Tony Nash is nothing if not upbeat about the fact that his first pass at university didn't pan out. "I mastered in Space Invaders and Snooker but failed in Accounting and Economics."
Luckily, the owner of Booktopia has always had more success in the workplace, right from his first job as NRMA's mail handler: "I saw people being negative, but I was always positive. I thought a positive attitude might bring opportunities."
While the attitude served him well (he was quickly promoted) it was the basis of what Nash now calls an entrepreneurial mindset.
"When stuff comes up…you can bitch and complain, or say, 'There must be a better opportunity around the corner'…Then your mind is clear and you can come up with something," he says.
Given that Booktopia now sells a book every ten seconds, what he's come up with obviously works. The $54 million turnover business, which ships near on three million books in a financial year, wins numerous awards and Nash is still heavily involved in recruiting, an industry he worked in for 14 years.
Of course, not all staff members need to be formally recruited: given it's a family-run business, Nash's brother and brother-in-law are board members, and his sister is on the leadership team. He professes they've never had an argument: "Just robust conversations."
When hiring more broadly, Nash looks first to a good cultural fit. But beyond that, he tries think laterally. "Most managers try to recruit people to the experience of the role they have…I'm more interested in hiring people who we can offer career paths. There may be quite a few things they've never done before," he says. One case in point, Nash's first ever Booktopia hire, was formerly a nanny struggling to get an office job. "I thought she must be good at organising…and in March this year she comes up to ten years with Booktopia."
CURRICULUM VITAE
Name: Tony Nash
Current position: CEO, Booktopia
Responsibilities:
Overall leadership and strategic direction of the business.
Education:
· Completed a computer programming course (early 1980s) before starting a Bachelor of Business. "I found it easy but it wasn't expanding my thinking…I dropped out and travelled for over three years: That's what I call my university degree."
Additional training/courses: Various personal development workshops. "I use those skills every day in running my company and staying grounded."
Professional associations:
None. Personal affiliations include:
· Life member, Wilderness Society.
· Life member, RSPCA.
Honourable mentions:
· Finalist, Entrepreneur Of The Year award (Ernst & Young, 2013) (Nash)
· Winner, Telstra Business Award for Medium Business (NSW, 2014) - (Booktopia).
· Booktopia listed on BRW Fast 100 six years in a row.
· Deliotte Technology Fast 50 (Booktopia).
· Smart Company SMART 50, TOP Community SME Award, 2014 (Booktopia).
· Numerous online retail awards, including inaugural Online Book Retailer of the Year for 2014 Award at the Australian Book Industry Awards.
Strength: "Empowering others so they can do what they need to do. I'm not an emotional rollercoaster boss: I'm very level. People respond to that. It takes a lot of the unpredictability out of the workplace."
Weakness: "I'm disorganised, so I now have an EA. I didn't for years, but now I do and she's amazing."
Management style and tips: "Be clear – and specific - about the goals of your business."
Work motto:
"When things get harder, be optimistic and look for the opportunities. That's been one of my fundamental strengths."
