Nick Jones: How I Founded Soho House; Brand Marketing Tips; Hiring Advice | 20VC #898

1. 0:00 – 1:45

   How did you get into catering?

   1. HSHarry Stebbings0:00

      (instrumental music plays) Three, two, one, zero. You have now arrived at your destination. Nick, this is such a joy to do. As I said, I've been a, a long-term frequenter, admirer of many of your establishments for many years. So thank you so much for joining me today, Nick.

   2. NJNick Jones0:18

      Well, I'm, I'm really honored that you asked me on, Harry. Um, I'm touched.

   3. HSHarry Stebbings0:22

      Not at all, I've been really looking forward... I've been really looking forward to this one. So, I wanna start, um, with a little bit (laughs) of an interesting one, which is, you know, how did you make the decision to go into catering? I read that you said it was a shit job at the time when you went in, (laughs) delicately put.

   4. NJNick Jones0:36

      (laughs)

   5. HSHarry Stebbings0:36

      So, how and why did you make that decision? And then also, what was that first big break for you?

   6. NJNick Jones0:41

      Okay. Well, the reason why I went into catering was twofold. A, um, my options were small because my exam results were nonexistent, and I was very dyslexic. So, all those jobs in the city or in the media were way beyond my, um, qualifications allowed me. So... But also catering. There's... You're, you're thinking 45 years ago here, Harry. I know you, you're... I, I, I'm 58 now. And, uh, it was a time where, certainly in the UK, th- I felt that there was a huge opportunity, um, in, in, in people being able to eat, drink, and sleep in a slightly different way than what they were able to do at that precise time. And I also always enjoyed, you know, when my parents had people round. I loved seeing a room of people, full of people having a really good time. So, you know, there was sort of three reasons why I did it.

   7. HSHarry Stebbings1:42

      Can I ask you a weird one? And I told you we'd go off-topic, but-

2. 1:45 – 2:42

   Did you always know you’d be successful?

   1. HSHarry Stebbings1:45

   2. NJNick Jones1:45

      (laughs)

   3. HSHarry Stebbings1:45

      ... did you, did you always know that you'd be successful? I find often there's this innate belief that you will make it. Did you have this?

   4. NJNick Jones1:53

      No, I didn't.

   5. HSHarry Stebbings1:55

      (laughs)

   6. NJNick Jones1:55

      And (laughs) , and, you know, because I was at school, and, and, and when you're dyslexic, you, you're, you're, you're the bottom of everything. So, you, you, you, you don't expect success. And I wasn't particularly... I wasn't a... I wasn't good at sport. I wasn't very good at art. Um, yeah, I was a sort of below average at everything. So, I didn't think success was, was there for me to grab. Um, and, and i- it didn't really worry me. I, I, and I still think even now, you know, I, I do it because I love it. And I'm lucky to love the job I do. And I... People perceive me, you know, that I've done well, but I don't perceive that in myself.

3. 2:42 – 4:38

   When did you know the business was working?

   1. NJNick Jones2:42

   2. HSHarry Stebbings2:42

      Can I ask, when did it become very obvious that it was working? When was the first signs that, "Ah, we really have something here, and this is a runner"?

   3. NJNick Jones2:49

      Well, first of all, I did have three restaurants before opening Cafe Boheme, which were called Over the Top.

   4. HSHarry Stebbings2:56

      Mm-hmm.

   5. NJNick Jones2:57

      And they didn't work. So I really got to know what it felt like running a business when it didn't work. And actually, it's still the same company. Uh, it's still the, th- the, the, the company today is still that same company. So, it, it, it never went bust. But I really did learn what it felt like getting it wrong. And-

   6. HSHarry Stebbings3:18

      W- how did it feel? I'm sorry, I'm too intrigued.

   7. NJNick Jones3:21

      It felt... I didn't feel like a failure. I just felt that I, I have to keep trying, keep rolling the dice until I get it right. And there's... And I, I think it, it came at a really good time for me, because I think if I had set out, and the first restaurant I opened was a smash hit, and there were queues, and people were raving about it, you know, I, I, I, I, I, I would have never have had that incredibly useful experience of, of running a business which wasn't working. So, I sort of look back and I think, yes, it was the right way of it happening. And also, learnt a lot. Learnt how, you know, you keep s- the team motivated when the place is going so badly. You, you learn how you pay suppliers (laughs) when you have very little money. Uh, you learn all sorts of things. And I think I've taken all the things I've learned and not been a success, you know, to, to, to where I am now.

