SAM

OATEY Oatey Media

2023 is going to be an incredible year for Oatey Media. I’ve got some exciting plans in the pipeline, right now I’m deep in preproduction working on multiple projects that are happening imminently for some big brands.

BELINDA SHIPP Cornish Marketing

I have only one thing on my to do list for 2023.

Most businesses struggle to create a marketing message that captures peoples’ hearts and minds. But when you connect your marketing to customers dreams, desires and feelings, they will buy. I’m making it my 2023 mission to help 150 Cornish businesses find the right words to grow their business with marketing that works.

CATHY WOOLCOCK Cornwall Heritage Trust

Our priorities for 2023 will focus on building on the impressive growth we enjoyed last year as part of our new strategic plan. Top of my ‘to do’ list is recruitment of our first Countryside Ranger, to enable us to bring the maintenance of our 13 historic sites in-house and to expand our successful community engagement and volunteering programmes to make the most of our incredible Cornish heritage locations.

PETER WROE Eliquo Hydrok

We start the year positively with a good order book, a good team and a strong sales pipeline of water environmental projects, so 2023 will be a year of focused operational delivery for Eliquo Hydrok.

Our teammates are our biggest asset and it’s important to us that every colleague can be their best in work, and outside work, as we achieve our objectives together.

In January we’ll be surveying our colleagues to ask how we can further improve our culture and workplace for the team, and new roles we are now advertising.

STUART BEVERIDGE St Michaels Hotel & Spa

January is one of our busiest months of the year, so there’s no easing in for me! First up we kick start 2023 with a new mixed-media campaign, with lots of exciting and enticing communication to bring guests to the Cornish coast. After that, there’s lots of new projects and developments in the works at St Michaels this year, watch this space!

ANDREW DAVENPORT Focus Technology

The #1 on my to do list is to develop a better work life balance and spend more time doing things I enjoy.

JAMES LASKOWSKI Laskowski & Co

Our key focus is to continue to evolve into a multi-disciplinary property consultancy, providing market-leading advice and services to commercial and residential property owners.

TOM HARVEY-JAMES Groundsure

With a record-breaking heat in 2022 and a wet winter to follow, our main focus is to ensure that homebuyers and businesses ensure they are accounting for climate change in their property or premises decisions - this year will see a lot more scrutiny on lending and legal requirements, so make sure you and your property lawyer are prepared and can make an informed decision.

RACHEL PICKEN Agile PR

First thing on my to do list for 2023 has been to take stock of my business and plan where I am going. Rather than diving straight back into the day-to-day tasks of managing communications and PR for my clients, I carved out some time to set goals, develop new offers and work up fresh proposals for my existing clients. I’ve also been listening to podcasts and books to support my practice. I am currently recommending Atomic Habits by James Clear to anyone who will listen!

I was lucky enough to start surfing at the age of nine, back in 1990. Learning to surf wasn’t a chore, it was part of the journey. Over the last three decades of surfing and business, I’ve come to the realisation that surfing can guide us in business.

For starters surfing, unlike other sports, has no defined boundaries. It would be like trying to get good at tennis but every time you go to play tennis the ball changes its weight, the court moves beneath you, and the height of the net increase and decreases. Growing a business verse working in a job is much the same. There are no defined boundaries, just our own tolerance to being able to improve in this fluid environment.

The second comparison is paddling out. Anyone that has tried to surf will understand the pure frustration of paddling out. Surfing is relatively easy. Paddling out through lines of breaking water is not so easy. Waves typically travel in groups of four to eight, called a set of waves. If you mistimed your paddle out you can expect to have all the waves break on you. Exhausting you and making you think about returning to shore. But experienced surfers know that calm water is coming. As is in business we get “hit” by what seems like endless waves, making us question our direction and motivation. An experienced business owner will take these waves on the head in the knowledge that calmer waters are coming.

Finally there are no shortcuts. In business and in surfing. You need an undivided commitment to progress, learn, and adapt - no matter how challenging external factors are.