From Homelessness to High-Flying Entrepreneur: Greg Daily’s Remarkable Journey
Greg Daily’s early life was a stark contrast to the success he enjoys today. As a teenager, facing homelessness in Minneapolis, the idea of becoming a successful entrepreneur seemed like an impossible dream. For six months in 2001, at the age of 19, he found himself sleeping wherever he could, often relying on the sofas of friends and acquaintances, and sometimes even the cold kitchen floor, due to a lack of funds and stable employment.
Yet, the seeds of business were sown deep within him. Daily recalls fondly riding with his grandfather in his youth as he sold brooms from the back of a van, a vivid memory that instilled in him a fundamental lesson: “Businesses feed families.” This early exposure to commerce, even in its humblest form, left an indelible mark. Now 43, Daily’s life is a world away from those days of hunger and uncertainty.
He is the founder and driving force behind Science in Advertising, a digital marketing firm based in Denver. Launched in 2019, the agency caters to a diverse clientele, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small, local “mom-and-pop shops.” Science in Advertising specialises in managing online advertising campaigns, helping businesses expand their reach through popular platforms like Google, Facebook, and Instagram.
Overcoming Adversity: A Foundation Built on Resilience
Daily’s path to success was not without its challenges, rooted in a difficult family background. He describes his childhood in Denver as “broken,” marked by his parents’ divorce when he was young and being raised by a single mother. The passing of his grandfather when he was just 10 years old placed a significant burden on his mother, who struggled to provide for her four children. Her efforts to make ends meet by selling clothes and jewellery were, as Daily puts it, “a big part of what helped us survive.”
As he entered adulthood, Daily moved around the United States, spending time with his grandmother in Texas and his father before his period of couch surfing. A pivotal moment in his life occurred when he moved to Colorado for a construction job. It was there, at a church, that he met his wife. Their enduring marriage of 23 years has been a cornerstone of his life.
In 2008, observing his wife’s financial success and more balanced work-life, Daily made the decision to return to college. He openly admits that the motivation wasn’t solely romantic; it was a pragmatic realisation that he needed qualifications to improve his earning potential. After completing a journalism degree at the Metropolitan State University of Denver, he secured a position at a local newspaper.
However, with the print journalism industry facing significant disruption from the rise of smartphones and the internet, Daily recognised the need to adapt. This led him to England, where he pursued a two-year creative writing diploma at Oxford University. “Here in the United States, print journalism was dying,” he explains. “I started thinking about how to write for businesses.” This strategic pivot marked the beginning of his career in digital marketing upon his return to the US.
Embracing Failure as a Catalyst for Growth
The launch of Science in Advertising was fraught with anxiety. Daily and his wife calculated that they had only six to eight months of savings before financial strain would become critical. “It was terrifying,” he recounts, admitting he was “in tears.” While he felt confident in his ability to perform the work, the unknown aspects of entrepreneurship loomed large.
He grappled with profound questions: “What if it doesn’t work? What if I fail? What if I can’t provide?” Instead of suppressing these fears, Daily chose to build his business around them, adopting a central operating principle: “failure is always an option.” This mantra is now a key message he shares with his team, particularly when they face high-stakes decisions.
“If you operate as though failure isn’t possible, the ship is going to blow up,” he explains. His philosophy centres on accepting that things can go wrong and focusing on mitigating the damage when they do. “Assume failure is real,” he advises. “Now go look for it. Now try to find it. Now reduce the risk.” He stresses that as long as one can still provide for their family, short-term financial losses, to a certain extent, are manageable.
Science in Advertising has indeed thrived, steadily expanding its client base. Daily expresses particular pride in his ability to support small, family-owned businesses, mirroring the background of his mother and grandfather. “I love seeing them be successful because that’s what I am. That’s my family. That’s the background I come from,” he states with genuine emotion.
The Evolving Landscape of Digital Marketing and the Next Generation
The digital marketing sector is undeniably challenging. As US digital marketing expert Shama Hyder notes, “The industry is saturated, competition is fierce, and with AI, shifting platforms, and changing consumer behaviour, marketing is about to get significantly harder.” Hyder commends Daily’s achievement, remarking, “When someone like Greg builds a thriving agency in this space, that deserves real recognition.”
Family remains a powerful motivator for Daily’s drive. He is keen to see if the entrepreneurial spirit he inherited has been passed down to his eight-year-old son. Currently, his son displays a strong inclination towards engineering. This led Daily to invest in a 3D printer for him, and father and son are now exploring online resources about monetising 3D printed creations. This exploration hints at the potential for a new generation of entrepreneurs to emerge from a foundation of innovation and practical application, much like Greg Daily himself.
