PJ Ellis (00:38)

So welcome to episode seven We are absolutely delighted. I say this all the time, but I'm really excited about this one. I really am. A good friend, my friend and yours, Paul Faulkner. Good morning, Paul.

Paul Faulkner (00:50)

Morning PJ, morning Andy.

Andy Dawson (00:52)

Morning mate

PJ Ellis (00:52)

So Paul, mean, I've got a long list of things that you've done that you do here in front of me. And I always worry that I'd never be able to articulate that as well as you probably can. So Paul, do us the honour What are you all about? Who is Paul Faulkner?

Paul Faulkner (01:05)

That's a very good question. Yeah, I look forward to finding out. I'm Paul Faulkner. So I would describe myself now as the co-founder of Element 45, which is a business I set up with Mark Taylor in early 2024. And it's an advisory business. So it allows Mark and I to work with a range of clients providing a whole host of different services. So sort of non-exec support, I'm chairman of a couple of

businesses, it's that trusted advisor, it's working alongside senior leadership teams and supporting them, helping them. I guess it's trying to give the benefit of some of the years of experience that we've both had in our business careers. In my case, I've had an eclectic career, worked in banking, worked in recruitment, worked in football, ran the Chamber of Commerce. You learn a lot.

a lot of mistakes and errors and I think we'd probably all agree now you learn more from from those and almost the stuff that works and you you reach a point in your career where it's trying to yeah you know sort of share the value of that experience good and bad and to help people help their their businesses to develop and grow and to be successful and it's gone really well so absolutely loving it.

It allows me to still maintain a variety of different interests. like being busy and active and doing all sorts of stuff really. So yeah, life is good. Life is very good.

PJ Ellis (02:36)

I think it's probably worth us just dealing with this question now right at the front of this football year. So CEO of Villa Forest, I believe as well, is that right, Paul? Are you an actual football fan?

Paul Faulkner (02:46)

That's all, yeah.

Andy Dawson (02:49)

.

Paul Faulkner (02:50)

Yeah, yeah, as mad football fan from young age, I love pretty much all sports, but yeah, grew up watching a lot of football, playing a lot of football at ⁓ never a great level. But I started as a nippy forward and then gradually by the end of my playing career, I was a sort of a tough, gnarly centre back who, you know, in my head, I could read the game, but I couldn't do it. So I could stop other people from doing it.

PJ Ellis (03:12)

Yes.

Are you allowed to say who you support now or is that not allowed given the allegiances you have for other clubs?

Paul Faulkner (03:22)

It's really strange because working in the industry changes it for you in a way that is sometimes hard to articulate because football fans will go, your club's your club. And so, as a young kid, I was a really proud Norwich fan. And even living in the North West, Chester, you're surrounded by Everton fans, Liverpool fans, Man United, a few Man City fans there.

⁓ And I was the only kid at school. I'm a Norwich fan, a little Norwich pin badge on my uniform and all of that. And you'd have thought that is my club, even though I didn't get to see them live very often. But then you work in the industry, it becomes competitive. I think we ended up going to court two or three times with Norwich bizarrely of all sort of clubs. And it changes your mindset.

I would say that somewhere my Mom has a picture of me on the way to the Milk Cup final in 1985, decked out in yellow and green. But that's tucked away now because I would say I live in Sutton-Colefield and my two boys are mad Villa fans. And Villa was where I spent the bulk of my time in football. So yeah, Villa's a team who I look out for and support. Got down to Villa Park a lot last year, so that was great.

Yeah, interesting times in the city. know that you're a you're a blue nose Peej and I think it's good to see the excitement back around Birmingham City because you know, you rivalries in football are really important, aren't they? And the most important thing is that you have a rivalry. Yeah, you want to be you want to have one up on your rival, but you want to be playing each other. And those derby days are really special. So

PJ Ellis (04:43)

Yeah.

Andy Dawson (04:52)

Yeah.

PJ Ellis (04:52)

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Paul Faulkner (05:00)

The fact that we haven't had one for a number of years is a real shame here in the city and I think it would be great to hopefully see Birmingham do well. Obviously I want to see Villa do even better, you know, and saying the baggies and then wolves as well, of course, but you know, it's all good for the region.

