Ep. 145 Christopher Hope: A boy with "something about him" who struggled academically but whose ability to listen and connect with people and his flair for design allow him to excel at configuring bespoke Rolls Royce Motor Cars.

In this episode we are celebrating the career to date of Christopher Hope.

Chris is the Brand Manager for Rolls Royce Motor Cars in Melbourne, Australia.

It took Chris a little while to identify his calling in the car industry but from his earliest years he demonstrated curiosity, a fascination with cars and design and an ability to connect with people.

With over thirty years in the industry behind him he continues to leverage his talent, intelligence, creativity and capability to configure beautiful bespoke motor cars and experiences for, as he says, friends of the Rolls Royce family.

In our conversation we talk about his childhood, a family connection to Captain James Cook, learning from the mindsets and behaviours of his immigrant neighbours and his challenging academic performance at school.

Through his stories, Chris shares numerous examples of how his curiosity and approach helped him to develop extraordinary connections with individuals from all walks of life leading many to comment that "There's something about you…"

Occasionally his way of being led to job offers and exposure to guides and mentors. Countless people enriched his life, allowed him to be authentic and paved the way for him to now excel at what some call the pinnacle of the industry.

I loved getting to know Chris in this episode and hearing how he developed from being the boy with something about him to become a talented, generous and caring expert in his field.

Please enjoy his story and I invite you as always to reach out and share what resonates with you.

Connect with Christopher on LinkedIn: Christopher Hope

Thank you to our sponsors:

ASKE Consulting
Email: hello@askeconsulting.co.uk

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Email: cvm@aquilae.co.uk

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Episode recorded on 14 November 2023.

Transcript

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Christopher Hope : 0:00

So he goes we're going for a drive and I went, where are we going, he goes, we're gonna to the Local Shopping Centre. Now this is a true story, and I still can't believe this happened. We get to the shop. He said, he goes, right, do you think you can sell took off his shoe? And he said sell my single shoe and I thought this guy's just cooked you know, this is not right. And this chap comes along at a wheelchair with one leg. And I went up to him and I mouthed the words quietly, just go with this. And he goes, Oh, hello. And it was great, he had this little sparkle in his eye and as I said, Would you like to buy this single shoe? and he realised what was going on because he saw the guy standing there he goes I've actually come to the shopping centre to buy a shoe. Yes, I'd love to. I turned around looked at Brian I said so how do I go? He goes, you start tomorrow.

Aquilae: 0:39

Welcome to CAREER-VIEW MIRROR, the automotive podcast that goes behind the scenes with key players in the industry looking back over their careers to share insights to help you with your own journey. Here's your host, Andy Follows.

Andy Follows: 1:11

Hello, listeners, Andy here. Thank you for tuning in. We appreciate that you do. We're also very grateful for our guests who generously join me to create these episodes so that we can celebrate their careers listen to their stories, and learn from their experiences. If you're listening for the first time, I'm Andy, I'm a trusted adviser to senior leaders in the automotive industry. I work alongside you to enable fulfilling performance for you and your teams. Contact me if you'd like to know more. In this episode, we're celebrating the career to date of Christopher Hope. Chris is the Brand Manager for Rolls Royce Motor Cars in Melbourne, Australia. It took Chris a little while to identify his calling in the car industry. But from his earliest years he demonstrated curiosity, a fascination with cars and design and an ability to connect with people. With over 30 years in the industry behind him he continues to leverage his talent, intelligence, creativity and capability to configure beautiful bespoke motorcars and experiences for as he says Friends of the Rolls Royce family. In our conversation we talk about his childhood, a family connection to Captain James Cook, learning from the mindsets and behaviours of his immigrant neighbours and his challenging academic performance at school. Through his stories, Chris shares numerous examples of how his curiosity and approach helped him to develop extraordinary connections with individuals from all walks of life, leading many to comment that there's something about you. Occasionally, his way of being led to job offers and exposure to guides and mentors, countless people enriched his life allowed him to be authentic and paved the way for him to now excel at what some call the pinnacle of the industry. I loved getting to know Chris in this episode and hearing how he developed from being the boy with something about him to become a talented, generous and caring expert in his field. Please enjoy his story. And I invite you as always to reach out and share what resonates with you. Hello, Christopher, and welcome. And where are you coming to us from today?

Christopher Hope : 3:15

Hello, Andy. I'm actually at home in my home in Richmond in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Andy Follows: 3:21

Thank you very much. I had a few guests from Melbourne. Few guests from Australia and a good proportion of our listeners are in Australia. So thank you for joining me in what is your late evening and a big hello to all our listeners in Australia. Let's start though as I do with all my guests. Where did your journey start? Where were you born?

Christopher Hope : 3:39

Born in Melbourne, Victoria, in a suburb called Greensboro.

Andy Follows: 3:45

And where your parents from? Did they emigrate to Australia or no both

Christopher Hope : 3:49

parents were born here. Their parents were born here my father. Interestingly enough, his mother died in childbirth and he was adopted out at four days old. Wow. It was adopted by the hope family hence my my surname. But

Andy Follows: 4:03

you definitely have several generations going back in Australia. We

Christopher Hope : 4:08

do. And if my mother was sitting, you should be prodding me saying tell them how we're related to Captain Cook, sister. And I'll go Mom Shoosh they don't need to know that.

Andy Follows: 4:16

I would say I'm sorry, Christopher. We do need to know.

Christopher Hope : 4:22

So if I remember talking to my grandmother, and she used to tell me about it as a child and she used to say to me, when I was young I used to hold Captain Cooks journals in my hand. And one day, I got in trouble from a family relative because I creased one of the pages of his journals. I've dog eared it. So she decided the page out and fold it in half. And then in 1988, we had the Bicentenary here in Australia. And my grandmother got contacted by them a news article or, or somewhere rather. And they were interviewing her and she said, Well, why are you into the minister? We believe you're a direct descendant of Captain Cook sister Captain Cook had children but they all died. And they said, Look, is there any way you can prove it? And she said, Yes, I can. And she was asked to go to the National Gallery Victoria to view Captain Cooks journals. And she said, Yep, I'll prove it. I know this book. go halfway through, and there'll be a dog ear, and there'll be a tear. And it's falling in half. And they said, Oh, my God, you're right. She said, God that. Oh, wow. So grandma got instant fame. So there you go. My mother be very proud as you heard this. So the guy yeah, let's move on.

Andy Follows: 5:29

That's fantastic. That's brilliant. I love it. So you talked about Captain Cook, Sister, what about your own brothers and sisters? Do you have siblings?

Christopher Hope : 5:39

Yeah, I'm the baby of four, interesting family dynamics growing up, my parents, divorced and separated, I was very young. And my older siblings all had the gift of a formal education of private schools and tertiary etc, etc. When he got to my turn, there was no money in the kitty to pay for all. So I stayed at the local high school, which I absolutely loved. Because I was a very, very, very average student, I was very easily distracted. I didn't enjoy learning. But I realised that I was learning about life. And I became very close friends, a lot of the teachers. And it's funny, I became close friends, a lot of the teachers that had luxury cars. And that'll lead me to another topic later. But yeah, it was, it was interesting, just the the journey of some great teachers that really guided me through school and I didn't pass by school, I blessed sort of stumbled through here that some of the youngest of four, and the other three, were all pretty well educated, that it's funny, my mother will openly post and say he's done the best out of all of them. The

Andy Follows: 6:48

and so I'm not sensing any regrets from your side that you didn't get the same type of education?

Christopher Hope : 6:53

No, no, I'm delighted with what happened and how it all panned out. So yeah.

Andy Follows: 6:57

So what sort of things did you like at school? What sort of subjects did you like? Or was it all just very well, look, I

Christopher Hope : 7:03

enjoyed recess, and lunchtime and after school, and that was about it. Now.

Andy Follows: 7:08

Something for everyone.

Christopher Hope : 7:09

Funny, I loved German. I really, really loved German. And I had a great German teacher, and I really, I really embraced it. And it's funny down the track, in my life had to come back and help me immensely. So yeah. And I enjoyed English. I enjoyed economics. I enjoyed all the subjects, but I was terrible at sitting down and doing the exam and making anything formal out of it. But I enjoyed understanding how it all worked and the mechanisms that I, I believe that I really enjoyed learning about people. I really enjoyed that.