   8. HSHarry Stebbings4:23

      I, I, I think the kind of biggest commonality, I've interviewed some of the biggest founders in the world, in their success is persistence. It's when it doesn't work, continuously showing up and putting in the work.

   9. NJNick Jones4:33

      (laughs)

   10. HSHarry Stebbings4:33

       Uh, my question to you is, when it wasn't working, what did you tell yourself in your head

4. 4:38 – 5:43

   How do you motivate yourself through failure?

   1. HSHarry Stebbings4:38

      that was keeping you showing up, keeping you believing that it one day would work?

   2. NJNick Jones4:42

      Well, persistence is... I am persistent (laughs) , um, which is quite an annoying, I think, feature of my personality. But I, I, I, I, I, I knew that people wanted to eat and drink, and have a good time. So, I just knew that what I was doing at that precise moment wasn't, wasn't, wasn't what, exactly what they wanted. So, I kept having to work at what people wanted. And when we opened Cafe Boheme, when I opened Cafe Boheme in 1992, I sort of did everything in exact reverse to what Over the Top was. You know, the, the, the atmosphere, the décor, the food, the, the service. I, I completely, um, swapped it around and changed it around. And thankfully, Cafe Boheme, which is still thriving in Old Compton Street today, 30 years on, is, is, is worked.

   3. HSHarry Stebbings5:36

      I, I, I do want to ask you, so you mentioned that kind of turning it around, doing different things, and, and being kind of very different in your approach. When we look at

5. 5:43 – 7:01

   What consumers want - 1992 vs today

   1. HSHarry Stebbings5:43

      kind of Cafe Boheme in 1992 to what consumers expect today, how has consumer demands of restaurants, of experience most changed in your mind when you compare that '92 to today?

   2. NJNick Jones5:57

      Well, that's a good question, that. Because I think in '92 when I opened Cafe Boheme, it was one of the first places in London which opened at eight o'clock in the morning and closed at 3:00 AM.... in the, in the following morning. And basically, people could come in there and choose what they wanted to do, so it was very chameleon in its, in its, its feel and style. So we didn't mind, I didn't mind people just coming in for a cup of coffee or a jug of beer, or coming to listen to the jazz in the afternoon. It, it didn't matter if... I wasn't obsessed about everyone having to have a knife and fork meal. It was about the atmosphere, it's about letting people choose. And also, having a kitchen, which back 30 years ago is quite a rare thing, which was open all the time. So people could go in at 4:00 in the afternoon and have a steak frites, or they could have something at midnight or 2:00 A.M. in the morning, or they could have breakfast in the morning. So it was a now, thankfully, there's lots of places like that.

   3. HSHarry Stebbings7:00

      Totally.

6. 7:01 – 8:07

   How has the experiential consumer changed?

   1. HSHarry Stebbings7:01

      Uh, can I ask, how has the experiential consumer changed life? And what I mean by that is the Instagram generation, the vanity that is so inherent within everyone, the photo needs. Has that changed-

   2. NJNick Jones7:14

      Yeah.

   3. HSHarry Stebbings7:14

      ... your approach?

   4. NJNick Jones7:14

      Well, not really. I, uh, uh, I mean, I think, first of all, the customer is always incredibly smart, you know. They know what's good, they know what's bad. You can never, ever fool, you know, uh, any, any customer, you know, uh, when you, when you actually see... So Instagram might blow something up quicker, but actually, the customer, if it's not, um, good and it's not consistent, they won't come back, and they will tell people they're not gonna come back, and they will... The, the best way to have a successful restaurant, café, private member's club is to try and make it good.

   5. HSHarry Stebbings7:54

      No, I, I totally agree. Uh, uh, um, word of mouth is everything. I wanted to touch on a couple of points where I think, you know, you've just absolutely nailed it so well, and then we'll, we'll kind of touch on some points that you think you've nailed

7. 8:07 – 9:38

   How do you think about brand?

