David Parrish is a British expert in the creative industries and creative economy, working internationally.
David Parrish is an international keynote speaker, author, business adviser and trainer specialising in the creative industries, creative entrepreneurship and the creative economy. He has worked with entrepreneurs, businesses, governments and organisations in more than 60 countries.
David Parrish is the author of two books: T-Shirts and Suits: A Guide to the Business of Creativity and Chase One Rabbit: Strategic Marketing for Business Success.
David’s practical approach combines creative talent and entrepreneurial passion with smart business thinking, helping creative people and organisations achieve success on their own terms.
David’s work draws on his own experience as an entrepreneur and business owner in the creative industries, combined with professional business expertise and decades of experience working with hundreds of creative entrepreneurs around the world.
David Parrish at a glance
Specialist areas: Creative industries, creative entrepreneurship and the creative economy.
Work: Keynote speaking, training, consultancy, business advice, coaching and mentoring.
International experience: 60+ countries.
Clients and partners: Creative entrepreneurs, businesses, conference organisers, creative industries development agencies, creative hubs, governments, economic development agencies and universities.
Books: T-Shirts and Suits and Chase One Rabbit.
Qualifications: MBA (Distinction) plus professional Fellowships.
Expertise
David specialises in the business of creativity — particularly the ways in which creative people can use smart business thinking without compromising their creativity, independence or values.
His areas of expertise include:
David’s expertise combines practical experience, professional qualifications and international perspectives. He has learnt from his own experience of setting up, growing and internationalising his own businesses. He continues to learn from working directly with hundreds of creative entrepreneurs and organisations world-wide.
Combining creativity and business: T-Shirts and Suits
A central theme throughout David’s work is that creativity and business are not opposites.
His approach combines the creative personality — the “T-Shirt” — with smart business thinking — the “Suit”.
David developed this approach as ‘T-Shirts and Suits’, the philosophy at the heart of his work with creative entrepreneurs.
The objective is not to compromise creativity to become more commercial.
Instead, David helps creative entrepreneurs design intelligent business strategies around their particular talents, ambitions and values.
There is no single correct business model for a creative enterprise. Different entrepreneurs define success differently. David’s approach therefore starts with the entrepreneur’s own objectives and then identifies the customers, business model, marketing strategy and other elements that fit those objectives.
His mission is to empower creative people to achieve success by combining their creative talent with smart business strategies that fit with their values and objectives.
Who David works with
David works internationally with both creative entrepreneurs themselves and the organisations that support the development of creative businesses and the creative economy. These include:
His work ranges from one-to-one strategic advice and mentoring to training programmes, consultancy projects and keynote speeches for international conferences.
David has also worked extensively with organisations including the British Council and its Creative Economy programmes, delivering workshops, speaking at events and supporting creative entrepreneurs in countries including Azerbaijan, Belarus, Brazil, Chile, China, Georgia, Lithuania, the Philippines, Taiwan, Ukraine, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.
International experience
David has worked professionally in more than 60 countries, from Azerbaijan to Zimbabwe, helping creative entrepreneurs and organisations through keynote speeches, training, consultancy, mentoring and business advice.
His international experience includes:
• Keynote speeches and conference presentations in countries including Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Kenya, China, Finland, Curaçao and South Korea;
• Creative business training workshops in countries including Indonesia, Botswana, Spain, Vietnam, New Zealand, Serbia, Brazil and Georgia;
• Consultancy and business advice in countries including the USA, New Zealand, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United Kingdom, Kazakhstan, Ireland and the UAE;
• Work with creative hubs in countries including Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Ireland, South Africa, Portugal and Thailand;
• Lectures on creative entrepreneurship at universities in China, Lithuania, Vietnam, Portugal, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Azerbaijan.
David has spoken about the creative industries and creative economy at the United Nations in Geneva and the European Commission in Brussels.
Read more about David’s International Experience
Keynote speaker
David speaks at conferences, summits, creative-industry events, universities, creative hubs and other events internationally.
His keynote speeches and presentations cover subjects including:
David’s presentations combine practical business ideas with stories, examples and lessons from creative entrepreneurs around the world.
David makes complex business ideas understandable and relevant to diverse audiences, including entrepreneurs, policymakers, academics, investors and creative-industry organisations.
Find out more about David Parrish as a Keynote Speaker
Training Workshops for Creative Entrepreneurs
David Parrish designs and delivers interactive training workshops for creative entrepreneurs. Topics include marketing, intellectual property, financial management, growth strategies, international business, pricing, and leadership.
