Episode 196: Being Bold and Audacious with Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones (Part 2)
Being bold and audacious is a mantra, a lifestyle if you will, for Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones if you ask him how he got to where he is now. This is where we pick up from the last episode as he continues to tell his inspiring story on overcoming tremendous challenges he faced in his colorful career. Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, a self-confessed street fighter, developed resilience from his tough but humble but beginnings that enabled him to venture into marketing after his stint in BBC. In this episode, Adam Stott is joined by Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones and they talk about his break as a marketing professional and his miraculous battle against Leukemia. Listen to learn more!
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, aka The Black Farmer, made a brand of the same name dedicated to his love for farming, specifically British Farming. Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones is a former producer and director in the BBC and he is responsible for starting the career of Gordon Ramsay in television.
Show Highlights:
- How Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones’ family ended up living so poorly in Birmingham, UK
- At 11 years old, what promise did Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones told himself
- Having the courage to dream
- Why being an entrepreneur involves challenging conventions
- What his family told him for his idea of getting into working behind the television
- The 2 things you need to achieve all your goals in life
- Left Brain vs Right Brain
- Great opportunities come when there is uncertainty
Links Mentioned:
Big Business Events Members Network
The Black Farmer
Transcript:
Please note this is a verbatim transcription from the original audio and therefore may include some minor grammatical errors.
Adam Stott:
You know when I was 25 and I started my first business that I made, you know, I made that choice and I think anyone that wants to achieve success, there’s going to be a time where you have to make that choice. Somehow, as you heard explained in that way before, but he’s that entrepreneur of choice, do you want to be a part, did you actually want to be a part 00:32.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
I don’t know you know but I wrote a book called Jeopardy, the danger of playing it safe. And that really is to try and help people who want to make a change, got their own business or life and to help them through that process. And what happens is that you’re surrounded by what are called the fear mongers, and the fear mongers will come and tell you why you can’t do it all. You can’t do without them, you know, and they’ll charge you a bloody fee for it.
And so be careful of those bloody people because if you have the courage to take that leap of faith. Trust your instinct, trust you. The amount of people that come my way, and they think things are outside of themselves to find the answers, it is wrong, people listening to this podcast now, the fact that they’re listening to that and not watching somebody series on Netflix. That’s demonstrated that they’ve got something special. There’s something about them already. You’re separate; you’ve just got to be able to see. Wow, you are different. And you know, praise yourself when you’re on your own sometimes quite difficult to see how remarkable that you are, but most people are pissing about either on their phones or, you know, either grinding out, what tools they need to be able to achieve their dreams.
Adam Stott:
And Morris has just said thank you for that.
And I think you know what i think that that’s such a good point. If you do acknowledge that you’re special, and you actually save the science I think that by yourself. You start to build a higher esteem around you and people succeed generally have a higher opinion of themselves 02:04 than other people. But at the end of the day, you do have to have that kind of, you know, not enough people tell you that. But the reality is if you are watching it, you do want more, you are searching, and there is something more out there for you. But you have to commit. You have to commit. Focus. It’s not enough to watch; you have to commit what you are going to do about it.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
One of the things, if I was in government now. One of the things I’d be saying to the government is that what we should do is that we should see all these people who have got a business or freelancers who are on contract, we should be looking at those people and say, These are the people who are going to correct the future because as I said previously is that these people have learned to live with uncertainty, because of businesses fail because of the COVID circumstances. It doesn’t mean that they failed as a person. They have all the ingredients to be invested in I’d be creating an enterprise schemes that try and help these people, you know, start up new businesses again because that’s where I think the opportunities of future Britain is.
And what tends to happen normally, is that the voices that are heard especially in government are the managers, people who have never ever put them on the line. You know, I’ve had to put my bloody house on the line, personal guarantees on the line is fucking bankers basically 03:35 those are the people that have real courage where you know, all of these people who have the 03:40 of government.
Adam Stott:
When I was 28 years old I had 8 million in personal guarantees.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
03:45 courageous. Mind you get about 8 million, you might as 03:54
Adam Stott:
03:57 Well, before if it goes wrong you Fox anyway so.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
04:05 as you say what I think is that not enough people know the personal sacrifice that you got to put in because there’s bankers out there to help you but just basically that goes wrong they could bloody have you basically it’s as simple as that.
