Accelerate: How I Took My Creative Business from Zero to Six Figures in 12 Months by Daniel Wakefield

Creative business growth: Daniel Wakefield, Nick Berry, Accelerate on The Business Owner’s Journey

Daniel Wakefield, founder of Top-Tier Headshots, guest on Nick Berry’s podcast on photography business growth.

Daniel Wakefield is a photographer, entrepreneur and now a best-selling author.

Daniel was a recent guest on The Business Owner’s Journey podcast, where he and I dug into his first book, Accelerate, which hit #1 in the Small Business Advertising category on Amazon. The book distills the exact playbook that vaulted his creative business from a sixty-dollar first month to six figures inside one year - all while staying client-centric and profitable. Learn more about Daniel Wakefield.

(If you’re new here, learn more about Nick Berry and why I spotlight books that move the needle for owners.)

🚀 Why Did You Write This Book for Business Owners?

I asked Daniel why a thriving photographer would hit pause to write. His answer was simple: “Photographers kept asking if they could pay me just to pick my brain.” The demand signaled a wider need, that creative owners wanted a roadmap for reliable revenue, not guesswork. Writing Accelerate lets him scale that help, add a fresh revenue stream, and keep teaching - which is one of his first loves. He went further into the topic in our episode of The Business Owner’s Journey.

💡 What Core Business Problem Does the Book Solve?

Accelerate tackles the stall between side-hustle revenue and sustainable company. Daniel’s accelerate equation shows network size and felt relationship must outrun misaligned values and market irrelevance. “Business acceleration through genuine connection,” he told me, and the math proves it works.

You can now get the book on Amazon.

🔍 Which Chapter or Idea Should Readers Tackle First—and Why?

Start with the Accelerate Equation chapter. It lets you audit your own denominator - values and relevance - before obsessing over bigger numbers. Owners who fix those leaks see momentum compound almost immediately.

And do not skip the chapter on the Hype Tornado^TM. Daniel shows how a killer product, unforgettable client experience, and value-first social presence loop together until referrals feel inevitable. Start here and every other tactic lands faster.

⚠️ Where Do Entrepreneurs Most Often Misapply These Concepts?

Creatives (among many others) spam LinkedIn with sales pitches, then wonder why nobody bites. Daniel’s profile proves value-first content wins. Follow his feed on LinkedIn to see the cadence in action.

📈 How Can a Business Owner Apply Your Method Right Away?

Audit your last ten client touchpoints and remove any friction.
Commit to one helpful LinkedIn post daily for 100 days. Your first 100 posts will be rough; publish anyway.
Map your Accelerate Equation: grow high-fit connections, shrink misaligned ones.
Design one “wow” moment in the client journey this week, then systemize it.

🧭 Nick’s Take on Accelerate

If you are an owner with great craft but uneven scale, this book is your next move. Daniel’s frameworks dovetail with our Client Alignment work and fit perfectly for Marriage Material clients who crave speed, expertise, and transformation.

And here's a bonus tip: if you're trying to build an audience on LinkedIn, follow Daniel and watch what he does. He's the best at being real and connecting with people.