To Affinity and Beyond

Paul Coombe is shooting for the stars in Brimingham having promoted himself to ownership from the Red Seven marketing office

A story to tell and the kindness to tell it, Paul is always striving for better, here’s what we learned about the gentleman people speak so highly of.

Before we get to the interview, here’s a fun fact for you. Did you know that Paul was a race horse breeder for over 20 years with stints in Newmarket, Surrey and New Zealand? Sales was a career change later on in his life, and he draws interesting parallels between the two industries; performance-related, target-driven, working well with people, and how building a brand comes from results but also the way you treat others around you, animals included.

Here’s the interview…

Hi Paul, what characteristics do you believe have helped you through the Business Development Programme?

I set myself a change in career challenge not just to benefit myself, but to show my kids that what you put your all into, when you work hard, you and you alone can do what you set out to achieve. I think I have a strong ‘never-give-up-attitude, and my self determination to be successful has encouraged me along the way. Everyone has their down times, but having the resilience to kick on is vital.

This one isn’t a characteristic of me, but the support I’ve received from the network has been invaluable; Appco, Owners, staff within the organisation, everyone wants you to do well. I could mention plenty, but a few people in particular are Rob Cottrell who gave me the opportunity to open the satellite office in Cheltenham. It taught me how to get it wrong but also how to get it right, he didn’t have to do that for me but he did. James Buckley and Fran Davies have been instrumental in their support, as has Kevin Nash helping me to understand the recruitment aspect of the business.

And last but not least, my team. They’re such a solid group of people, including Marna, my Recruiter, all pushing forward the business into Birmingham. Nobody has to move with us, but the fact that they’re choosing to shows their commitment.

Having now grown through the business, what do you value most in your team?

How hard they work; the more we work together, the more we improve, the easier each stepping stone is for everyone.

So, what do you look for in new team members?

Ambition, people who are committed to their goals. You don’t get anywhere without working. I love working with my team, the coaching aspect of my role, and seeing them achieve their goals.

You’ve also got to enjoy what you do, it’s a fun place to be!

How far can Affinity Marketing take someone’s career?

It’s completely down to them. I encourage people to set their business up how they want it to be, and if they’ve got the determination to do it, the longer term gains from this network are unprecedented.

The level of support, not just through guidance and advice, but investment, the network alongside you, education, training, the portfolio of clients; it’s incredible.

You could say “To Affinity and Beyond”! So, why have you chosen Birmingham as your debut office location?

People are key to this business, no matter which way you look at it, whether it’s within recruitment, the network, clients or customers. Birmingham is known as the up and coming city, there’s lots of money being put into the area, it’s really turned into a place on the map. The diversity and vibe of the city means it’s a really exciting place to be.

It’s also really commutable for lots of places; London is a 45 minute train journey away, as is Cheltenham, and only an hour to Manchester. It just felt like a solid foundation to start from. Oh, and did I mention I support Aston Villa?...

For all the people looking to visit your new office, could you give us some must sees in Birmingham, please?

It feels like the whole of Birmingham has a great vibe, but if I had to pick, I’d say The Custard Factory. There’s loads of cultural bars and eateries with all the buildings tastefully graffitied, you could have a really good time there all day long.

Paul is someone who’s not afraid to take on advice, seek support and learn from others, and does it with a genuine appreciation for those around him.

If you want to get in touch with him with regards to Lottery Campaigns, The British Heart Foundation, his team building insight or coaching know-how, call the office to arrange a visit on.