31 Mar, 2021

TRANSCRIPT

Pete Cohen  0:02

Happy beautiful day, it's Pete Cohen. It's the Mi365 podcast. We have a special guest today. We have the winner of the BBC's The Apprentice in 2012, Ricky Martin. This is such an inspirational interview if you want to get ahead in business and in life. Check out this episode of the Mi365 podcast. I'll see you all after the theme tune.

Pete Cohen  0:31

Let's get ready to rumble! Ricky also used to be a wrestler. Goodbye.

Pete Cohen  1:03

So my guest today is Ricky Martin. Ricky thank you so much for joining me, how are you today.

Ricky Martin  1:09

Pete I'm well. I'm thrilled to be here. Thanks for having me. I'm good.

Pete Cohen  1:13

Thank you. Well let's just talk, we met on club land, clubhouse, this is a club land. So yeah clubhouse, tell us about how did you come across this kind of new app that everyone's kind of talking about?

Ricky Martin  1:25

I still sit in that I think everyone says it's, I'm still sitting in the camp of figuring out how someone mentioned it to me in passing that oh you should go on there. So a lot of people looking to talk about business setting up businesses running companies, as well as obviously positive inspirational speakers that are going on their visit. You should check it out. And I randomly went on the platform, and realized we can't get in Kenya. I couldn't actually get it because it's invite only and then someone I used to somebody used to work for me and my company is on there, and active. And let me and gave me an invite, let me into the club. And, yeah, I'm finding my feet with it but so far, I mean it's it connects people and people man are working with people industry it's about making connections building networks and we wouldn't be doing this people out if so, objective succeeded, I guess.

Pete Cohen  2:13

Yeah, well, when, when a colleague told me about it, I immediately just ignored it because I just thought you know what I can't, I can't be doing with another social media app, you know, I just haven't got time I'm not interested. A waste enough time as it is, but there is something pretty unique about this and I just heard you speak, and there was a few things that you said that actually surprised me, I thought, wow, you've, you've obviously got yourself into a position that people maybe would explore in a different way because of being someone of influence, but you just seem to be someone who is obsessed with doing the right thing and making things happen and I really want to unpack that because I just find it really interesting so for those of us that don't know who you are obviously you became well known because of winning The Apprentice, tell us, I mean, tell us, whatever. I mean, you must be tell that story all the time but just tell us anything you want about that. In fact, first off, just tell us why. Why did you enter in the first place.

Ricky Martin  3:08

So, I'm a competitive person so I'm someone that loved watching The Apprentice for great program makes good TV. I'm a competitive guy that works in business and the program always interested me and I love watching it and love it when people can succeed I love competition. However, for me, it was, it wasn't logical ever to consider going on I had an amazing job I was building my career and really really light, and it used to be you go on there and you get a job for 100 grand and work for Alan Sugar or So Alan at the time. So for me I love the competition but the prize never attracted me. And then it was about six, seven years into my career and what I was doing which is improvement I connect people in the sciences, and they change the concept from they no longer give you a job they give me 250,000 pounds and resell the 5050 venture with, who is now Lord Alan Sugar not cerana. So, the minute he changed its concept it really appealed you're like great my competitive juices will flow because this is the type of thing, I'd love to do, but actually we are in a recession of the back end of the 2008 2009 recession, I was thinking about trends and capitals and c cap to get my business going. And I remember thinking, charges, give it a glass, have a bit of fun doing it because I like competition but roll the dice so 2012 the year that I went on The Apprentice. Fortunately, the year that I won the apprentice, and it's also the same year I set up my company hrs hyper recruitment, which I still run today with Andrea.

Pete Cohen  4:37

So we were you on at the same year as Katie Borman Cook. I think we're she was a year. because if you would have been.

Ricky Martin  4:44

I think she was the year or two before mine. Mine was the first, it was the second year with a new version of the concept by your business partnership but that first year the year prior to mine. They actually applied to the process in the old concept, and it was halfway through the auditions and they changed it from a job to a business, and that was really more years, the first year where you actually got entrepreneurs now saying, I've got a business idea I want to run with this submitting that, as well as an application form and a CV for consideration the year before. It's very much people in the old process but then had to put a business plan forward, kind of at the end once they change the price.