Andy Follows: 7:41

And am I right in thinking that you started your first entrepreneurial venture? Or you had your first first taste of work while you were still at school?

Christopher Hope : 7:50

Yeah, look, it's funny, reflecting on you know, during this tonight, I I was reflecting on primary school days, and I was constantly in trouble because I'd be hanging around the teachers car parks. And you know, we're talking in the 1970s. And there were beautiful Alfa Romeo GTV, and Mercedes, 300, ACLs. And just really gorgeous cars and Hillman Snipes, and Morris majors, and that I was obsessed by cars as a young child,

Andy Follows: 8:16

did you get to dos start the car washing business.

Christopher Hope : 8:20

So in about year 10, just for an extra bit of income and where I live was very close to school. And I started with a friend of mine, a car washing business and after school and on weekends were flat out I was making a couple of$100 a week back then, which was a fair bit of money out of washing teachers cars.

Andy Follows: 8:37

Guess That was the first foray into automotive. When you were coming towards the end of school? What sort of thoughts were you having about what you would do?

Christopher Hope : 8:45

I had no idea. And I can honestly say it worried me, but it didn't worry me. But it worried me. And I thought, what's gonna happen here? I'm in the, at the end of year 11, the careers advisor teacher said, maybe you need to do your 12 and better give it a go and whatever. Anyway, I remember sitting in the first exam thinking what the hell have I done doing this anyway, got through the exams. And I remember clearly back in the day, it was called HSC High School Certificate. And it was always sent in the mail. You know, we waited for the mail and the postman came in or went out with my mother to get the results and she was half looking music. Here we go. And she opened them and she burst into tears. I thought to her grave, as expected. And it wasn't tears of joy, the next door neighbour so here's another story. The next door neighbour had a Mercedes dealership and he was a lovely man and his son was six months older than me. But he was born with a lot of mental and physical issues and sadly, didn't make our bones but he took me under his wing, almost like a son of sorts. And he walked up to my mother and had a look at he goes, Yeah, whatever. And he opened up his hand and he had the keys to brand new Mercedes to ADC I remember it clearly was thistle green with parchment leather. And he gave me $50 which was a fortune but then he said, alright, don't smash it bring it back tonight. So I was driving around my you know, my hometown and picket with friends and going up a few drinks and some McDonald's whatever in the new merch thinking she was pretty good. So the set the scene.

Andy Follows: 10:14

So what was in the letter? What did it say in the letter

Christopher Hope : 10:18

o, all fails, fails straight files. So it was it was out of a school back then was out of 410 I think I got 190 something and there was just abysmal.

Andy Follows: 10:28

Right? Okay. And his view was, let's not make this the end of the world.

Christopher Hope : 10:33

It doesn't define you. It doesn't define you. And that that was a very powerful moment, actually. Because I remember standing there thinking our hell, this is the moment of truth. And I felt empowered enough to think well, it's actually not, it's not gonna be the moment of truth,

Andy Follows: 10:48

what an inspired better leadership from him to just hand you the keys to that car and for you to experience immediately after having seen those results. And that, that possibly defining moment to find yourself driving around town picking up your friends enjoying the experience of this brand new Mercedes

Christopher Hope : 11:08

Well, it's interesting, I touched on it before my parents got divorced. It was a lot of cash. I always say my mother was very, very, very conservative with money and didn't have a lot to spend. So the neighbours that we had, I was blessed with our neighbours I really well. So they had the Mercedes dealer next door. He taught me how to drive in a man wanted his Mercedes, but also had another neighbour who had a brand new Volvo. And I thought his father's best thing ever. He also taught me how to drive. And the neighbourhood, the Volvo had emigrated from Albania. And he came here with his brothers, and they all independently had done very, very well. They had their highs and their lows, but I had a real good insight in my teenage years into European family mentality. You can do anything, you don't need to be educated to be successful. And one of the neighbours is brother with the Volvo. So the Volvo owner, sorry, his brother, who I came very close to taught me how to detail cars. And he had a young son that has actually gone on and been extremely successful. He with his cousin, started Swiss multivitamins, and sold it many years ago for $1 billion. And we're still very close friends. So I've seen them come to Australia with nothing. And the entire family succeed because they pulled together, which, in the Australian psyche of family, they don't pull together a lot from what I can see.

Andy Follows: 12:32

Right? Really interesting. So having not had the same kind of formal education that your elder siblings had, you are still getting this really interesting education from watching was gonna give people education. Yeah, yeah, watching how the neighbours behaved and how these European families who aren't thinking they're the ones that are quite adventurous, the ones they are the ones that are not allowing themselves to be limited by their situation, the ones that managed to find their way to Australia, correct. Got a bit of a psychological Head Start or a mindset head start. And then you've watched them and see how they go about doing things.

Christopher Hope : 13:11

Exactly. And even watching them go. And they'd be talking about the houses that are buying it. And to me, that was fine. You You only had one house, but though accumulating wealth through investment properties and passive income, so I was hearing these things and seeing these things, and it opened up my mind to Oh, that's a possibility. That's interesting.

Andy Follows: 13:31

This is golden Chris.

Christopher Hope : 13:33

So I'll keep spinning on so year 12 fail, spend a few months literally just bumming around around washing cars and mowing lawns and fiddling around and then my mother actually said, Come on, gotta get this stuff sorted. We got it, we got to do something here. So back in the day, there was no Internet, there was nothing as you know, with those newspapers, so I went through the employment section. And the state bank of Victoria was advertising for staff and I thought, Okay, I'll go along. So went along and put up look at like banks or like money or like people and blah, blah, blah. So went along for the interview and got the job. I remember saying, Oh, what's the income and they said, I'd 9998 And I went, Oh, that's not bad per month. And I said, No, it's puram. I thought, Oh, dear. Okay. Now one other thing. During high school, I was at a part time job two nights a week and on Saturday mornings for the shop shut sweeping floors at Woolworths. And I thought that was great. I really enjoyed it. Because I was sweeping floors and chatting to people and helping people and I thought nothing other I enjoyed it because I I'd leave the shopping centre everything was pristine and clean and I was really proud of what I was doing, which I didn't realise at a young age was actually feeding my OCD Enos for extreme cleanliness and everything being pristine and perfect to my eye for detail. Right. Hence, you know, and also doing car detailing as well. People saying, Well, you clean cars really well and you polish them really well and that's something to be really proud of. So as always very proud. All the things that I was doing.

Andy Follows: 15:01

Yeah. So you discovered things where you could really get a sense of purpose, whether it was you would might not have articulated it in that way at the time. But what you know, now looking back was that he was really playing to your strengths and what you love to do. And it made you feel good walking away from that shopping centre. And I'm thinking you said earlier in the conversation, you were making$200 a week washing cars at school. So that's more than 9999. I can see the how it was not impressive to did you join the bank. Anyway,

