D Monday, February 8, 2010 metrolife 15 :60second interview Bobby Kerr Bobby Kerr is CEO of the Insomnia Group, was MD of Bewleys Caf Group and has appeared on RTs Dragons Den. This week he shares the secrets of his success at Metro Heralds Legends In Your Lunchtime series, in partnership with NCI and Newstalk 106-108fm Interview by Lucy White Bewleys was a large caf taking up a lot of space and paying high rent. I saw the future in a smaller caf with a good range of soups, sandwiches and pastries How does it feel to be called a legend in someones lunchtime? Slightly embarrassing, but flattering all the same. I consider myself to be a regular Joe who enjoys his work and his life. For want of a better expression, you were brought up in a hotel your father owned family business Newpark Hotel, Kilkenny. How come it was the catering side of the business that piqued your interest? My father was a very well-known hotelier and I didnt want to live in his shadow. The fact we were both called Bobby didnt help. Would you attribute your drive/ ambition to your father? Very much so. He was a really driven guy who worked seven days a week and he was a total inspiration to me. Was selling the hotel for 23million in 2008 a bittersweet moment? Yes, it was a huge relief as the negotiations were stressful. It felt great at one level but, yes, its hard to walk away after 42 years. Your catering management training took you to the North Sea oil rigs. Was that as terrifying as it sounds? We had some pretty hair-raising helicopter landings in seas with 50ft waves just below the Arctic Circle. I also worked for a short time on the Piper Alpha where all the catering staff were killed in the tragic explosion in 1988 which killed 167 people. You also managed food services in a lion safari park in Canada. Any hairy moments there? There was a massive problem whereby the monkeys used to be addicted to rubber and often ripped the wipers and door trims off the cars of visitors as they drove through the park! Some of the bull elephants were quite vicious, and you had to be careful when feeding them. You were MD of Bewleys Oriental Caf between 1992 and summary, theyre all still going but I have yet to make my fortune. How and when will Ireland get out of recession? I see things improving slightly after Easter but I see it being tough for the next five years. Youve made many profitable business decisions, significantly increasing revenue for Bewleys and Insomnia. But what do you consider your greatest achievement? Setting up on my own when I was 38 and surviving the first five years of that business. Which is more tough: being an entrepreneur or a father to four young daughters? I have to get up at 5.30am every morning to beat the queues for the bathrooms in our house. A solitary male in a house with five girls can be a tough place. Kerr will talk to Newstalks Claire Byrne from 1-2pm on Wednesday at NCI, in front of a live audience. Admission is free but online registration is required at www.ncirl.ie 1997, delivering a turnover of 40million before setting up caf Perk, later sold to Insomnia of which youre now chief executive. How certain were you that coffee shops were a long-term niche? The Bewleys Caf model was a large caf taking up a lot of space and paying high rent. I saw the future in a smaller caf which was coffee-led with a good range of soups, sandwiches and pastries. Insomnia is now 12 years old so we believe we are here to stay. Youre one of the Irish dragons in RTs Dragons Den. How have your three business investments fared, specifically in the downturn? Surf Seeds is going well and available in most convenience stores; The Hangout has gone well in a difficult sector and has now been remodelled as an outside room for your garden. And we are waiting for the first batch of Kaylites handbag lights to come in from overseas. In Edited by Lisa Scott features@metroherald.ie Body Matters Single advice C heesy is the word that springs to mind when I first hear about Get The Guy dating company, co-founded by Matthew Hussey. I expect Americanised anecdotes and useless, obvious advice after all, what can a 22-year-old Essex boy know about love? A report by the UK Office of National Statistics shows the number of British women between the ages of 25 and 44 living alone has doubled in the past two decades. While many are happy about their situation, we all want love, even if we hate to admit it. Women get too wrapped up in thoughts and long for the impossible fireworks, says the confident, talkative Hussey. I agree this is partly true but suggest most of us have grown up on a diet of Disney fairy tales. Everyone has different ideals, whether its looking for someone passionate, honest or ambitious, Hussey continues. Women want to attract a high-value man. If thats the man you want to attract you have to be high value yourself. Hussey, who began life coaching at 17 and has spoken to more than 5,000 people worldwide, including directors at FTSE 100 Companies, adds: Too many people say they want someone extraordinary in their lives but they arent extraordinary themselves. According to his DVD, The Man Of Your Dreams (are you rolling your eyes too?), a high-value woman is someone who is playful and confident with a decent career. She should have a busy lifestyle, be in demand and wont be the kind of girl to drop everything for a man. The DVD even teaches women to react to mens bad behaviour and praise them for doing something good, like a child (quite apt, eh, girls?). But hang on a sec I know plenty of high- value women who cant find a lasting relationship. Where are all the good girls going wrong? You have to go in with the view I have so much to give, says Hussey. Its very difficult to make a relationship work with someone who has different core values, such as trust, generosity, and passion. Set standards and rely on your instinct cut loose if someone isnt meeting your needs, even if they are ticking other boxes. Although Matthews dating advice isnt rocket science, it does make sense. Its refreshing to speak to someone who champions honesty and communication above gameplans. And, of course, men are useless too: theres playing it cool and then theres frosty the snowman. Well-groomed Hussey, who reminds me eerily of an ex, admits this. Ive just started dating a new guy but fear we arent communicating as well as we should be. On my part, it is certainly nerves. Husseys advice? Listen to my instincts and set realistic standards. He suggests I call it quits if hes not meeting my needs, regardless of the number of boxes he ticks. That seems quite extreme but Im impressed with his cut- throat advice. Life isnt easy but its not as complicated as we make it out to be, he tells me. There is so much dating advice out there that misses the point. To get the guy you have to be a fun, sexy, confident woman. If you dont get rid of your own demons, as soon as the man youre dating does something wrong, your low-value self will come out. Hussey says our low-value sides worry about things out of our control, which isnt attractive. The high-value you, meanwhile, is empowered enough to carry on regardless, which is attractive. My best advice is to always be calm and be yourself, he summarises, and accept compliments. Hussey has talked me up and it feels good. Unfortunately, ladies, hes taken. www.gettheguy.co.uk Relationship advice: Looking for love this Valentines Day? Try spending an afternoon with love guru Matthew Hussey, co-founder of Get The Guy dating agency and a proponent of the high-value approach By KRIstIna GeoRGIou index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html24.html25.html26.html27.html