About James Hale
My entire childhood was spent playing sport and conjuring up stories. When the dreams of being a professional footballer, cricketer or golfer narrowly evaded me, it was probably no surprise I ended up completing a degree in Sports Journalism. I love telling stories, whether that was chasing my sporting dreams and commentating on my every move, or my degree, which saw me interview some of the top names in the world of sport.
I then fell into marketing on my return to Norfolk and realised all my communication and storytelling skills translated seamlessly into the marketing arena. After 10 years working in an agency and having just become a Dad to my first child Luca, with my wonderful wife Kat, I took my first step into business ownership.
Today, my business – Halekorero (Korero is Mauri for ‘stories’) is built to help businesses tell their story better, as a brilliant story will help you sell your business, connect your marketing with your customers and unlock your business potential.
We asked James to look back and reflect on his younger self…
Q&As
How would you describe yourself at 18?
Sporty. And that probably deserves to be full caps too.
What inspired you to start your own business?
I kept meeting businesses with great products and services, that were rubbish at telling their story and I really wanted to help. I also wanted to have control over my time and the freedom to express myself professionally. It took me a few years and the birth of my son Luca, to give me the clarity over what I wanted my business to be, and the drivers behind it.
If you could go back knowing what you know now, what three things would you tell yourself to do when you first became a business owner?
- Share ideas, you’re going to need other brains.
- Be structured, your time is valuable.
- Celebrate the small wins, they all count.
What are the biggest lessons you have learnt professionally?
That’s a great question. One is the ability to spot small details when you first meet someone, which can help you to build a connection. The other would be, to never wait for perfection or everything to be ready.
How did you deal with a big mistake, and what did you learn from the experience?
I just owned up to it. I’ve always tried to view mistakes as learning opportunities. That’s where sport has helped me massively in my professional life; being able to re-frame failure.
What are your ambitions for the future?
Nothing grand, I’m a pretty simple guy. I’d love to help heaps of businesses tell their story, be a stand-up bloke, play lots of sport and travel the world.
What does the future have in store for you personally?
The big dream is a golf handicap which starts with a 0. 😀
If you want to tell your story better, then join me on one of my Storytelling Workshops. Visit www.halekorero.co.uk to find out more.