Andy Dawson (05:16)

Just if you were back in your CEO days at Villa or Nottingham Forest, would you have allowed one of these Amazon documentaries to take place under your watch?

Paul Faulkner (05:27)

I mean, we got it got discussed. We never did it. And the owner who I work with at Villa, Randy Lerner wouldn't have been a fan. mean, you know, the world has moved on. It's 10, 11 years now since I did. think back then it was still there was a bit of mystique around the dressing room and what goes on. And, you know, I mean, I love welcome to Wrexham. think that's a great documentary.

I can imagine for the manager. He handles it very well. would I don't know, maybe Andy, maybe, you know, you'd have to weigh it up. But I think, you know, it's the world we live in now, isn't it is access content. I mean, I'm not sure little initiatives like interviewing players at halftime and stuff, I sort of go, sure that adds any real value. So there is a there's a limit. It's not about access. It's just about is it making

Andy Dawson (06:03)

Yeah. Yeah.

Paul Faulkner (06:16)

the experience any better. And I think just because you can sometimes doesn't mean that you should.

Andy Dawson (06:20)

No, absolutely. So just, just to get to the here and now and bit of a business lens, Paul, obviously we've known each other for the best part of 10 years, something like that. You've got an amazing background. You're obviously working with a lot of SMEs and stuff now, as well as large companies, large family offices. What's your take on where we are from a business perspective in 21st of August, 2025? How is the business world today?

Paul Faulkner (06:45)

I think it's hard for businesses right now. I know it's been in the UK, it's been a bit of a grind, hasn't it? You the economy's anemic. It's sort of chugging along with growth is minuscule. And there's tons of challenges all over the planet. Businesses dealing with loads and loads of challenges. mean, I'm an optimist and business does always find a way. you you think recent times we've gone through the...

the Brexit referendum and that created a lot of noise and uncertainty made it hard for business. Obviously had the pandemic, which, you know, I think everyone was dealing with something once in a lifetime, hopefully type events and business adapt and adapted and kind of came through. And but I think right now, yeah, it's just a bit of a grind, isn't it? And, you hope that there will be upticks coming. mean, yeah, sat here on

21st of August Andy, one thing business hates is uncertainty. And, you know, we've got another fiscal event. We've got the budget coming up in mid late October. And I just worry that we're going to have two months now between now and then of loads of ideas about what might happen in the budget. know, and it may be this, it may be that. I think business having had the increases to national insurance, living wage,

And also, you know, lot of business rates as well for people with sort of physical sort of premises. It's been really hard when those have kicked in this year and just cost gone straight off the bottom line. And I think businesses are sort of feeling, we've had to adapt. probably already a lot of businesses have either stopped recruiting or cut jobs and that's never good, is it? And then we'll talk about, you know, opportunities for people and stuff.

won't be there. Businesses can't afford to bring people on. And so, you know, we need to sort of change that narrative. And I think it's about trying to encourage businesses. SMEs, business owners need that support and encouragement. These are the wealth creators. Businesses go out, generate profits. That pays taxes. when the taxes are then used to fund our public services. And if people start feeling, what's the point?

why should I bother? This feels really hard. Then that's a real negative cycle. So we need to avoid that. And, and I think trying to get on that that positive sort of front foot, but there's no doubt it's been been tough. But, you know, these things are cyclical, it will turn I think, for a lot of businesses, it's about staying in the game, sharpening, you know, your practices being being ready so that that, you know, trying new things so that as the economy starts to

hopefully pick up in due course that your business is ready for that and you can take advantage. yeah, now I'd say it's a tough time for most.

PJ Ellis (09:24)

You know what, I suppose I'd agree first and foremost, and then that starts making me even more worried about my kids when they're ready to enter the workforce. What does it look like in a couple of years' time? It's quite, what's the word, appropriate that today is GCSE results day, isn't it? I believe, or was it yesterday, one of the two.

So you've got these people now that feel that their future is bright or they're not entirely too sure what their future might look like. You've got the business landscape that's a little bit up there as well. What's next for them? Who should we be encouraging? What should we be doing? How sharp do we sharpen those pencils? You're working with loads of different businesses, as Andy said.

