As a leader of people, you have to be a great listener, a great motivator, be very good at praising and bringing out the best in people.

Smiling can be a competitive advantage. It makes everyone feel better and every situation brighter.

Our model is to develop each business separately with its own shareholder and management - this way we can concentrate on the job in hand, rather than be part of some enormous and faceless conglomerate.

Throwing yourself into a job you enjoy is one of the life's greatest pleasures!

What's the most critical factor in any business decision you'll ever have to make? Basically, it boils down to this question: If this all crashes, will it bring the whole house tumbling down like a pack of cards? One business matra remains embedded in my brain - protect the downside.

There isn't a flight goes by when I don't stare out of the window and thank my stars for what I'm seeing and feeling.

Find somebody else to run your business on a day-to-day basis.