Christopher Hope : 15:34

I joined the bank. And the lovely thing was I was at a branch literally walking distance from home. So that was great. And I knew a lot of the people and whatever. And I remember one day, I had been there for about two years. And I got called into the manager's office, and I thought the world and he said, Are you being transferred? I said, I would like you guys. Well, you're getting a transfer and don't step away from that that's an honour to be transferred a symbol were to he said, one of the most prestigious branches in the area, which was called the state bank of East Ivanhoe, men think, Oh, that's a lovely area, and whatever. So I go to the this new branch and sort of struggling a bit going, wow, there's a lot of wealthy people that come in, there's a lot of names that are new, and you know, not celebrities, but just wealthy families that would come in. And it got to the point where I was a teller, and the people would come in, and no one would just wait for me to serve them. And especially a lot of the older immigrants, I always had a real an affinity for the older Europeans, because I admired their stoic ways had come here and made their money. I remember one lady she'd come in. And she was a very, very prominent old lady, and she couldn't read or write, but she'd signed with an ex and I'd fill out a withdrawal form. And she'd always say to me in broken English, you need you need you need and I said, What do you mean you need because you need you need you need some tool you need you need. So she'd always offer me some money. I'm like, Sure, money. But she was lovely. And I was there for two years. And I got embarrassing because the other tellers used to hate it. Because when I was what they called on the cash, I'd be serving a living and now we'll wait for Chris worked for Chris Roach, we would have a chat would have you know, they're bringing biscuits and bits and pieces and cakes and light coming in for drink after work. And there was a an A will go there because a man is sadly deceased now, but there was a very prominent Australian TV show on at the time called Hey, hey, it's Saturday. Now, back in the day, hey, hate Saturday, on a Saturday night, you'd stay home at 630 and turn on channel nine and the show would come up was it like a light hearted sort of comedy sort of sketch show, but it was good. Everyone knew any Australian I would hate Saturdays. And the executive producer was a guy called the late Gavin Disney and watching him pull up in all his Mercedes all the time. And I'd often served Mr. Disney I was always quite shy with him because he was such a well known person. And wonder I don't know where it came from. I said, Mr. Dizzy, would you mentor me? He goes, fuck I've been waiting for you asked me for years. I'd love to meet you. He goes, there's something about you. And I went, Oh, okay, so blushed anyway, and I'd often meet him and his wife, Margaret. And we'd have a coffee or go to the home, whatever. And I learned a lot about him and he was quite a, an insightful man. As I said, sadly, he's deceased. But insightful man, very smart man, very powerful man. But he had this air of sophistication abandoned, and I really admired and I took a lot from Gavin over the years and admired his wife, Margaret very well. And the way they were under the radar. Yes, everyone knew who they were. But they just went about their life very graciously. And I took a lot from that a lot.

Andy Follows: 18:34

I am getting this picture, Christopher this such a curious boy. So not we're not about now talk about before you are not talking about in the bank years until now. And when you were a child, just watching everything, listening to everything that's going on piecing it all together, you know, absorbing the learnings from the people around you and being so open minded about the different cultures and you know, these immigrants that were and how that yeah,

Christopher Hope : 19:02

Andy you're spot on. It's funny, you know, we're all on Instagram and Facebook and social media, and we all know what everyone's doing. But I knew everyone in our streets where I lived. I knew every house I knew every person that lived there, knew all their families, or knew all their cars. And when it came to say things like Christmas holidays, they'd be queuing up saying Oh, can you order our guns? Can you walk our dog can you look at our mail and I made a little fortune but it wasn't about the money. It was about the people and the relationships and them knowing me and I drive my family and saying oh you know the Smiths are doing this and the Jones are doing that and the bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla and it was fascinating. And I remember another family across the road. He was a prominent architect. And I was obsessed by the home and he always had beautiful cars. He had Lance's and he had beautiful cars. And I remember chatting with him as a young child that changed him about design. And he said to me one day, you've got quite an eye for design. And I went Oh, have I? But I was like a sponge like Talk to people. And my grandmother, my mother's line mother, God bless her. She used to say to me many little proverbs and all right, one day before, and she used to say to me, darling, everyone is someone sweetheart. Just look for the goodness in everyone. And I even talk to the grumpy neighbours. And I'd say to my parents saw my mother, I spoke to Mrs. Blah, blah, blah. You know, the funny women in the corner. Oh, don't talk to her. She's horrible. She's actually quite nice. I quite like her. We had a cup of tea the other day Mom's going, Oh, God, forgive me. You know, I can't believe this. But I'd look for the goodness in people. You know, so yeah, you're right. Andy you have nailed it.

Andy Follows: 20:35

Cracking wisdom from your grandmother, that we can all benefit from going into it.

Christopher Hope : 20:41

And she had another one. Yeah, this is this is a river, have many friends. Trust few. Always paddle your own canoe? Must have been something from Captain Cook's family.

Andy Follows: 20:55

So you were a little bit unusual, then is it fair to say you're a little bit unusual?

Christopher Hope : 21:01

I think I was. Yeah, the other interesting thing, too, was I'm a gay male. So in those days, you know, to be even remotely talking about or, you know, suggesting that you might be a gay person was like, gonna just brush that one aside, let's not go there. Because back in those days was highly illegal to and very, very much frowned upon. But I always believed that there was more to me than just the person that people saw. And I thought, I'm just gonna keep exploring life and just keep being the best example of myself the best version of myself?

Andy Follows: 21:35

How much did you have to compartmentalise yourself, then?

Christopher Hope : 21:40

A lot. Because a lot of the people that are hanging out with a lot of my friends were from, you know, pretty wealthy families, I wasn't. But I learned how to roll with it all. And I learned how to be accepting of all people, and to be accepting of my situations, and to also be a realist to know well, only I can change my life and be the best example of myself, only I can do it. No one else can.

Andy Follows: 22:07

I can see now from this curious young boy to becoming somebody who somehow gives off something that's attractive to these people who are coming into the bank, they were comfortable talking to you, they will prepare to wait to have their exchanges with you. So you were learning and you were learning behaviours, and you were learning to look for the good in people. And that was obviously shining through and at the same time, you were then being able to make connection with people in clearly in quite a short space of time, because you think about the exchange that you have as a bank teller, we've got a, you know, a minute or so. But it was enough. So you are building these connections and all the while now I'm thinking by then you'd be quite conscious of having to hide some of yourself.

Christopher Hope : 22:53

Not so much hide, just be aware of appropriateness. I believe in life, everything is about being appropriate. Don't be ashamed. Or don't be shy or don't hide anything, but don't flaunt it as well just be just be appropriate. I think it's, it's a nice way to be.

Andy Follows: 23:12

Yeah, no, I like the sound of that. I mean, clearly, you have mastered human relationships from a very early age, you've been working on it. So if you tell me that there's something in appropriateness, I'm going to listen and think, Okay, what does that mean? And how might that show up in an exchange? Let me take a moment to tell you about our sponsor. This episode is brought to you by ASKE Consulting who are experts in executive search, resourcing solutions and talent management across all sectors of the automotive industry in the UK and Europe. I've known them for almost 20 years, and I can think of no more fitting sponsor for Career-view Mirror, they're the business we go to at Aquilae When we're looking for talent for our clients and for projects that we're working on. ASKE was founded by Andrew McMillan, whose own automotive career includes board level positions with car brands and leasing companies, all as consultants have extensive client side experience, which means they bring valuable insight and perspective for both their employer and candidate customers. My earliest experience of working with Andrew was back in 2004, when he helped me hire regional managers from my leasing Sales Team at Alphabet. More recently, when Aquilae was helping a US client to establish a car subscription business, ASKE Consulting was alongside us helping us to develop our people strategy, and to identify and bring onboard suitable talent. Clients we've referred to ASKE have had an equally positive experience. Andrew and the team at ASKE are genuinely interested in the long term outcomes for you and the people they place with you. They even offer the reassurance of a two year performance guarantee, which means they have skin in the game when working with you. If you're keen to secure the most talented and high potential people to accelerate your business and gain competitive advantage, do get in touch with them and let them know I sent you. You can email Andre and the team at hello@askeconsulting.co.uk or check out their website for more details and more client feedback at www.askeconsulting.co.uk ASKE is spelt ASKE, you'll find these contact details in the show notes for this episode. Okay, let's get back to our episode. So, should we zoom back into the bank then and you're there, and you've gone to this new branch. And what gave you the idea? Again, probably it's come from all these years you had of working out how to learn from people and how to connect this idea of having a mentor would be good and and asking for a mentor.