What are the signs of potential are those businesses looking for now? you say, know, is it all about those A-stars now or are they looking for slightly different things in people?

Paul Faulkner (10:15)

think, you for me, you know, you're always looking for a great attitude, you know, and then that can mean work ethic, but it's that that someone who's going to come in and be a doer get stuck in have that appetite for for learning about the business be a sponge and then, you know, see them sort of, know, improve and develop and grow and then that's hard to quantify, isn't it? I think I think part of the challenge is that

know, grades and the like are just a good way for sort of filtering CVs for one or applications for want of a better word. And if you are sat there trying to you've got a job and there's 100 people apply, you think how many are going to interview? I don't know, maybe four five. So you've got to find some way to run through that. You've got those tools to to help you. But I think sometimes that can be one of the challenges, isn't it? Because

you know, a CV and your achievements won't necessarily get you a job, but it will get you an interview. And so it is tough because you can see it on all sides, isn't it? You how do you, you whittle it down? And I think that, you know, I mean, I'm not going to get into a CV writing session now, but it's trying to draw out your skills, isn't it? It's trying to go, your grades are there. They are what they are. But it's what are your skills and, and

you can tailor them to a particular job, but a lot of times they're going to be sort of transferable. And I think you want to lead with that. And I think businesses would, would, would appreciate that. And if you can see someone says, I'm a, I'm an achiever. done this. may not have been academically, but it may have been something extracurricular or, know, what you've done in your, your dramas class or sports team, or, you know, supporting a charity or something which just stands out as being, well, that's a remarkable young person.

let's have a look at them or let's meet them. Let's interview them. But yeah, look, it's competitive out there, isn't it? You know, and I think that's something everyone's got to recognize and hopefully use it as a positive. And so, you know, you may not have academic grades, but what else are you doing? What else is there that you can kind of be proud of and you can bring to the fore?

Andy Dawson (12:22)

We're all dads of kids of varying ages on here today. I was telling PJ this morning before we started recording about something I'd listened to recently. And it was about a new set of number of schools that's opened in America called Alpha Schools. And the premise there is two hours of academic education in the morning with AI tutors, personalized learning. Teachers aren't called teachers, they're called guides. But then the rest of the day...

The rest of the five hours is all about life skills workshops around some core areas like grit, entrepreneurship, financials, know, very, very tangible, useful skills. so just wonder, know, what, what'd you think about when we talk about kids and education and getting ready for the future? How, how are we providing for them at the moment academically from a syllabus perspective?

What maybe should we be doing differently to set them up for success?

Paul Faulkner (13:17)

sounds really interesting. You know, to find out more about that, I think, you know, I think you're right. And you and that that premise is, you know, you guess the school curriculum and you get your academics and you learn the kings and queens of England or your key dates and, you know, your, your how to calculate pi to however many decimal places and, and all of that. But you know,

is about rounding people off, isn't it? And I think those life skills are key. suppose, you know, as parents, you've got a role to play in that and the broader system. And, you know, I try to do that with my kids as well, that they are sponges. two boys, they're 10 and 11. So they're right at home developing. They're absolute sponges. And you want to give them experiences. You want to kind of give them that chance to learn, to test, to try, to fail.

And you're providing a safety net, aren't you? Because you learn by doing. And I think that's sort of key. suppose, you all of the tests and exams that they go through are part of that. And the horrible sort of feeling in the pit of your stomach or the worry and the stress. mean, will be the first time, I GCSEs, know, for a lot will be that first landmark. And when you're doing them, you kind of vaguely remember now, it felt like, wow, what a mountain.

I can just get through my GCSEs. Life will be easy then. Yeah. And then you're told there's degree or whatever course, of course you take. know, again, you you guess it's all a learning experience. I love the sort of phrase. There's no such thing as bad experience, only experience because you learn from all of it, don't you? But, you know, but having that rounded curriculum, massively important. And we've talked before, you know, sort of work experience is so important, isn't it? And

links between education and businesses and no, be that schools or colleges, whatever, it's so key for everyone. Businesses benefit from having input from youngsters and different energy and different sorts of thoughts, but you've got to sort of, to learn by doing, you need to get in the workplace and rub shoulders with people who are older than you and got more experience and kind of learn. And it's...

