Getting to know... Dan Foskett

In the latest instalment of Bdaily’s Getting to know... feature, which looks at the person behind the business profile, Dan Foskett, founder of Flooring Superstore, talks about using behavioural science to nurture the business' growth, finding the flooring sector by chance and the importance of balancing work with leisure time.

We know you as the founder of Flooring Superstore, but who is the person behind the title? Tell us a little about what makes you tick…

I’m someone who’s fascinated by people, why we behave the way we do, how we make decisions and what motivates us.

Over the last few years, I’ve invested a lot of time into understanding evolutionary psychology and behavioural science, so leading a business gives me a front-row seat to all of it: judgement under uncertainty, how biases and stories influence decisions, how teams co-operate and grow.

It’s like a laboratory where theory becomes reality.

I’ve also learned good decisions come from understanding people, including yourself. That curiosity has shaped a lot of how I lead.

What makes me tick is challenge and progress: seeing the business and its people develop, and pushing myself to keep learning, improving and thinking better.

That sense of momentum is what drives me.

Did you always want to work in the flooring sector?

Flooring wasn’t part of any long-term plan; I got into it completely by chance.

I was running an online fitness equipment business and looking for investment.

I approached a lot of people, including the landlord of our warehouse, who happened to own a flooring wholesaler.

He offered to back me if we set up an online flooring retailer instead.

It was one of those moments where curiosity and opportunity meet.

We started small, selling on eBay, and the whole thing grew from there.

That was in 2012. We opened our first store in 2017. 

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

The best part of my job are the people.

Seeing someone grow from a junior position into a key manager, and knowing the business helped create that opportunity, is incredibly rewarding.

And retail is a rush: it’s fast and unpredictable, and when you’ve had a tough run and then land a big sales month, the buzz across the team is fantastic. 

The toughest part is that you can’t please everyone.

Some decisions are necessary for long-term health, even if they feel unpopular in the short term. If you try to make every decision feel good immediately, then there’s a good chance you don’t survive.

I think that’s the reality of running a business over the long game. 

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement? 

My greatest achievement has been learning to move beyond the parts of the founder mindset that don’t scale.

In the early days, you do everything yourself, and it’s easy to stay stuck there – overloaded, wearing every hat, constantly busy.

I didn’t want to lose the good bits of being a founder, but I did need to step away from the daily chaos.

Building a strong team, learning to delegate properly and creating space to think have been crucial.

How do you relax outside of work?

I love going to the gym or getting out for a run; it helps clear my head and gives me time to reset.

I find physical activity does more for my mental clarity than anything else.

It’s my way of switching off while still doing something that gives me energy.

What makes the North East such a great place to live and work?

The people are a huge part of what makes the North East so special; there’s a warmth and authenticity here that is awesome.

I often travel to London, which is an incredible city with a real buzz, but when the train pulls out of King’s Cross, it’s always a great feeling to be heading back home.

Tell us something about you we didn’t know…

A couple of years ago, I ran the Hadrian’s Wall route in one go, from Bowness-on-Solway over to Wallsend.

The route is about 84 miles.

It was a long, tough day and night, but a fantastic adventure to follow in the footsteps of Roman history.

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