A friend lost his job in property development at the age of 57. Within 18 months, he set up his own business, closed his first major deal and went on to become a millionaire. I remember wondering what I was doing in a job I hated, when my friend had just done this at the age of 57.
Soon after, I left and set up Mobile Interactive Group. The first deal we did was providing the mobile ticket lottery for Live8, the musical charity event organised by Bob Geldof, where I met him and Harvey Goldsmith.
It went without a hitch and we achieved a Guinness World Record. When I won Ernst and Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2006, I credited my friend for being my inspiration.