Kids’ Village charity interim CEO Paul Faulkner and founder Sam Fletcher-Goodwin were the latest guests on CEO Stories – a podcast from Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce which delves into the minds of the region’s best and brightest business leaders.
The podcast, hosted by GBCC chief executive Henrietta Brealey, is available in full on all major listening platforms such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Kids’ Village was inspired by Sam who, since overcoming cancer as a child, has had the vision of building the UK's inaugural holiday village for critically ill children.
With support from a top team including former Chamber CEO Paul and a board of trustees led by chair Doug Wright, a £5m fundraising drive is underway to turn the dream into reality.
Paul, who led the Chamber between 2015 and 2021, as had a varied career including spells in banking, professional football with Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest and running a family office in the United States.
Sam has forged a successful career as a broadcaster and producer.
Here are five things we learned from their chat Henrietta...
1) Sam’s story
Central to the Kids’ Village story is the experience of Sam Fletcher-Goodwin who, at the age of nine, was diagnosed with a former of cancer called Rhabdomyosarcoma.
During this traumatic and uncertain time, Sam and her family had the opportunity to experience the Give Kids The World Village resort in Florida.
It’s the trip to Florida which fuelled Sam’s dream of creating a similar resort for critically-ill children in the UK.
She told the CEO Stories podcast: “Everything at Give Kids a World Village was about joy.
“And, on top of all of that joy was this total bubble of safety, because everybody at Give Kids The World had been through something like us.
“There were children in wheelchairs, children with nose tubes, children without any hair, like me.
“That gave me the confidence to not wear my wig and, for the first time, not be conscious of people looking at me with sympathy, because everybody just got it.
“That experience was so powerful for me and my family that when we came back, we said: “We want to build one of these in the UK.”
2) Recruiting the next CEO
Former Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest chief executive Paul Faulkner was named as interim CEO of Kids’ Village in January.
Part of his remit is to help the charity recruit a full-time chief executive – and Paul used the CEO Stories podcast to detail the type of individual Kids’ Village would be seeking.
He said: “It's going to be a brilliant opportunity for somebody who wants to put that challenge on their shoulders, taking that weight from Sam and driving this forward.
“We are a small charity with big aims, so things won't be done for us. This will be achieved through sheer bloody mindedness.
“So, it's somebody who got that empathy, has got that drive, who knows why we're doing it.
“This will be tough and it will be challenging. So, it's not an easy role for someone who just wants their picture in a few magazines.
“But it will be so rewarding - that part of making a difference in people's lives, that sense of satisfaction that will come with it - and I think there is a very special opportunity there.”
3) The Hamptons to Sutton Coldfield
During the CEO Stories podcast, Paul discusses his “eclectic” career in business which spans banking, recruitment, professional football and much more.
His well-publicised period in charge of Aston Villa came as a result of a spell working in one of America’s best-known seaside communities, The Hamptons.
Paul said: “I moved to the US, worked for a family office who we were doing all sorts of stuff - a lot in property and leisure.
“They ended up buying a soccer team, which was Aston Villa. So, I made the move from The Hamptons to Sutton Coldfield, which probably not many people have done!
“I ended up as, as chief executive of Villa and, and did a lot within football, in the Football Association - on the FA council and the full FA board for a short period.
“And then I ended up leaving Villa after 10 mainly happy years. It was a lot more fun when you're winning than losing, but that's another story!”
4) Shepherd’s delight
When asked about her hobbies, Sam took the opportunity to reference Kids’ Village’s newest trustee who, it is hoped, will add a bit of stardust to the project.
Michelin-star chef Tom Shepherd – chef-owner of Upstairs restaurant in Lichfield – has joined the charity’s board of trustees.
Sam told CEO Stories that she is a long-time admirer of his cuisine, revealing: “His restaurant, Upstairs, is unbelievable. It's a total treat. It's incredible.
“I actually went to the opening night, not because I was invited, but because I meticulously set alarms on my phone so I could book to make sure I was there! I followed his journey ever since he's been a chef.”
5) Who Not How
Closing the CEO Stories podcast with some wider reflections, Sam revealed how she has heeded the advice of a Canadian entrepreneur coach when putting her ideas into action.
She said: “My dad has had a lot of coaching from a guy in Canada called Dan Sullivan - he's an entrepreneur coach.
“My dad used to bring me back the resources and the books. One of the books was called ‘Who Not How’ - and that really resonated with me because I have loads of mad ideas and things that I want to do and visions.
“And I always thought it had to be me - I had to do those things.
“But what I've realised is that, if you have a team of people, and they are all doing the thing that they're passionate about and what they're good at, then it doesn't have to be you.
“If you can find the ‘who’ and ‘not the how’ - which I think we've done with Paul and Doug - then that unlocks a whole new world.
“You can lead and want to create something and build a team around you based on their strengths.”