   1. HSHarry Stebbings8:07

      it on. Uh, I, for me, the most striking really is also brand. Uh, again, the brands that you've built are iconic. How do you think about brand today, and what does brand really mean to you? 'Cause it's thrown around as a word a lot, but few people, I think, actually understand it. What does brand-

   2. NJNick Jones8:23

      Well-

   3. HSHarry Stebbings8:23

      ... mean to you?

   4. NJNick Jones8:24

      ... I don't really like the word brand. I, I, I, I like to think that it's what we're doing at Soho House and, and ultimately the MCG, is just a way of living really. It's a, it's a, you know, it's just, you know, we tapped into a, a, a situation that people like living in that certain sort of way. And I, I, I think when you look at it, there's a lot of people who want to live in that certain sort of way. And it doesn't matter whether it's in the UK or it's in North America. And as we're finding as we grow globally, that way of living is very, you know, appealing in Rome or Paris. And so, I know people call it a brand, and I know, um, Soho House, they called it as a brand, but I, I feel it is as, is, is really is a home away from home, and we care deeply, and we care deeply about our member.

   5. HSHarry Stebbings9:17

      I, I totally get you, and I like that, it's a way of living. Um, my question I always have, I know (laughs) I'm, I'm being kind of difficult here, but you know, given that you don't like the term brand, but it is a brand in some respects-

   6. NJNick Jones9:30

      Yeah, true.

   7. HSHarry Stebbings9:30

      ... and it's a lu- and it's a luxury brand, as a private member's club-

   8. NJNick Jones9:33

      Yeah.

   9. HSHarry Stebbings9:33

      ... as well and, and others. My challenge is always, how do you retain exclusivity

8. 9:38 – 11:08

   How do you retain exclusivity with scale?

   1. HSHarry Stebbings9:38

      luxury with scale? Now we're in many cities around the world, we have so many locations.

   2. NJNick Jones9:45

      Well, it... Yeah, I, uh, that, that's a good question, and it's a question that people have been asking me ever since I went from one to two to two to three. And the way that I, I answer that is, "What our member loves is more houses." They love it. You know, when I say to you, Harry, "We're opening in Paris," you don't look at me and go, "Why the hell did you do that? That's just suddenly taken the shine off what I thought it was." You know, we, we're going into cities where we are attracting the most interesting, um, interesting, decent, kind people with a creative soul in these cities. And so, as we, as we grow, we're growing that membership globally, which just adds everything for an existing member. So an existing member m- doesn't go, "Oh, you're opening nine new houses this year," or, "You're opening... You, you're gonna have up to be 85 houses in the next three years." They go, "This is fantastic," because, you know, when we eventually get into Africa, when we properly get into Asia, when we open in Mexico City, when we open in, in Sao Paolo, you as a member, we keep adding value to your membership, because you're having a home away from home in many cities around the world.

9. 11:08 – 12:02

   What was the hardest stage of expansion?

   1. HSHarry Stebbings11:08

      You mentioned moving from one to two, three to four, four to five, 10 to 20, what, when you reflect, what was the hardest stage of expansion?

   2. NJNick Jones11:17

      Oh, uh, opening in New York. There was no doubt about that.

   3. HSHarry Stebbings11:20

      Why? Why so?

   4. NJNick Jones11:21

      Because it was, it was incredibly challenging, because, you know, I was, you know, I, I was... I had to raise money to do it. Um, it was at the time when, you know, banks weren't lending money. It was going into a city which didn't really n- understand... Well, they did understand it, but they didn't acknowledge what a private member's club was. They thought, you know, they, they, that that was not something of, you know, interest to them. They, they... So going into New York and trying to get it built, trying to get it open, you know, that, that really nearly took us down.

10. 12:02 – 13:15

    How do you choose cities?

    1. NJNick Jones12:02

    2. HSHarry Stebbings12:02

       Can I ask, in terms of like, the city selection, how do you think about city selection in terms of what comes next? I'm too fascinated. You said about Asia, you said about Africa, you said about, you know, Mexico City. How does that prioritization list on expansion look?

