The lesson learned from making ‘mistakes’ is one of the best

FOLLOWING Bobby Kerr on any platform is the gig from hell. Following Bobby Kerr when you’re so awash in germs that breathing feels like trying to inhale through particularly thick porridge is even worse.

On Friday, I was a speaker at a Small Firms Association (SFA) celebration for 38 finalists in the SFA National Small Business Awards. These may be small firms, but they’re trading like blazes and exporting to China, among other markets. The atmosphere was electric with that specific excitement that comes of being with people who have invented something, or improved something and decided to go it alone, with all the terrors and financial problems going it alone generate.

I sat through Bobby’s speech trying to blow my nose subtly (contradiction in terms) into Olbas tissues donated by the SFA person in charge, Sue O’Neill. I hadn’t brought enough of my own tissues, mainly because I use kitchen rolls and it wouldn’t have helped the image, but also because it would have required a second taxi. In the event, begging the Olbas tissues worked a treat, because they have some infusion of something herbal that clears your head, so I could actually hear Bobby Kerr as he briefed the audience on how he built the Insomnia coffee shop chain.