Before we steam ahead into 2020, we wanted to reflect on what a fantastic year it has been for our business shapers. We have been joined by successful entrepreneurs who have been interviewed by Mishcon de Reya Partner & Director of Business Development Elliot Moss on our ‘Jazz Shapers’ programme on Jazz FM, alongside music from the risk takers of jazz.
This year we hosted our third live Jazz Shapers recording at the Browns Hotel with an interview with Sir Rocco Forte, Chairman and Co-Founder of the luxury hotel brand Rocco Forte Hotels, with live music from London’s first lady of soul, PP Arnold.
Week in, week out, our business shapers have provided advice, inspiration and often amusement. Here are our top 10 quotes of 2019:
“Every breath of air we take and every mouthful of food that we eat is dependent on the natural world, so we have to look after it. It’s not a luxury, it’s a must have.” - Charlie Mayhew, Tusk Trust
“It’s very important, especially with your team members, that you give people the time to be themselves and to grow.” - Misha Nonoo, Misha Nonoo
“It’s better to fail when you have the right values and are behaving with integrity, than to succeed doing the wrong thing.” - Lord Karan Bilimoria, Cobra Beer
“Think of your education as a tool in your toolkit and really study something that you love, and you need networks – even if it’s a bit artificial. If you’ve got a vision, you need to invest in that vision and give yourself time and space to give it texture and colour and, you know, fill in the blanks, and go for it.” - Dame Rosemary Squire OBE, Ambassador Theatre Group
“You need to be able to challenge conventions.” - Raoul Shah, Exposure
“We believe that healthcare professionals should have the tools that they need to do the job.” - Dr Lydia Yarlott, Forward Health
“You can’t teach someone to have good or bad taste, but you can hire taste. When money meets fame, it doesn’t bring out the best in the human race.” - Ash Atalla, Roughcut TV
“It’s a fact that so many people are going hungry whilst we are wasting so much – it feels wrong and immoral.” - Saasha Celestial-One, OLIO
"You’ve got to enjoy struggling and take full responsibility for everything going on in your life; it’s such a relief not to blame other people.” - Jimmy Mulville, Hat Trick Productions
"I don’t understand why people try and pretend that they are more than they are. Just be as open and honest as you possibly can – it gets you way further down the line." - Pip Murray, Pip & Nut
You can listen to any of the programmes from the Jazz Shapers archive here.