Christopher Hope : 25:48

Interesting. So we're talking 1987 88. And there's a bit of a wave of knowledge coming through. And there's books and there's, you know, emotional intelligence, why it's more important than being brilliant coming out. And there's Rich Dad, Poor Dad, and there's all these New Age thinking is coming through that I thought we had this is this is cool, and it spoke about, or I'd read about have a mentor, have a role model have people around you, that inspire you and motivate you. So that's what I thought, you know, Gavin disneynow reached out to you and there was a few other people that I reached out to as well, there was a prominent supermarket owner, Mr. John Nora, I think he's dead as well, now that I spoke to him a lot as well about business and property and life and got to know a few of the real estate agents. And it's funny. I've got a lot of very dear friends that real estate agents. So if they're listening, please don't hate this comment. But I don't like a lot of real estate agent because they're very showy, and very flashy. And I used to have some real estate agent friends and it's quite young, and they're trying to get me to get involved with being a real estate agent. But I used to feel that a lot of their motives were one dimensional was we had a sale, was there a quick sale getting get our bank sale later. So I mean, the ad isn't working the bank on plodding along. And then one day I woke up, and I can't do this anymore, because I was looking at a lot of the people I was working with in accordance to cardigan wearers that had their cardigan, a 1015 on the dot, they'd stop telling, and they're gonna have their cup of tea and at 1031, they'd walked back out and I thought all robotic bit robotic. And I thought, This is not for me. So I don't know why. But I just said to myself, I'm out. I'm out of here. And yes, I thought, Well, I'm just gonna risk it again and see how we go. So I resigned and the bank branch manager was most distressed. She was a lovely lady. And she and she, she kept saying, No, you can't leave, you've got something about you, and blah, blah, blah, said look level but it goes. So there you go. I did. And I remember the last time I got to work, and all the customers were there before we opened and they're all at the front and one of them had made a big sign. It's his last day. And Andy, I can't tell you that day was so overwhelming with people popping in an old man is crying and people buying the stuff and drinks and whatever. And it was quite emotional that lost and I remember going home going, Oh God, what have I done? I hope I've done the right thing. But I'd still see people around for years after that from the bank. And they'd say, Oh, how you going? And

Andy Follows: 28:14

I've got to jump in because I'm storing up things. Finally, funny guy capacity for so many. So I'm think first thing that comes to mind is you didn't have customers at their bank. You've had fans. That's wonderful. The other thing is, you know your influence of books that you read. So things like Rich Dad, Poor Dad, I'm thinking you had neighbours who were you know, the rich dad in Rich Dad, Poor Dad, your neighbours the Abyssinians that they were these people? Yeah, they were totally following that model. So you could sit you probably could read the book and think yeah, this is right. I know some of these people. And the fact that you had zero, it seems no theory is the right word. Or some people can be anxious about talking to people who are successful, who are higher in some kind of perceived hierarchy. So for you to approach Gavin Disney for you to approach the other gentleman. Was it your curiosity that was able to push through any kind of nervousness,

Christopher Hope : 29:18

it was curiosity and the other thing too, at a very young age, I recognise very powerful women now my, my mother, my grandmother, my sisters, my aunts, they're all very independent and powerful women, and were very much as very Australian Anglo Saxon family. And the conservatism is quite dramatically different to the European influence that I had growing up around me as well with the neighbours. So I look at Rich Dad Poor Dad and often think to myself Well, I was looking at my family who were lovely people but very conservative. There weren't multiple houses, there weren't luxury cars. You know, my my mother would one of her favourite lines is our stop skating about the thing. You've done and stopped scouting as a young boy. And I think, well, Simon that I'm quite proud of what I've done. I'm proud of the people I hang out with. So I drew a lot from the family that I have in the things that they'd say to me and the things they hadn't achieved. And I think we'll know. I'm bigger in life, I'm more capable and willing to try things.

Andy Follows: 30:23

So you're prepared to step out of this conservative sort of boundaries that culturally came with the territory, influenced by what you've seen in the neighbourhood?

Christopher Hope : 30:33

Yeah. And look, the world was changing, you know, the, the acceptance of trying things, and society was changing. It was an exciting time, music was changing, you know, fashions were changing. It was a it was an exciting time. It's funny talking about fashion, just quickly, I would have part time jobs and whatever, whatever. And I was obsessed with clothes. I still am. But I was obsessed with clothes and buying beautiful things as much as I could afford. So which leads me on to other stories later down the track, anyway, yeah.

Andy Follows: 31:01

Excellent. So you left the bank? Did you have somewhere to go to?

Christopher Hope : 31:05

Nope. So I remember it was Mother's Day in 1989. I think that's May. And again, I open up the paper. And I thought, right, I want to get in cars, I really want to get into cars. And there was a cadetship at a Mitsubishi dealership, which wasn't far from where I was living. So when the number made an appointment to see a guy called Brian Kearney, I think I thought to myself to funny name, what's her name's Kirby. And when I met him, I said to him, Sir, I must ask you what is the origins of your surname? He said, Well, you're very diplomatic. I'm Maltese. And I said, Okay. And he goes, Do you have any Maltese? I said, No, I said, you're the first to admit and I'm sort of intrigued by European culture. We started chatting, and he said to me, yeah, there's something about you. He said, Look, you've got no selling experience. You've worked in a bank and you failed school. He goes, I'm just not sure. But let's just park this and I'll come back to you. So anyway, I went home and whatever. And then a few days later, the house phone rang, because there weren't many mobiles back then. Then it was the receptionist and she said, Mr. Kern, we'd love to see you again. So I went back and you know, hit a nice suit and tie whatever you guys get in my car, and we're getting into this beautiful, brand new Jaguar sovereign. I was just obsessed by this thing was mirlo. With cream leather. Remember, there was JG triple zero theta. So he goes, we're going for Drive and I went, where are we gonna go? We're gonna do the Local Shopping Centre. Now, this is a true story. And I still can't believe this happened. We get to the shop. He said, he goes, right. Do you think you can sell took off his shoe? And he said, Sell my single shoe and thought this guy's just caught you know, this is not right. And this chap comes along in a wheelchair with one leg. And I went up to him and I'm now the words quality, just go with this. And he goes, Oh, hello. And it was great, this little spark. And as I said, Would you like to buy this single shooing? And he realised what was going on? Because he saw the guy standing? He goes, what does she come to the shopping centre to buy a shoe? Yes, I'd love to turn around, looked at Brian. I said, so I go, he goes, you start tomorrow.

Andy Follows: 32:59

Okay, now I am a very trusting human being and I take things often at face value. And I love that story. Is that true? Is did that?

Christopher Hope : 33:11

I did say to him going back in the car said and I thought Look, I'm just going to be really comfortable and casual. This guy said what would have happened if I hadn't sold history? He said you're going to stop he said, I just wanted to see what you're made of. And when is that? Right? So anyway, interesting story. So I started there. And I remember my first day thinking, What the hell am I doing here? He was getting me to move boxes and put stickers on brochures back then and moving this and that and fiddling around thinking What have I done what have I done whatever and so persisted for a few weeks and he said Alright, let's get you you know, moving some of the cars around a bubble and I was I thought this is great. Anyway. So within a short time, I was then allowed to get on the floor and meet and greet so a lot of people and I was I was basically like a an introducer so people would walk in and say welcome you know, Kimmy to be Shiva. But what can I do to assist you today? Are we hereby above a blob of outside introduce them to someone I just walk away, and I was earning a pittance back then. So I remember one day said you can't get a check. So this lovely lady walked in. I can remember this clearly. She pulled up in a 1978 depths and Skyline she walked in and she was impeccably groomed a thought of this. This is my speed. Yeah, all the chatter. And within about half an hour, I sold her car, she bought a brand new Mitsubishi glandt And her name was Joyce loveless. Now to this day. I'm still in touch with her daughter, his son in law, Tim and Trish of listening, their son Simon and their grandchildren, and I went to Joyce's funeral.

Andy Follows: 34:45

This is brilliant. This is so good

Christopher Hope : 34:48

And the layers of relationships that family and I have on multiple levels and the amount of deals we've done with each other with cars and Baba Baba. is phenomenal. It's phenomenal.

