Greetings from down under.
The flight out with Etihad was smooth, the crew sharp, efficient, and hospitable.
I hit the ground running the moment I landed in Melbourne. Two company visits off the bat: one in storage and distribution, the other in events and catering. Different worlds, same energy.
Melbourne has a proper vibe about it - something we can all learn from. The face of happiness and people showing up ready to serve, ready to talk, ready to build. The most super coffee shops, bakeries and wine bars. Wine bars are the norm here, the way pubs are for us. Cheeseboard, a bit of antipasti, good conversation. That's the staple.
Everyone I met wanted to know how the UK is really doing. So I told them straight. We're having a hard time just existing under a government that treats business owners and entrepreneurs like an afterthought.
But here's what I always come back to: you have to make your own economy. You can't wait to be rescued by third parties, government included. Make your own market. Build your model to be fit for profit, because profit is where success lives. Look hard at your business. What problem are you actually solving? What experience are you actually giving people? That's the whole game.
From there it was on to Tasmania, and what a change of pace. Hobart moves slow. Wineglass Bay moves slower still. Beautiful beaches, quiet mornings, a completely different rhythm.
I say this often and mean it every time. Getting away from your normal environment isn't a break from the work. It's part of it. You come back with notes, photographs, ideas you'd never have found sitting still. Swipe it, deploy it, add it to what you're building.
Wishing you all a big success this week.
If I'm lucky, I'll see you on the next one.
James