Armadillo Asks: Andy Brown
We want to introduce you to the people who make Armadillo tick. So grab a coffee, settle back and say hello to Andy…
Name: Andy Brown
Job Title: Financial Director
Joined Armadillo: August 2015
Describe what you do in 10 words or less
Co-lead the company, with a focus on our finances.
Tell us something about you that might surprise us.
My left leg is ~1 inch longer than my right. At 8 years old I was in hospital with it being stretched / put back over a period of a fortnight… although I could still do with both legs being longer! I still run and play sport and no I don’t run around in circles.
If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you do?
My wife and I enjoy giving financially to charity. So, I would mainly give a load of it to charity and invest most of the rest (in part for future charitable purposes). I’d also do a little building work on my home and spend a little more on my Summer holiday this year. I suspect Mrs Brown might want a new car. I don’t know the model, but it would definitely be pink.
What do you like most about your job?
My partnership with fellow Board members, James and Chris. Finding business partners with closely aligned values isn’t always easy. I know they trust me, and it is mutual.
Supporting, coaching and leading our Finance Manager. She takes her role so responsibly, cares about the details and shares my desire for best practice in our department.
Working with my colleagues. The fun we have whilst caring deeply about being expert professionals, each trying to continually master our crafts.
How would you describe what Armadillo does?
We help brands communicate effectively with their customers through creative and technology led Customer Relationship Marketing.
What advice would you give a candidate who wants to join Armadillo?
Honesty is always the best policy.
Be honest in applying for a role and be yourself. Don’t try too hard to be who you think we are looking for because if/when you join we’d want you to be able to bring your whole self to work and not need to maintain an act.
Be honest in the details. Don’t exaggerate, mislead or doctor your CV. If you’re good enough, you’ll be good enough. If you’re not it’s likely it won’t work out well for either of us in the long run!
What’s your favourite quote?
A favourite relating to financial and business management would be:
Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity but cash is king.
Do you have a side hustle you’d like to share?
For the past 12 years, my working life has felt like one big side hustle.
I co-own, run, advise and work part-time for a number of businesses.
I’m a Director of seven companies in the UK.
At home in Bournemouth with Mrs Brown we also run a weekly 5-a-side football community with a Summer Festival and Tournament (shameless plug: www.meetballuk.com). As a community we have given about £7k to UK Charities in the past five years.
What songs have you completely memorized?
Lots; I love singing along to songs. Far too many to list them all. To give an idea of some off the top of my head… Summertime by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Nothing Else Matters by Metallica, Concrete Schoolyard by Jurassic 5, Jump Around by House of Pain, Endless Love by Lionel Richie, loads of Beatles tracks. I could go on.
I’d like to learn “I’ve Been Everywhere” by Johnny Cash… I know the first few lines, but then quickly get lost!
What are some small things that make your day better?
My car. At Armadillo I have a 5-hour 150-mile round trip commute, but it is made so much more comfortable and pleasurable in my cheap to fuel, renewable-electricity powered Tesla.
My wife. She is unbelievably loving and also patient with me and the impact my various work commitments can have on our family and home life (see commute above). She runs a catering company and provides delicious overnight oats, pastries and pasties for our weekly all-agency breakfast meetings, so my colleagues all love her too.
Enjoying what I do and the people I work with. I am so thankful to work with some kind, generous spirited and smart people.
What’s something you’ve been meaning to try but just haven’t gotten around to it?
Kite Surfing. I can’t wait to get into it. Every year it’s “next season”. One day I’ll get my act together on this one!
What are your favourite restaurants and bars in Bristol?
Despite going to University in Bristol, that was quite some time ago and I now live in Bournemouth, so don’t know the suburbs of Bristol so well these days. However, Cabot Circus is a stone’s throw from the office and has lots of choice. I’m a sucker for a Five Guys burger and Brasserie Blanc offers a mean Malabar Fish Curry.