Project 366 / 121 - Rubbish, eBay and shelf life

There's something very liberating about doing a tip run. Whether it's the sense of accomplishment of clearing away the rubbish that's been building up or finally getting some long standing chores done, it is a great feeling.

I for one don't like throwing things away that could either 1) have a monetary value, 2) still have a use to someone or 3) hold some sentimental value. I even shed a silent tear when we had to get rid of Lincoln's highchair. I think that it was just the fact of never having one again that made me feel sad. That our boys were growing up and we'd never have a baby again.

When I look round my home or work everything I see I have had to pay for - literally everything. To then throw these things away seems a waste of money but the reality is that despite the poverty in the world, no one wants my shit.

One of the problems with owning warehouses is now the endless possibility of holding on to stuff. I've got pallets and pallets of my stuff, just sitting on the racking waiting to be sold on eBay. I could probably raise £5k-£10k if I had a really good clear out. As I write this I feel that urge to do it but I know deep down that I haven't got the time or opportunity to properly tackle it.

It's a wasted opportunity and hey, we could all do with the money.

Sitting in the long queue for the tip today though just proved that we are living in a disposable society. One where it is easier to replace than to fix. We even give it a name - recycling. Manufacturers don't help. Where once they built products to last now they build them to fail, continuously producing parts with a short shelf life, forcing the consumer to buy new over and over again. When my parents were first married they bought a washing machine and tumble drier, both which lasted over 25 years. Now, regardless of how much you spend, you'll be lucky to get past 5 years.

One of the problems is everything is so technical and complicated. Our washing machine has about 80 different program variations and we only use 3. But you can't buy one with 3. The more the machine does the more there is to go wrong with it. And when it does go wrong the engineer says "sorry mate, they don't make the parts for this machine any more". What? It's only 4 years old!

Project 366 / 120 - Naysayers, venom and criticism

There's a lot of venom around. People just don't like others having fun, doing well or just about doing anything that they aren't not doing. I call it jealousy.

And then there are the naysayers. Arnold, in his USC commencement address back in 2009, cleverly said "I love it when someone says that no one has ever done this before, because then when I do it that means that I'm the first one that has done it." Negativity can stall and crush you or it can build and inspire you. As Nelson Mandela said "It always seems impossible until it is done".

People will always put you down, they'll always criticise your enthusiasm and drive. Why? Because they wish they had it. At first they'll ask you why your doing it, later they'll ask you how you did it. That's leadership, that's entrepreneurial spirit, that's focus.

I've written about those keyboard warriors before (see here) but it is all so true. People are very brave behind a keyboard or behind a telephone. I get it all the time at work. Get those same people face to face and 99% of the time it's a completely different conversation.

People criticise the press for building people up and then dramatically lynching them down but the general public are just as bad. They'll keep silent through your successes, patiently waiting for a sniff of failure to jump out and say "I told you so" or pull apart your every move.

The majority of people are sheep playing follow-my-leader and wanting everything but doing nothing. They are scared, puny, unadventurous and weak, yet full of "advice" without having the practical knowledge or background to give it. Experience provides practical knowledge.

Remember, only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.

Project 366 / 119 - Saudi truckers, talking and your North Star

It's good to talk. It's even better chatting to people on the same level as you, who are going through similar things to you. I guess it really helps make sense of the struggle and the sacrifices but more importantly reinforces the direction that you're travelling, which is something that is easy to lose sight of.

I remember someone telling me a story about truck drivers in the Saudi desert. The distances they had to travel were so vast that they could only make the journey in pairs. The terrain was flat and hard with little points of reference so they'd have to follow the route of the overground pipelines as map reference.

Whilst travelling, the trucks would pull closely alongside each other causing a vacuum which would keep the trucks together. Then after putting both trucks on autopilot one driver would jump across to the other to play card games, watch TV or just for company. Often the drivers would fall asleep only to wake up to find that the vacuum between the trucks had been lost and the other truck had veered off course.

They'd then drive the truck to find the unmanned truck, pull alongside, jump over, correct the course, resume the vacuum and repeat until finally reaching their destination.

Business is much like that. On a day to day basis it can feel like you're heading in the right direction and all is going well. But over time you can easily drift. It's not necessarily noticeable as it happens but over time this drift can be quite dramatic.

A point of reference, a mentor, a visible business plan, a business partner, regular company meetings and having a couple of people to talk to who are following a similar path can really help you continue your journey to your North Star.

5 minutes of daily planning can save days of diversions.

Project 366 / 118 - Pain, gain and perception

I watched a short YouTube video earlier today about the perception of a successful entrepreneur. How people look, think it's all easy, see you taking a day off or leaving early or buying something nice and then say "huh, it's alright for you."

I started my business in 2001 in the trenches when I was 29. I'd already worked my face off for someone else, getting up at 4.45am, getting home at 9pm, not having a "life" just to better my situation both professionally and financially. When I started my business at 29 I didn't have much in the way of clients or physical business coming in so did the only thing I knew how to do - put in the hours and grind.

In 2008 the worst worldwide economic recession hit and within a year I'd lost everything that I'd spent 7 years building. The business went into liquidation and I was left literally holding my 1 year old son thinking "shit, what now".

Start again, that's what.

So that's what I did. The recession was long and tough and for the first 3 years to 2012 everything financial was literally was hand-to-mouth. Fortunately I'd been able to reduce my overheads by a substantial amount so we kept afloat. We were on skeleton staff and I was back to covering all the most mundane tasks just to keep costs down.

It worked and as the country began to lift out of the recession the business started slowly coming back. But I'd been bitten and so I was extremely cautious. I resisted the urge to buy anything, even recycling old computers to avoid buying new ones and kept all costs on a tight leash. I kept staff numbers down and continued to take up the slack myself.

Over the next couple of years we gained some good new contracts and financially the burden eased. The next challenge I faced was staff. Over the last 2 years I've been through a succession of wholly inappropriate and lazy staff. The problem? People just don't want to work. They want to do the very minimum they have to to get by and then expect bonuses, pay rises and every added extra, completely ignorant to their short comings. Needless to say I sacked a lot of people. Some within a week but most within a month. It was a very frustrating and irritating time.

To cover for these problems and due to the fact that our business volume had increased substantially I resorted to getting into work at 5am, working until 9pm and then working weekends, just to keep everything going. No lunch, no holiday - nothing. It wasn't until 2015 that our staffing issues began to settle down and only this year that we're fully staffed with competent, hard working, trustworthy staff.

