The Good Listening To Show: Stories of Distinction & Genius
"If you tell your Story 'out loud' then you're much more likely to LIVE it out loud" and that's what this show is for: To help you to tell your Story - 'get it out there' - and reach a large global audience as you do so. It's the Storytelling Show in which I invite movers, makers, shakers, mavericks, influencers and also personal heroes into a 'Clearing' (or 'serious happy place') of my Guest's choosing, to all share with us their stories of 'Distinction & Genius'. Think "Desert Island Discs" but in a 'Clearing' and with Stories rather than Music. Cutting through the noise of other podcasts, this is the storytelling show with the squirrels & the tree, from "MojoCoach", Facilitator & Motivational Comedian Chris Grimes. With some lovely juicy Storytelling metaphors to enjoy along the way: A Clearing, a Tree, a lovely juicy Storytelling exercise called '5-4-3-2-1', some Alchemy, some Gold, a couple of random Squirrels, a cheeky bit of Shakespeare, a Golden Baton and a Cake! So it's all to play for! "Being in 'The Good listening To Show' is like having a 'Day Spa' for your Brain!" So - let's cut through the noise and get listening! Show website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com See also www.secondcurve.uk + www.instantwit.co.uk + www.chrisgrimes.uk Twitter/Instagram @thatchrisgrimes
The Good Listening To Show: Stories of Distinction & Genius
Bish-Bash-Bosh: The No-Nonsense Guide to Business Success with Charlie Mullins, a.k.a 'The Pimlico Plumber', who Sold Pimlico Plumbers for £140 Million to now rise like a Phoenix and Go Again, as Chairman of WeFix London
Charlie Mullins, founder of Pimlico Plumbers and now chairman of We Fix London, shares his extraordinary journey from council estate kid to selling his plumbing empire for £140 million and starting again with a new venture.
What happens when a working-class kid with no qualifications sells a plumbing empire for £140 million, then decides to start all over again? Charlie Mullins, the unmistakable founder of Pimlico Plumbers (often compared to Rod Stewart), takes us on an exhilarating journey through his remarkable life story - from council estate beginnings to entrepreneurial legend.
Charlie's story begins with a chance encounter that changed everything. As a young boy growing up in a rough London neighborhood, he met Bill Ellis - a local plumber with a car, motorbike, nice clothes, and money. That moment planted the seed for what would become a lifelong passion. "Where I am today is due to one guy just explaining to me what he does and how he makes his money," Charlie reflects. This early inspiration shows how powerful visible role models can be for young people seeking a path forward.
Despite leaving school at 15 with no qualifications, Charlie built Pimlico Plumbers into London's most recognized service company before selling it for £140 million. But rather than retiring to Marbella, his entrepreneurial spirit couldn't be contained. After a three-year non-compete clause expired, he launched We Fix London in October 2024, determined to outdo his former company with the personal touch and family feel he believes has been lost under corporate ownership. As Charlie puts it with his characteristic directness: "It's all about the relationship, stupid!" His "bish bash bosh" approach prioritizes transparency, quality, and personal service in a world increasingly dominated by automation and AI.
Charlie's refreshing philosophy challenges conventional wisdom about success. "You don't need brains to be successful," he insists, championing qualities like drive, enthusiasm, and work ethic instead. His passionate advocacy for apprenticeships and trades offers an alternative narrative to university education: "Get an apprenticeship with a trade, you'll never be out of work and you'll earn loads of money." Ready to fix your future? Charlie Mullins shows it's never too late to rise like a phoenix and build something extraordinary.
• How growing up on a council estate motivated Charlie to work hard and create a different life
• Boxing as a formative experience that taught discipline and resilience
• The value of apprenticeships and trades as pathways to success without academic qualifications
• Charlie's philosophy that "a man who never made a mistake never made nothing"
If you'd like advice from Charlie about starting or growing a business, reach out through his website or social
Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'. If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.
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Thanks for listening!
Welcome to another episode of the Good Listening To Show your life and times with me, chris Grimes, the storytelling show that features the Clearing, where all good questions come to get asked and all good stories come to be told, and where all my guests have two things in common they're all creative individuals and all with an interesting story to tell. There are some lovely storytelling metaphors a clearing, a tree, a juicy storytelling exercise called 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, some alchemy, some gold, a cheeky bit of Shakespeare and a cake. So it's all to play for. So, yes, welcome to the Good Listening To Show your life and times with me. Chris Grimes, are you sitting comfortably? Then we shall begin. Boom, we're here at last. This is, I'm delighted to say, at last, charlie Mullins, aka the Pimlico Plumber, now the chair of we Fix London and, if you'll excuse me, just bantering about the well, the joy and the struggle and the slight comedy. We've had to get to this point. Charlie, you're a very busy man, I get that, and this has been the fifth. I'm going to be a bit cheeky. This is the fifth call out for the plumber Boom. I'm going to be a bit cheeky. This is the fifth call out for the plumber Boom. But yeah, and you've been.
Speaker 1:I know that in time I saw you present beautifully at the Entrepreneurs Circle, the Entrepreneurs Convention. That happened a few months ago and as we met, I was there as a VIP, not because I'm very important. I paid a bit of extra, which got a cheesy handshake with the boom tastic speakers, of which you were one, and then I really got intrigued by how you presented what you said. Um, you're somebody who speaks common sense in a world where it ain't that common is what you feed on. Yeah, I'm also hoping and I'll let you speak in a minute because I'm just blowing a bit of happy smoke at you I'm hoping also this will be a bit of a breath of fresh air for you.
Speaker 1:From the point of view, I'm not so interested in the political or economic punditry you're normally asked to do so I know that you're an entrepreneur. You sold your business back in the day the Pimlico Plumbers publicly, it's in the public domain for a wonderfully juicy 140 million and then, very cleverly, you've risen as if a phoenix to go again because you're now chairman of we fix london, which is, from an entrepreneur's point of view, I outside looking in, seems like an ingenious idea, because you end up re-competing with yourself again and you've sold your last business, so you're a very clever entrepreneur and that's what I wanted to find out about you. Anyway, the breath of fresh air nurse is because I'm interested in the story behind the story of being charlie mullins and how you know your leadership path and journey to now sounds good to me.
Speaker 1:Chris sounds very good and I love the fact in the exchanges we we have had and your, your pr consultant, carl, is an absolute charmer and we've had a really lovely bish-bash-bosh exchange ourselves, which is what I'm really looking forward to in this too. Good, good, so you're speaking to us from Marbella, please, and I'm in Bristol. So how's life in Marbella today? What's your story of the day, charlie Mullins?
Speaker 2:Okay, well, life in Marbella, I'm sure, is much better than in Bristol at the moment, I presume the weather's not so good there.
Speaker 1:Not as such, charlie. It's not bad. I'm lying, I'm giving Bristol a bad. It's actually sunny, if I'm honest. I now hope it's overcast where you are.
Speaker 2:No, no, the sun's out, and if I wasn't sitting here Doing this interview, I'd be sitting around the swimming pool. Chris sun baby.
Speaker 1:Now I'm jealous again, charlie, that's great. So you've got the upper hand there. That's great. Um, the other banterous thing I wanted to say to you when I first saw you on stage I'd heard of you, but I hadn't seen you before, and the first flash of inspiration I had and forgive me if everybody says this, um, if, if rod stewart had been a plumber, it would have been you, because yeah, you're right there.
Speaker 2:I mean, I don't see that side of me of Rod Stewart, but everywhere you go people seem to mention it, and that's quite nice because the guy's a legend and there's never going to be another Rod Stewart is there, that's for sure.
Speaker 1:Have you met him.
Speaker 2:Have I met him? I bumped into him and said hello. I'm not sure if that's meeting him, is it you? I met him. I bumped into him and said hello. I'm not sure if that's meeting him, is it? You know what I mean. Yeah, this was years ago. I was in a shop in Bond Street and I just thought I'm gonna say hello, yeah, and that's what I've done.
Speaker 1:So that's the first time, really. Yeah, and I wondered if that was a double take of who's looking in the mirror or double. Particularly in a clothing shop. You must have both double, triple and quadruple taped, I'm sure I don't know.
Speaker 2:It's a few years ago, I'm not sure that. You know I was so known then, or even um, um resembled him so much, um, but that was, you know, quite a few years ago, probably 10 years ago. A lot's happened since then and you know, I've literally been in places where he is or he's been with people that I'm going to meet up with, and you know they're literally sending me photos of them. So we're very close to perhaps meeting properly.
