What makes the people behind our local businesses tick? In this Q&A series, Business Times asks leaders from across the region to share a little more about themselves — from childhood memories and career milestones to guilty pleasures and bucket-list dreams.

This month, it’s the turn of Joe Francis, account manager at Embrace Leasing, who reveals everything from his earliest memory and favourite family holidays to the career decisions that shaped his journey.

Life Questions

What’s your earliest memory?
Cracking my head open at school. I must have been six or seven. I tripped over my own feet, and I hit the corner of a wall. I’ve got the scar to prove it.

Schooldays – the best of your life? Why?
School was great as you don’t have a care in the world when you’re a kid. There’s nothing holding you back from what you want to do. When you leave school, your circle becomes much smaller.

Who was your best friend growing up?
Ben Rushmer. He’s the friend I’m still closest to now. We grew up together and played football together.

As a child, where was your best family holiday?
We used to go to Cornwall with my grandparents, saw the lighthouses and went to the beach. Our holidays were always in the UK, never abroad.

As a child, what job did you want to do when you grew up?
I wanted to be an F1 racing driver or a footballer.

As a teenager, who was your secret crush?
Jennifer Aniston.

What advice would you give to your 18-year-old self?
Carry on playing football, not because you’ll get anywhere professionally but for the social aspect and keeping fit.

How do you relax?
I watch movies at night when I’m not working.

What’s your guilty pleasure?
Listening to Harry Styles.

What’s your perfect night out?
A few beers in the pub.

What’s your most treasured possession?
The ring on my finger. When my grandad passed away he left me a little bit of money. The ring I bought has never left my finger since I was 18 and I’m now 31.

Tell us a secret about yourself.
I used to do horse riding and ballet as a child.

Any regrets?
Not putting in as much effort in school as I could have. I don’t think you need a higher education though to still be able to earn good money.

What are the first 3 things on your bucket list?

  • Tour America in an RV

  • Learn to ski

  • Jump out of an aeroplane

CAREER QUESTIONS

What was your first job?
I worked in a shop called Mad House in Central Milton Keynes.

Why did you choose your particular career?
My friend Ben was working in a car dealership in Stony Stratford. They asked if he knew anyone to join a new leasing company. He put my name forward and I got the job. I didn’t really choose the career, it chose me.

What’s the best advice you’ve received in business?
Really figure out what you want to achieve and set a plan on how you are going to achieve it.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Becoming a Lease Plan Platinum Franchise.

…and the low point?
We went through a point after Covid when it took a long time for vehicles to be built and business went from 100 to zero very quickly. To try to maintain a team and sell cars proved very difficult.

Who in business do you respect the most?
Scott Norville. (Probably have to say that!) He’s put in some hard graft and it’s paid off.
And also my dad, he worked for Hertz for years and in some aspects we are very similar.

What annoys you the most in business?
Putting a lot of time into a customer and not getting anywhere which becomes a waste of effort — but if you don’t try you don’t know.

What’s the best thing/worst thing about where you work?
The team. We’ve got a great culture and we don’t have many people leave, we’ve all been here for a good chunk of time.

What’s your career ambition?
To become a company director one day.

What’s your worst fault?
I’m too much of an oversharer.

What’s the best decision you ever made in business?
Moving back to Silverstone Leasing. I was here just under a year then I went back to my original broker. I was only there for three months then I came back.

If you could start again, would you do anything different?
No, probably not. You make decisions based on what you think is right at the time. Otherwise you wouldn’t be where you are now.

You’re retired. What are you doing, where and why?
I’ll retire abroad. Anywhere in a villa close to a beach.

WHAT ARE YOU…

Eating?
Spaghetti Bolognese — it was a meal we had every week at home with my mum, dad and sister. Always with a load of cheese on top.

Drinking?
A nice cold Madri.

Reading?
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne (audiobook). It’s about manifestation.

Watching?
Grimm — my favourite ever TV programme. I’ve rewatched it six or seven times.

Listening to?
Drum and bass — it gets you going in the morning.

Dreaming of?
To own my own home again.