And that brings us to 2016, some 15 years of having my own business and it's taken this long to reach the point that I feel reasonably confident in the future. Is it "alright for me"? Well I'll let you be the judge of that. But just remember, since having my own business, me and my wife and kids have never had a 2 week holiday. Instead of continually reinvesting profits back into the company and taking on more staff, pressure and responsibilities I could just take the money out of my businesses and be pretty well off. But I don't.

Oh and I don't have a car, instead I still drive round in a van.

Yeah, it's alright for me.

Project 366 / 117 - Emotions, tantrums and Platoon

One of the things that I've been trying to teach my children, especially Reece as he approaches 9 years old, is the ability to control your emotions. I'm painfully aware that he's only a few years from those teenage-puberty-stricken emotions and my "plan", if you can call it that, is to train him to control his emotions before they begin to control him.

Funnily enough he's well aware that teenagers are moody and grumpy and makes good light and humour of it now. But that's now, not then.

That said, he's a very emotional child. He throws those epic platoon style, fall-on-the-floor, no shame, I-don't-care-who's-watching tantrums when either;

a) he loses at any game
b) he has to come off the iPad
c) he has to come off YouTube
d) he has to eat anything
e) he has to have a bath
f) he has to get out of the bath
g) he has to go to bed

Ok, basically if he doesn't get his own way.

He gets over things pretty quickly and is almost embarrassed by his behaviour afterwards, admitting that "it was pretty stupid". Lincoln, his younger brother is now following suit as it's what you do, obviously.

Before children Gem said that she couldn't ever imagine being a mother to a teenager. Back then I laughed at her, saying that "you don't just get lumped with a teenager" and "it's not something that happens over night", that "it's a gradual thing which you'll learn to deal with". Now, I'm not so sure. These emotional outbursts seem to be coming thick and fast and have seemingly come out of nowhere, almost over night.

Between us we're working hard to handle the situation, so the idea of teaching or training him to control his emotions is a pretty attractive one. So far it's not worked but we can but continue to try.

Project 366 / 116 - Change, being different and complaining

Similarity breeds contempt. The answer? Change.

Yes the world is constantly changing, if you don't want to be left behind then you have to change and yet this seems to be one of the main things people fight. They don't like change.

There is a romanticism about what's worked in the past but dependence on this is what is likely to fail you in the future. You can relate this to business, to relationships, to exercise to anything. Relying on tried and tested methods will only work for so long, you have to adapt and you have to evolve to improve.

Be different. If you want to stand out from the crowd then you have to have that unique selling point or that unique angle or approach that's going to set you apart and get you noticed. It's pointless being the same as everyone else, that's boring, that's tried and tested. You or your business has to have personality, you have to be the person or company that people want to speak to, not who they dread. Individuality, personality and enthusiasm opens doors.

And stop moaning or complaining because no one is listening and no one is interested. Your customers don't want excuses they want results. You've been soooo busy? Fine, I'll find someone who has got the time for me. You've had a problem? Well find a solution, that's what I'm paying you for. Image and perception is everything so be like a swan - graceful from the surface, pedalling like hell under the water.

People hear of what you've done, not what you've been through to get there. The majority don't understand and nearly all don't have the time nor inclination to do so. So if it is sympathy, or attention that you're after then you're in the wrong game.

Autobiographies are impossible to sell with out individuality or passion. Don't believe me? Then write one and try to sell it, maybe then you'll understand.

Project 366 / 115 - Stamina, will power and marathon running

To mark my 40th birthday I decided to run The London Marathon. It had been something that growing up I'd always wanted to do but could never imagine training for it. After all I'd been an avid gym-goer and aerobic work was really not going to help my muscle-quest.

But when I was 36 we'd started a family and my gym routine had been annihilated in favour of staying up all night with a child that didn't sleep. For the first 3 years of Reece's life he didn't sleep through so I was 39 before I began to get a decent nights sleep and then, as soon as I did, I persuaded my wife that we should really have another.

Gem fell pregnant straight away and by the actual day of The London Marathon she was heavily pregnant (about 36 weeks). She still went up to London to support me, with Reece (now 4) in tow. It was an amazing day (I wrote a blog about it) and it's something that I'll remember for the rest of my life.

So why am I talking about this today? Well today was the day of the 2016 London Marathon and watching the runners going though some of the most iconic of London landmarks really brings it all back. I've run just one marathon, one half marathon and completed the London Triathlon (olympic distance no less!) and whilst I miss race day I totally understand the sacrifice, time and dedication that it takes to get there.

And that's what people don't understand. And that's why you'll see 101 Facebook posts about "definitely doing the London Marathon next year" and then see that enthusiasm quickly diminish as the reality of what it entails begins to sink in.

For a novice, training for London starts around November. That's when it's cold, dark, wet and miserable. That's when it's easiest to say "maybe tomorrow". The reality is that that climate doesn't really change until March. It's like when I first had my dog and I was walking him round the park one evening in the rain. At that point I hadn't yet invested in any waterproofs and I was soaked to the skin. Seeing my plight another dog walker walked with me to share his umbrella and I happened to mention that "this weather will only be for a couple of months before the goods weather returns". He literally laughed in my face before telling me that "it's like this for at least 6 months of the year mate" so I'd basically better go and get some wet weather gear and get used to it.

Training for London is just like that and I laugh in the face at the numerous people I know who haven't got the backbone, stamina, will power or dedication to see it through despite continually preaching that they have and they will.

I don't even like running but I do love the sense of accomplishment that completing something like The London Marathon gives you. It's like a bucket list item in as much that it stays with you. So when someone says they've done it just remember how much backbone, stamina, will power and dedication they possess.

Project 366 / 114 - RIP Prince

So far 2016 has been a dark year for famous deaths. From Alan Rickman, Terry Wogan, Paul Daniels and George Martin, to Ronnie Corbett, Lemmy, David Bowie and now Prince.

Whilst there seems to be more people passing away than ever, there is some clue as to why. Prior to the 60's there was no television so the only famous people were from cinema so technically there's just more famous people now than there were before. Then the people who started being famous in the 60's are now entering their 70's and are naturally starting to die.

Sadly that doesn't explain the casualties, the ones, like Prince, who died before their time. The likes of Paul Walker (car crash), Philip Seymour Hoffman (drug overdose), Heath Ledger (drug overdose) and Michael Jackson are the ones which impact the most.

And then there are the numerous victims of Cancer going to prove that it doesn't matter how famous you are or how much money you have that if it's your time, it's your time. You have to take your hat off to these celebs, they're battling an illness behind closed doors. The world unaware of their struggle and fighting for not only their lives but their legacy. David Bowie, well aware of his limited time made the effort to make a final album. That's got to be a tough call.

There's talk of a vault in Prince's residence that contains enough songs to release an album a year for 1000 years (yes a thousand years). One of his producers was reported to say that Prince had been recording 2 songs a day for years, most of which he either never intended to release but others which he felt were so good that the world wasn't ready to hear yet.

