The best business advice I ever got

Everything matters. That’s the best advice I’ve ever received regarding running a business. They’re the words of one of my mentors, Howard Schultz, former Starbucks CEO. Everything matters, from the big things (how you treat your staff) to the smallest (the sugar on the table). They’re all tied together. It’s like a fabric – all those different threads, and different colours and different textures need to work together to create that tapestry.

If you don’t have a passion for the business you’re interested in, don’t go there. It is the passion that keeps you going when things are down. Various things happen, things you didn’t anticipate. Setting up a business is hard. But that’s not to say you can’t invest: if you don’t have passion about something but you have the money, you can invest in someone else’s passion. If you’re stuck in a career rut, get out and find something that fulfils you. Don’t be afraid to take a cut. Life is short and God did not put us on earth to be miserable. If you’re miserable, you’re making someone else miserable.