{"version":"1.0.0","segments":[{"startTime":0.16,"endTime":3.699,"body":"Sometimes the best ideas for a business just come from noticing"},{"startTime":3.919,"endTime":7.759,"body":"what problems or challenges the people around you are facing in"},{"startTime":7.759,"endTime":11.599,"body":"the industry in which you're already working. If you can provide a"},{"startTime":11.599,"endTime":15.085,"body":"solution to those challenges, and you can do it in a way which"},{"startTime":15.085,"endTime":18.765,"body":"already matches your own personal strengths, well, that"},{"startTime":18.765,"endTime":22.445,"body":"may be the formula for success. And this week, we've got a great"},{"startTime":22.445,"endTime":26.224,"body":"example of that in action. I'm Jeremy Cline, and this is Change Work Life."},{"startTime":42.635,"endTime":46.315,"body":"Hello, and welcome to the Change Work Life podcast, the show that's all about"},{"startTime":46.315,"endTime":50.075,"body":"beating the Sunday evening blues and enjoying Mondays again. I'm a career coach,"},{"startTime":50.075,"endTime":53.77,"body":"and in each episode, my guests and I bring you tips, strategies, and"},{"startTime":53.77,"endTime":57.55,"body":"stories to help you enjoy a more satisfying and fulfilling working life."},{"startTime":57.85,"endTime":61.53,"body":"One of the best ways to come up with business ideas is to find"},{"startTime":61.53,"endTime":64.89,"body":"existing challenges or pain points. These might show up"},{"startTime":64.89,"endTime":68.355,"body":"anywhere, including in your day-to-day work. In the case of this"},{"startTime":68.355,"endTime":72.035,"body":"week's guest, he identified that it was difficult for young professionals who"},{"startTime":72.035,"endTime":75.415,"body":"work in the private wealth space to find effective networking"},{"startTime":75.475,"endTime":79.155,"body":"opportunities, and so he created his own solution. David"},{"startTime":79.155,"endTime":82.799,"body":"Bell is the founder of PCD GROUP, which helps private wealth"},{"startTime":82.799,"endTime":86.64,"body":"professionals connect and do business more effectively. David, welcome to"},{"startTime":86.64,"endTime":90.259,"body":"the podcast. Nice to be here, Jeremy. So, PCD"},{"startTime":90.96,"endTime":94.575,"body":"stands for Private Client Dining, which suggests a"},{"startTime":94.575,"endTime":98.095,"body":"certain foodie element, which appeals to me. Why don't you tell us about the business"},{"startTime":98.095,"endTime":101.715,"body":"and what are the service lines? Sure. So,"},{"startTime":102.095,"endTime":105.855,"body":"yeah, we're predominantly a networking group for professional advisers dealing"},{"startTime":105.855,"endTime":109.34,"body":"with high-net-worth clients. We've always used in the networking"},{"startTime":109.34,"endTime":113.179,"body":"events the dinner, a seated dinner as a kind of format point, if you"},{"startTime":113.179,"endTime":116.939,"body":"like, that differentiated us from other groups. And it"},{"startTime":116.939,"endTime":120.634,"body":"did come out of, as you correctly identified, me looking at"},{"startTime":120.634,"endTime":124.395,"body":"what was available when I was networking as a young professional and"},{"startTime":124.395,"endTime":127.854,"body":"identifying that often a cocktail"},{"startTime":127.914,"endTime":131.435,"body":"reception format didn't really lend itself to"},{"startTime":131.435,"endTime":135.25,"body":"creating decent conversations with people that you"},{"startTime":135.25,"endTime":139.01,"body":"could build a rapport with and, and get to know and do business"},{"startTime":139.01,"endTime":142.609,"body":"with. So we started off many, many years ago"},{"startTime":142.609,"endTime":146.069,"body":"doing dinner events in London, and it's kind of"},{"startTime":146.209,"endTime":149.675,"body":"expanded from there. But taking the seated dinner format as a"},{"startTime":149.675,"endTime":153.035,"body":"central way of networking and building"},{"startTime":153.035,"endTime":156.735,"body":"rapport over an evening. Since then, we've also"},{"startTime":157.115,"endTime":160.575,"body":"added different service lines to the business to help people"},{"startTime":160.93,"endTime":164.61,"body":"grow their brands digitally, to help them get more referrals from"},{"startTime":164.61,"endTime":167.73,"body":"other professionals to complement the live events. But the"},{"startTime":167.73,"endTime":171.09,"body":"seated dinners are what people know us for and what people"},{"startTime":171.09,"endTime":174.635,"body":"enjoy. So what was it that you"},{"startTime":174.635,"endTime":178.394,"body":"identified in the standard sort of cocktail parties that"},{"startTime":178.394,"endTime":181.995,"body":"was deficient, and how did you solve that with the seated"},{"startTime":181.995,"endTime":185.775,"body":"dinners? I think that the type of conversation"},{"startTime":185.995,"endTime":189.6,"body":"you have in a sort of crowded cocktail reception space"},{"startTime":190.38,"endTime":193.82,"body":"is not ideal. I think that you generally have a sort of"},{"startTime":193.82,"endTime":197.58,"body":"surface-level answer if you like. You know, you you'll exchange some"},{"startTime":197.58,"endTime":201.26,"body":"high-level pleasantries, but people are naturally also quite"},{"startTime":201.26,"endTime":204.795,"body":"distracted in that environment because they see people"},{"startTime":204.795,"endTime":208.474,"body":"perhaps coming in. They're getting jostled perhaps a little bit"},{"startTime":208.474,"endTime":212.314,"body":"for space. It's not a calm environment. And what we"},{"startTime":212.314,"endTime":216.075,"body":"like about sitting down for dinner is that it allows"},{"startTime":216.075,"endTime":219.75,"body":"people to mix more freely as well in the sense of,"},{"startTime":220.049,"endTime":223.73,"body":"we generally have 150 to 200 guests for dinner, so we have quite a"},{"startTime":223.73,"endTime":227.489,"body":"large cocktail reception to start our events. But when people go"},{"startTime":227.489,"endTime":230.79,"body":"through for dinner, that gives us the opportunity to mix"},{"startTime":231.255,"endTime":234.935,"body":"naturally beyond the people you arrive with or know already, but"},{"startTime":234.935,"endTime":237.895,"body":"without having to go through that process of"},{"startTime":237.895,"endTime":241.655,"body":"approaching people necessarily and reaching out, which can"},{"startTime":241.655,"endTime":245.015,"body":"be a challenge. So people like the fact that you're guided through the event, if"},{"startTime":245.015,"endTime":248.48,"body":"you like. On each table, I try and create a"},{"startTime":248.48,"endTime":252.26,"body":"mixture of people where there's a central logic to where they're being sat,"},{"startTime":252.56,"endTime":256.24,"body":"but it's bringing them into contact with new people. And I find that"},{"startTime":256.24,"endTime":259.685,"body":"when people sit for dinner, they know they're going to be there for a certain"},{"startTime":259.685,"endTime":263.205,"body":"period of time, so perhaps an hour and a half or even two hours,"},{"startTime":263.205,"endTime":267.044,"body":"and it gives people that bit of time and space to actually have a"},{"startTime":267.044,"endTime":270.745,"body":"more relaxed conversation, to find out about the person, to actually identify where"},{"startTime":271.365,"endTime":275.15,"body":"they might do business. And with the absence of that, in the cocktail"},{"startTime":275.15,"endTime":278.43,"body":"format, you might have had a quick chat with someone and moved on before you've"},{"startTime":278.43,"endTime":281.789,"body":"actually unearthed where the value lies. And also,"},{"startTime":281.789,"endTime":285.63,"body":"from a practical perspective, I often found that"},{"startTime":285.63,"endTime":289.324,"body":"with a cocktail reception, it would maybe start at 6 PM. By"},{"startTime":289.324,"endTime":292.764,"body":"8 PM, people are basically going for the train, or they're"},{"startTime":292.764,"endTime":296.205,"body":"not there for the full evening. Whereas if you have a"},{"startTime":296.205,"endTime":299.965,"body":"reception followed by a formal dinner, it means that people"},{"startTime":299.965,"endTime":303.45,"body":"are probably there between 6 and 10 PM. There's more chance to"},{"startTime":303.45,"endTime":306.99,"body":"interact. There's more chance to have those quality conversations."},{"startTime":307.05,"endTime":310.73,"body":"And so, yeah, that was really what we identified"},{"startTime":310.73,"endTime":313.45,"body":"and have really honed in on."},{"startTime":314.57,"endTime":317.985,"body":"Some people are naturally sociable,"},{"startTime":318.045,"endTime":321.565,"body":"gregarious, and good in these situations. Other"},{"startTime":321.565,"endTime":325.165,"body":"people, particularly if you're more junior in your career,"},{"startTime":325.165,"endTime":328.685,"body":"perhaps less practiced. So, did you"},{"startTime":328.685,"endTime":332.13,"body":"give any, like, here's how you"},{"startTime":332.13,"endTime":335.97,"body":"can get the most out of this event guidance to people who"},{"startTime":335.97,"endTime":339.75,"body":"attended? Yeah, I mean, a little bit. I mean, we issue an advanced"},{"startTime":339.89,"endTime":343.49,"body":"guest list, so people know who's coming in advance. They can make requests of me"},{"startTime":343.49,"endTime":347.335,"body":"for introductions and seating. I'm visibly hosting the event."},{"startTime":347.335,"endTime":351.095,"body":"So, I try and make sure when people arrive, they"},{"startTime":351.095,"endTime":354.775,"body":"get a proper welcome, and they connect to"},{"startTime":354.775,"endTime":357.735,"body":"people who are relevant in the room. So, I'll spend most of the time in"},{"startTime":357.735,"endTime":361.58,"body":"the reception walking people up to each other saying, 'Oh, have you met?',"},{"startTime":361.58,"endTime":365.18,"body":"and making little introductions and encouraging conversation to flow,"},{"startTime":365.18,"endTime":368.78,"body":"which again is a differentiator because the majority of events that"},{"startTime":368.78,"endTime":372.38,"body":"people don't enjoy, they're almost walking into a room, there's no one"},{"startTime":372.38,"endTime":374.978,"body":"really hosting them, there's no one actually helping them navigate the event. And so, we"},{"startTime":374.978,"endTime":377.098,"body":"try and put as much as we can into whether it's people feeling prepared by"},{"startTime":377.098,"endTime":379.145,"body":"knowing who's going to be in the room, requesting introductions, me helping them navigate"},{"startTime":387.18,"endTime":390.94,"body":"the event. But we also try and give people the basics if they are coming"},{"startTime":390.94,"endTime":394.7,"body":"through and more younger in their career. I'm still a big"},{"startTime":394.7,"endTime":397.9,"body":"fan of business cards. I mean, business cards have almost fallen out of fashion. A"},{"startTime":397.9,"endTime":401.745,"body":"lot of people don't carry business cards, but I think there's some"},{"startTime":401.745,"endTime":405.585,"body":"good basics that people can do. And we also try and encourage"},{"startTime":405.585,"endTime":409.025,"body":"a culture whereby people attending PCD want"},{"startTime":409.025,"endTime":411.845,"body":"to help each other more than help themselves first. So,"},{"startTime":412.305,"endTime":415.665,"body":"to find out about the other person, to ask the question, to listen,"},{"startTime":415.665,"endTime":419.139,"body":"to create value for the other person first. And so,"},{"startTime":419.139,"endTime":422.98,"body":"a good tip for young people coming through is, it's fine to ask."