Speaker 1:Yes, and I hope you do, because it will be a lovely exchange and I wish I was there. In fact, I'll invite myself around, so I'm there when it happens Fantastic.
Speaker 2:Can I tell you a funny story?
Speaker 2:Is now the time to tell it? Yeah, yeah, yeah, go, absolutely Okay. So so you know I'm often mistaken for him and I wouldn't think he'd want to be mistaken for me, but evidently he was in a restaurant in this was in the paper Smith's Restaurant in Essex, quite a famous restaurant, never been there. And there's a crowd of guys and women. Guy goes off to the toilet. He's an actor. Evidently. This was sort of every whatever part of soap opera he's in. He goes to the toilet and he sees Roger Stewart.
Speaker 2:I was talking to every Whatever party the soap opera he's in. He has a toilet and he, he sees Rod Stewart in there. But he thinks Rod Stewart is me. So he says hello, evidently. And then he's gone back to the table. He says to his mates yeah, he said Guess who I've just met in there. He said Charlie Mullins, see. And they all said Really, yeah, they went, yeah, he seemed alright, he opened the door for me, said hello and all that. All of a sudden Rod Stewart comes walking out and his mates are Winding him up and going what the fuck Are you talking about? He said that's Rod Stewart, it's not Charlie Mullins. I was excited to meet Charlie, but you know, I'd been even more excited Knowing it was him. So him, so he mistook him. For me is what I'm getting at and uh, put it in the paper, and I think roger must think, you know, surely that don't happen much. It happens the other way around. A lot of people can't be oh, you're rod stewart, but I thought it was quite funny that it was.
Speaker 1:He was the rod stewart and the guy thought it was me and the fact he'd gone to the loo, you're more likely to see a plumber in the box you're right, yeah yeah, anyway, I'm really happy that. I mean I didn't want to insult you by saying if rod stewart had been a plumber.
Speaker 2:I mean, I've been, I've been called worse names than that. Don't worry about that lovely.
Speaker 1:So let's get you on the open road. I am really, you know, I know you're an elephant castle boy back in the day. You started in 1917, 1979 I nearly said 1917 there, which would have been wrong 1979 uh, you know, from one leak to an ocean. You created and curated with, uh, the pimlico plumbers empire. So I'm just really interested in the story behind the story of that, as we go on the open road, of the structure of this. And also I really enjoyed the fact that I I had you on the hook. You fell off the hook, you were back on the hook and then when you finally concentrated on what the questions were, you fell off the hook again because you're thinking what the heck am I talking about? And we had this, I loved it. You said to me right, you've got 15 minutes and 15 minutes only. And if you can't convince me of what the heck this is about in that time, anyway, 45 minutes later, I think I've managed to sort of talk you into the idea that this could be OK.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm a very direct person and you know straightforward question, I'll give a straightforward answer. And you know yours is a different type of podcast. I've now realised that it's a bit more unique, it's a bit more interesting and a bit more very unusual. So you know I'm having to think a little bit about this, but you know I like to just give a natural answer, chris, rather than anything false. But you know, it's, uh, it's, I've got my head branded now you just use different words from me, um, but it's going to be a good one, believe me and you're, you're, you're worth the chase.
Speaker 1:So chase me, chase me. I've chased you and here you are, up the plumber's in the fifth time. We're in boom. So, um, let me get you on the open road. Just for those that are maybe watching the show for the first time as well, this is the show in which I invite movers, makers, shakers, mavericks, influencers and also personal heroes into a clearing or serious happy place of my guests, choosing as they all share with us their stories of distinction and genius guests, choosing as they all share with us their stories of distinction and genius.
Speaker 1:And, charlie mullins, your story is indeed one very distinctive and ingenious, because anybody, any entrepreneur, who realizes the entrepreneur's dream of ultimately selling the entity you curated and created for 140 million is an extraordinary achievement. So congratulations for that from the game. So let's get you on the open road of the structure. There's going to be a clearing a tree, a lovely juicy storytelling exercise called five, four, three, two, one, at which point you were going. What when we first spoke then? Um, some alchemy, some gold, a couple of random squirrels, a cheeky bit of shakespeare, a golden baton and a cake. So it's all to to play for.
Speaker 1:So, now we're through the barrier of what the fuck is this about? Here we go. How's morale? What's your story of the day?
Speaker 2:Okay, my story today undoubtedly is about a new company that we've launched in October 2024 and called we Fix London. So three years were up in October 1st or in September and we launched a new company October 1st. We're what's that? Three, four, nearly five months down the line and things are starting to shape up. You know this weekend has been a great weekend. They're getting busier, we're getting more interest into the company. We're getting a better reputation already. You know the reviews are coming in.
Speaker 2:So after four to five months of starting a new business, we're starting to feel a lot more confident and changes are starting to happen. You know we're starting to be noticed kind of thing. You know people understand business. It takes a long time to get up and running. But when you've had a business you think you're going to hit the ground running again and it doesn't work like that. You're a new person, new person in the game and you need to get known, established, where we thought you know a great reputation we used to have with the previous business, but it's starting to. You know it's gathering some nice ground. So we're quite excited, at the moment of we go into the in the first six months of being in business, that things are starting to turn for the better. So that's my very, very main thing today. I could talk about it 24 hours a day.
Speaker 1:You're doing it again. The passion of Pimlico plumbers has now reignited. With the Phoenix they're describing, we Fix London and you're going to be London's top service company, Undoubtedly.
Speaker 2:I mean, you know we was in the past. I thought we was going to be as soon as we opened up, but it don't work like that. You've got to convince people. Why are you saying this and why are you better and why should they choose you? And we started, you know, just getting that put together properly and people started to see it. You know we're a superior service and I'm not knocking other, the previous business. Good luck to them. Um, you know there's plenty of work out there for for all of us and um, you know customer has a choice, but customer will always go for quality yeah yeah, you know that's.
Speaker 1:That's the route we're taking and, of course, the story I remember you talking about in terms of the journey and the trajectory of the pimlico plumbers. It was all about the best service, the best plumbers. So there's no avoiding the fact you're probably in london in that, in your patch, your manner, you're going to be competing against yourself in the old guard.
Speaker 2:That's right um, that's exactly it. And you know there's a wonderful side of starting a great business and running it for 41 years and selling it. That's that's magnificent and wonderful. The downside of it is, if you ever come back in that business, that and that's your competitor. There are not. There are. You know, there are a lot of people to get on top of. I I'm now competing with a company that was the best in London that I made in that, or the people with us. It's now 45 years old, so you know it's been around a long time.
Speaker 2:It's got a good reputation. The standards I don't believe are what they used to be there. You know that's been made quite obvious to me. Things have gone backwards a bit. An American company bought it. They're you know that's been made quite obvious to me. Things have gone backwards a bit. An American company bought it. They're very cooperative. They're not running it on a personal basis or a family business basis or even a you know, this is my business basis. It's a bit like, you know, we're a big corporation. You sit there you say this what's the bottom line? That's the impression they give me that you know many American people and they run their companies and I don't necessarily think that's the best way for the type of business that we sold them.
Speaker 1:And it seems clear to me that, coming back to you being the founder of both companies, it's the bish bash bosh personal touch which only you know. Even talking to you, I goon, because you, you, you are that sort of salt of the earth, bish bash bosh, london. And if you get bought out by an american conglomerate, there's no doubting that the culture would dissipate and it's no longer your cockney, bish bish bash bosh, that's it and so I'm not knocking the way they're doing it, but you know, if they want success, they should have kept it as it was and and and.
Speaker 2:But you know, a corporation can't come in on and be a family, can they? You're either a family or you're not. You can't just make up your family. But you know they've. They've just changed things a lot there and, um, you know, I believe the standards have dropped and um, you know, I would have said at one time that my previous company, we was unbeatable, but they're beatable now.
Speaker 1:I For sure dare to beat them.
Speaker 2:If I'm being honest, you know, I think we've already gone above them in the sense of the quality of service we're offering. Yeah, you know we're offering a real superior service. We're employing the best people and many of these people have worked with us before and we're not poaching anyone. Lots of people moved on from the old company because, in light of the changes, shall we say so, I think we're already offering a different service, a different, superior service. We all know it's about turning up on time, looking smart, being transparent, getting the job done and leaving everybody happy kind of thing. Collecting payment, I mean. That's what it's about and I think we've already achieved in that. You know we've got some. You know we're only employing the best. Chris, I know a lot of businesses say that, but believe me, your business is as good as the people you employ and obviously, the better the people, the better the company. There's no two ways about that. And if you've got the best on board and you're running it the best way, undoubtedly you'll be the best.