More information about David’s Creative Business Training Workshops
Business advice, coaching and mentoring
David works directly with entrepreneurs and organisations to develop practical business strategies appropriate to their own ambitions and circumstances.
Rather than imposing a standard formula, he helps clients clarify what success means to them, identify their distinctive strengths, choose the right customers and opportunities, develop sustainable business models and make better strategic decisions.
This work is informed by David’s own experience of setting up and managing enterprises, together with his work advising hundreds of creative and digital businesses internationally.
Read about David’s Business Advice
Books by David Parrish
David is the author of two books written specifically for creative entrepreneurs.
T-Shirts and Suits: A Guide to the Business of Creativity
T-Shirts and Suits explains how creative entrepreneurs can combine their creative passion with smart business thinking.
The book explores business strategy, marketing, intellectual property, financial management, competition, business planning and other aspects of developing a successful creative enterprise.
It has been published in translations in 14 countries around the world and is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook formats. The PDF eBook in English is free to download.
Read more about T-Shirts and Suits
Chase One Rabbit: Strategic Marketing for Business Success
Chase One Rabbit focuses on strategic marketing and the importance of choosing the right opportunities rather than trying to sell everything to everybody.
Written particularly for entrepreneurs and creative businesses, it contains 63 techniques, tips and stories about customers, competitive advantage, positioning, pricing and marketing strategy.
It is published in English, Spanish and French and is available as a paperback, eBook and audiobook.
Read more about Chase One Rabbit
David has also written business guides, online toolkits, video based courses, articles and other publications for entrepreneurs in the creative, cultural and digital industries.
Many of his specialist creative business development resources are free to download.
Explore David Parrish’s books and publications
Professional qualifications
David has an MBA (with distinction) from Bradford University School of Management in the UK and professional credentials including:
See David Parrish’s Professional Qualifications
What clients say
David’s clients include entrepreneurs, businesses, creative hubs, universities, development organisations, government agencies and conference organisers around the world.
“David was an inspiring speaker at the Creative Business Summit Africa. Creative entrepreneurs from Kenya and other African countries found the examples from his international experience to be a great motivation in their own endeavours.”
– John Wali, Executive Director, Junior Achievement Kenya / Creative Business Summit Africa
“David was our international speaker at Toolbox Naranja and brought his extensive international experience to the event. As an expert in creative entrepreneurship, and with knowledge of creative districts around the world, we regard David as a partner in our ambitious initiatives in the Orange Economy in Colombia.”
– Laura Franco, Toolkit Naranja / Coolture Investments, Colombia
“David helped us to completely reinvent our company’s business model. Deep insight into the company’s needs, strategic thinking, dedication, positivity and laughter… As our mentor and business coach, he helped us change the way we think, become more confident and improve our work with our clients and partners.”
– Emil Yordanov, Managing Director, Small Theatre Company, Bulgaria
Read more testimonials from clients around the world
David’s story
David’s approach to creative entrepreneurship grew from his own experience of setting up and managing enterprises. He later combined this practical experience with formal business education, professional qualifications and lessons learned from advising hundreds of creative entrepreneurs internationally.
These experiences developed into the philosophy behind T-Shirts and Suits: creative people can use business as a tool to achieve their own version of success, rather than allowing conventional ideas about business to dictate what success should mean.
Mission
David’s mission is:
“To empower creative people to achieve success by combining their creative talent with smart business strategies that fit with their values and objectives.”
Or, in nine words:
“I inspire, inform and advise creative entrepreneurs worldwide.”
Further information about David Parrish
More detailed information is available elsewhere on this website:
David’s Story — David’s personal and professional journey (link)
International Experience — examples of David’s work in more than 60 countries (link)
What Clients Say — testimonials from clients around the world (link)
Professional Qualifications — academic qualifications and professional credentials (link)
Books and Publications — books, guides, toolkits, videos and articles for creative entrepreneurs (link)
Downloadable Information — biographies, professional information and documents for conference organisers, media and other organisations (link)
David Parrish Photos & Media Pack — downloadable photographs, book covers and publicity material for clients to use (link)
The Traveller — David’s travels in more than 100 countries and his observations about cultures, people, creativity and business (link)
Work with David Parrish
David works internationally with conference organisers, creative economy organisations, governments, universities, creative hubs, development agencies, creative entrepreneurs and businesses.
Contact David to discuss a keynote speech, conference, training programme, consultancy project, mentoring assignment or other collaboration.
