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This is me—Dave Head—no filters, no fluff, just the unpolished truth of how I went from being a rebellious school kid to running Northern Design & Digital Marketing. If you’re tired of hearing the glossy, picture-perfect version of entrepreneurship, this one’s definitely for you.

The Messy Bits: F**k-Ups and Lessons Learned the Hard Way

Let’s get real—my journey wasn’t exactly textbook perfect. It was full of moments where I made some pretty questionable decisions and wished I could disappear into thin air. But looking back, those “f**k-ups” taught me more than anything else could.

Whether it was a bad choice that cost me money, embarrassing meetings I’d rather forget, or just the classic “did I actually just do that?” moments—each one shaped me, built resilience, and forced me to grow faster than I thought possible.

Amsterdam, Dream Jobs, and Leaving It All Behind

At one point, I packed my life up and moved to Amsterdam for what seemed like the absolute dream job. And yeah, it really was as cool as it sounds—canals, bikes, stroopwafels, and an amazing creative scene. But here’s the kicker: despite landing a job that on paper looked perfect, something just wasn’t clicking.

I decided to walk away from the comfort and stability (and the stroopwafels) to come home and start my own thing from scratch. Crazy? Probably. Worth it? Absolutely.

The Chaotic Reality of Starting a Business

Starting Northern wasn’t pretty or smooth—far from it. It involved battling constant imposter syndrome, learning how to sell myself (still weird, to be honest), and figuring things out one messy step at a time. I made plenty of mistakes along the way, but I also learned invaluable lessons.

Building something from the ground up means having those “what the actual f**k am I doing?” moments on the regular. It’s messy, uncertain, and occasionally terrifying—but it’s also incredibly rewarding when things start clicking into place.

Catch the Full Story on YouTube

If you want the full story—with all the honest details about mistakes, triumphs, and my journey from rebellion to entrepreneurship—you can catch the full episode on YouTube. I promise there’s no sugarcoating here, just the straightforward, messy reality of building a business.

👉 Check out the episode now—link in the comments!

Let’s Swap Stories

I’ve laid it all out on the table—now it’s your turn. What’s your biggest “f**k, did I really just do that?” moment in your business journey? Drop it in the comments. I genuinely want to hear your stories—no fluff, no filters, just real talk.

Because at the end of the day, we’re all just figuring it out as we go. Let’s keep it real.

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Social Proof

We’ve helped Northern businesses scribble success stories online. From bakers to tech startups, our clients are clicking, ticking, and thriving.

Great work from NORTHERN! We were looking to rebrand the company logo, but we were unsure how to go about it. NORTHERN understood our company before designing the rebrand, and it worked great. He introduced ideas we hadn't thought of before, and has a real eye for detail. Very fast turnaround and listened to any ideas we had also.

Andy HornBespoke Vinyl

We recently worked with Northern for a full rebranding of Sue’s Café, including new signage, menu designs, and a fresh logo. The results were fantastic! Northern perfectly captured the welcoming, seaside vibe we wanted, and their attention to detail was top-notch.

SueSue's Cafe

NORTHERN was a pleasure from start to finish, thank you so much for capturing our wedding day. NORTHERNs photography was second to none, I would recommend them to anyone. Myself and my wife Claire Pearson are really happy with the wedding album, They captured everything we required and more.

James PearsonWedding Photography

We recently teamed up with Northern for both our van design and corporate brochure, and the results were fantastic. The quality of the designs was brilliant, with vibrant colours and sharp details that perfectly captured our brand. The team at Northern were incredibly professional and attentive, making sure every aspect was handled with care

Brian HBHFS

Northern Designers are passionate and innovative, with exceptional skills in design and marketing. They supported our research projects and produced impactful websites and publications. Their dedication and creativity are invaluable.

Tor Alexander BruceNon Profit Lead

I've been incredibly impressed with Northern Designers' work since 2014. Their creativity, speed of delivery, and reliability are exceptional. They bring enthusiasm and deep knowledge to every project.

Mark VoermansiReckonU, Vivi il Vino, Vino Veloce

Web design that converts digital marketing that grows PPC campaigns that perform SEO services that rank content marketing that connects CRO that boosts sales branding that stands out logo design that sticks Google Ads that reach email marketing that engages social media strategy that clicks UX design that flows responsive websites that adapt landing pages that persuade ecommerce sites that sell local SEO that targets Facebook Ads that scale Instagram marketing that pops video production that tells stories photography that shines analytics that inform Google Tag Manager that tracks keyword research that unlocks paid search that delivers marketing audits that uncover performance tracking that matters campaign optimisation that improves conversion strategy that works and digital growth that lasts.

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Ready for a colourful conversation about your next big idea? Drop us a message.

We’ll bring the crayons, you bring the dreams—and maybe biscuits. Deal?

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