Adventure of a lifetime

When I worked in the corporate world, running a business never really crossed my mind.

I went to the office, I worked, and I came home - and at the end of each month, I’d get paid.  Pretty standard stuff for any employee.

I was helping firms like HSBC and Nationwide with their HR - policies, contracts, handbooks, grievances, and much more. 

IT’S NOW OR NEVER

However, being made redundant later in life gave me the impetus to think I could probably do this for a range of businesses.  I didn’t need to be tied to one.

I had a breadth of experience and knowledge.  As many aspects of HR have a legislative element, all employers - whether for one member of staff or a thousand - need HR services. 

So, with the proviso that ‘it’s now or never’, I started my own independent HR consultancy in March 2019.

CAN I DO THIS?

I’d love to say ‘I’ve never looked back’ but, to be honest, in those early days, I often questioned myself.  Is this something I can do forever?  Do businesses need my services?  Will I have enough clients? 

I still have those feelings occasionally.

That’s six years of thinking I couldn’t do this, and then eventually realising actually I could.

Over the past six years, I’ve laughed, cried, met some truly brilliant people and made some fabulous friends.

There’s still a part of me which is a little nervous about what is coming next.  Running your own business means that you are responsible for your own income, and therefore responsible for your own destiny.  

It’s all in my hands. 

YOU CAN’T DO IT ALL

However, right from the early days, I knew I couldn’t do it alone.  

Working in HR for so long helped me to learn that success often relied on individuals coming together as a team. 

So, when I started my business, I got myself some support.  I went networking; I got myself a business coach; and I hired a VA. 

Today, I have a brilliant team around me - and I don’t just mean ‘employees’ - I mean people who have my back.

Firstly, there’s my direct team of Jessica Pilling, Louise Roberts (both of whom have been with me for a while); Hayley White who has recently joined as an independent HR advisor; and my wife Denise.

I’d also like to thank my former team member Shona Hands, and my marketing manager Gus Bhandal who forms part of my extended team.

I also have a fabulous support network including friends like Hana Smiddy (who is also my former business coach), Jacqui Jagger, Katie Murray, Craig Garrod, and Lisa Wheatcroft.

NETWORKS AND CLIENTS

This is not an exhaustive list though.  There is also everyone that I meet at networking events and part of the networks that I’m in such as FindaBiz, ActionCoach Warwick, Spaghetti Besties and BNI - all of which provide support, referrals, and friendships.  

And then, of course, there’s my fabulous clients too, past and present.  I’m very grateful that my business has grown to the point of being selective about which clients I work with - in terms of size, growth, and aligned values.  

SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST WORK

As you can see in this video, the last six years have also included getting married, concerts, holidays, celebrities, speaking gigs, musicals, restaurants… and getting a dog. 

Essentially, this is all the stuff I can do because my business is on the right track; and, of course, this is a good thing, because my work is all about making sure that my clients’ businesses do well. 

Working with my retained clients, I can use my years of knowledge gained through corporate experience, but also what I’ve learned over the last six years too.  

No two days are the same for any business, and therefore HR isn’t ever a ‘one size fits all’ situation.  I help employers to make informed strategic decisions that are good for the organisation and its team, ensuring success and longevity

A SPECIAL MENTION

I’d like to give a special mention to my wife Denise who has had my back all the way through and never stopped believing - even when I did.  Behind every great man and all that.

Thank you to everyone reading this blog and watching the video too - I appreciate all the support.

The last six years have been the adventure of a lifetime, and here’s to the future, which I hope is more of the same.  Onwards and upwards.