Speaker 2:We've shortcutted a lot of this. Took years to get the right engineers, took years to get the right people in the office, took years to get the right people on your side. You know, we now know who the people are. We haven't got to go through years and years of no. We won't do that again. We've learned by our mistakes. So now if anyone comes on, they will be right. If they ain't right, they've gone within within a day or two. You know? I mean, we're not here to be, we're here to run a proper business. And if you're, if you've got what it takes and you want to be part of what we want to achieve, then it's a winning formation and I I hope your strap line is bish bash bosh, because it's all about the bish bash bosh.
Speaker 1:But also, you're not reinventing the wheel, you're.
Speaker 2:So you're actually just upgrading the wheel, because it was your wheel in the first place exactly, um, yeah, exactly it, and and we started from day one here that you know we want to be the best out there yeah and um, you know, you can only be the best, going back to what I said by employing the best, by having the best fans, by having the best experience, by having the best uniform.
Speaker 2:You gotta have all the abs, kind of thing. And we're about to go and put it like that because, again, I believe we set the standards out there and you know why are people going to choose we fix london now rather than somebody that's been 41 years. Well, the reason they're going to choose us is because we're better than what we were, we're more experienced, we've we've got the right people on board and we know, you know you learn so much by your mistakes. Chris, in business, you know, yes, and their reviews. Already we're the only plumbing service company now in london that have got all five star reviews. You know, I know we've only been going four months. Five months we've got all five star reviews and they're not made up reviews.
Speaker 2:I'm going to bring this out in the open because a load of people play around with them and it's all wrong with reviews. Chris, you can, you can send in a damaging review to, to whoever they call trust pilot and you, you can make it all up. You know, you can say they're the worst plumbers. You ain't even got to produce an invoice number and an address and they put it up. Yeah, and they do the same with the good reviews. You can say you're the best in the world, and they put it up. But you know, and I know, it's going on out there. I mean we've had a few fake reviews, as Trump would say, put up there talking shit people. I mean, you get all these nuisances and pests on uh, on x and all the instagrams. Oh yeah, you fuck this job up. Yeah, show me the invoice number, you know. I mean, oh, you ain't got it. Well, that's a shock, isn't it yes, you know what.
Speaker 2:You know there's a pest on there now saying I don't know what we didn't do. I think we didn't turn up for some nonsense. They're giving us a one-star review. It's a fake review and you know the geeks are geezer is mouthing off about it on there the other day on it, oh yeah, you've done this. Okay, give us the invoice number. No, you can't. You haven't got one, have you?
Speaker 2:And all I'm trying to say, chris, is they need to make reviews with the person's name on it who has had the work carried out or complained him and an invoice number, and then you know, if somebody comes on and says about this complaint, we check it in two minutes. We either hold their hands up or say you're wrong. And on this occasion, like many of them, the question I just said to the guy is put the invoice number up? No, you can't, can you? Because you ain't got one, because we were unaware of it, chris. Yeah, and it's damaging. You can ruin a company by these assholes putting up, you know, sacred views what I love about this is just tell it how it is.
Speaker 1:That's fantastic. That is the bish bash bosh approach. So, uh, let's get you on the open road then. Uh, now you've answered, how's your story of the day? And congratulations for progress. So so far, with all things, we fix london. I just have one other question to ask about that. Presumably, uh, the pimlico plumbers forgot to put the non-compete clause into their contract, or maybe you served at a particular period because your family are back on it again, aren't you?
Speaker 1:yeah, we've got to put what in, chris, sorry you know the non-compete clause, because what's ingenious is now you're going against what you sold for 140 million and other entrepreneurs less assault. People would just drop the mic, think good night, good night, I'm off to the sunshine. Oh no.
Speaker 2:They rightly tied in a three-year clause in it, that not to trade for three years. Yeah, my family could have I think it was just me and my son who was shareholders there but the rest of the family could have. But we didn't plan to trade again. Chris, I'll be honest with you. You know getting that money three years ago, that was it. You know what I mean. That was me. Costa del Sol, dubai, america, that's me, don't need to, you know, do it anymore. But you do miss the business. You come out of it. And after about 12 months we thought to ourselves you know what? I think there's a gap again for the business, or business, things were dropping there, you know, people was unhappy, they was leaving, they weren't running it away, rerun it, um, and it become fairly obvious that you know there's a massive gap in the market again for superior, you know, home service company. So we started thinking that way, um, and then the three years was up september, uh, 2024, and um, you know, we got going october 1st, 202, 2024, yeah, you're living personification.
Speaker 1:Charlie of the old classic only feels nauseous. Thing this time next year we'll be millionaires because you're going to go again. You've seen a gap in the market. You're going to pick it up and run with it again. And it's a lot of effort for going to global and being bought by an american company.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, look, you know, it's mainly my family's business. Sons, grandchildren, um, uh, more grandchildren, uh, more family and, um, you know, it's more about their future. They've worked with me many years at the previous company. Yeah, they got a few quid out of it, but now this is their thing. I'm not on the payroll, uh, I'm non-executive chairman. I'm not working from home, neither. When I'm working on, I'm there, I'm everywhere, you know.
Speaker 1:I mean I've experienced you being everywhere because, as I said comically, this is the fifth time I've called out the plumber and I will still be giving you a five-star review yeah, that's wonderful.
Speaker 2:Um, I'm not trying to, you know, make the other company look stupid or things like that. They're doing a good job of that themselves. I'm told it's not going well for a month. Evidently they've lost that warmth and that family sort of feel and you know probably the you know the more sort of friendly approach kind of thing. Um, but you know, I'm sure they're great at business, just have many of them.
Speaker 1:That's a great lesson to all entrepreneurs about. You know if there's a gap in the market how to go and carpe diem and seize it if you see that gap because that's the whole point of business if you see a gap, you see a need and you can fill it.
Speaker 2:Get in there and a great one, because I just had this. You know I'm not trying to mess them up and we're not trying to make their work. There's plenty of work out there for everyone. I always believe people always choose quality anyhow. You know who's ever right is right and you know there's some massive shortage of trades for people anyhow, especially in London. So you know it's not a case of doing people out of work, but it's just a case of you know getting back some of the market share and you know getting back in control of it, I suppose.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I have to say sorry, I'm not just blowing happy smoke at you. I think we Fix London is a bit Captain Cooper and all it says exactly what it's going to do on the tin. We'll fix London. Bish bash bosh.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was all based on that. It's all now about Chris, as you know. It's like, not window dressing, but, you know, coming up with the goods. You know what I mean. I mean everything's out in the open there now, where years ago we had to. You know we bought things transparent, but now it's a different ballgame out there. Yeah, you know, you've just got to be. You know people just need to understand what's going on. And you know I've always believed in being transparent, but more so now than ever. Yeah and right, as I say, you know we don't claim to be the cheapest out there we never have been but we will claim that we will provide the best service that's available. We're not perfect, obviously. We're going to have our mistakes, but it's going well at the moment.
Speaker 1:And how big is the Mullins squad? If you were all to do a family gathering, the gathering of the Mullins clan, how many of you would be in the room or in the hotel, or in the country.
Speaker 2:I think that's a question I've never answered before. Where do you stop with the money?
Speaker 1:because how many grandkids have you got? Charlie, 11 at last count.
Speaker 2:So I'm just interested in 11 is 7 great grandchildren, so that's 11, 18. Then there's 4 children, that's 22 wives or girlfriends or boyfriends, what their husbands 22, and another four, that's 26, um, but you, you know, your grandsons are having kids and then they've got. Yeah, so about 30 should we say yeah?
Speaker 1:sounds like there's an opportunity for someone who's a bit savvy to come and go. Oh yeah, I'm related. I'll come in and just move in and be part of your family, which is fantastic.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I've got three brothers also. I'm just trying to think where you end with the name Mullins when I think about it and they've got big families, so on that side of it it would take it to 50.
Speaker 1:And Mullins sounds really sort of quintessentially London.
Speaker 2:Is it a complete boss London sort of tribe? The name Mullins is it from? Yeah, yeah, I think I'm trying to think now, well, london Kent, uh, london Kent, marbella, dubai, yeah, that that yeah, mainly sort of the UK, yeah you've got, we Fix Spain as well.
