Darren Finkelstein

The
Accountability Guy ®

Who is Darren Finkelstein, and why is accountability so important to reach your goals?

Darren Finkelstein - Accountability Coach

Darren Finkelstein is an International Accountability Coach, Advisor, Mentor, Author/Speaker

– He’s also known as:
The Accountability Guy®

About Darren - So what's his story?

High-performing individuals and teams worldwide

Darren works with high-performing individuals and teams in Australia/New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia to assist them achieve their highest goals and smash them like pinatas with baseball bats.

Former Apple Executive

Darren formerly worked at Apple for ten years as a ‘Manager of Commercial Markets’ during the inspirational Steve Jobs era. Darren was awarded the prestigious Golden Apple for Asia Pacific. Individuals and teams at all levels of a business or organisation can benefit from Darren’s accountability lessons, which are based on actions and results.

He frequently hosted senior executives and VIPs from Australian businesses at the Apple HQ in Cupertino, California, for technology tours and meetings with the Apple Executive Team. This is an incredible achievement for a high school dropout from Melbourne’s Doncaster suburbs, who is now performing on the world’s largest technology stage in the heart of Silicon Valley. Darren would pinch himself frequently to see if he was dreaming.

From Apple to Genuine ‘Sea Change’

After a decade of incredible experiences, inspiring knowledge, and even a few battle scars from his time at Apple (Darren was a true corporate escapee), he felt the need for a change – a true ‘sea-change,’ so he did!

Successful Entrepreneur

Darren worked closely with business partner Andrew Rose to create a boutique entrepreneurial “lifestyle business” in the marine industry. The company started small but quickly expanded to meet market demands. After 15 years, Darren and Andrew successfully sold and exited the business in 2017.

Marina Manager and Ambassador

The next step for Darren was to work as a Marina Manager and Wyndham Harbour Ambassador. On the northwestern shores of Port Phillip in Melbourne’s west, this was a new residential marina and harbour development for about 1,500 people (kids, dogs, and boats).

Award-Winning, Bestselling Author

Darren is the best-selling author of four books, three of which are about boating, family and lifestyle and one about business. During that time, he built the brand of ‘The Boat Guy,’ acting as an industry ambassador and marine expert while frequently presenting at boat shows and industry events. “Honey, let’s buy a BOAT!” was one of the top five books in the world on iTunes (Apple Books). He has a sizable social media following and a growing media profile, and he is well-known in many business circles. He is known for always innovating, never standing still, and “Getting Sh!t Done,” which inspired him to write The Accountability Advantage – Play Your Best Game.

Radio 3AW

From 2014 to 2021, Darren was a seasoned radio presenter on 3AW, (part of the media juggernaut Nine Media) presenting 7 x live ‘Beach N’ Bay Reports’ every week. He enjoys the challenge of live radio, which complements his interests in the outdoors, lifestyle, and the ocean.

Entrepreneur of the Year

In 2012, Darren graduated from the Dent Global ‘Key Person of Influence’ entrepreneurial accelerator programme, where he became Australia’s first back-to-back winner of the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ award. In 2021, he was invited to join the Dent Global team as a Dent Coach to mentor and guide current participants and alumni.

Darren is open about his desire to be a professional golfer (though he struggles to hit them straight), but that hasn’t stopped him from enjoying every round.

You have a thorough understanding of Darren now. It’s time to write your own incredible story, with Darren’s assistance!

Skills & Experience

1. Disciplined

Being ‘The Accountability Guy®’, naturally, he’s focused on making a business work by eliminating any obstacles or distractions standing in the way of reaching the goals that have been set.

2. Confidence

Darren is confident that with his knowledge, experience, and the support of his community and mentors, he can make a business succeed.

3. Open-Minded

As an entrepreneur, he realises every circumstance, event, and the situation is a potential business opportunity. This means there is a constant flow of ideas about workflows, efficiency, people skills, product ecosystems, and potential new business prospects. He is great at looking at everything around him and focusing it all on his goals.

4. Self-Starter

If something needs to be done Darren gets in and starts it himself, as there is no better time than the present to ‘just do it’. He sets clear parameters and makes sure projects follow their projected path. Being proactive and intuitive, he doesn’t like waiting for permission, so prefers to ask for forgiveness instead.

5. Competitive

Darren has formed businesses where he could see a growing opportunity to do something better than it was being done before. Tick Those Boxes is a perfect example. There are plenty of ‘Business Coaches’ in the market, however, rarely do they focus on ‘Accountability’. This is why Darren works with clients of business coaches, to offer hands-on implementation of what has been agreed upon by the client and their coach.