},{"startTime":422.98,"endTime":426.52,"body":"People often like talking about themselves anyway. So,"},{"startTime":426.66,"endTime":430.02,"body":"a good starting point in a conversation is just to go out and learn,"},{"startTime":430.02,"endTime":433.395,"body":"and other things will follow. So, yeah, we do try"},{"startTime":433.395,"endTime":437.155,"body":"and support younger people coming through, and we've even started a next-gen"},{"startTime":437.155,"endTime":440.995,"body":"lunch club on the same seated format, and people are"},{"startTime":440.995,"endTime":444.435,"body":"enjoying working their way through that, honing their skills and then"},{"startTime":444.435,"endTime":447.27,"body":"graduating, if you like, to the main networking dinner group."},{"startTime":448.15,"endTime":451.75,"body":"What makes you say that business cards have fallen out of favour? When I go"},{"startTime":451.75,"endTime":455.11,"body":"to events now, I carry cards, people often"},{"startTime":455.11,"endTime":458.949,"body":"don't. So, the digital cards, which"},{"startTime":458.949,"endTime":462.795,"body":"often don't work, are the replacement. People just have got out of"},{"startTime":462.795,"endTime":466.155,"body":"the habit, I think, of carrying them. And I went to an"},{"startTime":466.155,"endTime":469.915,"body":"event, I went to a media and marketing networking event in"},{"startTime":469.915,"endTime":473.035,"body":"SOHO the other week, I met four people before"},{"startTime":473.035,"endTime":476.68,"body":"breakfast, we had a good conversation. I offered"},{"startTime":476.68,"endTime":480.3,"body":"them a card, none of them were carrying cards,"},{"startTime":480.52,"endTime":483.96,"body":"and then nothing has happened since then. And I"},{"startTime":483.96,"endTime":487.605,"body":"genuinely think that if they'd been carrying cards, something would"},{"startTime":487.605,"endTime":491.285,"body":"have occurred. So, I think the habit of carrying cards is"},{"startTime":491.285,"endTime":495.125,"body":"something that has changed and is an important part of networking. The"},{"startTime":495.125,"endTime":498.425,"body":"physical reminder of the meeting is the main thing that people"},{"startTime":498.805,"endTime":502.449,"body":"miss out if they're not carrying cards. Yeah. I've"},{"startTime":502.449,"endTime":505.97,"body":"certainly found that giving the cards out tends to"},{"startTime":505.97,"endTime":509.65,"body":"be quite passive, and it's much more effective when you get"},{"startTime":509.65,"endTime":513.49,"body":"the contact details of the other people. So, I've"},{"startTime":513.49,"endTime":517.105,"body":"started using one of these digital things where someone scans the QR"},{"startTime":517.105,"endTime":520.944,"body":"code and, hopefully, there's sufficient internet connection. But then, they're"},{"startTime":520.944,"endTime":524.464,"body":"encouraged to add their details in exchange for"},{"startTime":524.464,"endTime":528.144,"body":"which they get mine, and so there and then, I've already got their"},{"startTime":528.144,"endTime":531.88,"body":"contact details stored electronically. It has to be said it's"},{"startTime":531.88,"endTime":535.32,"body":"a little bit of a faff, but it is pretty"},{"startTime":535.32,"endTime":538.94,"body":"effective actually. But that's the key point is getting someone else's details."},{"startTime":539.64,"endTime":543.019,"body":"100%. No, I'll have to follow up with you afterward"},{"startTime":543.555,"endTime":547.395,"body":"for those details. But I'm interested in innovation in networking as"},{"startTime":547.395,"endTime":551.095,"body":"well. And if digital channels or digital connectivity does work,"},{"startTime":551.235,"endTime":555.075,"body":"then great. I'm not old school in that way. But I think it's about"},{"startTime":555.075,"endTime":558.08,"body":"just trying to make business development and networking"},{"startTime":558.62,"endTime":562.14,"body":"not painful. Make it enjoyable. You know, I enjoy it,"},{"startTime":562.14,"endTime":565.52,"body":"and I'm a sociable character, but I think everyone can"},{"startTime":565.82,"endTime":569.42,"body":"make their, regardless of their personality, if you like, I think"},{"startTime":569.42,"endTime":573.144,"body":"people can find forums and ways of building relationships that"},{"startTime":573.144,"endTime":576.264,"body":"work for them, and I'm a big advocate of that. It's not about transforming your"},{"startTime":576.264,"endTime":580.105,"body":"personality. It's about saying, what works for you, what do you like, what's your best"},{"startTime":580.105,"endTime":583.625,"body":"method, and go for that. And there's lots of different ways you can"},{"startTime":583.625,"endTime":586.98,"body":"network, so many different ways. It's just about finding the"},{"startTime":586.98,"endTime":590.339,"body":"way that works for you. Let's dig into your"},{"startTime":590.339,"endTime":594.1,"body":"backstory and the genesis of the business. What did you want to be when"},{"startTime":594.1,"endTime":597.54,"body":"you grew up? Well, my dad was an accountant. There was lots of"},{"startTime":597.54,"endTime":601.385,"body":"accountants in the family, and I did an economics degree, so I"},{"startTime":601.385,"endTime":605.065,"body":"was kind of mathematical, analytically minded. I resisted"},{"startTime":605.065,"endTime":608.745,"body":"the idea of being an accountant when I graduated and, first of all,"},{"startTime":608.745,"endTime":612.285,"body":"took a marketing job, but then saw lots of my contemporaries"},{"startTime":612.505,"endTime":616.27,"body":"who'd done the chart accountancy zooming on and up"},{"startTime":616.27,"endTime":618.51,"body":"the career ladder. And I thought I really should"},{"startTime":618.51,"endTime":621.73,"body":"pull my nose and do the accountancy"},{"startTime":621.87,"endTime":625.55,"body":"side and went and joined a firm, Dixon Wilson, who happened to focus"},{"startTime":625.55,"endTime":628.605,"body":"on private wealth. It was a great firm. They took on"},{"startTime":628.605,"endTime":632.445,"body":"10 trainees every six months, so you had a little cohort of people"},{"startTime":632.445,"endTime":636.045,"body":"around you. You did a mixture of different accountancy"},{"startTime":636.045,"endTime":639.565,"body":"services from accountancy and audit through to"},{"startTime":639.565,"endTime":643.16,"body":"tax, but worked with some really interesting clients. I thought, I liked this private client"},{"startTime":643.16,"endTime":646.84,"body":"world, and I also liked connecting with other private"},{"startTime":646.84,"endTime":649.98,"body":"banks. I could see the ecosystem, and I found that quite interesting."},{"startTime":650.68,"endTime":654.255,"body":"And so, even as a trainee accountant, I was connecting with others in the"},{"startTime":654.255,"endTime":658.095,"body":"sector and building out my mental picture of the different firms"},{"startTime":658.095,"endTime":661.774,"body":"and players and operators. And because my first"},{"startTime":661.774,"endTime":665.615,"body":"graduate job was in the marketing field, I was naturally leading into that too."},{"startTime":665.615,"endTime":669.42,"body":"And so, completed my three years with Dixon Wilson, knew"},{"startTime":669.959,"endTime":672.279,"body":"that I needed something with a bit more of a marketing"},{"startTime":672.279,"endTime":676.04,"body":"focus, if you like, than the training"},{"startTime":676.04,"endTime":679.8,"body":"that I'd had. But it was a great grounding in the private client"},{"startTime":679.8,"endTime":683.535,"body":"tax world and the sector. And I left to actually join a"},{"startTime":683.535,"endTime":686.895,"body":"firm, Ingenious Media, who at the time were promoting to financial advisors"},{"startTime":686.895,"endTime":690.735,"body":"tax efficient investment schemes and ideas, but it was at that time"},{"startTime":690.735,"endTime":694.415,"body":"when that whole world was just basically collapsing. And so, it wasn't"},{"startTime":694.415,"endTime":698.2,"body":"a particularly enjoyable place to be, but what it did do is it got"},{"startTime":698.2,"endTime":701.66,"body":"me out of accountancy. It made me realize, oh, there is this investment and"},{"startTime":701.72,"endTime":705.4,"body":"private wealth world. And shortly after that, joined Merrill"},{"startTime":705.4,"endTime":708.92,"body":"Lynch as a wealth planner and joined a great team there with Ken Chapman"},{"startTime":708.92,"endTime":712.725,"body":"and found that that wealth planning world in a private bank was"},{"startTime":712.725,"endTime":716.345,"body":"great because it leveraged my background in accounting and tax, but"},{"startTime":716.485,"endTime":720.005,"body":"being client-facing, being commercial was important, being adaptable,"},{"startTime":720.005,"endTime":723.765,"body":"building relationships with intermediaries was important. So, I just"},{"startTime":723.765,"endTime":727.29,"body":"found a groove there, really, and had a great three years with Merrill before"},{"startTime":727.67,"endTime":731.19,"body":"I joined Lombard Odier in London, who are a great"},{"startTime":731.19,"endTime":734.89,"body":"Swiss name, great heritage, great client base, and"},{"startTime":735.27,"endTime":738.985,"body":"was running the wealth planning offering there for the UK from"},{"startTime":738.985,"endTime":742.824,"body":"London, but travelling to different offices and working"},{"startTime":742.824,"endTime":746.425,"body":"with different offices of the group. And so, that exposure at Lombard Odier"},{"startTime":746.425,"endTime":750.185,"body":"gave me insight into the international ultra-high"},{"startTime":750.185,"endTime":754.02,"body":"net worth offshore centres, that has"},{"startTime":754.02,"endTime":757.78,"body":"really been pivotal in the development of PCD. So, it was going beyond"},{"startTime":757.78,"endTime":761.4,"body":"the UK market into other centres and how they fit together. It"},{"startTime":761.78,"endTime":765.62,"body":"was when I was at Lombard Odier, I'd been running networking dinners in London as"},{"startTime":765.62,"endTime":768.975,"body":"a little hobby, doing small dinners, sporting 50 people."