The first rule that I learned in business is that you think the bank has the money men are there to help you but they’re not. They want their return, and if they don’t get that return, they’re gonna have you. And so, again, it’s really important to have that sort of mentality that you know it’s a street fight and what I what I say to people. And I think that most people are given another one of my theories about business actually is that you need to run a business, you need a gentleman, and a thug. Now, people don’t like thugs, because actually, there is human and the gentlemen that will look after them and treat them well and things like that.
But it’s nice to have a thug in the background to say look, you know, this is where it sort of stops. And so what you have to ask yourself in your business, who’s the gentleman and who’s the thug. You need to have both, These people think that 05:18 you could get along and be all gentlemen, but it doesn’t work like that. And if you’re really good, you could have the combination of gentlemen and thug. So that’s what I like to play the combination gentlemen and a thug.
Adam Stott:
05:32 which one are you, a gentlemen or a thug? Which one are you tonight?
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
I’m a thug with a gentleman with a sweet twinkle in his eye. So I could be a nice gentleman but I mean it is because of my background, I am a street fighter, really, and it’s always, I’m always sort of the David and Goliath. So I never ever, I never see myself as being sort of separate. I always see that I’ve got to fight to get something which is fine, but it also has its limitations, you know, so one of the key things you have to know about yourself is, where are you, where are your skills? So for example, people don’t want to deal with me on a day to day basis because it’s too much in a people’s heads and there is a there is a time for someone to get out keep out of the way and leave nice gentlemen people 06:27.
So, the key thing, I think, again, when you’re starting your own business, you have to be absolutely honest about your strengths and your weaknesses and my weaknesses, my strengths, is that I’m really add that but it can be overpowering. You know, that’s what you got to be. You got to be really careful.
Adam Stott:
Yeah, absolutely. What would be so the strengths, you’re saying as a marketer. People talk about branding. We need to get rid of what we’ll talk about a couple of 06:58 in a moment. What would you say the weakness is a bit of you said your strength can also be a weakness where because you’ve been to…
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
Well, let me tell you that a bit more than 07:09 having left the BBC, again, because I thought I’m never going to earn enough money to buy my farm. So I’ve got right the only way I’m going to do this is if I start my own business. And I can remember leaving the BBC made just enough money to pay my mortgage for three months.
And I decided to sort of go for it, you know, not to have fear stop me from doing that. And so I started my food and drink marketing agency. And again, I found these guardian angels that gave me a break and I will always be indebted to those people who saw this startup and it gave me a break. And in a sense, it was my training ground because I launched brands light sources, capital chips, fitness gym, Cobra 07:48 big brands now, back in the day there were challenger brands, there were brands that were trying to get into a category and make a difference. They had to punch the weight. They had to be bold. And so what tends to happen in marketing, is that the bigger the company, the more established, the more frightened they are of being bold. They’re so cautious.
Adam Stott:
08:12 Steve Jobs was so different. Right.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
Exactly. And anybody that works in a marketing agency. I can remember with my agency, the thing that used to piss me off was the clients they were fucking pain in the ass. Because what they wanted was they wanted coverage, but they didn’t have the courage to be bold, they expected people going to writes about them. When they got nothing to write about when they’re talking shit, it gives a shit that you come up with and you pass the source. If you’ve got to come up with something bold, that’s going to make people sort of listen.
And in a sense, that was the motivation I had enough of this. I’m going to go and start my own business and start my own brand. And at that time I bought my farm down in Devon. And then when I was down in Devon, I then sort of realized there’s this big gap between urban and rural Britain, there’s an opportunity here to create a brand that can bridge that gap. And I wanted to do something that was radical and very different. I didn’t want it to be an ethnic brand, I wanted it to be a mainstream British brand, which was quite unique at the time, because I want to create a mainstream British brand, what is it, I can do was said well, all British people like a sausage. So I thought I’ll do a sausage. And then I thought, Well, where’s the gap in the market, because there’s tons of sausages out there.
