In this episode I talk about how I began to transition very deliberately and intentionally from being in what was already a very good place career wise to now being in my element.

I describe at a high level how I now spend most of my time engaged in work that I absolutely love doing. 

I share why I decided to create this role for myself.

I also explain how I set about doing it by describing the first steps which led to me identifying what my element is.

I refer to the following additional resources:

Release the handbrake! The Fulfilling Performance Hub.
Our weekly newsletter where I write about how to enable Fulfilling Performance for yourself and those you lead and care about.

About Andy

I'm an experienced business leader and a passionate developer of people in the automotive finance industry, internationally.

During over twenty five years, I have played a key role in developing businesses including Alphabet UK, BMW Corporate Finance UK, BMW Financial Services Singapore, BMW Financial Services New Zealand and Tesla Financial Services UK.

At the same time, I have coached individuals and delivered leadership development programmes in 17 countries across Asia, Europe and North America.

I started Aquilae in 2016 to enable “Fulfilling Performance” in the mobility industry, internationally.

Connect with Andy

LinkedIn: Andy Follows
Email: [email protected]

Join a guided peer mentoring team: Aquilae Academy

Thank you to our sponsors:

ASKE Consulting
Email: [email protected]

Aquilae
Email: [email protected]

Episode Directory on Instagram @careerviewmirror

If you enjoy listening to our guests career stories, please follow CAREER-VIEW MIRROR in your podcast app. 

Episode recorded on 10 July, 2024.

In this Side Mirror I address the topic of one to ones and demonstrate how by looking at them through the lens of Fulfilling Performance we can make them valuable and effective for the individual, their manager and the organisation which is, let’s not forget, paying their salaries.

I refer to the following additional resources:

Release the handbrake! The Fulfilling Performance Hub.
Our weekly newsletter where I write about how to enable Fulfilling Performance for yourself and those you lead and care about.

Previous CAREER-VIEW MIRROR episodes

#074 The hidden costs of hybrid working.
#129 Leading from behind.
#132 Purpose and Paradigms of Effective Delegation
#133 Delegating with the Guiding Principles of Fulfilling Performance
#134 Coaching for Managers

Specific posts from Release the handbrake! relevant to this episode.
Four Diagnostic Questions

About Andy

I'm an experienced business leader and a passionate developer of people in the automotive finance industry, internationally.

During over twenty five years, I have played a key role in developing businesses including Alphabet UK, BMW Corporate Finance UK, BMW Financial Services Singapore, BMW Financial Services New Zealand and Tesla Financial Services UK.

At the same time, I have coached individuals and delivered leadership development programmes in 17 countries across Asia, Europe and North America.

I started Aquilae in 2016 to enable “Fulfilling Performance” in the mobility industry, internationally.

Connect with Andy
LinkedIn: Andy Follows
Email: [email protected]

Join a guided peer mentoring team: Aquilae Academy

Thank you to our sponsors:

ASKE Consulting
Email: [email protected]

Aquilae
Email: [email protected]

Episode Directory on Instagram @careerviewmirror

If you enjoy listening to our guests career stories, please follow CAREER-VIEW MIRROR in your podcast app. 

Episode recorded on 2 July, 2024.

In this episode I'm joined by Beth Sherman.

Beth is a speaker, comedian, and Emmy-winning Hollywood comedy writer who's written jokes for the biggest names in entertainment.

As a speaker, she helps individuals and organizations harness the power of humour to create meaningful connection and genuine engagement with clients, colleagues and audiences.

In our conversation we talk about how she found her way into writing and performing comedy and how skills required for comedy writing and stand up can be used to enhance communication, connection and business building in other domains including the corporate world.

We discuss how Beth now shares her significant experience gained in the entertainment industry to help those of us who, just like stand up comedians, need the people we deal with to connect quickly, engage fully and leave wanting more.

I have enormous respect for those who can write and perform comedy. The most enjoyable and engaging environments I've worked in have been highly professional and at the same time welcomed humour for all the benefits it brings.

I'm excited to be able to introduce you to Beth as someone who has made humour her profession and her craft and who is now sharing her skills through her keynote speaking and one to one consulting.

