Getting to know... Ed Dalgleish

In the latest instalment of Bdaily's Getting to know feature, which looks at the person behind the business profile, Ed Dalgleish, planning director at Edinburgh-based independent marketing agency Guy & Co talks about his passion for solving problems, the joy of helping brands' messaging succeed and serving a cocktail to the Queen...

We know you as the planning director at Guy & Co, but who is the person behind the title? Tell us a little about what makes you tick…

Questioning things makes me tick; I’ve made a career out of being (helpfully) awkward.

One of the key lessons from Rory Sutherland’s MadMasters course I took last year was that “the opposite of a good idea can also be a good idea”, and that kind of lateral thinking really connects with me. 

I’m drawn to finding weird details, taking fresh perspectives and solving tricky problems by uncovering answers others might not have considered. I like asking the so-called ‘stupid’ questions that get people to rethink their assumptions.

Did you always want to work in marketing?

I’m pretty sure I always wanted to work in marketing, even if I didn’t know it at the time. 

I always wanted to be an inventor and was drawn to art and writing over maths and sciences. 

After school, I stumbled through a mix of jobs and experiences, accidentally taking ‘four years out’. 

I built swimming pools, flipped burgers on top of a mountain, worked as a bouncer and did fine dining catering. 

Working events eventually nudged me towards PR, and when I finally decided to study, a joint honours in PR and advertising felt like the perfect fit.

I started out at a London-based direct marketing agency and loved it so much I stayed for 12 years. 

Hearing client challenges, writing creative briefs, and seeing how our work directly changed results in the real world was hugely inspiring. 

Eventually, I badgered my way into the planning department and I haven’t really looked back.

What’s the best bit about your job? And the worst?

I get to figure out the problem behind the problem, what will really make the difference, invent solutions and then use that thinking to inspire people who are brilliant at bringing them to life. 

It’s always cool when you see something you’ve helped shape on TV or a billboard, but seeing the real-world impact of your thinking is the best bit; making a tangible difference to businesses, consumers and culture.

At Guy & Co, we talk about ‘figuring out the un-figure-out-able’, and that’s definitely the best bit – walking into a challenge with the trepidation of ‘I’m not entirely sure how we’re going to solve this one, but I’m excited to find out’. 

That’s where I feel like an inventor again. 

The worst bit is probably that deep ‘messy middle, oh my god will this work’ feeling just before you crack it! 

But after doing it for 16 years, I’ve learned that feeling is a good thing.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement? 

Probably managing to carve out an interesting job where I get to truly be myself, all while living in a great part of the world. 

I’ve worked on 87 brands so far, which is pretty wild, so maybe my greatest achievement will actually be hitting 100 sometime soon.

How do you relax outside of work?

I’ve got three kids, aged between three and ten, so most of my downtime is spent chasing after them in one way or another. 

Living in the Scottish Borders means the wilderness is only about 20 minutes from the front door, which is ace for switching off. 

I’m also part of a local dads’ book group (a thinly veiled excuse to go to the pub), but it’s got me reading things I’d never have picked up otherwise, which I’m really enjoying. 

And then there are Negronis!

What makes Scotland such a great place to live and work?

I love living in the Scottish Borders for the space, the clean air and the banging tap water, but most of all, it’s the people. 

I spent 12 years in London and loved the Big Smoke, but over time I became a bit desensitised to it. 

Moving back to a wee town in the Borders was a strange adjustment at first – people in the shops actually spoke to you! 

The sense of community here is real, people genuinely go out of their way for each other and it’s a really entrepreneurial place.

Tell us something about you we didn’t know…

I once made a cocktail for the Queen. It was a gin & Dubonnet, and served at 1.30 in the afternoon!

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