From Lockdown to Limitless: Danna Richard’s Journey Through the Messy Middle of Marketing, UGC, and Self-Belief
It turns out- that “detour” was exactly the path she needed.
Some stories start with a plan.
Danna Richard’s started with 200 unanswered job applications and a lockdown flat in Bath.
Fresh out of university with a psychology degree and a dream of becoming a data analyst, Danna imagined spreadsheets, structure, and stability. Instead, she found herself working in a hotel, learning about people, creativity, and resilience in ways no lecture could have prepared her for.
It turns out- that “detour” was exactly the path she needed.
From Hospitality to Hustle: The Accidental Entrepreneur
When her then-partner - a marketing graduate - took on freelance work with a major automotive brand, Danna got curious. She began learning everything she could about marketing: Google Ads, social content, and the emerging world of eCommerce.
That curiosity sparked a side hustle selling Wild Swimming merch online. It didn’t make millions - “maybe five grand at best” - but it made momentum. It taught her how to build something from nothing, how to reach people, and how to keep showing up.
“I think we all start out chasing the dream - the ‘ten grand a month’ goal - but what you really learn is how to keep trying when it doesn’t go to plan.”
When TikTok began to explode, Danna trusted her instincts again. She started posting videos about manifestation, mindset, and gratitude - long before “creator economy” was a buzzword. Within months, she’d grown to 40,000 followers.
It wasn’t luck. It was consistency. It was the start of something bigger.
From E-Commerce to Agency: Building Azur Blue
As her content grew, so did her skills. Together with her partner, Danna built a white-label digital marketing agency - Azur Blue Marketing - running SEO, ads, and eCommerce growth for global clients through remote teams in the UK, South Africa, and Dubai.It was clever, efficient, and for a while, it worked. But life has a way of shaking what’s not meant to stay still.
A breakup, a move back home, and the loss of both a relationship and a business left Danna rebuilding from scratch. “Everything fell apart at once,” she says. “But it also gave me permission to start again - properly this time.” And on her own terms.
Discovering UGC - Before It Was a Trend
In 2022, an email changed everything. A brand reached out through TikTok offering to pay her to create product videos - User
Generated Content (UGC) before the term was mainstream in the UK.
“I didn’t even know what UGC meant,” she laughs. “I looked back at that first video recently - it’s terrible! But it was the start.”
From that first gig came more. And more.
Until one day, she looked around and realised she’d built an entire career out of it.
Over the next few years, Danna created content for over 200 brands, from small startups to household names like Asda and Joe Wicks. Packages arrived at her door daily. She became, in her words, “a secret influencer” - the face behind the ads that quietly shaped what millions of people scrolled past every day.
“It’s mad - half the time, I’d see my own face pop up mid-scroll. It still freaks me out.”
Confidence, Collaboration, and the £600 Video
One of the biggest turning points came when she hired a teenage talent agent - a 17-year-old called Finley - who believed in her more than she did herself. “He’d negotiate deals I’d never dare ask for. I’d be thinking £150, and he’d come back with £600. He taught me so much about knowing your worth.”
With Finley’s help, Danna’s workflow exploded - brand partnerships, paid lives, live product demos. She found herself hosting TikTok livestreams, folding crimped sandwich wraps for three hours straight, laughing with viewers, selling products in real time.
It was weird. It was wonderful. And it worked.
The Power of Starting Over
But not every chapter was smooth. When the company she worked for later went under, Danna faced yet another restart. Instead of spiralling, she used what she’d learned to rebuild - this time, with intention.
She set up a new LinkedIn under Danna UGC, separated from her corporate profile, and began sharing her journey. Within weeks, opportunities started flowing again.
By then, she’d found her rhythm - not just as a creator, but as a businesswoman.
DuoVision: Building the Future
Today, Danna works full time as a Social Media Development & Content Creator for Artemis, the UK’s Leading Exclusive Use Venue Operators and co-runs her side hustle DuoVision Creative, a wedding content creation agency born from her love of storytelling and connection.
What started as an idea with a friend has grown into a business with real momentum, real bookings, and a long-term vision. “We want to be the leading name in UK wedding content creation within three years,” she says. “And we’re on track.”
Alongside her full-time creative role, Danna’s learned to balance structure with freedom - the stability of employment with the joy of entrepreneurship.
“I love my job, but I know where I’m heading next. I’m building towards freedom - the kind where I get to choose how I spend my time and who I spend it with.”
Lessons from Danna’s Journey
Danna’s story is full of grit, growth, and grounded lessons for anyone still figuring it out:
- There’s no rush. Success doesn’t have a deadline.
- Follow curiosity, not comparison. What looks like a detour might be the direction.
- Do less, better. You don’t have to do everything at once to make progress.
- Enjoy what you build. Choose work that excites you, not just what pays the bills.
- Stay delusional (in the best way). “We literally manifest bookings by saying, ‘We’re fully booked for 2027!’ - and then it happens.”
A Final Thought
If you’ve ever applied for 200 jobs and heard nothing back…
If you’ve ever built something from scratch, lost it, and started again…
If you’ve ever felt like you’re still working out who you are while the world rushes ahead…Danna’s story is your reminder.
That no experience is wasted.
That curiosity counts as courage.
That freedom often follows the failures you didn’t plan for.
And that sometimes, the most beautiful stories begin - right when you realise you’re not there yet.