    3. NJNick Jones12:15

       Well-You know, I talked about 85 cities that we will be in in the next three to four years, and ... But at the moment, we already have a presence in all those cities through our membership, CWH, which is basically, as it says on the tin, Cities Without Houses. So within those 85 cities, we already have membership. We already have membership events. We have membership representation in all of those cities. And what happens in those cities is the, the member then finds the ... Your, your CWH member then finds you the perfect house. They then hook you up with the local developer. They hook you up with all the things that you need to make that house work. So ... And also, we can tell by CWH how, how popular or how ... what need there is for a certain house in that city by how many CWH members there are.

    4. HSHarry Stebbings13:10

       I, I think one of the things I love so much is also the storytelling that comes with a lot of it. Um,

11. 13:15 – 14:25

    What makes great storytelling?

    1. HSHarry Stebbings13:15

       but I think entrepreneurs today, you mentioned kind of raising money, a lot of raising money is storytelling. Um, I think entrepreneurs today are actually pretty shit at storytelling, sadly. Um, how do you think about storytelling today, and what makes great storytelling for you?

    2. NJNick Jones13:30

       Well, I think great s- storytelling is simplicity. And I think, I think anything in life, and I ... and I think that's one advantage I have from being dyslexic, well, is, is the fact that I have to simplify everything. Otherwise, I get very confused and I get in a bit of a panic. So, to me, simplification, whether it's in design, or whether it's food on a plate, or whether it's in a, a, a tech stack, or whether it's in anything we do, needs to be incredibly simple. And I think when you keep your story simple, people do understand it, and I think if you make it over-complicated and you add too many layers, then people get very confused.

    3. HSHarry Stebbings14:10

       Can I ask you, I, I'm ... Uh, I'm an investor obviously, too. You know, we manage about half a billion dollars now. Um, I can't really count. I hate spreadsheets. Um, and it makes me desperately insecure because I'm an investor-

    4. NJNick Jones14:23

       (clears throat)

    5. HSHarry Stebbings14:24

       ... who can't count.

12. 14:25 – 15:33

    Do you have insecurities?

    1. HSHarry Stebbings14:25

    2. NJNick Jones14:25

       Yeah.

    3. HSHarry Stebbings14:25

       Did you have insecurities given the dyslexia and given that, but also needing to be a business leader and a CEO with, you know, big financing rounds and everything that comes with it?

    4. NJNick Jones14:38

       Yes. Um, you know, I, I, I learn every day. You know, um, I keep learning. I think that's one of the exciting things of running a company. I think if I sat here and said, "Well, I know everything and I'm gonna do it that way," I'm constantly learning, um, and I, I, I really f- find it fascinating to learn. And I'm, I'm, I'm ... I sort of do understand the figures, but it took me time to understand them and it took me, um, time to get when I go back to Over the Top, you know, I had to do the accounts myself. So, you know, it's from a very early stage of ... In our business, I had to do every bit of it, so you learn every single aspect to it. But as we got bigger now, I'm, I'm blessed by the fact that we have a fantastic leadership team who are incredibly talented and a lot more able than I am

13. 15:33 – 16:57

    How would you describe your leadership style?

    1. NJNick Jones15:33

       in all these areas.

    2. HSHarry Stebbings15:34

       Uh, you mentioned leadership teams there. How would you describe your style of leadership, and, I guess, how has it changed over the years? Go back to '92, you know, Café Bohème, and then today, 2022, how do you describe it today-

    3. NJNick Jones15:48

       I-

    4. HSHarry Stebbings15:48

       ... and how has it changed?

    5. NJNick Jones15:48

       I think, I think my leadership style is constantly evolving. Um, you know, I think probably back in 1992, you know, I was, I was very different from now, and, you know, I've, I've, I've, I've learned hard to work how to get ... how to, how to be the most influential I can be in my ... in, in the position, you know, of the company. And so it keeps evolving. Um, yeah, I am very challenging, you know, I'm demanding. Um, you know, I, I don't want to say I'm, you know, I'm, I'm, I'm Mr. Nice Guy all the time 'cause, you know, you, you, you, you, you, you, you can't be when you're ... you, you ... when you're, when, when you're ex- ... you're running a day-to-day business which is running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, globally. Um, but I've ... I find now, I, I, I ... you know, motivation and b- being motivational is the biggest, biggest help I have in running the company. But at the same time, I'm very challenging on people.

    6. HSHarry Stebbings16:55

       When you say about being challenging,

14. 16:57 – 17:45

    What does high performance mean to you?

