In this archive episode of UK Business IQ, Geoff Nicholson revisits a conversation originally recorded for the Success IQ Podcast with digital marketing expert, trainer and video producer Pascal Fintoni.

Pascal shares his journey into business, the personal experiences that shaped his passion for storytelling, and why video can be such a powerful tool for building trust, credibility and visibility. He also explains why many business owners overcomplicate content creation, and why a more practical starting point is often to begin with video curation before moving into video creation. Pascal also reflects on business focus, the risks of poorly aligned partnerships, and the importance of finding your own version rather than copying somebody else’s formula.

This episode is part of the Success IQ Podcast archive and is being republished because its core business insights remain relevant. Some examples and references reflect the context of the original recording, but the wider lessons around visibility, communication and business growth still apply today.

The ideas shared in this conversation are based on personal experience and professional opinion at the time of recording. Listeners should apply their own judgement and seek specialist advice where appropriate for their own business circumstances.

About Pascal Fintoni

Pascal Fintoni is a professional trainer, speaker and video producer with more than 22 years of practical experience in digital marketing. He helps people use storytelling, video and clear communication to build stronger online reputations and connect more effectively with their audience.

In this episode

• Pascal shares how his journey from France to the North East of England shaped his career and business path
• he explains how a deeply personal early life experience influenced his connection to film and storytelling
• he discusses why business owners should stop waiting for the perfect moment
• he explores the difference between creating content and distributing it effectively
• he outlines why video curation can be a strong first step into visibility
• he explains the value of appearing as a guest before creating your own video content
• he reflects on the business cost of the wrong partnerships
• he shares why entrepreneurs need to find their version rather than simply following someone else’s approach

Key takeaways

One of the strongest ideas in this conversation is that business owners do not need to begin with polished production or complicated systems. Pascal argues that a more realistic path is to build confidence step by step: start by curating useful video content, add your own perspective, become visible through thoughtful contribution, and then grow into creating your own material.

The episode also goes beyond marketing. It touches on resilience, business identity, focus and the importance of staying aligned with your own direction. Pascal’s reflections on “the illusion of partnership” and the need to “find your version” make this especially relevant for experienced professionals who want to grow without losing what makes them distinctive.

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction to this archive episode

01:00 – Pascal’s background and route into business

07:00 – Personal story, resilience and the role of film

11:00 – Why video should be done your way

13:00 – The real challenge of video marketing

15:00 – Why video curation comes before creation

17:00 – The value of being a guest on other people’s content

24:00 – Waiting for the perfect moment and the illusion of partnership

30:00 – Why entrepreneurs need to find their version

Links

Pascal Fintoni: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pascalfintoni

Website: http://www.pascalfintoni.com

Final thought

If you have ever felt hesitant about showing up more visibly in your business, this episode offers a thoughtful and practical place to start. It is not about trying to look like everybody else. It is about communicating with more clarity, more confidence and more honesty, in a way that feels true to you.

Geoff (Host): Hi there and welcome

to the UK Business IQ Podcast.

2

I'm Geoff Nicholson.

3

This show focuses on spotlighting

UK business owners and professionals

4

who share their expertise and

experience to help others grow

5

stronger, more successful businesses.

6

In this episode, we're revisiting a

conversation originally I recorded

7

for the Success IQ Podcast.

8

These archive conversations a part

of the journey that ultimately led me

9

to creating UK Business IQ, and I'm

bringing them back because the insights

10

shared are still incredibly valuable.

11

For business owners today

12

in this conversation, I'm joined by Pascal

Fintoni, who shares their experience

13

and expertise in digital marketing

strategy, along with his practical

14

lessons from their journey in business.

15

So let's dive straight

into the conversation.

16

I.

17

I have known Pascal Fintoni for a

few years now, I heard him speak

18

about two or three months ago at the

Professional Speakers Association

19

meeting, and I loved what he had to say.

20

I loved the passion when he talks

about his business and his craft

21

So.

22

Pascal Fintoni is a professional trainer

and speaker with over 22 years of

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practical experience in digital marketing.

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Pascal is also a video producer and

has introduced many of the storytelling

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techniques used by filmmakers into

his coaching to help his clients

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create great online reputations.

27

His focus for the last few years

has been to support individuals

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tackle the challenges of running a

successful business while dealing

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with life's many surprises.

