BL-24 - Flipbook - Page 73
ENTREPRENEURS
It is now known as the “Silicon Valley
of India”: 20 years ago, that was only
just starting.
Because we made 4,000 different
thermometers, the job took me all over
the world, negotiating with purchasing
executives from different cultures and
industry sectors, learning on the job,
navigating how they think and feel,
from boardrooms in Sydney to San
Francisco, Penang and Marseille.
I loved it – the excitement of travel
and the stimulation of the work – but
what I remember most about these
years was 昀椀nding myself in a 昀椀ve-star
hotel from Friday evening to Monday
morning; despite the luxury and
glamour, eight meals on your own can
be a lonely experience. You could get
merry on expenses on the 昀椀rst night,
but that was only with a barman who,
after all, is paid to be pleasant.
“When tastes are shared, the
connection made is profound
and can lead to some
exhilarating opportunities.
I have been out for dinner
in Soho and ended up in
Kenya.”
I began to think about all the people
who might 昀椀nd themselves in a similar
position when visiting me in my home
city of London, whether travelling for
business or pleasure: all those lonely
people sitting idly in Park Lane hotels
over the weekend.
With a love for history and culture,
and as an artist myself, I began to
ruminate on how I could potentially
assist people from all over the
world and guide them through an
unforgettable time in the UK.
At the time I had a 1978 Bentley
T2, and it was with this, some
encouragement from friends, and
a vague idea of what I would be
offering, that I set off to Luton
Airport’s private terminal and
collected my 昀椀rst client, who had
昀氀own from Washington in a small
A 1978 Bentley T2
private jet with his 13yr old goth
daughter in the spring of her rebellious
phase. I’d never driven to meet a
private 昀氀ight before, so I was unaware
of protocol as my car was escorted by
outriders to the end of the runway to
await my new client.
It was very formal and formulaic,
and entirely new to me. Also, I had
a chronic problem with the exhaust,
and I found myself having to drive in
a manner that stopped it from rattling
and banging as we headed off.
I realised there and then that I had no
prepared contingency program. As I
left the air昀椀eld, directly onto the M1
via a private slip road and heading
for London, I wondered what would
happen if the exhaust fell off. When
you’ve 昀氀own on a private jet from
across the pond, you don’t expect to
昀椀nd yourself on the back of an AA
truck.
In the event, we had such an enjoyable
昀椀rst day that they asked me to clear
my diary for the rest of the week.
He turned out to be an industrialist
who, many years before, had worked
for Ken Livingstone and since then
had become immensely successful. I
did manage to 昀椀nd the old southeast
London boozer he went to with Ken
for a pint of Guinness.
73
BOISDALELIFE.COM
ISSUE 24
I now deal with people from many
cultures, and some of my clients are
the most distinguished and in昀氀uential
people on the planet. Remember
that this is a very special time for
them: they have a few days with their
families and, after all the sacri昀椀ces
they might have made to get to that
point in their lives, those days are
precious. Being trusted with the
responsibility of creating experiences
for them is a great privilege.
My company is called Serendipity
both because I love the word, and
because it accurately describes the
experience that my clients enjoy and
now expect. It means “when you
昀椀nd something you want when you
didn’t know you were looking for it”
and it comes from Horace Walpole,
the youngest son of our 昀椀rst Prime
Minister.
He wrote about three wise travellers
who, by keeping open minds,
were receptive to the wonderful
opportunities that their openmindedness provoked. The story is set
in Sri Lanka, and the old Persian name
for the island was Serendip! And this
sentiment is central to the experience
my clients enjoy in our company.
This openness and shared experience
lead to very good connections and