And at the time, there was one in 100 people had some wheat intolerance I thought right I do gluten free sausage. I then found a manufacturer, and again, a guy who went out of his way you know so this mad black guy but again, I’ll give him a hint, you know, it probably won’t work but you know let’s give him a bit of a go. So, I have to thank, his name’s Dieter, and I’ve got to thank him for giving me that break.
And then I got the manufacturer, I got the product and the next thing was coming up with the brand name. And as Chris my thinking what the hell am I going to call this brand. And one day came to me, all of my next door neighbors used to call me the black farmer. And of course it you know that’s a pretty good brand name. Not only is it a really good brand name but no one else like they could link the idea. Not only could they not like the idea, 10:25 but it has an edge.
And one of the things I said to people is this is because I get people come to me with ideas for brands, all the time. And they’ll come up with a word or comments on it, and it’s not linked to them, great brands are linked to you personally. And, you know, so the black farmer says what it is on the tin.
Now, this is another piece of advice for the people listening here. Even I knew that was slightly controversial because no people are not too sure about whether it’s politically correct or not for some new black farmer. So I researched it I went out and did a lot of research, and all the research came back and says do not call it the black farmer. This is the lesson. The lesson is this, research will tell you what people thought yesterday, research will tell you what people are thinking today, but research will not tell you what people are thinking tomorrow. That is where you need to have your own audacity. That is where you need to have your belief. If you’re waiting for people to be ready, you’d be waiting forever. You have to take that leap of faith; you’ve got to go forward. So that said most important lesson everybody. 11:34
Adam Stott:
Tell us in the comments if you’re loving that, I’m enjoying that.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
And the world we live in today is everybody basis every bit of decision based on the evidence, the data, the research, you know, you look at all this COVID crisis and they’re saying, we’re just following the evidence we’re fine, we’re following the research. And so what is leaving is a sense that we’re continuously catching up, we’re continuously catching up.
Adam Stott:
Because it’s historic isn’t it right. Data is what has already happened.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
Exactly.
Adam Stott:
And what’s happening it’s historic. Yeah.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
And so one of the things that frustrates me is that it’s easy to defeat COVID, believe it or not, and the advantages that we have is we were an island nation. Not only are we island nation. But the thing that is so amazing about this COVID. I think the language needs to change. And the language that we’re at war. We’re at war with an enemy that is so fucking sophisticated you know so sophisticated, because it’s attacking the very thing that we as human beings hold dear.
And that’s our need to connect the way to be with each other. Now, if there was, if there was no medicine if there’s no vaccine, we would only have one option to defeat this enemy, and that is to actually our will not to for a while for a long time not to connect, not to touch people.
Now, if we can get that into people’s mindset that this is a war and all we need to do this enemy will die because it needs the very thing that we need which is to connect with people. It doesn’t have that it will die. That’s all people need to sort of learn, but what we’re having at the moment, which is part of my frustration is that everybody is going with the evidence and then the evidence is oh we better run up and catch up we better run but there needs to be a big leap, a big bold move to say right, we’re going to get ahead of this curve, and we’re going to do something now the reason why the politicians are not doing it is because the person who does that is going to get a lot of hassle, a lot of grief, and they may not survive after the incident has been over because actually the magnet you get the detail people have got to do something pretty dramatic and ever forgive you for it, but is what is needed.
Adam Stott:
13:51 in Ireland this symbol. Really we shut the borders out.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
Shut the borders down.
Adam Stott:
On principle we shut the borders down make everyone stay in because the last 14 days and off you go you’re in crack on
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
Yeah, but what happened politically, they don’t have the appetite because that’s what needed but you know Boris Johnson did his career would be over, because 14:15 but sometimes that’s what needs to happen, so be interesting to see how it sort of turns out.
Adam Stott:
So that’s what we’re up to, you’ve gone out, you started the farm. 14:25 Researchers told you no, don’t do it. You’ve got the 14:31 to do it anyway. What were the repercussions of it?
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
I went through it. And again, when you’re innovating you’re trying something new, people it’s going to be a head scratcher, so I went to all the supermarkets, try and get them to list it. And, as everybody knows the supermarket’s ambassadors, they all said no. And, and they couldn’t understand it, they’d look at these sausages and say we’re in a black farmers, usually sausages for black people, you know it’s against people working. They couldn’t work it out now.
