The Learning Curve Begins…
No Experience
Lots of Enthusiasm
Tenacity
Never Ever Give Up
Double Award Winning Business Woman
My business life has been somewhat unorthodox - and I hope that some of my rollercoaster adventures will help you – not to make the same mistakes that I have – but to help you to overcome obstacles one way or another - and take heart from some of my successes.
I didn’t go to university as I just wanted to get out into the world and start doing things – what - I wasn’t quite sure! Life seemed like it could be so exciting – and little did I know - quite how exciting and demanding it would prove to be.
I finished my formal education when I was 16 - with a few GCEs – and filled with a massive enthusiasm to make my way in the world.
My headmistress’s testimonial read – ‘a little adversity in a harsh world will do Sally no harm’.
In fact she was right – but even she could not have known just how character building things would turn out to be!
Over the years, I have found that the most necessary requirements have been tenacity and a great capacity for hard work. These personality traits were inherited from my mother and grandmother, who instilled in me a guilt complex to never sit down and relax.
Also important, is a big dollop of chutzpah plus an extensive contact book – but that only comes with time and experience.
Never underestimate the importance of increasing your network. I am a great believer in the Six Degrees of Separation Theory.
If you really apply yourself - 6 steps should be all you need to eventually get hold of whomever you want to contact. In one instance, it only took one degree of separation to connect to a former President of USA!
Never forget - the worst anyone can say is NO – and I have found that most often - people say YES. Even if – as you will see – they are considered to be one of the most powerful people in the world!
Starting out with all my enthusiasm and tenacity was fine, but of course with no experience, I have made a huge amount of mistakes. But, through those mistakes, I have learnt a lot – most of it, the hard way. But, in my opinion, there is no better way to learn, because you are unlikely to forget.
Critically, you need to learn to pick yourself up afterwards, which is not always easy. But, if you don’t try, you will never succeed at anything. And success is largely down to, how much you want it - and - what you are prepared to put in, to get it. Running a business is 99% sweat and tears and 1% luck – and don’t underestimate the need for that 1%.
I was born in Torquay – and like a lot of girls in the late 60s and early 70s – when I left school - I trained as a hair stylist and beautician because I thought it would be glamorous, but I soon got over that when I got asked to remove nasal hair from old men! Seriously - YUK…
After which, I worked in various banks, because my father, a bank manager, thought it was a safe environment and a job for life, which of course it was in those days.
He hoped it would keep me safe and out of trouble!! A vain hope in my case……
Predictably, before long - the horizons were looking particularly boring – so in 1975 I left Torbay and went to London where, initially I did a little part-time modelling and promotion work.
1976
These are some very old - and seriously grainy - photos of me in James Hunt’s car - the year he was World Champion - modelling some clothing for Texaco.
That year, I started doing Foreign Exchange dealing for Hambros Bank in Hatton Garden - specifically for the diamond trade. I learnt a great deal.
The diamond trade has a unique atmosphere and huge sums of money are at stake.
Intriguingly, all the deals I witnessed in 3 years for millions of pounds were all done on a handshake – no signatures and no contracts.
Mostly, the dealing was between Jews and Jews – or - Jews and Arabs, which amazed me as this was not long after the 6-day war in the Middle East.
But business is business, and it goes to prove that the differences which are fought over, could more than likely, be overcome if people sat down and spoke to each other as if they were doing business, with an open mind. The essence of a good business deal is knowing that no deal is good, unless both sides walk away happy.
The handshake in the diamond industry has worked for centuries, because if anyone reneged on a deal, the global diamond trade would know in a heartbeat, particularly with today’s communications.
Therefore, if anyone defaulted, they would never be able to trade again – anywhere in the world. They would be instantly black-listed and never trusted again.
To me this was exactly how I thought business should be. I strongly believe that your word should be your bond, but sadly not that many people seem to agree.
I certainly wish that some of our current politicians worked to the same standard as the diamond trade.
It is a really fascinating business.
During this time, when I was 26, I got married.
Then I had a few years and many operations trying to have children, which incredibly sadly, I couldn’t.
This was obviously before the days of IVF and therefore nothing could be done.
It was a huge turning point in my life, as I had always wanted to have a family, but you have to turn tragedy into something good or you will go crazy.
So because I had no children - I made business my focus in life.
In 1980 I took my mother on holiday for 3 weeks to Barbados where I had been many times before and just loved it.
While sat on the beach one day, I noticed that only skilled or very fit people had the opportunity to use the numerous water sports facilities and remain unscathed.
Ergo - a gap in the marketplace.
I came home and sold absolutely everything I had - and bought 30 Bumper Boats from a friend of mine who made them in the UK and a ski boat. The Bumper Boats were ideal for anyone with no skill - or little confidence - to have fun on the sea.
They had a 360 degree turning ability so you could spin them by twisting the engine round - and obviously bump them like dodgem cars – hence the ‘bumper’ name. – and so started my boat business in Barbados.
This was clearly a mad thing to do - and I had no idea that this was to be the biggest learning curve of my life.
I had never run a business before – and didn’t even know - I could claim the VAT back - on the money I spent - buying the boats in the UK and then exporting them!
First tip – never ever start a new business in a foreign country!!
Fortunately - some good sense prevailed. So - before I left the UK - I did embark on a brief mechanics course with Suzuki. I was taking 30 of their engines with me - and thought it best to have a cursory understanding at least of how to strip an engine – but, as it turned out, it was never going to be enough to do the maintenance required.
