Value Added Partner Stories

This month, County Business Clubs Sussex throws the spotlight on Value Added Partner Gareth Kemp from Simpler with Ai.

Tell us your story?

About 20 years ago I was asked a question that helped define my direction in life.

“Assuming money was no object, what would you do that would keep you fascinated, motivated and excited for the rest of your life?”

It was a great question because it helped me create a north star of what deeply interested me, so that work never felt like work.

As I searched for an answer, it became clear to me that what I loved was a mixture of understanding human psychology, of searching for simplicity in all things, and of helping people understand the value of their own work.

I was already on the path of business development for clients, and this helped me clarify what I do and why. As our business evolved over the years, even when creating a 100% pivot into AI training and consultancy, it’s these three aspects that have guided my decision making.

What has been your biggest business challenge to date?

The moment of horror when I realised that anybody, with nothing more than a $20 subscription to ChatGPT, could outperform the hard work, sweat and tears I’d put into my professional experience over the last 20 years.

What has been your greatest or proudest business achievement to date?

For our clients, we attracted and sold services to the senior leadership teams of Etsy, Spotify, Laurent Perrier and many others. When I realised we could bottle that work up into AI, and do it in minutes rather than weeks, was my greatest achievement.

What type of clients do you currently work with and who are you looking to meet?

We have the greatest success with businesses where the leaders want to unlock the potential of their teams. A recent survey from Microsoft shows people who use tools like ChatGPT effectively say it boosts their creativity (92%) and helps them focus on the most important work (93%) as well as helping them feel more motivated (91%) and enjoy work more (91%).

Tell us a fact or story about yourself that people might not know?

I love to marshal at Brands Hatch. It’s a voluntary role where people from every background come together to share a love of motorsport. I spend long days in the rain or baking heat just a few feet from the track. Sometimes it’ll be old Formula 1 cars. Other times it’s a beat up Clio. I love the camaraderie, the competitiveness, the noise, the people.

How do you define success?

Having enough freedom of time to race V8 cars at Brands Hatch! Joking aside, success is all about collaboration. We invest our time in long term relationships where everybody wins by doing meaningful work.

gareth@simplerwith.ai