Now, this is another lesson for those of you who are into food. At the time when I launched the black farmer brand, there was another big revolution that was taking place, and that revolution was social media, Facebook had just started Twitter didn’t exist. Instagram, all of the things that we now take for granted, did not exist before.
And before if you wanted to connect with the consumer, you have to go through these gatekeepers which were the media TV. So they’re the ones who had the control in terms of your customers. So this is what I did. And again, this is where the street fighter in me as always come up very useful. Is it said right these bastards. And when they do a tour around the whole country sampling my sausages, and at the same time, I put all of the buyers telephone numbers and addresses on my website, and I’d simply say to people who said like one of your listeners said, great sausages. If you really like this stuff, just do me a favor, just email, just bring, and write advise as why aren’t you listing these sausages. And 16:04 there’s a witness that 16:05.
Adam Stott:
16:05 I actually love that. Really good if you’re enjoying that. Awesome.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
And I’ll tell you why. And that’s because the supermarket’s suppliers means nothing to them but the only people that fear are their consumers. The thing, what people need to learn is that your sales force is your consumer. My consumer, I love them more than anything that really precious to me, because they’re the ones why the black farmer brand is where it is, and it has a very wide support system, because those people have gone out of the way to actually, I’m going to help support this guy and they’ll do what they can so never ever underestimate the consumer. And then, you know, we go over the top to look after our consumer, there’s one fundamental lesson people need to learn in business, and it pisses me off. When people start treating their customers as though they’re a commodity, they are your lifeblood.
Adam Stott:
I actually love that. I obviously coach and help. We’ve got 1000s of business owners to work with in our programs right. That is such a tremendous tip that it is people that are listening tonight they need to, they really need to monitor that because there’s a lot of people that would like to break into the supermarket’s there’s a lot of people that would like to break into shops right there’s a lot of people that would like to, even in my industry that break into the biggest stages. Now whatever it is that you could use that for that tip. I think that is a phenomenal creates the demand, and you put that demand onto the people that are in control with the influencing decisions.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
It is really the reinforcer, the consumer is gone and too many businesses, see the customer as an irritant rather than somebody that celebrates it and the thing that I’ve learned is that people are good. They will forgive your mistakes. If you will address it, you’ll make 18:03.
Adam Stott:
Did you get the feedback? Did you get any of the 18:07 when you say, what are you doing, you know, 40 50 cultural during my absolutely 18:14.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
I did. I tell you what Morrison’s I remember one of the buyers that give you a listing now. He said, Well you know I take my name off the websites and no I’m not. I mean within the industry I’m known as a bit of a thug basically because what happens. Seriously, because you see the thing is that how they have real power, and they deal with these big companies, and that they don’t want to piss the supermarket’s off because you could lose million pounds worth of business that if you employ from the fucking streets basically it’s a totally different rule. I’ve had major rounds with these buyers, they, you know, calm down and call the police. 18:58 what I think happens is this is that don’t play by the rules, is the biggest mistake that people make. Because if you play by their rules, you’re already at a disadvantage, what you got to do is get to play by your own rules, and it makes a bit of a sort of a head scratcher.
Adam Stott:
19:22 for years people have said that to me. The reason you get results is because you make your own rules.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
You make your own rules and that is the key is that the brand is where it is today, because what I say to people is this, is that, you know, there are, we started our business with sausages now, and people tend to think it’s a product that makes a brand, and makes it successful, it doesn’t. So it’s very nice so that gentleman to say that magic sauces are gorgeous, and they are.
But you know, there are other big players out there who could do fantastic did exactly the same, and probably do it cheaper. And then you answer so why are people buying into the black farm of sausages. And the key thing this is again about marketing. It’s not about what you do. It’s why you do it. It is what is your why. What is your purpose. So everything about the black farmer brand, it’s Maverick, it is challenging so therefore, the flavors of.
