TRUST: Simply getting the job done
“There’s nothing stopping you from doing whatever you want in life, but you’ve got to get off your backside and do the work.”
Interview: Sue Wilcock / Martine Silkstone
Pictures: Warren Page
Craig Starling talks to Suffolk Director
Despite his many successes – both personal and professional – achievement is still a tricky concept for Craig Starling. Yes, he became a company director by the age of 30 (as he always wanted) and was a finalist for the East Anglian Daily Times Businessperson of the Year Award in 2025. And, yes, he has competed in and won various triathlons among other sporting events. Still, for him, all the medals and accolades are simply a sign that he has done what he set out to do, and it’s time to move on to the next goal.
He says: “There’s a phrase that I read somewhere: ‘I can’t celebrate my achievements because in my mind it’s my obligation to achieve them’. That really sums up how I feel about things. I will set my mind to do something, and the work required is just the bare minimum to get to that goal. So that’s not an achievement – that’s just what I needed to do.
“It’s how I was brought up; to believe that there’s nothing stopping you from doing whatever you want in life, but you’ve got to get off your backside and do the work.”
Advice Craig has taken to heart, it seems.
He rises at 6am every day, exercises both morning and night, forms business strategy in between, and is always eager to learn and grow – whether that’s reading up on new technology or finding different ways to help people.
That mindset and work ethic was ingrained from a young age, learned at the feet of his father – a man Craig describes as his “hero”.
“My dad is someone who just gets on with it and gets it done,” Craig smiles.
As a family, they have been through some tough times (more on that later) but in supporting each other, Craig and his dad have developed a close relationship that is still a source of strength to this day. And having had such a strong role model in life, Craig was able to overcome early learning challenges, train for various sporting events and pursue a successful career in IT.
In October 2024, he became a company director at ICS – right on schedule.
In his new role, Craig is leading the Suffolk company’s transformation as it embarks on an exciting new chapter.
He says the overall vision is to become a one-stop-shop for IT, with clients able to find all the services they need ‘under one roof’. But he is keen to point out while they want to grow, above all they remain committed to providing a high level of service – always putting people first and building strong, lasting relationships with clients.
“When you’re dealing with somebody’s computer – a computer that earns their money – they’ve got to feel confident that you know what you’re doing,” Craig explains.
“It’s like going to the doctors – you have to trust the person you’re talking to; to know they have got your best interests at heart.
“And that’s how I want people to see ICS. You should never have to worry about the IT side of your business because you’ve got us, which leaves you able to focus on your work and plan for the future.
“Of course, you’ve got to build that trust and build those relationships with people. But when you do that – that’s when you become in demand.”
Where it all began
Born in 1995, Craig has spent his whole life in and around Ipswich.
His father, John, trained as a mechanic and his work in a logistics company allowed Craig’s mum, Trish, to stay at home and look after their three boys – Karl first, Craig two years later and then Graham.
Always a creative child, Craig loved anything where he could be hands-on – climbing trees, LEGO, video games. However, he was never keen on the more academic side at school and struggled with English and maths in particular. The reason for that became clear at the age of 16, when he enrolled at Suffolk New College to do a Level 2 qualification in IT and a teaching assistant suggested that he be tested for dyslexia – the results showed he was.
“That’s the moment that I switched on and thought: okay, I see it now – I’m not going to achieve anything if I don’t give everything I’ve got.”
Starting out
Deciding the academic side of things was not for him, Craig left college to seek an apprenticeship – following the same path his father had taken years before.
At the time, that kind of role was hard to come by, but with help from WS Training – an independent training provider, based in Ipswich – he secured a role at an Apple Mac service and repair company in the town. Now working, earning money and learning on the job, he found it much easier to focus on his studies and from there, Craig learned quickly. Over the next two years he was building PCs from scratch and turning simple systems into supercomputers – some even to be used at Pinewood Studios to render footage for the Bond films and Star Wars.
Meanwhile, he was continuing to learn in his spare time, devouring PC magazines to stay up to date with the technology and browsing websites for new ideas. He even saved his wages and bought a Mac of his own so he could take it home and study the system.
“I wanted to do what I could to best support other people essentially,” he explains. “I would say I’m a ‘people person’ – I like being around people and I’ve always wanted to help others.”
Moving on
At the age of 20, having learned all he could in his current role, Craig decided it was time to move to a bigger company; somewhere he could gain experience in a more corporate setting and learn how business leaders think and operate.
When an opening came up at John Grose in Ipswich, he applied even though he knew his CV was lacking and was surprised to be invited for an interview with the MD. It turned out he had been the only person who had applied so they had decided to give him a chance.
It was a chance he grabbed with both hands.
“At the end of the day I knew academically I was always going to be the lowest, so the only way I was going to show my worth was by doing the prep and showing my personality,” he says with passion. “I wouldn’t cast myself as a salesman but I know how to relate to people, to sell a product or sell myself.”
Apparently so – he got the job.
Over the next couple of years he built relationships with the team, gaining experience and knowledge from the older staff and becoming respected for both his abilities and conscientious approach to the job.
Not afraid to get his hands dirty, he even helped get their Lowestoft workshop back up and running after a devastating fire, taking extra qualifications so he could use specialist equipment during the re-cabling project. His work did not go unnoticed and the owner of John Grose thanked him personally.
“Even to this day, if I pass him he’ll come and speak to me,” Craig says smiling. “But then he’s the kind of man that would come in a suit but grab a broom and sweep the car park. He believes it doesn’t matter whether you’re a multi-multi-millionaire or somebody cleaning the toilet, if the job needs doing it needs doing, so get on with it.”