Darren formed Tick Those Boxes because he knew with his knowledge, experience, and energy he could do a better job of solving a client’s real problems, making a quantifiable difference through the delivery of a much better outcome. He’s incredibly competitive and respects his competition, knowing their role is to largely keep him accountable, and this makes him even better.

6. Creativity

Darren is great at making connections between seemingly unrelated events or situations. He does so in a creative and commercially focused manner. As an entrepreneur, he often comes up with solutions that are the synthesis of other items. He’s also known to repurpose products to market them to new industries and clients.

7. Determination

Darren looks at defeat as an opportunity for success and a learning experience. He’s determined to make all of his endeavours succeed, so he tries and tries again until they do. If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, you cannot believe anything is impossible, and one should at least try so many times that every opportunity has been explored.

8. Strong people skills

We must understand the importance of people, as they are an asset to any business. Darren has strong communication skills and likes to motivate employees as they work together towards a common goal. This ensures the business grows. He’s great at highlighting the benefits of any situation, naturally coaching others to their own success.

9. Strong Work Ethic

Darren leads from the front. He’s often the first person to arrive and the last one to leave the office. He’ll go in on his days off to make sure an outcome meets (or exceeds) expectations. His mind is constantly focused on delivering products to fix customer problems.

10. Passion and Energy

Passion and Energy are one of Darren’s most important traits. Genuine love for the work is why he’s willing to put in extra hours to make the business succeed. This passion goes beyond making money. He’s constantly reading and researching new ways to make businesses better.

11. Been There, Done That

Having worked in both BIG business (Apple Inc.) and as an entrepreneur, Darren has built several businesses throughout his career. Largely in the service and lifestyle industries, he also acquired businesses as part of a strategy to achieve growth and market share.

He knows what you’re going through, has walked in your footsteps, and has also been a ‘solopreneur’, so is aware of the rollercoaster journey ahead of you.

Darren has been recognised in the following areas:
  • A strong listener
  • Has a positive attitude
  • Is energetic and passionate
  • Highly accountable
  • Takes the initiative
  • An excellent communicator
  • Experienced in the media (TV, Radio, Podcast, News, EDM)
  • A bestselling, award-winning author
  • Teamwork-centric
  • A willingness to learn
  • Financial knowledge
  • Thinking skills (Problem-solving and decision-making)
  • Resilience
  • Strong leadership
  • Sales and being results-focused
  • Channel and reseller management and distribution
  • Sales management (Sales funnels and processes)
  • Customer-focused
  • Customer Experience Driven – Employing a Net Promoter Score (NPS)
  • Marketing – Above and below the line, eCommerce, and social media
  • Emergency Management Plans and OH&S
  • Tourism
  • Competing in an overcrowded market
  • Stakeholder and investor liaison, reporting, and engagement.
  • Business Collaboration
  • Partnership management
  • Business initiation, establishment, and turnaround

Dent Global develops entrepreneurs who stand out, scale up, and make a positive impact in the world.

Dent has worked directly with 3,500 + businesses around the world to help them become more visible, valuable, and scalable.

Dent Global is a leader in strategy and technology for entrepreneurial businesses. Since 2010 they have opened up Head Offices in London, Sydney, and Toronto. Their company values are to be brave, have fun, and make a ‘dent’.

As a Dent Coach Darren works with current student intake groups to ensure students stay on track and successfully implement and execute Dent’s processes and frameworks. He also privately coaches many Dent alumni.

Key Achievements

  • Working with Darren increases his clients’ probability of achieving their goals, promises, and commitments made to others and themselves by a massive 95% when following his one-on-one programs and sessions.
  • He also works with a range of Business Coaches, offering their clients direct hands-on implementation of their strategies and actions.

He delivers on what he promises:


Over the 12-month period from 1/2/19 to 30/1/20 these amazing results were achieved:

  • 91 x One-On-One sessions with clients
  • 169 x ‘Weekly Check-ins’
  • 1,225 x Goals/Actions/Tasks created by clients during our sessions
  • 1,189 x Goals/Actions/Tasks completed by clients
  • 97.1% – Client success rate
  • 97.8 – Client satisfaction score

Darren Gets Sh!t Done!

  • Completing Darren’s sessions provides you with increased sales and a higher level of profitability.
  • Learn to implement processes and strategies to solve real problems, getting your weekends back, so you can spend quality time with those you love.
  • Create outcomes enabling you to meet obligations, promises, and commitments to others and yourself.
  • Enjoy an ongoing partnership and collaboration with ‘Entrepreneurial Futurist’ Andrew Griffiths to deliver world-leading programs, sessions, and workshops for entrepreneurs across the globe.