As it was Price released 39 albums from 1978 to 2015 (that's more than 1 per year) but that doesn't include the 5 soundtrack albums, 4 live albums, 17 video albums, 12 EP's and various remixed albums, collaborations and countless songs he wrote for other artists and under pseudonyms.

Just as with David Bowie, Prince was an extremely prolific, experimental, flamboyant and influential musician, and the world is a much poorer place without him.

Project 366 / 113 - My Dad, parenting and pride

I went clay pigeon shooting today with my Dad. It's the first time we've actually spent any sustained quality time with each other for... I don't know, a long time.

I haven't been close to my Dad since I was probably 8. As soon as they sent me away to full time boarding school at something like 7 we began drifting apart. I never held it against him, or my Mum but I guess it was a natural progression. I was on my own, I had to fend for myself and I was wholly responsible for my actions. As a result my relationshIp with my parents would never been the same again.

Fast forward a few decades and they're now in their twilight years. It feels as though my sister has as good as written them out of her life and at the end of last year I sat looking at myself in the mirror wondering if I should make more of an effort. I decided that I should and one of my many mental resolutions was to try to be a better son to my Dad.

But it's hard when you have so little in common. I make the conversation and I keep the topics within my Dad's interests. It's work, masonry, rugby and that's about it. Outside of that there is little in response. It's almost like he's not interested and it's frustrating.

After lunch today I took him over to our car restoration workshop to show him the 1941 Buick Woodie that we've spent the last 26 months restoring. This car is one of only eighteen remaining in the world - it's a sight to behold. Financially it's a £250k car. It's flawless. It's beautiful. It's amazing.

He stood there silent. Was he speechless? Was he transfixed? Hardly a word was uttered and then we left. I had to actually ask him what he thought and then barely a compliment passed his lips.

I still don't know how to react. Maybe it's beyond his comprehension. Maybe I'm expecting way too much. Maybe I care what he thinks too much.

They say that you learn a lot from your parents. Well I can safely say that I've learnt a hell of a lot from mine. Primarily how not to bring up your children. Whilst I'm pretty much permanently in a I don't give a fuck mood I still think that it's sad. I've got friends who have lost their parents who they had incredible relationships with and yet here mine still are, still pushing us away.

I'd never send my children to boarding school. I want to see them every day, I want to be their life, I want to watch them grow. I really don't want to miss a thing. This thing called childhood is over in a blink of an eye - we're all grown up far too soon and we're a long time old so I'm cherishing every moment, thanks in part to the lessons my parent taught me, of how not to do it.

Project 366 / 112 - Looking backwards, looking forwards and progress

Richard Branson was recently talking about the importance of celebrating success. He was also talking about the importance of progress, no matter how small.

I'm not sure that I like looking back, I'm more of a looking forward kinda guy. As a result I tend not to celebrate success so much. Yes we all have those micro-victories - the new contract, the odd business award and the occasional pat on the back from a respected source but in general before we know it the moment has passed, the new day has begun and with it the pressure returns.

I know I've failed in the past and it's that fear of failure that drives me forward to succeed. But do I think that I've succeeded?

Not at all.

Yes I've had some success but there's such a long way to go, such a lot to accomplish and so many wrongs to put right that celebrating now feels premature. Plus a good week doesn't make a good month and a good month doesn't make a good year, but the same can be said for the bad.

But there is a sense of pride. A pride in what we do and what we offer. We know that we can be exceptionally good at what we do - it's just the consistency which we're striving for, and this is progress.

When Branson talks about the importance of progress he's talking about incremental progress. Just as long as you're making progress, no matter how small, then you're moving forwards, you're improving. Just as you may criticize a diet that may only lose you 0.5lb a week, over the long haul of a year you'll potentially lose 26lbs or nearly 2 stone.

Celebrate the progress rather than the result and celebrate the continual improvement rather than the goal.

Project 366 / 111 - Pondering, squandering and action

They say "action speaks louder than words" and how true this is.

The latest Gary Vaynerchuk rant spoke volumes. He's obviously getting tons of the same types of questions and on Facebook Live yesterday it all came out. Frustrated with the lack of peoples patience (building business takes time people), and annoyed with the lack of action - "pondering is squandering" - he advised that too much strategizing and debating has a negative impact, that you can only read and watch so many books and YouTube videos and that action, going and doing is the only way.

That's brought me to where I am now. I've thought about the future. I've planned, I've strategized, I've pondered, I've debated and where has it got me? Literally nowhere. Putting plans to action is when you know whether the idea will work. Only then will the business begin.

With regard to major brand marketing everything feels disjointed. Companies are marketing one way but living another. Companies are advertising in places that no one is looking and ignoring platforms where the attention actually is. Think about it, 53% of the time that people spend on their phone is on social media. The "advertisers" decide to spend their marketing budget on billboards and TV advertising yet spend their personal time not looking at billboards and TV adverts, instead stuck with their head in their phone. I think this opens up a massive opportunity for getting it right.

But what for the small businesses? Is there a place for us and if so where is it?

Well that really depends on what type of business you are, what you're selling and who your target market is. If you're selling a rust convertor then I'd say that the majority of the social media sites won't be that relevant. Of course there'll be a percentage of customers there so it shouldn't be ignored but I think that your £ would be better spent face to face, cold calling and good old e-mail marketing. If you're selling baby products then Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram would be a great place - that's where the market is, that's where the attention is.

I'm currently setting up a new marketing division, it could even turn out to be a new company - who knows? But what I do know is that one size doesn't fit all. You can't spend all day cold calling - you'll burn out. You can't spend all day calling existing customers, you can't spend all day writing blogs, or posting social media updates, or researching, or analysing data. But you can split your day up into 60-90 minute sections, addressing all of these on a daily basis.

Sales and marketing has to be fun, it has to be rewarding and everything you do has to support everything else that you do. So everything that you do online should compliment each other and all that should support and back up your e-mail marketing and direct sales efforts. Only by hitting your customers and prospective customers from all angles will you begin to get the traction you need.

And patience. Lots of patience.

Project 366 / 110 - Structure, routine and faffing

I've spoken about planning before but not about structure or routine and it's something I noticed yesterday morning after working on Sunday.

I don't often work on a Sunday but when I do it's usually because it's quiet. I don't have any phones ringing, or staff wanting to talk to me, or e-mails flying from every direction or deadlines to meet. Sometimes noise and being in demand can be a good thing, being instinctive and being under a bit of external pressure can result in me producing better work as I don't have the time to over-analyse or over-think things. But sometimes I just need a bit of peace and quiet and a bit of that most valuable of all things - time.