Some places do it really well. There's loads of efforts around it. In a way you'd wish it was a bit more structured and codified probably across the whole country because it does tend to rely on individuals who sort of take the initiative. yeah, that certainly sounds like an interesting one what they're doing over in the States. I can see why.

Andy Dawson (15:37)

Yeah, I mean, I think there's about, there's a handful of them at the moment, private education, but again, they're hoping to go more mainstream. And I mean, to put your point about mutual learning, the rest of my day is spent interviewing students from Birmingham University for some internships to help us with a variety of AI projects because they're amongst it, you know, they're right in it. And I think we can all benefit, all age groups can benefit from better collaboration and working together for sure.

PJ Ellis (16:04)

I

Paul Faulkner (16:04)

you always do,

don't you? You know, I'm sure you guys are saying you learn so much from chatting to your kids, don't you? And just to the way their heads are at it. It's like, wow, you know, yeah.

PJ Ellis (16:12)

100%.

I think you mentioned a few things there that I find very important. I always talk to my son about being adaptable, trying to improve communications, all that sort of stuff and how important that will be when he enters the real world, let alone work. But what I do come back to a lot, and it's quite interesting to see that those Alpha schools, Andy, have included grit in their

curriculum How important Paul do you think, do you think resilience matters more than talent at the moment in the world that we live in?

Paul Faulkner (16:46)

⁓

think resilience probably always matters more. You've got to be, you've got to have that bit of grit. know, go back to football and the kids who come through academies and make it, yeah, are those who have that resilience in them, who are prepared to keep turning up for training, are prepared to listen, take it on board from the coaches. They have that toughness there.

And, we'll know that the Academy sits or making it as a professional footballer at any level, let alone Premier League is incredibly hard. there's no nobody and no wouldn't have been Messi or Ronaldo or Jack Grealish we had at Villa when I was there. they're not they're obviously extremely talented, but they marry that up with incredible work ethic and incredible resilience. And that's the difference maker. And I've seen

kids in football world who had loads of talent would have been more talented than their peers, but they didn't make it. And, know, they got sidetracked or couldn't handle lessons from the coach or for whatever reason. But it was that it's that mental toughness, I think, which that resilience that you talk about is so key. And I think that that's true in in life, isn't it? You know, it's no life's will always throw loads of challenges at you and you

you need support and you need the right people around you. But ultimately you've got to get up when you got to put one foot in front of another and you got to go again, haven't you? And I think as you do that, everyone's going to have their own experiences, but you get out there and then things start to happen and opportunities start to happen. So yeah, I think it's massively important, massively.

Andy Dawson (18:23)

I mean,

we talk a lot about opportunity on this podcast. think it's come up every single episode and I won't go into the equation again. But who gave you, who are the people who gave you your break or who were your role models, mentors when you were in the early stages of kind of your career?

Paul Faulkner (18:40)

I mean, my dad always encouraged us to believe in yourself and that you could be as good as anybody else and don't, you all those doubts that you've got. was incredible at sort of trying to instill that belief or to have that firm hand pushing you forward, even if you didn't wanna do it. And I think as I've got older, I've really appreciated

that more and how that shaped me. We moved a lot. went to loads of different schools. So you kind of felt that you were constantly the new boy and all of that. That sort of brings. so that was a good learning. I was really fortunate early in my career and I was working for the Lerner family before they bought Aston Villa and that happened. they gave me.

opportunities. Randy Lerner, there was some people listening may remember called General Krulak, who was a director at Villa, I'd worked with him previously at a credit card company, MBNA. And, you know, while I was young, in what I was doing, these guys believed in me and supported me and gave me those opportunities. And so, you know, you kind of sort of forever grateful and thankful. But it's that that trust. And I think I try to do that as well. You know, if you're if you're good enough, you're old enough.

And I really subscribe to that and I've tried to promote talent, you know, through my career then I suppose based on my own experiences and know that people may feel they're not ready, but I'll kind of go, you know, we're to do it together. We'll support you. So some of the Henrietta at the chamber was amazingly talented young lady and does a great job as chief exec. And that was promoted to her.

