1: WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE SUBJECT AT SCHOOL?
A:
Don’ t think I particularly had a favourite if I’ m honest! Maybe dinner time!
2: WHO WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD HERO, AND WHY?
A:
As a child, I absolutely adored my grandad. He was my hero back then. But as I grew older, that admiration shifted to my mam. A single parent juggling two jobs and never letting us go without. To me, she’ s the definition of inspiring.
3: HOW DID YOU GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
A:
Hard work, a bit of luck and an incredible team backing me all the way. I’ m a firm believer that luck comes from graft. But truthfully, having the right people around you makes a world of difference.
4: WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE ORGANISATION ON AYCLIFFE BUSINESS PARK AND WHY( EXCLUDING YOUR OWN)?
A:
We work with so many businesses on the park, and I love them all!
5: WHICH AYCLIFFE BUSINESS OR INDIVIDUAL DO YOU TIP FOR FUTURE SUCCESS?
A:
I love the energy and infectiousness of Ian Proctor over at Digital Edge. He’ s my tip!
6: WHAT’ S THE BEST BUSINESS DECISION YOU EVER MADE?
A:
Trusting my gut instinct and building the right team have undoubtedly been the best business decisions I’ ve ever made. From the early days to where we are now, it’ s been a collective journey. Past and present team members have all played their part, each one has helped shape our direction. The business simply wouldn’ t be where it is today without every single person who’ s contributed along the way. I’ m proud of them all.
7: WHAT’ S THE WORST DECISION YOU’ VE EVER MADE?
A:
Looking back, I’ d say my worst decision was not taking a moment to breathe, to pause, reflect, and truly appreciate the milestones for what they were. You get so caught up in the moment, you forget to appreciate the wins and more importantly, those little moments that slipped by and never came back. I’ ve learned how valuable it is to just stop and be present.
8: IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOUR ORGANISATION, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
A:
There’ s always room for improvement but right at this moment... nothing at all.
9: |
ARE YOU AN EARLY RISER OR A NIGHT
OWL?
|
A: |
A little bit of both, I’ m more productive, |
both on a morning and at night. |
10: |
WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS MANTRA? |
A: |
Love the small talk. |
11: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A SMALL STARTUP?
A:
Cashflow will make or break you. Know your ins and outs and don’ t ignore the boring bits. Understand your income and expenses down to the last penny.
12: WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
A:
Much more of the same although I probably need to slow down a little. My mind is just constantly 100 miles an hour.
13: WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE FOR YOUR ORGANISATION?
A: We would like to roughly double in size. We don’ t want to take over the world, but we do want to make a genuine difference to the people we work with.
KNOW YOUR INS AND OUTS AND DON’ T IGNORE THE BORING BITS.
14: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THE PRIME MINISTER IF YOU SAW HIM ON AYCLIFFE BUSINESS PARK?
A:
I’ d ask him to step up and support small businesses properly. We’ re not asking for handouts but we’ re asking for real, practical incentives that make growth achievable.
15: WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE LOCAL CHARITY?
Missed a Beat is absolutely my favourite local charity. Mark’ s passion for what he does is genuinely inspiring. His commitment to the cause is second to none. I’ d love nothing more than to see the Aycliffe community give him the support and traction he needs to keep servicing and maintaining all our defibrillators to the highest standard.
16: |
WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE LOCAL
RESTAURANT?
|
A: |
It has to be Babuls in Darlington. |
Absolutely outstanding food! |
17: WHAT WOULD BE YOUR IDEAL EVENING MEAL?
A:
A nice ribeye( medium) steak, chips and peppercorn. Delightful!
18: WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
A: Horse racing is a big part of my life, both the racing and breeding sides. I’ ve been involved for nine years now, and from day one I’ ve worked with David Thompson’ s yard over in Bolam near Darlington. It’ s one of the most rewarding yet frustrating sports out there, but when you get a winner, the buzz is absolutely unreal. Right now, I’ ve got currently got two horses in training: Where’ s the Crumpet and Too Much.
19: WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FILM, AND WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE ACTOR?
A:
Love Naked Gun( old one) and Leslie Nielsen. I love that style of comedy.
20: |
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE OF? |
A: |
Steak. I always like to see more steak. |
The magazine for Aycliffe Business Park | 13