},{"startTime":768.975,"endTime":772.735,"body":"But then, when I was going to Geneva often, I thought, well, why not"},{"startTime":772.735,"endTime":775.475,"body":"try and bring that dinner format to Geneva? And"},{"startTime":776.335,"endTime":779.875,"body":"that concept worked. So, this was back in 2015, and"},{"startTime":780.175,"endTime":783.55,"body":"started to grow other locations and"},{"startTime":784.25,"endTime":788.09,"body":"promote it to my contacts to come and travel out to. And that idea"},{"startTime":788.09,"endTime":791.77,"body":"just slowly took off, and we added new"},{"startTime":791.77,"endTime":795.61,"body":"locations. And then by 2016, I'd had a"},{"startTime":795.61,"endTime":799.265,"body":"great few years with Lombard and worked with some great colleagues"},{"startTime":799.265,"endTime":802.865,"body":"and clients, but sensed that the opportunity to build PCD"},{"startTime":802.865,"endTime":806.705,"body":"was there, and it had to be taken. And essentially, I left"},{"startTime":806.705,"endTime":810.405,"body":"the bank to build PCD, and also did a bit of consulting on"},{"startTime":811.29,"endTime":814.99,"body":"the side. But then by 2018, I was fully into development"},{"startTime":815.45,"endTime":819.21,"body":"of PCD and the concept there. The way you"},{"startTime":819.21,"endTime":822.91,"body":"describe it there, it all sounds very natural, very flowing."},{"startTime":822.97,"endTime":825.695,"body":"Did it feel like that at the time, or did it feel more like a"},{"startTime":825.695,"endTime":829.215,"body":"careen than a career? Yeah. I mean, these things always make sense"},{"startTime":829.215,"endTime":832.895,"body":"looking backwards, don't they? But you know, at the time,"},{"startTime":832.895,"endTime":835.855,"body":"opportunities present themselves. And I"},{"startTime":835.855,"endTime":839.3,"body":"distinctly"},{"startTime":839.52,"endTime":843.22,"body":"remember when I'd been building the dinner events as a hobby"},{"startTime":843.52,"endTime":846.356,"body":"someone saying to me, 'What are you going to do with this? Are you going"},{"startTime":846.357,"endTime":849.92,"body":"to keep on doing it?' And it was at that moment where I thought, normally,"},{"startTime":849.92,"endTime":853.3,"body":"these groups that are put together"},{"startTime":853.464,"endTime":857.225,"body":"by one person, they do it for a number of years to build their brand"},{"startTime":857.225,"endTime":860.105,"body":"until a point when they've got a brand, and then they don't need it anymore."},{"startTime":860.105,"endTime":863.145,"body":"So, they don't need the hassle, or that things change in their life, and they"},{"startTime":863.145,"endTime":864.205,"body":"drop it, but I"},{"startTime":864.505,"endTime":868.339,"body":"was getting to the point where I thought I've"},{"startTime":868.339,"endTime":871.72,"body":"either got to just park this now and move on or double"},{"startTime":872.339,"endTime":876.019,"body":"down on it. And I decided to double down"},{"startTime":876.019,"endTime":879.764,"body":"on it, partly because I did love events. I did love putting"},{"startTime":879.764,"endTime":882.404,"body":"people together in a room and seeing that"},{"startTime":882.404,"endTime":885.925,"body":"take off and people interact was"},{"startTime":885.925,"endTime":889.764,"body":"something that I knew that I was good at, and it made me different. So,"},{"startTime":889.764,"endTime":893.524,"body":"I suppose it does make sense now"},{"startTime":893.524,"endTime":896.87,"body":"looking backwards, but it's partly about grabbing opportunities."},{"startTime":897.41,"endTime":901.17,"body":"When I joined Lombard Odier, I could have sat in the"},{"startTime":901.17,"endTime":904.77,"body":"London office and just ticked over, but I didn't. I"},{"startTime":904.77,"endTime":908.61,"body":"went out to Dubai, I went to different places, I grabbed opportunities that were"},{"startTime":908.61,"endTime":912.435,"body":"there, and that led me in a certain direction. And that's partly"},{"startTime":912.435,"endTime":916.115,"body":"why I'm where I am. I suppose I didn't"},{"startTime":916.115,"endTime":919.335,"body":"sit tight in one place. I took chances, took"},{"startTime":919.875,"endTime":923.68,"body":"risks if you like. That's just, I suppose, in my"},{"startTime":923.68,"endTime":927.36,"body":"nature. It would have been more comfortable just to stay as a wealth"},{"startTime":927.36,"endTime":931.04,"body":"planner in a bank, which is a very respectable and prestigious"},{"startTime":931.04,"endTime":934.88,"body":"job. But to go out and strike out and do something, build your own business"},{"startTime":934.88,"endTime":937.155,"body":"is something different, but"},{"startTime":937.155,"endTime":940.775,"body":"I do get a lot of excitement out"},{"startTime":940.915,"endTime":944.515,"body":"of the way that I work now and the new concepts"},{"startTime":944.515,"endTime":947.735,"body":"and ideas that we can bring about, I find that very invigorating."},{"startTime":949.86,"endTime":953.38,"body":"You mentioned the different opportunities and taking those"},{"startTime":953.38,"endTime":957.0,"body":"opportunities. And I guess there's a few elements to that. There's"},{"startTime":957.54,"endTime":961.06,"body":"being aware that there may be these opportunities, and"},{"startTime":961.06,"endTime":964.795,"body":"then there's having the presence or"},{"startTime":964.795,"endTime":968.415,"body":"just making the decision that you are going to"},{"startTime":968.475,"endTime":971.995,"body":"take advantage of these opportunities. And then, there's having an idea as to"},{"startTime":971.995,"endTime":975.775,"body":"why they're worth pursuing rather than just"},{"startTime":976.0,"endTime":979.3,"body":"really doubling down and crafting your expertise"},{"startTime":979.68,"endTime":983.04,"body":"as a wealth planner in a big bank."},{"startTime":983.04,"endTime":986.88,"body":"So, I'm curious as to how all those pieces kind"},{"startTime":986.88,"endTime":990.605,"body":"of made themselves present for you. I think these"},{"startTime":990.605,"endTime":994.365,"body":"things, they sort of whisper at you a bit. So,"},{"startTime":994.365,"endTime":998.065,"body":"like I said, I started in marketing, and I did my accounting training."},{"startTime":998.365,"endTime":1002.065,"body":"And then everything from there is a sort of blend of marketing"},{"startTime":1002.445,"endTime":1006.27,"body":"and professional services. And I was aware when I did my"},{"startTime":1006.27,"endTime":1009.97,"body":"accountancy training that while I was perfectly competent,"},{"startTime":1010.35,"endTime":1013.95,"body":"I was a middle-of-the-road accountant or"},{"startTime":1013.95,"endTime":1017.775,"body":"tax adviser, but I was really good at marketing. And people would say,"},{"startTime":1017.775,"endTime":1021.535,"body":"'You're a world-class networker', that was the feedback that"},{"startTime":1021.535,"endTime":1025.135,"body":"was coming back down the pipe. And in some"},{"startTime":1025.135,"endTime":1028.655,"body":"senses in my appraisals, I could have got frustrated with the"},{"startTime":1028.655,"endTime":1032.015,"body":"idea that, well, why are they just talking about the marketing? I want to be"},{"startTime":1032.015,"endTime":1035.849,"body":"that recognised, and you know what it's like in the sector, people"},{"startTime":1035.849,"endTime":1039.529,"body":"recognise technical expertise as a thing with real"},{"startTime":1039.529,"endTime":1042.99,"body":"currency. Marketing is respected, but"},{"startTime":1043.21,"endTime":1047.025,"body":"people at a certain point are trying to become the go-to expert because that's a"},{"startTime":1047.025,"endTime":1050.625,"body":"recognized way of building a practice. And I just kind of"},{"startTime":1050.625,"endTime":1054.465,"body":"acknowledged, I knew I had a strength in"},{"startTime":1054.465,"endTime":1058.145,"body":"marketing and that I didn't have necessarily what it"},{"startTime":1058.145,"endTime":1061.505,"body":"took to be that technical expert, just because the way I'm"},{"startTime":1061.505,"endTime":1065.24,"body":"built. And so, I just thought that's what I pursued was"},{"startTime":1065.24,"endTime":1069.0,"body":"the idea of playing to my strengths. It's never"},{"startTime":1069.0,"endTime":1072.78,"body":"completely obvious, like I made this move to Ingenious,"},{"startTime":1072.92,"endTime":1076.46,"body":"and actually, you could say I was there a year, it didn't really work,"},{"startTime":1076.635,"endTime":1080.235,"body":"but without that move, I wouldn't have got into private banking because it allowed me"},{"startTime":1080.235,"endTime":1083.835,"body":"to become registered with the FCA. It did certain things for"},{"startTime":1083.835,"endTime":1087.355,"body":"me that allowed me to press on, but I was"},{"startTime":1087.355,"endTime":1091.115,"body":"always looking at creating, you know, I never just sat"},{"startTime":1091.115,"endTime":1094.87,"body":"passively and thought this isn't quite working and get stressed about it."},{"startTime":1095.09,"endTime":1098.69,"body":"I was using the fact that I could go out networking as my"},{"startTime":1098.69,"endTime":1102.289,"body":"kind of superpower in getting to know people and having"},{"startTime":1102.289,"endTime":1106.049,"body":"conversations with people. That's what drives opportunity. If nobody knows"},{"startTime":1106.049,"endTime":1109.195,"body":"who you are or what you could do, it's hard to create opportunities."},{"startTime":1109.655,"endTime":1113.195,"body":"Whereas I naturally was able to be visible."},{"startTime":1113.255,"endTime":1116.375,"body":"And I suppose it's coming also at a time where, when I"},{"startTime":1116.375,"endTime":1119.96,"body":"was at Dixon Wilson, LinkedIn, for example, wasn't"},{"startTime":1119.96,"endTime":1123.32,"body":"really a thing. I mean, I remember joining LinkedIn, like"},{"startTime":1123.32,"endTime":1126.86,"body":"2009 or something, it was a very vanilla"},{"startTime":1127.0,"endTime":1130.679,"body":"CV-driven platform, which now, I mean, if you look at it"},{"startTime":1130.679,"endTime":1133.34,"body":"today, it's transformed into a key social media."