“The more you fail, the easier it gets. People get scared of failing. I know this is something that anyone entrepreneurial will say, but every time you lose all your money, it becomes easier. Because you know you can pick yourself up.” 

Declan Lee never chooses the easy path. These days he’s one of four owners of the famous Messina gelato chain, but he's had to pick himself up a few times already. 

As a music promoter, Declan once felt the full thrust of losing all his money when he booked what seemed to be a no brainer – electronic act Underworld – only to find a near-empty room when he arrived for the show. 

He lost money on a TV show that was ahead of its time – a pre-cursor to Ninja Warrior that saw athletes compete in gruelling physical challenges. 

And he’s also dabbled in physiotherapy, DJing, and restaurants. So what did it take to build an ice-cream empire and what lessons has he taken with him after so many flops? 

+++ 

Curveball is a production of Deadset Studios. Leaders reveal their darkest moments and share tips on how the deal with those things you just can’t see coming. 

Keep up to date with Curveball by following @_deadsetstudios on Twitter and @deadsetstudios on instagram.  

Want more from your leadership journey? To get more wisdom and life lessons from top leaders delivered to you directly, sign up to Curveball’s LinkedIn newsletter!  

Find out more about the show or suggest a guest by visiting www.curveballshow.com

This was episode was produced by Liam Riordan and Rachel Fountain, with sound design by Justin Roullion.  

The executive producers are Rachel Fountain and Kellie Riordan. 

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. 



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The more you fail, the easier it gets. People get scared of failing. I know this is something that anyone entrepreneurial will say, but every time you lose all your money, it becomes easier. Because you know you can pick yourself up.” Declan Lee never chooses the easy path. These days he’s one of four owners of the famous Messina gelato chain, but he's had to pick himself up a few times already. As a music promoter, Declan once felt the full thrust of losing all his money when he booked what seemed to be a no brainer – electronic act Underworld – only to find a near-empty room when he arrived for the show. He lost money on a TV show that was ahead of its time – a pre-cursor to Ninja Warrior that saw athletes compete in gruelling physical challenges. And he’s also dabbled in physiotherapy, DJing, and restaurants. So what did it take to build an ice-cream empire and what lessons has he taken with him after so many flops? +++ Curveball is a production of <a href="https://www.deadsetstudios.com/">Deadset Studios</a>. Leaders reveal their darkest moments and share tips on how the deal with those things you just can’t see coming. Keep up to date with Curveball by following @_deadsetstudios on <a href="https://twitter.com/_deadsetstudios">Twitter</a> and @deadsetstudios on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deadsetstudios/">instagram</a>.  Want more from your leadership journey? To get more wisdom and life lessons from top leaders delivered to you directly, sign up to <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/curveball-6745938675223425024/">Curveball’s LinkedIn newsletter</a>!  Find out more about the show or suggest a guest by visiting <a href="http://www.curveballshow.com/">www.curveballshow.com</a>   This was episode was produced by Liam Riordan and Rachel Fountain, with sound design by Justin Roullion.  The executive producers are Rachel Fountain and Kellie Riordan. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

The human experience is all about adapting. Whether it’s a CEO trying to ride out an international travel crisis, a surfer struggling against a monster wave while his floatation vest fails, or a media star whose whole life changes in an instant, rarely do you get to glimpse what’s really going on during a someone's darkest hour.

In these revealing, personal conversations with a range of successful people, Curveball host Kellie Riordan gets the lowdown on how people grow in extraordinary times. 

Keep up to date with Curveball by following @_deadsetstudios.com on Twitter and @deadsetsetstudios on Instagram. Find out more about the show or suggest a guest by going to www.curveballshow.com

Curveball is also now a LinkedIn newsletter! It's a weekly top-up of the best advice our guests have to help set you on the right path. Subscribing is totally free.

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Gelato Messina’s Declan Lee has been a music promoter, a DJ, a restaurateur, a physiotherapist, and a failed TV producer. But now he’s on a mission to create a lasting foodie legacy.

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