Adam Stott:
You read the book Maverick? It is about a Brazilian manufacturer funnily enough, it’s only because the way you were saying for manufacturing, but a Brazilian guy over there that just literally breaks all the rolls. That is a Brazilian business story is really good book.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
What people need to learn and a lot of times when I’m talking to people about developing their dessert. What is your why? They focus on what they do. And you said why would somebody want to buy it. If they’re going to buy it because it’s something functionary that brand is not going to work. It’s a belief system. They’ve got that brand represents something in me, or that it offers something that I would like to be, it has an attitude that they would like to be.
Now, if you look at all the big brands, Nike. You know, Nike’s tick. Like, it’s selling an idea. And that’s fundamentally what marketing is all about. Too many people think it’s about the bloody product, and they don’t know what they stand for. They don’t know what their ideal is but that is what people buy, they buy your ideas, you buy your ideals, and that’s what you got to ask yourself.
Adam Stott:
The market wants to be led, doesn’t it?
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
Everybody wants to be inspired, everybody wants to be like, everybody wants to believe in something. And so that is what the black farmer brand is, why are you having me on this broker, you don’t have any menus I do the best sausages in a 21:51. Well, you haven’t been on this program because you want me to inspire your listeners is because what I stand for. So everything about the brand has all of that sort of in its everything. So one of the things I say 22:01
Adam Stott:
Every single one of them except the wellness ones.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
22:10 When I say to people, like, you know, the black farmer could never do a cake, because black farmer cake, it doesn’t sort of add up because the whole thing about the black farmer, it’s masculine, it’s you know, it’s got its flavor some certain parts of knowing your why you know what you can do and what you can’t do, and you absolutely stay true to that. And if you stay true to that you will be okay so for your listeners, that is where they spend a lot of the time the effort is what is my why, why somebody’s buying into this sort of proposition, it’s the biggest tip I could give anybody.
And the other tip I would give you is this, the way you build a brand is by below the line. I’m a real advocate for below the line, and below the line there’s a bottom line so marketing directors. Fucking left brainers love above the line, and the reason why the love above the line is measurable. So, advertising agency we’re going to use spent x million with us. We will get so many eyeballs that come in all their fucking data, and therefore the marketing director before got the evidence that you know I spent this money. And therefore, I couldn’t justify it to the board. That’s bullshit. Okay.
Now the best form of marketing is below the line which doesn’t cost you a penny. That’s editorial, that’s word of mouth, but it’s not measurable. That is when you have to have faith. And it’s a bit like falling in love. You know, there’s no evidence that the person you fall in love with it’s gonna turn out, you have to have faith that is working, you have to have faith, it’s going to do with you.
And so, when you do below the line, marketing, you have to have faith that the message is growing so I don’t know how I came onto this bloody program. You must have heard about me, that’s all about. That’s all below the line marketing, mean. So when people are calling me in and getting me to do things that’s all below the line marketing.
Adam Stott:
Oh, you don’t know who’s watching. 24:05 I find it all the time it’s like having a chat. And then who knows what comes next. You just don’t go, and that was relationships is all about.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
The below the line so you just put it out there, and you just don’t, you know, suddenly somebody says I heard you talking. That’s where you need to have faith but if you think you’re going to spend money, and then it’s going to come back and especially when you’re starting off, it’s the wrong thing to do.
Adam Stott:
So you’ve got to do some cool stuff we’ve now built the brand, we’ve got the brand, we’ve branded it black farmer, we’ve pushed and pushed and pushed our to supermarkets, we’ve got the brand out there, and then a lot of other things have come on, so you’re below the line. I mean look at getting an MBA and so.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
24:46 an MBA. And it’s what services performing and all that sort of stuff so you know there’s obviously what is getting noticed and I’m glad it is because what I want to do is to inspire people by telling them my story about what is possible, especially if you’re from backgrounds like I’m from where everything and the whole system is trying to keep you down and push you down and inspire people is not to listen to those bastards, to feel that actually you can 25:22
Adam Stott:
25:21 that’s come from that kind of background, you know when you, when you describe your background so difficult childhood. You didn’t say you were living with 11 people in a two bedroom house. And you saying that you adds a lot of challenges right. 25:34 there’s watching this, maybe come from that background. You know what do they need to think, in order for them to make it, what do they need to do differently?