Andy Follows: 34:59

This is textbook This is what they would want you to do in the text, but you've just done it because that's the way you are. And there's a phrase you've used a number of times, Christopher, which is people saying to you, there's something about you. There's something about you. If so,

Christopher Hope : 35:13

it's interesting, and I'll slip into this and I'll be very diplomatic as a person that this is concerning could still be listening to us alive and Oh, he's so Brian Comey passed away many years ago. He's a lovely man. He had a son that was running the dealership. Now his son had a number of issues with his father and I worked out very quickly that he had insecurity complex about his father. So the son wood, he was my sales manager. I mean, he'd wear element and gills Zinnia suits, and I was obsessed by the suits. I thought, Oh, my God, I want those. But you know, the afford$5,000 Back in the 80s. I really was inspired Landry, but also saw the sadness in his life and his existence to the sun. So the sun would disappear for weeks on end, and then the sun would come back and the sun would disappear. And then one day, the Father Brian said to me, Look, I think you better step up and be more senior and blah, blah, blah. Anyway, within a short time, I was I wasn't running the place. But I was basically running the place everyone that came in, I knew if I didn't know that I would. And I had a really enjoyable four years at the Mitsubishi dealership, and I did very well. And I remember going to some Mitsubishi training back then. And I remember being horrified at the training sessions. I remember one guy saying, yeah, when the people when you value in their car, get their keys, throw it on the roof of the dealership can just say, well, well, sorry, three keys of the car leave you until you buy a car. And and your members sitting there going, pressure selling is not for me, this is just a horrid, I can't believe what they're saying. And I had a real issue I had a real struggle with, do I want to be selling cars? Because I felt I was compromising relationships with people. And I thought, I'm going to push boundaries, I want to be me. I'm just going to be me. I'm not going to pressure. And I remember at one stage the sun was back from one of these little braces, we call it. And he was hassling me about the fact that I've got all these leads and nothing's happening. And I said yes, but they're not ready to buy. Well, they should be you should just push them harder Baba. And I said, I'm sorry. I don't subscribe to that. He goes well, that's how it is. If you don't like it leaving us we're not going to leave. I'll show you how it is. And then over time, all those people that you said you wanted to sell to I sold to and you know, yes, we'd have to have a bit of RGB RGB our price and getting cars into stock and whatever to get everything satisfied for them. But they'd come back to me they kept coming back to me and I started having repeat business at Mitsubishi. And the the father kept saying to me, we don't often have repeat business like this. This is incredible. Along the way with Mitsubishi, Brian, Kermit the late Brian Comey had a very different now this is quite a poignant moment in time. His very close friend was a lovely guy called Izzy Hertzog. So you may have heard that name over the years. And easy was a very, very, very distinguished, powerful is the wrong word. Because powerful comes across as being like a dictator or a bossy person. He wasn't he was the most humble, beautiful, intelligent, smart man. And I had the privilege of knowing him and I know his family very well as well. And I have absolute respect for the family. He came here and as a Jewish immigrant made his life extremely successfully and extremely respectfully to he was responsible for giving Lindsey Fox his first truck. Lindsay foxes, a prominent Melbourne identity, who has one of the largest companies in the country called Linfox. Is he was a lovely man. I spent a lot of time with him and got to know him very well. After four years of Mitsubishi, I game woke up one day and went right if any I need to change spoke to Brian said, Brian. I'm going to leave Mitsubishi respectfully. I love being here, but I need to keep growing. I'm 26 I feel there's something that is a fire that's starting and I really need to step up. And he goes, Yeah, I was waiting for this day. He goes, You should want to start I said no, I'm going. He has to go and see Izzy. He's opening up a BMW dealership in Doncaster and they're going to call the Doncaster BMW. And I know they're looking for staff. So when I spoke to Izzy, and he introduced me to a lovely chap that was running the place because the then General Sales Manager in Goa, Rajesh was on his honeymoon. So go to the dealership meet this guy. I think his name was Alan. And he said, Yep, we know who you are. We think you'd be a lovely fit. So please, consider joining us I said, Okay, done. So on the 16th of August 1993. So 30 years ago, I joined it Doncaster BMW. I'd been there a few days and Ingo came back from his honeymoon and we're meeting go and I was thinking, wow, this guy's charismatic. This guy's larger than life of that are they I think he's also a handful, because of his dynamism, and of his zest for life and his zest for his people skills, which are to this day, I'm truly grateful for having had INGOs influence now I'll speed the story up. I've been there for about six months, and Ingo walks into where I'll see you one day and said, Oh, I can either check or go into his office. And he goes, I thought you might have had more in you. And I thought that you would be selling more, and you might be a bit more outgoing, but I don't think he can cut it sign to take you off wages, you're going to be on commission only. And we'll review this in six to eight weeks, and I stood up, and I basically said, Fuck you and go, and he goes, I was at right. And I said, No one talks to me about that. I'll show what I made off. That was 1993. So we'll jump around to 1996 Ingo walks into my office. So I have a slide pass information period. 1996 I need you to go to function tonight. I can't I'm busy. Chris. You've got to go. What is it are to BMW not just go to so I go to this function. I'll stop there. 1994 at BMW, Izzy Hertzog also had a number of other directors and they had a lot of contacts in Melbourne. And the crown casino which is a prominent gaming place in Melbourne, the entertainment venue had been opened at the World Trade Centre. And BMW had the account. And the chap that was running it had to move because he was moving into state a lovely guy called Patrick here to move into stage so easy. And then God said to me, Look, would you consider going to crown and chatting with them and taking over the account? So I went down to crown and had a chat and they said, Yeah, on a handshake here, look, your bride Patrick was fabulous. And we think you're gonna be great, too. So let's go. So what what it was, you'd go to the casino, and you play pokies or games or whatever. And you could win a BMW. So BMW Doncaster, BMW had the account they had previously before that had it with other brands, I won't mentioned they had other brands, and they weren't satisfied with the level of care, deliver or spec, the phoning up of people that won the car. So you get a fax back in the day saying Andy has won a BMW, I'd bring you Eddie, congratulations, blah, blah, I'd go to crown present you the car, off you go. Happy days. So I remember being at the World Trade Centre, and we'd have 5:30am changeovers of cars, we used to have cars, up on display and whatever. And I'd be there early on, and I'd go off and do nothing. And I'd have long, long days. And then one day, the chap that was running the casino and was building a brand new casino, called Lloyd Williams is a lovely man. I met up with Lloyd and he walked me through the new building site, and we worked out where we put the car. So he basically wanted to have five BMW is on display in Crown Casino. So from 1994, I managed the crown casino account, which I had until I left some 18 years later on a handshake. So not in 96, on call to go to this dysfunction on it's in there, whatever. Yeah, a couple of reds, whatever the presenting, you know, the best parts manager and the best person that sells this on that roller. And he kind of the very end of the night and they saw the light of intimidate the spotlight goes on the manager actually goes now this is the prestigous part. And this is the perpetual award. This goes to the person who is outstanding in sales, customer satisfaction, profitability, blah, blah, blah. Don't remember thinking to myself, I wonder this tool is who could be this? Could you please come up on stage? And I'm like, oh. So I go up on stage, I get this absurd advanced. Here's actually this beautiful award. And I remember thinking, Hmm, interesting. I go to work the next I'll put it in front of NGOs. Yeah, no, but why do you think I made you go last night. It's interesting how, again, you know, being challenged to be your best, that sort of it all worked out. In any that after living in go and saying, Well, you know, I'll show you, I thought I'm going to show myself to I'm just going to be the best I can be I'm just going to get out there and really work hard and really, you know, hit the pavement per se. And talk to people and and and and just keep going just keep going and just keep fighting.

Andy Follows: 44:25

So what I love about this is or what I'm curious about was in the Mitsubishi dealership, there was the pressure and I loved it when you said no, I'm going to be me and I do it my way. And I'm going to be true to how I the believe these things should be done my ethics and my values and how I want to do with people that resonated with me and I thought that's that's fantastic to have made that decision. Wenning go said I'm going to take your salary put you on commission only. I take it he wasn't asking you to change yourself for your integrity or anything, he wasn't challenging any of that, but he was causing you to amp up a little bit or

Christopher Hope : 45:08

have a shift in mindset and have a shift in reality. And Ingo was exceptional working with him for all the years that I didn't I love the guy ideally, he'd say, I'm gonna ride them, and he really ride you'd find your hot spots in your weak spots, and you push those bloody buttons so hard, that he'd make you be the best example of yourself. And I saw that with Ingo with a lot of times and, and once you had INGOs respect, you had his respect. And I remember, you know, work with him for a long, long, long time. And he used to call me I think a diplomat or an ambassador, I basically had immunity, you know, I could do no wrong, that you could never take that complacently as well, you had to respect that. And you had to respect and have his back at all times, too.

Andy Follows: 45:56

Right. So Ingo, he knew how to get more out of you than even you did at the time.

