From Paratrooper to Entrepreneur: What the Army Taught Me About Business
When I joined the British Army at sixteen, I did not imagine that one day I would be running businesses in property, hospitality, sport, and marketing. At that age, my world was about learning discipline, following orders, and pushing myself further than I thought possible. The Army shaped me in ways that only make sense when I look back now. It gave me more than just a career; it gave me the foundations for everything I do in business.
I often get asked how someone goes from the Parachute Regiment to running companies. The answer is simple: the lessons are the same, only the environment changes. The uniform comes off, but the mindset remains.
Lesson one: resilience under pressure
In the Army, things rarely go to plan. Weather changes. Equipment fails. You get an order at midnight that changes everything you thought you were doing the next day. You learn quickly that setbacks are part of the process.
That resilience has carried through into business. Every entrepreneur faces setbacks. A deal falls through at the last minute. A supplier lets you down. A project runs over budget. It is easy to panic, but panic never helps. What matters is how you respond.
During my time in the Special Forces Support Group, we were trained to stay calm no matter what the situation. That same calm is essential when you are sitting in a boardroom and the numbers are not adding up, or when a planning application gets delayed. Business might not be life and death in the same way, but the discipline of resilience is exactly the same.
Lesson two: leading by example
The military teaches you that people do not follow your words, they follow your actions. As a corporal, I could not ask my section to do something I would not do myself. Respect is earned in the mud and in the cold, not just in the way you speak.
That lesson has stayed with me in every venture. Whether it is working with developers on The British Regeneration Project, or investing in Chorley Football Club, I know that people watch what you do more than what you say. If you treat people with respect, they mirror that respect back. If you cut corners, others will too.
Leading by example also means treating everyone the same. I do not see much difference between a person in a suit and someone on site in work boots. Both deserve respect. Both have skills I do not have. Both are vital to the success of a project. Business is full of people who believe titles make them important. The Army taught me that it is what you do that counts.
Lesson three: planning, preparation, execution
Military life is built on planning. Every exercise, every operation, every routine has a structure. You plan, you rehearse, you prepare for every possible outcome. Then when it is time to act, you execute quickly and with confidence.
That approach is what I bring into business. Before I invest in a new company, I research it thoroughly. I look at the market, the numbers, the risks, and the people behind it. I do not believe in gambling on ideas just because they sound good in the moment. Preparation is everything.
At Castle International, planning is the backbone of how we work with clients. Marketing is often seen as guesswork, but we rely on data and strategy before any campaign is launched. The same goes for The British Regeneration Project. You cannot step into large-scale development without proper preparation. Every site, every partner, every contract has to be mapped out carefully.
When planning is done right, execution becomes simple. You do not waste time arguing or second-guessing because everyone knows the plan.
The transition to business
When I left the Army at 27, I promised myself I would take full control of my life. I had no idea how difficult that would be. There is no manual for going from soldier to entrepreneur. You carry the lessons with you, but you also have to unlearn certain habits.
In the Army, decisions come from above. In business, you are the one making them. That shift can be overwhelming. At first, I threw myself into multiple ideas, some of which failed quickly. I learnt that resilience means not only pushing forward but also admitting when something is not working.
Over time, I found my rhythm. I realised my strength was in building partnerships and bringing people together. That is how The British Regeneration Project was born. Instead of trying to do everything alone, I created a network of landowners and developers. Today, it has a collective value of more than £2 billion and involves hundreds of partners. None of that would have happened if I had not carried over the Army lesson that no mission is completed alone.
Respect as a foundation
If I had to sum up what the Army gave me in one word, it would be respect. Respect for your team, respect for your environment, respect for the task in front of you. Without respect, nothing holds together.
That philosophy runs through everything I do. From the people I employ, to the partners I work with, to the investors who trust me with their money. Respect is not about being nice for the sake of it. It is about recognising that everyone matters.
I often hear stories of business leaders who think they need to be ruthless to succeed. In my experience, that only works for a short time. Real success comes when people want to work with you, not because they have to, but because they know you will treat them fairly.
Advice for entrepreneurs
If you are starting out in business, my advice is simple. Do not look for shortcuts. Focus on the fundamentals. Resilience, preparation, and respect will carry you further than any clever trick or quick win.
Surround yourself with people who share your values. Build a team you can trust, and never forget that you are part of that team, not above it. And remember that failure is part of the process. The important thing is what you learn from it.
When I look back on my time in uniform, I see more than just the operations and the training. I see the people, the lessons, and the mindset that carried me through. Business might seem far removed from military life, but at its core it is the same. It is about working with people, adapting to challenges, and leading with integrity.
The Army gave me the tools. Business gave me the opportunity to use them in new ways. The combination has shaped everything I am today, and everything I hope to build in the future.