Speaker 1:Going now, have you?
Speaker 2:well, yeah, I mean, actually he's got one of the bands. It's going to be signed written up out here in spain because you know it's a great, it's a great advertising market. You know vehicles, you know I mean, and yeah, it's gonna be, uh, you know I think are very, very noticeable. Um, and he's just saying to me today, bobby, like you know, he's been reading some press about the company and when are we going to get the sign written vans out here?
Speaker 1:well, that's, that's on the schedule, that's what you were historically famous for with the pimlico plumbers back in the day as well, it was the fact you used to have number plates that were about plumbing appliances, wasn't it?
Speaker 2:that's right to simplify.
Speaker 2:Our best advertising tool at pimlico was their vehicles yeah and there was a most recognizable vehicle on the road at the time. They had plumbing-related number plates and you know, I think we had about 250, 260 vans on the road. 180 had the private plates and it was an amazing sort of marketing tool, absolutely amazing. We're going to do the same with WeFix London. Every van we've got now has got a plumbing-related or a trade-related We've we fix and we fix this and we fix that um and and anyway buying up the plumbing ones. The unfortunate thing is, chris, you know, once you've been involved in that and they know who you are, you know they want to ask for importance for them again, do you know? I mean, yeah, I actually believe the new we fix london vans will be the most recognizable trade vehicle on the roads in london. I'm convinced on that.
Speaker 1:the old company was, but I feel we've gone up a grade again it's sort of in the harry stobart line of vehicles that are recognizable for what they do where it all come from, didn't stobarts?
Speaker 2:and, um, you know, it's the name of their cabs or the lorry and that and it just it just went from there and we used to say that we was, like, you know, the plumbing plumbers of the Harry Stobart, not Harry. Is he called Harry Stobart or something? Eddie Stobart, eddie Stobart, yes, thank you, and yeah, so we went along with that idea and I think we really maximised on it and that's what we're going to do with WeFix Again, we definitely gonna. Then, for me, the number plate is it's a great advertiser, it's a good um, it's a good investment. Anyway, you know, I mean, they don't normally lose on number plates.
Speaker 1:you know what I mean yeah, yeah, also in researching you what I really enjoyed, because I know that you're you are so often a media commentator for what's going on either politically or economically and, if I may, I thought you were the sort of white van man bull cock. Hey, what was going on in the world?
Speaker 2:Thanks, We've all got. We've all got a view and opinion and we, you know I mean, and again, that's not an insight, I'm just riffing on the idea. Look, I'm happy to say what I think and most people don't agree with me, but that's going on in the uk. Um, people are going to agree with me. We're in a mess in in there and anyhow moving on.
Speaker 1:Okay, let's get you on to the curation of the structure now. So we're going to talk about clearing a tree, five, four, three, two, one, alchemy, gold, couple of random squirrels, the cheeky bit of shakespeare, the golden baton and the cake, which I'm reincorporating because we've got a bit sort of sidetracked. But now my job is to anchor us back to the structure. So here we go. Uh, charlie mullins, serial entrepreneur, you're even fixing marbella now. Uh, where is your clearing, or serious happy place, would you say, in your very busy life?
Speaker 2:okay, well, I don't think it's difficult to work that one out. Uh, marbella, undoubtedly. You know, if I'm in Marbella, this to me is where I want to be. This, to me, gives me time to think. You know you're away from all the pressure of actually being right on top of work and you know I just need that much more time now. And you know, if you're out in the sun and you're enjoying your social life here, I think it just gives you that break from business, but it also makes you sharp. I can just start thinking clearer. So for me, undoubtedly, is Marbella, but Dubai works just as well for me. Anywhere where it's warm, away from everything and places that I'm used to. So here, or marbella or dubai, is where I'm at my best where you fix the world.
Speaker 1:So marbella, dubai, is where charlie marlins fixes will fix the world from those places, fantastic, great answers. Now I'm going to ride with a tree, rather comically, within your clearing. So I'm going to plonk a tree down, and this is mostly for my benefit. I came up with the tree idea because it's a bit samuel beckett, a bit existentially waiting for godot-esque. That could be a load about what you're talking about, but it's to shake your tree now to see which storytelling apples fall out. So, um, link to the godfather. It's a bit like how do you like these apples? This is 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. So you've had five minutes Actually you've had nearly five months and five missed visits to come up with four things that have shaped you, charlie Mullins, first of all. Then there'll be three things that inspire you, two things that never fail to grab your attention that's where the squirrels come in and then the one is a quirky or unusual fact about you.
Speaker 2:Four things that have shaped you so, around about once a decade, something that happened so, from a business point of view, or where I am today is undoubtedly, um, due to a plumber called bill ellis. Um, there's no, unfortunately passed away now. Um, and when I was a kid at school, we lived in the area I lived in and he explained to me about, you know, all this money he's got he was a plumber, basically and car, motorbike, nice house, loads of money, jewellery, holidays, clothes, everything that you would dream of or what I would dream of. And so I met him and he just explained to me who he is and you know what he's got, without exaggerating, just saying, I'm a plumber, um, I've got this, I've got that, you know, and and I was just so impressed, absolutely so impressed.
Speaker 2:So where I am today is due to one guy just explaining to me what he does and how he makes his money in a roundabout way, you know, and and I followed that pattern, uh, from day one, and and, um, you know, I've done a lot of things that he'd done in his life that I weren't even aware of, you know. In other words, I followed a pattern that you know, I didn't even know about. Like, he was a boxer, I've boxed, he was, uh, you know, started his own business, self-employed. I've done that. He. He had a shop separate from his plumbing I've done that. Then he had a plumbing business.
Speaker 2:He's had a few divorces with a few of them. He's had a few other issues In future. I've nearly gone bust and had a few different raps with different people. But I seem to follow these patterns, but not necessarily. I don't think I set out to do that. All I set out to do was be a plumber and, you know, get the respect that he got and earn the money he got. But other things have happened in my life that have just been, you know, identical to bill kind of thing and did bill know that he was a mentor to you?
Speaker 1:did you make that explicit and he would keep an eye on you and sort of I don't.
Speaker 2:I don't know that he would have kept an eye on me, um, necessarily, because I don't think the social media was that much out then, you know, 30, 40 years ago. But he would have heard through family that you know I'm doing okay, etc so he wasn't a sort of lifelong friend.
Speaker 1:He was just someone you admired from near but afar, sort of thing no he was.
Speaker 2:He was just someone that we knew in the area it. You know, when you live in an area and it's quite rough and you've got all the kids hanging together and you'll see a couple of older people and you sort of look up to them, you know they're like, oh look, can you keep the noise down a bit or stop throwing stones at the windows? You know what I mean. Like the kids are the pest and someone will come out that can relate to you and say, would you mind? Like, just you know if you know, if not, you're going to get a clump anyhow. So you know who you're dealing with. Yes, um, he was that type of person. He wasn't a person to be messed about with. You know, he wasn't a bully, he weren't nothing like that. He was he. You know, he knew what he was about, where he was going and you know, probably the richest man in the area to me, because who else had a motorbike and a car and money and clothes and jewellery and all of this, and you know what I mean living this amazing life. So he's just someone that people you know took notice of in the area.
Speaker 2:Not everybody. Some people hated him. I mean, a lot of people used to think he was a crook because he'd disappear in the middle of the night on his motorbike and people would say, oh, he'd push it up the road, you know. And the night of his motorbike, and people would say, oh, he'd push it up the road, you know, and then start up around the corner. Now all these people thought he was out, you know. Actually good, but he'd done that because he's on emergency call out. He didn't want to wake people up in the area.
Speaker 2:You know, so it was a nice bloke ultimately, yeah yeah, but he's doing well and he, you know he goes out two in the morning. Yes, he was thinking he's got to be at it or something, but you know, when you got to know him, you know he won't necessarily go around telling everyone, but you know, I think I think then, even then, if he was doing okay, it was even harder to let on to people because things were so much more difficult. Um, but yeah, I'll just totally inspire him. I mean, you know it's a bunk off school and you know work with him and I think this is, you know work with him, and I used to think this is amazing. You know what I mean?
Speaker 1:It's just like and he didn't form the Pimlico Plumbers with you. He was running his own enterprise. What was his business called?
Speaker 2:I'd imagine just his own name, I think you know I get a feeling the build didn't want to go any bigger than just him.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, and just say his name one more time, just to plant it.