Katrina Cook, who's now Chief Executive of Kids Village. And Katrina was with me at Villa and at the Chamber. And, you know, kind of again, somebody who's just got so much talent and was always ready for those opportunities. know, I worked with Intercity Technology as well. They've just promoted a young guy called Ollie Hayward to an MD role. And that was something I was able to maybe feed into some of their decision making, going that he's an incredibly talented young man.

he won't fail, him the chance to know. And so the age thing shouldn't be a factor. It's just about, yeah, you know, kind of push people into the opportunities. And that's something I think as we get older and more experienced than you want to try to do, isn't it? keep the ladder there and give people a leg up onto it.

PJ Ellis (20:56)

Is there anything that you see in all of those people that you've just mentioned? You said, if you're good enough, you're old enough. Henrietta, that Olly chap at Intercity, Katrina, there's Santina Bunting that's around the Chamber of Commerce at the moment.

Paul Faulkner (21:09)

Yeah, she won the Future Faces. Yeah, she's incredible as well.

PJ Ellis (21:12)

Are you seeing a certain skill that exists across those people that stands out?

Paul Faulkner (21:18)

think it's, they're genuine, they're hard workers, they, they care, it almost feels quite basic. I don't know Santina, I've met her and she's very impressive, but certainly the other three they, yeah, they're genuine. They are doing the work, they're not trying to shortcut it. It's about doing the work, delivering, learning and you know, getting things don't work.

Andy Dawson (21:30)

Thank

Paul Faulkner (21:40)

that you're discussing it and you're able to sort of bring it on, but they've got that right attitude, perhaps what we said a little while ago.

Andy Dawson (21:48)

I always remember the first time we met Paul. was in, you were obviously CEO of the Chamber at the time. It was in your office. And after admiring your American football helmet and chatting about those days, we, we, at Curium were talking about getting involved as members of the Chamber. And I always remember your words of advice, which has really stuck with me since, is that you only get out of something, what you put into it. You've got to put the effort and you know.

the chamber membership at the time was about don't become a member and expect things to happen, get involved. And it's a bit like what you're talking about now. If you're prepared to get in the ring and dance the dance, then you're going to get the opportunities, but you can't sit back, especially in this world we're in. There's no sitting back and waiting for things to happen. We've got to all go and grab them and get involved, haven't we?

Paul Faulkner (22:18)

Yeah. Yeah.

No, yeah.

Yeah, yeah. I think and that applies in almost anything you do or any approach. We're all passionate about the city, Birmingham or the West Midlands and I sort of go and I love it and it's a great place, but collectively we've got to be good, haven't we? We've got to go out there because we're not going to just get foreign direct investment coming here just because

We're Birmingham you so you can apply it at the highest levels right down to you as an individual, I think. Yeah, you can't sit back and just expect people to hand out all of the goodies. You've to go and own them.

PJ Ellis (23:10)

nice though. I've always been impressed with you, It feels like the mutual appreciation society, doesn't it? I genuinely always have. One of the main things that I'm impressed by is the energy you bring to everything that you do. You've always got time for people. You always feel, and this is another word that's popped up, I suppose, across these conversations, curious.

Paul Faulkner (23:12)

Haha.

Thank you.

PJ Ellis (23:37)

You're always curious, you always ask questions, you're interested in the things that you're around. Where does that come from?

Paul Faulkner (23:43)

That's a question. I love learning. like kind of just, I don't know, I've got curious mind. It's like, wonder why, or what's that about? So it's very genuine. I'm with people, you want to know about them. I always think, why wouldn't you want to know about people, or where they're from, or their background, or what drives them? So I kind of do that naturally, because I'm interested.

PJ Ellis (24:01)

Yeah.

Paul Faulkner (24:05)

In terms of some skills, you we talk about communication skills, you know, will share with people that that listen, ask those questions. would say maybe that comes a bit more naturally to me. But it always blows my mind when you're with people and, you know, they're just on transmit. They just talk at you and you think, I've been with someone for half an hour an hour. They haven't asked me anything. They know nothing about me. It's a one way.

sort of transfer of an experience. And I just feels like a waste. I'm kind of going, why wouldn't you want to know something? I think there's a great movie with the wonderful Robin Williams called Dead Poets Society, which I don't know if you've seen, but there's a line in there where he's a teacher and he tells his pupils to suck the marrow out of life. And I love that phrase. And I kind of, you know, almost feel like, you know, that we're incredibly

PJ Ellis (24:50)

Hmm?

