Last year Mashbo co-founder Gavin Sherratt spoke to Professor Damian Hughes for the Haines Watts podcast series of raw and honest business conversations, Owning It.
Over the past 11 years, Liverpool-based firm Mashbo has grown and evolved from building websites for a host of SMEs in the North West, to a fully-fledged software development consultancy helping national and international clients to harness the power of technology.
In his Owning It interview, Gavin discusses growing up in a deprived area of Stoke, living with anxiety and how seeking out experiences, rather than academic success, has been foundational in Mashbo’s establishment and growth.
As a person who “fell into business by mistake”, Gavin explained how being offered the opportunity to mix a record at Cream by DJ Paul Oakenfold helped him to discover the power of waiting, shaping his future approach to leadership.
Speaking after the interview, Gavin said: “Being able to wait and just take a few seconds to take a step back, be outside the moment, and separate my answer from my own anxiety or insecurity has been one of the most powerful things I have learned.
“It’s opened me up to new experiences personally, but also allowed me to do this in a business sense too. Waiting allows you to respond better to your team or clients, to consider their strengths and stresses and respond in a way that makes them feel valued and respected.
“There have been times in my own career where I haven’t felt valued and it has really impacted my mental health and eventually led to me moving on, for my own wellbeing. That’s been a big driver in ensuring that anyone involved with Mashbo - team, clients, collaborators or peers - feels valued. Allowing that pause means someone else feeling heard or valued and it is the best way to develop a motivated and effective team or business network.
“It was really fantastic - and a little nerve-wracking - to speak to Damian about my journey and how Mashbo has become the company it is today, and I hope that some of the lessons I’ve learned will help others on their way too.”