Christopher Hope : 46:04

Correct. And, Andy it's fascinating. So back in 1993, when I started BMW, I had a flashback. The other day, I remember in year seven or year eight, we did screen printing and art, and we had to make T shirts, and I had a BMW symbol. And back then a lot of people didn't know what that BMW car was all about. Not at all. I just liked them. And funny, here I am all those years later working for them. But BMW in the when I started, there was a lovely training guy. And he was exceptional. And he was so demure and precise with his delivery of things. I remember first day in this Training Academy. And he kept saying to everyone now pretend everything that you have insane do is a BMW, what would it look like? So pick up a pen he goes, what does that pen look like? And I'd say it's beautiful. It's elegant, it does what it does, with finesse and, and that stay with me, and still does its stone because everything you do has to reflect the brand. And I thought the BMW brand was just the ants pants and I was just so proud to be part of it. So it really started to fire me to get out there and really promote the BMW brand. And I did and yeah, I ended up being in the top five salespeople for Australia for many, many years. So

Andy Follows: 47:24

can I just ask how old were you when you got that award?

Christopher Hope : 47:28

Just on 30. Right. It's not 30.

Andy Follows: 47:31

So you clearly by then you were really hitting all the marks as it were you were very rounded in what you were doing.

Christopher Hope : 47:38

Correct.

Andy Follows: 47:39

And have you stayed in a sales role? How would you describe your sort of journey through Doncaster

Christopher Hope : 47:47

up until 99 I was in sales and corporate sales. So I was working with showroom floor traffic and also people that would come in that were at executive levels with companies and stuff selling five series seven series eight series and things like that and, and just really networking and working company accounts as well. So I found that I was doing a lot more specialised work for him go back in the day, the new seven series he was at a 38 had just been released. And it was the Chris Bangle design seven series and was quite a polarising can't offer, it was the best thing ever. But a lot of people thought it was ugly, and it was hard to sell and whatever. And we did very well out of it. So my role was seven series specialist. And I also would help empower and train up a lot of the other staff members as well. And I'd also find myself roaming around talking to the salespeople with the clients they had I'd often offered them a coffee or a tea. And I'd be that face of the business that would help them close the deal. I'd find out really what's holding you back. Andy, where are you? What's, What haven't we done? Right? And I really confront them, that I learned that I had an ability to talk to these people without being intimidating or without being intimidated.

Andy Follows: 54:30

You could ask the right questions, and they would hear them from you

Christopher Hope : 54:34

spot on. Spot on.

Andy Follows: 54:36

And you had that you mentioned that word diplomat ambassador. Yep, I can see sort of taking on this ambassadorial role going to support the sales people and then being able to get a handle on what they're where they're up to with this customer and being able to ask, okay, what's missing? What have we done? What's preventing you from taking the next step without them feeling at all intimidated or pressured.

Christopher Hope : 54:58

correct. The other thing that I stepped straight back into was the crown account. And that was, that was huge crown was huge. And it still is a huge account that I stepped right back into that and just very, very side issue. At one stage, I was approached one of the senior people at Crown to step into a very senior role at Crown. And I decided not to, because I felt that it would be too consuming. Because it was going to be basically an international role that I chose not to, but they kept saying, your ease, and your manner with people is something that we really like, and we enjoy your company, and we'd love you to be part of the team. But I chose to stay with cars.

Andy Follows: 55:39

Yeah. And where should we go next?

Christopher Hope : 55:42

Okay, so it gets better. So I remember back in 1984, selling a lovely chap. And if he hears this old mentioned his name, a guy called Brett a car and or sold Britain, many, many BMW has many, many BMWs. So we go to 2012. And we were speaking one day, he said, Look, I'd love you to be part of my business. And he owned a company or he still owns a company, which is a direct mail in house. So basically, you get a magazine in the mail, and it's wrapped in plastic with enamel on the front. That's from his business. So he was a distribution centre, a marketing and distribution centre, basically. So I'd been back at BMW for many, many years, 11 years and the yearning for something different that little bell was ringing again, Andy. So here we go. So I said to Brett, you failing amigos? Yep. So resigned, guys here, you won't be gone for long. Anyway. So leave, and we're going to work for Brett. And that was brilliant. I'd gone from a palatial showroom to a factory. And it was great because I was learning the business. And I'm on the factory floor with the factory workers packing boxes, packing stuff, learning how the machinery works, and whatever. It was a massive shift from what I've done. But to this day, I'm still grateful to Brett because I had the experience to step into something different again. And again, it was applying people's skills, my knowledge, my ability, and just making a difference in the business and I really, really enjoyed it. And that lasted for about 18 months. And then one day a very dear friend of mine Bri me. She was in recruitment and she said she called me love. She has love I've got a job for you and all but I'm quite happy. She goes yeah, whatever. She hasn't got a job for you. There's a big push to find someone to be in the chair of Rolls Royce motor cars. And back then there was basically two dealerships it was Sydney and Melbourne and that was owned by the traffic group. She said Sydney's running both states and it's just drowning as a smaller Rolls Royce franchise in Perth, but there's really not much happening except for Sydney and Melbourne, Melbourne purchase empty they desperately need someone in your name has been mentioned more than three or four times because of the BMW family. Or 24. Jump back to 1989 sort of jumping around a lot nursery not in audio. Is he Hertzog and the directors around Doncaster been to the also owned Fox Rolls Royce and Bentley. And I'd often go down and go ask me to go down and help out at the Rolls Royce dealership back in the late 90s. Because I've been shorter staff. And I was obsessed and also almost intimidated by the Rolls Royce brand because was just the pinnacle that was to me just everything a luxury motor car should be plus the trimmings that comes with a Rolls Royce I was fascinated by. So she said to me. We know you've done you've tinkered with Rolls Royce, we know you've done extremely well at BMW, really, you should look at this position. So I remember meeting up with the person who was working for Rolls Royce and recruiting. And yeah, he basically said, What do you want and we worked it out. And here I am 10 years later.

Andy Follows: 58:51

So where are you now?

Christopher Hope : 58:52

So now I am and have been for the last 10 years, actually 10 years. Last week, the brand manager for Rolls Royce motor cars Melbourne, Rolls Royce in Australia has four dealerships. There's Perth, there's Melbourne, Sydney, and there's Brisbane and we also have as part of APEC, New Zealand and dealerships through Asia. I'm the sole operator. There's only myself in our dealerships I explain Rolls Royce. So I started with Rolls Royce, 10 years ago, and I was part of Trivette. And that was a fabulous experience. So we're Melbourne and Sydney. We're basically one dealership and was split. There was myself in Melbourne. And it was a lovely guy called Alan Hind, who still his part of the roles was family UK. He was running Sydney. And that was great for two years. And then I heard a rumour that the traject group was being bought out by an incredible entrepreneur who I know and respect extremely well. I knew him for a long time, I should say and respect him for a long time, a chap called Bobby Zagami of the Zagami family. And I heard that Bobby was buying the business and Bobby bought the business. So I've been working alongside with Bobby for the last eight years, the last eight years with Bobby has been an incredible journey. He's a very different individual to Ingo, he leads me to my own devices now I could either sink or swim, I feel swimming, I hope I'm still there. And he's an incredible rock, he's the rock. When I need him, he leaves me alone. We have complete respect for each other. I can read him from a mile away, vice versa. And I feel that between us we both did an incredible job building the brand to where it is today. And I'm totally grateful for Bobby because Bobby brings to the table Ferrari. He had Maserati back then when I started eight years ago with him, Lamborghini, huge Audi footprint. He had Skoda back then he's still got Alpha theatre, he's now got Bentley. So this gentleman is my age is just a wonderful, wonderful entrepreneur who is allowed me to be the person I am. So with Bobby, we moved from the dealership that I had, we tried it, we moved to another dealership, which is just near my home in Richmond. And it is probably the most palatial showroom of any car company in Australia. It's probably one of the top five Rolls Royce showrooms globally. And I'm blessed to be able to call it my home, it's my office. And there's only myself in there, I have a fabulous group general manager who I work with as well, that often looks after other brands as well over marketing manager, she's fabulous at that front of house, I have some other people support people, but I'm the only sole person that sells Rolls Royce high on the face Rolls Royce in Melbourne, Victoria.