Paul Faulkner (24:57)

fortunate to be here. Life's hell of a mystery, isn't it? And you get up every day and it's that sort of suck the marrow out of it and make the most of it. you know, I'm not saying I'm always bouncing and smiling at all, but it says little, they're little sort of pillars almost that you carry with you. And it's just those little reminders that, yeah, make the most of it. And that's probably feeds into that, that sort of curiosity.

PJ Ellis (25:19)

It's a real positive energy. It's something that if you could bottle and pass on to some people I've met in my life, it would make a real difference.

Andy Dawson (25:27)

So I'm currently sat here overlooking Birmingham train station, the city in all its glory. You guys are there in combinations of Sutton-Coldfield. Given the wonderful region we're in in the Midlands, where do you think we're at as a region at the moment? And we might be talking to the mayor soon on this podcast.

What sort of discussions do we need to be having to give the region the best opportunity of being its best self?

Paul Faulkner (25:51)

Yeah, I mean, it feels to me that we've sort of taken a bit of a backward step in recent times. If you go back to 2022, the Commonwealth Games felt like a massive high point, didn't it? It was that feeling, like you said, PJ, of, wow, the sun's shone, we had this international event taking place.

Not just in Birmingham, across the region. As always with those things, I remember London 2012, there's loads of naysayers, it won't work, it'll be awful. And you know what, when it happened, the sun didn't stop shining and it was brilliant. And I got to loads of events and you just sort of having a good time. And I think there was one of the weekends in the middle, I took my family, we just went down to Centenary Square and there was some, think the big shop was there.

There were so many people just milling around and it was this I and I'd never felt it before this sort of we just want to be around people want to be around it and you know, the kids were sound police bikes. Everyone's it was amazing. And that was a moment of like, this is really cool. This is great. This is brilliant that we can show the world the great side of Birmingham. You know, the sun is shining. It isn't the the image that we know.

can sometimes be around the concrete jungle and industrial decline. That isn't the reality and that was our showcase. That had been a long time coming, five six years in the bid process. The fact that we'd even bid for the games was because of this ambition that was in the city. Why not? Why not us? That was great. And even going further back, think there was a lot of... When I first got to Birmingham in...

2006, 2007, I remember having meetings with people from the City Council where they were talking about the master plan of developing Paradise. So this very different back in 2006 to what it is now. these things take time. There was clearly ambition in that. And then we've seen it happen. Now we've had Covid and we've had the sort of, I guess, economic sort of challenges in the last couple of years. But it does just feel like that energy has

dissipated a bit and what I want is, what I'd love to see is to get that back again, you know, and I think that it's about convening people and no one can do it on their own. No one entity can do it on their own. So it's not about the mayor or the combined authority. It's about pulling all of the people who are passionate about the city sort of together so that people aren't operating individually, but how do we form more of a cohesive collective

mass and push and have some real aspirational things to aim for. I it hasn't helped, has it? I think with HS2 as well. And we probably, no one wants to talk too much about HS2, but we're going to get most of the economic benefit of this and the Curzon Street station will be great. But I think when I first got involved, it was going to be open in 2026 next year. And now

your guess is as good as mine. Now that 10 year period, may still not be open. And I think that's slightly taken the wind out of the sail, something which was has been transformational for the the sort of city centre It just feels that now that's a project which no one in the country is proud about, you know, and it's a bit of an inconvenience and it's probably too big to stop it now. But you whereas a few years ago, we were really proud that it was here in Birmingham, we were gonna have the first

stop or stops here, know, in in Solihull and now it's like, it's actually the end of the line. That's a shame. So I mean, that's sort of above everyone's pay grade, really. But you know, so you can understand why. But yeah, I think it is about trying to pull people together and really have a sort of things we can strive towards and tap into and they get the Commonwealth Games does show, doesn't it? If you dream big and you go for it and you trust yourselves that you can deliver.