Speaker 2:Bill Ellis from North London and yeah, he was very successful, you know, in his own way, and I sort of followed the pattern, so much you know he was very well known and people respected him. And you turn up his ass and we used to go Parliament Hill Fields and Amsterdam working in the asses there and you know these people are incredibly wealthy film stars or movie stars and you know whatever else they're doing and they'd be like admiring him. Oh, Bill, can't wait for you to get here. You know, and just people just sort of liked the idea and I think I followed that pattern with Pimlico. People wanted you there, they couldn't wait and they trusted you and respected you.
Speaker 2:And I remember when I was doing an apprentice, a proper apprenticeship, in Wimbledon, Rainspire, you go to the house and have a sign up like Traceman round the bank. I used to think how rude is that. You know what I mean. You turn up and the woman's gone. No, no, no, get round there or take your shoes off. And I was only the apprentice then. Yeah, and I just think I don't like this, you know, I just thought it was disrespectful. And then, you know, when you're up in belgrave and eaton square and like all these millionaire roads and all that people are at the front. Oh, lovely to see you. Please come in.
Speaker 1:You know, it's just just lovely like yeah so a little bit about the class system, where there's airs and graces further down the chain and there are at the top of the train. Yes, that's right. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Why would you tell a tradesman to go round the back? If you think about it now, you know someone comes to your house and says I'm the plumber, you wouldn't say we go round the back, would you?
Speaker 1:No, I'd say, come up and fix the toilet.
Speaker 2:Do you understand what I'm saying? No, completely. You know, certainly admire and respect trace people um a lot more than what they used to, and I also think they have a lot more trust in in them today. They've become like family friends.
Speaker 1:Yeah so that it's all about the relationship. Stupid is one of my favorite quotes, so obviously what you're up to now with we fix london and previously the pimlico plumbers, it must have been all about the relationship with your clients, obviously yeah, yeah, I didn't probably realize it so much at the time, but you know you get to know people and you know there's nothing worse, I think, than ringing up a company.
Speaker 2:No, no one's got a name or a face or yeah what they, what department they're in or what they're in charge of, and and I feel that's what the americans have done with the company. Now, you know, people tell you know, if we rung up before, even if we didn't speak to me which you're highly unlikely to unless you particularly asked for me they said they always had someone with a name and someone that you could put a face to and somebody that would deal with it on a personal basis. Rather than you know, it's all become very you know. Know, press this number. Yeah, go through to that.
Speaker 1:Fill it in online like an elevator list of different numbers to bury in some shop.
Speaker 2:The way I've run the business before and it's not the way we're running a new. The new business it's going to be done on a very much, uh, a personal basis and not all this ai ai nonsense, is it? You know? I mean whether that's it all, and again, it works for some people, but it's not going to be. It's not the way to run um, a superior plumbing service for residential people.
Speaker 1:I don't believe it yeah, and I know I'm not, I'm teaching you to suck eggs here, but it's all about I'm hearing bish bash bosh and it's all about the relationship stupid. So if you've not put that in there as the sort of iconography, that's what it is, that's what I'm hearing bish bash bosh and it's all about the relationship stupid. So if you've not put that in there as the sort of iconography, that's what it is, that's what I'm hearing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, look, you're right. I mean, it's the personal. What would you say? The personal involvement isn't it? Yeah, we have someone come on to us complaining about another company, the other company or whatever, and again they said that you, we haven't got a name to go to, we don't speak to anybody. Evidently, a computer answers the phone or something and picks a plumber. I mean, it's hard enough picking the right plumber when it's a human, but God knows how a computer thinks he can do it, or whatever it is, and I don't think it's the way to run a type of business of this nature. We used to marry the plumber up with the area and the type of customer and the age of this nature. We used to marry the plumber up with the area and the type of customer and the age of the customer.
Speaker 2:You know you might get an old, established Belgraving person there. They don't want a younger guy that you know sort of comes out of East London, if you know what I mean. But they would probably say I'm all right with an experienced guy that comes out of East London, but he needs to be respectful. And I think that's what we've done, great, we've married everything up and I feel the way some people are doing their business now and letting you know this computer, pick it all out, I don't think it's the way forward. For some business, yes, but not for home service business. It's not the way forward.
Speaker 1:That's a brilliant wake-up call from the sort of entrepreneurial leadership slant of also what this program is here to deliver as well. This show is about uh, so that's a brilliant first, first shapeage which is the man you followed in the footsteps of and again just to reincorporate deliberately. Just I meant to write his name down, just say his name one final time yeah, bill ellis, who was a local plumber in uh camden town area and um.
Speaker 2:For me, he's where I am today great answer.
Speaker 1:Uh, something else now that might have shaped you. Or you can go straight on to the influencing wherever you want to go in shaking your tree okay, shaking the tree.
Speaker 2:So the next thing um, I've got great work, ethics, oh I believe I have.
Speaker 2:Anyhow, I would just say the thing that shaped me is having good work ethics and I learnt that from my parents. Like all our parents, they went to work, not necessarily have the best job or the best paid job, but it was a must to go to work. Get up and go to work and not lounge about and benefit nonsense and all this thing. Go out and be proud to go to work and be proud that you're part of the establishment and be proud that you're trying to improve your life. So you know, work ethics for me from my family was, is probably one of the other important things, you know.
Speaker 1:I mean I mean and was that instilled by your mum and dad particularly?
Speaker 2:yeah, I mean. I mean my dad would just be working in a factory but he'd be up six days a week goes to work. You know it don't matter, they didn't seem to get flu then. They just went to work. You know, that was it. That's what you've done, and you know I love that about anybody, anybody that goes to work. I don't mind if you're a road sweeper or a crook in suit like a bank manager. You know what I mean. But as long as you go to work and do the best you can do, then I admire them people. So definitely what shaped me was my family-stroke, parents' background of you have to go to work. That's what we do. You know what I mean. There's no substitute for it. That's what you do. I remember them days it was embarrassing not to have a job. You know, for older people or even younger people, you know now they, I don't know, it's just, I don't know, maybe it's embarrassing to have a job for them now, but that's how it was.
Speaker 1:Yes, great shape of you so far. Any other things that shaped you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, many things shaped you so far. Any other things that shaped you? Yeah, many things, I mean. I started boxing when I was 15, I think, and that changed massively for me, because it makes you more respectful to people, it makes you more disciplined, it makes you follow the rules and it also makes you stand up for yourself, of course. So a big change in my life, or that shaped me, was undoubtedly boxing. I boxed from 15 to 21,. Come out with an head injury and that was, you know, probably the best years of my life. That's all I ever wanted to be was a boxer, and it was looking good at the time until but it's all some of that. They're better than you, aren't they? That's a problem, but you know I got beat against London versus Wales. Can't remember what year it was.
Speaker 2:London versus Wales sounds like an epic fixture fight you know, for me it was a big achievement to get a London it was a big competition that was on.
Speaker 2:It was like this was on before the, they was picking the. I was never going to be an Olympic boxer, but it was about who was going to go to the Olympics for London. Wow, yeah, I stepped in. Some clever guy pulled out because if he'd have got knocked out he wouldn't have been picked for the Olympics. So very clever move and they put me in well above my class, I think at the time. Yeah, but you know I had two or three other London fests then, yeah, but the boxing definitely changed me. All I ever wanted to be was a boxer and I was convinced that's what I was going to be. Yeah, and I was up with Mancini. I had another Mancini brother. So boxing they was like the promoters, trainers and Terry Spinks and you know all for signing up. And then you know all for signing up. And then you know they checked my medical amateur background, wound up in hospital for a week with a uh leaking blood vessels. And you know all of a sudden, you, they don't want to know.
Speaker 1:so a lucky escape, then if that was what was happening to you, so you got out at the right time well, yeah, some people tell me you know.
Speaker 2:But if I had the choice again boxer or plumber, boxer wow, you know, it's a very short-lived career and people say it was a blessing in disguise and then I just devoted all my time to work. It was like I've lost that, let's do this right. So boxing was another big um shaping up thing for me. Um, I suppose the other thing we have to say you know you come from council estate. I know everybody waffles on about them, but before council estates you used to just have private accommodation where we was renting, no bathroom outside toilet, and I think you know where you come from from that type of life or from a horrible council estate. You know I hate council estates. I think they should bomb them all down and knock them all down tomorrow. That's my view on them, isn't it? You know they just breed sort of you know unhappiness and people congregating and you know being left out of society. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:It's just not. You know, you put in an eye-rising block of flats and you've forgotten, not that we was in an eye rising block, but um, and and so living and being brought up on the council estate, I think, is um, is a massive wake-up call. Yeah, you know, and often people say to me oh you know, charlie, you fucking don't remember where you come from. Well, I do remember I've come from and and that's why I work, so I don't want to go back there.