– RADIO 3AW ~ NINE MEDIA (2014 to 2021)
– LIFE’S BETTER WITH A BOAT
– MIRVAC
– ALL ABOUT BOATS for Ch7 and Foxtel
– DENT GLOBAL ~ Key Person of Influence

Key achievements

Radio
  • Radio Station 3AW’s ‘The Boat Guy’ Presenting live Beach and Bay reports each summer from 2014 until 2021. From December to March, with a listening audience of 400,000+ each day.
  • Clicked over 500+ radio segments on Radio 3AW (693AM or DAB+) since I commenced on-air in 2014 until 2021 when I hung up the mic.
Author
TV
  • On-screen presenter and Boating Ambassador for ‘Life’s Better With A Boat’ for the Boating Industry Association of Victoria (BIAV)
  • On-Screen Presenter for TV series: ‘All About Boats’ screened on Foxtel and Ch7 Mate
Speaker
  • Regular Melbourne Boat Show speaker/presenter on the super stage.
  • Boating Ambassador for Mirvac. The objective is to engage a residential community on the banks of the Yarra River, with the joys of boat ownership.
  • International Case Study for Dent Global the ‘Key Person of Influence’ entrepreneurial program.
  • Highly acclaimed speaker & presenter at Dent Global’s Brand Accelerator events held in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Singapore
  • Professional International Speaker (Workshop, Conference and Event) – live on stage and virtual

Key Achievements

Management
  • 4-year association with Wyndham Harbour (a residential and marina development), having opened in 2015).
  • Marina Manager (2 years) responsible for the marina’s operations covering 150 berths and its associated infrastructure.
  • 4-star Industry Accreditation
  • Built (recruited and trained) a strong marina team to deliver a ‘great customer experience’ in a safe environment.
  • Set up three restaurants together with the development team.
  • Built and commissioned a fully automated, unattended, vessel fuel dock open 24/7, the first established in an Australian marina without a services connection to water or electricity.
  • Established a Net Promoter Score (NPS) customer engagement program for all marina visitors, achieving a top-quartile 52 score.
Marketing
  • Marketing Ambassador encouraging non-boaties to consider boat ownership at Wyndham Harbour. Introduced the ‘Discover Sailing’ program to Alamanda College for children aged 8 to 16 years old. Sailing is now an elective subject and part of the educational curriculum.
  • Marina ‘Boating Ambassador’ (Responsible for the marina’s brand establishment, community engagement, and marketing campaigns).
  • Established a comprehensive marketing program for the 2018/19 season resulting in the achievement of growth targets, brand awareness, and marina occupancy.
Environment and Regulations
  • Clean Marina Certification
  • Created industry best practice ‘Marina Emergency Management Plan’ commended by CFA and WorkSafe.
Finance and Technology
  • Responsible for a $1 million operating budget with full reporting to the Board of Management and Shareholders.
  • Implemented eCommerce solutions into a remodelled CRM program managing all aspects of customer onboarding and touchpoints.

Key achievements

  • Self-employed, small business owner
  • Creator and founder of boutique industry accredited boat broker, service and repair centre, and new boat dealership: St Kilda Boat Sales and Service Centre, located at the iconic St Kilda Marina, Victoria, Australia.
  • Created a product ecosystem where an ‘active money tree’ system identified numerous new, innovative revenue streams focusing on customer solutions and delivering new service opportunities.
  • Sold 500 + vessels over 15 years of operation, valued at over $45 million.
  • Employed a team of sales and administration staff to support the sales program.
Our Services
  • Opened the Service Centre in 2003 to complement the boat sales business.
  • Serviced and repaired over 300 boats per year. Managed slipway, chandlery, fuel sales, and service facility at the St Kilda Marina with an annual turnover of $1 million +.
  • Serviced, repaired, and maintained some of Victoria’s most impressive and expensive vessels.
  • The client base included a full spectrum of the community – People on the BRW Rich List, retirees, self-employed, and tradespeople, all wanting to enjoy the boating lifestyle.
  • 2016 saw the opening of a second boat sales office at Wyndham Harbour Marina.
Advertising
  • Advertising across Australia, Darren was the first industry broker to use a video in the sales process and website (now the industry standard).
  • Established a YouTube channel (450,000 views), LinkedIn account (4,300 connections), Facebook account (2,000 friends), and Twitter account (2,000 followers).
Representative
  • Elected by industry peers as Director and Board member of The Boating Industry Association of Victoria (BIAV) from 2008 – 2015, operator of the Melbourne Boat Show.
  • Chaired the BIAV team to create an ‘Industry Dealer Accreditation Program’ for Victorian boat dealers. Approved by the ACCC and still running today.
Moving Forward
  • After 15 years of establishing and growing a successful and profitable business, it was sold and exited in 2017. Darren and his business partner decided to seek new opportunities and go their own ways.

