Inspiration is the greatest experience!

Why do I do what I do?

I always like to understand why people do or say what they do. There is always a ‘why?’ and this is my ‘why?’ – and it’s all about inspiration!

Re-setting the foundations

In the 3 months between leaving corporate life and starting my own management consulting business in 2011, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to do with the next phase of my career. I engaged with experts in this area. Having been on a corporate rollercoaster for 18 years, I wanted to re-set/re-boot my ambitions, passion, inspiration and energy, what I wanted to achieve, to enjoy, to learn; understanding what I really care about, who I want to be part of my journey - and much, much more. I’ve since learned that this is a never-ending process of evolution - the further the journey progresses, the more I learn, and the more I learn, the more I am inspired to learn.

I’m very fortunate that I have a good home, happy marriage, two wonderful sons now on their own journeys, good friends, a broad range of leisure pursuits, and a great job where I meet and work with some of the best in their field – and that is a daily source of inspiration.

Business is a great source of inspiration

I’m in a phase of my life that I can work to live, rather than live to work, but I still love and need the opportunities and challenges that running a consulting business bring. Business is competitive, and the pursuit of success is a very inspiring and rewarding journey. After 40 years in management, I’m still learning about many aspects of management and leadership, especially as I can now gain even more inspiration from some great SME business leaders in my network.

Throughout my career, I’ve enjoyed technical business challenges with bus & train operations, railway infrastructure and systems, IT systems, IT-enabled transformation programmes, broadcast media, business process re-engineering, commercial 3D printing & AI integration, and mainstream telecoms network operations and services. I’ve also enjoyed the commercial challenges in some very diverse businesses, particularly with business development. I loved the strategic challenges of the MBO’s and some high profile M&A activity. I also found the commercial governance of large blue-chip Corporations very insightful, educational and dutiful, but also inspiring to work on the business, rather than in the business.

I’ve enjoyed managing and leading teams at London Transport, BT, Cable & Wireless, Siemens, Balfour Beatty, Babcock, Canon and SSE – all different, in very different era’s and cultures, giving me a unique opportunity to learn and develop a broad range of management and leadership skills. I’ve held some senior positions, and some very hands-on roles. I am very fortunate to now be able to channel all of that experience, knowledge and skill into my role as Regional Director for team Tinderbox Ltd , where I am a business owner and franchise owner. Now my time is spent working with small business owners, harnessing their passion, drive, energy, creativity and resourcefulness. I find that utterly inspiring, and it provides plentiful opportunity to stimulate my own learning and development.

Music was my first love

In many phases of my career, work has been all-encompassing, so in this phase I’ve given myself time to pursue additional challenges in addition to management consulting. I have many interests, but music has always been the most important to me. As a player/performer I can open up my creative side, which is a good stretch for me.  Working with other creatives is also a great source of inspiration, and just like in business, I thrive on meeting and engaging with inspiring people. Many are understandably focussed solely on their own venture, as I did in earlier phases of my career. However, in the current phase of my career, where life outside business is a more significant element, I’ve been particularly drawn to engage more with those who have philanthropic motivations. I find this so much more inspiring than my individual success.

Like many others reading this, I have made modest donations to charities that have in some ways touched my life – I’ve had my fair share of life’s ups and downs, losing both parents and very close friends (some at a very upsettingly young age) to cancer and covid. So I'm inspired to do more, and I have planned the next phase of my career so that I can do more, because I can.

There are many parts of UK life and infrastructure that I don’t think should be dependent on charities and charitable donations, but are; and there are equally aspects of life that I think should, and do, benefit from the work of charities. These charities need our help, and actions always speak louder than words, at least for me.

Learning from the best

In my first couple of years working with Tinderbox Ltd , and through my membership of the local Chamber or Commerce, I met Lorraine Lewis BCAh and Lee Lewis BCAh from The Lewis Foundation UK (TLF). Their charity source, package and hand deliver gift packs for free to adult cancer patients in hospitals in the Midlands and the community, every week. These are items that patients might find difficult to buy themselves or simply cannot afford – and that brings people happiness and comfort at a difficult time. For many people in hospital and the community, the TLF volunteers are their only regular visitors.

I first worked with TLF when I was invited to help Kevin Rogers (aka The Singing Solicitor) make a charity single to generate funds and awareness for TLF. We raised over £4000 with “Make You Feel My Love”. During that process, I got to know Lorraine and Lee well, and got the chance to touch and feel the unassuming work that they do. I was inspired by their vision, drive, energy and sense of duty, and since then, I have been involved in many TLF fundraising activities with karting, musical performances, pantomime, water dash and more. The journey has just started….

For me inspiration is one of the greatest experiences people can have – so if you want to be inspired, go and see/meet the best, most talented people in their field; check them out, watch, listen and learn from the best. If you cant learn from the best……

Ian is a Regional Director of Tinderbox Ltd and works alongside SME's, helping business owners be more successful! How? By undertaking a thorough analysis of the business and its people, we develop an implementable action plan that enables the owner to lead their team to make the business successful, or more successful.