30

Pascal, your ideal for this show.

31

Welcome to the show.

32

Pascal Fintoni: Well, thank you

very much for having me, Geoff.

33

Speaker: although Pascal lives in the

Northeast, he has a very cool accent.

34

Pascal Fintoni: well, I've been told

that I'm not sure that's the case,

35

but thank you for the compliment.

36

Speaker: Pascal, can you tell us

how you have transverse into this

37

adventure of being an entrepreneur.

38

Pascal Fintoni: Well, thank you very

much, um, on reflection, I think for all

39

of us, um, it's about how we've reacted

and adapted to your life's events and,

40

in doors opening and doors closing.

41

So if you allow me, Geoff, I

might actually share my story into

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three different, kind of elements.

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Speaker: Yeah,

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Pascal Fintoni: please.

45

Firstly, my, uh, I would like to

talk about my physical journey.

46

So essentially, how'd you get

a French National to end up

47

in the northeast of England?

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That, that would be quite interesting.

49

then my professional journey,

and then may be, one, which is

50

a more of a personal journey.

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'cause I think all three elements,

kind of got me to where I am today.

52

I begin with the physical journey,

I remember vividly at the age of 11

53

when I went to, what would be called

college, I believe, uh, for you guys.

54

Yeah.

55

And I had my very first,

um, English lesson.

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And it was trans, transformational

for me because, uh, up to that

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point, I'm not sure how, but I think

I've somehow not been exposed to

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foreign languages that, that much.

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And then I walked into this classroom

and this, fantastic teacher, very

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kind of good teacher, spoke English.

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And it was almost like, when you discover

your favourite album of all times.

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And the musicality of, of the language,

uh, was just kind of a revelation to me.

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my parents tell me, I, don't remember

that at all, but my parents tell

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me that I came back that day and I

declared that I loved English and

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I was gonna go and live in England.

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Uh, I have no memory of that, but

sure enough, 11 years later, I did,

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at the time I was studying to be

an English teacher back in France,

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and there was so much competition.

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The advice was, you would do well

to do the last year of your degree

70

in England to really perfect your

English, that when you come back,

71

you're more likely to get a job.

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so in 1991, the 13th of April,

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When I arrived at Gatwick Airport, I

kind of came here to finish my degree.

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And in a process I discovered

that, my calling was not to work in

75

education, but in business because

I had to take on a part-time job to

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obviously survive in this country.

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And I discovered essentially

customer service and business.

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So what I did then, is kind of stopped

the degree and went into a fast track

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degree of business and marketing.

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This was a very awkward conversation.

81

My parents remember vividly with,

paid for me to become an English

82

teacher, and I kind of rang them, from

England saying, I've changed my mind.

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I wanna do this instead.

84

but, things kind of worked out.

85

And then my professional journey

began when I got a, big break working

86

for a large tour, operate in London.

87

And I had a fantastic boss

who showed me everything.

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And in the space of three years, I pretty

much did, everything we want to do in

89

marketing, from tv, radio, advertising,

newspapers, travelling overseas and,

90

and saw really very much everything

that you want to do in, in marketing.

91

Um, and during that time I met Denise,

who then became my wife a few years

92

later, and we, I moved to Newcastle.

93

I would say around 96, 97, and I worked,

I lived left of the travel industry.

94

There was no jobs then, Geoff.

95

So I moved into manufacturing,

as you will know, which is a

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strong base in where we live.

97

Yeah.

98

And I discovered, you know, how

transferable my skills were.

99

But more importantly, the business that

I joined then had no marketing budget.

100

so it was like literally chalk and

cheese, you know, here I was in

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London a few months earlier with

piles of money to kind of burn on

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all manner of marketing campaigns.

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And then I had the opposite side

here, which was basically no budgets.

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So the, but we still need to communicate

and, and I learned really the two extremes

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in terms of being super practical,

yet getting, some results, none.

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Nonetheless and fast forward, I would

say another, give or take, five or

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six years, and I get a phone call from

an organisation who had received, um,

108

funding from government to create a

series of workshops to help, small

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business owners understand more about

the internet and digital marketing.

110

And they were asking me if I could help

them design the training programme.

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And I've not done any training by then,

Geoff, I was just a marketing guy trying

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to keep my job really by, by achieving,

good results for my, for my employers.

