Like many people of my generation, my working life began young! A paper round at 13, a Saturday job at 14, and Manager of my parents Delicatessen by age 17. All these jobs were interlaced with school and college work as well as other fortuitous employment opportunities that came along as I matured. These gave me working experience in various sectors such as Theatre, Catering and the Security Industry. My early CV is full and varied to say the least and I can honestly say I have extremely fond memories of my early working life. I also learned some valuable life lessons along the way! From being young, I have always relished new and challenging opportunities and have never been afraid of hard work. It was as I entered my 20’s that I first began to pursue a career in the finance Industry. I successfully studied for my CMAP qualification and set up as a self-employed financial advisor, initially beginning with residential mortgages, utilities and insurance advice. As I grew in experience and confidence within the industry I proceeded to further develop my business and methodically began to recruit and expand. I employed and managed a successful team of financial advisors, providing quality advice and solutions for homeowners. When the financial markets crashed in 2008 it could very easily have been ‘game-over’ for me and my business! I faced a tough decision and had to question both how, and whether or not, I was going to be able to continue in the industry. Being the tenacious, determined, and adaptable character that I am, I used this juncture in my career to diversify. I saw an opportunity and recognized a gap in the financial markets for high quality, commercial lending advice. And so out of adversity, Commercial Expert Ltd. was born! The goals of the company being: To provide the best, reputable, high-quality service; with insightful, accurate and bespoke solutions for all types of commercial finance; from a team of skilled, caring, ethical advisors. Today, despite the challenges presented in 2019 & 2020, I am proud to say that Commercial Expert Ltd. is still successfully achieving the goals I set out for the company in 2008. We are currently one of the few directly authorised and whole of market commercial finance companies in the North of England. We continue to grow and evolve and are employing a growing number of A.R’s nationwide. The lessons I learnt in my young working life have served me well. I have adapted, I have stayed strong, I have focused on overcoming challenges and most importantly I have never given up!