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
What do you need to think is this, is that the gift of the shit, you go through in your background will show itself in the future. Because when I look back, for example, when I was running my marketing agency, I fucking hated working with these bloody clients. But actually, that was the training that I needed in order to run the black farmer brand.
When I look back and had difficulty with my childhood where we were sort of hungry. Actually, what it did is that it didn’t make me a prison of fear, because I’ve been through the bottom in the depths that you can get through it then he made me fearless. And the thing to try and understand is that an experience as bad as an experience may be is the actual tool that you need in order to fulfill your future. Because it’s giving you the lessons you will need in order to do whatever you choose your purpose to be in life is to look at those experiences. Look at those bad times.
Adam Stott:
Obviously we’re where we were at, the MBA came, you work with, Gordon Ramsay, you’re saying James Martin. I read Richard Branson as well, in some respects was that right as well?
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
Well that, I mean. I worked with him, but 27:02 so you know.
Adam Stott:
27:04 Did you enjoy that?
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
Well yes, I mean, I think that actually stayed with him. I remember a very famous woman actually who then became a dame, and I was talking about the importance of passion, and she said to me, I actually, you know I think fashion is over, estimated the one because that’s a classic left brainer so to remark that actually everything needs to be 27:34 it’s closed one day so you know got to visit. I’ve got to be careful. But you see,
Adam Stott:
Put it in the comments everyone 27:45
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
I tell you what’s really interesting though is this is all the business books would tell you that in business is not emotional, it is. Do not fucking believe that shit, it’s only managers who don’t see business as an emotional, it is emotional.
And I think that, you know; only a mad person is going to be working their ass off. Given that we can, you know, that is about actually being so driven, so emotionally driven. That’s not logical, it’s not irrational. And so don’t follow some of the mantras that you get from people who call themselves business advisors, one of the things that I thought was really interesting.
Most of the people who have MBAs. They’re gonna university to learn about business, never run a business. And then you do it so they can then go and work for a corporate business. They understand business now. There’s a big difference in understanding theory, having to deal with the emotion that you got to put your house on the line that you got to give a personal guarantee. And if it goes wrong your whole world, totally different.
So we could tell you it’s not actually, it’s not personal because as I mentioned, they’ve never had to, you know, put themselves on the line, an emotion in person something.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
I tell you what’s really interesting though is this is all the business books would tell you that in business is not emotional, it is. Do not fucking believe that shit, it’s only managers who don’t see business as an emotional, it is emotional.
And I think that, you know; only a mad person is going to be working their ass off. Given that we can, you know, that is about actually being so driven, so emotionally driven. That’s not logical, it’s not irrational. And so don’t follow some of the mantras that you get from people who call themselves business advisors, one of the things that I thought was really interesting.
Most of the people who have MBAs. They’re gonna university to learn about business, never run a business. And then you do it so they can then go and work for a corporate business. They understand business now. There’s a big difference in understanding theory, having to deal with the emotion that you got to put your house on the line that you got to give a personal guarantee. And if it goes wrong your whole world, totally different.
So we could tell you it’s not actually, it’s not personal because as I mentioned, they’ve never had to, you know, put themselves on the line, an emotion in person something.
Adam Stott:
It’s simply incredibly personal 29:06
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
It is. 29:09 ever going to see these buyers, no calm down. Shouldn’t takes a personal, 29:15 and so don’t be ashamed? And that actually is a mission, and it is sort of personal, you wouldn’t be able to do the things that you do. If he was sort of removed from it. It’s only people who don’t have a stake, who can be removed from it.
Adam Stott:
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. I think you said the focus, the passion, it’s all been there tonight about shadow of a doubt. And, you know, I think you’ve been amazing I’ve really enjoyed the chat we’ve had tonight if anybody’s got any questions they want to ask, pop it into the comments before we finish up and get our last question over to Wilfred, I just want to say, you know, from all the things that you’ve done, and the journey you’ve had, you know, really does sound like you’ve enjoyed the process. So what was journey, you know, even for the ups and downs if you love the journey, would you say?