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And when I asked them, what, why me?

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And they said, basically, one of

our colleagues heard you speak at

115

an event and you were the only one

that was making sense that day.

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Which, I took as a compliment.

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And I kind of thought, well,

I had no choice, if I don't

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make sense to my employers.

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if I don't bring results.

120

I'm gonna get the sack.

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So, that, that approach to keep things

really simple and practical yet achieve

122

high re results has been true, ever since.

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so the job was only for a year and

I thought, well, I'll do that and

124

then I'll go back to work as in,

back to being a marketing employee.

125

But suddenly, that year of designing,

training and training the trainers

126

and so on, I almost, if you like,

went back, full circle and became a

127

teacher of sort, but in a world of

digital marketing and then, essentially

128

events kind of conspired in a good way.

129

I was very redundant and that's

when I set up my business, which

130

is about six years ago now,

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The personal journey, which I think

is a glue for all that, is that

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at the age of six, I had cancer.

133

And it was quite, um, a serious

case and I was in hospital and

134

off for, by a year and a half.

135

And during that time, uh, I was stuck

in a room and, uh, following a very

136

invasive, uh, operation, I wasn't

unable to walk for a very long time.

137

And my Escape essentially was the

division and particularly films.

138

And I remember, vividly watching films

very late and I was not allowed to

139

even, because I was quite young then,

and the doctors had told my parents

140

that the operation had been so invasive

that I would have great difficulty

141

walking again or even being mobile.

142

And that night, I saw a Bruce Lee film.

143

And I saw this guy basically, fighting the

evil Japanese I think it was Fist of Fury.

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I remember it was Fist of Fury.

145

And, and I realised I

wanna be like that guy.

146

I mean, I want to kind of

walk around kick and punch.

147

Yeah.

148

So, the next morning, I got up

and no, with great difficulty,

149

time to be mobile again.

150

And, I think therefore for me,

cinema and film, uh, has played a

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huge part in my life as a form of

entertainment as well as motivation,

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but also because of that passion for

moving images, um, very much, from,

153

as soon as I was a marketing officer,

I got involved in video production.

154

And as a commissioner to begin with.

155

And then I, quickly became the producer

director of whatever we were doing.

156

And then I kind of thought, I

should give it a go as a creator.

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So in, um, let's get the year

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um, film and video business.

159

Uh, and I've been working ever since.

160

And, and I kind of, now, as you pointed

out in the introduction, I combine

161

this, um, kind of entrepreneurial,

entrepreneurial way of doing films,

162

kind of gear filmmaking with how you

would do digital marketing when time,

163

money, resources are against you.

164

Geoff (Host): And I think

that's where we first met.

165

We first met at one of your

workshops, at the, centre of life.

166

That's where I first met you

is I sat and listened to one of

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those workshops that you created.

168

Pascal Fintoni: That's right.

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Geoff (Host): I think that's the,

lovely thing about your story.

170

It's, combining your passions and, using

it to help people tell their story.

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Pascal Fintoni: Correct.

172

Geoff (Host): and there is such an

amazing power with film or video in

173

order to get those messages across in

a very, sometimes a more authentic way.

174

what do you think are the key areas

in order to maximise someone's,

175

impact with their digital marketing

when it comes to the, the video side?

176

Pascal Fintoni: Well, I think it

begins, and I'm just gonna go through

177

a bit of a checklist in my own head.

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Okay.

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So I don't miss anything.

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But it begins with, giving yourself

permission to do it your own way

181

And not necessarily follow

someone else's kind of journey.

182

and usually when you start to use

video, as opposed to maybe photography

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and text, you will not be able to

find another example to use as a

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crutch, if that makes any sense.

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Geoff (Host): Yes.

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Pascal Fintoni: where, you understandably,

and I still get that, you could be a

187

little nervous about the undertaking of

producing video content, so it makes sense

188

to want to find examples that you can

use as inspirations or as a blueprint.

189

But because what you have to express is

so personal and so unique to your business

190

or to the way in which you do what you do,

you will not be able to find that example.

191

And, you find you could be wasting

an enormous amount of time trying,

192

attempting to find the example whilst

you actually don't get on with it.

193

so to begin with permission to just

do it your way, um, within that, of

194

course you need to have just enough,

understanding of how to go about

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filming and capturing images and so on.