Pete Cohen  5:21

So did you go and go in there with like your game face of raw I'm just gonna win this and just get your head down and do what you needed to do or was it. Did you see it as a way of like having fame and we just not interested in that?

Ricky Martin  5:32

The whole fame I mean, I guess the solid thing about me is it's I've stopped it now because of the business but I have also been a professional wrestler. So, during the early stage of post my university when I was working in recruitment for a company. I also spent every Thursday and Friday night, Saturday and Sunday wrestling all over the country following this dream to be the next kind of rock to the younger people Hulk Hogan to the older people. So I was still pursuing

Pete Cohen  5:59

Big Daddy to me mate.

Ricky Martin  5:59

Big Daddy too I mean, this will make you. Big Daddy, then you'll know the next person so I've actually wrestled with Kendo Nagasaki as an example.

Pete Cohen  6:09

Yeah.

Ricky Martin  6:09

So, back in the old world of sport they so I, I was looking for an idea of going for it and I kind of said to myself, You know what, I'm going to give them the wrestler, which is really high and I'm going to give them that to really get a character on TV because I'd seen that process before. But once I got on the process I thought well, Ricky hopes not going to win a serious business investment He's allowed them life wrestling character that plays the bad guy. So when I went and got on it, I turned into a recruiter Ricky which is my day to day it's my job, it's my passion, so the whole fame and TV element to me was completely irrelevant. I wanted the money the 250k to set up a business. I was going to get the money, and if the apprentice didn't give me that money as long as you didn't give me that money. I was going to go get it from somewhere else, or either the Bank of friends and family and try and raise capital and actual bank loan I didn't know anything about angel investors back then, or they've waited another year or two generate enough cash and do it myself so for me it was purely for the cash that 250k To get the company going. If there was any popularity or fame as it were, as a byproduct and brilliant, but I always looked at it in those years, I'm not. If you want to be famous and a celebrity, they were the years that you'd go on Big Brother, if you want a business and you want to work with one of Britain's highest earning billionaires out there and then you go on The Apprentice So, and I think the program confused is that half the people who go on there one fame and they're the ones that will never win half the people either have a business or an idea and they want that they're the people that you don't always hear are again after the show, unless they're a success in their field and people start talking about them, they're not the ones who crave the limelight.

Pete Cohen  7:51

So when you, I mean one piece I want to ask you why you wanted to be a wrestler, but we could come to that in a minute why. What was it about the business that you wanted that investment why that business. What was the thing you would look why did you want to start that business?