},{"startTime":1133.875,"endTime":1137.635,"body":"Almost any credible professional has to"},{"startTime":1137.635,"endTime":1141.154,"body":"be on there commenting about the trends of the day and building their"},{"startTime":1141.154,"endTime":1144.835,"body":"networks on there. So, I think that I also came along at a time"},{"startTime":1144.835,"endTime":1148.649,"body":"when grabbing these marketing tools and"},{"startTime":1148.649,"endTime":1152.35,"body":"using them to kind of build a network and a brand"},{"startTime":1152.409,"endTime":1155.769,"body":"became more tangible than at any other time"},{"startTime":1155.769,"endTime":1159.61,"body":"previously, where just getting listed in the directories and"},{"startTime":1159.61,"endTime":1163.215,"body":"building your work in a respectable way was the way to do it. Whereas I"},{"startTime":1163.215,"endTime":1166.735,"body":"think today's professional can build business and do"},{"startTime":1166.735,"endTime":1170.175,"body":"marketing in so many different ways. There's new channels now that are more"},{"startTime":1170.175,"endTime":1173.535,"body":"direct-drive. People can own that, if they want"},{"startTime":1173.535,"endTime":1176.83,"body":"to. You know? There's definitely a line of thinking"},{"startTime":1177.13,"endTime":1180.81,"body":"which says that you take a"},{"startTime":1180.81,"endTime":1184.33,"body":"job because there is a particular thing that you want to"},{"startTime":1184.33,"endTime":1187.71,"body":"acquire, be it a skill or a qualification. So,"},{"startTime":1188.325,"endTime":1191.925,"body":"when you joined Ingenious, was that because you knew you"},{"startTime":1191.925,"endTime":1195.205,"body":"wanted to become FCA registered, and that was"},{"startTime":1195.205,"endTime":1198.325,"body":"like the next stepping stone, or was"},{"startTime":1198.325,"endTime":1202.149,"body":"it not quite as intentional as that? Yeah. I mean,"},{"startTime":1202.149,"endTime":1205.309,"body":"I suppose it was. I was coming out of an"},{"startTime":1205.309,"endTime":1208.61,"body":"accountancy practice that focused on private client."},{"startTime":1208.75,"endTime":1212.11,"body":"Ingenious at the time, and still have got a"},{"startTime":1212.11,"endTime":1215.825,"body":"fantastic office on Golden Square. They were financing films"},{"startTime":1215.825,"endTime":1218.545,"body":"like Avatar, and they had a really"},{"startTime":1218.545,"endTime":1222.145,"body":"exciting story. And the role there for me"},{"startTime":1222.145,"endTime":1225.985,"body":"was to build relationships with intermediaries like private banks"},{"startTime":1225.985,"endTime":1229.36,"body":"and law firms and financial advisers to promote these products."},{"startTime":1229.36,"endTime":1232.96,"body":"So, networking was at the core. Promotion of ideas was at the"},{"startTime":1232.96,"endTime":1236.72,"body":"core in a funky office in Soho, with a team that was actually"},{"startTime":1236.72,"endTime":1239.94,"body":"at that time very substantial. They had around"},{"startTime":1240.32,"endTime":1243.6,"body":"20-odd ex-tax advisers who were there, so it wasn't"},{"startTime":1244.215,"endTime":1247.815,"body":"above a broom cupboard trying to flog film schemes. It was a"},{"startTime":1247.815,"endTime":1251.415,"body":"substantial business. So, it was exciting. And it was run by a guy,"},{"startTime":1251.415,"endTime":1253.915,"body":"Patrick McKenna who's an inspirational"},{"startTime":1255.095,"endTime":1258.86,"body":"entrepreneur worth hundreds of millions. And I met Patrick in the interview"},{"startTime":1258.86,"endTime":1262.64,"body":"and all of that. So, the reason I joined there was,"},{"startTime":1262.78,"endTime":1266.48,"body":"it was an enticing world that I'd qualified"},{"startTime":1267.18,"endTime":1270.72,"body":"doing accountancy in a very respectable"},{"startTime":1270.86,"endTime":1274.534,"body":"place. And I just thought, well, when I went to interview at"},{"startTime":1274.534,"endTime":1278.294,"body":"Ingenious, I thought, wow, this is something that just had a bit of zing to"},{"startTime":1278.294,"endTime":1281.895,"body":"it. But then, obviously, once you lifted the bonnet and got in there, and"},{"startTime":1281.895,"endTime":1285.495,"body":"tax rules changed to make these investments impossible to"},{"startTime":1285.495,"endTime":1289.26,"body":"promote, the winds really changed. And then I thought, right, I"},{"startTime":1289.26,"endTime":1293.1,"body":"need to get out of here. And at that point, fortunately, Merrill"},{"startTime":1293.1,"endTime":1296.46,"body":"were looking for someone with a tax background, good quality"},{"startTime":1296.46,"endTime":1299.34,"body":"training, and who was also regulated. And"},{"startTime":1299.34,"endTime":1303.085,"body":"away we went. Were there any lessons"},{"startTime":1303.085,"endTime":1306.545,"body":"that you took from your experience with Ingenious"},{"startTime":1307.645,"endTime":1311.325,"body":"later on? So, I'm thinking the idea of building a"},{"startTime":1311.325,"endTime":1315.005,"body":"business almost on one thing, in their case. I"},{"startTime":1315.005,"endTime":1318.55,"body":"mean, I knew them as these tax-efficient film schemes, which"},{"startTime":1318.55,"endTime":1322.39,"body":"then got closed down. So, is that something that you've then sort"},{"startTime":1322.39,"endTime":1326.07,"body":"of taken that lesson further forward? What I learned that was"},{"startTime":1326.07,"endTime":1329.845,"body":"interesting was, I was coming out of accountancy into"},{"startTime":1329.845,"endTime":1333.605,"body":"an environment in a sales team, essentially. And what I learned was the"},{"startTime":1333.605,"endTime":1337.445,"body":"confidence to phone people up and to promote to"},{"startTime":1337.445,"endTime":1341.225,"body":"sell, that was something I'd never been taught,"},{"startTime":1341.365,"endTime":1344.98,"body":"and to be around people who could sell was quite"},{"startTime":1344.98,"endTime":1348.74,"body":"interesting and exciting. And the principle of picking"},{"startTime":1348.74,"endTime":1352.42,"body":"up the phone, and I was on the phone all day in those"},{"startTime":1352.42,"endTime":1355.94,"body":"roles and going out, setting up meetings. I would"},{"startTime":1355.94,"endTime":1359.555,"body":"cover IFAs in Norwich, and I'd book a day of meetings in"},{"startTime":1359.555,"endTime":1363.395,"body":"Norwich. Now what it taught me was just that"},{"startTime":1363.395,"endTime":1366.835,"body":"sense of, yeah, make it happen. And I think"},{"startTime":1366.835,"endTime":1370.34,"body":"that there was a value in that. Although I was only with them a year,"},{"startTime":1370.34,"endTime":1373.88,"body":"I think being around a sales team and having a sales process"},{"startTime":1374.02,"endTime":1377.86,"body":"and learning of different people how to promote and"},{"startTime":1377.86,"endTime":1381.62,"body":"position. Obviously, I've had to sell, and now I focus on"},{"startTime":1381.62,"endTime":1385.235,"body":"sales at PCD because I'm the one who creates the revenue for the"},{"startTime":1385.235,"endTime":1388.595,"body":"company. I have to sell concepts, and I have to pick up the phone and"},{"startTime":1388.595,"endTime":1392.215,"body":"be proactive. We don't just email people, sometimes"},{"startTime":1392.674,"endTime":1396.135,"body":"you have to go and convince, or you have to go and"},{"startTime":1396.94,"endTime":1400.7,"body":"make things happen. So, yeah, I definitely learned that, but I also learned"},{"startTime":1400.7,"endTime":1404.38,"body":"that my face didn't quite fit in Ingenious in a sense."},{"startTime":1404.38,"endTime":1407.42,"body":"When I left, I just left out the door."},{"startTime":1407.42,"endTime":1410.475,"body":"There was no big send-off, there was no"},{"startTime":1410.475,"endTime":1414.075,"body":"card and round of applause. It was just like, you"},{"startTime":1414.075,"endTime":1415.435,"body":"know, right, that's it. You know?"},{"startTime":1415.435,"endTime":1419.115,"body":"But when I went to"},{"startTime":1419.115,"endTime":1422.795,"body":"Merrill, immediately in the swim, got on with people, they really liked me"},{"startTime":1422.795,"endTime":1426.56,"body":"there, I liked the people. What I learned was sometimes your"},{"startTime":1426.56,"endTime":1430.4,"body":"face doesn't fit, but don't worry about it. You do you, which is"},{"startTime":1430.4,"endTime":1434.24,"body":"a very trite phrase right now, but I think there's something"},{"startTime":1434.24,"endTime":1437.905,"body":"in that for people thinking about making a change. Sometimes"},{"startTime":1437.905,"endTime":1441.745,"body":"you make a change and maybe it won't work. But you'll learn"},{"startTime":1441.745,"endTime":1445.505,"body":"something about yourself, and you'll iterate towards the right thing that does"},{"startTime":1445.505,"endTime":1449.345,"body":"work. And it's having confidence in yourself to say, okay,"},{"startTime":1449.345,"endTime":1453.12,"body":"I moved there, okay, it didn't work, but there's nothing wrong with me. Those"},{"startTime":1453.12,"endTime":1456.48,"body":"people there didn't quite jive with me because they saw the world in a different"},{"startTime":1456.48,"endTime":1460.32,"body":"way. But I don't let that knock my confidence. I just say,"},{"startTime":1460.32,"endTime":1463.92,"body":"I just need to find a groove with people who get me and get my"},{"startTime":1463.92,"endTime":1467.725,"body":"value. So, I suppose I always held an idea that I had value"},{"startTime":1468.505,"endTime":1472.105,"body":"and had skill set. It's just about finding the right little hole for"},{"startTime":1472.105,"endTime":1475.885,"body":"that. And sometimes you'll make a leap. Because you don't know when you're interviewing"},{"startTime":1476.585,"endTime":1480.41,"body":"what the personal dynamics in the team are going to be like, what the"},{"startTime":1480.41,"endTime":1483.13,"body":"manager's going to be like, how they're going to perceive you, and what your approach"},{"startTime":1483.13,"endTime":1486.17,"body":"is going to be. Particularly if it's a change in direction, it's not identical with"},{"startTime":1486.17,"endTime":1489.53,"body":"a known environment, which sometimes it has to be. In order to"},{"startTime":1489.53,"endTime":1493.37,"body":"make a change, you need to do something different,"},{"startTime":1493.37,"endTime":1495.77,"body":"and that carries with it a risk. But you can always"},{"startTime":1495.77,"endTime":1499.345,"body":"find your way back to something that fits better."},{"startTime":1499.345,"endTime":1503.185,"body":"So, that's what I suppose I learned from it, was I picked"},{"startTime":1503.185,"endTime":1506.716,"body":"up some skills, but I also learned, if your face doesn't fit, it's not a"},{"startTime":1506.717,"endTime":1510.145,"body":"reflection of you. Don't worry about it. You will find another group"},{"startTime":1510.145,"endTime":1512.779,"body":"where you're in the groove."},{"startTime":1514.7,"endTime":1518.299,"body":"I think that's a really valuable lesson. If"},{"startTime":1518.299,"endTime":1521.659,"body":"something doesn't work out, I think the instinctive reaction of someone is"},{"startTime":1521.659,"endTime":1525.5,"body":"that it's down to them. It's somehow their fault. And"},{"startTime":1525.5,"endTime":1529.185,"body":"that isn't necessarily, and maybe isn't even often the"},{"startTime":1529.185,"endTime":1532.645,"body":"case. I did another interview recently where they were talking about"},{"startTime":1533.185,"endTime":1536.945,"body":"redundancy, and they were saying redundancy isn't"},{"startTime":1536.945,"endTime":1539.81,"body":"something that's wrong with you. It was something that"},{"startTime":1540.13,"endTime":1543.89,"body":"happened to you. It's not something that was caused by you."