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But the way in which you

tell the story is, is yours.

197

And audiences typically, whether it's

promotional videos or whether it's for

198

entertainment or documentary and so on,

they want to be engaged, following a story

199

that they may have not, heard before.

200

the moral of the, the hook may be

very similar, but the manner in which

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you've gone about it or what you can

display visually is novel to them.

202

Geoff (Host): so with regards to that,

because I suppose it's the equipment,

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crutch is probably quite a big one.

204

And I know I've battled through this

as I look at my vlogging camera,

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my iPhone, and my DSLR, and think

that I have never gone through that.

206

so how, 'cause technically is we're

very fortunate, in the world that

207

we live in today, where we literally

have, the opportunity to create our

208

own, TV channel, radio channel, and

all of those different, vehicles.

209

But quite often people get hooked

up on that technology, don't they?

210

Pascal Fintoni: Yes.

211

And, and part of, um, what

you need to understand is all

212

filmmakers, all my heroes and so

on, started with, next to nothing.

213

Or very awful equipment.

214

Yeah.

215

And if they'd waited for, the

perfect equipment or the perfect

216

team or the perfect day, they'd

have not, gone ahead with anything.

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And, we're talking about,

the big names here.

218

Today, as you pointed out, it's liberating

because if you have a reasonably recent

219

mobile smartphone, mobile phone, if you

have, invested just enough in making

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this, kind of image stable with a

tripod or whatever you're gonna get and

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get the sound right with some of the

simple microphone, you are ready to go.

222

But what is interesting, the real

challenge when it comes to digital

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marketing and by extension, video

marketing is not the creation of the

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item, it's the distribution of the item.

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that's been true from in the

early days of Hollywood production

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on the way to what we do now.

227

I remember vividly, my very first job

was to produce a, promotional video

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of some of the resorts, summer resorts

that we used to promote as part of

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that, travel company I was working for.

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And I go so focused on

making the video happen.

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And please remember, Geoff, these

were the days of VHS cassettes,

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which will, kinda show my age.

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Geoff (Host): we will remember

them, but my kids will look at me

234

like I'm some sort of weird person.

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Yeah.

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Pascal Fintoni: Listen, they may

come back, like, LPs are coming

237

back, I hope so because I've got a

lot, so I took the, crew, overseas.

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We, they filmed away,

they edited and so on.

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And then I think we produced at the time

500 copies on VHS cassette and they all

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arrived in the back of the big lorry.

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And then my office was full of

boxes and they were everywhere

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under the desk, on on.

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And then we looked at each

other and went, and now what?

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And in our obsession with,

getting the video made, we forgot

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completely by distribution.

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And, and then suddenly in a kind

of mad panic, we had to scramble

247

together a database and so on.

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And I know that our listeners

would be kind of shaking their

249

heads and laughing at that.

250

But, early nineties we're still finding

our way in terms of communicating well.

251

And, and what is really exciting,

uh, today is that distribution.

252

As in the challenge has been solved,

between social media, between the likes

253

of YouTube and many other platforms,

distribution is taken care of.

254

Yeah.

255

So now we can truly focus

on, on, on the creation.

256

And that also been taken care of

because as I mentioned, between

257

the smartphones and the little

accessories, you can buy at, you

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know, at low cost, you're ready to go.

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So now the focus is

simply tell your story.

260

Geoff (Host): the listeners of the show,

there's a mix between people who have

261

been doing business for a long time

and those who are sort of just starting

262

out on that entrepreneurial journey.

263

And there's a mixture as well of people

who are doing this sort of thing may

264

be very well, maybe there's room for

improvement there generally always is.

265

Or they're just starting out.

266

What for you are.

267

The key starting points on this

road of using, video for marketing.

268

Pascal Fintoni: Sure.

269

I'm gonna explain essentially

how we help our clients.

270

and to begin with, you need to create a

sense, that it is believable that video

271

is part of your strategy as a business.

272

And that's both internally or for

yourself if you're on your own,

273

but as well for your clients,

current clients and future clients.

274

And therefore, what we tend to do to

begin with, and that could be for several

275

weeks and several months, we actually

use, video curation as a starting point.

276

That, that is to say that you, you know

what your audience is interested in.