And there'll be loads of doubts and loads of reasons not to. And but that that sense of pride that it generated was was wonderful. I don't think that's really linked to the issues, the financial issues the councils had. And it's been said, I think that's wrong and unfair. I actually think that they're not sort of connected. And I think it was a great thing that the city council is a big part of that and they deserve.

their credit as well for having that ambition and that's what we've got to get back.

PJ Ellis (30:07)

You bang on, mate. Brand Birmingham for the win, I think. There's so many people that are doing brilliant things in silos that we need to find some sort of way of housing that. And it's really interesting, mate, because you mentioned HS2 and our future that we're talking about, both our city, our region, our kids, whatever it might be. And I think it all comes back to confidence. I really do. that when I saw the Commonwealth Games, I was confident of this city. I thought, you know what, we're pulling it out of the bag.

We're showcasing this brilliant city. We're getting all these people together. The sun is shining. I am a confident Brummie. My son, 14 years old, got a lift the other day with my dad. My dad's 67. Quite angry for a number of reasons at the moment. He's in a queue because of the HS2 building over in Curdworth, right? He's fuming, fuming. And he's telling my son the reasons why he's fuming. This thing's supposed to be this and this thing's that and we're wasting the money on this, right?

So that sort of transaction with my son, he's seen the naff side of Birmingham. There's no confidence in this city. If anything, he will be one of those guys I was desperately marketing to when we set up Love Brum that my son might want to go the wrong way. He might want to seek his opportunities in London or abroad, I'd hate that to be the case. And I think the confidence is key. I think we need to be painting this beautiful picture for our kids.

Paul Faulkner (31:21)

Yeah.

PJ Ellis (31:27)

to make sure they want to stick around and invest in this city. So talking of confidence, Paul, I've always seen you as a confident guy, right? We can talk about your history at Cambridge from history to banking and football, wherever it might be. My son isn't confident, but he's confident in other ways. What would you be saying to kids now if they're struggling with confidence? What is that one little bit of advice you'd give them to say, get in there?

If stuck in, start those conversations. How do you do it?

Paul Faulkner (31:54)

You know what, I don't think there's one single pearl of wisdom. I wish there was, but I'd be lying if I said I've got that. I think it's really real and it's understandable, the lack of confidence. I've got boys of my own and see them and they can be confident in certain situations, but you put them out of their comfort zone. And I remember being like that. think for me, my dad was amazing.

pushing you forward. And I mean that in the right way, you know, of trying of spotting, you're not going to like this, but you'll be fine, you'll be good. And so that that lives with me now. What's the worst that can happen? And I think there is isn't it is trying to give people that safety net is trying to help them and support them and then go, you know, it's going to be okay. And you if you're a dad, it's your lad, you it's going to be okay. Whatever we're doing, you come back here and I've got you, we've got you.

And you can do that in business, can't you as well? If someone doesn't wanna do something, well, go along and do it. Don't worry about it. You're gonna be thinking all sorts of, oh my God, if I get this wrong, what's gonna happen? And you have to, think if you can be in a position where you can just remove the downside. And then, it's a like being in a bird's nest, suppose, isn't it? In the little bird and you gotta throw them off the side and you know what? They are gonna fly and you know that they will, but you just gotta sort of support them.

there. mean, one thing that is really important for me when I look at it, when I finished school, I had a whole year I went off to university, but I had a year out first of I went and worked in M &S for nine months, ladies fashions in Chester. And, you know, that was amazing. I love that, you know, I was the only guy working amongst I think 52 women in the ladies fashions department. And, you know, you learned a hell of a lot.

Andy Dawson (33:29)

Good on you.

Paul Faulkner (33:41)

And, you know, talking to your colleagues, talking to customers, you got used to it you started to sort of enjoy it. And then I went off traveling, I've earned a few pounds and spent it all going around the world. I did it on my own. And I think I came back with those two sort of experiences of working and traveling and, you know, kind of like a more confident person. And I think it was just that, wow, you know, I can do that now and I can do that. And

gives you that little bit of belief of when I'm in a situation which makes me nervous or anxious or don't really want to do it, he'll be okay. He'll be okay. Come on. And I think trying to help people to realize it will be okay is almost the best you can do, isn't it? And to show, and then you've got to show them that, you you've got to, when they go through the experience, you know, you back it up with actions and then hopefully they see that was okay.

the next time they've got a positive experience to pull back on.