Speaker 2:You know, I'm not gonna say I'm proud from coming from a council estate. I'm not going to say you know, oh, it's the best thing you know. It was a terrible time living on there. The place was a shit hole. You had all these oddballs on there that should be in mental home and locked up.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know you had a lot of unhappiness on there, yeah, and you know, like most people I I was on there and I think I left there at 19 or 18 or 19. I'd left home at 16, but unfortunately was still on that estate. And then I got married I think it was 19, and rented a place up the Old Kent Road up there and you know. But it was a dream to get off of that council estate. That's what I'm trying to make. My point is it was just I could not wait to get off it and it sounds like a great monopoly board.
Speaker 1:Your career has been a sort of trail around the monopoly board. You've mentioned the old kent rowbell graveyard's in there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, um, but what? What do we need to get off it? And you know, I still know people now that's still on there, that I was on there. I mean most of them are dead but they're still on there and and they've got no intention of coming off there, absolutely in a box. You know what I mean. Yeah, they're fine with it. And again, if it suits you, but you know, for me it's just not a good way of living. You know what I mean. It's just not a good way of living. It's all that congregating and you know less, like you're fighting against the others.
Speaker 1:You know, going on out there, yeah, yeah, you know, I should imagine council states are 100 times worse now than my time, I would think a hard-working escape, but all of your own graph to get you out there to somewhere different, and that's a great series of shapeages. And now, if you like, we're on to three things that inspire you. If there's any overlap, that's fine. So we've done the four shapeages. What three things inspire you, charlie mullins?
Speaker 2:okay, the three things. That inspired me is just going back to that shape thing again low expectation. When you're at school you ain't going nowhere. Teacher's not interested in your career teacher. He was like you know, what are you going to do then? I'm going to be a plumber. And that was the end of the conversation. He was like oh, he's a wronger, don't talk to him everybody. I mean he ain't right. And he said well, you know, I suppose if you can get a job as a plumber, I thought I had the right result getting an apprenticeship. But he looks at it as if to say, oh, he's going down the wrong road. They give you no hope, they've got you know you won't go nowhere if you're at school, if you weren't one of them, like you know, like no-transcript.
Speaker 1:And he said can you ask him if you got any o levels, or because he was just interested in that question, so when he left school, as we're talking about it, no, not at all.
Speaker 2:I mean, no, I don't even know. If they'd done them, then did they? I really don't know. They'd done some exam things. I don't know what they were, but no, I haven't got any. You know, I left school with no qualifications a little bit of education, which is okay, and I left at 15. And I look back now and I realise you know so much that was a bad mistake. I mean I should have left at 14, you know what I mean. That was a bad mistake. I mean I should have left at 14. You know what I mean. There's no point in being there, if you know, I knew what I was going to do. I knew where I was heading. I didn't know it would be this good. So what's the point of sitting there talking about logarithms and a bit of Latin or something, or like Bible bashing or something?
Speaker 2:Monty Python had it right you can't talk to a dead Roman anyway so, anyhow, I just feel that the fact that teachers at school and a few other busy bodies, you ain't going nowhere, I think that's a great inspiration for people, which is really, you know, I mean yeah, this is great and anything else about inspiration.
Speaker 2:Before we go on to the two squirrels oh, just the other thing I think you know, coming from what I believe is, you know working-class family and you've got all these snooty people that don't think you're going to go nowhere or don't think you've got anything. You know what I mean. Yeah, you know how the people look down to this class distinction nonsense. You know what I mean. How you talk, how you look, what you wear. You know it's so wrong because you know, unfortunately, a lot of these people that look down on you, you know they think you know I ain't got a ounce of common sense. You know they ain't got two bob any and they make out of money, got mom and dad's money. You know I mean they never had a plan in their life and and yet they look down on you.
Speaker 2:But it's turning out there now people starting to realize that you know you don't need to have, you don't need university, you don't need brains to to make lots of money. You know I mean you don't need brains, you just need drive, willpower, enthusiasm. Uh, get up and go. You know I mean.
Speaker 1:I mean dangerous chris that's a great reincorporation drive.
Speaker 2:Willpower, get up and go you know the opportunity when you get a job, the change, the change it makes in in a person. You know you don't think it does. I mean, as soon as you get a job you become well, I've got to shape up here, kind of thing. You know, I've got to turn up one time, I've got to do, got to do. And so many people talk to me now and they say, like I can, only, this is what I'm good at and this is what I want to do, but I, I can only get a job at this. I said, just take it, it doesn't matter what the job is to start with. You know what I mean. No one stays.
Speaker 1:Whatever you do, put your whole self in. That's the philosophy that I relate to as well.
Speaker 2:Get your foot in the door and you know. That's why I think you often read so many times that the guy who owns this company now he was the t-boy or he was the apprentice or you know a guy that's got this massive like stores I can't think of the fella real wealthy guy, billionaire, done a tv show with him and uh, chris some of his name is and he's got all these uh range stores. I think he's just taken over, own something, own I don't know, care, or something um sage which one that's shut down and a home base that would be. That's it, home base. And you know he's out there bussing the fella billionaire and you know, not great at school and all that just went out there and got on with it. And you know, I just feel that that opportunity is out there for people. You know you don't need brains to be successful, that's what I need.
Speaker 1:Common sense, lovely. And now, uh, we're up to two things. That uh are your, what are your squirrels, you know, borrow from the film up which you see but, no, what never fails to grab your attention squirrels.
Speaker 2:Irrespective of anything else, that's going on for you I think I really think that grabs me is is when a youngster's talking about work. You know I mean or his career ahead of him, career ahead of him, or thinking of doing this or thinking of doing that you know what I mean or sort of. You know they're setting out and they're just trying to see. Basically, they know who you are and they're going like you know I'm thinking of doing this, I'm thinking of doing that, I've just started here. Just, you know they can't see the end result. They can't see the end result. You can't see what it can lead to. And I think, just just when, when I see people struggling with that, I want to tell them what's what you can do. You know I mean, and it's hard to just go up and say, look, I've done this and I've done that. But when people say to me now I'm gonna do my, I'm doing an apprenticeship, I'll go, you're on a winner, you know, I mean you, well, that's it. If you want to be a millionaire, be an apprentice plumber, that's what I would tell somebody.
Speaker 2:And so when I see people talking about getting just anybody in work, if I'm probably being honest, I mean I like the idea of youngsters because you know they need that guidance to know where they can get to, kind of thing, because you know it's pretty grim out there, isn't it you kind of thing, because you know it's pretty grim out there, isn't it? You know what I mean. You're being guided the wrong way by the wrong people. You know You've got Labour. You know telling people, do this, do this, don't do this, you know.
Speaker 2:You know they're nonsense and they're penalising successful people where they should be saying to youngsters you know, get a job, build a business up. You know, become an entrepreneur, get people into work. You know, do training schemes. You know that's what we should be inspiring. So you know I like to. Probably anybody that's going into work and wants to talk about work, I'm happy to hear it. You know what I mean. I'm just pleased when people are pleased to say I've got a job. You know ain't the best of jobs, but you know I'm sure I can progress from here. And you see them people in a year later they're a different person. They're like boom, up and running, buying their house.
Speaker 1:Enjoying other people's entrepreneurial success is a great squirrel. That's a good answer yeah, well, I don't.
Speaker 2:I don't like the ones that you know give it large and they've never really done it, but they, you know, they've got mum and dad's money kind of yeah, it's got to be hard, graft, honest hard graft.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I like the sort of saying that you know it won't lay on the plate and you know I'm going to do the best I can do and that's all you can do out there. I just like people to go to work. Chris, really I know I'm a bit of an oddball, I don't even get locked up for it, but you know anyone that goes it's great, anybody. I have to word it carefully because you get all the fucking busy bodies onto you, but you know anybody that's generally got to be on benefits, disabilities or caring for someone or you know generally sort of mental sort of issues then they need all the help they can get and probably even more help. I'm just against the people that should not be on benefits and can go to work and won't go to work. You know they're the people I should not be on benefits and can go to work and won't go to work. You know they're the people I don't like, but you know a really good answer to a sort of negative squirrel.