277

You kinda know some of the key

messages you want to share or

278

some of the, topics of interest to

your audience and your research.

279

What is already available, on YouTube,

on vimeo, and on the platforms.

280

And you essentially, give your

recommendations about the videos

281

to pay attention to this week,

this month, this, this quarter.

282

So you, you almost act as a researcher.

283

And then nowadays, which

is great, we do it.

284

You, you go on YouTube, you find maybe

a, a TED talk, you find a, uh, product

285

demo, you find a, um, clip from BBC

or, or NBC news, that type of things.

286

And you can embed that into your own

website and then give your comment,

287

your professional commentary about

why have you chosen this video?

288

What are the learning points, what do

you agree, disagree with, and so on.

289

So you can actually create a blog post

reacting to someone else's video effort.

290

And what you want to essentially

demonstrate is that video is not

291

part of your business culture

as a communication device.

292

You are working behind the scenes in

terms of creating your own video content,

293

but in the meantime, you are already.

294

You, have your fingers on the pulse,

and you are already bringing value

295

to your audience by sharing the

video content you've come across.

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So we begin with video curation

before moving on to video, creation.

297

Speaker: Okay.

298

Pascal Fintoni: So that's the first

step and that's very reassuring.

299

So for our listeners who would be

a little nervous about video, and

300

even if you've already, been a video

creator, that sometime kinda solves,

301

the problem, which is essentially

what you do when you're very busy?

302

Yeah.

303

As with work-wise, with, paid for

work and maybe video creation time

304

has been kind of robbed from you,

where you can use curation to continue

305

that, that, exposure to video.

306

Wow.

307

The, the next stage is not actually to

then get on and be the award-winning

308

video producer or film producer.

309

The next stage is to make

yourself available as a guest

310

on someone else's video content.

311

And that's a very important step because

if in the first step, video curation,

312

you use that to deal with, um, let's

say nerves for argument's sake, you

313

know about the whole kind of gimmick and

technology of video when you become a

314

guest, let's say on a q and a type video.

315

So for example, this interview could

have been, recorded as a video format.

316

Yeah.

317

What you do here, you.

318

Improve your skills as a,

narrator, you improve your skill

319

as a, essentially someone that's

gonna have to speak, to camera.

320

And what you do is you kind of, leave

the kind of difficulties in planning,

321

scheduling, producing, editing

and publishing to somebody else.

322

And you focus on yourself and

you learn the craft of sharing

323

information in an informative way, in

a succinct way, in a storytelling way.

324

using someone else's essentially comfort

with being a video producer and that

325

you can use this technique of being

a guest for quite some time, because

326

ultimately the result is the same.

327

You end up with video content that you

can then promote, that you can then

328

embed in your own website and so on.

329

And to the audience, the, so long

as what you're talking about is on

330

point, on subject and interesting,

they will not mind who produced it.

331

Speaker: Very true.

332

Pascal Fintoni: And then the, the

third step, which, you've all guessed,

333

is then when you do it yourself.

334

But by that time, you're dealt with

the nerves through, a video curation.

335

You've, you've improved your

skills dramatically through being

336

a guest on someone else's platform.

337

you can, grab your phone or you

can, any other software you may

338

want me to mention in a moment.

339

And you become the producer.

340

You become the creator of that content.

341

So you can do solo versions, you can do

interview versions, you can do, anything

342

that you feel is right for your audience.

343

Geoff (Host): sometimes you can be so

eager to get your stuff out that you

344

don't stop and think about, actually, you

probably have some extremely useful things

345

to say about some of the other content out

there that may actually get your message

346

out more effectively than you trying

347

Focus on all of the stuff that

you would have to concentrate on

348

just to create a video if that's

not something you're used to.

349

Pascal Fintoni: that's correct.

350

and I think people sometime, when they

come on the training course, if I do

351

in-house mentoring, they get nervous

thinking, well, if I do video curation.

352

People are gonna think I'm lazy.

353

Yeah.

354

And I say No, they'll think

you're well researched.

355

And that you add value.

356

And when you're against someone

else's platform, they're gonna

357

think you're well connected.

358

So in fact, your reputation's

already improving without you having

359

to do an enormous amount of work.

360

And by the time you're in a position to be

the producer, your audience is with you.

