Why I Started Ambient People

The day I absolutely decided to set up what became Ambient People was the day after I decided that I absolutely wouldn’t.

I appreciate that warrants a little explanation.

The prospect of setting up on my own had been in my mind for a couple of years in the lead up. I had, by the time I left, been at one company for over 15 years, and it had been a terrific ride; but I needed freshness. I had hit a plateau for learning, and I was tolerating being squarely in my comfort zone for too long. Priorities were changing as a result of new ownership, and I felt less aligned to them. And I fundamentally liked the prospect of being able to shape and influence each element and priority of a business.

At the same time, I was starting to crystalise a vision of how I felt recruitment was done best. There isn’t just one way to approach building a recrutiment firm – I’ve worked for two very different, very successful recruitment businesses in my career.

The ideas I had were to take some of things I’ve seen work extremely well, but add a few fesh things, amid a growing belief that some of the prevailing wisdom on what a recuritment business should look like, was incongruous with the new working world. The prospect of creating and implementing a vision like that was inspiring.

Yet still, I wasn’t close to doing it.

It sounded, after all, a lot like hard work, greater financial insecurity, and I had some blind spots in how to do it that on some days felt insurmountable. I wasn’t exactly in a nothing-to-lose position. I liked my job (mostly), my colleagues and my field. I had – have - a relentless mortgage.

Leading up to the day I decided I definitely wouldn’t do it, I was starting to worry that it was just a dream to keep my mind occupied - something I’d never do, but a little comfort blanket when I was flat or bored. I wanted to be honest with myself about that – if I’m not going to do it, I’m not going to do it. Decision made. Bed time.

Except when I woke up the next day, I suddenly had a stark path ahead of me – a clear picture of what the remainder of my career would look like; and a sense that I would look back in ten years quite possibly comfortable, bored and with a sense of missed opportunity.

So yes – I am all in to create an exciting business, with people aligned to my values and willing to challenge conventional practice, in a market I care about. I felt we could bring something fresh; and

But it turns out that I started Ambient People so that an old man wouldn’t feel like he’d missed an opportunity.