Speaker 1:You just don't like people who want to freeload and have the easy ride with no work yeah, well, in ponsis we call them from where I come from.
Speaker 2:But yeah, I'm sorry but you're right.
Speaker 1:No, you're here to tell it how it is. That's the whole point. And now the one that is a quirky or unusual fact about you, Charlie Mullins, serial entrepreneur, that we couldn't possibly know about you until you tell us.
Speaker 2:I think a lot of people I meet are very surprised when I tell them I have this OBE 2014,.
Speaker 1:I've done my research. That's when you got your OBE.
Speaker 2:When you said you got an OBE. You know it comes out in conversation, you know and you go. Well, what's it going to happen? Well, plumbing services, apprentices, all the bits, and they really show when they get the red brand. You know what I mean. And they start coming up with this nonsense. Oh, you must have bought it. You must have bought it. And you know, if you could buy them, I would have bought a night, wouldn't?
Speaker 1:I.
Speaker 2:Obviously. But I'm over the moon with that and I'm very family-orientated. I don't think you'd work that one out. You know the grandkids there and kids. You know when your daughters and that are saying oh, you know you can't take the kids out because you know you'll lose one, or you'll buy them this and give them chocolate. I give them chocolate. I'm that one that they talk about. I'll buy them a sweet ice cream. If they're out and about with me, they'll have a good time, they don't want to go home.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean. That's great Charlie. That's a great cool fact. If you go out with me, you don't want to go home. That's a wonderful, wonderful fact, great Charlie. We've shaken your tree, hurrah. Now we're staying in your clearing, uh, which is marbella or dubai, you know wherever you can fix the world from, wherever you're in the sunshine, and now we're going to talk about staying in the clearing, but we're away from the tree. Talk about alchemy and gold. Now, when you're at purpose and in flow in your life, what are you absolutely happiest doing is what this is about. So when are you at your happiest?
Speaker 2:I'm, at least when you know I'm, travelling. I love Dubai, I love Marbella. You know what I mean. To me, that's like the reward of working hard.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and are you always going on your own or do you always go with an entourage? You know your immediate family around you.
Speaker 2:I'll be with my wife, girlfriend or partner, or both at the same time.
Speaker 1:That's an unusual fact.
Speaker 2:We didn't know oh no, don't worry, that's well documented. It's cost me a fortune. That's what, that's true. No, look, I don't travel on my own, but you know I might go Dubai and you know ten of my family would be out there. So it's all lovely to meet up and I come to my bay and some of them had placed out here and some are coming out, and I spoke to my grandson today and, uh, you know, I spoke to him for a while, so I knew, I knew he wanted something. He said, oh, I was thinking, when we're coming out to spain again, him, his, his wife, um lily, and, and I and I said, just come out whenever you want, charlie, you know. So, you know, I think I love the traveling and and if people that are related or I know you also meet up out there, I think that's just wonderful, you know, I mean do you have a big plot where you've got lots of spare rooms so people can invade from the family?
Speaker 2:you know it's big enough for family to come, but you know, if not, then you know I'll rent them one up the road or something. But they never have a problem with that. But yeah, they can't all stay here at once, but you know they tend to come different times. And yeah, it's big enough for that. It's just a villa in a four-bedroom villa, you know I mean. So that's what I love. I love when they come out here or meet up abroad and they enjoy what. What I would say, you know is why you go to work to, to get good things and enjoy them. And it's lovely they that they come out.
Speaker 1:So, alchemy in Gold, now your purpose is about enjoying the fruits of your hard work and your labour, and the work's not over yet, because you're still playing it forward, you're still contributing, you're still being an entrepreneur. I'm going to award you with a cake now, charlie, woo-hoo. So, first of all, do you like cake? Yes, so, given a choice, it's a metaphorical cake I may even send you the real cake. But what type of cake do you want, charlie? Strawberry tart. Thank you, a strawberry tart shall be yours. Now you get to put a cherry on the cake with stuff like what's a favourite quote that's always given you sucker and pulled you towards your future, so something that someone said to you and you thought, boom, I'll have that.
Speaker 2:A man who never made a mistake, never made fuck all. But, in better terms, a man who never made a mistake, never made nothing. So I use that term a lot, you know, because I've made many mistakes and people get on your case. Yeah, you know, a man who never made a mistake never made nothing. So I'm happy to make mistakes because you learn from them and it means that you're going forward. So I love that saying. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, lovely. And now, what's the best piece of advice you've ever been given by somebody else? Charlie.
Speaker 2:OK, I've got this one spot on. I've been saying this for the last probably 55, 60 years. This plumber, bill Ellis, many years ago, said to me when I was bunking off school working as plumbing. He said that if you get an apprenticeship with a trade, you'll never be out of work and you'll earn loads of money. And I'll say that to people now. You know, 55 years ago it was probably harder. You say it to someone now. It's more meaningful now than ever.
Speaker 2:Yeah, get an apprenticeship, get a trade or just an apprenticeship, you'll never be out of work, you'll earn loads of money. And I just feel that was given to me all them years ago and probably without that bit of advice. You know, god knows, you know what I mean. In other words, I probably didn't even believe it at the time when I said it. You know how can you predict that you'll earn loads of money and never be out of work? Yeah, and this was a, you know, qualified plumber then and and I've done all that now and I've got to where it can lead to.
Speaker 2:And you know, as I say to people now, I say to people now, and, and I like to say I said look, this is what said to me when, when I was thinking of getting an apprenticeship, and I said I'm saying it now with more confidence than anything and then that's up to you then, chris, of whether you want to be a rich plumber or just a plumber. You know what I mean. It's up to you then. Or whatever trade you take on, once you've got the learning bit behind you, the four years I think it was four years I've done and, um, you know, I think they cut it down there. But you know, once you've done that, like you're set up, you're just set up for life, you know. I mean I mean I didn't quite take it on all them years ago because it wasn't explained like that, but it was explained you'll, you'll, you'll never be out of work, you know, and you'll earn loads of money. And there was the both things. I think that was what you needed.
Speaker 1:you had to be in work and you had to get money and it's stood the test of time, because here you are, living personification of that. Yeah, lovely answer. And now, inspired by shakespeare, all the world's stage and all the men and women merely players, which is the seven ages of man's speech it's about. You know, man has seven ages entrances, exits borrow from being an actor, just bear with it. So now we're going to talk about legacy. How, when all is said and done, charlie mullins, would you most like to be remembered?
Speaker 2:okay, I want to go back to the plumber. You know it was a, a young lad that had nothing and, uh, you know, starting an apprenticeship in plumbing, bought a second-hand van, bought second-hand tools and then, you know, as the years went by, built up this amazing business. So you've come from rock bottom, I think, to top of the tree and yeah, I'm sure there's many, probably tradesmen, that have done it, but I don't think there's many that have topped me at the moment. Do you know what I mean? Like you know, I think I spoke to you once, chris, that entrepreneur thing actually on stage, and I've realised the ultimate in business.
Speaker 2:Now and everyone's different opinion and different agree, but to me, the ultimate in business if you can start a business from nothing and cash it up at the other end, is there anything better than that? I mean, I've employed four or five hundred people at a time, we've had twelve hundred, fifteen hundred apprenticeships over the apprentices over the years and a 50 million turnover, but to start this business as a self-employed plumber and then sell it as the most recognised plumbing company in the world we was and it was definitely the best in London, and I just think for me that's what I want to be remembered as and, if I may, what's astonishing about you is you haven't just thought you've achieved that.
Speaker 1:Drop the mic, goodnight. You're now going again. As I said at the very beginning, like a phoenix, you rise again to do we Fix London to do the same thing, but better.
Speaker 2:But better yeah.
Speaker 1:So what's your ambition with? We Fix London, because you've already had the legacy you've described and then you've not stopped.
Speaker 2:Well, I'm looking for nothing out of it. I'm not on the payroll and I've said that a couple of times and it still ain't changed. But it's like a boxer, you know. He wins a world title, then he drops away, I'll go, and then he wins another world title. You know, I ain't trying to say I've done it once, I'm going to do it again. I think what I'm trying to say, what I system there, you know, rather than let it go by the wayside, you know, let someone else benefit from it lovely you know, okay, that happens to be my family.