361

And the, the other thing that, the

reason why I'm very keen on that, is

362

there was some advice shared by, Steven

Spielberg, one of my heroes, hasten,

363

who he didn't share with me directly.

364

He was a

365

Speaker: over a coffee.

366

Pascal Fintoni: Yeah.

367

it was a DVD commentary.

368

Okay.

369

Among those nerds who would watch a

film and watch it again, listening

370

to the director's commentary, sorry.

371

And, he said that it's really

important for, aspiring filmmakers

372

never begin with the project.

373

the one film that's gonna make you

essentially, break into the industry.

374

That should be your second or third film.

375

You've got to make a first film

so you can make all your mistakes.

376

And then the second and third, so

that by the time, Steven Spielberg

377

made Jaws, for those of you know

about his history He was on that was

378

his fourth and stroke fifth film.

379

It, but that's the one

that made him famous.

380

And then after this career just kind

of, uh, went ahead and that's something

381

that I'm very keen with my clients

saying, there's a vision about the

382

video or the series of videos that

are gonna really, break, make, be

383

a breakthrough, but we don't begin

with that because the likelihood

384

is you're not gonna be good enough.

385

Or the audience isn't ready for you.

386

So everybody has to have a journey.

387

The audience send you the creator.

388

Geoff (Host): Yeah.

389

this is my third attempt

of a podcast show.

390

and.

391

when you do the first one or

even the second one, you think,

392

oh, dammit, that didn't work.

393

And you can give yourself all of that

critical feedback of it's just basically,

394

'cause you're crap Geoff, so don't

bother, all of that sort of stuff.

395

But actually it's when you look

at it and go with the stuff that I

396

did with interviewing people then.

397

Speaking about what I do and all of

that sort of stuff, you become more

398

competent at, at doing that stuff.

399

And I love the idea of that curation.

400

I often have articles that are stored

going, okay, I'm gonna share that

401

with my audience because it's their

area of expertise, but I can make

402

comment on it because it's about

productivity or performance or mindset

403

that would fit in with what I do.

404

and it is so much easier because actually

in one aspect, they've done the legwork of

405

their researching on that specific topic.

406

And then I can turn that into how

would that best fit the audience or

407

my tribe, or my followers, or whatever

you wanna call it, is then do it.

408

So it that's a fantastic tip.

409

Pascal Fintoni: Oh, Bob, thank you.

410

But you know, not, not mine.

411

Steven Spielberg needs

to get all the credit.

412

Speaker: I'm sure he

will say the opposite.

413

Pascal.

414

I'm sure he the opposite.

415

Okay, This is an opportunity where I get

to put Pascal on the question hot seat,

416

I ask, him the same questions I ask every

single guest that appears on the show.

417

what's your biggest businesses

mistake and what did it teach you?

418

Pascal Fintoni: Well, I mentioned

too, the first one very quickly

419

is, waiting for the perfect moment.

420

and that's something that I can be

sometime guilty of almost doing.

421

Yeah.

422

But of course, now that

I'm old and wiser, yeah.

423

I stopped myself and, kind of,

execute, mature than I would've

424

done in my younger days.

425

But the one mistake that I've

made a couple of times, which I've

426

had some consequences, is the, I

call the illusion of partnership.

427

let me give you the, the,

the background behind that.

428

So when I, um, started my business

going now five or six years ago,

429

there was a a time when I was, uh, a,

a bit quieter, you know what I mean?

430

But, but before you kind of get

into your full, in full swing.

431

Mm-hmm.

432

And so I was networking a lot.

433

I was meeting, you know, other

entrepreneurs and so on, and we kind

434

of enjoyed each other's companies.

435

And, and somehow you get yourself,

you talk yourself into, or you

436

are talked into, um, developing

something brand new in partnership

437

with those other individuals.

438

That takes you away from your vision

and the direction of your business.

439

it's very appealing.

440

It's kind of, fools gold really.

441

and I did lose a lot of time and

lot of momentum my on business.

442

And I think it was just because we

enjoyed each other's company and got

443

a lot of inspiration with each other.

444

It, gave the wrong impression

that together we should be

445

creating something brand new.

446

Yeah.

447

as opposed to focusing on the creation

of the business and the, service

448

and products you, you have in mind

and using, you know, the company of

449

others as a source of motivation.

450

and I've heard that said actually

by a chap that perhaps you and the

451

listeners will know called Guy Kazaki.