},{"startTime":1543.89,"endTime":1547.33,"body":"It was your role was made redundant. There was a restructuring, that kind of"},{"startTime":1547.33,"endTime":1551.09,"body":"thing. And it's very difficult not to take"},{"startTime":1551.09,"endTime":1554.885,"body":"these sorts of things personally. But if you can step"},{"startTime":1554.885,"endTime":1558.345,"body":"out of there and just realize, no, that's okay. It's just"},{"startTime":1558.885,"endTime":1562.585,"body":"it didn't work out. Okay. Let's go on to the next thing."},{"startTime":1563.045,"endTime":1566.74,"body":"Yeah. I think it takes a resilience to"},{"startTime":1566.74,"endTime":1570.42,"body":"make some of these changes, but it's just about keeping in"},{"startTime":1570.42,"endTime":1574.26,"body":"mind what you're doing it for, or how you're trying to progress"},{"startTime":1574.26,"endTime":1578.02,"body":"and get into a better place. So,"},{"startTime":1578.02,"endTime":1581.545,"body":"going back to the origins of PCD Club, you"},{"startTime":1581.545,"endTime":1585.304,"body":"said that it started as a hobby. Now some"},{"startTime":1585.304,"endTime":1588.745,"body":"people go running, some people play a musical instrument, some people"},{"startTime":1588.745,"endTime":1592.265,"body":"bake. You decided your hobby was creating dinners for 50-odd"},{"startTime":1592.265,"endTime":1596.1,"body":"attendees. Right. Yeah, that's right. I suppose, at that"},{"startTime":1596.1,"endTime":1599.62,"body":"time, as a young professional in London, I"},{"startTime":1599.62,"endTime":1603.14,"body":"would be going out every night of the"},{"startTime":1603.14,"endTime":1606.845,"body":"week doing different things. So, I was active in lots"},{"startTime":1606.845,"endTime":1610.205,"body":"of different social groups. I was very interested in"},{"startTime":1610.205,"endTime":1613.665,"body":"politics and current affairs and would often be going out to"},{"startTime":1613.804,"endTime":1616.865,"body":"various groups and social events around"},{"startTime":1617.005,"endTime":1620.625,"body":"politics, around business. I was just active in London"},{"startTime":1620.765,"endTime":1624.52,"body":"trying to tap into everything that was available"},{"startTime":1624.52,"endTime":1628.36,"body":"there, and work-style socialising was an extension of"},{"startTime":1628.36,"endTime":1631.88,"body":"that. So, before PCD, actually, with my wife, Sophie, we set"},{"startTime":1631.88,"endTime":1634.84,"body":"up a group called YP Network, which was actually not"},{"startTime":1634.84,"endTime":1638.565,"body":"industry-specific, but that did social events in different locations like"},{"startTime":1638.865,"endTime":1642.225,"body":"Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club and, Tate Modern and places like"},{"startTime":1642.225,"endTime":1646.065,"body":"that. So, essentially, before PCD, there came"},{"startTime":1646.065,"endTime":1649.365,"body":"just social events and wanting to socialize and network."},{"startTime":1650.0,"endTime":1653.78,"body":"And I suppose I've always been a bit of an instigator in the sense of,"},{"startTime":1653.92,"endTime":1657.3,"body":"I was always happy to make the first move to"},{"startTime":1657.76,"endTime":1661.14,"body":"suggest something, to gather people together."},{"startTime":1661.84,"endTime":1664.98,"body":"And I'd always done that through in school and university,"},{"startTime":1665.44,"endTime":1669.174,"body":"just being an instigator to make"},{"startTime":1669.174,"endTime":1672.795,"body":"stuff happen. And that's what I enjoy. And I remember just"},{"startTime":1672.934,"endTime":1676.395,"body":"one of the nights where we did an event at Ronnie Scott's jazz club, and"},{"startTime":1676.615,"endTime":1680.21,"body":"I just remember just such a thrill, getting"},{"startTime":1680.21,"endTime":1683.25,"body":"people together, having just gone six"},{"startTime":1683.25,"endTime":1687.01,"body":"weeks before and booked on a credit card 50"},{"startTime":1687.01,"endTime":1690.45,"body":"tickets for this one show, and then promote and sold"},{"startTime":1690.45,"endTime":1694.049,"body":"the concept of coming along under a sort of social network"},{"startTime":1694.049,"endTime":1697.764,"body":"event, I just found the thrill of getting a concept together"},{"startTime":1697.764,"endTime":1701.144,"body":"and selling it to people and then them coming along and enjoying it."},{"startTime":1701.284,"endTime":1705.044,"body":"Just a real buzz, you know? So, it was a hobby in the"},{"startTime":1705.044,"endTime":1708.85,"body":"sense that I wasn't"},{"startTime":1708.85,"endTime":1712.69,"body":"making money out of it per se. I was just looking to cover my"},{"startTime":1712.69,"endTime":1716.529,"body":"costs, and I was prepared to spend a lot of"},{"startTime":1716.529,"endTime":1720.21,"body":"time to make these events happen. Yeah, like I say, not to make"},{"startTime":1720.21,"endTime":1723.695,"body":"megabucks, but just to put it on. But then eventually,"},{"startTime":1723.755,"endTime":1726.715,"body":"you build the brand, and you build the name for it, and then you do,"},{"startTime":1726.715,"endTime":1730.235,"body":"oh, actually, I am making a little bit of money here. I am actually building"},{"startTime":1730.235,"endTime":1733.835,"body":"a customer base. And then, by the time it came to formulate it"},{"startTime":1733.835,"endTime":1737.56,"body":"into PCD Club, I did have the trust of people, and I did have"},{"startTime":1737.56,"endTime":1741.0,"body":"a customer base. And I did always find a new sale,"},{"startTime":1741.0,"endTime":1744.3,"body":"something popping through on PayPal saying someone's paid you,"},{"startTime":1744.6,"endTime":1748.44,"body":"a real thrill. And I think that I'm not"},{"startTime":1748.44,"endTime":1752.134,"body":"a classic entrepreneur. In school, I"},{"startTime":1752.134,"endTime":1755.735,"body":"wasn't selling chocolate bars behind the bike sheds"},{"startTime":1755.735,"endTime":1758.855,"body":"for whatever it is, which is what people kind of tend to think of as"},{"startTime":1758.855,"endTime":1762.534,"body":"an entrepreneurial mindset if you're not doing that, but I"},{"startTime":1762.534,"endTime":1766.33,"body":"think that's nonsense, really. I think that, you know, I was in school"},{"startTime":1766.33,"endTime":1769.81,"body":"studying and getting good grades, and our"},{"startTime":1769.81,"endTime":1773.53,"body":"family was a professional family, that was"},{"startTime":1773.53,"endTime":1777.13,"body":"just the thing to do. But it doesn't mean that when you identify"},{"startTime":1777.13,"endTime":1780.75,"body":"a product or a service, you can't go out and sell it, and"},{"startTime":1781.075,"endTime":1784.835,"body":"do so in an entrepreneurial fashion. But the buzz of"},{"startTime":1784.835,"endTime":1788.515,"body":"making a product and a service and selling it and seeing"},{"startTime":1788.515,"endTime":1792.275,"body":"those sales come in was something that was quite"},{"startTime":1792.275,"endTime":1795.67,"body":"addictive. You touched earlier on the"},{"startTime":1795.67,"endTime":1799.43,"body":"decision to take it full-time and make it"},{"startTime":1799.43,"endTime":1803.11,"body":"your thing. Talk to me a bit more about the"},{"startTime":1803.11,"endTime":1806.65,"body":"lead up to that, and what was it that made you go,"},{"startTime":1807.19,"endTime":1810.955,"body":"yeah, now's the right time? Well, I mean, it was a few"},{"startTime":1810.955,"endTime":1814.495,"body":"things. It was that I've been running PCD"},{"startTime":1815.195,"endTime":1818.955,"body":"while I was working for Lombard Odier, and I had"},{"startTime":1818.955,"endTime":1822.32,"body":"colleagues attending, and I was fully transparent about"},{"startTime":1822.48,"endTime":1826.08,"body":"building PCD. But it got to a"},{"startTime":1826.08,"endTime":1829.6,"body":"point where the size of the event, we were going to Dubai and doing events,"},{"startTime":1829.6,"endTime":1833.299,"body":"going to Jersey, and I was dovetailing that with my work."},{"startTime":1833.44,"endTime":1837.039,"body":"But, ultimately, there came a point where the employer naturally would"},{"startTime":1837.039,"endTime":1840.625,"body":"say, 'What is this?' You know, this is more than a"},{"startTime":1840.625,"endTime":1844.225,"body":"hobby because it's large, and it"},{"startTime":1844.225,"endTime":1848.065,"body":"obviously takes time. And so, there came a tension really,"},{"startTime":1848.065,"endTime":1851.905,"body":"I suppose, between this kernel of an idea, which was all it was"},{"startTime":1851.905,"endTime":1855.559,"body":"at that point, in a sense of I'd proven something by going to"},{"startTime":1855.559,"endTime":1859.399,"body":"different places and doing events, and I built a customer base, but it"},{"startTime":1859.399,"endTime":1863.08,"body":"wasn't something I felt I could make my living on, but there became a"},{"startTime":1863.08,"endTime":1866.6,"body":"tension between being full time employed and building that up, which I"},{"startTime":1866.6,"endTime":1870.355,"body":"understand. And at the same time, I just thought, well,"},{"startTime":1870.735,"endTime":1874.174,"body":"with this kernel of an"},{"startTime":1874.174,"endTime":1878.015,"body":"idea, if I squash it now in favour of just doubling down on my"},{"startTime":1878.015,"endTime":1881.65,"body":"banking career, I'll have given up something quite precious,"},{"startTime":1881.789,"endTime":1885.01,"body":"quite valuable that I'd spent this blood, sweat, and tears to go and"},{"startTime":1885.309,"endTime":1888.37,"body":"build. And I wasn't prepared to let that go"},{"startTime":1888.83,"endTime":1892.27,"body":"because I felt, you know, that it was"},{"startTime":1892.27,"endTime":1895.934,"body":"something that I valued. And because"},{"startTime":1895.934,"endTime":1899.615,"body":"I built so many contacts at that time, I"},{"startTime":1899.615,"endTime":1902.515,"body":"had people who were willing to,"},{"startTime":1903.294,"endTime":1907.054,"body":"essentially, for me to go self-employed and to work with them. So,"},{"startTime":1907.054,"endTime":1910.89,"body":"to give me some security of income, I was working with a tax"},{"startTime":1910.89,"endTime":1914.25,"body":"firm, I was working with an insurance brokerage, that gave me the"},{"startTime":1914.25,"endTime":1917.71,"body":"runway to go out. And so, I didn't sort"},{"startTime":1918.09,"endTime":1921.77,"body":"of leave the bank and then immediately start drawing a salary from"},{"startTime":1921.77,"endTime":1925.495,"body":"PCD. I actually worked for about 18 months as a"},{"startTime":1925.495,"endTime":1929.335,"body":"consultant with three companies, but"},{"startTime":1929.335,"endTime":1932.215,"body":"by that time, PCD was on the table, and"},{"startTime":1932.215,"endTime":1935.815,"body":"I was self-employed, so therefore I was able to do"},{"startTime":1935.815,"endTime":1939.5,"body":"it. But then after about 18 months, I basically thought, why am I"},{"startTime":1939.5,"endTime":1943.34,"body":"consulting for other people when I could be building my own? PCD at that"},{"startTime":1943.34,"endTime":1947.02,"body":"point was then a viable business to actually do. So, what I'd say"},{"startTime":1947.02,"endTime":1950.505,"body":"to people who are making transitions is, build your"},{"startTime":1950.505,"endTime":1954.265,"body":"runway. It's not about like, right, I jacked in my job one day, and"},{"startTime":1954.265,"endTime":1957.945,"body":"I turned the light on in another. And I spent many"},{"startTime":1957.945,"endTime":1961.645,"body":"years building to a point where I could be full-time credibly"},{"startTime":1962.23,"endTime":1965.99,"body":"on PCD. And it grew, it wasn't like jack that"},{"startTime":1965.99,"endTime":1969.67,"body":"in and then things are going to immediately take off. So, I learned"},{"startTime":1969.67,"endTime":1973.43,"body":"a lot about being self-employed, I guess, in that period as well,"},{"startTime":1973.43,"endTime":1976.95,"body":"and juggling different roles and trying to make that all work."