entrepreneurs 17


Pictures by Angus Thomas


had to be cycling. Attention to detail has always been my thing and this was my big opportunity. I put all my articles and videos etc into one big portfolio and sent it to Cannondale in the US to show them how I could really add value by representing them as a brand ambassador.


After 12 years of working for them they knew me inside out and agreed, but also asked me to produce videos for their professional team, which then opened up another avenue for me and Media-24. It is a great partnership and one which has evolved from there.


What was one of your career highlights?


I had only been with Cannondale for a couple of years when my boss went on sabbatical, I was effectively in charge and we had a major global press launch for a new bike. I project managed the event; it had never been done


before on a global scale, we had magazines and journalists from all over the world – there was no template to show me how it was done and it gave me a real buzz.


Tell me about some of the business lessons you’ve learnt?


It’s about building really good relationships – not just with the brands I represent but also at a personal level with the people who read your articles, watch your videos or follow your Twitter feed. Before now, when people have contacted me with questions, sometimes it’s easier to just phone them up and talk to them and they will be amazed I’ve taken the trouble to do that. One person I called was dumbstruck, but he then wrote a nice piece about it on his blog. To me, that’s what business and being a brand ambassador is all about. You have to be open, honest and accessible.


How would you describe yourself?


I am super driven and focused but I don’t have a five or 10-year plan. I like to take things more organically; if you do good work, then opportunities will open up. I love what I do and if I can do it and build a business up from nothing, then anyone can. You have to have the passion for it in your heart and really believe in what you do.


What’s been your greatest personal achievement so far?


My toughest challenge was a 1,000km ride across the Dolomites, Eastern Alps and Swiss Alps, taking in 21 mountains without stopping in just over two days. I made a 13-minute video of the ride and now, looking back, I can’t believe I did it. For me it was about questioning the status quo and never setting myself boundaries. It will be difficult to beat that.


How does it feel to be called one of the most influential people in the British cycle industry?


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – APRIL 2015


It’s definitely great to get the recognition, but that was never my goal.


What are you working on at the moment?


The pinnacle to date is The Col Collective (thecolcollective.com), I love the whole essence of the mountains and find them so inspiring. It’s a series of videos available online – the first 10 have just gone live – and they provide expert advice, support and education to help cyclists reach the top of some of the greatest mountain passes in the world. I think we’ve created something really remarkable. The footage is incredible and it’s already generated a fantastic response from cyclists all over the world – including one message of appreciation thanking us for our work and saying that they watch the videos with the family and use them to plan their holidays. That’s just amazing and truly fulfilling.


What does the future hold?


For years I was focused on pushing racing, but that’s a tiny proportion of the cycling market. For me now it’s about encouraging more people to take up cycling. Media-24 is still in its early days but my dream is to build our business, work with more strong brands and create a really good community.


I want us to be seen as a global resource that people can tap into and want to be associated with and for The Col Collective to be seen as a trusted, authentic resource that people know and want to use. Ultimately it would be great to develop that around the world, having a region by region analysis of the best climbs.


What do you do on your time off?


I haven’t taken a holiday for four years. For me, time off is being out on my bike; it’s when I have so many ideas because my brain is whirring away. I tell Deborah, keep believing, we will have some downtime.


www.businessmag.co.uk


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