But Sunday I was up and ready to roll at a good time. But without the pressure of a 9am start I found myself faffing, just doing this, just doing that. Don't get me wrong I wasn't sitting on the sofa watching TV, it was all constructive stuff but it wasn't what I'd planned to do.

I eventually got in to work but someone had turned the radiator off on the Friday and the office was freezing. This slowed my progress as the office didn't heat up for 90 minutes but by then I'd got cold to the bone and never really warmed up through and through.

So I sat and slowly worked through what I was wanting to accomplish. It took longer than I'd hoped and I found the silence unusual. Needless to say I did most of what I came in to do before leaving to do some other chores. The difference was it felt alien and I never got into a flow.

On Monday I was up and out, I took Reece to school and was at work in good time. I then started cracking through my workload but became conscious of my working speed. Things were flowing, I was accomplishing tasks quickly and easily.

It's my business, I'm the boss so I can come and go as I please but the routine, but I found that the structure and routine of working for set hours every day really plays to my strengths.

I guess it's called discipline.

I wonder how disciplined I would be if I didn't work. If all the things that I dream of achieving when I step back from work would happen, or if I would find myself faffing and not making the most of every day. I'm guessing that I'd eventually find a structure and routine that would work but in the short term it would be a challenge.

Project 366 / 109 - Drones, idiots and invading privacy

I bought a drone a couple of years ago and all the additional tech to go with my GoPro (monitor, extended receiver etc..). My plan was to do some cool filming for my business and then to maybe start some kind of commercial photography service for other businesses. The ideas were flowing but as with so many of my ideas it was just time that was against me.

Basically, I didn't have any. Ideas are shit, execution is everything.

As time has gone on aerial photography has become more and more popular and more and more commonplace. When done right the results can be amazing. I guess fortunately for me the majority of the drone footage you see online it pretty poor. People get too excited that they've filmed something and rush to put it on line. That leaves me with a small window of opportunity.

I saw one video that someone had done for a wedding. The idea was great but the results were far from it. From my point of view for weddings you've got to mix traditional videography with drone footage. The mix of the two could be quite outstanding, especially if done right.

But the frustration nowadays is that a minority are yet again beginning to spoil it for the majority. Yet another muppet with a drone has flown into London Heathrow airspace, this time colliding with an Airbus A320. What are these idiots thinking? It's only a matter of time before drones are heavily regulated and flights restricted to the point of impossibility. And this will be all because of people like that.

The perception on drones and filming is totally skewered as well. If you walk through town with a video camera everyone wants to photobomb or get in on the action. Put that same camera on a drone and fly it 5 meters in the air and suddenly you're invading their privacy.

Project 366 / 108 - RED, fire and youth

I watched the film RED last night - it's the one about a retired CIA hitman (Bruce Willis) who knows too much and so this previous employer is trying to kill him. It's not a bad film at all, in fact it was quite entertaining. But there was one line in it that got me thinking. Helen Mirren's character said;

"You can't just flip a switch and become someone else"

When you are young you are more powerful than you realise. You have the opportunity, the energy and the time to dedicate and accomplish your dreams. You can live on the couch round a mates house, you can work 18 hours a day, 7 days a week. The only problem with youth is the lack of experience. That lack of experience results in mistakes and these mistakes cost time.

I'm not saying that mistakes are a bad thing, after all only by failing do we know how to succeed. But sometimes by the time you've got the experience you no longer have your youth.

But that fire in your belly, the passion and drive to succeed, the no matter what, the sacrifices and the adrenaline - does that diminish as you get older? Or is it just that responsibilities and priorities change?

Older people talk about how they still feel the same inside, it's just their body that's not the same. I don't feel 20 but I sure as hell don't feel 45, that sounds old. I'm trying to forget my number, instead trying to act how I feel instead. If anything I feel a greater fire in my belly now than I did 10 years ago.

But its the youth of today that make me older. The disrespect, the ignorance of the rules.

Yes when we were young we bent the rules but we never broke them. That's the difference today. The expectation of the young, that they are somehow owed something, that society is somehow in debt to their youth.

I respected my elders when I was young. They'd been there and done that. But the 20 year olds today think that they know it all but are tragically exposed in the heat of the moment. Yet still they are full of denial. They won't possibly admit that they could ever possibly be wrong, even when faced with undeniable evidence.

As they say, you can't argue with a liar.

Project 366 / 107 - Planning, partying and striving

Planning is such an important part of life. Without plans you'll drift, unintentionally but you'll drift. Days become weeks, weeks become months, months become seasons and before you know it another year has slipped by without any real progress.

Now for some there is no want, no desire to strive or to improve. Some are more than happy with their lot and you know what; that's fine. We all have our own path, we all have things that we may or may not want to achieve. For me though I find it difficult to understand why you'd want to strive to a particular level and then stop.

After I'd left school my first real job was working in the kitchen of a pasta restaurant. I hated the job but loved the guys I was working with. They were all 2-3 years older than me but we all had one major thing in common - music. We'd talk music all week, then receive our little brown envelope of cash (mine was £50/week) on a Friday and cross the road to the pub where we'd spend the next 36 hours on and off drinking, playing music, talking and partying.

That year was a lot of fun.

But all good things come to an end and for me I moved on to another job and another circle of friends was added. The next 2 years were even more fun. I learnt to drive, earned better money and partied even harder.

But you can only party like that for so long. Before long I wanted to buy a house. The money I had wouldn't even buy a car parking space so I worked more, taking on numerous jobs, spent less on partying, knuckled down and saved. Before long I had just about enough money for a deposit on a terraced house. I moved out of the town I loved to a place 30 miles away, away from all my friends to a town where I knew no one.

My friends thought I was crazy. The majority of them had got on the council list for a council house, not even contemplating for a moment that there was any other way. Not thinking that they wanted to better themselves but simply by following in their parents footsteps.

Meanwhile I spent my entire 20's, literally 10 full years, not socialising, not partying, not doing anything except working, learning, striving, improving and earning. By the time I was 26 I'd bought a 5 bedroom detached Victorian house and at 29 I started my own business.

I did't stop when I bought my first house and thought "this is it". I wanted to improve, to learn, to grow. I wanted more. Do I think I missed out? Hell no.

So I planned and I strove. From time to time I stumbled but I kept moving forward, never resting and never accepting my lot. Even today I am making ambitious plans. I'm expanding my core business, I'm trying to buy another business and I'm trying to develop another business.

My only frustration is how long things take to make happen. I'll have an idea and after I've planned it, discussed and debated it I'll want to run with it there and then. Instead I'm held back by the logistics of making it happen. I'm constantly waiting on other people and external factors that are literally out of my control. It's irritating.

