About last night...

Christmas is coming and sellers are getting fat. It’s a sad fact of life that Christmas in a sales role is beset by a series of events aimed at bringing us closer together with our customers, thanking them for their loyalty, and dare I say reminding them what great people we are. Does this include partaking of a mulled wine and a mince pie or two? Yes, it does. But you wouldn’t begrudge a seller some meagre rations at this time of year would you??

So, in pursuit of a morsel of nourishment I found myself yesterday at The Savoy in London with the great and good from IBM and the finest business partners on the planet. We sat through the usual exec speeches and clapped politely, then indulged ourselves with a glass of Tesco’s finest fizz and a corned beef sandwich.? We weren’t really here for the food; we wanted to see the ‘celebrity’ that our ￡2.50 entrance fee had financed. Rumour had it that it was a racing car driver. The name “Hamilton” was mentioned in hushed tones.? Had they really pulled this off? Was this going to top the appearance of Geoff Hurst. Well, F1 fans. You’ll be unsurprised to discover the answer is “No”.? Lewis couldn’t be bothered to turn up and talk to a load of IT geeks. He’d got something better to do in Abu Dhabi.?

So, who did we get? Nicolas Hamilton brother of Lewis. Well, it would be rude to say I was a little disappointed. I was a little disappointed. Not that I’ve ever been a great fan of Lewis. Yes, he’s a multi millionaire F1 champion, but does he have to act like he’s a multi millionaire F1 champion???

Back to Nicolas. He turns up in a sweater to The Savoy. No diamond earrings, no bling. Takes to the stage and immediately captivates his audience with the story of his life. There’s an occasional quip about that other guy who drives cars. There are numerous insights into his family life. What it’s like growing up with a disability. Being the odd one out at school. Coping with the cruelty meted out by the other kids. Being thrown into this by his parents who decided a standard state school would provide a valuable lesson in life. A life where ultimately there would be no hiding place. He was different and he would need to just get on and dare I say, stand on his own two feet. That simple task a feat in itself.?

Nicolas proudly boasts that he has not sat in a wheelchair for many years. He has faced his battles with Cerebral Palsy, defied the doctors and become the man perhaps his brother can only aspire to be.? Was the lesson today, that hard work beats talent?? There was so much more to it than that. ?This man has made a success of his life, independently of his more famous sibling. He stood on stage and told his story with humour, confidence and passion. He took questions at the end from the audience, ranging from a thoughtful question about “the S word” to a question from a parent whose child had similar issues.?

Thank God it all came to an end when it did! Another few minutes and an entire room of cynical hard-nosed sellers may have been in tears.?

I read somewhere that “Nicolas wants to inspire others with disabilities”?

Nicolas inspires others, full stop.

He fully deserved the standing ovation he received.