Game Changer
In conversation with Imran Savas, CEO of Tape
In 2020 you were nominated for ‘Role Model of the Year’ at the National Diversity Awards. What does being a role model mean to you?
I have never thought of myself as a ‘role model’ but if you are ever given the opportunity to be one then you should take it because you can have a positive influence on a person’s life. Role models are most powerful when you can relate to the path they’ve walked.
I hated to walk into rooms where everyone looked the same, that is why it is important to help people who look like me, get into rooms that I once struggled to get into. We tend to become like those who we admire so I feel a responsibility to show a 10-year-old brown kid, that by me being in business that they too can aspire to become someone.
I learnt that to really create change; we must help people change the way they see things through our actions. The best way, perhaps the only way, to create a difference is to be an example. Be kind and good-hearted wherever life takes you. You can become an example and show the best behaviour by spreading love and goodness.
Generosity allows you to give freely without expecting anything in return. By being generous with your time, talents, money, and love will change your life and the rewards will be greater for you than they will be for the person on the receiving end. In the company of leading with kindness and gratitude every day we can become the ‘role model’ that we wished we had.
You were also nominated for ‘Most Influential Business Person of the Year’ last year at the MBCC Awards- what did this mean to you?
Some are motivated by a need for awards, some by money and some by their social media following. I started from a different place; from the fondness of helping and connecting with people. I have been recognised over ten times, but it does not give me any sense of accomplishment. I believe that true success and happiness lie in freedom and fulfilment.
There are communities in the world that lack the resources and opportunities due to their circumstances. If they had an opening, we would have more innovation, solutions, and voices. I wanted to help and so I created Tape UK to support small businesses, entrepreneurs, and freelancers as I believe that a small business can change the face of the world
The Tape UK multi-service model had no blueprint for me to follow but my thoughts were ‘why wait for someone to create it when you can create it yourself?’. We cannot hope to build a better world without improving individuals, being able to share what I have whether it be knowledge, wealth and experience is an important factor in my leadership.
Many defy success as ‘how much money you have’ but being genuinely in love with what you do is ultimately what makes you rich.
More recently you have championed a #Individuality campaign, which launched at the Storyhouse in Chester. How do you feel about diversity in Cheshire as a whole and what changes need to be made?
You’ll never reach perfection because there’s always room for improvement, 13.8% of the population belongs to an ethnic group. One million businesses in the UK are owned by ethnic minorities, they do so much for the UK economy, and provide skills, talent, services, and products across the whole range of sectors.
Belonging to an ethnic background myself, I thoroughly believe that diversity and inclusion are essential in business today. A healthy variety of people from different pockets of society and cultures provides the balance of voices and the range of thought needed. As many businesses still do not reflect the different positive attributes of society in terms of their staff and senior positions. But also, there are barriers that still halt individuals from owning a business themselves.
The success of diverse entrepreneurs can have a significant impact on businesses in the short and long term and create a much just society. If we want to see real change, staying persistent in educating humanity on how similar we all are than different. This is how humanity will evolve to become better.
Tell us more about your current campaign called, ‘See Me, Be Me’, in partnership with the Anthony Walker Foundation and M&S Bank.
It was a privilege to participate in a project which was delivered to high schools and community groups on how to lead a positive and successful life. Leading figures from an array of professional backgrounds were featured and I was the youngest contributor to the campaign which allowed me to voice to students about my own personal and professional journey.
When I was a child, I found it hard to relate to successful people as none of them looked or spoke like me. I came from an immigrant working-class family, single mum, free school dinners and social housing.
I have always communicated from inside out about my journey reaching Tape UK to inspire and give hope, as without hope we have no future. Articulating what I believe to be true produces the best possible outcome because stories have meaning, and facts without meaning are boring. Now I find myself in a more affluent world and my business would not be as good or had the same impact had I not endured my past experiences.
Being able to speak at schools and to see a child’s face light up from my story inspires me in what they may become. The greatest legacy that we can pass on to children is not money or material things accumulated in life but gift a legacy of character and wisdom.
What is your motivation and ultimate end goal?
A person is not defined by the amount of money that they have made whilst they were alive but by the impact they made to others they left behind. My aim is to help underrepresented individuals be the best versions of themselves and the goal is not to simply cross the finish line but see how many people I can inspire to run with me.
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