Contact Beth:
LinkedIn: Beth Sherman
Website: https://www.bethsherman.com/

Check out Release the handbrake! The Fulfilling Performance Hub.

About Andy

I'm an experienced business leader and a passionate developer of people in the automotive finance industry, internationally.

During over twenty years, I have played a key role in developing businesses including Alphabet UK, BMW Corporate Finance UK, BMW Financial Services Singapore, BMW Financial Services New Zealand and Tesla Financial Services UK.

At the same time, I have coached individuals and delivered leadership development programmes in 17 countries across Asia, Europe and North America.

I started Aquilae in 2016 to enable “Fulfilling Performance” in the mobility industry, internationally.

Connect with Andy
LinkedIn: Andy Follows
Email: [email protected]

Join a guided peer mentoring team: Aquilae Academy

Thank you to our sponsors:

ASKE Consulting
Email: [email protected]

Aquilae
Email: [email protected]

Episode Directory on Instagram @careerviewmirror  

If you enjoy listening to our guests career stories, please follow CAREER-VIEW MIRROR in your podcast app. 

Episode recorded on 18 June, 2024.

Paul Flitter is the Chief Operating Officer of HWM a privately owned dealer group based in Walton on Thames, Surrey, England representing brands such as Caterham, HWM Sports Cars and Aston Martin. HWM have the proud accolade of being the longest serving Aston Martin dealership in the world.

Paul’s automotive career spans 25 years working for both PLC and Owner/Driver dealerships collaborating with brands such as BMW/MINI, Aston Martin, Alfa Romeo, Jeep and Chrysler across Aftersales, Sales and Financial Services functions within a dealer environment.

He's a widely experienced customer centric leader within the automotive space with a demonstrable and proven track record in Retail Sales, Dealership management, cultivating OEM relationships and Financial Services all within premium and luxury automotive brand representation.

In our conversation we talk about how he didn't have a clear direction during his school days but once he had a vision he was able to work towards it. Paul shares how by finding mentors and gaining the experience they recommended he was able to begin his automotive career. Paul is a people focussed leader who believes that businesses who take care of their people benefit from stability and motivated team members.

I very much enjoyed getting to know Paul through this conversation and look forward to hearing what resonates with you.

If you're listening for the first time, hello, I'm Andy Follows. I help business owners and executives to enable Fulfilling Performance for themselves and those they lead and care about. If you'd like to know more about Fulfilling Performance, check out: Release the handbrake! - The Fulfilling Performance Hub. In it you will find easily digestible ideas on how to increase levels of performance and fulfilment for yourself and those you lead and care about.

Connect with Paul
LinkedIn: Paul Flitter

HWM Aston Martin
HWM Sports Cars

About Andy Follows

Andy is an experienced business leader and a passionate developer of people in the automotive finance industry, internationally.

During over twenty years, he has played a key role in developing businesses including Alphabet UK, BMW Corporate Finance UK, BMW Financial Services Singapore, BMW Financial Services New Zealand and Tesla Financial Services UK. 

At the same time, he has coached individuals and delivered leadership development programmes in 17 countries across Asia, Europe and North America.

He started Aquilae in 2016 to enable “Fulfilling Performance” in the mobility industry, internationally.

Connect with Andy
LinkedIn: Andy Follows

Aquilae Academy Guided Peer Mentoring
Email: [email protected]

Thank you to our sponsors:

ASKE Consulting
Email: [email protected]

CAREER-VIEW MIRROR
Email: [email protected]

Episode Directory on Instagram @careerviewmirror  

If you enjoy listening to our guests career stories, please follow CAREER-VIEW MIRROR in your podcast app. 

Episode recorded on 5 June, 2024.

In this Side Mirror episode I’m excited to tell you about the next steps we are taking to share the concept of Fulfilling Performance.

Check out Release the handbrake! The Fulfilling Performance Hub.

Think of it as a resource for you if you are interested in learning more about Fulfilling Performance and how to enable it for yourself and those you lead and care about.

Over the coming weeks and months you can expect posts and articles, examples and interviews and a warm welcome, if you'd like to engage in discussion on those pages.

About Andy

I'm an experienced business leader and a passionate developer of people in the automotive finance industry, internationally.

