Kevin Holliday, managing director of C3: Each week, My Morning Routine looks at how a successful member of the community starts their day — and then throws in a couple of random business questions just for fun. Speaking to us this week is Kevin Holliday (LinkedIn), managing director of C3. Edited excerpts from our conversation:

My name is Kevin Holliday, and I'm the managing director of Companies Creating Change, or C3. I began my career in finance in London, working for various multinational companies. Eventually, I transitioned to the Middle East, where I set up an office in Dubai in 2008 with the company I was working for at the time. Since then, I’ve ventured into different industries, including private security and media and publishing, in a range of roles. My journey started in finance but evolved into corporate strategy, family offices, and other sectors in the Middle East.

My career with C3 was a very purpose-driven decision. Although I had a background in finance and was quite good at it, it never really fulfilled my true passion. I worked closely with my colleague and friend, Medea Nocentini (LinkedIn), who is the founder of C3. We had previously worked together at two different companies, and C3 started as her community-led project, relying on volunteers. When she asked me to help set the strategy and consult, I was initially hesitant because I wasn’t sure if it would become a full-time role. But once I got involved, it became clear that this was my passion.

Since then, we’ve grown significantly, supporting entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, and students who are passionate about driving systemic change in areas like the environment and society.

My role combines my previous experience in finance, strategy, and operations to help and support underserved communities, providing them with the tools and knowledge to drive their businesses [forward] and address the issues we face across not only the region, but around the globe.

We design programs, accelerators, incubators, hackathons, and youth development programs — all focused on either environmental or societal impact. In the Global South specifically, we face unique challenges, and our goal is to create an inclusive environment where everyone has the opportunity to contribute to positive change.

Climate is a big focus at the moment, but we’re also seeing a lot of innovation in agritech solutions, healthcare, and education. Healthcare and education are especially critical because they provide access to underserved communities that traditional banks and institutions often overlook.

AI and machine learning are also big trends, as are hardware with tech enablement is another area of growth, particularly in the circular economy, where recycling and upcycling are becoming more prevalent.

Passion is the key factor for any startup. A founder must have a deep understanding of their product and market and show that they are committed to driving their business forward. Investing in a startup is like entering a long-term partnership, so both the investor and the entrepreneur need to be aligned and comfortable working together for the long haul. Ultimately, the founder’s drive and resilience are what we’re [investing in] at the early stages.

Storytelling is also a key factor — investors want to understand the journey behind the business and what drives the founder. This personal connection can make a significant difference when it comes to securing investment.

I’m very much a morning person. I usually wake up around six or seven, start my day with a coffee and a smoothie, work out at home, then get straight to work. I prefer a light breakfast because too much food in the morning makes me sleepy. I also like to take my daughter to school if I can. It’s really important for me to spend enough time with her and make sure that she is able to continue her development.

A typical workday at C3 is amazing. Even though we’ve been around for over a decade, we still have a startup mindset, which allows us to be agile when it comes to supporting our partners. The work is challenging, but we have a fantastic team and I’m always delighted to go into the office.

The one constant is my commitment to lifelong learning. Every day, I strive to learn something new or improve in some way. At the end of the day, I like to reflect on what I’ve learned and how I can apply it to become a better person and leader.

Focus comes easily when you’re passionate about your work. I’m good at managing tasks in isolation as well as seeing the bigger picture. It’s important to prioritize and target specific areas that need attention when you have too many things on your plate. Flexibility is especially important, now in a post-covid world where mental health and work-life balance are more important than ever. It's very important for me and my team that they're able to have flexible working hours and be able to work remotely.

Personally and professionally, my goals are very interlinked now. We’ve made significant progress over the past few years, and I’m excited about the future. We want to continue expanding our initiatives and possibly raise a fund to deploy capital to early-stage founders with impactful solutions.

I believe I’ve managed to balance work and personal life quite well. I’m good at switching off when needed and focusing on projects when necessary. Maintaining a healthy body and mind is important, even more so nowadays than before because that ability to be able to be fresh always brings something new to the table.

I’m very passionate about sports, whether it’s playing or watching. I love getting out on the golf course. I’ve been insanely competitive from a young age, and it has also helped me from a business perspective. I’ve learned to handle losing better over the years.

I’m a big fan of strategy books. Good to Great by Jim Collins is one of my favorites. It explores how businesses make the leap from a startup to a big corporation. Another important book is Start with Why by Simon Sinek, which emphasizes the importance of understanding the purpose behind everything we do. Black Box Thinking and Blue Ocean Strategy are also excellent reads.

The best advice I’ve received is to have an open mindset, not be too critical of myself, and always continue to improve. We all make mistakes, but the key is to learn quickly, adapt, and move on. It’s important to be prepared for successes and failures because it's going to be a rocky road, not just as an entrepreneur, but in life. And I think it's our ability to bounce back from those things or take them on board that makes a difference.

Fifteen or twenty years ago, failure was simply not an option. But now, things have changed. There's a shift in culture where mistakes are seen differently. It's more about acknowledging what went wrong and focusing on how to move forward quickly.

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