In this episode Tommy McNee, General Manager of Guardian Moving & Storage returns for a full episode and discusses how he began in the industry nearly 20 years ago, but prior to that and when just out of nappies (Tommy’s words not mine) he began travelling with his Dad who had started a delivery company and consequently branched out into removals.

Tommy was due to go to Sterling University, to become an accountant or an actuary, however, from the age of 15 he was working the summer holidays for his Dad, earning £161.40 for a 45 hour week, a wage he soon got used to, and therefore ended up telling his Dad that he no longer wanted to go to university but wanted to work instead.

Guardian Moving & Storage are based between West Lothian and Edinburgh, and they provide mainly domestic and commercial relocation services, facilitate overseas relocation, provide containerised and self-storage as well as archive storage services.

Tommy has faced new challenges since becoming part owner of Guardian Moving & Storage as he’s since become HR, agony aunt, operator, salesman, etc., where so many more people have become reliant on him. However, his biggest challenge was experienced at a very young age, where he lost his father to a heart attack during a commercial move, and thus having to facilitate with the paperwork that followed, as well as taking over his father’s company.

Tommy would not change anything from his moving past and explains why, even with an old analogy.

Tommy’s most recent highpoint is becoming part owner of Guardian Moving & Storage, another is becoming part of the council of the BAR Young Movers Group.

Tommy goes on to inform us of the BAR Young Movers Group annual conference, which takes place in Cambridge as this episode airs, and we discuss how to become a member and the costs involved.

The one thing Tommy would like to change within the industry is to have a course on how to build/run a business, as described in episode 17 by Danny Pollard. Tommy also states that unlike many previous podcast guests he is against regulation, and I challenge him as to why, in which he builds an extremely good argument.

The advice Tommy would give himself just starting out in the industry again is to ask questions and seek answers quicker.

In the next 5 years Tommy doesn’t think the industry will change that much, although we are being quickly pushed into a more sustainable way of doing things. Personally, Tommy sees more of the same, growing, learning, and asking questions. I ask Tommy if he sees any changes in the selling side of the industry to which again, he has very strong views on.

Outside of the industry Tommy enjoys family time with his wife and 3 children, and he also runs his own fitness, nutrition, health, and wellbeing company.

And as always we end Moving Matters with a funny moving story, regarding porters getting a fright.

Enjoy!

Links to Guardian Moving & Storage:

Special Guest: Tommy McNee.