Tony Truman is well-known for his partying antics and being Charlie Brooks” (Janine from EastEnders) former partner.
Ocean Beach Club is in its sixth year and doesn’t seem to be slowing anytime soon. The day club has crowds flocking to its pool party venue every day throughout the summer season.
From billionaires to binman, Truman operates his business on being an affordable party destination in San Antonio.
Your legacy
I want our businesses to be remembered for people to have the best days and nights of their lives, whilst forming new friendships.
The entertainment business is all about having a good time and we like to pride ourselves on this whilst making long-lasting memories.
In the short six-year period we have been open we have had a huge impact on the UK and global markets.
Ibiza is the capital of the clubbing world, and we can now say we are in the top five of must-visit destinations in Ibiza.
When you look at most of the competition they have all been running for many decades so I feel we have made our mark.
Your business model
Simple: affordable partying whether you’re a binman or a billionaire.
How do you measure success?
Two ways, one is how many proper good friends and family you have around you, as these are more valuable than any amount of money.
The other one is this, having the freedom to do exactly what you want to do between getting up in the morning and going to bed at night.
Do you plan to trade globally, enter new markets, etc in the next 12 months?
Yes very much so, and hopefully very soon we will be able to announce some exciting news.
We have had an on-going trademark issue in other global areas, which we have only just resolved. This means we will be having a slight rebrand very soon, which will enable us to then expand into other foreign territories.
How did you fund your business?
With savings from myself and my partners through our previous businesses. We had many difficult years financially as it’s not easy to get big investment but between us we eventually got there.
In five years
We hope to have 2/3 more global around the world but our main priority is to be happy and healthy, as money can’t buy you that.
The industry has to be very careful in my opinion as there’s so much competition in regards to bars and clubs that there could be an overkill of venues, which all aim for the same target market and become overpriced.
Businesses need to keep it real or face the danger of imploding.
Your highest point
Celebrating 35 years of my “Tru’s Do’s” parties at Ocean Beach this year.
My daughter came down on the crane show and my mum joined me on the stage in the middle of the pool, it was a very proud moment. Many of my lifelong best friends all came over for the event and to have everyone there at Ocean was very special indeed.
Your lowest point…
The evening of the Millennium for sure, I was supposed to be having a big party at my house in Surrey for 2000 people to celebrate the year 2000.
Five days before the event the police and environmental health called it off.
It was the worst week ever, but in the end, I pulled it out the bag and held the party at another venue. But the stress of it all nearly got the better of me.
What would tell your younger self
To do it exactly as I done it all over again. Yes, I made untold mistakes along the way but the only way to learn is to make those mistakes.
Your policy wish list
The money in this world should be more spread out instead of a billion billionaires all living on the planet.
It saddens me when you see people dying of starvation and all the other many terrible diseases that are infecting the planet. I am sure a collective global government could make this happen instead of fighting with people over religion, money and politics. It’s all bull*h*t, save lives!
Your biggest piece of advice to other entrepreneurs
If your goals aren?t big enough, they are not worth setting. Do not get depressed about failure, use it as a learning curve to make you a better person and more determined.
Never take no for an answer it’s an old clich?, but it’s true. When people say you will never do that, go prove them wrong and try your utmost to do it.
Stay true to yourself and stay humble as no one likes a flash git. But most importantly, don’t forsake your dignity for the sake of your destiny!
Guilty pleasure
Listening to proper old music from my school days and youth. Weirdly enough, the other night a few of us were in my villa and we were putting on the worst songs from our childhood, like Chas & Dave and Black Lace. Secretly, we all loved it and had the best night.
What would make you a better leader?
If I could take things a little more seriously as I tend to make a joke out of most things.
I find serious sh*t boring, I like to banter all the time, so I lack a little professionalism as I?m always messing about.
The one app you use the most
The ocean beach guest list and table booking app, I seem to live on it during the summer.
The Daily Mail Online, as when we re in Ibiza we live in this bubble. Especially at Ocean as all we see is crazy people partying all the time, so you tend to forget that there is life outside the beach club.
A day in your life
I usually wake up around 10am and then try find to my way home from wherever I have ended up.
Most of the time I like to go visit a few of my other businesses in the morning and catch up with the managers, partners and friends then go into my office for a few hours. Then I go out in the beach club and party my little socks off with everyone till silly oclock then see where the night takes me.
Other days I go downstairs to go die by the pool for a few hours, eat total crap and lay on the sofa watching football. So rock ?n” roll.
It’s all about balance as in the winter I am quite a family man. I love spending time with my family and going on exotic holidays and giving my liver a much needed rest from the summer madness.
On your reading list right now…
I am just about to start my good friend Tony Pike’s book, all about his incredible life. I?m really looking forward to reading it as many of my friends we are like two peas in a pod.
Even though he’s now 84, he is a proper top fella and Ibiza legend, so “I can’t wait to get into that.