452

And he gave a presentation.

453

Well, he does, he gives, some

amazing presentation and he

454

actually said that when you start.

455

Partnership is just a big no-no,

because it takes you away from

456

what you need to be doing.

457

Yeah.

458

and I have to say probably at

least twice I fell for that.

459

And it's, it, it's meant well.

460

I, I don't think that any of the

people that invited me to work

461

in March with them, we did it.

462

Um, you know, because kind of underhand

tactics to slow me down and so on.

463

Speaker: Yeah.

464

Pascal Fintoni: Uh, but I should

have been, uh, more focused and

465

clearer by my, my own vision.

466

Speaker: No, that brilliant.

467

Yeah, absolutely.

468

so true.

469

it's not always desperation, but

it's always that you seek the

470

opportunities that you think,

well, this could benefit without.

471

And because you get on so well

with the, the different people.

472

it's kind of like just one of those

squirrel, moments where you just jump on

473

it and go, okay, let's, and then all of a

sudden there's that time's just been taken

474

away from you that you can't get back.

475

Pascal Fintoni: Correct.

476

And, we're talking, if it's a, an, pretty

aspirational, undertaking, you could

477

lose many months Of that working year

478

On something that actually will

provide you with nothing or

479

even, extra PR or publicity.

480

So that, that would be the one that

at some time, you know, when he

481

stings still when you think about it.

482

Speaker: what are your challenges

in balancing life and work,

483

and how do you manage them?

484

Pascal Fintoni: I mean, two

things that are travelling.

485

So I do have longer days, so I do

miss out a lot on normal family life.

486

If that makes any sense.

487

But by the time I get back,

people have had their day.

488

So they, they're already on

shutdown mode, just running

489

down for the evening and also.

490

I am, I feel very lucky in that

I am working, it's on a, subject

491

that I'm passionate about.

492

And I think about it not

quite all the time, but Yeah.

493

A lot.

494

I mean, which makes my wife giggle.

495

What I, you know, I could be

watching a film and that's

496

when they leap out of the sofa.

497

I quickly run into the office to

write something on a piece of paper.

498

which I can then use

generally for work and so on.

499

I've got walls full of those,

you know, sticky, white papers.

500

You can do mind mapping and so on.

501

Yeah.

502

, I need to then create, events.

503

Which means that I'm

extracted from, from work.

504

And the way I do it is to pretend

that I am employed by somebody else.

505

Right.

506

That that employer is very caring and

that they employee is forcing me to have

507

days off or days off in lieu, if you like.

508

And as I've had in the past, or

very caring employer would gimme

509

vouchers to go to the movies or

510

Goods.

511

and that's all I essentially reward

myself for, job well done, by

512

literally taking lots of mini breaks

or by doing something, that is

513

very pleasant for the whole family.

514

Geoff (Host): Oh wow.

515

That's cool.

516

I like that.

517

That's really good.

518

And I think that's the thing when you

love what you do, and so many people say

519

that what, they've said that on the show

and they say it when you speak to them,

520

they don't see what they do as work.

521

that also is the other edge of the sword

is because you've really gotta be aware

522

of when your attention is going off.

523

I always carry a little pad with me

because I'm like, you all of a sudden

524

there'll be an idea and it could come

from the most sporadic of places, but

525

if the idea is in me, the last thing

I want to do is lose the opportunity.

526

And then, so I throw it in a brainstorming

notebook in Evernote, and then I just

527

deal, I deal with that later on when I've

got time to sort of let it percolate.

528

Pascal Fintoni: I mean, the work that

I do, in terms of training involves

529

a lot of, um, invite people to try

something new through maybe a practical

530

exercise or practical discussion.

531

So I'm forever inventing, those exercises

or those group kind of discussions.

532

and those ideas will, like you, they'll

come I tend not to be able to sit down

533

and call rap Pascal, sit down and now

534

Speaker: No.

535

Pascal Fintoni: Come up with a, with

a clever exercise for the group,

536

So I, could be just travelling

in my cars as I've explained.

537

I remember once I came up with a,

well, I thought, anyway, it was a

538

fantastic exercise to understand

blogging better at an airport.

539

And, and I certainly leapt out of the,

we were eating, actually not on my

540

way to France to go see my parents.