    1. HSHarry Stebbings16:57

       I, I think about performance. And if I say the words high performance, what does high performance mean to you?

    2. NJNick Jones17:04

       What does high performance mean to me? I would ... You know, we got lots of brilliant people who work for, for VMCG. You know, I, I, I, I, I, I get far too many sort of people thinking it's me. It's not. You know, I'm just one very, very small cli- clog in a very big, big team of people. And, you know, high performance to me is, is, is people with passion, who care, who care about people, um, who care about the product, and I think if you get a- all those Ps sorted out, then the fourth P, which is profit, comes.

    3. HSHarry Stebbings17:44

       I, I, I'm totally

15. 17:45 – 19:06

    Advice on hiring

    1. HSHarry Stebbings17:45

       with you. I just suck at hiring, Nick. (laughs) Um, I've had many different businesses, I've had many team members, employees, and I just, across the board, suck.

    2. NJNick Jones17:54

       (laughs)

    3. HSHarry Stebbings17:54

       And you have a great leadership team, you've built great teams. Can you help me? What's, like, some of your biggest lessons, advice, on hiring?

    4. NJNick Jones18:01

       Oh, I, I, I, I, I haven't always got it right on hiring. Uh, I think, you know, interviews are, are really difficult. You know, after all, it's just a play act, isn't it? And-

    5. HSHarry Stebbings18:12

       Yeah.

    6. NJNick Jones18:12

       ... and actually, you never really find out until someone joins you. Um, I, I ... We, we do a lot of internal-... promotion, and I think, you know, that, that helps us a lot, that we're always constantly... You know, people come into our business as a server. You know, if they want to be, it's not long before they're a junior manager, and it's not long after that that they can be actually running a site or moving into numerous sites globally. So, I, I, I, I think it's a mixture of promos- promoting within and then bringing in people from the outside, and, and, and just being honest with people when you interview them. You know, just tell them that, you know, you think you're joining this, this, this place which is all shiny and perfect, but actually, you know, it's hard work to make this work.

    7. HSHarry Stebbings19:05

       I think one thing I find very

16. 19:06 – 20:02

    How do you bring in external talent?

    1. HSHarry Stebbings19:06

       challenging is how do you bring in external talent without disincentivizing or demotivating existing talent who did think that it was a role that they could have? That's one thing I always struggle on. How do you think about that one?

    2. NJNick Jones19:20

       Well, I, I think if you do that, I think it's, it's because you really don't think... You, you'd much rather, I much rather would promote within. So if you end up having to go to the outside to bring in rather than promote within, it means that the person isn't right, but it doesn't mean they're not always right. So I think, again, if you're clear and honest with the person who hasn't got the job and the reasons why they're not getting the job, then that is all right.

    3. HSHarry Stebbings19:52

       I, I agree with you. I think, I think, um... I, my, my thing is I'm conflict-avoidant, um, (laughs) and so I never like to say the hard truths, honestly.

    4. NJNick Jones20:01

       (laughs)

17. 20:02 – 20:30

    How do you have hard conversations?

    1. NJNick Jones20:02

    2. HSHarry Stebbings20:02

       Um, how do you have hard conversations, Nick?

    3. NJNick Jones20:05

       I think people do respect you just being, you know, if, if... just to tell you how it is. And I think I've learned over the years of what I'm doing that I can do that without, without it being, you know, something I, I try and avoid. So, I think you can get to A to B much quicker by ju- just being a bit upfront and a bit honest, rather than, than

18. 20:30 – 21:30

    Lessons from hiring mistakes

    1. NJNick Jones20:30

       not saying a word.

    2. HSHarry Stebbings20:32

       Are there any other hiring mistakes that you've made that you think, "Ah, that was a big lesson. I wish I'd known that."

    3. NJNick Jones20:38

       I, I, I think over the years there's been numerous hiring mistakes. Um, and all... You know, an- and that's not just down to me making a mistake. It's, it's, uh, it's, it's... You know, it's, it's... it's a, a number of reasons why something doesn't work if someone joins you. And, and, and it, it's actually more likely to be our mistake, because, you know, people come into the business and they go, "God, this is not quite what I was expecting," or, "It's a bit harder work than I was expecting," or this or that. So, I think what you have to be when you're hiring people is very, very clear. You know, you just go through, "Right. H- here are all the reasons why you might not want to join us, and listen." And, you know, and then if you're honest like that, they can go, "Okay. Well, at least, at least they told me."