Andy Follows: 1:01:36

I'm leaving a pause there just because it's it deserves that respect. And at the same time, I'm thinking this is almost from your first role in the bank, dealing with those premium customers who were coming in and building a connection and then wanting to wait for you have all been gearing up to help you be the the absolute perfect person for this job. So to see that plus all the years of experience with Doncaster. And with the seven series and all those things, and grappling with the Rolls Royce business, they're from a childhood affinity for the cars and the design and the appreciation and this curiosity about people and ability to connect and people saying to you, there's something about you and it's all you're now going to leverage all of that to be the face to be an ambassador for Rolls Royce in your business. And imagine having all those other premium brands and luxury brands really helps it does to broaden the demographic of customers

Christopher Hope : 1:02:43

It does and Bobby's been the master of bringing the other brands owners to be aware of the Rolls Royce brand and that's very, very powerful. So you know that that's great, but But it's interesting in all the journey I mentioned about my obsession with fashion when I was working at the shopping centre cleaning floors and always wanted to buy nice clothes and stuff. I realised that especially BMW I was really proud of building and letting people not just take a stock car that building a car let's create something for you from BMW that you want beautiful colours and the leathers and whatever. And yeah, I've I was really really pleased with that. But stepping into Rolls Royce that's allowed me to just go to the next level it really has I have a lovely contacted the Rolls Royce Academy and Fiona if you're listening, I love you, thank you. She runs the high touch Academy and Rolls Royce are currently rolling out high touch and high touch it's all about the things that you bring to the relationship apart from selling the car. Now I could bore you for hours and hours and hours with examples but I always pride myself in talking to anyone who is genuinely wanting to buy a Rolls Royce and saying to them, close your eyes take me on the journey. What do you see? What does the Rolls Royce look like for you? What do you see outside? What do you see inside? Talk to me? What's the leather looking like? What's the smelling? Like? What's the timber? Like? What does it look like? Explain it to me and I'll be sitting there taking mental notes and then I'll have my configurator in front of me I'll quickly do something that I think is what they're saying or if they're struggling or say can I make a suggestion and I'll I'll go into this visual world that I go into. And I'll create something else spin my computer and also how does that look and any there's always the pause. I'll share a couple of stories. I had a lady she can't be the husband are talking about a Rolls Royce Cullinan SUV and he was saying I think we'll go black on black and she had the most exquisite purple dress, gorgeous red shoes and a gold belt and a gorgeous handbag. And I said give me five minutes, just go look around the showroom. And you know, just give me five minutes and they said what I said just give me five minutes. So I can readded a Bella Donna purple Cullinan, a silver bonnet, a gold Spirit of Ecstasy, Mandarin, which is like an orange colour leather konsult Red, which has a dark red carpet, piping stitching monograms and I picked up the most exquisite timber. They walk back in a city ready, I showed them they went, oh my god, I delivered a car probably three months ago. And the owner does use that in the academy with or with one of the examples. The delivery day was a lot of fun. I had purple and orange and gold flowers. It was all very nice. I have hundreds of stories locked down. So Melbourne, we were locked down for 12 months, out of two years. And to Bobby's demise, he hated me not being in the office because he wanted me to be in the office, but I relocated my partner down to a beach house. We just didn't want to stay in Melbourne, I was working remotely. So all through lockdown. every other night. I'd be doing zoom drinks with my customers, my friends, I don't have customers, I have Rolls Royce family, and I'd be zoom drinks and blah blah blah. And you know a bit of a giggle So Andy, maybe you need a new euros was Are they unhappy with my Nana? No, let me design something. And I had one lovely chap who always whenever I see him, has different shades of blue on rose, a poppy yellow. And I sat down I was about 11 o'clock one night and I had a few drinks and I started configuring a car designed to ghost to turn blue. Different shades of blue in Sierra Bitsy yellow but but configured this up and I sent an email the next day and I rang him and I said, I've just sent you an email, have a look. Okay, so logged on, he wrote me back. And i It's the first set and he goes, I said, Alright, give it to me out of town. He goes 9.95 Come on, you're killing me. Where's the 10 He goes, I'll get out. This guy's a very prominent property developer. His eye for detail is next level. I built that car, I delivered that car. I have so many stories that I can share with you. One I don't want to get emotional here because she just she's just incredible. One couple that I sell cars to for many years. And they are very, very different. The lady only ever wears a brand of clothing called Camilla and Camilla is this extremely vivacious gorgeous colours, beautiful materials, beautiful times and her style is just incredible. And recently it was her birthday and I organised a video for Camilla to record a thank you to this friend of mine for her birthday because she is known for being a very prominent owner of Camilla clothing in Australia. myself my partner my family put on a small dinner for our lovely friends and we had the video playing of Camilla thanking our friend for her love and support and her you know design her style and a friend was blown away I realised that you have to be different and you have to be a designer of beautiful things and I'm very proud of my home I'm very proud of my wardrobe I'm very proud of my friends that I helped style and dress and take on journeys of expertise with stepping into let's find a new style let's find a new way for you to be and let's ramp up your house and your whatever it is that I learned with Rolls Royce, I have the ability to take all these expressions that I have that I know that I can create beauty and create I call them pieces of art that drive around you know and I get so much enjoyment and every car that I deliver is what they call highly bespoken content so Rolls Royce love this bespoke is when it's not just say black on black I can make black and black look bloody sexy too. But you can you take different colours and different materials and you play with woods and you do some incredible things and the bespoke continuity car that I deliver is very, very high. And I never ever build two rolls royces ever the same and I never will. And the deliveries. I remember years ago reading a book on Walt Disney in the Walt Disney principles in business, entertain delight and be memorable. And that's how I make all my interaction with everyone that I meet with Rolls Royce. And I love my deliveries. I just love them the night before send a little cheeky text one more sleep and always get a reply. Oh my god, I'm so excited. And the delivery. Everyone goes our God is honoured again. You know the lights the camera, the action, bang, off we go. You know, but they'll they'll leave in tears and they just can't explain how happy they are.

Andy Follows: 1:09:29

It's wonderful Christopher so I'm thinking, the Rolls Royce family muscle of view the Rolls Royce business bustle of you because each time you create a vehicle that's got a high level of bespoke you're continuing that storyline of the bespoke King and individuality and the uniqueness and you're you're building the brand each time you sell a car because of the way you're doing it.

Christopher Hope : 1:09:54

Look correct Andy I remember I remember years ago. In Australia we have what they call the tour. poppy syndrome and it was very uncool to drive a top end luxury car because there were connotations of extreme wealth or how did you get there or what's going on and I realised that everyone that I have sold a Rolls Royce to I'm incredibly proud to know the journey of their story to be the people that they are that enables them to buy a Rolls Royce, and I'm not talking financial, I'm talking emotionally, is so powerful. And I've often got to pull myself up because I'm like Dr. Phil, I'm questioning and we're getting all emotional, and we're getting touchy feely as like, three hours have gone by this when it comes to buy carbs, and they're gone a year, whatever that's going to come. But let's keep talking. And I love getting to know these people. And then I'm constantly critiquing them. So I'm making sure any, when we do finalise on the specification of the card spot on for them, and of Anakin very, very proudly say that, to date, I've never had a delivery with a person. It's not what I expected, or it's not really what I wanted. It's always like, you've now got a kid, you know, you've just smashed out of the park and I love that. But I learned many years ago with Rolls Royce, especially, I have a social responsibility. So I don't know how many doors have open of Rolls Royces to kids to people popping in just saying, I'm just looking. I'm just looking. I remember another love this story. This guy's to come in regularly. And it was really grumpy. And he was almost rude. And one day walked in. I said, Yeah, I know. You're just looking at us keep walking. And he goes, Yeah, that's right. The next day came back with his wife and the wife goes on. Hi, I'm married to Mr. Grumpy he wants to buy that Rolls Royce. And he did. And now they're lovely friends. But I learned that I had a social responsibility to be nice to everyone to protect my brand. And by that I mean, if people start to say all Rolls Royce owners have made their wealth because of XYZ LLC. Now hang on. You don't know the people that I know you don't know the Baker's you don't know the cleaners, you don't know the florist sort of work the guts out to get to where they are. Now. Stop and think about you too, could be that person. And I've taken so many people, Andy on the empowerment journey, so many young people, as well. And I've also, I feel I've turned a lot of people around with their attitude towards luxury and wealth and success. I've seen both sides of luxury, wealth and success. And I choose to assimilate my life with the right side of that. And by that, I mean, I've seen some very, very sad people that have got a lot of money, but don't enjoy it that don't know how to express happiness with what they've gotten. I've seen some really, really sad things. But that's life, isn't it, you know, with a sum total of people we've met,

