AG: Hi Liz and welcome to the Management Blog

LJ: Thanks Adi, great to be here.

AG: How did the Secret Millionaire project come about?

LJ: The production company, RDF, sent me a number of emails over a few years asking if I would consider doing the program. Every time I got the email I dismissed it as I had seen the program and had noticed that most of the entrepreneurs ended up getting a job or be in environments that I didn’t think, as a blind person, I would be able to manage. Also Great Guns turns over around 2.5million as a group of companies and most of the organizations featured on the show have been massive so I didn’t think I would qualify.

Finally I decided to respond to their last email, almost angrily, asking if they had done their research correctly and the response was “yes we have done the research, we know you’re blind and we think you’ll be brilliant”. They then went on to explain that they measure somebody’s worth by their assets and that it wasn’t necessary to actually have a million in the bank. So I agreed to talk further and then ended up doing the program.
 
AG: The show highlighted some really good projects, how have things gone since the show ended?

LJ: Well, I only finished filming the program 3 weeks ago and since then we have started to carry out a telemarketing program for the Lewisham Talking Newspaper. LTN’s vision is to move away from sending cassettes out to its clients who are visually impaired and/or blind people living in the Lewisham area. They want to implement USB technology so that they can send out more information to the listeners and also improve the quality of the listening experience. This means that they will be upgrading all their equipment to include buying a product called a boom box, which is designed bespoke for the visually impaired and blind. My financial gift was able to cover the cost of setting this up and buying the necessary products for their existing readership of 300. Our intent therefore with the telemarketing is to target local businesses to give a regular amount to LTN that will help them continue purchasing the kit so that they can grow their audience and have the opportunity to reach all 2000 blind/visually impaired people living in the Lewisham area.

Great Guns has so far made 5 appointments with local companies who are interested in participating in this scheme and supporting LTN in achieving their dream.

Tideway Sailability has experienced an amazing response to The Secret Millionaire with already 17 volunteers putting themselves forward to help. They have also had the offer of a boat, which is fantastic, on top of that a very kind architect has offered to provide his services free of charge to design the plans for their new clubhouse. Our telemarketing team is briefing with Tideway on 30th September and they can’t wait to get up there and go sailing with John, who was the amazingly inspirational guy who took me out and got me very wet on the program.
 
AG: Will you be keeping up the tennis (and can we look forward to seeing you in the Olympics in London)?

LJ: The blind tennis is very embryonic at the moment and so there aren’t really any clubs that I can play in locally. But I have bought some balls and will be challenging my colleagues to a game in our lunch hour. They all think they’ll beat me hands down but I don’t think they stand a chance! Not sure about the Olympics, think I might have got a bit carried away with the moment!
 
AG: Has the show changed your perception of blindness at all?

LJ: No, I don’t think so. But since the program I have had loads of emails from blind and disabled people who talk very much about the world they live in and the world we live in. This makes me realize that there is definitely camps in society and that some people live in one or the other. Personally, I think this is a tragedy, certainly as employers I feel it is such a shame that we don’t get the opportunity in many cases to fish in this talent pool. I have been asked many times since the program how many disabled people I employ and the truth is, none. The reason is they never come for an interview or send in a CV. I think I’d like to do a lot more investigation into why this is and what can be done to change it.

Work for me has always been an incredible blessing; it’s often the place where I have met some of my best friends, had loads of fun and experienced high levels of satisfaction. I think it’s a massive injustice that some people don’t believe enough in themselves to have the confidence to participate in this very rewarding part of life.
 
AG: Has it given you any insights to take back to Great Guns?

LJ: Tideway, for me, was an amazing picture of a great organization. Clare, the Commodore, is the most amazing leader of people. She takes a huge amount of joy from watching people sail, which she says even acts as a medicine for her crippling rheumatoid arthritis. When she goes out to sail all those that watch are inspired and motivated by her inner strength to triumph over adversity. The result of this style of leadership creates huge comradeship, massive loyalty and a real desire amongst the club to achieve the vision laid out by Clare.

I will definitely do my best to make sure that at Great Guns we follow in Tideway’s footsteps as much as we can.
 
AG: What are your plans for 2010?

LJ: A big, fat holiday! Somewhere hot with loads of people bringing me cocktails on a very regular basis! Aside from that, Great Guns has plans to continue growing and developing its services. We are just finishing going through a re-brand and so Great Guns will have a new, fresh look to take to market, which is exciting as this is the first re-brand we have gone through in 11 years.

We have found that the recession has enabled us to recruit some amazing talent into our organization and so as the country starts to move out of the economic downturn the challenge to me will be both retaining that talent and continuing to develop it. Also we have found that in this period it has driven us to become incredibly innovative and we have launched some great programs within our company that have made a real difference to our clients and so our next challenge is to ensure we keep this entrepreneurial spirit very much alive.
 
AG: What are your 3 top tips for a successful business?

1.    Win and retain clients
2.    Recruit great talent and concentrate as hard as you can at developing it
3.    Remember your vision everyday and communicate it as often as you can to the team around you.

AG: In your own words, what qualities are required to be a good leader?

LJ: My favourite leaders are those that lead by example, those that work within their teams doing an excellent job and then challenge those around them to do as well if not better. Great leaders have a talent for recognizing raw gifts in those they recruit and employ and then have an ability to draw out those giftings. My personal love for those really great leaders and the ones I respect the most seem to have a massive passion for what they do and believe wholeheartedly in their products, services and people.

I heard a fellow Companion speak at the dining club a couple of months ago and he spent a long time talking about leaders and the importance of servitude. The most important job that a leader can do is to serve those that work for them to ensure that they have the tools to do the jobs, the knowledge and provide an environment that enables them to achieve their goals.

Failure has become a swear word amongst business in the UK, which is such a shame because if we were to survey the leading entrepreneurs we would find that most of them had achieved a reasonable level of failure in their careers. Failure is part of the learning curve and journey that leads to success. Great leaders understand this and have no fear of failure and understand that there is risk involved in achieving dreams and that’s the reason they love it.

Finally I think great leaders in business are highly competitive, highly driven, very charismatic and have confidence in themselves and their teams. One of my favourite quotes is “if you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re absolutely right” (Henry Ford). We have this plastered over all our offices in the UK and it is the mantra to which everyone at Great Guns lives by.

AG: Thanks for your time Liz and best of luck in the future

LJ: Thanks Adi.