Speaker 2:But you know, I'm sort of same with the apprenticeship thing. You know, I'll say to somebody I've benefited from that apprenticeship thing. Now you need to benefit, and I think that's how I think. With the business we've got a top business going. Many people want to run a lovely business I mean, that's a dream of theirs and make something of their self. And I just think the opportunity is there again. Put it in the right box and let someone have a go at it. So it ain't about. I mean I can't be. You know, as you said, I've done what I need to do. You know I ain't going to get no more branding points for doing it again.
Speaker 1:Tell you what. It comes full circle to you being like rod stewart, why he's keep going? Because he's still. He loves singing. I think you love. I don't say you love plumbing, but you love being an entrepreneur. So you just, I still love plumbing.
Speaker 2:I mean, chris, if you give me a choice, like sitting in an office or you know, go and work and putting the plumbing in somewhere. I've done the plumbing all day long. I mean, coming out away from plumbing was a nightmare. But you know, I learned in life you, you know you can't, was, you can't sort of be the captain of the ship and stoke the boiler, you know I mean. And of course, the captain, you know, is more respected and gets better, better money. You know, I didn't set out to be a businessman. I mean that weren't, I'll set out to be a plumber and um, the rest is just, you know, some people are wide different, aren't they? And and and, uh, say all.
Speaker 2:I always say this to people you don't need brains to be successful. That's, that's probably the point I want to make to people. Yeah and um, you know, sometimes I think brains can do you more on the good, because you think too much and work the wrong right and you know what you do. I mean yeah, yeah, you know, chris, I usually I say to mean, you know, chris, I say to apprentices like you know, look, it's pretty straightforward. You do your apprenticeship, you know you're qualified, you know your stuff. You turn up at a customer's house, you do the job, you collect the money. It ain't complicated, is it?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know, and I just think that that's what people need to realise that you know, it's just about getting out there and getting on with it and having that driving enthusiasm. You know, it's just about getting out there and getting on with it and having that driving enthusiasm. The other thing, chris I wish that I would have thought bigger years ago. You know what I mean. You know we don't think big enough as an individual. We think, oh, maybe I'll do, okay, maybe I'll buy that house, maybe I'll get this car. But I now realise, the bigger you think, the higher you think you know, the more you get nearer it. Do you know what I mean?
Speaker 2:You know, all I wanted to be was a plumber and for years that was it. Then all of a sudden, it came to me one day I want to be more than a plumber. I want to have people working for me. And then I remember the time I come up I want to have 20 people working for me. And then, as time goes on, I made a thing at the end I want to turn over 50 mil and 500 people working for me, and I got to that, but I should have had. I want 5,000 people working for me, I want to turn over like a billion.
Speaker 1:That's when you go. We fix global. If you can fix the planet, we'll all be very grateful for that. Because it's a little bit effed, isn't it?
Speaker 2:If I can fix, the most important thing, chris, to anybody in business is just give it your best shot and, and you know, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it.
Speaker 1:I mean, you know, yes, and now um a couple more moments to go. Where can we find out all about you? I'm gonna just show up the we fix london qr code. So if you're watching this, this is show us your qr code, please. So just give us the url of we fix london, charlie, while people look at the qr code as well.
Speaker 2:I think it's we fix londonco. I think you know. I mean, I shouldn't know better does it haveco?
Speaker 1:you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:on the back of it, that's lovely what I'm trying to say is you'll find it on, find it your own personal website is charlie mullins obe website chris, can I just add this look, you know this social media business great and you need all this, it and all that.
Speaker 2:You know you can always buy brains. You know, maybe you can't buy driving enthusiasm, um yeah. But yeah, look, if there's anyone listening there and I think I can give them a bit of advice that may be helpful, just email me. Sum it through and I'll give you my reply on what worked for me. But it's all about how much you put into it, so how much you're going to get out of it.
Speaker 1:Lovely. And the one final, final thing is there's something called Pass the Golden Baton please, which is a bit like they don't like it, mr Mr Manry, but now you've experienced this from within. Is there anyone else that you know of Charlie that you know would love being given a damn good listening to in this way, that you'd like to pass the golden baton to?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm not thinking of a name. I'm just thinking there's various people I know out there that can give a good story across and help many people.
Speaker 2:Alf, uh would can give a good story across and help many people. Um, alfie best is one of them. Alfie best, okay, you know the gypsy billionaire, I mean you know me and him are drinking from the same teapot as as many things go. You know, get up, get out there and make it happen. And, um, you know, I would say he's probably he's another one that left left the UK because of you know, the labour nonsense of penalising successful people. Yeah, I'd go for Alfie Best. I mean great, great inspiration, great story, come from nothing, billionaire and all of that. Get up and go, yeah, so let's pass it on to Alfie Best.
Speaker 1:Thank you very much, wonderful Thank you for that. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to furnish me with a warm introduction to alfie best, and, as this has been your moment in the sunshine, in the good, listening to show charlie marlins, and thank you for bearing with me as it took me months to finally get a plumber of awesomeness to turn up. I'm only joking, but was there anything else you'd like to say, charlie, having had this experience?
Speaker 2:I believe it's going to be very helpful for some people because, you know, I only had one guy it's a biasing guy, that's. I think today there's a lot more platforms out there like this that you can pick up advice and pick up things. So my, my real value of today is that, um, other people will benefit from it. And again, chris, you know another thing I learned in business. You know we all learn from somebody. You know we all learn from somebody saying something or doing something or thinking, and, and you know that's that's how we learned. You know, and and my little bit of guidance I had um has got me where I am today.
Speaker 2:So I'm hoping loads of people out there listen to little bits and go do you know what I'm going to do? I'll give that. Yeah, maybe it's right. You know what I mean, but you know I don't wish anybody any harm in, you know, running the business and going to success. You know it's not a bad word, I mean they. You know, unfortunately we're very much against successful people in the UK. We're changing now, thank God. But you know, go out there and make it happen. And you know, don't apologise for being successful or working hard, just go out there and make it happen.
Speaker 1:Charlie Mullins. Thank you so very much. So, just as a bit of an outro, I'm Chris Grimes. If you watching listening would like a conversation about being on this show too.
Speaker 1:The website for my show is the good listening to showcom. Also, there's, very excitingly, a new series strand coming very soon to the show which is called legacy life reflections. It's been there anyway, but I'm making more of a thing of it and it's to record the story of somebody near, dear or close to you for posterity, using the structure of this show, lest we forget before it's too late, without any morbid intention, but have a look at legacy life reflectionscom coming soon. It's all part of the good listening to showcom website imperative anyway. But I've been chris grimes. I'll just flash up a qr code of that's where my website is. It's the good listening to showcom. Uh, you've been watching also on linkedin, but if you're also watching, contact charlie mullins or me, chris grimes, on, and obviously we'd be delighted to connect with you. Thank you so much, charlie. You've really, really been worth the chase. I've just thought this conversation was so helpful and so rich and really enjoyable actually.
Speaker 2:Yeah, look to be honest, Chris, you know it's very difficult sometimes to you know you put your side of things across and it don't mean you're right, but it's worked for you, you know. I mean, and it's not a magic formula, is there? Some people might think what a waste of time he is, you know, um, they can think what they want, but at the end of the day, you know I've done what I said I'll do and, uh, that's. You can't take that away from me.
Speaker 1:So sitting in the audience that day, I honestly, I sincerely thought wow, if you've done that and you've done it and you've sold it for 140 million, you're on to something and you can say what you like, really, because you've done it. During the conference, you said some things which would be a bit marmite not to me. I actually thought it was really. I enjoy the marmite nurse because I think you need to be. You need in life, we need to have an opinion and you've certainly succeeded by having an opinion backed up by a work. Ethic is what I think yeah, but that's.
Speaker 2:I think that's what I'm trying to get at, because exactly that, you know, when, whatever people think of me, you know it stacks up what I've just said. It ain't. It ain't like, you know, dreaming or making that. You know, apprenticeship sold it 140 mil. That's it. That's the ultimate for me, but maybe there is a new old man and maybe it's doing that with two companies. Yes, wonderful.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much, jolly. You've been listening to the good listening to show with me, chris grimes. If you'd like to be in the show too, or indeed gift an episode to capture the story of someone else, with me as your host, then you can find out how care of the series strands at the good listening to showshowcom website, and one of these series strands is called Brand Strand Founder Stories For business owners like you to be able to tell your company story, talk about your purpose and amplify your brand. Together we get into the who, the what, the how, the why you do what you do and then, crucially, we find out exactly where we can come and find you, to work with you and to book your services. Tune in next week for more stories from the Clearing and don't forget to subscribe and review wherever you get your podcasts.