In some regard you may think that this is a good thing. That by having to wait I'm not rushing into anything without thinking it through. But by the time I've made my mental decision you can be rest assured that I have thought it through.

Planning is everything, without it you're like a ship without a rudder. Plan continually, strive constantly and make the very most of every day.

Project 366 / 106 - Moore's Law, general knowledge and the Terminator

It's incredible to think that way back in 1965 Gordon E Moore accurately predicted computing processing power would double every 2 years. Moore's Law really has has stood the test of time. But whilst I love technology and the incredible advancements that it is making year on year there does seem to be a total reliance on it.

I recently employed a 24 year old and whilst she seems to have good common sense, she has a total lack of general knowledge. Instead of learning and absorbing common knowledge she simply relies on gathering the information from the internet as and when required. Now whilst this is ok in certain circumstances, in general conversation she is lost. Every conversation or question you pose is answered with "oh, I'll google that".

I remember a time before e-mail, before the internet and before mobile phones. I'm not saying things were any better back then but we knew things, we learnt things and we could have deep conversations, discussions and debates about things until the early hours.

I worry that the developed human race will become so reliant on technology to carry out our every task that we'll forget how to live, how to interact and react. There is talk of virtual reality being the next big thing, albeit 20 years away from the science fiction version we have in our heads. There's also talk of artificial intelligence being more intelligent that humans by 2030. That's only 14 years away.

Maybe James Cameron's Terminator franchise wasn't so far off after all.

Project 366 / 105 - Hair, John Taylor and music

Hair. Now that's not a subject that is ever far from my mind, mainly because I don't have any but mostly because I wish I did. Allow me to explain...

There comes a time in everyone's life that you begin to understand and be conscious of who you are and what you look like. It's called self awareness and it comes in many forms. When I was about 14/15 it was my hair and over the next 12 months it became not just a style but who I was. I was known for my hair.

In 1984 I was 13 so we were in the middle/end of the new romantic era. I'd been through the Adam and the Ants and Japan stage was heavily into the Duran Duran stage. John Taylor was the coolest man on the planet and with a barnet to match. I wanted to be him and I had the hair to do it.

I was at boarding school and styles were extreme. From memory there didn't seem to be any rules as to length, style or colour of hair so anything went. I had friends with black shorn sides and peroxide mohawks, there were the goths, the new romantics and then literally everything else.

I was in a band (playing bass, obviously) and I'd grown my hair a bit and stuck lemon juice in my fringe to bleach it. Yes, I was that cool. When my parents came to collect me at the end of term I foolishly ried to explain that I'd been wearing a baseball hat that had covered all my hair except my fringe which had obviously been bleached by the sun. I don't think they believed me for a second.

The whole band idea had a very strange start. I'd been a pianist since the age of about 8, learning and doing my scales practice every morning at 7am for an hour before breakfast. When I'd moved to college I continued learning, I was now 14. At 15 I was talking to a friend and for some unbeknown strange reason we decided to start a band. The obvious choice was for me to be the keyboard player but instead I opted for the bass (c/o John Taylor) and my mate opted for the keyboards.

Both of us had never played our chosen instruments.

But I was a musician and he was a fast learner. We recruited a vocalist, learnt a couple of cover tracks (Big Audio Dynamite's "E=MC2" and Simple Minds "New Gold Dream") and they sounded pretty good. We had bigger dreams though and so begun writing our own music. The songs came thick and fast. Literally every time we got together we'd write a new song.

School became a massive inconvenience.

Sadly for me my life was about to take a massive turn. In indulging in my passions for music and theatre I'd neglected my school work and failed all but 3 of my O levels. As a result my parents pulled me out of school and sent me out to work. I was devastated.

The band continued for a while, peaking with a couple of gigs, one at our college and one at another girls school. At the time no-one had ever done anything like it and we literally became overnight mini-celebs. It was surreal. It was also some of the fondest memories I have.

In hindsight I believe we had something. The quality of music that we were writing at the time was way beyond our years, it was becoming more and more complex and if we'd been given the freedom and chance to develop who knows where we could have ended up.

My hair on the other hand went from strength to strength, at least for a while. I became a goth, growing my hair long, dying it black and shaving the sides for a mohican. Then it was orange, then green, then yellow, then purple, then blonde and then eventually it began to fall out. The trouble was not the abuse, it was the DNA. My Mum has thin hair, my Dad is bald, my Mum's dad (so my grandfather) was so bald I'd never seen a picture of him with hair and even my Dad's adoptive father was bald. It was my destiny.

And so there I was, I my early 20's with very little hair. By my 25th the party was over and all of it had left. Yet here I sit 20 years later finding that the first thing I notice about a man is their hair.

Bastards, the lot of them.

Project 366 / 104 - Classic cars, restoration and the elite

During the course of my business life I've met lots of very interesting people and gotten involved with a lot of various projects. Some of these have been regular products and commodities, others not so.

A few years ago I met a guy who was wanting to import a 1940's Harley Davidson XA-750. Now for those of you not in the know this was a US military field motorbike and they're pretty rare. He'd found what was reported to be the last remaining complete bike (many had been chopped up for parts). He'd been struggling to find someone to bring it back to the UK for restoration and had been recommended to me.

The bike was in the middle of a barn, in the middle of a field, in the middle of middle America. But I pulled my resources and got it collected, crated and shipped to the UK. The unveiling when it arrived in our warehouse was pretty exciting, after all we'd been used to moving boring brown cardboard cartons for years.

A few years later that same client came back to me asking to import a 1940's army staff car. We repeated the exercise, again to much success and this became a bit of a habit for the next 2-3 years. In the end we'd imported about 40 cars from the second world war for the same crazy client.

Now I got on very well with this client and in time we discussed going into business together restoring old cars and motorbikes. The experience his team had garnered was invaluable but the margins on old military vehicles was too thin and therefore the risk too high. I agreed to team up if we concentrated on classic cars instead and our company RiE-Store was born.

We found a 1941 Buick Woodie in a very poor state, bought it and imported it. That was at the end of 2013 and we began working on the restoration of the car in the February of 2014, estimating that we'd have the car complete within 12-18 months.

It's now been 26 months and we're about 3 weeks off from completion. It's one of only about 18 left in the world and it looks a million dollars (I just hope it fetches that when we come to sell it!). No-one knows when one of these last came on to the market (there's others from different earlier years but no 1941 that we can find) so it's going to be a nail-biting time over the next few months as we start spreading the word.

So I met up with my business partner to start discussing who to advertise the car to. We're trying to get a private sale, after all the auctioneers will take a very hefty slice of the action. His response? Well amongst others was "The Sultan of Brunei, King Salman (current Saudi King) and Roman Abramovich".

