Edition #17: John Williams

Here at GCUC we are immensely fortunate to cross paths and work with so many amazing people. Through our work, we’ve cultivated a global community of people we think you should know about.

Community of Cultivators is a blog series we created to introduce you to coworking game changers and connectors. Each month, we’ll release new interviews that we hope inform and inspire you.

This week we had the pleasure of interviewing John Williams, Head of Marketing at the Instant Group. If you havent had the pleasure of meeting John, you are missing out.

Next time you are at GCUC seek him out. Instant is GCUC’s Global Data Partner- you can find him and some of the Instant team at all of the GCUC events in 2019-2020.

What in your life are you most proud of cultivating or creating? Why?

The simple answer is to this question is my children! But I don’t think that is the response you want. So, I joined Instant fours ago when we were less than a hundred people with a handful of offices. There are now 350 of us in 14 offices around the world, and what I love is that the passion we have for the business, the pride in our values is growing with the headcount. As a senior team, we are committed to the flex space sector and its promotion, and I like to think that with all the research we produce, the events and the PR, we are doing our bit to highlight its value to companies of all sizes.

Where do you personally feel the most sense of community?

I am a very proud Londoner, having lived and worked here nearly my whole life. I have also travelled the world and there is nowhere like the “Big Smoke”. It is such a diverse city, and it is a city that has evolved rapidly during my time there, but it is still bonded by the most remarkable sense of community. I don’t know if it is immediately apparent to visitors to London, but we are all bonded by history, culture, and a real sense of it being where we belong.

What podcast would you recommend to others and why?

TBH, I am a reader rather than a listener. And my most recent recommendation is No-Bullshit Innovation by Dave Rowan, the editor or Wired. It is a series of great stories from companies and individuals that have absolutely smashed innovation out of the park.

What is one piece of advice you give everyone that works with and/or for you?

“Is it good enough?” I worked on newspapers as a grad, and that is one of the 1st lesson of writing, that the first piece of copy is never good enough. You need to keep trying and trying to produce the best piece of work. It is remorseless but worth it!

If you had $500 to spend- what would you buy?

Right now? Rugby World Cup tickets so I can hopefully watch England win!

What advice would you give to someone thinking of becoming an entrepreneur?

Never listen to the monkey voices! I think everyone has moments of self-doubt or insecurity, but if you stick to your plan, know your strengths and back yourself, then you will get their in the end.

What is the best habit you ever started? What habit do you want to start but haven’t yet?

My best habit now is planning. I am not a natural planner, but now realise that I have to do it to accomplish everything that needs to be done! In terms of starting something, I have started meditating and absolutely love it! But recognise that I want to get better at.

If you had to put a quote on your gravestone what would it be?

This is what I say to my kids all the time: “Never give up.”