Andy Follows: 1:12:43

It sounds like you're listening to your customers, you're really, really listening. And as you say, critiquing you're probing to make sure that you're refining your understanding of what it is they're looking for. Because these are not cars that they're buying. It sounds like in many cases, this is an expression of something they have worked years and years and years career. So you know, they've done all this, to create the businesses, they got to create the wealth that they've created. That means they can enter into this now. And it's way more than a car. It is. And so you're helping them and you're doing exactly what Rolls Royce wants to do, which is to give them something very individual. And I love that. And the other thought I've had while I've been listening to your story is, I was like to see how well my guests are doing, if you like it using everything they've accumulated over the years, every bit of skill, experience, knowledge, and so on. And if there's a vendor I have not thought about it in this way before, but if there's a Venn diagram for you, there's certainly one circle, which is about people and connection and curiosity, and that there's another that's about automotive experience and understanding that world and the business side that you've got from going to the accountants and going to their Packing Company and so on. And then there's this design circle, as well, which is about really caring about design and fashion and style and personality and bring it up and there's at least three circles that you bring them together. And in the middle is you selling Rolls Royce bespoke Rolls Royces, you're getting to use all of those things. It's the perfect spot. And I love that because it's great to be able to use so much of who you are and what you've learned in your current situation. And all those stories of people being able to take their visualisation and in a few minutes knowing your way around the configurator knowing what's available and being able to spin the screen round and say is that way was that your card?

Christopher Hope : 1:14:54

I could I can give you hundreds of those stories and I won't because so many in this Many got the members just for back in. It's incredible. But it's funny, I've kept a copy of every contract of every car sold since 1989. And I think when I retire, I might write a memoir. And I'm gonna go to every contract and just make a little note and I'll put it together because the the accumulation of profiling people, and the accumulation of absorbing people's energies and rhythms, and being able to allow them to walk into a space where they're comfortable is so powerful. And it's not just cars, you know, I've got a lot of friends that I'm not going to be listening to this, that a laugh, I have a gorgeous, gorgeous company that I deal only with from my clothes. And I love the boys do and they know who they are. And I've taken so many of my friends that I sell cars to that are my friends, to be stopped by them. Some are outlandish, some are very subdued and conservative, but you give them permission to be the best example of who they are. And he you know, as I take my last breath, I will look back and go. I know, I've made a difference to a lot of people. Because a lot of people have made a difference to me.

Andy Follows: 1:16:14

I think that's my missing fourth circle. It the fourth circle is this uplifting others, lifting others up, enabling other things for people allowing them to that would be my fourth circle, because I love that.

Christopher Hope : 1:16:29

that happened to me, you know, the INGOs, the Alan Crookes, who you've interviewed as well. And the Izzy Hertzogs the Bobby Zagames, the crown people, all these, there's hundreds of these incredible people that have allowed me to be me. And that's, you've got to pay it forward, you've got to pay it forward.

Andy Follows: 1:16:47

And I can imagine your customers, the ones who have been talking to you for a couple of hours, and it's still not about a car not. And just like, you didn't want to throw their car keys on the roof of the dealership in their nice of 80 days, you're certainly able to allow them as much time as they want to tell their story and help you to understand what does this vehicle what is it going to embody for them. And you've had all that help from people and you recognise that and you're paying it forward. And wonderful. Is there anything we haven't talked about Christopher, that you think would be good to, I mean, we've covered a lot of a

Christopher Hope : 1:17:23

lot and a lot of stuff and you know, held back a lot of stuff because it can be boring and irrelevant. But um, one thing that I just loved listening to INGOs podcast, he was talking about what allowed him to be the person who was sorry, is, the person who was professionally the person he is holistically has been his gorgeous wife, Shauna, I must, must give credit to my partner, my partner, Steven, and for almost 22 years, he has been my rock, he's enabled me to be the person that I am, were polar opposites, that respectfully, he pushes me to push myself to do the things that I do. So where I'm going with this is that I feel in life. It's incredible to know yourself that it's also very rewarding to have a person beside you, that is walking with you in your journey of life. And equally to obviously give back to that person as well. Yes, I credit a lot of my being to my mother and my beautiful family, that my partner Steven has been absolutely incredibly instrumental in the person that I am. So I feel that that's a an important thing to have people in your life that you love, and you cherish and you care for, yes, ideally, a husband or wife or partner, you're going to call them that you've got to have the right people around you, you really do. And I'll look at my extended friendship circles and my family and I really am blessed.

Andy Follows: 1:18:54

I can totally second what you're saying there in terms of having someone by your side, I'm lucky enough to have that as well. And I feel blessed to have met you today to have had the opportunity to hear your story or did on Yeah.

Christopher Hope : 1:19:08

Thank you, Andy,

Andy Follows: 1:19:09

thank you for sharing it with me. It's been such a beautiful story and just hangs together. So, so Well, again, it reinforces why I always want to go back to day one. I want to know what were you like as a little boy, what were you because that's it? There's a red line that goes all the way through? I love to discover that with my guests.

Christopher Hope : 1:19:31

Yeah, it's funny. I'll close on this. Talk about a little boy at the age of two or three. I was running around a shopping centre and I ran into a box and I damaged my right eye very badly. And by the time I was eight I had surgery on my eye and I have no peripheral vision. I have virtually no vision in my right i i used to get teased a lot at school because I had a patch in my eye and all this stuff but it never detracted from the thinking oh, well that's the way it is and you just get on with life. You know, I think in life no matter what you're thrown, no matter what adversity no matter what your challenges are, and we all have them, you know, you're lying. You're kidding yourself. If you don't think you've got insecurities if you don't, don't have any issues, just be stoic, be resilient. Just keep believing in yourself believing that there is goodness out there, especially in these terrible times we're living in, look at the beauty pay it forward, smile, the power of a smile, the power of energy is critical. And that's my mantra. That's my drum. You know, don't let anything that's happened to you. define you, you define yourself

Andy Follows: 1:20:40

and that takes us right back to opening the letter with your your certificate results of when he said rights is not what he meant. It's he didn't necessarily articulate it, but it's not a defining moment, go and drive them aside. And the other thing when I other favourite bits of our conversation was about finding the good in people. So approaching every interaction thinking there's gonna be some good in this person. It's my job to identify it. And that's the way you've been able to connect with people who the rest of the street thought were not worth bothering. Were we. So thank you so much, Christopher. I've loved meeting you. Thanks for joining me today.

Christopher Hope : 1:21:18

Thanks, Andy a pleasure.

Andy Follows: 1:21:24

You've been listening to CAREER-VIEW MIRROR with me, Andy Follows depending on your unique life experience and where you find yourself right now. You'll have your own takeaways from Christopher's story, some elements that stood out for me were that phrase, there's something about you the mental image I have of Christopher as a boy who would talk to anyone in the street and find connection, his early interest in cars and design that he appreciated cars from an early age but it didn't immediately occur to him to enter the industry, how he paid attention to the behaviours of the European immigrant families and how they developed wealth, not a great student failed the high school certificate. And whilst he wasn't conventionally academic, he read books like Rich Dad Poor Dad, as a bank teller, he was able to connect with people from all walks of life and ers Gavin Disney to be his mentor. And when he did enter the industry, he wasn't into pressure selling and he stuck to his principles, and how he really has found himself at the pinnacle now being able to leverage his ability to connect and understand people, his love of fashion and design, his automotive experience and his desire to uplift others all coming together in this role. I feel privileged to share Christopher's experiences and learnings with you. If you'd like to connect with Christopher will put his contact details in the show notes to this episode. If you enjoy listening to my guest stories, please could you do me a favour and share an episode with someone you lead parent or mentor or perhaps a friend of yours who you think would also enjoy listening? Thank you to Christopher for joining me for our conversation. Thank you to our sponsors for this episode of ASKE Consulting and Aquilae and thank you to the CAREER-VIEW MIRROR team without whom we would not be able to share our guests life and career stories. And above all, thank you to you for listening