Hello! Who Am I?
I’m a business consultant, non-executive director, lecturer and public speaker who’s excited by and loves sharing ways that creativity and new technology can help businesses succeed.
With a technology background and over 30 years of experience starting and growing businesses, I bring a practical “been there, done that” approach aligned with academic integrity.
A Teaching Fellow at Coventry University since 2016, I lecture on entrepreneurship, innovation and marketing. I also deliver programs to business owners and leaders on behalf of the University, including “Made Smarter: Leading Change in Digital Transformation” (for the manufacturing sector) and “Help to Grow” aimed at high-growth SMEs.
I’m the founder and director of a digital marketing agency and a non-executive director of several SMEs, including FSB, Federation of Small Businesses, where I also serve as Deputy Chair of UK Policy and leads on Net Zero, regularly meeting with leading decision makers to develop policy solutions to create a better environment for SMEs to thrive as well as a regular on regional and national media as a spokesperson for small businesses.
Outside of work I’m a keen runner, cyclist and adventurer and an advocate of active travel, you can find out more on that side of my life and the adventures I enjoy with my two children on our “A Little Adventure” blog and YouTube channel.
I received an MBE in 2017 in recognition of services to the economy and community.
Why this blog?
It’s my musings on experience in all aspects of my life, from business leadership to wild camping and cycling with children.
Hope you find it interesting and I would love it if it inspired a reader to start a business, get more active or go on an adventure.
Ride Day Four: Scourie to Durness to Loch Eriboll
An easier day's ride with only a couple of steep climbs and a pleasant gentle descent down into Durness, we even finally enjoyed the wind behind us as we turned back away from the North Coast to go down the side of Loch Eriboll to Glenaladale B&b in Laid were we...
Ride Day Three (finished): Ullapool to Scourie
The wind and the hills conspired together to make today a tough ride. Even on the downhills, the head wind ensured that we had to keep pedalling.
Ride Day Three (the plan): Ullapool to Scourie
The plan today is to cycle from Ullapool to Scourie (view route) about 43 miles.
Ride Day Two: Camusnagaul to Ullapool
A good days riding with only a few spots of rain. The climb out of Dundonnell on the road of desolation certainly tested the legs with over five miles of continuous climbing.
Ride Day One: Gairloch to Camusnagaul
We’ve managed day one! We’d made the decision not too push it to hard for the first couple of days, sticking to 30 miles per day, but we couldn’t make the hills any flatter!
All set up and ready for the off
Bikes are kitted up, fairly light today as we're coming back to base on the first day. And we're off! First stop Two Lochs Radio, all down hill to there, then it starts getting a bit harder work as we climb out of Gairloch.
Rainbow over Gairloch Bay
Just as we were starting to make our plans for our first days riding, a beautiful rainbow appeared over Gairloch Bay. As I dashed out of the caravan to grab a few pictures, I hoped it was a promise of good things to come! After taking a few photos, I looked out to the...
Safely arrived at base camp!
One long car journey over, we've now arrived at "base camp", the village of Gairloch and are staying in a caravan in a location with some of the best views in Scotland. We've got a day to relax before we start our big challenge on Monday, so stay tuned. If you've...
Keeping the iPhone going when there’s no mains power
One of the challenges for the ride is not just keeping my legs going but keeping the iPhone going. Anyone who has used an iPhone on a busy day out and about will know that the battery struggles to keep up. I'm going to be needing to: Access the internet to update our...
Tracking our progress
With a great little app on my iPhone, the plan is to update the page regularly throughout the day on our twitter feed with our position and an updated google map showing our route. The app we're using? Cyclemeter This app tracks our progress using the inbuilt GPS and...