Learning is a lifelong process and one of the greatest investments you can make in yourself. Recognising that he had never made that investment in himself since leaving school at 16 helped Leadership Academy member Nick Appell to move forward with a crucial business decision.

Nick had set up a hotel contract cleaning business with his parents 31 years ago but, eventually, the right time came for him to buy out his parents. Keen to satisfy a thirst for learning, and after meeting an Academy Business Coach at an industry event, Nick decided to join the Leadership Academy. He realised that he had no formal business agreement with his parents, so he asked his Group Chairman to act as a neutral third party to facilitate the negotiation. Offering a new and independent perspective, The Chairman delivered a successful and stress-free outcome. “The result was we all secured our positions through the deal,” said Nick.

From this positive beginning with the Academy, Nick took what he learned from his 1-to-1 mentoring with his Coach and applied it to restructuring his business, planning his next steps and being held accountable for carrying them out. It has now been 9 years since Nick joined and the Leadership Academy still continues to inspire him with new learning.

Even now, in the most challenging of times and running a business directly related to the hard-hit hospitality industry, Nick is positive about the future of his business, Casna Group Ltd: “Covid could have been a disaster, but the things I’ve learned with the Academy made sure I wasn’t afraid and it helped me to act swiftly. It’s put my company in a much better place than we would have been.”

“My business is now unrecognisable. I have a proper structure, so when I want to go from one level to another, from £15 to 20 Million I put the team together and have the confidence to invest in it to get me there. I realize just how far I’ve come with the Academy but what I find incredible is how many people don’t get this support during their careers.”