WHAT’S NEXT: GOING GLOBAL

As I’ve alluded to a few times in this book, you never know what conversation will be the next life-changing one — in your career, in your business, in your life.

In early 2017, I made contact with Andrew Banks from Shark Tank. We spoke a fair bit and I also formed a great connection with his PA, who was an incredible support base. Coincidentally, both Andrew Banks and Richard Branson mentioned a man to me who had led Virgin’s global operations and was coming back to Australia. We connected and he was quite interested in what OTG had to offer.

While he was finding his feet back on home soil, he mentioned he was getting involved in a business that could be a big ‘white label’ opportunity for us, specifically because of our technology. (‘White labelling’ is essentially using your software, or your business’s product or service, for another brand. For example, most of the auto industry brands are made in the top four car companies’ factories. For us it was a great opportunity to reach a bigger audience, and a bigger sales team, and create our products and software for other companies — so they give us the volume and we can focus on what we do best!) That business turned out to be Wesfarmers Ltd, one of Australia’s top 10 companies, with tens of billions in market capitalisation. It’s the parent company of retailers such as Officeworks, Kmart, Target, Coles and Bunnings. One of its businesses is Workwear Group, Australia’s largest and leading uniform company and owner of famous brands Hard Yakka and King Gee, along with NNT (neat and trim) Uniforms.

In the summer of 2017–18, I was introduced to Doug, the CEO of Workwear Group, who knew of OTG via his executive team, which had seen recent press about OTG successfully securing a large contract with Sheffield Wednesday Football Club in the UK. Workwear Group had personal, digital and mass customisation on their agenda, and were questioning how they could better offer experiences to their customers, run their business in the new age and be a lot more digitally efficient. They were immediately interested in our business and our offering, and after a first meeting with them — which my chairman, Chris, attended with me — Chris said, ‘Mick, I think we can do really good business with those guys’. He was right. I had a great feeling and was very inspired about the business opportunity.

Shortly after that meeting, I had a call from Doug, the head of the group, who said, ‘Mick, you’re a lot more visionary and entrepreneurial than I am. You tell us how you think we can do a deal’. And there it was: our first massive opportunity with a really willing and smart partner. You know, in business you knock on so many doors, tender so many jobs and bid for so much work, only to be pulled around and told ‘no’. I think it’s partly because the level of respect is changing and it’s harder in this day and age to trust people’s words.

I briefed my board and executive committee at our next gathering and told them why I thought this was a great opportunity for the business. Big company meets small. Small company gets support. Big company gets the nimble offering and service. Great option. For me, it was a big decision to even consider something like this because a large conglomerate can really suck the lifeblood out of you if you’re not careful. But it felt right. These guys and girls could really teach us a few things, and vice versa.

We were asked what we needed (financially) to build the platform and get the product to market, and then came up with a commercial model that was passed by Workwear Group.

Next came the exciting moment when we received a letter of intent of partnership. I’d dreamed of this for a long time, and it felt great! I wasn’t surprised because we’d spent so much time working so hard on our passion, our product … our dream. But when it becomes a reality, it’s a really cool place to be.

Then before we knew it, we’d completed a transaction with one of the country’s biggest companies, and it helped to set the bar higher, and higher again. We are now part of Wesfarmers. The moment that deal was underway, I was already working on the next one, keeping innovation and disruption at the forefront.

Keep asking, ‘What’s next?’ Never settle. Never stop having that conversation. Never stop following through with people. Never stop being inspired. You can be amazing, and you know it.

Shoot high, work hard, play hard and have lots of fun!