01732 759725 50 was nerve-wrecking. In the beginning, every little hurdle seemed a major challenge; I couldn’t achieve everything I wanted to overnight. I quickly learned that mistakes are ok, patience is important and progress on any scale is still progress. I try to keep that mind-set and approach with our team. What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received and how has it influenced your journey? I was once told that ‘luck is when opportunity meets preparation and effort’. My general approach to business and life, is to keep turning up, keep trying and keep putting in the effort. A lot of our success comes down to being in the right place at the right time, with the right solution. I firmly believe that putting in the effort and being there when the opportunities have come up has helped our journey. We have had some luck, but we have definitely been preparing for it! If you had had a crystal ball, would you have done anything differently? I have taken a couple of wrong turns and could have made some different decisions, but I think that has helped build my character and resilience, so I think it’s important to make mistakes along the way. Knowing the outcome takes the fun out of it, so I guess if anything, I would have taken some risks sooner and had more belief in myself earlier. I had some great mentors. Having seen the success of a hard-working entrepreneur first-hand, I wanted to build my own business. I had spent a couple of years setting up the return and recovery of automotive lead acid batteries, and an opportunity presented itself to transfer my knowledge and skills into the print industry, which, back in 2015, was lacking genuine and sustainable, recovery and reuse solutions for consumables. What’s the most rewarding part of your current role, and what keeps you motivated day to day? I am very competitive, so I particularly enjoy the challenge and fun of debates and negotiations. It’s very rewarding to have built a successful business without a sales team, where our operations and customer service teams consistently perform with excellent feedback. I am proud that our reputation is creating opportunities for us. It is rewarding to provide solutions that other people value, both commercially and environmentally. Continual improvement, personally and professionally, is my motivation – even if it is only marginal gains. What’s been the most defining moment in your career so far, and how did it shape your approach to leadership? Taking that leap of faith, deciding to leave the security of a well-established company to start building a new business When did you first join the print sector and what attracted you? As a youngster I could never decide on a career; I studied astrophysics with philosophy and intended to convert to law. However, I started work at an automotive battery distribution company and spent ten years learning everything I could about business. It was an incredible experience and James O’Connor, Co-Owner & Managing Director, WBM 60 seconds with…. AND FINALLY What would be your dream job? I once imagined myself running a global enterprise from a city centre skyscraper. But my dream job is actually the opposite. I want to spend my time building something meaningful with like-minded people – solving real problems, making a positive environmental impact and creating opportunities. If I can do that and still have time with my family, that’s the dream combination for me. Money’s not an issue, what’s your perfect car… and where would you like to drive it? My perfect car is about the experiences and memories it enables. Once the politics have quietened down, I’d love to do a coast-to-coast road trip across America, and it’s cliché but it would have to be in a Mustang. Fine dining and good wine or a curry and a pint? Fine dining and a good bottle of red. How do you like to spend your spare time? Any way that I can with my family; out on a bike ride, building Lego stuff or going for a swim – although my little girl has recently taken up ballet and roller-skating – hobbies I’m happier to spectate than participate in! I enjoy a competitive weekly padel match and relaxing on a social night out with some live music thrown in. Last film you watched? I rarely watch films. We went to watch Wicked 2 on a family cinema trip recently – the chaos, power and manipulation in Oz somehow raises disappointing relevance and similarities to the reality of the world today. Favourite app, and why? CARV - as I try to focus on developing my skiing technique, whilst resisting the urge to just point-down and beat my latest top speed, this app has a simple way of using gameplay and competition to achieve skills improvement. Favourite holiday destination? I try not to go back to the same place twice and we love doing some island hopping on our holidays. Croatian and Greek islands are particularly fun, with Korcula being a favourite of mine; but a variety of history, culture, food, beaches and pools are a perfect combination. James O’Connor
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDUxNDM=