Corporate Vision October 2017

12 CORPORATE VISION / October 2017 , for a person’s aptitude or attitude and I have often found that those with a high-level of academic achievement, can be close minded about the need for a lifelong learning regime. I believe it precisely because I did not achieve what I could, or should have at university, that has lead me down the rabbit hole of curiosity and perpetual learning. “I have been told I am very persistent and I think that is probably my key skill in life. Persistence will overcome all other faults or weaknesses and is far more important than technical competency or talent. Understanding how to cultivate persistence is more challenging and I think therefore people think you either have it, or you don’t. “To understand it, you must deconstruct what persistence is and more importantly, what it is not. Persistence is not saying the same thing repeatedly, with an increasing decibel level hoping to get others to change their mind. Persistence is about having a clear vision in your mind of the end outcome, an unwavering belief that if you do the right things at the right time, you will get there. “Many people will be familiar with visualisation and may have used it, but to create this unwavering belief, you must repeat this until your brain doesn’t know whether the image it is seeing is real or not. It is a bit like exercise, you don’t do it once and become fit, you must do it at least daily and by building it into your routine, you remove the need for ‘willpower’ and it will eventually become as natural as breathing.” My career Benjamin started his working life at 14, in his father’s factory, packing boxes. Through his student years, he worked nightshifts in a cereal factory and in bars, plus he helped to demolish a laboratory. He then tells us more about his career, following his graduation. “I was elected onto the Student’s Union at the University of York, where I ran some charitable and volunteering projects, including ones in Wetherby prison and residential camps for kids with difficult backgrounds. I loved the role, indeed we were trustees and had both full legal and directional responsibility for the organisation. It was my first experience of managing staff who were older than me and looking back, I suspect I wasn’t very good at it! It was a one year elected position and at the end, I started looking for work in London. My degree ruled me out of many graduate roles and as such, I struggled to find a job. “It was now that Neatcrown’s general manager was looking to leave the business and my father asked me whether I would be prepared to work for him, for a few years, he would then sell the business and I would move onto greener pastures. I joined the business as commercial manager, at the time we were doubling in size. I worked 70-80 hour weeks for the first few years, until I realised that it wasn’t healthy for me and probably wasn’t the best thing for the business. “I have always had an aversion for repetitive work and the role I was in had a large amount of it. I was becoming disillusioned and began making mistakes on a regular basis. I met with the senior management and discussed which of my tasks would be best placed elsewhere within the organisation, so that after a few months, I could regain a balance in my life. “I would love to say that this light bulb moment led directly to great success, but that was not the case. I still had a sporadic approach to learning and was easily distracted. Around two years later, we purchased Minimum World, an online business selling dolls houses and accessories. We wanted the experience of an online business, it had a great team and the owner wished to remain part of the team. The first year was one of many mistakes and the sales consequently suffered. Once we moved away from the website platform, that caused all the pain and problems, the business has had year on year growth and has doubled in the last two years. It should do the same again, within the next two years.” The transformational moment in Benjamin’s career happened two years ago, he reveals. “When I saw that one of our major customers was for sale. They were a global business and this division was forty times the size of us and we had to fight to become part of the process. From that moment, I was hurtled into the world of private equity and learnt exactly why these funds make the money they do. This exposure to lead partners and how they assess deals was eye-opening, and I have incorporated many of the views they held into the deals we look at. I also met a man whose guidance and advice throughout my negotiations was invaluable and whilst we didn’t end purchasing the business, he joined us as chairman as he liked Neatcrown and wanted to be involved in helping us to grow. “The reason I believe this was a critical moment in my career, was that I committed to having a mentor, who would both challenge and stretch my thinking. I had always had mentors who were superb and informal, who sat outside the business, but the transition to bringing someone in whom sits on two FTSE Boards has forced us to justify every strategic decision we made. We have moved from being reactive, to a business which has spent months researching which direction Neatcrown should go, so when opportunities arise the firm can act quickly and with confidence that we are making the right move. “The company you keep will determine who you are in life. If you wish to be a millionaire, surround yourself with five millionaires. If you wish to be funny, surround yourself with five comedians. If you want to consistently grow, surround yourself with five people who have the same goals and will hold you accountable if you slip up. I have consciously surrounded myself with mentors and friends, who share the same growth mentality and will challenge me if I am starting to believe my own PR!” Looking forward Looking to the future, Neatcrown have ambitious goals for all the businesses, Benjamin tells us. “In 20 years’ time, we will have a group of companies that is four to five times larger in many new sectors. To achieve this ambitious goal, we will need to continue developing great people, allow them to make mistakes and help them become the most authentic version of themselves. “This is a key point for me, I have seen many people who act one way in work and are completely different at home. I use enough energy making sure I keep my one personality under control, so I can only imagine what it is like having to manage more than one! It is also incredibly transparent when someone is not being authentic. “We have all heard stories of team members who are terrible to work with, but the nicest people outside of work. I may be many things, too honest, too open with information and too easily bored, but I am always the same person and I hope that we can help our team members become the best version of themselves.” Closing thoughts Ten years ago, Benjamin was impatient and too eager to see instant gratification, he tells us in closing. He explains more in his own words, as this compelling interview ends. “Ten years later, I have learnt the important lesson that life is not supposed to be easy or rewarded instantly. Anything worth doing will take a lifetime and the journey will be the greatest prize of all. In the words of a man much wiser than myself ‘Do not wish for an easy life, wise for the courage to get through a difficult one’.”