I am a creative thinker, pioneer and trail blazer (that’s just the way it turned out!). I thrive on finding solutions to the challenges that seem overwhelming to most people.
From a young age I have been setting ambitious goals and then throwing himself head first into the challenges. “I’m constantly asking myself, what is the ultimate challenge I can set myself today?”
This attitude has taken me on many adventures all over the globe, and from 16 to 23 I travelled extensively, working my way through a variety of different jobs such selling excursions in Alaska and oil paintings in New Zealand, as a yacht delivery skipper and head hotel entertainer in the Caribbean,.
On returning to the UK, I started off by running advanced sailing courses at a water sports centre in Dale, West Wales, and then converted a derelict double decker bus into the first triple decker bus in the world (with a stage on its roof!), delivering corporate hospitality and catering at events. Next was double glazing, (a must for any budding entrepreneur!) in which I became the UK’s top salesman within 3 months and then I moved into IT (because there is only so much time one can maintain a healthy enthusiasm for windows!).
Then I remembered that my father had brought one of the first computers across from the United States back in the 60s, when they occupied 3 floors of an office tower. This inspired me to create Buzinet Solutions, with a team of 10 IT professionals, focusing on all aspects of web development, hardware and bespoke software solutions.
The company became a leading IT supplier for South West Wales after 3 years at which point I sold my shares and built a café, bar restaurant from scratch (as one does!) on the seafront in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. The restaurant traded £450k in its first year and soon after launching the “Nautilus” it was awarded restaurant of the year in Pembrokeshire.
With the increasing focus on climate change and peak oil, I decided to let Nautilus go and return to IT as a social entrepreneur. I set up “The Shire Initiative” (TSI) in 2003 and have been focusing on innovative community building and democratic projects. Since then, two projects LocalEyes and VocalEyes, have been recognised by no.10 as having “Revolutionary” potential.
I’m currently working with a team of talented volunteers within TSI to bring these projects to fruition, with pilot projects taking place in schools, communities and universities throughout the UK.
For my bread and butter I’ve started building websites again, trading under the name of “Shire Web Development” .. gosh how the technology has moved on!! I’m now able to build websites that 10 years ago would have been charged out at 20k for under £400!
