What’s your biggest business learning from the past year?
This year it’s all been about efficiency and making every dollar go as far as it can. Bootstrapping a start-up in combination with working with businesses during an economic downturn really means getting scrappy, getting creative and driving business with a much lower budget to what I am used to. If looked at in the right way, it can be a really fun exercise that pushes you to think outside the box and outside mainstream channels, especially in sales and marketing which often produces better results given its novelty!
What’s the one thing SMEs need to know to thrive this year?
Like mentioned above, I think any subject matter expert needs to be able to work within the parameters of an economic downturn where budgets are lower and willingness to spend is even lower. Value propositions need to be incredibly clear and relatable, and adaptability of a product or service needs to be key.
What would the title of your autobiography be?
Yes its cliché but “I did it my way”. From a young age I have always been conscious of not doing the same as everyone else. Running side hustles, networking and interning from a young age instead of earning a salary, playing the long game, travelling around the world, running my own start-up and being a stay at home Dad… It’s given me different opportunities than most, different perspectives and for sure different experiences!
What three words would describe you?
Ambitious, Chameleon, Dad.
What book or podcast are you currently reading or listening to?
Mantalks – I think mental health is so important and this podcast really hones in on all types of mental health, lifestyle, motivation etc. not just for men but for everyone. I consider this my personal trainer/life coach that keeps me thinking about my career, mental health and just keeping me motivated to keep myself living my best life and maintaining the right balance in the different areas of my life.
The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is…
Trust your instincts – I have made some great decisions and some not so good ones. In most cases my instincts were right – sometimes I chose to listen and sometimes I chose to ignore them. I listen to my gut a lot more and I think deep down if we take a moment, we all have incredible instincts and intuition we just need to listen to it.
What’s something you wish people would ask you?
“Tell me about your favourite foodie experiences” – I love food and wine. You want to get me talking, let’s start with this question and see where it takes us! I’ll chat for hours about food and wine around the world. Not just the fancy stuff but the cheap street foods or throw togethers that end up being something so memorable!
