Could you tell us a bit about your role as Managing Director of Habit Action?
I view my role much like being a captain of a ship where I know what my ship is capable of, where it is heading for and the challenges I may encounter en route. Most importantly i need to make sure i have skilled people surrounding me who share my vision and values so that they can ensure that all the preparations, planning and resources are in place to steer the business seamlessly through whatever unexpected events may arise. As MD, having navigated from a small to medium size enterprise, I am able to share with my team the challenges our customers may be facing in today’s climate to enable us to deliver the very best outcomes throughout their journey with us.
That’s very interesting, thank you. Out of any task in your role as MD, which would you say you enjoy most?
The thing I love the most about my role is engaging with people! Whether this be people from within the organisation, clients or other people I come into touch with in business, feeling I play a meaningful role in them reaching their personal and business ambitions and goals is what empowers me as a leader.
Interesting you mention the contact you have with your customers; do you have any advice you could share with senior members of other organisations who are thinking of investing in their workspace?
I believe that in order to demonstrate the value and regard you have for your staff, the facilities and environment you provide for your staff and any talent you are seeking to attract, should be of no inferior standard than they would expect within the comforts of their own home. Going above and beyond expectations is invaluable for attracting and retaining top talent!
You have obviously made a significant investment in your HQ here in Leighton Buzzard, it would be interesting to hear how you feel this has impacted the overall success of Habit Action.
Yes, it was a significant investment however I 100% believe it has paid off. Not only has it had an exceptionally positive impact on the way our staff feel about coming into the office, but it as also undoubtedly influenced our prospective clients in terms of truly experiencing our embedded values and brand as well as elevating their own aspirations for their workspaces.
Taking you back a few years now, could you tell us a bit about where your career started?
I’ve always had a flair for design and creativity, seeing past first impressions and visualising beautiful spaces. I guess that was what inspired me to enter the world of carpentry and joinery. I undertook a 3-year course in both carpentry and joinery, achieving distinction grades in both, which led on to being exposed to a huge variety of building and construction projects.
Do you feel that having a background in the construction industry has helped you build and progress the business forward?
Yes, I absolutely see that my hands-on experience and in-depth knowledge of the construction industry has enabled me to relate to all types of projects, materials and trades. Consequently I have personally been able to offer solutions, direction and advice as well as understanding high standards of workmanship which has resulted in the company having delivered thousands of projects in full, on time and to a standard of excellence.
What would your advice be to your younger self?
I would advise setting sights high, learning from every opportunity that comes your way and not losing sight of your ultimate goal.
I know that people and culture is something that MD’s focus a lot of their time and attention on… How far do you agree with this quote from the COO of Facebook that “The real competitive advantage in any business is one word only, which is people”?
I absolutely agree with that statement not only from a business perspective but also for me as MD of this organisation. Without people you can’t grow your business. For me personally, surrounding myself with the right people, who are truly aligned to the Habit Action culture and values has been invaluable for me as a leader. But yes, from a business perspective I truly believe that people buy from people, especially in the market we operate in where it is the trust between us and our clients that underpins every transaction.
Out of all the Habit Action projects, could you name a favourite project and why?
The project we recently completed for Veeva Systems has to be my favourite. The reason being that the client engagement from the outset demonstrated their belief in our team as trusted advisors. This enabled us to deliver wow and incorporate state of the art design features that were custom made specifically to represent our client’s own brand across all areas of the floorplate.
Do you have a favourite design style?
I would say traditional is my preferred design style but what I always say is that the interior of any space must reflect the style of the building.
Rural or urban?
Rural.