},{"startTime":1977.955,"endTime":1981.635,"body":"And there's another valuable lesson there. There will be some"},{"startTime":1981.635,"endTime":1984.915,"body":"people who say that burning the boats is the only way to do it because"},{"startTime":1984.915,"endTime":1988.755,"body":"it forces you to, and you've got to make it work. But you've"},{"startTime":1988.755,"endTime":1992.26,"body":"demonstrated you can do it another way. You can allow"},{"startTime":1992.26,"endTime":1996.02,"body":"yourself a safety net. If PCD hadn't worked out, you probably could have"},{"startTime":1996.02,"endTime":1999.64,"body":"made a very nice living from continuing consulting, or you could have gone"},{"startTime":2000.26,"endTime":2004.02,"body":"back to working for a bank or an accountancy firm or"},{"startTime":2004.02,"endTime":2007.405,"body":"whoever. If it would have all gone to"},{"startTime":2007.405,"endTime":2011.165,"body":"par, yeah, it could have reversed. And I always"},{"startTime":2011.165,"endTime":2014.925,"body":"had options at every stage, until I get to a"},{"startTime":2014.925,"endTime":2018.605,"body":"point now where I'm unemployable in a way because I'm"},{"startTime":2018.605,"endTime":2022.35,"body":"so ingrained in self-employment, but it's"},{"startTime":2022.35,"endTime":2025.95,"body":"taken me a long time to reach this point. There were roots"},{"startTime":2025.95,"endTime":2029.789,"body":"back, all the way through, there were roots back, but"},{"startTime":2029.789,"endTime":2033.63,"body":"I didn't need to take them or didn't feel sufficiently strongly enough to want"},{"startTime":2033.63,"endTime":2037.225,"body":"to take them. PCD, at that point, is a"},{"startTime":2037.225,"endTime":2040.664,"body":"business that relies in large part on getting people"},{"startTime":2040.664,"endTime":2044.424,"body":"together in a room having dinner together. And then, in"},{"startTime":2044.424,"endTime":2047.885,"body":"March 2020, the pandemic happens. So,"},{"startTime":2048.52,"endTime":2052.12,"body":"talk to me about what effect that had and, yeah, what"},{"startTime":2052.12,"endTime":2055.9,"body":"were your thoughts then about the future of this as a viable business?"},{"startTime":2056.92,"endTime":2060.199,"body":"The pandemic, obviously, forced"},{"startTime":2060.199,"endTime":2063.964,"body":"so many fundamental challenges in the"},{"startTime":2063.964,"endTime":2067.565,"body":"company. I mean, in February 2020, we were due to"},{"startTime":2067.565,"endTime":2071.324,"body":"host an event in Singapore, and Singapore was one of the first places to"},{"startTime":2071.324,"endTime":2075.025,"body":"actually basically sound the alarm internationally,"},{"startTime":2075.909,"endTime":2079.349,"body":"and they had a warning out against events in"},{"startTime":2079.349,"endTime":2082.069,"body":"February 2020. So,"},{"startTime":2082.069,"endTime":2085.429,"body":"by that point, we were like, okay, the"},{"startTime":2085.429,"endTime":2088.915,"body":"Singapore event is not going to be operating. And then"},{"startTime":2088.915,"endTime":2092.675,"body":"later, in March, we had a London event and a"},{"startTime":2092.675,"endTime":2096.355,"body":"Manchester event. They obviously had to be pulled. And I think at that"},{"startTime":2096.355,"endTime":2100.195,"body":"time, we didn't know how long it was going to be. We thought"},{"startTime":2100.195,"endTime":2103.955,"body":"that it was going to be, well, surely by the autumn, we'll be back to"},{"startTime":2103.955,"endTime":2107.289,"body":"business. So, at that time,"},{"startTime":2107.289,"endTime":2111.069,"body":"what we started to do was just experiment"},{"startTime":2111.21,"endTime":2114.75,"body":"with different ways of doing things digitally, like webinars."},{"startTime":2115.53,"endTime":2119.295,"body":"We had a great team, particularly, I mean,"},{"startTime":2119.755,"endTime":2123.455,"body":"Sophie, my wife is very into the technology"},{"startTime":2123.595,"endTime":2127.214,"body":"side and the digital content."},{"startTime":2127.275,"endTime":2130.83,"body":"So, she figured out a lot of stuff to do with filming webinars"},{"startTime":2131.05,"endTime":2134.43,"body":"and just production generally. Chris is"},{"startTime":2134.81,"endTime":2138.33,"body":"our cameraman and head of creative. And"},{"startTime":2138.33,"endTime":2142.09,"body":"so, he was also there to, we did some filming out in"},{"startTime":2142.09,"endTime":2145.474,"body":"St Albans and things like that. We were trying to sort of just stay"},{"startTime":2145.474,"endTime":2148.455,"body":"visible. The timing in a way worked"},{"startTime":2149.315,"endTime":2152.535,"body":"as well as it could, because we are a membership"},{"startTime":2152.755,"endTime":2156.435,"body":"subscription model. And the way it all panned out"},{"startTime":2156.435,"endTime":2159.86,"body":"was that a lot of our subscriptions at that time would come in in"},{"startTime":2159.86,"endTime":2163.7,"body":"January to pay for events on the year ahead. So,"},{"startTime":2163.7,"endTime":2167.3,"body":"by the time everyone paid their invoices in January, because"},{"startTime":2167.3,"endTime":2170.944,"body":"nobody knew about Corona at that point, even into"},{"startTime":2170.944,"endTime":2174.385,"body":"February, people were obviously paying invoices because they were not really aware"},{"startTime":2174.385,"endTime":2178.224,"body":"of the change that was about to happen. So, we"},{"startTime":2178.224,"endTime":2181.845,"body":"were, I suppose, sat on a cash pile when it came to March,"},{"startTime":2182.065,"endTime":2185.65,"body":"that was due to be spent on me travelling and events that didn't need to"},{"startTime":2185.65,"endTime":2189.41,"body":"be spent. So, it gave us a little cash buffer. Our challenge"},{"startTime":2189.41,"endTime":2193.17,"body":"then was how do you stop people asking for"},{"startTime":2193.17,"endTime":2197.01,"body":"that money back? Or when it comes to renewal, what have"},{"startTime":2197.01,"endTime":2200.735,"body":"you given them in the interim such that you've got a viable business going"},{"startTime":2200.735,"endTime":2204.415,"body":"forward? So, we basically went all guns blazing on"},{"startTime":2204.415,"endTime":2207.615,"body":"webinars, on digital content. We improved our magazine,"},{"startTime":2207.615,"endTime":2211.055,"body":"we did little sessions on Zoom using breakout"},{"startTime":2211.055,"endTime":2214.83,"body":"rooms. We sold new products. So, essentially, the sponsors that"},{"startTime":2214.83,"endTime":2218.51,"body":"I had for that year ahead converted into doing a webinar"},{"startTime":2218.51,"endTime":2222.03,"body":"series. So, for example, we had Barclays Bank in London"},{"startTime":2222.03,"endTime":2225.87,"body":"sponsoring a Nairobi event in June 2020 that had to get"},{"startTime":2225.87,"endTime":2229.685,"body":"cancelled, but they'd already paid for it. So, we said, well, how's about we flip"},{"startTime":2229.685,"endTime":2233.525,"body":"that into a webinar series focusing on Kenya and did a"},{"startTime":2233.525,"endTime":2237.205,"body":"sort of Kenyan international series"},{"startTime":2237.205,"endTime":2240.825,"body":"covering lots of different things branded in partnership with Barclays."},{"startTime":2241.5,"endTime":2245.18,"body":"That worked. You know, we got that away. It worked. We sold"},{"startTime":2245.18,"endTime":2248.859,"body":"that concept then for new cash to other people. So, we created new"},{"startTime":2248.859,"endTime":2252.48,"body":"products based on what we could do to innovate."},{"startTime":2252.7,"endTime":2256.54,"body":"We kept our community engaged by all the digital channels that we"},{"startTime":2256.54,"endTime":2259.955,"body":"could. We stayed super visible on LinkedIn and on"},{"startTime":2259.955,"endTime":2263.735,"body":"email, so that when it came around even to January"},{"startTime":2264.355,"endTime":2267.715,"body":"2021, even in the depths of it all, where"},{"startTime":2267.715,"endTime":2271.3,"body":"people could have just completely cancelled"},{"startTime":2271.839,"endTime":2275.22,"body":"memberships and all of that, we still retained the core of support,"},{"startTime":2275.28,"endTime":2278.9,"body":"because people could see the value that we were trying to create. And also,"},{"startTime":2279.04,"endTime":2282.64,"body":"there was nothing else out there at that time. So, people knew they wanted"},{"startTime":2282.64,"endTime":2286.345,"body":"to still do something. And so, we managed to"},{"startTime":2286.345,"endTime":2290.185,"body":"ride that out because of our subscription model. That bit of"},{"startTime":2290.185,"endTime":2293.805,"body":"annuity income saved us. And then,"},{"startTime":2294.185,"endTime":2298.025,"body":"September 2021 was when we came back with our first event in London at"},{"startTime":2298.025,"endTime":2301.85,"body":"the Langham. And at that point, a lot of people hadn't been"},{"startTime":2301.85,"endTime":2305.69,"body":"to an event for the last 18 months. So, it took time for people"},{"startTime":2305.69,"endTime":2309.07,"body":"to get back comfortable again with this large-scale networking."},{"startTime":2309.45,"endTime":2313.005,"body":"And we had all the challenges of when we went to the Channel Islands,"},{"startTime":2313.065,"endTime":2316.744,"body":"when we went to Switzerland of like, you know, can we see you've got a"},{"startTime":2316.744,"endTime":2320.505,"body":"vaccine certificate? We went through all of that to execute"},{"startTime":2320.505,"endTime":2324.184,"body":"these events and then just gradually pulled out of that to"},{"startTime":2324.184,"endTime":2327.92,"body":"get into 2022, which was a"},{"startTime":2327.92,"endTime":2331.68,"body":"transitional year for people establishing new behaviour, and"},{"startTime":2331.68,"endTime":2335.36,"body":"then 2023 kind of fully back in the swim. But yeah,"},{"startTime":2335.36,"endTime":2338.82,"body":"it's taken a long time to unwind and has had a lasting"},{"startTime":2338.88,"endTime":2342.234,"body":"impact on, obviously, people's business habits,"},{"startTime":2342.935,"endTime":2346.234,"body":"interesting events. It fundamentally"},{"startTime":2346.455,"endTime":2349.755,"body":"changed a lot of things. Even though we're"},{"startTime":2350.055,"endTime":2353.815,"body":"putting it in the collective memory, it was obviously a"},{"startTime":2353.815,"endTime":2357.589,"body":"fundamentally important event for us. How did you"},{"startTime":2357.589,"endTime":2360.57,"body":"keep your subscribers happy?"