Owen Garrity: Inside the Journey of Scaling Without Investors
In this week’s episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor sits down with Owen Garrity, founder and lead creative of FPW Media, to explore his remarkable journey from professional photographer to leading a 50-person full-service agency, all without external investment.
Owen shares the pivotal lessons he’s learned along the way, from paying four months’ rent upfront just to secure his first space, to scaling through grit, creativity, and an unshakable belief in saying “yes” to opportunity. He opens up about the challenges of delegation, the balance between control and trust, and the importance of celebrating wins, even when growth feels relentless.
Together, Debra and Owen dive into the core principles that have shaped FPW Media’s success: client-centricity, a commitment to team culture, and the courage to follow intuition. Owen also gives a glimpse into his next chapter, expanding into AI-driven services, new industries, and strategic acquisitions, while maintaining the same passion and purpose that started it all.
This episode is an inspiring listen for entrepreneurs who believe in building something extraordinary from the ground up, one bold decision at a time.
CONNECT WITH DEBRA:
___________________________________________
►Debra Chantry-Taylor is a Certified EOS Implementer | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Business Owner
►Connect with Debra: debra@businessaction.com.au
►See how she can help you: https://businessaction.co.nz/
►Claim Your Free E-Book: https://www.businessaction.co.nz/free-e-book/
___________________________________________
GUESTS DETAILS:
Episode 249 Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction
00:43 – Owen Garrity’s Journey and Philosophy
04:31 – Building FPW Media from Scratch
08:50 – Lessons Learned in Leadership
17:30 – Growth and Client-Centric Approach
31:02 – Building Trust and Team Dynamics
35:27 – Future Plans and Personal Life
39:07 – Advice for Entrepreneurs
She is based in New Zealand but works with companies around the world.
Her passion is helping Entrepreneurs live their ideal lives & she works with entrepreneurial business owners & their leadership teams to implement EOS (The Entrepreneurial Operating System), helping them strengthen their businesses so that they can live the EOS Life:
- Doing what you love
- With people you love
- Making a huge difference in the world
- Bing compensated appropriately
- With time for other passions
She works with businesses that have 20-250 staff that are privately owned, are looking for growth & may feel that they have hit the ceiling.
Her speciality is uncovering issues & dealing with the elephants in the room in family businesses & professional services (Lawyers, Advertising Agencies, Wealth Managers, Architects, Accountants, Consultants, engineers, Logistics, IT, MSPs etc) - any business that has multiple shareholders & interests & therefore a potentially higher level of complexity.
Let’s work together to solve root problems, lead more effectively & gain Traction® in your business through a simple, proven operating system.
Find out more here - https://www.eosworldwide.com/debra-chantry-taylor