Ricky Martin  8:06

But the business to me with very, very large. I'm a believer in setting up a company, no matter what if you had to set up on something that you're incredibly interested in you are very passionate about, and ideally you have the experience. And that's not to say a business can't prevail if you don't have the experience, but I think it helps so I'd spent six years prior to the apprentice being a recruiter for the life sciences. I had done my academics, I did a degree in Cardiff University in biochemistry, because I believed I could help people. It just so happened but I didn't want the practical science I like talking about it. So, for me, following my career I got a biochemistry undergraduate degree with honest, I then worked in recruitment and placed by a Kenson to drop, replace my strength, which is talking. And then when it came about looking for money, I always said, I'd like to run my own business but as a younger child I never knew what in when I realized in recruitment, I can fulfill my objective of helping people through sciences, Because how I put it quite bluntly is if I put the right sciences in the job, they can create medicine, and that medicine is going to help patients so for us the world around us, like right now, I've got people generating vaccines right now every single day. I always look at the world around us. And I'm a big believer in particularly in lockdown people realizing this everyday. This means a lot to a lot of people. And I think there's a lot of people who go to work, they're on there, kind of a rat rat or whatever you call it, and they don't realize that actually it's not necessarily the jobs is going somewhere doing something cheap and so for me, when I set up this company. The most important thing for me was combining what I liked, which was the or combining what I was good at which is science combining it with what I was particularly without which was talking, and staying true to what I really believed in. I couldn't can that's about how much money we made. I couldn't care less about how rich, that that could make me, success and if there's an event one then or sell at an iron format which most likely will I will it's doing well, however I can care less about that for me the most important thing is how this business makes a difference and that's always been ingrained in me from the very young life. Wherever I came from the south coast, working class family, we never had money, I shared a pension tonight 16 That worked every day of the week is a bright line to make. There was food on the table and I always believed that you're the master of your own destiny, I'm not, I wasn't getting the leg up, I had the love and the support but didn't have the leg. I always believed, I will go out and get. And to me, what I wanted at the time was in more money to do more things like my friends is to prove that I could do anything that somebody tells me that I couldn't. So for me, investing myself into the sciences and going after this business, I got the investment, because I didn't want to do anything, dramatically different or dramatically crazy, I just want to be the best at my space, and I have this in routed thing about them that says, I could do any job personally and I believe this is something I've talked to a lot of young people about, all you need to do is commit yourself to it and try and be the best that you can be, don't have to be famous, you don't have to be earning the most but you're the best that you can be you do everyone around you proud as well as yourself. So, for me, work with an industry I care about is important. I couldn't recruit the stuff that I didn't care about so for me it's helping scientists helping patients and with every client I speak to cater as an example we, I've done a lot of outplacement they've actually moved a lot of their global operation moved a lot of people from r&d out of the UK, so I've been helping a lot of those people redeploy their skills into industry as well as into their business. So for me it's, what is your company doing this one company I work with that supports oncology, but particularly children with leukemia, it's one of the only products in the world that makes a difference to their children and that's why I love working with them because the supply chain that I fulfill helps that objective, which for me is making a difference, is helping people. And if there's anything I'd ever want to be famous for it's not TV, it's not the apprentice, it's not my wrestling background it's not even going on total Wipeout in 2009 and winning that one as well. It's for being really good at putting great talent into jobs that make drugs and help people with their lives. That's my legacy that's what I care about and there's not a. There's not a destination that I want to end up, it's a purpose that is always, I can continually keep trying to fulfill. And when I hire people into my workforce which is a lot of younger generations Millennials whatever terminology people like to breeze in a lot and join the businesses I'm talking to him about the purpose and the story of what we do and how when the role gets difficult. That's how happy that they can be of what they do, not just put someone into a job like every other recruiters out there.

Pete Cohen  12:33

Fascinating, isn't it, because where there's vision as engagement, you know in corporations, just in life, if you have a leader that say this is the vision. This is the story, and then people can see themselves in the story and the part they have to play. They just go above and beyond because they, they want to bring that vision to life it's none of this is rocket science. I'm just very curious as to someone like you as to where you've learned all of this and you've obviously explained some of that coming from a humble background and it's funny that your dad was a bricklayer because you're obviously building everything brick by brick and it's not a wall that you ever end up completing you just keep building and building and building. Is that right?

Ricky Martin  13:09

Prudence is exactly that it's just, I always say it, which is a really everyone says this term but a job is not a job if you love what you do, really isn't. And when I hire people, I say you're not coming to me for a job, you're coming to me for a career. And we will build that career together and I need people to build their careers as I'm building the business and we will do it together so absolutely it's ever fulfilling the prophecy can't be fulfilled. Always can be aspired to. As a result, it keeps you grounded, because you know there's another level, and you got to keep continually going for that level you also know what the basement feels like and looks like if you go back to the basement, you're going to bring it back up again, you kind of understand that and I think that knockdowns showing people purpose that things are right. If I had my way and I know it's, it's my own company Hey dress but I had no way I wouldn't call anyone a recruiter I say this a lot, I call them all life changes in your life change and what you mean by that, you put someone into a job. That job makes them money, they put food on the table they buy a house and that over there over their heads and they can drive a car to work. So, but you also put them in a job in an sector, where they get medicines to market save patients life or prolong their life so that's what you do. If the world didn't probably think what on earth is that company up to call never on a life changer that would be the job titles in work I'd call myself the chief life changer that's, that's what I would do because you have to remember the story and what you're doing and when anyone remembers a story they remember it for its reputation what it stood for, and that's our story.