},{"startTime":2361.03,"endTime":2364.71,"body":"Because they've signed up for a networking thing. They"},{"startTime":2364.71,"endTime":2368.55,"body":"want to meet people, do business with people. And you mentioned"},{"startTime":2368.55,"endTime":2372.345,"body":"having some small group Zoom breakouts, that kind"},{"startTime":2372.345,"endTime":2375.945,"body":"of thing, but also a lot of digital content, which sounds like a lot"},{"startTime":2375.945,"endTime":2379.464,"body":"of learning stuff, webinars, that kind of"},{"startTime":2379.464,"endTime":2381.724,"body":"things. I mean, clearly, people cancelled."},{"startTime":2381.865,"endTime":2385.6,"body":"People cancelled, but essentially,"},{"startTime":2385.6,"endTime":2389.16,"body":"we survived because our costs also, you know,"},{"startTime":2389.16,"endTime":2392.86,"body":"essentially, it was our pay, you know, we budgeted it."},{"startTime":2393.0,"endTime":2396.6,"body":"Every year, we spend 400,000 pounds on venues that we didn't need to spend."},{"startTime":2396.6,"endTime":2400.425,"body":"So, essentially, we hung in"},{"startTime":2400.425,"endTime":2404.125,"body":"there because our costs had gone from up here down there, and all"},{"startTime":2404.425,"endTime":2407.865,"body":"the venues, apart from one awkward one in Zurich that"},{"startTime":2407.865,"endTime":2411.625,"body":"charged us extra for rescheduling, but essentially, the whole industry"},{"startTime":2411.625,"endTime":2415.23,"body":"was like for like. So, if you paid any money,"},{"startTime":2415.23,"endTime":2418.43,"body":"it was just carried over. Venues"},{"startTime":2418.43,"endTime":2421.95,"body":"now are catching up. They're charging premiums, they're"},{"startTime":2421.95,"endTime":2425.31,"body":"jacking price, but in that moment they didn't, they"},{"startTime":2425.31,"endTime":2428.964,"body":"just rolled things forward or went like for"},{"startTime":2428.964,"endTime":2432.744,"body":"like. So, essentially, all we"},{"startTime":2432.805,"endTime":2436.565,"body":"had to do was create sufficient value. And also, our memberships"},{"startTime":2436.565,"endTime":2440.105,"body":"at that time, we had a digital membership for 250 pounds a year, which"},{"startTime":2440.565,"endTime":2444.09,"body":"sold quite well. Our corporate membership was 1200 plus VAT."},{"startTime":2444.09,"endTime":2447.79,"body":"So even that, actually the cost of"},{"startTime":2448.33,"endTime":2451.95,"body":"membership was so marginal, essentially, to firms, that they just"},{"startTime":2452.17,"endTime":2455.905,"body":"thought, you know, David will be back with"},{"startTime":2455.905,"endTime":2459.185,"body":"something, and we might as well support him in the interim. So, although"},{"startTime":2459.185,"endTime":2462.785,"body":"our membership did shrink, our costs shrank quite a lot, and we"},{"startTime":2462.785,"endTime":2466.305,"body":"kept in touch with people. And a"},{"startTime":2466.305,"endTime":2470.005,"body":"lot of those then flooded back as soon as we started again, people came back"},{"startTime":2470.51,"endTime":2474.27,"body":"and renewed. So, we just managed to hang on in there. And there"},{"startTime":2474.27,"endTime":2477.55,"body":"was a few key sponsors that helped us get there as well. I mean, fortunately,"},{"startTime":2477.55,"endTime":2481.31,"body":"Finance Isle of Man were able to sign a contract"},{"startTime":2481.31,"endTime":2485.065,"body":"in the middle of the pandemic for a package of events"},{"startTime":2485.065,"endTime":2488.744,"body":"that essentially kept the lights on. And I'm"},{"startTime":2488.825,"endTime":2492.665,"body":"grateful to them for that backing, because they helped us, and we do great business"},{"startTime":2492.665,"endTime":2496.285,"body":"together now, and we've been a good partner over many years, but the fact they"},{"startTime":2496.345,"endTime":2499.945,"body":"were able to sign that contract in the middle of everything when most people were"},{"startTime":2499.945,"endTime":2503.68,"body":"pulling back and send you the cash was, you know, one of"},{"startTime":2503.68,"endTime":2506.8,"body":"those things where things turn on a few details, and"},{"startTime":2506.8,"endTime":2508.8,"body":"that was one of them."},{"startTime":2510.48,"endTime":2513.2,"body":"Some people might call that lucky, but it's one of those things where you make"},{"startTime":2513.2,"endTime":2516.0,"body":"your own luck. If it hadn't been them, then it probably would have been someone"},{"startTime":2516.0,"endTime":2519.464,"body":"else. Yeah. You play the cards you're"},{"startTime":2519.464,"endTime":2523.224,"body":"dealt. And unfortunately, I mean, for me, at"},{"startTime":2523.224,"endTime":2526.424,"body":"that time, I just had to give the team a bit of vision, a bit"},{"startTime":2526.424,"endTime":2529.305,"body":"of energy, and a bit of, like, right, this is what we're doing. We always"},{"startTime":2529.305,"endTime":2532.94,"body":"had a plan. And what was quite interesting, I guess, was, we"},{"startTime":2532.94,"endTime":2536.7,"body":"were living in St Albans at that time, and weatherwise, it"},{"startTime":2536.7,"endTime":2540.32,"body":"was that wonderful spring summer, if you recall it. There was golden"},{"startTime":2540.78,"endTime":2544.56,"body":"afternoons and evenings. And there were people, friends of ours,"},{"startTime":2545.135,"endTime":2548.415,"body":"we've got two kids, there were friends of ours furloughed on"},{"startTime":2548.415,"endTime":2552.175,"body":"full salaries with, you know, having"},{"startTime":2552.175,"endTime":2555.775,"body":"a sort of a leisurely time. Obviously, there were people going through awful"},{"startTime":2555.775,"endTime":2559.32,"body":"things, which I'm not underplaying, but you could see other people not"},{"startTime":2559.32,"endTime":2563.16,"body":"really, we were working as hard as we'd ever worked to keep things up in"},{"startTime":2563.16,"endTime":2566.92,"body":"the air, although doing webinars and things doesn't"},{"startTime":2566.92,"endTime":2570.565,"body":"sound taxing, the scale at which we were trying to do it with"},{"startTime":2570.565,"endTime":2574.085,"body":"speakers internationally, figuring out new things, getting audiences, selling"},{"startTime":2574.085,"endTime":2577.605,"body":"concepts, meant that we were really under"},{"startTime":2577.605,"endTime":2581.125,"body":"pressure. And yeah, I just remember working, just feeling"},{"startTime":2581.125,"endTime":2584.905,"body":"so frazzled in that period, because"},{"startTime":2585.38,"endTime":2589.22,"body":"we were juggling so much, and we"},{"startTime":2589.3,"endTime":2593.14,"body":"were dealing with all this uncertainty as well, when we would come back with"},{"startTime":2593.14,"endTime":2596.28,"body":"events, what we were selling, what is the offering,"},{"startTime":2596.42,"endTime":2599.935,"body":"and trying to figure all that out while the kids"},{"startTime":2599.935,"endTime":2602.675,"body":"were at home or home-schooled"},{"startTime":2603.615,"endTime":2607.215,"body":"was something quite unique. So, coming back to"},{"startTime":2607.215,"endTime":2610.735,"body":"present day and the future, what's the shape of the business"},{"startTime":2610.735,"endTime":2614.31,"body":"now, and what shape would you like it to be in,"},{"startTime":2614.31,"endTime":2617.71,"body":"say, the next five years? Right now, we've"},{"startTime":2617.71,"endTime":2621.47,"body":"got some core locations across Europe and the Middle"},{"startTime":2621.47,"endTime":2625.15,"body":"East that we know work really well. We've consistently been there."},{"startTime":2625.15,"endTime":2628.21,"body":"We get a great sponsor line-up. We get a great delegate list."},{"startTime":2628.474,"endTime":2632.234,"body":"That's become a mature product. But we're"},{"startTime":2632.234,"endTime":2635.994,"body":"always looking at new ideas and new markets. So, last month"},{"startTime":2635.994,"endTime":2639.755,"body":"I went down to Lagos, Nigeria, and we did a new conference event with"},{"startTime":2639.755,"endTime":2643.56,"body":"a partner from London that worked fantastically well."},{"startTime":2643.62,"endTime":2647.46,"body":"It's a difficult market to operate in, so commands a premium. And that's"},{"startTime":2647.46,"endTime":2651.24,"body":"a franchise that we're looking to grow and expand. I guess, because"},{"startTime":2651.78,"endTime":2655.46,"body":"people doing the easy as it were, like doing an event in London or"},{"startTime":2655.46,"endTime":2659.085,"body":"Switzerland, or Dubai even, is the low-hanging"},{"startTime":2659.085,"endTime":2662.845,"body":"fruit of the sector. They are things that other people are doing. If you can"},{"startTime":2662.845,"endTime":2666.525,"body":"get into locations where people aren't operating, where there is value, where"},{"startTime":2666.525,"endTime":2670.35,"body":"there is a certain set of facts, that's what we're looking to do on"},{"startTime":2670.35,"endTime":2674.19,"body":"the event side, is leverage our expertise, pulling these events"},{"startTime":2674.19,"endTime":2677.55,"body":"together to go into premium markets, which are"},{"startTime":2677.55,"endTime":2681.39,"body":"underserved, where there is long term growth and opportunity. We've"},{"startTime":2681.39,"endTime":2684.37,"body":"got a fantastic media team that now can create brilliant"},{"startTime":2684.775,"endTime":2688.375,"body":"original conference assets and video. We've learned a huge"},{"startTime":2688.375,"endTime":2692.055,"body":"amount about executing great events and promoting them online. And"},{"startTime":2692.055,"endTime":2695.815,"body":"so, I would like to keep the core events"},{"startTime":2695.815,"endTime":2699.355,"body":"running, people know what they're getting with that, but then to add some exciting"},{"startTime":2700.279,"endTime":2703.5,"body":"new locations. I think there's huge opportunity"},{"startTime":2704.119,"endTime":2707.48,"body":"within the private wealth sector in some key African"},{"startTime":2707.48,"endTime":2710.859,"body":"markets, because there's clients there that are"},{"startTime":2711.0,"endTime":2714.68,"body":"growing, making money, needing services, not"},{"startTime":2714.68,"endTime":2718.415,"body":"familiar with all of the ideas and concepts and firms