build trust through open communication in partnerships.

● Perfectionism kills momentum - focus on progress over polish.

● Adapting from corporate to consultancy life requires a mindset shift.

● Set and adjust goals regularly to stay aligned and agile.

● Know when to say no - not every client is the right fit.

● Navigating setbacks can unlock powerful growth and resilience.

● Define clear client boundaries from the start.

● Celebrate milestones and the relationships that fuel your journey.

● Feedback drives both personal and professional growth.

● Success is built on authenticity, community, and purpose.

🕒 Chapters

00:00 — Celebrating One Year of Dub Dub Data

02:00 — Foundational Decisions and Early Lessons

05:19 — The Pursuit of Perfection

08:39 — Mental Shifts in Consulting Life

13:16 — Goal Setting and Prioritisation

16:25 — Knowing When to Say No

19:20 — Our Biggest ‘Oh Shit’ Moments

21:34 — Building Success Through Challenges

23:21 — Managing Client Relationships and Expectations

26:02 — Moments of Validation in Business

28:16 — Reflections on Podcasting and Community

32:26 — Personal Growth and Sacrifices

35:12 — Learning Through Feedback

37:48 — Looking Ahead: Growth and Gratitude