Sounds familiar, right?
Extra-curricular
Of course, life wasn’t all about work – no matter how dedicated he was.
Alongside his career, Craig was going out with his friends and dating, as well as enjoying running and keeping fit. Then, while at John Grose, the management team invited him to join them on organised cycle rides and he was soon on his bike alongside 15 others from the company, covering the miles and enjoying a pint at the end.
So, he was already running and cycling, the next step seemed obvious (to Craig anyway!)
“I thought all I’ve got to do is learn to swim and I could do a triathlon,” he smiles. ‘So, I just decided to sign up for one – what’s the worst that could happen?”
His first event was in Gt Yarmouth and he won his age category. After that, he competed in a few events, stepping up to Olympic distances and winning more trophies and medals. Still, he maintains he is not competitive – instead, for him it is just about doing what he has decided to do.
“I would say I have an addictive personality,” he explains, “so once I set my mind to something, it’s all or nothing at that point. If I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna do it.”
He still takes part in various sporting events, but as far as triathlons are concerned, they have been ticked off the list and he’s now on to the next thing. In fact, next year he has his eye on learning how to skydive, so watch this space.
Tough times
Meanwhile, having spent two years at John Grose, Craig felt it was time to move on to the next professional venture too.
Having worked on both Apple Mac and Windows-based systems, he was now looking for a job that gave him the variety of work and client contact he enjoyed. That is when he moved to a junior position at Ipswich Computer Services in Henley.
By early 2019, everything was going well for Craig.
He was finding his feet in his new job and had recently returned from a wonderful trip to a dude ranch in Canada, where he rode horses, ate great steak and explored the raw side of nature.
“I’ve never seen stars like it,” he says with awe.
Then life threw him a series of curve balls.
A few months after starting his new job, Craig fell ill with pneumonia. A chest infection and complications following a swimming event left him gasping for breath and on the verge of being hospitalised. He was off work for two weeks while he recovered and though he says the directors were great about it, he returned to work determined to make up the time.
Then Covid hit. Staff were furloughed on and off, including Craig, and at home he was helping his parents while maintaining his relationship through the tricky social distancing guidelines.
Things had just started to open up, when his mum was diagnosed with cancer.
“Mum has suffered from MS for about 15 years, but her personality is: she gets knocked down, she gets back up again,” Craig says fondly. “So, we thought, okay, it’s not a great thing to hear but she’ll go and have treatment and get through it.
“Then I phoned up one day and she didn’t quite sound right. I asked if everything was okay and she said: ‘No, we’ve just been told that the cancer is worse than we thought.’
“I remember I finished work, went to my girlfriend’s and just broke down in tears.”
Trish had surgery and radiotherapy, and the ongoing treatment left her at home but in need of full-time care. The family pulled together and looked after her while struggling to get help through the NHS.
The pressure took its toll.
By the end of 2022, the whole family was exhausted, Craig’s relationship had ended and, understandably, his own mental health began to suffer.
“You don’t realise it because it happens so slowly,” he explains, “but I was losing myself as a person. And I just sat there one day and thought, ‘I am so sad’.”
Craig needed help but the NHS waiting lists were too long to provide any immediate options. Fortunately, he saw an advert on social media for Betterhelp, an online service that provides accessible, professional therapy. As he was (in his words) in a position to pay, he decided to give it a try. That, along with the support of his family – especially his father – was to set him on the road to recovery.
“I had therapy for about two years and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done,” he says with feeling. “I learnt so much about myself as a person, who I am and how my mind works. I really don’t know where I would be today if it wasn’t for that help.
“I had been living constantly in a fight-or-flight mode and just trying not to break down at my desk each day.
“And I was very honest with Tim [Director at ICS] about what was going on – both with me and my family – and he was very understanding. I’ll always be very grateful to him for that.”
Craig is now a passionate supporter of the charity Suffolk Mind. He understands the importance of mental health services because he has been there and wants to help those who may follow.
Moving forward
Having reached rock bottom and begun the valuable work on his recovery, it was time for Craig to refocus on work and his plans for the future.
Despite having gone through such a tough time personally, his enthusiasm for people and learning had not gone unnoticed at Ipswich Computer Services, and in 2024, the Director, Tim, invited Craig to join him at business coaching classes at Action Coach.
It was a lightbulb moment – this is what Craig wanted to do.
After those coaching sessions, he sat down with Tim and they discussed ways the business could develop and grow. It was time to get proactive and not just reactive, to focus more on sales and provide a rounded service for clients.
Soon, Craig gained a new title, Business Development Manager, but his passion and vision for the company singled him out as leadership material and in October 2024, he finally became Company Director.
Today he is leading an exciting new phase for the company which includes a rebrand as ICS, a wider geographical client base and an expansion of services for customers old and new.
So, what’s next?
“We’ve very much said that any profit should be reinvested back into the business over the next few years. I want ICS to grow and expand so it can become a one-stop-shop for all IT services, perhaps even the biggest IT company in Suffolk when it comes to happy clients.
“I don’t do what I do for myself, I do it because of what it might bring for others and I want to keep giving back where I can as well.
“More personally, I’d like to do more travelling. An old client said to me: ‘Craig, do long haul when you’re young, then when you’ve got a family do short haul, and when you’re old like me, focus on the UK.’ And I’ve always thought that was good advice. So, maybe Vietnam next, while I’m still single.”
Are you back to being happy?
“I fully believe everything happens for a reason. There’s still work to be done, and I’ll always try and be the best version of myself for everyone around me, but yeah, I’m happy.”