Wait, let me just check my rolodex...

The challenge has been laid down - anyone got a number for Jay Leno?

Project 366 / 103 - Fitness models, competition and sacrifice

So I was going to title this post "The truth behind the life of a family coping with a fitness model on a strict competition diet" but I felt that it was a tad long winded.

They say that nothing good is ever easy to come by. Well when that was being written they must have been on some crazy strict dietary quest as it's so apt. Now make no mistake, my wife has an amazing life. We can afford her not to work, our kids are at school full time and so she has the opportunity to dedicate her time to some specific causes.

She raises money annually for Action Duchenne doing multiple physical endurance feats per year. This year she completed a half marathon and if it wasn't for a fracture to her foot she would have been walking the South Downs Way (110 miles from Winchester to Eastbourne - google it, it's crazy) in 3-4 days. What has been scheduled all along has been her competing in the BNBF Miss Fitness bodybuilding competition in July. It's not something she's ever done before and as far as we know it's not something anyone has ever done for charity.

The judges will be looking for a fat-free, lean, muscular (but not muscly) feminine physique. Training is one thing; diet is another.

Now Gem's training is on point. Even with the fracture to her foot she is managing to work around the pain. She's dedicated, she's motivated and on a quest to be the best. But without taking anything away from her, anyone can push themselves down the gym for an hour. Anyone can be focused, dedicated and make substantial strength gains for an hour down the gym.

But it's what you do with the other 23 hours in the day that will make all the difference.

The majority of people down the gym will not physically change from year to year. Why? Because of what they are putting in their mouths for the other 23 hours of the day. And that's where the real challenge lies.

No dairy, no chocolate, no crisps, no sweet, no cake, no milk, no animal fats, no sugar, no sauces, very limited fruits and lots and lots of very plain weighed out chicken, very plain white fish and green veg. Nothing is satisfying and nothing is fulfilling. She's spending more time in the kitchen prepping meals than literally anywhere else in the house. From 5.45am to 11pm, if she's not in the gym then you'll find her in the kitchen.

Tupperware has taken on a life of it's own.

Eating out has become a liability.

Social engagements have to be planned with military precision.

Plus Gem is catering for me and the kids so whilst other competitors have stripped their cupboards bare, removing any and every temptation, our cupboards are still stacked with all the things that she is craving.

The initial euphoria of being on a strict diet very quickly gives way to frustration, hunger pangs and irritation - I guess a bit like going cold turkey from smoking. The result at home is a mood change and a less tolerance. The kids carry on regardless, they understandably don't really comprehend why there is steam coming out of Mummy's ears. And from my point of view I have to try and remember to take into consideration what she is going through 24 hours a day and then not to react to the sarcastic looks, the bad tones and general low lows of a woman denied.

On a plus side she is looking physically better than ever and this will all come to an end in about 86 days time. Gem has a bit of an obsessive nature though so despite how hard she is finding the current competition diet, she may look in the mirror on the 17th July and decide that she doesn't want to let this physique go.

Then I'm in real trouble.

Project 366 / 102 - Tattoo entrepreneur

What is the difference between an entrepreneur and an opportunist?

I bumped into a friend yesterday that had been toying with the idea of setting up his own tattoo business. Now this guy is seriously talented and very much in demand. From the outside it's a no-brainer but he feels some allegiance to his current employer so has put off and put off making the decision.

I met up with him just before Christmas and we spoke in length about me and my business, the trials and tribulations and him and what he wanted to do. I offered a tonne of advice and even offered to front the money if that was the issue that was holding him back.

So when we met yesterday it was a nice surprise when he ran up to me to tell me that he'd taken the plunge and was in the process of opening his own shop. I couldn't be happier for him.

Everyone said that he could and should do it but saying it and doing it really are two completely different things. It's not until you are in that situation do you realise just how difficult it is. It's different for everyone though and is really predicated on your situation. He is married with a 5 year old. I guess if he had no responsibilities then the decision would have been easier and made a lot sooner.

Once you make that mental decision though the positive thought process kicks in and you'll find that subsequent decisions are easier to make. The way he is talking now his plans growth and expansion plans are really refreshing to hear. I think he'll be very successful.

I guess sometime it just takes just a gentle push and a whole lot of self belief.

Project 366 / 101 - Writing, routine and the game

I've been writing now for 100 days straight. At times it's been an easy process and at other times not so. Time is such an element too as I don't have a set time to sit down and write, rather I'm literally snatching whatever time I can get my hands on.

I've read a lot of different articles about the writing process, some of which talk about have a set routine first thing in the morning; get up, make a coffee before sitting and writing in peace for 30-40 minutes whilst being relaxed, fresh and not distracted by the day's events.

My mornings are anything like that. I'm late to bed so am rising later and then there are the kids to get up and ready for school, before a quick shower and school run and getting to work. Yes I could go to bed earlier so I could get up earlier but I'm not getting home from work until 6.30-7.00pm, then eating, then getting the kids bathed and in bed, before training down the gym from 8-10pm and finally getting back home for 10.30pm. I feel that my days of 5am starts (which I did for 20+ years) are behind me now and I'm happy in my new routine.

So my daily writing routine is sporadic. During the week I'll want to write at some point during the day but it very rarely happens. I have just too many distractions at work and no place of refuge to escape. So I'll sit there for half an hour at the end of the working day quickly knocking out my blog. If I'm running short of that time then I'll either write on my phone down the gym whilst warming up on the stationery bike or when I get home before bed. It's not ideal and certainly not creatively conducive but it does focus the mind.

On the weekends it's slightly different. My wife knows what I'm doing so I just take myself of for 30 minutes to write. You'll probably notice then that my weekends writing is longer and deeper.

And that brings me on to length. Another article I read spoke about flow, how the first 100-200 words are actually the hardest and that once you get past that volume the words begin to flow better. This I can totally relate to. My wife calls me a small chunker. By this she means that when I talk I go into detail, almost too much detail. I can be very passionate about what I do so if you've leant me your ear then just be warned!

But my best tip to myself is to make notes during the day. So whenever I have a thought that I could use for my blog then I'll make a note. When I read them back they can be good or they can make me wonder what the hell I was thinking.

But I guess that's just the game they call writing.

Project 366 / 100 - Parents, marriage and advice

My sister and I both went to full time boarding school. It's not something that I really understand to be honest. My Mum stopped working when she was something like 6 months pregnant with my sister and hasn't done a days work since. And my Dad didn't work away so there was no real reason to send us off aged something like 7.

