International Men’s Day
In honour of International Men’s Day on 19th November, I wanted to take some time to write about the amazing men who have impacted and inspired in my personal and professional life.
Firstly, I want to talk about John Lewis. Apart from being a lovely human being who is really committed to his family and community in Highworth, he too has built a business from nothing. Building a coaching business is really tough as there are a lot of coaches about and standing out and being present is really difficult in this climate. John’s commitment to do that through networking, building relationships and PR is admirable beyond belief.
Next up is James Hilton. His journey into business is truly inspirational. Fitness and wellbeing were important to him when he was younger and throughout his corporate career but was left on the backburner when he was bullied by a toxic boss, for whom he was never good enough. In that damaging environment he found he didn’t have time to do any kind of sport or fitness activity – it just drifted away. It was only when he burned out and decided with his family to leave his position, that he rediscovered his love of movement and fitness and healed his mind. He has since gone into business in that field; I admire his bravery to retrain and commit to learning about the discipline of business.
Chris Maslin exudes quiet strength in business. His success suddenly dawns of you when you meet him and yet it’s not something he ever draws attention to. He started out in business from a position of thinking he was an OK accountant and built a successful and thriving accountancy practice, which still exists today. He was honest enough to know when he reached the end of that journey and exited in a way where he could care for his team through an EOT. Through that experience Chris saw an opportunity to help others exit in a similar way and set up his next venture. To seize opportunity so readily is something I deeply admire.
James Phipps is one of the most inspirational businessmen I’ve ever met. Despite being younger than me, his understanding of how business works through the lens of money and finance has helped him to move from being within a business to being its boss. He has gone on to fulfil a dream about being independently wealthy and retired before he was 40. Today, his commitment to philanthropy and supporting women in business out of respect for his two daughters is something I find truly admirable.
Dave Southby’s path in business has just begun and I have no doubt within a decade he will be a millionaire. Aside from my aspirations for Dave’s future, he is a lovely ethical man who believes in doing the right thing. Entrepreneurship runs in his veins, and it doesn’t come at any cost. I often refer to him as the ‘dream maker’ but others refer to him as a financial planner. Him and his team see people’s dreams and help people charter a path to make them happen. With that mindset I have no doubt his dreams will come true.
To be continued…