    4. HSHarry Stebbings21:25

       Uh, listen, I, I totally agree with you in terms of the honesty there. You said about the challenging

19. 21:30 – 22:55

    Are you challenging on yourself?

    1. HSHarry Stebbings21:30

       nature that, you know, you have with the team and you like to push. Are you challenging on yourself? Do you ever give yourself a break, Nick? I know you love it. I love what I do, but I put myself under a fuckload of pressure. (laughs) I'm sure you do too.

    2. NJNick Jones21:43

       Uh, I, I, I often don't get it right, Harry. I often, you know, make a... make mistakes, and I think the one thing I've, I've learned is that when you do make a mistake, just put your hand up, admit it, admit it to the team. You know, don't try and think you're always getting it right. And, and I think people really respect that, and they, they go, you know, "He's, you know, he's human and he's admitting that he's wrong," 'cause, um, I am often wrong, and I make decisions which are not always right. And I think the key is when you make a bad decision, is put your hand up, say, "Look, I'm sorry. I made a bad decision and let's change track now," rather than being, "I'm so... I made that decision. I don't want to prove to... I want to prove to everyone it's the right decision," when clearly it's the wrong decision. So, you know, it's, uh, it's, uh, something I'm always learning.

    3. HSHarry Stebbings22:36

       But that, that's down to you as a leader, which is you have to create an environment of safety where someone can feel secure enough to say, "Nick, I fucked up. It's my bad. Um, and here's the resolution pathway." And not many people feel safe enough in their roles where they can say, "I fucked up," and try and hide it because they're too scared.

20. 22:55 – 23:56

    How do you create a sense of safety within your leadership team?

    1. HSHarry Stebbings22:55

       How do you think about creating safety and acceptance of failure and risk within your leadership team without repercussions of you're fired or serious repercussions?

    2. NJNick Jones23:07

       Well, uh, it's a, it's a, it's a good point, um, 'cause people don't... You know, when they're in a job, they don't wanna... if they make a mistake or... They, they, they don't want to necessarily put their hand up and say, "It was my fault," or whatever. But actually, the weird thing from my point of view, that just gains a lot more respect for me, you know?

    3. HSHarry Stebbings23:26

       Yeah.

    4. NJNick Jones23:26

       'Cause it's, it's, it's acknowledgment and moving on is really important, and so we do... I talk about it a lot. I talk about, you know, the, the, the, the, the, the, the safety they have just to just own up to the... any problems which, which, which, which, which, which might have happened or, or mistakes they might have made. Um, but it's, uh, it's always work in progress.

    5. HSHarry Stebbings23:52

       Yeah. No, I, I'm totally with you. I mean, speaking of, uh, work in progress,

21. 23:56 – 25:22

    What does great fatherhood means to you?

    1. HSHarry Stebbings23:56

       I do just wanna touch on parenting before a quickfire round. It's obviously a cool part of, uh, your life and, and, and many incredible entrepreneurs' lives. When you think about parenting and fatherhood, what have been some of your biggest lessons in terms of what great fatherhood means to you?

    2. NJNick Jones24:12

       Well, what great fatherhood means to me? Um, I got four children. Um, you know, I'm very lucky that, um... You know, I have a... I get on with them all very well. I, (laughs) I love being in their company. I think they like being in my company. Um...... I think I have a super smart wife and a brilliant mother, which makes up a lot for, for my, my, my, probably my lack of, um, direct parenting. And I think when, when, when I'm at home, you know, I ... and I've come home from, from, from running, running, running the business day-to-day, I, I, I sort of want to just sort of go into a slightly different mode. (laughs) I want to be less challenging. And so, you know, but I, (clears throat) I, I think from my, my children's point of view is, is, you know, learn to be decent and kind and, and, and get on with people and, and learn to go out and work and, and, and, you know, that seems to have worked so far.

    3. HSHarry Stebbings25:18

       Can I ask? I, I love children, but I'm terrified that, bluntly,

22. 25:22 – 27:10

    How do you balance work and family?

