Joseph Ashford Ellis is the founder, owner and non-executive chairman of K4 Global, an online marketing and sales agency based in Bournemouth. His firm provides digital marketing services, especially for the property, motoring, services, sports and technology sectors. Ashford’s diverse portfolio of companies is currently valued at over £200 million, providing him with unique insight into becoming a successful entrepreneur.
Bournemouth is a coastal resort town in Southwest England with an economy based almost entirely in the services sector, which employed 95 per cent of that town’s workforce in 2010. Ashford also grew up in Bournemouth under difficult circumstances due to the loss of his immediate family within a short period of time. He also earned his undergraduate degree in Bournemouth and started his career there.
Ashford has a strong desire to invest in his hometown, where his company provides property management and security services. He seeks growth opportunities by reducing business costs through technological innovation. One of K4 Global’s first acquisitions was a property in Bournemouth that increased its value by over 100 per cent after the completion of the project. This success is based on Ashford’s leadership that drives employees to value service over profit.
Table of Contents
Trends
The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected the sectors that hold the best growth opportunities, according to Ashford. Zoom meetings became standard practice at many companies, and people started investing in their properties at record rates. These trends illustrate long-term changes in the expectations businesses and end consumers have regarding the products and services they want.
Climate change is another area that’s becoming increasingly important in property investments. Ashford believes that companies addressing this issue are well-positioned to grow significantly in the coming years. For example, homeowners who renovate their properties often add features that reduce their carbon footprint, including more insulation, heat source pumps, and solar panels.
People
The people in a company are the more important factor in Joseph Ashford’s decision to invest in that company. He says that a company is doomed to failure if its employees don’t share its values or believe in its products. Ashford also looks for strong leadership “that sets the standards for the rest of the company to follow.”
Mental Health
Ashford’s childhood has resulted in mental health challenges as an adult. He was diagnosed with complex PTSD after his immediate family members passed away and bottled up his feelings about it for most of his life. Ashford took medication for a brief period but didn’t like it. He found that a healthy lifestyle that includes physical fitness and happiness was a better solution for him but adds that everyone needs to find their own path towards mental health.
Ashford says that he wants to set an example for people with poor mental health by showing them that it shouldn’t be a hindrance to their personal and professional success. While everyone’s challenges are different, it’s important to seek help and open up to someone. This is the hardest and most significant step in dealing with mental health issues. Ashford sympathizes greatly with anyone struggling with mental health. No one is immune to them, as they’re often triggered by common events such as personal loss and hormone imbalances.
Entrepreneurship
Joseph Ashford says that his experiences with mental health have helped him become a successful entrepreneur because they give him a different mindset from most people. He clearly remembers the obstacles he faced as a child, including scouring for food in bins and feeling guilty about it. These experiences have fueled his will to succeed so that his children will never be in that position. His background has thus given him a greater drive than most people, which is why he is a serial entrepreneur.
Advice
Ashford’s advice for entrepreneurs suffering from mental illness is to pursue physical fitness. In addition to the physical benefits, it also promotes other desirable qualities such as dedication, motivation, self-discipline, and a sense of pride in achieving goals. Joseph Ashford trains every day and pushes his body during each session, ensuring he is drenched in sweat after a workout.
Physical fitness is directly linked to mental well-being because pushing yourself out of your comfort zone gives you a feeling of accomplishment. It also provides scientific benefits like increased levels of dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins, helping you feel naturally happy. In addition, Ashford is a strong believer in a healthy diet as a way to maintain mental health. He says that a clean diet and proper hydration can greatly improve mental health. However, many people struggle to make the necessary commitment, since this benefit isn’t always obvious.
Unfortunately, following a healthy lifestyle with a good diet is prohibitively expensive for many people. Those from a lower socio-economic background often have no choice in eating unhealthy food. Ashford is looking forward to addressing this issue, both personally and professionally.
