Welcome to guest blogger and BABC member Michelle Sandlin – John Daugherty, Realtors.
One of the most interesting things about what I do, is the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. We recently assisted Simon Collingwood, originally from the U.K., in finding a home in Houston in connection with his relocation here. Shortly after he and his family moved into their new Houston home, I had a chance meeting with Simon at a BABC (British American Business Council) event. It’s always fun to hear the initial impressions that people have about Houston. I asked Simon if he would share a few of his thoughts with me that I could include on my blog. He graciously agreed! Here are the highlights from our conversation…
What was the reason for your move to Houston?
“I work for a British government organization called UK Trade & Investment. We have 3 objectives: 1) to provide services that support British companies to develop their business in the U.S.; 2) to support U.K. companies so they can build their companies internationally, and we strongly believe that U.S. companies ought to be building their business internationally by landing in the U.K.; 3) to sell the U.K., and to make sure people know that the U.K. is a special partner for the U.S. across a range of fronts, especially focused on the commercial aspect. I am here because we have been taking a hard look at how we approach our work in the U.S. and we see a lot of opportunity in the southern parts of the U.S. This is where the job growth is, the economic growth and the strong focus on the business environment. We are engaging with the local biz community.” He said that his job is to lead 3 teams: one based in Houston, one based in Miami and one based in Atlanta. “We are part of the fabric of the British Consulate and the broader communities we operate within.”
How long have you been with UK Trade & Investment?
“I have been in Houston for 4 weeks, and was based in NY for 3 years prior to this.” He said that they have grown the Houston team and the team in Atlanta, which is all about increasing the efforts they have in the southern U.S. “We support over 3,000 British companies each year, and last year we helped 190 U.S. companies to grow their biz in the U.K.”
When you first arrived, what was the most challenging thing for you and/or your family?
Jokingly, he replied, “The heat.” He said that while the heat is a challenge, it’s actually quite enjoyable. “It’s nice seeing blue skies everyday or most days anyway. The challenge though, whenever you move anywhere with a family is that you have to resettle into a new community. That’s one of the great things that Houston has going for it though. We have found it a very friendly place. A colleague of mine said just the other day that there is a presumption among Houston society that you will be friends, that you will get on, that you will do biz together; you may not have worked it out quite yet, but you will do over the weeks or months ahead.” This is always so nice to hear as people move to Houston. The common impression of Houston always seems to be about what a friendly city it is.
What do you like best about living in Houston?
“I like the new job, the new challenge, and the fact that I am doing something new for myself personally. Professionally, this is a great opportunity. I’m getting out and meeting some fantastic companies, and some great individuals who are doing some extraordinary things, whether they are large corporations or small or medium sized enterprises or start-up companies.”
What has been the biggest adjustment for you and your family?
“The biggest adjustment has been in moving from an apartment to a house. We’ve got more space and don’t know how to fill all of those square feet and empty walls. Getting used to driving has been a bit of an adjustment. We didn’t need a car previously, but in Houston we’ve gone from zero cars to two cars.” He added though that he likes that he can still walk to restaurants from where they live.
How does housing in Houston compare to other cities you have lived?
He told me that they had moved from a doorman building in New York and living on a fairly high floor. “Here in Houston we have a house, which is larger. We also have a garage, and a small garden. I have never lived anywhere so large. It feels luxurious!”
Where else have you lived prior to your move to Houston?
“I am originally from Manchester. I have also lived in London, Sydney, and Beijing.”
Do you see your move as more of an opportunity or an adventure? Why?
“It’s an opportunity and an adventure; it’s both. It’s an opportunity for me to do a new type of job. My role is to be very outward focused. I’m here to meet people, engage with them and connect with them in some way. I’m here to tell them about the U.K., and for U.K. companies and U.S. companies to help them out and introduce them to potential business opportunities.”
What would be a good take-away for someone meeting you?
“I would want people to walk away thinking that the U.K. is a great place: active, innovative, engaging with firm roots in the past. I would also hope people will see that the British government is very active in trying to support businesses to grow. We are a very pro-business government. The U.K. is “Open for Business.” Whether or not they are a U.K. company or a U.S. company, the U.K. Trade & Investment is an organization that can support them, whether through investing in the U.K. or through growing their business here. We are an organization that has extraordinarily good links in the business communities on both side of the pond and internationally and we are an organization that can support them.”
How is your organization using social media, and how has it impacted your ability to stay connected with friends and family back home?
“We are using social media. Like others we are learning, finding our way. We are certainly putting messages out there. We have twitter feeds from various locations to let people know what we are doing, and we have various LinkedIn profiles. Facebook is something we have toyed with. It’s not a platform that we have been particularly active on as an organization. For me personally Facebook is about having an umbilical cord to friends and family in the U.K.”
What advice would you offer to other Expats moving to Houston?
“The British government moves people around all over the world all of the time, whether they are ambassadors, diplomats, consultants, or whatever it might be. You would expect that there would be a huge amount of people out there who were facilitating that, and this is true to a point. But at the same time, there is a need to engage with organizations that can deliver specific services. And that’s what we did with you guys, and it was a very positive experience. We went out with Sharon, and we saw lots of houses, and all of them blew us away in a different way. They were all absolutely fantastic houses, and all absolutely on-message and to the script of what we wanted. The one we got, because of your assistance, was one that we really liked and we knew when we walked in was a serious contender, and here we are a few weeks later living there.”
Do you see yourself staying in Houston long term?
“The one constant is change, so I really don’t know where I will be. Houston so far has been very welcoming and we are having a great time living here. We are really enjoying our evenings and weekends. We are looking to get out of Houston a bit more and are going to see Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, and New Orleans. This is the adventure part of it. We now have an opportunity to see a different part of the U.S. From what we have seen so far, Houston is a very enjoyable city to live in.”
