Paul Gilding

31 Oct 2011

Last week we got invited to a breakfast at the wonderful Pasifika tent that is part of the Arts Festival to listen to Paul Gilding speak.

He gave a witty, perfectly pitched speech to a group of local business people, that included a brief synopsis of his unconventional life experience to date, all of which has led to his committed belief that the economic model that has been the guiding light of capitalism for the last century, is seriously flawed. Growth at all cost is not necessarily better, in fact becos we are now using 150% of the globes resources to produce at the level we currently are, then any further appreciable surge in economic growth is actually going to be scientifically impossible.

He is instead advocating a 'steady state'  where the economy is measured around other indicators then simply monetary growth.

The speech linked to here, is one he gave in London, and is slightly different to the one we listened too, but carrys a very similar message.

We left the breakfast, hurrying back to the restaurant in order to be organised for a cookschool, and the day unfolded in a way that I didn't really have a chance to sit down and debate some of the points he'd raised. So listening to this video has given me a chance to revisit his arguments, ( Rick and Courteney are both glued to Cue TVs coverage of the 2nd stage in the Tour of Southland),  and once again I am struck by how they are a natural fit, with where I feel I have arrived in terms of  both my personal and business life.

Four years ago we were intent on growth for the business - we embarked on ambitious plans to bring in investors to allow us serious expansion into both the bistro section of the dining out market, and also to become large food producers for food that people could eat at home.

In the face of the gathering financial clouds that were looming in 2008, we didn't get the full amount of the investor finance that we wanted, and we walked away from the plans, bruised definitely, but also considerably wiser for the whole experience.

I have been asked a number of times subsequently whether I am pleased that we didn't go ahead now that the global financial crisis has affected NZ's economic confidence over the interceding years. My response for the first little while was that, no I wasn't pleased, becos we would never know whether our ideas would have worked or not. But the truth is, that as more time has passed,  and I pass certain numerical milestones like turning 50, and we look at our children and what is happening in their lives, and we debate what is important in ours, it has slowly dawned on me, that business expansion is no longer a priority.

Other things have superseded it.

We are fortunate to love what we do. Most of the time it is a hugely satisfying occupation to be involved in. ( There are days most certainly, when I don't feel anywhere near so enamoured of it, but they do tend to be few and far between!). And what I've come to appreciate is that we don't actually have to grow the business to enjoy it any the more.

As one of the potential investors said to me back in 2008, when he was challenging our assumptions over our growth plans, 'why not focus on polishing what you have here; why not make it shine like a precious jewel?'. It was a way of thinking that took my fancy, even though at the time, it didn't fit with what I was trying to achieve.

The last four years have been challenging to be in business, and I don't think we're at the end of that particular down turn yet either. There is more to come. And that creates its fair share of stresses and strains, but I don't think it is just blighted ignorance, that allows me to continue to look ahead with a sense of positivety and enjoyment.

I really do believe that we are lucky.

Recent Posts

Categories

Blog Archive