Whats makes Mark?
Play, I love to play. Break things apart, ask questions, understand how they work and create as a result. This is where my love for innovation, learning and action comes from.
We humans are complex animals and I believe it helps to know more about what it is that makes us who we are today so we can best understand each other and the skills and interests between us. There are often so many things that make any one individual the person they are today that just understanding them today, or asking what their business or job is, just is not enough to gain this understanding. The things we learn from an early age, the things we take part in, or experience, the people in our lives at different stages, the opportunities, travel and of course work, family and play to name but a few. Then there is our thinking style and beliefs, but that’s another story and probably another whole web page for later on….
Lots of people ask me questions to know more about me, so, I thought, in a light hearted way, I should build an ever evolving list of my “ingredients”. Behind each simple listed “ingredient” is doutbless a grand story to bounce around I’m sure…. all of which shaped me into who I am today and provided me with the skill sets I have too. There are many facets to me as you will see, which I think is largely because I have been afforded many great experiences, ventures and opportunities throughout my life and had some wonderful people in it too to encourage me and share with them too. Do ask me to explain any of it when I see you again 🙂
To make me, start by taking:
1 Organic egg (a tough challenge in 1982, selling these was my task as part of the family business!)
3 Market stalls
1 Shop
12 Jobs
8 Businesses
3 Schools
55 Rugby matches as prop forward
1 College
2 lateral thinking measure
1 Awesome father
1 Raleigh Boxer
1 Amazing Mother
1 Brother to play and explore
6 Boats
20 Business peers
12 Fantastic close friends
20 listen to your elders
2 Jetskis
7 Directorships
3 brilliant and patient mentors
1 Spoon of listening and observing
1 Great business coach
1 Large dose of freedom
12 Large people networks
A dusting of inspiring people
45 Scuba Dives around the world
10 years of business CPD
60 Gadgets
1 Definite “don’t know what you don’t know”
3 House builds
1 Ice castle wedding
1 Radio controlled helicopter
1 Awe-inspiring Wife
18 Motorbikes
4 Technology interests
A thorough understanding of IT and Networking
Many Audio Visual systems built
10 Buildings of Home audio networks
1 Chefs uniform (I wanted to be one when I was young)A heap of kids
1 love for people
4 to 5 world trips
A cup of money
A love for the coast
Network of politicians
18 sales & marketing campaigns
A Tablespoon of failures
Buckets of personal growth
A very large bag of enthusiasm
A tonne of tenacity
A fair few Walkabouts
A large piece of quality time out
A large appetite for unprejudiced view
A desire to meet, talk and influence
A lot of Continual Innovation
Abundance of large refined action sets
Lots of shakes of emotional intelligence
Method:
Weigh out in growing measures. Sieve and distill. Mix together in a Global sized mixing bowl’ stir in lots of great strategy, planning and team players. Put into a small to medium business and watch it rise. Baked since 1976!
———
My father was a highly academic fellow including a chartered engineer, BSC, management accountant, mathematician and amongst other things an inventor, craftsman, artist, businessman but above all else a father who was “always there”. Before Google, we asked Bob!
My mother was too a mother who was “always there” and provided myself and my brother a wonderfully rich, secure and warm family life. Mum supported my father in his quests without question and also would often run the family business single handed. She also, likes father supported us in all we wanted to achieve and aim for.
The family business I can first remember was called “Caravan and Trailers”. It was a stepping stone my father created to get out of employment. Designing and building porches for retirement and residential caravans.
In 1982 mum and dad started “Beaumont Organics” which was a market stall based reseller of organic produce (a very innovative and difficult sell in those days) such as fruit and veg, but also eggs and chicken and whole foods in general. It was quite some experience growing up understanding margins, mark ups, suppliers, customer service, hard graft (especially on freezing cold days) and marketing all by the age of 10! I can’t thank my parents enough for this experience, it was an amazing grounding for business and latter life.
Small jobs were always things I would seek out as I grew up. From driveway snow clearing to lawn mowing and window cleaning or as far out as hay bail collecting and rabbit hutch building. I grew up always knowing I would have a pound in my pocket. A belief that secures me and indeed drives me today.
I always became fascinated in a Neotenous manner with all that I encountered and wanted to know how it all fitted in to who I am to become. And indeed I still am fascinated and still want to understand how it fits with me.
I took Agricultural Mechanics at college. Which was just big boys toys really and the breaking apart and understanding them too.
I took a job for £300 a week in 1992 which made it hard to continue this course but persevered.
I went on to get involved in making things, building things and growing things. I started to want to make, build and grow my own things.
I set about setting up Businesses. Some failed, some worked.
When Infacom took off, I felt I had found my calling. It grew, I grew…..
From Infacom growth the story of my personal continual professional development and skills applications really began.
Infinite Play. I always seek to keep the game play going. Rather than seeking the ending. With a never ending game there are no losers, only enjoyment and development for the improvement of the game.