Key achievements

  • Started as Major Account Executive responsible for the Major Account Program (Fairfax, BHP, Telstra), Government, Global Account Program (News Limited, KPMG, Boston Consulting) for the southern region (VIC, SA, WA, and TAS) of Australia.
  • Became Facility Manager for Apple’s Melbourne Office for five years.
  • Trained to respond to all press and media enquiries including products and financials.
  • Represented Apple on the Victorian Premier’s (Jeff Kennett) multimedia taskforce and was a founding board member of the Interact Multimedia Festival for the state of Victoria.
  • Escorted Australian VIP guests to Apple Inc.’s head office in Cupertino, California for presentations and technology briefings on approximately 20 occasions. Special guest speakers from Apple’s Head Office included Jony Ive, Phil Schiller, Fred Anderson, and Jon Rubenstein.
  • In 1998 was part of the national roadshow team launching the original iMac to Australian audiences.
  • Keynote speaker for Apple Inc. at the Pan Pacific Newspaper Association conference in New Zealand alongside the CEOs from Fairfax and News Limited.
  • Promoted to ‘Manager Commercial Markets’ across the southern region. Areas of responsibility included Apple Centres, All Resellers, Specialist Retail, Department Stores, Major Accounts, Global Accounts, and Government.
  • Won the prestigious Golden Apple Award for the Asia Pacific Region in 1998.

Current

  • Baru Threads, Kalista Vic (Advisory)

Previous

  • Board Member and Director of Interact Multimedia Festival for the State Government of Victoria.
    Invited by former Premier of Victoria, Jeff Kennett.
  • Board Member and Director of the Boating Industry Association of Victoria (BIAV).
  • Chairman of the Boat Dealer Division of the Boating Industry Association of Victoria (BIAV).
  • Director of www.BoatOnSale.com.au for the Boating Industry Association of Australia (BIAA National Committee).

HOPE - IS NOT A STRATEGY

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Here's what my clients say

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Krystal Seang
Krystal Seang
10. August, 2023.
Thank you Darren for sharing your fantastic insights!
Mari Williams
Mari Williams
23. March, 2023.
I had a fabulous session with Darren. Although I'm a seasoned business owner Darren was able to unpack my business and show me some areas I could hone and where I was leaving revenue on the table. He's great at cutting through the overwhelm to get to the heart of the problem and then finding a fast, efficent solution. I'd fully recommend him for any business.
Shereen Lim
Shereen Lim
16. August, 2022.
Thank you Darren for your support and guidance through the last 18 months including during times of Covid uncertainty and disruption, and my rollercoaster book writing journey. We have appreciated your regular follow up, your commitment to seeing us succeed, and the extra-mile care and support you have shown our practice manager. As we make the transition to a comprehensive coaching package tailored for our industry, offering leadership coaching for multiple members of our team and team building workshops, we are happy to continue endorsing you to anyone looking for a good mix of accountability to get stuff done, balanced with a warm and caring demeanour. We will miss you and your mediation/marriage counselling during our sessions!
Caroline Ross
Caroline Ross
20. June, 2022.
My six month experience with Darren was nothing but positive, he has helped me to become more organised and accountable for which I am very grateful !
Stephanie Rohde
Stephanie Rohde
11. June, 2022.
I have had the pleasure of working with Darren for a couple of years now and I can not recommend his services highly enough. Darren has always got a different angle for consideration in all that we do together - His guidance is truly irreplacable!
Susan Ofeimun
Susan Ofeimun
15. May, 2021.
The opportunity to get a Zoom call with Darren Finkelstein was absolutely valuable. The actionable steps provided clear guidance on my next moves. I recommend this professional to any business owner around the world.
Andrew Chrysostomou
Andrew Chrysostomou
7. April, 2020.
After connecting with Darren, we had a Unboxing Session via Zoom. We spoke about the steps I needed to consider before starting a new brand from scratch. His advice is drawn from his own personal experience and from others he has helped in similar beginnings. Armed with a list of things to do I am looking forward to our follow-up session.
Kerry Kornhauser OAM
Kerry Kornhauser OAM
19. June, 2019.
Darren is great in cutting through the clutter and identifying the important aspects to focus in taking our not for profit organization going forward and making a difference to many disadvantaged!. Thanks Darren for your support.
Anthony Eden
Anthony Eden
10. June, 2019.
Soo much energy and experience!
Vincent Sharp
Vincent Sharp
6. June, 2019.
Whenever I walk out of a "session" with Darren, I feel some of the "load" has been shared - but I know the truth - Darren's just helped me prioritise my to-do list, and I thank him for that!

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