Pete Cohen  14:35

Where did you, where do you, I'm gonna ask where did you learn this philosophy because it is a philosophy, when you said that reminded me of that term asymptote, you know, which is a line that moves towards another line but never, hits. always just. But where did you learn that philosophy was that something that you read in a book which is someone that someone told you. I'm running toward us who's influenced you,

Ricky Martin  14:55

For a salesperson, I'm actually really terrible at reading other people's books, and just because sometimes I find some books are too long, some books are unrelated and because of circumstance I probably take more from reading autobiographies than I do like a sales coach book. But for me, there hasn't been a single person that said, I've just always, there's two different types of people I think there's those that have a affinity towards people and feelings and those that have an affinity towards process and structure, and on the people and themes type person I want to understand what it's doing, why it's doing it it's probably the why for me. If there was ever a time that probably solidified so I did these things because it's what attracts me right it's what kind of excites me and I've seen it work well with others, the only time I've ever seen it well articulated in a more coaching way would have been Simon Sinek fellow versus Apple why. And it's like well you buy Apple because of their brand, because there's a division where you go in and you bite down because it's got, I was the only time when I looked at I said, Do you know how I operate, didn't, didn't get it. It just was made.

Pete Cohen  16:03

Such a simple message as well as it's not complicated, you know people by people with it, can you just remind me, I worked for a company called Robert Half many years ago and they're,

Ricky Martin  16:12

They're regarded finance professional service.

Pete Cohen  16:14

So I gave a talk for them in Monte Carlo for 100 of their top achievers and this stick was talking before, one of the original Stig McCarthy, and he didn't go down very well because these guys are top achievers and they would just listen to him tell his story, but I just shared some of the things that I've learned and observations I've made and anyway. They then asked me the following year to spend the whole three days taking them on a journey of what we call from great exceptional what that look like. So we actually spent two days with 20 of their top achievers interviewing them, and I'm very ignorant to this because I don't know, but I go in with that mind of curiosity. Yeah, literally you could split them into two groups. There was one group that was obsessed with making money, they love making money bringing people together, but the other half, they were obsessed with making placements, they love the idea of bringing people together to make that person's life better, which is obviously the camera you're in right?

Ricky Martin  17:09

It isn't. I honestly think that making money camp with the world we live in and the world of social media and instant gratification. I actually think the money thing is gonna it's going to slow your roll as time goes on. In fact, I even say to some of my guys that if you're just here to make great money go elsewhere. Someone will pay you quicker, better, faster than I will. But if you want to somewhere where actually, you're going to make a difference and as a result, being the best that you can be in an organization that cares the most, you will probably make as much if not more, over the long run so I always look at like that I think recruitment in Robert hearts are probably a good example of a good life in the sector that's been around for a long period are built upon deals deals deals Money money money and they are evolving the culture so it doesn't shock me that the canvas split. And I don't think another company will exist again in my space, I think it's very small purpose led organizations where people are drawn to the community and you hear this term a lot try that that type of environment, and how they operate would never be How will my business to be, I don't want to be the biggest, the largest in the world, I just want to be the best at making a difference in patients exactly the impact is right, and the reputations there. We, me and everyone else in the business will make as much money as we possibly can dream of. Everything else is by-product.

Pete Cohen  18:31

It's funny, you also represent to me the fulfillment you get from impact is like 10 times or 100 times or a million more times more impactful than influence look how many follows, I don't know whether you know this by batch I don't know whether you're around later but I have invited you into eight o'clock this season, this evening with Suzanne Shore who was in here say right. Fascinating story as well you know that becoming becoming so famous and then realizing.

Ricky Martin  18:58

It was right the pinnacle of like reality TV was that she would have been in Stanford,

Pete Cohen  19:04

Well they were booed as well. She said that when they played it the Brits, they were booed. But they were booed by people in the industry you know because they were like a rubber band. But that's that's the price that you play and I think you're one of those people obviously can can sleep at night, and because you know you're doing a good thing. But let's go back to the wrestling thing where did the idea come for you to be a wrestler?