Of course we've spoken to them about it and they say that it was because they wanted us to gain our independence, that it was for our own good. I think that's bollocks. Personally I think that my parents got engaged because that's what everyone else was doing. I think they had a 2 year engagement because that's what everyone else was doing. I think they got married because that's what everyone else was doing and I think they had children because that's what everyone else was doing.

My father was unfaithful to my Mum before they were married and continued to be throughout. We all knew it but just couldn't prove it and my Mum was too weak and lacked confidence to properly confront him, besides she was happy enough to turn a blind eye for the cash and the quality of life.

A matter of months after my parents big 50th wedding anniversary party he was caught with his pants down and over the ensuing weeks and months admitted to everything.

The flings.
The one night stands.
The multiple long term partners.

All before and during their shambolic marriage.

My Mum, despite having turned a blind eye throughout the marriage, was heartbroken, embarrassed and angry. Amazingly my father expected her to accept it and to live with it. With a tonne of our support she found an apartment overlooking the sea, moved out and moved on. She has even surprised herself.

The sacrilege of marriage seems to have been lost somewhere along the way. "For better or worse / Forsaking all others" now seems to be an option rather than a vow. As Marilyn Monroe once famously said "If you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best". Everyone likes the good but has no stamina for the bad.

We all make mistakes. We all change. Sometimes people grow apart - it happens. But what about instead of insulting your partner, you address your partner. If you can't be happy together then separate. We all deserve to be happy.

My father wishes he'd ended the marriage 25 years ago. They would have been 50. Instead they are both trying to start a new life at 75. My Mum understandably feels that he has wasted the last 25 years of her life.

The lesson is simply to talk. If you've got an issue, if something is bugging you, if you're angry, suspicious, fed up, feel used, taken for granted or anything negative then talk about it. Air your grief, don't ever feel like you can't express your emotions. It's your emotion. We're quick to say when we're happy and like to share that emotion so your spouse should share your negative emotion. and talk it out.

For better or worse, remember?

My parents always boasted that they never argued - no, they brushed it all under the carpet until there was no room left.

Project 366 / 99 - Which came first: psychology or neurology?

I find the human brain a fascinating thing. The psychology of the mind, how it plays tricks and generates such a roller coaster of emotions is just incredible. From wins to losses, ups and downs and from happiness to sadness. I wonder which came first: psychology or neurology?

I have been very fortunate to be able to engineer my life into the situation I find myself in now. I've rolled the dice, taken a chance, worked hard, been patient and as a result made my own luck. It's when you get to this point that the psychology of the mind starts playing tricks on you.

My mind tells me that as a result of all of the above I should treat myself - go buy that car, go buy that house, go on that holiday. My heart tells me otherwise - you've worked hard for what you've achieved, don't waste it, don't lose it, don't spend it.

I have friends who will spend, confident in their ability to just make some more. I don't doubt my earning ability, after all I've lost it all before and got it all back. I'm just reaching for that debt free line. The problem is, the closer I get the more I tend to push it back by investing in more.

In general all the materialistic things can wait. I need to secure the future for my family and my employees. I guess once I do that then it could be my turn. In the meantime I'll spend my time trying to curb my wife's appetite for spending and my brain from trying to persuade me that I need or deserve a reward.

My reward is success.

Project 366 / 98 - Video blogging, Daily Vee and a day in the life

I've been thinking about a video blog for some time now. I'd ended the year last year frustrated at my lack of creativity and had put the blame squarely on my work life. I vowed that 2016 would be different.

As we started the new year I decided to recruit some more staff to enable me to work a bit more on the business rather than just for it. It was a bit of a gamble but I felt that it was more one I couldn't afford to not to take.

So my daily personal blogging started. It helped and I begun writing regular business blogs but that was just meant to be the first step. The other part of my master plan was to do some video content for work. This hasn't happened but I still have plans for it. I just need help.

I've been watching Gary Vaynerchuk's "Daily Vee" show where his video guy dRock follows him around documenting his working day. Despite being called "Daily Vee" it's not "daily" but it is quite regular and holds some really interesting information and golden nuggets of advice.

My day really isn't that interesting for something regular but it might be cool as a one-off and that got me thinking.

What if I did a "Day in the life of..." video series? It could be about anyone be they a CEO, fireman, bin man, stay at home mum, plumber, mayor, shop keeper, lollipop man, electrician, network marketer, builder, delivery driver... anything and anyone. It'd show the real story of real people, the day to day grind, the hopes, the fears, the dreams and the aspirations. It'd be their day condensed into 20-30 minutes.

I believe that it would be a self promoting show as those involved would undoubtedly share it as far and wide as they could. And I'm sure that if it was done well enough and was of sufficient quality then you'd have an endless number of willing participants, after all everyone loves a bit of self-promotion.

Anyway, just a thought...

Project 366 / 97 - Memory, green trousers and children

What is your earliest memory? I really can't remember mine - it takes a deep conversational get together with my sister to jog my memory and even then I'm not that good.

My sister on the other hand seems to have a phenomenal memory, easily recalling every aspect of a given memory;

"And do you remember, you were wearing those green trousers that you used to love and it was raining, and the radio was on playing * and we were eating pink jelly with marmite and jaffa cakes".

* enter some obscure song

At this point I look clueless, desperately trying to remember those green trousers.

When my wife was pregnant with Reece, our eldest son, I went out for dinner with a friend and the subject of memory came up. He suggested that with children, by reinforcing memory by talking about past events on a regular basis, it may improve long term memory. He didn't have kids of his own at that time but I thought it was an interesting theory.

So from the moment Reece was born we recalled what we'd done that day and days prior. As the days turned into months, and the months into years Reece began to talk. Our conversations of what we'd been up to and recalling past events got better, as did his memory.

Nowadays Reece's memory for past events is possibly better than my sisters and his ability to recall even the most minute detail of something that we've done years ago is incredible. We've repeated the same exercise on his brother, Lincoln with very similar results.

Of course we're hoping that they will both be able to apply the same memory skills at school. The operative word being hoping...

Project 366 / 96 - My parents, the 60's and music

My Mum and Dad were born in 1941 and 1942 respectively. As a result they were in their 20's in what many describe as the biggest culture shift and the most iconic decade of the 20th century - the swinging 60's.

From how the media describe the 60's you would have thought that anyone who was lucky enough to be between the ages of 15-25 would have been at the cutting edge of this most creative and exciting decade, enjoying the freedom that the revolution was exposing.

Many top musical artists of today describe being brought up on a diet of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Bob Dylan and that this exposure to such a creative mix of artists sparked a lifelong passion of musical influence.