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
30:08 there’s another important part of my story which I think is also important to share with your listeners because, yeah. So, I’ve been very successful in terms of my business, and it was, is really going well. And then about seven years ago, I got diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. So if you look at my face now. Right. These are some of the, this is a consequence of having had to have a stem cell transplant. If there’s one thing you do not want to have in your life is acute myeloid leukemia, I mean I was in hospital for a whole year and really lucky to be here. Because I remember, you know, it’s a real roller coaster story about what I had to sort of go through.
And I’m only here today because of luck, because of science. And because if I got the type of leukemia that I had a year earlier, I’d be dead. And therefore, in a sense, the gift of that experience is that every day, I look into that mirror and I look at my face. I just said, Boy, you know, you are lucky to be in here. And therefore, you’ve got to make sure that every goddamn day you have, you earned the God’s giving you that seven years.
So I have the luxury of looking back at the last seven years I’ve been shit. Look what I would have missed out on if I wasn’t here. Look at all this amazing sort of stuff. In the sense that horrible time has given me a real perspective. And then actually. I mean, and it’s only when you’re on death’s door that you really sort of work out what’s important to you. And what really comes down to a few things. And for me, it’s about the difference you make to other people’s lives from what I’ve said tonight, which helped someone, to encourage someone that is something well.
Adam Stott:
32:09 there has been some amazing tips and some amazing secrets there. Badly you’ve brilliantly you’ve come on and given up your time to come and inspire, lots of people and obviously this will be on the podcast as well and lots more people say, yeah, I think he’s incredible, and that’s what you enjoy doing now you would you say?
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
32:29 to me every day. And if I was dead I would have missed seeing all the people COVID, Jesus I would just say, I wouldn’t have seen all of this other stuff so what I really enjoyed doing is, people coming to me with ideas because I recently called the hatchery, and people come to me with ideas, never liked them. And I like the idea to become part of that Patrick, invest and build our business, and have several successful ones go into my website and you know go into the advanced section.
Adam Stott:
I’ll put that in the comments for everybody.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
And I like people who had a bit of a struggle. I that one of the guys you know, again he worked in corporate life, all his life. Getting to the age of 16. Remember he came to me for a job and I said man and then I will give you a job, we will create the business together. Two years ago that business now turning over 5 million pounds a year. Is there any more bloody money during that the neighbor did in his life and two girls a school system.
I tell you what, tell your listeners that they must go and buy school 33:32 and products, because they’re absolutely great and sort of tasty. And the other thing they must do as well. Another brand that I’m involved in the only men and women out there listening who want to buy a bloody great Valentine’s present go onto Suzy Bidlake website she has some awesome presents for you to give your loved ones, so you must do that. suzybidlake.com
Adam Stott:
Suzy Bidlake for Valentine’s Day gifts 34:12 pop in the comments if you do. We get recommendation here from Wilfred is quite difficult to find these things. 34:22
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
Your friends are fantastic suzybidlake.com. And then there’s also another brand called Jim kitchen. And that is a high. That’s all about protein, so it’s about high protein that sort of doing well. And then I’ve just taken a young boy called Freddy, and we’re going to launch and Freddy’s tequila, that’s got a lovely sounding name to it, you know, and so Freddy has a passion for tequilas. And so I’m going to help him sort of launch that brand. That’s the sort of stuff that I like doing because actually, it taps into the street fighter, part of my nature which is always to help them push these brands through to help them get through the sort of difficult stages, when people are actually trying to get going. I really like doing it.
Adam Stott:
35:16 called where people can find this, the hatchery, did you say?
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
They’re just going to the black farmer website. Yeah, it’s not only a farm shop but also, if you go into the about searching it’ll tell you a bit about the hatchery there.
Adam Stott:
Check out, The black farmer hatchery.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones:
So, I wanted to be on my desperate name, I’ve done my bit to inspire people on their journey in life. You know, my success in life has been down to the fact that people have given me opportunities I would not be where I am today. If people hadn’t reset and give me the opportunity so I want to pay that back. So people can actually be inspired to achieve whatever they want in life. I don’t think that the seven, 8, 10 years at the Gods gave me was well worth spent. That’s what I would like to be able to do.