Co-Director at Number8.bid, Mike Edmonds Talks The Worst Mistakes
What advice would you give your 20 year-old self?
Think less and do more. It doesn’t matter what talents or gifts you think you may have, others without them will get further faster because they take action, rather than wasting time trying to figure out the absolutely perfect way of moving forward, or even worse, being a critic.
What is the worst mistake you’ve made and how did you fix it?
I wish I had realised the early signs of my father’s dementia for what they were, rather than thinking he was just being disagreeable. It would have saved a lot of unnecessary arguments with one of the most important people in my life and we could have gotten him help sooner.
That’s not something I’ll ever be able to fix, but I think I can help others by saying if an older loved one starts making decisions that don’t quite square with reality and have trouble explaining their reasoning, they may be in the early stages of mental decline and it would pay to have them assessed.
There are new treatments methods emerging, like the Bredesen Protocol that can have promising results with early intervention.
What is your advice for people to fund their dream?
If you have any business ideas or an eye for opportunities, always keep your ear to the ground for auctions. Be it liquidations or a company just moving on assets they no longer use, you’ll be able to set yourself new venture up for a fraction of the cost of buying retail and keep your costs and exposure down.
What is the secret of living a longer, more successful life?
My dad got to 88 and people generally took him for being 20 or so years younger than what he was. He put it down to the usual things of having a good sense of humour, watching what you eat and staying in shape, along with staying engaged and interested with what’s going on in the world and keep yourself busy.
He retired at 75 and nearly immediately took up and grew the North Shore Coffee News franchises, only selling them when he got ill at 85.
One I’d add is stretch every night before bed. Staying flexible will help you keep the rigor mortis away.
