A BIT ABOUT ME

When I started Stag, the biggest hurdle I had to get over personally was a fear of "why me?"... why would people choose to work with me as opposed to the countless other people out there who offer similar types of services. So, here goes.. a bit about me, Joel Perkins, personally and professionally that hopefully gives an understanding of my "why" which is simply to make a difference by helping them to make the changes they want to make.

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At 16 I was just about to leave school with all A* and A grades in my GCSE's, and was being carted off to look at the Oxbridge universities as an inspiration of where I could be heading if I carried on my current path. Fast forward through a few turbulent years and I walked out of college with A Level results of C,D,E,U and a Physics report that said "I do not know this person" as all I had to show for 3 years of poor attendance and prioritising football, alcohol and partying over my studies to cope with my circumstances. Failure. It was a real crossroads in my life; something had to change.

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Fast forward to now, and I'm happily married, two great children, live in the best village in the world, qualified in my field and mid way through a varied and successful career. What happened in between and why did that inspire me to set up Stag?

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To keep a long story short, I somehow blagged myself a job working for Waitrose on a Retail Management Trainee scheme. I ended up spending 11 years with Waitrose, in a varied career which eventually ended up in leading new concept stores and helping to define and implement the modern retail operating model (sparking my love of change). Through that 11 years I was coached, developed, able to make mistakes and encouraged to really get to know myself. I was also brought up in a strong "customer first" environment - doing the right thing for your customer was the right thing to to. Trading ethically was the right thing to do, and it wasn't always about making the biggest margins.

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That then led to roles in Automotive, Travel, Local Government, Consulting and the NHS, working in environments where I was introducing and leading pretty big changes. 

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So why am I telling you this? Yes, I have professional qualifications, but I believe to be truly effective in your field you need to be able to apply your knowledge and call on experience. I've defined the change strategy and I've landed it on the shop floor. I've worked in many different environments and sectors, enabling me to learn quickly, adapt and align my approach to the culture I found myself in. I have got the scars from getting it wrong and have led change in big teams where you cannot simply make it happen on your own, you need to set the direction and enable others to shine by creating the environment for them to do so. I've enjoyed seeing people grow and develop through change, and equally I've been involved in the more unfortunate side of the role where you have to be firm and make unpopular decisions that are right for the organisation.

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So that's my why. Ultimately, in those early days in the John Lewis Partnership, somebody helped me to make the changes I wanted to make. It's helped me to achieve some outcomes I never thought I would achieve, not least sitting here writing my own website! I want to do the same for you or your organisation, with that same "customer first" mindset that has followed me around since day one. Whether its myself or an Associate that you work with, you can rest assured they are the right people with the right mindset and experience to help you make the changes you want to make.

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