A few years ago I sat down with both my parents and asked them the most searching of all questions;

"So, where you a Beatles or Stones fan?"
"Oh neither dear, they came after our generation"
"What? You were in your early 20's? So what were you, a hippie? A Mod? A Rocker?"
"No our decade was the 50's so we were into the big bands, you know, like Glen Miller"
"Elvis Presley? Pllleeeeaaassssssseeee???"
"Oh no. It was a different world back then. We got married and bought a house. We were far too busy decorating."

Far too busy decorating.

Oh. My. God.

And that's it. That's the sum of my parents in the most talked about decade of the 20th century.

From memory the only music I can remember my parents playing in the house (and that's my Mum as my Dad literally never played anything) was ABBA (thanks mostly to their 1974 Eurovision Song Contest win which was held in Brighton, UK), The Wombles (thanks to my sister), numerous Barry Manilow albums and probably some Brotherhood of Man.

Needless to say that my wife and I are working hard on making sure our kids have a very healthy musical baptism.

Project 366 / 95 - Confidence is a preference

Isn't it amazing how you can be going along quite nicely, minding your own business, when all of a sudden, out of the blue, something comes along and turns your day on its head. Now this could be a good or a bad thing, but in the spirit of optimism let's just say that it's a good thing.

Doesn't it make you feel great. Doesn't it make you feel as though you are doing the right thing. That by being patient and consistent that you are playing the right game.

It does to me.

Of course I'm referring to my work at the moment, after all not much could be better at home. But at work we're being consistent, we're being honest and we're being confident.

Phil Daniels said on the Blur track Parklife that "Confidence is a preference", and yes it is. By choosing to be confident you are choosing to be assertive. When I noticed a new like on our Facebook business page I called up the person, thanked them for the like and literally asked there and then to do business together. It could turn out to be a big multi-faceted contract.

We all have daily micro wins and daily micro losses, the secret is to embrace those wins and to learn from the losses. The losses after all are only there to teach you a lesson. At times I feel as though I am learning a lesson every day.

So with my latest enquiry the spring in my step has just gotten bigger, further reaffirming my position and belief in my own conversion ability.

Project 366 / 94 - Expectation, talent and fame

We can't just exist any more. The world just won't allow it. We have to strive, to grow, to improve and to exceed the accomplishments of our predecessors. Such is the level of expectation.

Is this natural evolution? Or is this the by product of the digital revolution where everything that everyone is doing is right there at your fingertips? Information provokes thoughts. Thoughts draw comparisons and comparisons drive expectation.

The world is changing, yes, but is it changing as much as we think it is? Much of what is happening around the world has happened for years, for decades, for centuries but today it is documented, filmed, photographed and reported all within the blink of an eye for all to see.

People in power have always abused their position. Kings and Queens, presidents and leaders have always been corrupt, they've shagged whoever they wanted and snorted or popped whatever was available. It was never reported before, but it is now.

I used to think that I wanted to be famous but I think I confused fame with respect. Having a platform from where people actually listen and respect you is an incredibly attractive thing. Being recognisable and on call 24/7 is not. I can totally understand why celebs lose their tempers from time to time, the public think they own you, it must be suffocating. Many say they wish they could turn their fame on and off. Others like not being recognised in foreign countries.

I have total respect for the likes of David Beckham. He appears to handle not only the public expectation flawlessly but also conduct himself in such an inspiring way. To be a role model you've got to have talent. The trouble is that when asked "what do you want to be the you are grown up?", so many kids answer "I want to be famous".

Find what you are good at and then go all in on that. If you are good your talent will shine. If your talent shines then notoriety will come and with notoriety comes a level of fame.

Project 366 / 93 - Failing, fear and success

I've spoken about goal setting and planning before but I've never talked about failing.

We fail throughout life. Were you born knowing how to walk? No. You tried, you failed, you learnt and you succeeded. Stop thinking of failure as a negative thing. Failure to try, now that's a negative thing.

I'd go so far as to say that every single famous successful person failed at first. Henry Ford went broke 5 times before succeeding. Bill Gates first business failed. James Dyson took 15 years and 5,126 failed prototypes before finally getting it right. The "40" in WD40 is there because it was the 40th attempt to get the solution right. Richard Branson has failed more times than he's succeeded.

We all fail.

But failing is one of the most important components of success. Failing gives us the opportunity to learn from our mistakes. I say opportunity because if you don't learn something every time you fail then all you've done is failed. If you can learn, not be put off from failure, be determined, persevere and do not quit then you are on the road to success.

My first business failed. It hurt. But I picked myself up, learnt my lessons and tried again. This time around I operate with hindsight, with experience and with caution. That's not to say that I'm not taking risks because I am. But these are calculated risks. They're gambles that I can afford to lose.

That's the difference in years. Like a child has "no fear" I believed as a young entrepreneur that I couldn't fail. I'm now older and wiser. I have the fear but I control it. I use it to guide me, it's my gut.

I'm also more comfortable being me. I'm not trying to be you any more, I not trying to be anyone any more, I'm happy being me.

Project 366 / 92 - Cars, driving and growing up

Growing up I couldn't wait to start driving. It was such a show of independence, of adulthood and was pretty damn cool. The second I was 17 I was booking my first driving lesson. Fortunately my parents believed in practice so in the end I only took something like 6 lessons. My driving instructor "Mrs Hart" must have thought that she was the greatest teacher in the world as I passed 1st time.

I drove my mothers car, a VW Polo (CPD 987T - the only car registration I've ever truly remembered). Both my sister and I drove it. My sister smashed the hell out of the external and I gave the internal a ride to hell. We were, like everyone we knew, totally reckless.

I went though a succession of £300-£500 cars. They were all a complete embarrassment and state. All my friends had better cars but looking back they were probably just what I needed at the time.

I was always broke so petrol was a complete luxury. I ran out of petrol all the time but somehow always managed to be going downhill towards a petrol garage. I had another car which didn't have a reverse, but I never got into a position where I had to push the car. I'd always be on a slight incline or decline, enough to to be able to roll out of where I was. My funniest memory was the indicator arm that came off in my hand when I was making a turn. I just shrugged my shoulders and chucked it into the back of the car and carried on.

Nice cars for me only began when I got my first company car. Now I had truly arrived. Up to that point I could never have afforded such a luxury. Since then I have flirted with numerous cars, from practical and family orientated to and impractical, sporty and fun.

Cars are a compete luxury though. I've never lost as much money on anything as I have a car. Then again not much else has compared to the pride and sense of achievement than driving a flash car has. Like gambling, as long as you appreciate that you're going to lose money, that it is one of life's luxuries and that you don't cry when your £50k car is only worth £25k 3 years later then go out and enjoy yourself.

Having a young family now I look more that the financial practicalities. That £800 per month could be so much better spent on A or B. Then I clock myself, who am I kidding? I don't even have a spare £800 a month anymore!