Ricky Martin  19:26

You referenced Big Daddy earlier so my granddad loved wellness. It was that thing on Sunday afternoon TV. He gripped the nation and I remember as a kid he took me on a few occasion they used to have in some of the local town halls like production wrestling production shows, and people like Big Daddy giant haystacks I'd seen in real life as a kid, and I love the drama a bit I guess that probably plays on the purpose of that person wrestling is, it's a soap opera it's entertainment however when people dress it whether it's good versus evil, there's a story involved so the story side of it always pulled me in. And I must have been the teenager thinking love this wrestling watch on TV now and it evolved, it was no longer well this forum rounds it become Americanized WTF in the US took over. I started doing it kind of like out of hours messing around with a camcorder until one day I was parents found the video of me doing it, jumping off basketball nets going mad at me like, What are you doing, You're gonna kill yourself, and the words are long like you got to do it do it for real. And so what I will. So when I studied in Cardiff, the NWA, they were called was a UK affiliate wrestling firm started training, so I thought I'll do it started doing that, and I got scouted for most companies across the UK, and the time that the apprentice come knocking that I'd apply to the investment. I also was offered my tryouts for the what is now the WWE in America so I kind of had a tipping point in 2011 The year before it will happen. Do I follow this stream of storytelling from a wrestling perspective, Because I love them, or do I follow my business perspective because the business in my academics was what would always be when none of the rest of the present doesn't work, I've got my business and what I'm doing, then when the business started taking off I had that tipping point of making the decision and I chose to follow the business because I'm not six six, I'm not 25 stone that well is 300 days flying across the world and I was due to get married and I wanted a farm, your life is not sustainable. If I want to have the right kind of family and the routine. And to an extent the apprentice thing gave me the ability to get the money set up I can tell stories in another way, not in the room good versus evil. Actually, I guess you'd look at it in business perspective, how can I make a difference of the sciences and save people's life being a superhero and what I do now, rather than in an artificial wrestling room.

Pete Cohen  21:48

You know, I kind of get it now. I've gotten to a point where I've got something from you that I would love to share with others and people will listen to this that you just love creating stories right you see your life as a story, actually as a hero and that word hero comes from the Greek word protector. So real heroes are just trying to protect other people so I can see why you must have so much fulfillment in what you do and your business. But let's just go back to The Apprentice, what was that experience like of being on the show and then, you know, what was it, you know, he must be honest, especially if it's sitting in that boardroom and waiting for you know that, just tell me about the whole thing. What was it like for you. What were your, your memories?

Ricky Martin  22:26

I've watched it for so many years I'm not, I'm not going to do any rule on this show, it looks straightforward, people are stupid people excuse their friends, tickets. They're all of these things and I'm not going to be a walk in the park. It was actually, it was 100 times more difficult than I expected, because the bear in mind what did I know prior to new science from academics and my study on new recruitment. So working with people and negotiating commercial agreements, and then you wrestling, but this was none of that really typically. So for me. Once I started, I realized how much more difficult it is and I always speak to people who say, it's called the apprentice for one reason the apprenticeship is a learning process where you get exposed to different things and you develop a knowledge as a character. So I went in there. I guess the way I would tell the story and how I went in there my wrestling ego, I'm better than everyone I know this, I realized very quickly that that won't last that doesn't work, and actually if I want to be a good leader of why I do that one so he said he doesn't feel. I'm not the most important person in my team. In fact, I'm just a very small part of that entire team. So for me, I used it as 12 weeks worth of different businesses, I've never been exposed to product development, branding and industry trade things, doing TV and things I've never done before us, it's a learning process. So 100 times harder than I expected. I probably made all the mistakes I've seen people make before and more. Yes, the process does have its limitations that you can't do certain things to check things so the opportunity of making mistakes is much greater. However, real all doing well in my opinion, and being a winner on it, is the ability to learn the ability to quickly learn, and somebody was saying business that a lot of people use this term is fail fast, make mistake fail fast, learn from it bounce back, it probably put that in a nutshell, I felt the level of the 12 weeks and then on the 12 week I wanted to get getting the investment because that's how I knew I was never going to lose. And when we don't want it because I can learn every single week which made me better. You're going into the environment setting up this company.

