Hi Connor, as usual, we’ll start with the work-related questions. What would you say is your most memorable career moment so far?
I’ve had a pretty varied career so far, starting out as a news journalist before becoming a sports journalist and content editor. One of my most stand-out days was covering Liverpool FC winning the Champions League in Madrid. We stayed in the stadium after the win to do a podcast and after finishing up in the early hours, we brazenly went onto the pitch as we had UEFA passes. We were on the pitch, taking pictures and messing around in the goal. Then, out of nowhere this chap came walking across the pitch to us with a knife. We were panicking a bit, it was late and he was coming straight towards the goal. Thankfully, it was just a friend of one of the players sent to cut down some of the net for him as a memento. We even got our own bits of the net take home!
When it comes to my PR career, I think the most memorable experience was being asked to help a member of the Royal Family do up her evening dress at an awards event at a very posh hotel in London – that was surreal.
Those are definitely some stories to tell the grandkids! You must have pretty high standards, but what would be your ideal working day?
I would love to have more time in the day! My perfect workday would involve me getting out to meet clients and run events. I love people and thrive off being busy but a good work/life balance is also really important to me. My day wouldn’t be complete without the chance to take some time out and enjoy a walk. I find being closely aligned to the news agenda is essential to making any day in PR run smoothly. Finally, I’m super results-driven, so any day where I get stand-out results, be it coverage in a top-tier title or broadcast on daytime TV is a satisfying one.
A very professional answer! So what’s the best way to get on your good side at work?
It’s pretty simple really: give it your best shot, be accountable, and deliver. I’ll always respect someone who keeps trying through the struggle and owns their responsibilities. If you take care of those two things, delivering just falls into place.
What about if we’re making a drinks round? Are you a tea or coffee kind of guy?
Actually, I’m not a coffee or tea drinker. I’ll just take a water.
What three qualities would you say you’re known for in the office?
Probably the fact I bring calm positivity to most situations, have seemingly boundless excitable energy, and a hard-working attitude.
Okay, so we’ve met workday Connor, but what about weekend Connor? Tell us about your proudest life achievements.
I once wrote a speech for Hilary Clinton, and she even gave me a shout-out while delivering it. I’m also hugely proud of the fact that I was part of the team responsible for getting the law changed, making it mandatory for all UK schools to have a defibrillator on site. It’s such a worthwhile cause and a mission that I can see having a real impact for decades to come.
Wow, you’re not one to take it easy, are you? If you ever do give yourself a well-earned rest, what does your perfect weekend look like?
Rest doesn’t exactly come into my life, but I wouldn’t have it any other way! I have a few different perfect weekend itineraries:
- A family and friends weekend – I head back to Kent (where I grew up) to meet the boys I’ve known for all my life on a Friday night for beers and a curry. The next day, I see my parents and we share wine and catch up over wonderful food.
- A sport-filled weekend – playing golf, going rock climbing and hiking, travelling to watch football, rugby, tennis or cricket (depending on the time of year) – and generally having an actioned packed time.
- A weekend of travelling with my wife, Betsy. We’ll go and explore parts of our stunning country be it Scotland, the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, or even the South West.
- A weekend dedicated to food and wine, two of my and Betsey’s great loves. We host a dinner party on a Friday night, go out for a stunning meal on a Saturday and chill on Sunday with a roast. I don’t often sit still but I can always pretty much guarantee Sunday night is a time to focus on batch cooking for the week ahead!
Nice. What about when you’ve got a little more time to spare? Have you got a dream holiday destination?
I’m a big traveller, so it’s hard to pin down just one. In winter, I think the French Alps is a solid choice – I’m a skier after all. Then for summer, I’m thinking South Africa. It’s a country that’s got everything for me – incredible safari experiences, stunning wine regions, incredible food, amazing scuba diving, plus top-tier cricket and rugby teams. It’s somewhere that’s top of the bucket list, for certain.
Back to daily life, what three things could you not live without?
Number one is my wife and the holidays we take – ask any of my colleagues! I always make the most of my annual leave as a chance to travel. Some of my stand-out trips from the last couple of years include skiing, of course, but Florida and Disney for my mother-in-law’s 60th birthday, Brazil and Argentina for my father’s 70th, Chicago and Wisconsin to see friends and Sicily for my 30th. We’ve also booked to go to Hong Kong and Japan early next year!
Secondly, my notepad. It’s a habit from my days as a journalist but I write everything down just in case I need it to refer back to anything. I start, middle and end date all my notepads too. If someone looked at it, they probably wouldn’t have a clue as to half of what’s in there but it works perfectly for me.
Finally, sport. There’s nothing like the unbridled joy it can bring you when the team or athlete you love scores a last-minute winner, comes from behind to snatch victory or dominates the competition. I love playing it too, it really gives you a sense of release and there’s a wonderful camaraderie and sense of community among teams too.
And finally, have you got any hidden talents?
I’m not sure it’s much of a secret since we launched GOLD79 Sport, but I used to slalom ski race for Kent and went on to train with England. It all started on a school ski trip when I won a slalom race and got picked up. I did that for a few years but ended up stopping due to costs becoming pretty astronomical and the sport being time-consuming for the rewards. I had a lot of other interests growing up so often other things took priority – but it was amazing while it lasted!
Also, and I’m not sure this is a hidden talent per se, but in my infinite wisdom I’ve signed up for the Manchester Marathon next year – so trying to squeeze in running training over the next six months is going to be interesting…
Great to catch up, Connor. We can’t wait to see what crazy ambition you’ll achieve next!
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