Brendon M. Egan Brief us about your outset story of your career.I knew from an early age I wanted to be an entrepreneur.  When I was just 10 years old I started my first “business” raking leaves and shovelling snow, however unlike most kids my age, I did this by employing my 10 year old friends on a much larger scale.  Fast forward a decade and I became involved in day trading stocks and eventually went on to create one of the largest at the time trading educational websites which I sold before graduating from college.    After college is when I started my current business, Simple SEO, a digital marketing agency that services over 300 businesses including numerous fortune 500 companies.  Along the way I have been fortunate to have gotten involved in over a dozen other companies including Engage which I co-founded and ERI which I serve on the board of directors as the technology committee chair.  What are the aims and ideals that guide you as an individual and a professional?Professionalism, integrity, speed, attention to detail, and client service are my guiding principals both as an individual and a professional.  I believe that these are the foundation for success no matter what industry you may be in.  I firmly believe that everything I do has to be done professionally and with the absolute highest level of integrity.  Furthermore, we live in a world where speed matters while also paying proper attention to detail.  And lastly, service is something that unfortunately is disappearing in our world today, and those who offer superior customer service quickly can rise to the top. Enlighten us about your greatest strength. How are you different from others in your field?My greatest strength is that I stop when a job is done, not when I get tired or grow bored of it.  For my entire career I have been willing to put in the time and work to make things happen, whether that means pulling an all-nighter alongside my team to hit a deadline or it means having that tough conversation or making a difficult decision and executing on it.  I do what it takes to get the job done.  Without being overly promotional of myself and my businesses, this is often not the case in companies that I am competing with on projects and bids.  Time and time again our clients tell us that we’re willing to “go the extra mile” or willing to “take the extra sacrifice” to get the job done.  This is our reputation and one of the many ways that I feel myself and my businesses stand out from others in my field.  Please tell us about your organisation. What are your primary roles and responsibilities? Can you please walk us through the major accomplishments throughout your journey?I wear many hats currently as I am involved in several businesses, however focusing on my main business, my marketing agency, I am a very active owner-operator in the business.  To this date I play a role in every single project we take on and every single client account.  I believe in a professional services field, I believe what sets our agency apart is me.  And while I have instilled the same principles that I believe in within all my employees, there often times is no substitute for the level of experience that I can offer to our clients.  How did you respond to the challenges induced by the COVID-19 pandemic? What measures did you incorporate to surpass the challenges?Initially, COVID-19 had a devastating impact on our business.  From March to May 2020 we saw a 60% decline in revenue as many of our clients panicked and quickly reeled back their spending.  However, comparing 2021 to 2020 we saw over 200% growth and over 140% growth 2019 to 2021.  As businesses realized that for the short to medium term things were going to go digital, Who in your life inspires you the most?I’m most inspired by taking on new challenges and winning new battles.  If there’s one thing nearly every business leader I have ever met despises, it’s repetitive, mundane tasks.  Being an entrepreneur allows the freedom and flexibility to constantly take on new challenges and explore new professional frontiers.   What advice would you give to the next generation of aspiring and budding Business people?The number one thing I tell the next generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs is to take risks and chances early in life.  Quite honestly, had I not taken the chances I took when I was in my teens and twenties, I can guarantee I wouldn’t be taking them today with financial and personal responsibilities.  When you’re young, you have little to no responsibilities and nothing to lose, this is the best time to take that risk and start the business you always wanted to start or go after your dream career path. 

 Eileen Willett Brief us about your outset story of your career. Born in Vancouver to Japanese parents, I trained in fashion in Paris and San Francisco, graduating with a BFA in Illustration.  I moved to Tokyo working at Billboard Magazine. On moving to London, I joined Nicole Farhi’s head office and was promoted to be part of the team launching the then fledgling Nicole Farhi Menswear brand, which became one of the UK’s premier menswear brands. After a career break to have three children, I launched my own successful women’s luxury accessories brand, Wada Bags.  In 2017, together with my friend and Co-founder Nancy Zeffman, launched Cucumber Clothing making ‘luxurious clothing for everyday’, using ultra-soft technical fabrics. Barely two years later, our brand has been featured in every major UK newspaper, as well as in Style, You, Woman and Home, on television, radio and in numerous blogs, podcasts and online publications and has won numerous awards.  Shortlisted for the 2020 Asian Woman of Achievement Awards, I am a regular speaker on female entrepreneurship and sustainable fashion. I co-host i: Entrepreneur’s weekly Wednesday Live series of interviews with entrepreneurs from a diverse backgrounds which I enjoy on both a professional and personal level, since it chimes deeply with my own experiences in having a Japanese/Canadian/British background. What are the aims and ideals that guide you as an individual and a professional? Stay kind – that means both to yourself and others.  Simple acts of kindness are underrated, and they make both you and the recipient feel good. What could be better? We’ve found from day one of our Cucumber journey that almost everyone, male or female, have been encouraging and full of ideas to help us. We’ve tried to do the same for others. Kindness always finds it way back to you in some way shape or form, and it’s something we all need more of Enlighten us about your greatest strength. How are you different from others in your field? Maintaining a good work-life balance has been a huge for me.  Creating space in my life and in my head has been an essential in running a startup.  Startups are insatiable omnivores that devour any and every bit of time in your life – not an entirely healthy way to live your life. I’m quite a social person, so make sure I see friends and family as often as possible. Whether that’s getting together for an early morning swim, sweating through a yoga class together or sharing wine and food, these connections keep me grounded. Exercise has also been a necessity for me to keep a calm mind and have a good night’s sleep.  Please tell us about your organisation. What are your primary roles and responsibilities? Can you please walk us through the major accomplishments throughout your journey? Nancy Zeffman is my Co-founder and friend – the company would not be here without our dual and differing strengths that help make our brand so strong.  With her background in marketing, she has been instrumental in garnering an enormous amount of fabulous press from the outset, and her organisational skills have been essential.  My own background in fashion and the creative arts has been put to work in creating our overall brand look, from the collections to our website as well as blogs and feature pieces we are often asked to write. We have appeared in almost every UK newspaper and many glossy magazines from The Times and The Daily Mail, to Style magazine, Vogue and Stella. We have been featured on the radio, television and in numerous vlogs, podcasts and blogs both in the UK and internationally. As well as selling through our own website, we appear on numerous global platforms as well as in bricks and mortar retail. How did you respond to the challenges induced by the COVID-19 pandemic? What measures did you incorporate to surpass the challenges? Which company can say honestly that they were prepared for a global pandemic?  I would venture, absolutely none.  The past two years have brought us more intense, demanding, and tough hurdles than we could have imagined. The flip side is that we have been stretched, stimulated and forced to be both exacting and flexible all at the same time. As a small company we have been able to pivot quickly, implementing and ensuring health and safety protocols, instigate mask-making using off-cuts, creatively using downtime to do a thoroughly investigate our brand and rework our website as well as do a deep dive into sustainability and circularity for Cucumber.  Who in your life inspires you the most? My parents taught me so much simply in the way they lived their lives.  My dad taught me diligence, hard work, passion and ambition are all key; my mother taught that honesty, love and kindness conquer all. My children have also taught me so much about love, laughter and hope -together they will always be my best role models. What advice would you give to the next generation of aspiring and budding Business people? Just do it.  If you think you have a great idea, if you have done your research and really looked at the numbers, go for it!