Pete Cohen  24:32

And what was it like when, when you found out that you won. What was that feeling?

Ricky Martin  24:35

It was normally either. If you told us at the time I'd say surreal. There probably sounds. I knew when I went in there and I had a good shot, because I believe in myself and I believe I'm adaptable and moldable I'm good with people, as the week's went on I realized it's me and the candidates working together, not against each other, getting the best type of relationships looking for new town comes together and to an extent, it's a television process you happen to work in in TV provided work with production crews, or constrain what you can and can't do live in a house that's a constant. When you realize you just popped one big team and you put along that that's what played to my greatest strengths in my job before so it shocked me when I got it in a non arrogant way I felt like actually the strengths I believe I have were validated. But at that point, it got real, I mean, the amount of people used to say, Oh, you've made a success. You've won I said we're not really investment people get investment every single day.

Pete Cohen  25:33

Absolutely yeah. That's easy.

Ricky Martin  25:34

If anything is the easy things that is my job not to lose it and in fact, I'll know in the public eye, winning the bid process that everyone, everyone that wants you to lose is the British public they want it to go wrong. So for me, I said I've never had a back in the basement again and I've got to build out of that.

Pete Cohen  25:53

And what was that like you like your first meeting with. So Lord Sugar and you're in business.

Ricky Martin  25:59

First real meeting was when he told me I'd actually got the investment, because it's well publicized the, the final to both get hired in the production sense. And that's their way that they couldn't keep a lid on the winner because I didn't find the TV I wanted. I knew I was a finalist, and they talk about this and also disclose that. And so the first real meeting was when we had it before we filmed the more high end show which is pretty good, you're gonna win this you're going to invest in gratulations This is yours and that was with all sugar one well no one else no cameras. No way. I was absolutely delighted. However, if you're going to tell me how to run this company. I'm probably the wrong investment because I studied this work this but this is my this is my this is everything to me. I mean it's like I'm glad you said that because what you need to realize I'm an investor, I'm not employed by this business I'm an investment putting the money in you lose it you lose it when it brings celebrate together, but I'm putting the money in and it's you're still winning it's yours to lose. I'm just backing that you can get the winner of that, so that was a great first meeting because it set the scene, and the relationships very much maintained like that ever since. It's about board meetings every four to six weeks, report on the business I bounce ideas off him and it works well for me because he's not a recruiter, he is a product lines of service industry so my expertise is used every day, and I can tap into somebody outside of industry to give me some input every now and again when I think it's valuable.

Pete Cohen  27:25

Nice. So what's next for you, you know, in terms of like the next few years, where are your goals and your aspirations,

Ricky Martin  27:32

So I always try and work on as a closer. When I wrote my business plan, it's a five year business plan, but nobody can predict the future. Now I do work on three year business plans, but even then it's hard to predict well. Two years ago, number four COVID What happened, so what's it like for me. Okay, number one, how can we continually making a difference and change more lives than ever before, that has to be the ultimate story. So what does that look like so, For me, the business has grown, we're in a growth mode in the market right now we're putting people into roles, diagnosing COVID But people are always making vaccines trade manufacturing centers for future. We're busy. We've got a lot of work right now. So I'm hiring people every day, but my business plan for three years basically is growth, organic growth, I'm not looking to do m&a I'm not looking to, I'm not looking to sell. I'm not looking to go and do something dramatically different. So three years, logical growth, staying within my niche, I think service businesses are really, really good for this they really, really focus. So, to grow, I ever add on new services and we get wider then we become a generalist, which is what a lot of companies do, what we're going to do is probably get closer and deeper, and we're going to work with, be more of a player in the market, not just recruit people. I'm doing a lot now where I'm providing employability services for companies, putting in place people strategies, making sure that their employee value property their EDP is right to hire. So we're doing that purely in the life sciences, I would imagine that the business in the next three years, we'll have a European operation and likely US operation within three years and then future gauging past that probably Southeast Asia so we do five skincare is at the moment in the pharma sector. We're going to keep doing fine, but we're going to take into new territories where we know the five senses and we understand the cultural variation. So, for me, three years will have expand to across Europe, start with the US are not going to stay away from a corporation, I'm not interested in working with sectors, and don't make a difference to patients lives. I'm not interested in working with companies, pure you're after the bottom line numbers on the run of companies were to change your life, they need to care about our life and they want to make a difference and I'm quite picky about the clients we work with. And that might sound bizarre because most people think services companies and do anything for about, no specific compromises what I believe in it compromises the value of my company compromises the people that work for me and if committed.