    1. HSHarry Stebbings25:22

       when you have kids, you know, we ... I work fucking hard. Like, you-

    2. NJNick Jones25:27

       (laughs)

    3. HSHarry Stebbings25:27

       ... you cannot have children and be a great father without losing an inch on performance. That terrifies me, um, and my Italian girlfriend. Uh, so-

    4. NJNick Jones25:38

       (laughs)

    5. HSHarry Stebbings25:38

       ... my question to you (laughs) is, like, how do you retain that brilliant executor without losing an inch on performance, but also be present as a husband and a, and a father?

    6. NJNick Jones25:50

       Well, I think-

    7. HSHarry Stebbings25:50

       Or actually, is it an acceptance that you can't?

    8. NJNick Jones25:52

       I think a, you know, balance is always a tricky thing, especially when you're, you know, workaholic entrepreneur, you know. You, you ... It is a, you know, just getting a balance. I, I think acknowledging being a workaholic, and I think, you know, people ... I, I think, and, and I think this is really important for people, is that, is that people often sort of, um, sort of praise people who work incredibly hard. But actually, what they should be doing is saying, "Well, surely you should be getting a bit more balance in your life, 'cause that's a lot more healthy." And, and I think, you know, what you've got to learn, Harry, I think, is a balance, and you've got to be able to learn a time to slow down and, and, and enjoy family. Because, you know, that, to me, is, is, is, is much more important.

    9. HSHarry Stebbings26:45

       Do you have balance, Nick?

    10. NJNick Jones26:47

        I'm learning it every day.

    11. HSHarry Stebbings26:48

        (laughs)

    12. NJNick Jones26:49

        Uh, and, and, and, and, uh, you know, I, I, I, I, I wish at times I had better balance on, on, on, on, between the two, but I ... You know, it's, it's ... I'm always learning it.

    13. HSHarry Stebbings27:02

        Do you think there's any misconceptions that people have about you? Media, um, and people generally build ideas about,

23. 27:10 – 27:51

    Do people have misconceptions about you?

    1. HSHarry Stebbings27:10

       you know, more well-known figures. Um, do you think people have misconceptions about you that you don't think are true, or that you think are maybe different?

    2. NJNick Jones27:20

       Um, I'm sure. Um, you know, I'm, I, I, I am ... I've, I've got a lot of people who work for me, and all been m- my partners for a very, very long time, so, you know, I'd like to think that they would, they would point out anything that I needed to, to, to, to change or swap around. Um, but, you know, everyone's very much entitled to their opinion, and I, and I usually ... and I love meeting people, so, you know ... And I always make time for anyone who does want to meet me.

    3. HSHarry Stebbings27:49

       Fin- the final one for

24. 27:51 – 29:05

    How do you deal with tough feedback?

    1. HSHarry Stebbings27:51

       the quick-fire. Do you find tough feedback hard to take?

    2. NJNick Jones27:54

       (snorts)

    3. HSHarry Stebbings27:54

       Like, for me, if someone doesn't like a show or doesn't like something that I do, I, I take it very personally. Do you, when you get feedback on a location that's not great, or negative, even, how, how do you ingest it without getting hurt?

    4. NJNick Jones28:08

       Well, I, I think, first of all, feedback that we get from our members comes from a place of they care, so it's really important for me, you know, to put that in context and not get upset. You know, I'm passionate, so yes, you, you, you ... when you're not getting it right, you get upset. But you don't get upset at the actual feedback. You get upset that maybe they got a point and you got it wrong. So, you know, I, I, I encourage as honest and brutal feedback as possible.

    5. HSHarry Stebbings28:39

       Yep. No, listen, I, I totally agree. I'm just learning to not get very offended and hurt. (laughs)

    6. NJNick Jones28:45

       Well, you know-

    7. HSHarry Stebbings28:45

       And cry in the bathroom.

    8. NJNick Jones28:46

       You, I, I, I think, you know, it, it ... you're always ... 'cause he cares and I care, so it's always gonna slightly hurt.

    9. HSHarry Stebbings28:55

       Right. We're gonna do a quick fire round, so I say a short statement, Nick, and then you give me your immediate thoughts in 60 seconds or less per one, okay?