that"},{"startTime":2718.415,"endTime":2722.175,"body":"we take for granted in Europe or the US. And so, there's a"},{"startTime":2722.175,"endTime":2725.635,"body":"massive opportunity, I think, to bring some quality networking"},{"startTime":2725.775,"endTime":2729.58,"body":"connectivity to different emerging markets. And then,"},{"startTime":2729.58,"endTime":2733.02,"body":"also just on the media front, I think that we are in an era"},{"startTime":2733.02,"endTime":2736.78,"body":"where private wealth sector professionals haven't used all"},{"startTime":2736.78,"endTime":2740.62,"body":"the media channels to promote themselves, to build their visibility, that"},{"startTime":2740.62,"endTime":2744.184,"body":"going forward will become an essential component of how they"},{"startTime":2744.184,"endTime":2748.025,"body":"promote and get their business. I think that clients, whereas when"},{"startTime":2748.025,"endTime":2751.865,"body":"I was working at Dixon Wilson, the concept that clients"},{"startTime":2751.865,"endTime":2755.464,"body":"found their advisers through the Internet was sort of a bit of a joke. It"},{"startTime":2755.464,"endTime":2758.76,"body":"wasn't really something that people took seriously. Whereas"},{"startTime":2759.14,"endTime":2762.66,"body":"now, obviously, the idea that clients aren't looking at"},{"startTime":2762.66,"endTime":2766.5,"body":"Googling stuff if they want to know about a topic or looking things up"},{"startTime":2766.5,"endTime":2770.18,"body":"on YouTube on their phone is crazy. Of course they are. And then,"},{"startTime":2770.18,"endTime":2773.724,"body":"it's how do you get, how do you access"},{"startTime":2773.724,"endTime":2777.325,"body":"that new audience, those new people who are looking for"},{"startTime":2777.325,"endTime":2781.085,"body":"information that you might be able to provide? So, I think it's an"},{"startTime":2781.085,"endTime":2784.924,"body":"exciting time for professionals wanting to build visibility and"},{"startTime":2784.924,"endTime":2788.529,"body":"create content, and we can be part of that story. So, going"},{"startTime":2788.529,"endTime":2791.569,"body":"forward, I think, yeah, I'm excited by the"},{"startTime":2791.569,"endTime":2795.25,"body":"digital marketing opportunities that we've been learning"},{"startTime":2795.25,"endTime":2798.915,"body":"about and kind of trying to craft. Well, I, for one,"},{"startTime":2798.915,"endTime":2802.475,"body":"am going to be absolutely fascinated to see where it goes. David, thank you so"},{"startTime":2802.475,"endTime":2806.235,"body":"much for coming on and sharing your story. As you've been through"},{"startTime":2806.235,"endTime":2809.455,"body":"this journey, have there been any resources, people,"},{"startTime":2809.915,"endTime":2813.115,"body":"books, podcasts, anything, which have particularly helped you?"},{"startTime":2814.32,"endTime":2817.94,"body":"There was a person at Lombard Odier, he was a portfolio"},{"startTime":2818.08,"endTime":2821.92,"body":"manager that had been there for many, many years. Very nice chap,"},{"startTime":2821.92,"endTime":2825.52,"body":"but at the end of his career, with a very good life"},{"startTime":2825.52,"endTime":2829.06,"body":"experience. And I remember just sitting down with him"},{"startTime":2829.395,"endTime":2833.155,"body":"and just talking about the future, not specifically looking at"},{"startTime":2833.155,"endTime":2836.994,"body":"anything that I was doing, but he said to me, 'You know, life's not"},{"startTime":2836.994,"endTime":2840.694,"body":"a rehearsal.' And it's something that just resonates"},{"startTime":2841.075,"endTime":2844.7,"body":"with me so strongly, because you don't know you're on the right path."},{"startTime":2844.839,"endTime":2847.74,"body":"But the fact is, you've got to try something."},{"startTime":2848.2,"endTime":2851.72,"body":"We're only doing this once. You know? You"},{"startTime":2851.72,"endTime":2855.4,"body":"can't replay this journey. And so, you"},{"startTime":2855.4,"endTime":2858.885,"body":"make choices, and you stick by them, and that's what happens."},{"startTime":2858.885,"endTime":2862.645,"body":"And I guess I feel like, in my own journey, I've"},{"startTime":2862.645,"endTime":2866.085,"body":"seen opportunities, I've grabbed them, I've tried to make the most of"},{"startTime":2866.085,"endTime":2869.865,"body":"them, and I feel that I'm taking control of my own"},{"startTime":2870.55,"endTime":2874.23,"body":"story, because that's all we have. And when I was"},{"startTime":2874.23,"endTime":2877.93,"body":"thinking about leaving banking, there are a lot of sad bankers"},{"startTime":2877.99,"endTime":2881.83,"body":"who are in their fifties, in a golden cage, earning a"},{"startTime":2881.83,"endTime":2885.575,"body":"massive salary, but not fundamentally happy. And I"},{"startTime":2885.575,"endTime":2889.335,"body":"often think, you know, I'm making my own path. That, for"},{"startTime":2889.335,"endTime":2892.395,"body":"me, has a massive amount of value. Now, hopefully,"},{"startTime":2893.495,"endTime":2897.255,"body":"I can monetize it and make my own pot of gold, but the fact is,"},{"startTime":2897.255,"endTime":2900.35,"body":"every day, I get up to a challenge that I fundamentally"},{"startTime":2901.05,"endTime":2904.49,"body":"enjoy and is of my own making. So, I think, life is not a"},{"startTime":2904.49,"endTime":2908.09,"body":"rehearsal is a bit of a mantra for me, because it's just"},{"startTime":2908.17,"endTime":2911.61,"body":"that seize the day concept of making something"},{"startTime":2911.61,"endTime":2915.285,"body":"happen. Where would you like people to go if they want"},{"startTime":2915.285,"endTime":2919.045,"body":"to find you and more about your business? I'm prolific"},{"startTime":2919.045,"endTime":2922.484,"body":"on LinkedIn, so they can find me on LinkedIn or PCD Group,"},{"startTime":2922.484,"endTime":2926.105,"body":"the PCD Group website or PCD group on LinkedIn. Do"},{"startTime":2926.65,"endTime":2930.49,"body":"come and follow us, find out what's happening, and, yeah, we're building a community"},{"startTime":2930.49,"endTime":2934.329,"body":"and a great story. Well, David, thank you again so much for"},{"startTime":2934.329,"endTime":2937.23,"body":"coming on the show. Pleasure. Lovely to talk to you, Jeremy."},{"startTime":3051.855,"endTime":3055.455,"body":"Okay. Hope you enjoyed that interview with David Bell of PCD"},{"startTime":3055.455,"endTime":3058.735,"body":"Club. There is a lot to be said for"},{"startTime":3058.735,"endTime":3062.495,"body":"developing your abilities to sell, and I can just feel that some of"},{"startTime":3062.495,"endTime":3064.755,"body":"you are probably getting"},{"startTime":3065.17,"endTime":3068.53,"body":"triggered as I say that. Oh my goodness,"},{"startTime":3068.53,"endTime":3071.97,"body":"I'm not a salesman. I've got absolutely no"},{"startTime":3071.97,"endTime":3075.81,"body":"desire to do that. But selling"},{"startTime":3075.81,"endTime":3079.545,"body":"comes in many forms, and if you can learn what"},{"startTime":3079.944,"endTime":3083.785,"body":"form, what method works for you,"},{"startTime":3083.785,"endTime":3086.308,"body":"that aligns with you, even if you're not planning to start a business or sell"},{"startTime":3086.308,"endTime":3088.265,"body":"a product or service, you'll find it"},{"startTime":3088.265,"endTime":3091.464,"body":"really beneficial. I"},{"startTime":3091.464,"endTime":3095.244,"body":"think a previous guest of mine basically said that"},{"startTime":3095.54,"endTime":3099.22,"body":"we are all salespeople of one"},{"startTime":3099.22,"endTime":3102.58,"body":"form or another. So,"},{"startTime":3102.58,"endTime":3106.359,"body":"finding out how you can do it authentically could well be"},{"startTime":3106.82,"endTime":2983.22,"body":"time worth spending. So, aside from that message, one of the other things I really"},{"startTime":2983.68,"endTime":2987.52,"body":"liked about this interview with David was when he talked about"},{"startTime":2987.52,"endTime":2991.14,"body":"having a golden cage. And I can definitely relate to that. You're doing"},{"startTime":2991.435,"endTime":2995.195,"body":"a job which is well paid, which is high status, it's well"},{"startTime":2995.195,"endTime":2998.795,"body":"regarded, it enables you to live a very comfortable life, it"},{"startTime":2998.795,"endTime":3002.255,"body":"can be very hard to let that go."},{"startTime":3002.955,"endTime":3006.6,"body":"And I think that's one reason why many people stick"},{"startTime":3006.6,"endTime":3010.36,"body":"in jobs which are making them miserable, because it does give them that"},{"startTime":3010.36,"endTime":3013.96,"body":"level of self-worth and comfort. Now one of my favourite"},{"startTime":3013.96,"endTime":3017.8,"body":"films for this time of year is the Muppet Christmas"},{"startTime":3017.8,"endTime":3021.635,"body":"Carol. I absolutely love it and probably do watch it every year."},{"startTime":3021.635,"endTime":3025.315,"body":"And one of the things I like about it is when Scrooge"},{"startTime":3025.315,"endTime":3029.075,"body":"meets with the ghost of Christmas past and goes back into his own past."},{"startTime":3029.075,"endTime":3032.755,"body":"You can hear him justifying all the action which he takes. There's"},{"startTime":3032.755,"endTime":3036.089,"body":"a reason for pursuing the particular path he does. It"},{"startTime":3036.15,"endTime":3039.91,"body":"makes sense to him. But it's when he meets"},{"startTime":3039.91,"endTime":3043.75,"body":"the other two spirits that he realizes"},{"startTime":3043.75,"endTime":3047.084,"body":"that it hasn't made him happy. So, as we go into this year's holiday season,"},{"startTime":3047.085,"endTime":3049.349,"body":"see if you can take a little bit of time to reflect. Are you staying"},{"startTime":3049.349,"endTime":2941.625,"body":"where you are because it's comfortable? Have you locked yourself in this golden cage that"},{"startTime":2941.625,"endTime":2945.385,"body":"David talked about? If you have, and you're okay with that, then, you"},{"startTime":2945.385,"endTime":2947.885,"body":"know, fine. If you're doing it intentionally and with awareness, then that's one thing. It's"},{"startTime":2947.885,"endTime":2950.617,"body":"when you're just going on autopilot down this road that I think the risk of"},{"startTime":2950.617,"endTime":2954.362,"body":"regrets in the future is much greater. So, I'm aware that is a little bit"},{"startTime":2954.363,"endTime":2957.64,"body":"deep for the last episode before the holidays, and whatever your run-up is to the"},{"startTime":2957.64,"endTime":2961.4,"body":"festive season, and however you celebrate it or"},{"startTime":2961.4,"endTime":2965.025,"body":"don't, I hope that you get a chance to enjoy"},{"startTime":2965.025,"endTime":2967.791,"body":"it, that you get to relax, spend time with loved ones, and I will see"},{"startTime":2967.792,"endTime":2968.065,"body":"you again in two weeks' time. So, cheers, Bye and happy holidays."}]}