EP22: 'Plugging away at it' - How a failed Christmas tree venture paved the way to building a success business over the long haul, with Nick Wheeler

Welcome to episode 22 of Turning the Tables and a different kind of story.

A story about business and in today's terms, the rather an unfashionable story, of building a wholly-owned, global shirt business over the long haul of over 30 years. A story about learning from your failures, a story about belief, focus, determination and commitment.

In an era when society seems to worship the short term, venture capital-backed, Unicorn, entrepreneurship model, my guest, Nick Wheeler's business approach is something of a rarity.

Founded in 1986, over the last 30 years, Nick has steadily built his Charles Tyhritt clothing business to over £200m, operating in countries all over the world and employing 1,300 people.

Nick is also married to Chrissy Rucker founder of the similarly successful White Company, another business that does not have outside investment and has followed a similar business model.

In our conversation we talk about;

• How his early failures with a photography and Xmas tree and children's clothes business taught him lessons that paved the way for the development of the CT shirt business
• How an entrepreneurial spirit and a hatred for authority, meant even from the early days he was destined to start his own business and be in control of his destiny.
• The benefits of a paternalistic business model that values people and culture alongside profit
• and finally his advice to young entrepreneurs who are just starting.

In the COVID era when over-leveraged businesses have suffered, the benefits of a longer-term view may now have a resurgence. Only time will tell.

In the era of the quick fix and the rapid transformation, Nick's story makes a compelling case for the tortoise over the hare and the many benefits of just plugging away at it.

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Episode Credit

Editor and sound engineer: Tim White email: showupnow@gmail.com

Host: Simon Ratcliffe

Music:

Broken Elegance -Unconditionally

River Meditation - Audioautix

Acoustic Guitar - Audioautix