Pete Cohen  29:54

Fascinating, really fascinating. I don't meet too many people like you that have that very, you know what you stand for what you stand for every day.

Ricky Martin  30:03

Of course things are in front of me I'm not being compromised people like what I'm doing and there's money there is money there, which we are today, actually, we do they are they really making a difference when it comes to media and this is company everyone wants to summon internet. They make sure I can come up with a story about how carpet conference round and as a result, builds into my changing world, but I don't want to. It has to be niche, focused, and that's the only thing that works, I believe in the modern data services niche focus own in this space be famous for that and it will work, or just do anything for anyone because it's easy.

Pete Cohen  30:43

I'm very inspired by that myself I have to tell you it kind of renews or refocuses my, my focus around what's important to me, so I suppose you get asked, you know to give lots of advice, but just in general, in a general sense, what advice to give to people around being successful in business or life.

Ricky Martin  31:04

I guess you can put them in the same if I think business I think you have to be in this word gets thrown around a lot, you have to be passionate about what you do, because I believe, don't get me wrong, I could go and try and make a success in any field I applied to especially I could be anyway. But if I don't think about it when I wake up, if I'm not staying awake almost thinking about it still with great ideas and exciting me, and I'm not looking to. So I've got a very young family, if anything that I do at work means I get to spend less time with the family has to be worth it for them and for what I do. So, you have to be really, really passionate about and for me that's waking up thinking about it going to bed thinking about it, still making time for your life outside, but if you don't have that feeling and it's the only thing you think you're doing it for us because you're going to get rich, don't do it, because somebody else will be more passionate about the new and their customers will buy from them because passion tells stories stories sell. So for me, absolutely care about it inside out, and then again I'd always say, whether it's setting up a business as an entrepreneur, setting up a secondary company, whether it's going into a job, have a plan have three years ahead of you what you want to achieve. And if it's a business, interrogate that plan and get it interrogated by experts to make sure that it stacks up. And if it's a personal plan, make sure it's realistic, and again, aligned to those around you so advice I gave is always systematic it's passionate, you have to really, really care and it means a lot to you, because if it is you'll be protectable and have a plan for a couple of years, not too far, that you can hold yourself accountable against.

Pete Cohen  32:39

You know, I can see why you're not that active on social media, Because it's like, you know, what's the point?

Ricky Martin  32:45

I want to spend all my time on Patreon, because there's amazing people, and I feel there's loads of value I can do. If I did that, I would just consume my wealth with what I do day to day advantage so I'm trying to find ways right pockets of time into it, where I can give value and value for me as well, but definitely I'm not looking to this people on their 100,000 Plus following so many few people on the platform already that they're running 24 Seven on three or four devices, I'm just not willing to do that.

Pete Cohen  33:14

Yeah, we good actually we should do a room sometime. We should get a room. In fact there's interesting because there's a couple of Sabrina and Harrison who also in there very like you, you know, they're very grounded people who, who want to serve. I've been really impressed and also I know Katie Bowman cook I've done, I've worked with her. In the past, again very grounded, you can see, like he said for a lot of people, maybe it was about the fame and the recognition but for a lot of people they use that platform as a way of, they got. In fact, that's what Katie said to me she said to me that the whole experience was, she got to do all these things that she never would have done before. And it really was a massive learning curve for her, and she wouldn't yeah she wouldn't have got that experience anywhere else.

Ricky Martin  34:00

That see as an apprenticeship, and I've always used that phrase me I know this technically when when this other side could be weather but this week is actually National Apprenticeship Week so there's work that I'm doing it, to help people get roles. If you see an apprenticeship and therefore you willing to have an open mind and learn, you will do well, and you will you will take the opportunities off the back of it, if you go into either thinking you know everything. You've got a predetermined outcome. I want to be famous, I want to get the name in the headlines, you're just not going to get it. You just know, because people relate to authentic people. And if you're not who you are, deep down, people won't buy from me you won't be famous and it's the same with your business. If it's not you and you can't talk about it like it means everything to you and people won't buy from you.

Pete Cohen  34:46

You are about to sum you up, you are the eternal apprentice.

Ricky Martin  34:51

I think I'd like to think so because I always want to keep learning.

Pete Cohen  34:58

Yeah, no, you definitely someone who is very interesting. I've really enjoyed this time talking with you, it'd be great to do something together on, you know, bringing that what I love to do is to bring the view as a human, human being. How do you have to think to be successful as a human being. And I think for me, your approach to business if you want to be successful in business. Now, today, you really need to have the approach that you have, and people like that are going to have longevity, like you said, the others are not going to stand the test of time it's like impact. It's not about money, it's about how much impact can you have if you can make money through impact. Like you say, I think you can make a huge, huge amount of money.

Ricky Martin  35:40

People, people get it wrong, that they think, really, a lot of work always gets great results. Yeah, of course, hard work, determination, gets you there, but I do work off a very simple principle that's well stated in any people strategy, HR is high engagement will always yield high performance so if you engage your people really, really well, and your customers are very rarely engaged with you as well if you engage in people and engage your customers performance will be that if you just focus on performance and cranking kind of turning the handle is. It just it's not sustainable. So for me I spend more time, and sometimes it's just difficult I work in a, in a business which is about results it's about sales and some people have been my company in the past and inevitably will be in the future, ready to just about the results I'm not there. Trust me. People don't move in recruit the people don't move jobs, the first second third fourth fifth thing they move for is not money. Money normally is an additional factor to enable is normally if you're moving because your family moved removed because you fall out with your boss you move in because your business is against your beliefs you move in because the company treated you badly during lockdown and furlough. So, it's the same and what I do on my new month keep continually striving for results, and I want them to, but it's about doing in the right way. And that to me is infectious, and it's difficult, because I work in quite a hard most industry which is purely about key performance indicators, KPIs and I love a good cake I'm a scientist. I love the data, but I also like the data that backs up a story, not the data that tells you what the story is.

Pete Cohen  37:13

Yeah. Well listen How do people connect with you what's the best way

Ricky Martin  37:17

For me my handles are all the same. So whether people connect with me on Instagram or Twitter, it's just at @rickymartin247,

Pete Cohen  37:25

You've got a great name everyone remember.

Ricky Martin  37:27

It's a great intro because people always, I mean I've done lots of talks and consulting for companies and I always open with it you're not getting the Latino pops I'm sorry to disappoint you, but he's not even called Ricky Martin I think he's called like Enrico Ricardo something else. Technically I'm working on and he's just kind of branded it very well. So for me, same handle on Twitter clubhouse, Instagram but probably the best place where I do most of my active is LinkedIn it's in the business world, it's a lot of engagement and reach out on there but any platform I'm pretty much always open to giving advice helping with strategies and kind of helping other people to get where they can be like, I've been on my journey and there'll be lot more people on Nita asked for help in the future so I'm always open to connecting.

Pete Cohen  38:12

So I ask people that get something from this podcast to reach out to you in whichever way they wanted to share, you know, because that's what this is all about. It's not just about me that I've really enjoyed this. I personally I've taken loads away from it and I'll come back to you and tell you how specifically. I've used it apart from telling the story right yeah, and we'll get the story out there, Ricky.

Ricky Martin  38:34

This somehow helps anyone, and you've got a story that someone says it helps him, I'd love to hear it because again, I like to see the impact of what I'm doing. Equally hasn't completely another way. So, as I say the courage to apprentice always opens.

Pete Cohen  38:52

Thank you so much for your time I've really really really enjoyed this and I can't wait to get out. We've got to get a room.

Ricky Martin  39:01

We will we will.

Pete Cohen  39:03

Cheers

Ricky Martin  39:03

See you later. Thanks mate.