Andy Dawson (34:36)

Last quick question for me, if I may, it's about AI. So AI, opportunity or threat? Discuss.

Paul Faulkner (34:44)

Well, I'm not actually here. This is an AI avatar. I'm down the gym at the moment. Opportunity or threat? I suppose it's gonna be a bit of both. I don't really know Andy, it's evolving so fast and quickly and you can have those moments where your brain is trying to process what does this mean? What could it mean?

Andy Dawson (34:49)

Yeah.

Paul Faulkner (35:07)

you try to avoid the sort of silly, I've seen Terminator. I know what can happen when the machines take over, but it is about trying to weigh up. It can make things so much more efficient. It can open up the ability to do so much more or back to opportunities that we were saying, setting up a podcast or stuff that you've been doing now, suddenly it's accessible. So that's creating.

whole new world, you know, it's going to change the world of work. I'm not quite sure how yet because we're going through it. So I'm intrigued by it. You've got to try to keep up with that pace of change, haven't you, and understand it. But I think with that said, I still think that life is a contact sport. Life is about people. Life is about relationships and

You know, AI should be and will be a tool, but you've got to still get out there and press the flesh. You've got to still be able to connect and that won't go away. think, you know, so it's not, it's not binary, it's not either or is it? But yeah, it's a fascinating time and it's the heart of the possible, isn't it? What AI can do and stuff that you wouldn't even have thought was possible.

now is and I think when you're in, or anybody really is trying to stay curious what you were saying before PJ, yeah, and learn and know that some stuff will work and be amazing other stuff, right? I mean, I can't quite wrap my head around the energy that it uses and you're it's amazing they can do this, but how much energy is it chewing up? And hang on, I thought we're trying to be smarter around that. And so...

Are we just going to be in a world full of data centres just to sort of fuel an app which turns you into a Simpsons version of yourself or something? You you're going like, where does it all go? I don't know yet, but yeah, it's obviously got exponential development as well. So I think that's another thing that I'm mindful of, of just how quickly things are going to evolve. It's a bit of a non-answer there, but yeah, I'm intrigued.

Andy Dawson (37:04)

I agree.

PJ Ellis (37:04)

No,

not at all. It's bang on, mate. It's bang on. In our case, we just use it to create Muppet versions of ourselves. That's what we're using it for at the moment. High brow use. Paul, we could talk forever, mate. I know you're a very busy guy. I always like to round up with a few of my little nuggets that I've pulled out. I've written down here, suck the marrow out of life. Genuine, authentic people for the win. If you're good enough, you're old enough.

What's the worst that can happen? Consider a ⁓ career in retail in the ladies department at Marks and Spencer's. Life's a contact sport. We could go on forever, mate. The last one from me, and we're so grateful for your time. If we were to ask any other person to jump on this podcast, any ideas, any recommendations? Who springs to mind?

Paul Faulkner (37:50)

Ooh, my God, put me on the spot now, aren't you? Why not? Unai Emery. There you go. There's a guy who is doing some special stuff here in, in Birmingham. He's not from Birmingham. He's come from overseas. he's got a huge responsibility. that would be a great one to go for. Hey, why not?

PJ Ellis (38:08)

Mate, I'm on it. Is he on LinkedIn? Just having a quick

look now. Nice one, Paul, mate. Listen, we are so grateful for your time. I've learnt so much from the last 30 minutes. I'm sure other people will. Would you agree, Andy?

Andy Dawson (38:20)

Yeah, no, it's been great, mate. And I think the only other thing I'd add, something I'm really looking forward to, because you touched on the Commonwealth Games, is the Invictus Games coming up in 2027, Solihull way. So hopefully we can all rally around that as well to get that same score.

Paul Faulkner (38:32)

Yeah, we've

the European Athletics Championships as well next year, we? So there are some good things happening, but you're right, we need to really get behind them. Yeah, I agree.

PJ Ellis (38:42)

Brilliant. Well, bring it on, mate. Bring it on. And we'll have a chat about Brand Birmingham another day. But thanks again, Paul. Have a lovely day, mucker

Paul Faulkner (38:47)

Yeah.

Cheers, guys.

Andy Dawson (38:49)

Bye.