541

And I literally stood up, walked the, to

the staff and asked for a napkin and a pen

542

To quickly sketch the exercise, as my

wife was still, tucking into lasagna

543

and then she just shook her head

and, knew exactly what had happened.

544

and that's what we do.

545

and that's been really the pleasure

the last five or six years,

546

Geoff, is that I've been able.

547

To design, a service, which

is exactly what people need.

548

as opposed to, forgive me, in the

past when I was, when I was an

549

employee, I had to kind of, match

the expectation of the employer.

550

Even if on occasion I may not necessarily

agree with the method or, or the journey.

551

that's liberating.

552

Speaker: Yeah.

553

makes complete sense.

554

Okay.

555

what advice would you give an entrepreneur

that you wish you had known starting out?

556

Pascal Fintoni: in addition to Aly,

some of the, mistake that I made.

557

the advice, the advice I would give,

558

find your version.

559

Of what you wish to provide,

as a product of our service.

560

I think what is really important in the

uk I don't know if you'll agree, Geoff.

561

there is at a moment, obviously a big

campaign for people to set up their

562

business or become entrepreneurs.

563

And the angle people are taking is

find something that doesn't exist

564

yet and be the first one out in

the marketplace, blah, blah, blah.

565

And I would disagree with that.

566

You know, I would say find

something that is, working already.

567

Back to this idea of,

don't do the project.

568

first do something else that

works well, but find your version.

569

Because for me, when you choose to have

your own business, the business is then

570

a, a form of expression of yourself.

571

As well.

572

That that's what it is.

573

Yeah.

574

And, and I think that, you could

still provide a service that,

575

exists already if you like, but

your version is unique to you.

576

and therefore really the quest for the

entrepreneur is to find your version.

577

as opposed to following maybe the

blueprint, the advice that there Yeah.

578

And so and so forth.

579

It's probably a very clumsy way

to answer your question, Geoff.

580

I hope that that helps,

581

Speaker: I think, sometimes

you've gotta make your own path

582

my granddad's a perfect example.

583

he made sweets and there was hundreds

and hundreds of people making sweets.

584

He just did them differently.

585

And there was, and that was the line

that became the most successful.

586

And I think his is by looking at it and

looking at what people are doing wrong.

587

And you can look at successful business

across the board from airline companies

588

all the way up to micro businesses.

589

It, they don't all do stuff that

no one else is doing, but what

590

they do is, is that stuff better?

591

And that's really the thing, isn't it?

592

Pascal Fintoni: It is.

593

I think that once you find your version

594

Um, it allows you to

stand out from the crowd.

595

You're more memorable.

596

And, and sometimes the version is

necessarily, you know, that it's more

597

it's smarter than the technology.

598

Or that you've burnt a

fortune on marketing.

599

It's actually, it's just more honest.

600

And that is a very, very appealing

trait when somebody runs a

601

business in a very honest way.

602

I mean by that, is that the way they run

the business, the way they manage their

603

staff, the way they promote themselves is

true to who they are and their version.

604

Speaker: Okay, That's brilliant, Pascal.

605

the floor is yours for an opportunity

to share with the listeners how

606

people can find out more about you.

607

Pascal Fintoni: Well, that's very kind.

608

thank you very much for the invitation

and all the questions really made me

609

think so if people have more questions

on the world of building a reputation

610

via the internet and video marketing,

please do get in touch, and go my

611

website probably the easiest thing.

612

So it is, pascalfintoni.com.

613

I appreciate the spelling

would be very challenging.

614

So it's, P-A-S-C-A-L-F-I-N-T-O-N i.com.

615

This is a French first name and Italian

surname just to keep things very exotic.

616

you could use the same as a Twitter

handle and you find me on, LinkedIn.

617

Geoff (Host): Brilliant Pascal.

618

thank you very much.

619

It's been a privilege.

620

and I just want to take this opportunity

to wish you the greatest success.

621

Pascal Fintoni: Thank you very much.

622

Speaker 4: Thanks for listening to

this archive conversation originally

623

recorded for the Success IQ podcast.

624

I hope you found the insights

just as valuable today.

625

If you enjoyed this episode, make

sure you subscribe to the UK Business

626

IQ Podcast for more conversations

with experienced UK business

627

professionals sharing their expertise.

628

I'll see you in the next episode.