business and thinking I was better than the people I worked for in a London cocktail bar at the time, turned out to be a sense of wanting something to Ironically it grow. Not for my own personal was love that gain though. If I had wanted to earn a lot of money and have all got me into the free time in the world I can my current think of 5 jobs I’ve been offered business, in my life that any sensible perSupernatural. son would kill for. Ironically it was love that got me into my current business, Supernatural. My girlfriend at the time could see an emerging
Dan Thomson
Behind the bar at Supernatural
Pouring cocktails at his old UK establishment, BYOC market for health and wellness and due to my background operating bars in London, she saw a unique opportunity to apply those skills to health food and in particular, juice bars. 5 years later you can find us at our latest location in the World Trade Center.
wanting to work for my employees to make them proud and to see something grow and become something really special. Making money keeps my board of directors happy too.
Nobody teaches entrepreneurship. Nobody could. You have to become the So why do it at all? Honestly, most of my salesman, the manager, the trainer, the life is spent being so analytical accountant, and the lawyer. You and logical (probably not to my just have to jump in and learn as You have to benefit), that starting my own you go and you will learn faster become the businesses seems the wrong than anyone could ever teach salesman, thing to do. I’ve started a dozen you. Nobody tells you about the the manager, hours of your life this will take up, businesses and most of them the trainer, have failed. Some from very early the loved ones that will suffer. on, some took years of matuthe accounEven on the most luxurious ration before having to call it a holidays it is virtually impossible tant, and the day. Knowing this, and the 98% to switch off. So what appears to lawyer. chance of failure, no matter how be bliss to the outside world and hard you work or how much you to aspiring entrepreneurship is care about your product/service, goes actually endless work. against any logical thought you could have on the matter. What started as not The end game for most businesses, and wanting to work for anyone has become again, the main reason people start a GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2018
business (for the wrong reason) is the fast growth and quick sale at a huge profit. For the most successful individuals however it is usually that the work-life balance has shifted too far in the wrong direction, or that they know something about the company that you don’t. For some it is about an attempt at retirement, but what would I do with retirement? I can barely take an hour’s break without feeling itchy to do something. I’m not successful by any scale, I cherish my own freedom and enjoy what I do and the benefit it brings others. I can’t see that changing, and I couldn’t see myself stopping for anything. There is no chasing Friday, or holding on for Christmas or even retirement. Those are all great opportunities to enjoy what I do even more. So do you have what it takes? Probably not, at least to turn the business into an international success. But should you try anyway? Absolutely! Starting a business can be the most rewarding experience in the world, even if it fails, no matter how big it gets. Win or lose you learn a lot and nobody can take that experience away from you. What else would you do? 35