    10. NJNick Jones29:02

        Okay.

    11. HSHarry Stebbings29:03

        So let's start with, what was, what

25. 29:05 – 29:21

    Hardest element of your role

    1. HSHarry Stebbings29:05

       is the hardest element today of your role?

    2. NJNick Jones29:09

       I, I've ... Is, is keeping the team motivated and, and happy and thinking that they, they've, they've got a really successful future.

26. 29:21 – 29:44

    What changes when you go public?

    1. HSHarry Stebbings29:21

       What changes when you go public? What changes when you have to be a public market CEO?

    2. NJNick Jones29:27

       I think you're a lot more exposed. Um, you know, you, you, you, your, your team, you know, are under more pressure, and ... But at the same time, I think it's good. I think it's, I, I think being a public CEO is, you know, a happy investor and a happy

27. 29:44 – 30:44

    What would you like to change about hospitality industry?

    1. NJNick Jones29:44

       member go hand in hand.

    2. HSHarry Stebbings29:46

       Tell me, what would you most like to change about the hospitality world today?

    3. NJNick Jones29:51

       I would love everyone to realize that it's such a brilliant industry to go into, and I think the perception is that it's still not. And I think, you know, I think going into hospitality, you learn skills that you keep for the whole of your life, w- whether it's, you know, meeting people and getting on with different people you wouldn't ever otherwise be in contact with, learning how to make a cocktail, making a bed, learning how to pick up a load of plates and clearing a table. These are skills you can have whatever you go off and do in life. So, I just wish everyone, in their, in their mind, thought, "I've always gotta do two years as a, as a bartender or a server."

    4. HSHarry Stebbings30:29

       What would you most like your children to adopt, if there were three traits that you could choose?

    5. NJNick Jones30:35

       I think ...... kind, kindness, decency, um, and, and a, a decent ethic of work.

28. 30:44 – 31:42

    Billboard anywhere in the world, what does it say?

    1. HSHarry Stebbings30:44

       Yeah. Tell me, you'd have a billboard anywhere in the world, with anything on it, where do you choose to have it, and what do you have on the billboard?

    2. NJNick Jones30:53

       Um, I think it's the billboard, board I look at most, which is on Sunset, um, from-

    3. HSHarry Stebbings30:59

       Mm-hmm.

    4. NJNick Jones30:59

       ... Soho House, West Hollywood. Um, it's on the side of 9000. So that would be the billboard I'd have. Um, what would I have on it? Um, I'd have on it (clears throat) , um, something which made everyone smile as they drove past.

    5. HSHarry Stebbings31:16

       What's your favorite location?

    6. NJNick Jones31:20

       Every location is a favorite location-

    7. HSHarry Stebbings31:22

       (laughs) .

    8. NJNick Jones31:22

       ... because every, every, every location is, is as much work as h- the last location.

    9. HSHarry Stebbings31:29

       Which one's your favorite child? No, I'm kidding. (laughs) . I'd love it if you could tell that one, but not the favorite location. (laughs) .

    10. NJNick Jones31:36

        Um, yeah.

    11. HSHarry Stebbings31:37

        Uh, I- I- I-

    12. NJNick Jones31:37

        They're, they're, they're, they're, they're all my favorite children.

    13. HSHarry Stebbings31:40

        I, I, I am joking. Don't worry.

29. 31:42 – 32:42

    Where do you see Soho House in 10 years?

    1. HSHarry Stebbings31:42

       Uh, final one for you. Tell me, the next 10 years for you and for Soho House, it's 2032 and we have another conversation, where do you want Soho House to be then?

    2. NJNick Jones31:54

       I'd like it to be properly global. Um, I want it to be a place, an inclusive place where anyone with a creative soul, um, can come and flourish. And that we constantly are looking in every part of a community to, to, to help people, not just socially, but also at work and professionally to, to flourish.

    3. HSHarry Stebbings32:24

       Nick, this has been such a joy for me to do. As I said, uh, huge, huge admirer of yours for a long time, so I jumped at the chance when Dusty suggested this. But thank you so much for joining me today.

    4. NJNick Jones32:33

       Well, thank you very much for having me on. I'm, I'm, I'm, I was honored with the invite, so thank you, Harry.

Episode duration: 32:47