Writing a book is hard. These things do not happen by themselves and are not achieved by the work of one person. Getting to the point of scribing this part of the prose can typically fill me with dread, as I worry profusely about the people I have forgotten to mention.
This time is very different, as I am 100 percent certain that I will be forgetting thousands of individuals as the collation of the ideas, thoughts, and experience packed into this book has been made possible by the dozens of mentors that have served my career, the hundreds of talented people I have worked with, and the millions of people I have had the privilege to call customers.
It's the customers who remain the greatest asset of any business, and these are the people who teach us and have guided so much of my career to date. If I have ever had the privilege of serving you, then I thank you. The lessons served by the marketplace have taught me more than any book could ever have shared with me, and I am humbled by the knowledge that understanding business means understanding people, and that means getting close enough to learn from them.
I must never forget to thank the hundreds of mistakes that I have made already and the ones I am yet to make. For it is the lessons served by these mistakes that provide me the real life contrast to have confidence in the principles shared in this book.
Specifically there are a few very special people who possibly have no idea on the impact they have had on my life….
My first mentor, “Chalky” White, who was the first teacher to tell me that maybe I am the one who knows what is best for me and gave me the confidence to carve my own path.
Norman Smith, for giving me a chance as a kid and allowing me to think bigger and act bigger in the workplace, long before my years should have allowed.
Carl Menard, Peter Lee, and Dave Payling, for believing in me long before my time and teaching me the foundations on which to build and manage a big business.
Adam Jobson, for being the one person who has never doubted me and trusting me with a part of his future.
Mum and Dad, for giving me the education to be curious, the humility to fail, and the courage to keep moving forward. I will be eternally grateful to the rope you let out on me and the safety net you have kept secured and always made available.
For the book itself, which has been a whirlwind, and from concept through to creation would not have happened without the foresight and entrepreneurial spirit demonstrated by Shannon Vargo and Kelly Martin at John Wiley & Sons, who helped me realize that this builder's son from a small town in England may actually be an author.
Trena White, Gabrielle Narted, and the entire team at Page Two strategies for being my true friends in the publishing world and always delivering with professionalism and grace, and helping me navigate the landscape of the publishing world.
Meeting the deadline of a book creates an anxiety‐fueled pandemonium. I am submitting a manuscript archived in eternity and anchored to my reputation. This means that it needs to be legible for people other than me to read it, and the herculean editing effort delivered by Jenny Govier has been inspiring.
Finishing this book resulted in a 72‐hour period of my life locked for 16‐hour days in our cabin in Buckinghamshire, and if it weren't for my beautiful and talented wife Charlotte, there is no way I would be here today. Seeing her put up with my obnoxious grumpiness as I worked to get this finished reminds me how lucky I am to have found the perfect woman who still loves me at my worst!
My final thank you is one that is dedicated to possibly the most important person of all. You. Your taking the time to actually read my structured ramblings is the reason I went through the pain of crafting this piece, and reading every word of a book is the greatest gift you can ever share with an author. Thank you for allowing me to play a part in your story, and please share your comments with me personally and allow me to know how your story unfolds.