During over twenty years, I have played a key role in developing businesses including Alphabet UK, BMW Corporate Finance UK, BMW Financial Services Singapore, BMW Financial Services New Zealand and Tesla Financial Services UK.

At the same time, I have coached individuals and delivered leadership development programmes in 17 countries across Asia, Europe and North America.

I started Aquilae in 2016 to enable “Fulfilling Performance” in the mobility industry, internationally.

Connect with Andy
LinkedIn: Andy Follows
Email: [email protected]

Join a guided peer mentoring team: Aquilae Academy

Thank you to our sponsors:
ASKE Consulting
Email: [email protected]

Aquilae
Email: [email protected]

Episode Directory on Instagram @careerviewmirror 

If you enjoy listening to our guests career stories, please follow CAREER-VIEW MIRROR in your podcast app. 

Episode recorded on 4 June, 2024.

In this episode we are celebrating the career to date of Adam Sutton.

Adam is the President of RNR Tire Express.

In 2004, he founded Red Letter Studios (RLS), an award winning creative agency in Tampa, FL which focused on Video Production, Design, Digital media and Printing.

In January of 2012, RLS partnered with Thuzi (now LEAP), where Adam became the Chief Experience Officer (CXO).

He became a founding member of Thuzi’s groundbreaking live event & marketing technology division leading and producing hundreds of iconic projects and events for global brands such as Microsoft, Disney, Oprah, AT&T, Coca-Cola, Outback, Ford, Honda, Under Armour, Feld Entertainment, UFC and top agencies alike.

He has had a life-long passion for film, and has directed and / or produced over 50 TV commercials, winning dozens of national advertising awards.

He's also created countless brand films, short films & corporate marketing and non-profit videos.

As a passion project, he co-directed  and produced an international documentary titled "The Magic History Of Cinema", which premiered at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.

In 2017, Adam accepted the Executive Vice President position at RNR Tire Express, the franchisor of nearly 200+ retail locations in 29 states. In 2021, he was promoted to President of RNR.

In our conversation we talk about his early entrepreneurial ventures as a magician and fire breather. Adam explains how he was drawn towards graphic design and film making and shares how following his interests eventually led him to the bleeding edge of marketing technology and live events.

As exhilarating as that environment was, he recognised that his life was out of balance and he needed to recalibrate his priorities.

When his father Larry Sutton who was my guest for episode 164 asked him to join the family business he admits to having some initial reservations even though it was an opportunity he'd always dreamed of.

I enjoyed hearing about Adam's somewhat unconventional early years and how seeing perfectionism as procrastination enables him to keep iterating and moving forward. I am pleased to share his story in this episode and I look forward to hearing what resonates with you.

If you're listening for the first time, hello, I'm Andy Follows. I'm a trusted advisor to senior leaders in the automotive industry. I work alongside them and their teams to enable Fulfilling Performance. If you'd like to know more about Fulfilling Performance, check out: Release the handbrake! - The Fulfilling Performance Hub on Substack.

Connect with Adam
LinkedIn: Adam B. Sutton
Website: RNR Tire Express

Thank you to our sponsors:
ASKE Consulting
Email: [email protected]

Aquilae
Email: [email protected]

Episode Directory on Instagram @careerviewmirror  

If you enjoy listening to our guests career stories, please follow CAREER-VIEW MIRROR in your podcast app. 
Episode recorded on 7 May, 2024.

In this episode we are celebrating the career to date of Gerardo Montoya.

Gerardo is the Managing Director of Automotive at Experian in the UK where his mission is to bring to market advanced digital products that support the rapid transformation of the industry.

With nearly three decades of international experience in the automotive and asset finance industries, Gerardo has accumulated a wealth of expertise working with OEMs, Retailers and Finance Companies across 3 continents.

Before joining Experian, he enjoyed a 23-year career at the Volvo Group where he held Senior Leadership roles in the areas of business development, strategy, and innovation.

In our conversation we talk about his childhood growing up in Peru, the different ways that he felt like an outsider and the happy coincidence that helped him envision an international career in business.

Gerardo talks openly of the sacrifices made by him and his family and shares the exact moment when he realised that his international journey must come to an end.

