Meet Daryl – Someone who is on a mission to find the most unique and diverse set of individuals who shouldn’t work together but somehow do!

Working for myself was not something I had ever considered. This was until I made the big decision to give up the career that I had spent many years idolising and working towards. It took a lot for me to make the leap of faith to become a British Sign Language/English Interpreter.

After taking this risk, I retrained myself and had a brief stint as an employed Communication Support Worker. I then worked as a BSL/English Interpreter. Finally, I became my own small business holder, a self-employed Individual.

Fast-forward five years, and the next—and biggest—personal challenge I took was creating my own small humans. But before this, Rhiannon and I also decided to set up Complete Communication LTD, our real firstborn!

The employer journey begins

A few months later, we gained our first employees. Amid a global pandemic, we learnt how to keep a new-born alive and simultaneously built an office in our garage. Thus ensued the learning journey of being an employer.

So, yes, we went big! We learnt on the job, juggling both work and personal life. We learnt that being corporate employers was not for us, or in fact, corporate anything!

This realisation was one of the most important points in our careers. It has led us to having the privilege of supporting our employees. In turn, we see them grow in their career and develop new skills and knowledge whilst also gaining valuable qualifications. That, and creating a group of people who want to go on this weird and wild journey with us to achieve our vision to make a real and meaningful difference in others’ lives. 

What is business to me?

For me, running a business is not simply about making a profit. It’s about making a difference in our clients’ lives and in our staff’s lives.

Those who know me well will know that I’m direct, strong-willed and speak passionately. But you will also know that I care a lot. I’m super proud of this, even if it comes with its own challenges.

I have had the privilege of supporting people at the start of their careers and mentoring them to be their best. I have seen my team gain 6 separate distinction-level qualifications via apprenticeships, others continuing learning, alongside a long list of other qualifications, professional accreditations, and registrations.

I have loved watching these individuals grow from school leavers to colleagues to friends who I respect and trust. It makes going to work fun, even if they often challenge me. And boy, do they challenge me to be my best.

Not only this, but I get to work with two members of my family and run the business with my partner. I also get to watch our clients grow, achieve and find their own journey.

Most would say all this is a recipe for a perfect storm, and I would be lying by saying it was easy at the start. But getting to work with people who care about you, your family, and your success is irreplaceable.

Am I really the boss, or are they?

All this being said, I would not change any of this for the world. I spend my days answering millions of questions and being bossed around by my own PA, who takes way too much joy in this task. I send emails without spell-checking. I talk to clients as a human being and to our trusted partners as a critical friend. I speak honestly and openly with my team about my thoughts and feelings.

In exchange, I get to work with people who care as much as I do. People who somehow help me make my outlandish ideas a reality and who make work, not only work for me.

I get to be my true self at work, my vulnerable self, my neurodiverse self, can’t spell a simple word self after 3pm self. I get to be passionate and impulsive. Challenged and challenge in a safe and open environment, knowing everyone is there for each other.

Being an employer, company owner, managing director, CEO or whatever made-up job title we choose to give ourselves this month is challenging. Or at least it is the hardest job I have ever had to do.

Goals and a level of funding or profitability are necessary to secure a future for any business or charity. To be able to pay the never-ending nursery fees and ensure everyone’s jobs. However, we also get to make a meaningful and impactful difference to others’ lives. Selfishly, I can say that’s one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. 

Fast forward to 2024

We are now in 2024, with a growing office team of 16. With even more employees working directly with our clients. With four unique companies, an unidentified cutlery thief with a fancy for spoons (I will find you, one day!) and a selection of office plants I have no idea how to keep alive!!!

Our entire office team is at various levels of training. They all have different needs and are all on some form of learning journey to achieve their goals. All are people I care about, know well, and would be willing to support without hesitation.

Let’s continue to fight the traditional corporate image or norms that business owners or senior management should follow. Let’s endlessly care, support and encourage the best from our employees, both personally and professionally, in whatever way that looks for them. 

Find time, follow up with that message. Give the gift of time to talk to others, be transparent and continue to be present, even with demands pulling us in different directions.

We are far from perfect, but we try; we work hard. We will continue to put people first, be our true weird and unique selves and somewhere on a piece of paper, be called an employer. 

Let’s all buck the norm, be a human, and do the best you can, as an employer, human being and unique individual.

Finally, if you made it this far, why not take 2 minutes to check out some of the frankly, supercalifragilistic things that we do at The Inclusivity Group.