Why Entrepreneurship Can Change Your Life (James Dooley Chats With Craig Campbell)

James Dooley: Benefits of entrepreneurship. Today I'm joined with Craig Campbell and we're going to be talking about the advantages of being an entrepreneur.

Craig Campbell, let's jump straight in. What do you think is a benefit of being an entrepreneur?

Craig Campbell: Freedom.

Freedom to be creative, do what you want and try different things. That is a big benefit for me. You are always looking for new things, getting involved in different stuff and having the ability to do what you like. Sometimes you blow stuff up. Sometimes you get involved in things that go exceptionally well. I think that is something we both probably enjoy. We like doing daft stuff and having fun with it. Freedom is a big part of it too. I learned from a young age that I was not employable. People telling me what to do and when to do it rubbed me up the wrong way. Entrepreneurship gives you freedom and lets you control your own path. What about you?

James Dooley: For me, a massive benefit is innovation.

You are not stuck in a nine-to-five job being told what to do or following someone else’s processes and systems. You can create your own processes and systems. You can push boundaries as far as you want, depending on your risk tolerance. That innovation side is huge for me, and I think that is the main reason I am drawn to entrepreneurship.

Craig Campbell: I agree.

People give you answers and processes, but who says those are right? There is always someone trying to do it better, quicker or more efficiently. In the AI world now, we know we can create graphics quicker. We know we can build websites quicker. We spoke off air about Claude and how we are both using it. You are doing it slightly differently to me. I do not know which way is better or worse, but we have both learned our own way. You can take bits from each other and keep improving. I like hearing what other people are doing because it makes me ask whether my way is wrong, whether someone else is doing it faster, and what the quickest process actually is.

James Dooley: In your example, both ways work well.

There are so many ways to skin a cat. I am happy with my process and you are happy with your process. Both of us have scaled massively compared to what we used to be able to do. It is scary what can be done now. Another massive benefit for me is networking. Being able to network with other entrepreneurs and see how they think is huge. Sometimes you sit there fascinated by how their brain works, and then people say the same thing about you. Being around other entrepreneurs and seeing how they think is a major benefit.

Craig Campbell: I love it.

We have both been to loads of conferences and met people from different cultures and backgrounds. Even locally, look at Gary Wilson. He took his marketing knowledge and applied it to a completely different niche. You look at that and think it is amazing. The industry he is in is full of dinosaurs from a marketing perspective, which is how he was able to go in and take it by storm. Something clicked in his head and he saw an opportunity to generate a huge number of leads. I love hearing how other people make money compared to how I make money. You can either get jealous of them, which I never do, or apply the idea to your own business. It might not even be the same business. You might see someone doing something in property and think, “I could do that in another market.” There is a niche I am in right now that I do not want to mention on a podcast because everyone will jump into it. I am applying my SEO knowledge, skills and experience to another niche, and it is growing really well. Every time you speak to someone, they are in a niche you never thought about.

James Dooley: Niches are funny.

You hear what people are making money from and think, “I did not even know that was a niche.”

Craig Campbell: Exactly.

I have asked people on podcasts before about the strangest niches they have been involved in. In our industry, the anal bleaching niche always comes up. Holly Starks also did haemorrhoid cream before. Then you look at the search volume and realise there is serious demand. These are things I would never think of. Another one was Gary Wilson years ago when we were both doing affiliate. I built a golf affiliate website, which was seasonal. It did well from March to October, then sales dropped off. My average Amazon order value was about £20. Gary Wilson was doing diesel generators. I thought, “Why are you doing smelly old generators?” Then he told me they started at around £1,200. I realised I was being stupid. I was spending time, money, content and links on a site with £20 average order value when I could have been doing the same work for a much higher-ticket item. He was also doing hunting scopes, which were about £800 each. I would never have thought of that because I was not into hunting or generators. That conversation changed my mindset. It taught me to go after higher-ticket items.

James Dooley: Another thing people talk about with entrepreneurship is financial freedom.

A lot of people present it as a huge advantage, but there is also a lot of risk. It can take years to get to financial freedom. Sometimes I think the financial pressure and risk are actually one of the negatives of entrepreneurship. What are your thoughts on it being a big advantage?

Craig Campbell: If you are secure and have money, you can relax a bit more and you are not under as much pressure.

That is obviously an advantage. But there is a disadvantage too. The niche I am in now is probably losing money right now, and a lot of people are not prepared to do that. They do not want that risk. In that niche, I am unknown. Nobody knows who I am or what I do. I have to build my profile again in a new niche where I do not fully understand the market yet. The only way I can build that following is by losing money, being consistent and putting effort in. People think I am crazy, but that is how you build an audience. There is risk involved, but my long-term goal is to build the following and then monetise it properly. I know how to grow it fast, but you have to put out before you get back. Experience lets me do that, but there is still cash risk and time risk. Everything in life is a gamble. You could walk out and get hit by a bus tomorrow.

James Dooley: What about job creation and job satisfaction?

For me, one of the biggest benefits of entrepreneurship is helping clients grow, helping them make money and creating jobs that did not exist before. Seeing something come to life and thinking, “I am proud of that,” is probably my number one benefit.

Craig Campbell: I agree.

I am involved in an AI company now. There is a younger guy involved who is the AI specialist. I do not claim to be that person. My role is helping him grow and helping businesses grow. We do not just want to sell a service. We want to be a growth partner. That might involve automation, invoicing automation, AI receptionist automation or other business systems. I want to see businesses grow. We can reduce spend on staff by using automation, but it also helps the younger partners in the business grow. They are younger, hungrier, faster and more efficient than me at learning this stuff. I love helping younger people and businesses grow. I can leverage the following and reputation I already have. It is not about moving away from SEO completely, but I want to help other people and businesses grow through technology. You are doing similar things with podcast distribution and automation. What you are doing now probably would have taken five staff members a few years ago. There are still businesses in 2026 that are in the dark ages. Some do not have a website, a Google Business Profile or even the basics in place. Applying what is available now with AI and automation is a massive opportunity. There is money on the table, but it also feels good to help other people grow. It is not just about cash for me now. It is about the right opportunity at the right time. We are all at a crossroads in SEO. We do not know whether we have five years, three years, one year or six months before things change massively. You have to embrace change and use it to your advantage.

James Dooley: For me, I am trying to use it to supercharge the existing team and take things to the next level.

If you do not innovate, you evaporate. Between us two old dogs, we need to keep innovating.

Craig Campbell: Exactly.

We are just hanging onto other people's coattails and trying to keep up. But I enjoy that. We have always been like dogs trying to learn and keep up. It is no different now. You have to embrace it and not be scared of it.

James Dooley: For sure.

I hope you liked the video about the benefits of entrepreneurship. Make sure you check out the link in the description. We also go through the disadvantages and negatives of entrepreneurship. It is good to have a balanced opinion and see both sides. Craig Campbell, it has been an absolute pleasure.

Craig Campbell: Thank you.