Are you indispensable?

February 23, 2024

The recent news that HM King Charles has been diagnosed with cancer has been distressing, not least for his family, but also for the nation of which he is titular head.  I sincerely hope that the treatment he receives will rid him of the disease and that he gets well soon, but his situation raised … Read more

What got you here won’t get you there

January 23, 2024

Rumours are swirling this week about the financial health of Cazoo. A couple of years ago I expressed my  bewilderment that Cazoo had been floated on the US stock exchange with a valuation of $8 billion. That’s eight thousand million dollars! An outrageous ticket when substantial car retail groups, with an international presence, brand recognition … Read more

Is the future electric?

May 15, 2023

The pandemic wasn’t planned for.  The Russian invasion of Ukraine wasn’t planned for.  Even though we knew Brexit was coming, not enough planning took place for it.  All these events have a massive impact on the economy generally – and on businesses and their strategies specifically. The automotive industry is very close to my heart. … Read more

Becoming world class

February 24, 2023

There is no easy route to becoming the best. Achieving a world-class level of performance requires focus, determination and a lot of hard work. The difference between the people who achieve a superior level of performance and those who don’t often comes down to just how much they want it. It is not about how … Read more

Recession resilience

January 16, 2023

Whether the numbers support it or not, the UK economy feels as if it is in recession and that’s a serious concern for many businesses.  The critical challenges a recession throws up are typically sluggish cashflow, fewer sales as customers prioritise what they spend their money on and the subsequent anxiety for both business leaders … Read more

Are you being successful?

December 29, 2022

Many people never really consider what they want to achieve in life. We follow a path defined by our opportunities and challenges around us.  But if you don’t set out to build your own vision of success, you will spend your life helping others build theirs. What is your vision of success? We all have … Read more

Dream your dreams

December 7, 2022

Your dream isn’t going to be everyone’s dream.  Some people will try to tell you what you ‘ought’ to be doing – but you’ll never be as committed to something that isn’t 100% what you want to achieve. If you’re going to dream, be clear about what it is that you really want to achieve.  … Read more

Profit is sanity (turnover is vanity!)

November 20, 2022

In every business I have led and doubly in every startup I have founded, we have adopted the motto that ‘Cash is King’. From the day you set up a business, until the day it’s a billion pound success, it’s essential to keep expenditure in check if you intend to survive and thrive. This is … Read more

What do you have to do to be the best?

November 2, 2022

When we set out on the project to set a world record for rowing the Atlantic we knew we would need to be the best to do it.  We knew what the best was.  The previous world record for a 5-man crew on the route we were following was set by the Nauti Buoys at … Read more

Everyone is in the team

October 26, 2022

When you create a high performance car every tiny screw and nut is there for a purpose, when one goes missing the car may continue to function for a while, but eventually something is going to go wrong.  In the same way, it doesn’t matter how senior or junior a team member’s position may be, … Read more