I distrust CV’s. I find them full of waffle, and big statements. I can’t see the real person behind the words on the paper. It’s hard to recruit good people, and I’m not the easiest person to work with! Fortunately, my production team have all been with me a long time.

They started, back when we made stock from our house, long before we had a big shiny unit on Gate Farm. They made candles and skincare in our utility room, pumped and poured in our snug and labelled everything in the kitchen.

I can’t believe we used to make all that stock at home. We would get pallets delivered to the front door and store all the glass and packaging in our sitting room. It blows my mind, looking back! But, back to CV’s. I recently met a young man called Tom; he is a neighbour, we got talking when I gave him a lift home after I saw him pushing his bike along the road.

It turns out he works part-time in a shop in Crewe. Earning minimum wage, he works 20 hours a week split over five days, into 4-hour shifts. He never knows what days he will be working or the exact hours until the week before.

What impressed me about Tom was that he cycles every day to work. It takes an hour each way. Come rain or shine, snow or wind he gets on his bike and cycles to work. He is a big guy, and not what you would describe as a natural cyclist or sportsman.

I like that kind of dedication — that kind of commitment. Tom didn’t need to show me a CV or tell me what he is like. He showed me the kind of person he is, each time I drove past him in the rain cycling to work.

I offered Tom a part-time job, and he starts with us next week. He will be pumping, filling and glueing our samples. So next time you order a scent sample or receive a free hand cream at a show. Please think of Tom.

People respond to what you do rather than what you say. Do you want to be promoted at work? Do you want more responsibility? Do you want more success?

I believe the key to all these things is to show people that you are worth it. To show them the value you can bring. Don’t tell them. Words are easy. Words are cheap. Show them – day after day, week after week. Demonstrate that you are a person of value.

Show them that you can solve the problem they have. Become known and trusted, and your opportunity will come. I listened to a speech by Will Smith this morning. He said,

“A quality all successful people share is, they believe that something different can happen for them.”

So next time you are pushing along in the rain, grinding out the reps and the summit is far away. Think about Tom and remember in these hard times you are demonstrating who you are. People are always watching. Your time will come. Your opportunity will come. Long before others believe, you must believe it’s possible.

Remember, we climb the mountain, not in giant leaps but one small step at a time.