Introduction
"What is this life, if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare?" William Henry Davies' words have been a corner stone to who I am and lay the foundations to how I approach my life. I am a passionate believer that we have but one life and it should not be squandered on the unfulfilling pursuit of such vulgar things as money, but more so in search of moments stolen away with family and loved ones. Why put ourselves through a life of servitude and sweat if you take no time to enjoy the fruit of your labour? Should we be work shy? No. Should we be frivolous with wealth? No. Should we however let work drain all attention and energy from our life’s? Most certainly not. All things in moderation, and work to live. These are the clichés that best describe me.
1) Which place, or city or country do you most feel at home in?
I have had the pleasure of travelling across the world and have lived abroad for a period. From New York right through to the Serengeti however, no place on this planet has drawn me in the way Luton has. I learnt very early on in my career that my family are my anchor and, having been born and raised in what I perceive to be the most northern town in the south, Luton for me is home. For all the bad publicity and the unfair media attention, the people of Luton will testify to the unity and strong community links, often in the face of financial struggles, as what binds us and helps us achieve so much.
2) What are your proudest achievements?
Graduating, being involved in several successful business endeavours, having written for the worlds most widely distributed football fanzine, getting married, witnessing a wilder beast migration, spending time with my father as he built a new family home in Bangladesh and becoming a father myself all pale in comparison to completing my Hajj in 2018 with my then pregnant wife. Truly a once in a lifetime experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
3) What inspires you?
I draw inspiration from nature, its ability to adapt to obstacles and its resilience to threats. Nature can be beautiful, violent and inspiring and from that constant revolution I can see parallels in how we too that we are all caught in one cycle. We build, we are challenged, we rise, we fall. A cornucopia of wonders.
4) What has been biggest obstacle in your career?
Prior to working for myself, I was working within HR, and surmised early on that I did not fit the mould of a stereotypical HR Officer. As a result, I remember feeling that, if given the chance, I could prove myself. Adversely I felt my employer wanted me to prove myself before I was given a chance. I was caught up in a uroboros of my own making and It became frustrating quickly to the point at which I felt my energies were better focused building a business as opposed to a career.
5) Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?
My father has been a Chef for over 40 years. Horrible working conditions, next to no employment rights, work based bullying, being exposed to colleagues with substance misuse and social issues, and being grossly underpaid were, and to some extent, still are prevalent features within the Indian Restaurant industry. However, none of this stopped my father from working, to ensure my siblings and I were given the best that he could afford. That work ethic will always inspire me to push on in the face of challenges and obstacles.
6) What is the best aspect about your current role?
Being your own boss is a deception by nature. Owning businesses often means the businesses owning you. Even when you are not at work, you are at work. Although being self-employed does allow me the luxuries of laying in occasionally, the reality is privileges of being able to switch off at 17:00 are a distant memory, or the concept of having 28 days annual leave per annum are a mirage of my past. To balance this out however, my income exceeds anything I could have expected to have earned by working a 9-5, and I hope to retire earlier having worked for myself than would be possible had I been employed by someone else.
7) And the worst?
People management and motivating a workforce is one of the most difficult aspects of owning any business. Look after your people, and they should look after your business. However finding a balance between financial equilibrium and looking after your business interests is the golden formula.
8) What are your long term goals?
All my long terms goal centre around family, and what I can do to ensure that they are happy. My happiness lies with knowing that my loved ones are taken care of, and I do everything I can to ensure that my parents, spouse, siblings and of course my daughter are assured that I will support them in any way that I can. Money has never motivated me, and although I recognise the difference It can make to a person’s life, material gain has never equated to happiness for me.
9) If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change?
Having visited the Middle East, and Jerusalem in particular, it always crushes me to think of the culture of disparity that can partially trace its roots back to our shores and the impact of the Balfour declaration. Although not absolving any party of responsibility or blame, If I were Prime Minister then I would use my political influence and power to try to lay down the foundations for a peaceful resolution to a complex issue that has affected British foreign policy across the world.
10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why?
If Cleopatra was unavailable to bide my time with, then Ibn Battuta, of Tangier, Morocco would be my chosen historical figure. He was an explorer of note who lived in 1304 BC. Having read about some of his (disputed) travels, I know that I would be marooned with a man who had lived the type of nomadic life that I can only dream of, or that I would be trapped on an island with someone with a fantastical sense of storytelling and imagination. Either way, I think we could keep each other occupied.