BARBADOS & OCTOPUSSY
In Barbados, I was a diminutive blonde female on my own. It was very tricky at best, but exceptionally difficult if you are physically threatened, which of course I was on a regular basis.
I called my business Octopussy because my boyfriend at the time was a stunt man on the Bond films and Octopussy was in production.
The boats were made from a plastic hull with a huge rubber tube around them to allow for bumping and had a Suzuki engine positioned in the centre of the hull, which has a 360 degree turning ability.
The rubber tubes were constantly vandalised by people sticking pins or knives into them, and it was always a nightmare trying to find the punctures. So I had to learn how to do hot air welding to mend the tubes!
I had a team of 7 guys working for me to rent the boats out, including a mechanic called Wendy and twins called Toffee and Sweetie - unbelievable but true!
We towed the boats up and down the St James coast dropping in at all the beaches along the way offering rides.
Then I had a big trailer made, which carried 12 of the boats so that I could move them around the Island quicker. This helped to catch the tourists as the big cruise ships came in to the south of the island.
Because it was a cash business, and I was in the water 10 hours every day, each night I got home, I had to hang my money up to dry. That was fun!
And by and large, things went very well, and I loved the life and even had a pin striped bikini to go with my briefcase!
However, during my time there I was threatened with knives at my throat by the ski guys, who, quite understandably didn’t want me taking their business. However, once they knew they could trust me we all became friends.
But, on one occasion I was threatened with a gun.
I was invited onto a large yacht by a very wealthy local family who had hired all my boats. One of the crowd, held a gun to my head whilst they dropped each one of my engines into the sea for fun! They asked what I was going to do about it, which in the circumstances was clearly not a lot!
The next day I went to the harbour master and reported them. His advice, was to get a gun and shoot back. This rather sums up the lack of support from the local Government and officials at that time.
I have many hair raising stories of my time there.
During this time, I had to fly home to have a hysterectomy and then, after only 4 weeks, I was back running my business. Clearly I was very fit at the time!
Thinking back now, I have no idea how I did it, but needs must as there was nobody else to run my business while I was away.
But all in all I had a wonderful 3 years.
I loved the island, and still do, and I came back to the UK a much wiser person than when I left. Also – VERY IMPORTANTLY – I returned with the knowledge that I could dig very deep into my character if necessary to survive.
On my return - my bank manager suggested I get myself a ‘proper job’.
He told me that the position of Financial Controller at Lord’s Cricket ground was available and that I should apply.
THE NATIONAL CRICKET ASSOCIATION
I mentioned to my bank manager, that I wasn’t a qualified accountant, but he said, I had been in banking and to just reverse the figures!!
To my great surprise, I got the job and became the first female executive in cricket, Financial Controller of the National Cricket Association. That may not sound much now, but at the time you have no idea how ground breaking it was!
From then on, I was referred to as the ‘blonde at Lord’s’. Not something that they could get away with now, but frankly, it just spurred me on to prove that I was as good as or maybe, even better than the men.
My financial committee meetings were always held in the Pavilion at Lord’s, which in those days was an exclusively male bastion. Seriously, no women were allowed into the Pavilion on match days, and all female staff were kept to certain areas of the building.
So, after my meetings I would have to leave the room whilst the men had lunch, because women were not allowed to eat with the men in the Committee Dining Room in the Pavilion. This went on for over 18 months.
In the end, my chairman, after much argument and complaining from me, managed to get them to accept me attending lunch too.
This may sound a small thing, but in those days it was a triumph and a massive achievement.
During my 4 years at Lord’s, I was very successful in saving the NCA a lot of money and was subsequently offered the job of taking over the finances for the whole of cricket (in those days the TCCB) – unheard of!!
Cricket’s accountants Touche Roche said I was up to the job, and so I moved offices. Only to be told the next day that the Chairmen of all the County Cricket Clubs would not accept a woman in charge of their finances, so the offer was withdrawn.
Again, impossible to do now, but then very easy and par for the course. An absolutely stone age attitude. For me of course, it was hugely upsetting to say the least!
So - I decided to leave.
ALLEN MANTLE INTERNATIONAL (AMI)
During my time at Lord’s and raising sponsorship money for cricket, I had met a man called Roy Mantle who was an expert in sports sponsorship. We decided to go into business together and formed Allen Mantle International a sports sponsorship, marketing & PR agency.
Our agency was very successful and along with other clients, we managed all of the Guinness sponsorship business. Their extensive portfolio of sponsorships included Soccer 6; The Grand National; Motor Racing and the Soccer & Rugby World Cups.
We did a lot of work with Jack Charlton as a Guinness Ambassador and when he was Manager of the National Irish Football Team in the Soccer World Cup.
Guinness was always a very popular sponsor with the sports press because we even served Guinness or Black Velvet (Guinness & champagne) at our early morning press conferences for the Football League and the Football Association.
Roy & I at Fulham Football Club
Jack Charleton
After 4 successful and fun years - Roy joined our biggest client Guinness as head of sponsorship.
So with Guinness still my biggest client, I developed AMI into Compass PR & Marketing and extended the agency services into providing marketing and communication initiatives for major brands and also embracing politics, entertainment and education into the sponsorship/PR mix.