5 Big Questions: Jeff Dewing

What does disruption really mean in business?

In this week’s 5 Big Questions interview we talk to business leader, football club owner and professional contrarian JEFF DEWING

Twitter: @jpdewing

Known for:

• CEO & Co-founder – Cloud FM
• Former Owner – Clacton FC
• Author – Doing the Opposite
• Host – Doing the Opposite: Business Disruptors podcast

The 5 Big Questions:

1. 1. How do you measure the impact of what you do?
   2. How should people/businesses be preparing for the future?
   3. How do we build the workforce we need for that future?
   4. How do you use creativity to solve problems?
   5. How do you collaborate?

Key quotes:

“I was disruptive by nature, which meant I couldn’t hold a job down for more than eighteen months. In the end I decided that the only way to have an impact was to start a business myself and do things where I had no fear of disruption, I had no fear of consequences.”

“It’s not been easy, but if it was easy it would be boring, right? And everybody would’ve done it.”

“Money is the bi-product. You need to make a profit to be sustainable, clearly, but it shouldn’t be about the money, it shouldn’t be about the profit, it should be about what is it you’re gonna do to enrich other people’s lives.”

“We have a philosophy of saying: it has to be a win, win, win. The client has to win, the provider has to win and the supply chain has to win. If any of those is not true then it’s not sustainable and why are you even getting out of bed to do it?”

Useful links:

• website // jeffdewing.co.uk/
• Cloud FM // cloudfmgroup.com/
• Cloud FM // cloudfmgroup.com/team/jeff-dewing-mbifm/
• Jeff Dewing — Doing The Opposite (Amazon)
• Doing The Opposite: Business Disruptors podcast (Audible link)

This episode was recorded in March 2022

Interviewer: Richard Freeman for always possible

Editor: CJ Thorpe-Tracey for Lo Fi Arts