I loved getting to know more about Gerardo, his experiences and his leadership values during our conversation. I'm proud to be able to share his story and look forward to hearing what resonates with you.

If you're listening for the first time, hello, I'm Andy Follows. I'm a trusted advisor to senior leaders in the automotive industry. I work alongside them and their teams to enable Fulfilling Performance. If you'd like to know more about Fulfilling Performance, check out: Release the handbrake! - The Fulfilling Performance Hub on Substack.

Connect with Gerardo
LinkedIn: Gerardo Montoya

Thank you to our sponsors:
ASKE Consulting
Email: [email protected]

Aquilae
Email: [email protected]

Episode Directory on Instagram @careerviewmirror  

If you enjoy listening to our guests career stories, please follow CAREER-VIEW MIRROR in your podcast app. 

Episode recorded on 3 May, 2024.

In this episode we are celebrating the career to date of Rachel Wolff.

Rachel is the co-founder of Movebite, an early-stage startup on a mission to bring movement into the workday, personalized for the needs of each employee. Movebite helps companies reduce absenteeism with a workday AI health coach for every employee.

Before Movebite, Rachel was a legal counsel for over a decade at Baker & McKenzie, Uber, and Navan (formerly TripActions). Five years ago, she pivoted to workplace wellbeing and helps corporations and employees with their health and wellbeing challenges. Additionally, Rachel is a certified personal trainer, digital wellbeing and CrossFit coach.

In our conversation we talk about how she decided she wanted to be a lawyer when she was still a child and this meant she was able to make some helpful decisions at school and university. Rachel describes how she learned about her own preferences from experiencing different roles within the law firm. She shares the positive impact that it had on her when she witnessed a senior lawyer comfortably asking questions and openly explaining that they knew little about a specific topic and she reveals how her passion for health and well being kept tugging at her attention throughout her career until she finally made the switch.

I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Rachel's journey and I'm delighted to be able to share it with you.

If you're listening for the first time, hello, I'm Andy Follows. I'm a trusted advisor to senior leaders in the automotive industry. I work alongside them and their teams to enable Fulfilling Performance. If you'd like to know more about Fulfilling Performance, check out: Release the handbrake! - The Fulfilling Performance Hub on Substack.

Connect with Rachel
LinkedIn: Rachel Wolff

Thank you to our sponsors:
ASKE Consulting
Email: [email protected]

Aquilae
Email: [email protected]

Episode Directory on Instagram @careerviewmirror  

If you enjoy listening to our guests career stories, please follow CAREER-VIEW MIRROR in your podcast app. 

Episode recorded on 1 May, 2024.

In this episode we are celebrating the career to date of Nina Hubig.

Nina is an Assistant Professor in the School of Computing at Clemson University, specializing in data science and AI, particularly within the context of biomedical and social network analysis.

She earned her Ph.D. from the Technical University of Munich, where her research focused on developing new data science algorithms.

Nina is actively involved in projects that apply AI and data science, such as the development of a Flood Evacuation Tool designed to assist with flood forecasting and evacuation in South Carolina.

In our conversation we talk about her desire to work in medicine. She knew that she would find it too stressful on the front line and wanted to find a role that played to her strengths. Nina shares her experiences and learnings from spending two years in the corporate world before she realised her dream of a move into academia. She explains the role that fear has played in her life and how she has repeatedly overcome it through willpower.

I enjoyed my conversation with Nina and I'm pleased to have this opportunity to introduce her to you.

If you're listening for the first time, hello, I'm Andy Follows. I'm a trusted advisor to senior leaders in the automotive industry. I work alongside them and their teams to enable Fulfilling Performance. If you'd like to know more about Fulfilling Performance, check out: Release the handbrake! - The Fulfilling Performance Hub on Substack.

Connect with Nina
LinkedIn: Nina Hubig
About Nina's work:  (Clemson University, South Carolina) (Clemson News) (Clemson University Calendar).

Thank you to our sponsors:
ASKE Consulting
Email: [email protected]

Aquilae
Email: [email protected]

Episode Directory on Instagram @careerviewmirror  

If you enjoy listening to our guests career stories, please follow CAREER-VIEW MIRROR in your podcast app. 

Episode recorded on 30 April, 2024.