Why do you think heritage and the story of the company is so important for people engaging with brands in 2020?
It is important that people know the story and heritage of a brand. It allows them to feel connected to what they are purchasing and part of the story. There are so many brands to choose from on the market, it's important that you choose ones that have a strong heritage that resonates with you as a buyer.
Favourite ever Bremont product you’ve owned?
My favourite Bremont product is the S2000. I wear it every day and for everything that I do. It has built in ‘anti shock’ that makes sure that whatever activity I’m doing it remains protected. I surf in it, climb in it, have taken it on expeditions and adventures, it never leaves my wrist.
What do you see for the future of brand ambassadors and “influencers” in the market?
Brand ambassadors have a very important role to play considering how popular and influential their social media is. They should be looking to inspire people in a positive way. For me, I want people that engage in my content to leave feeling inspired and want to push themselves in a positive way to achieve more. That is how I live my life and I’m always engaging with people that do the same to me.
Favourite moment as a retail (ThruDark) director yourself?
Summiting Everest for the second time the day after Nims Purja. Both of us were wearing the ThruDark bespoke summit suit, it was a huge achievement not only for Nims and me, but also for the brand to be so highly recognised and create something that helped Nims and me achieve our goal.
What drives you to continue to build yourself and ThruDark as a brand?
A continued strive for excellence and a drive to do better today than I did yesterday. This is the culture of the Special Forces and something that I have continued in my day to day life, that translates in everything that I do, including ThruDark. With ThruDark we are consistently looking to improve what we are doing, improved products, stronger materials, testing environments and build an experience, which perfectly links in with Bremont’s brand philosophy.
What makes the ThruDark and Bremont partnership unique?
There is a strong relationship between the two brands, they both share similar heritage. Both are uniquely British brands, they both produce the highest quality products that are built to last and endure the most extreme situations. They also both have links to the military with ThruDark’s founders who are both Ex Special Forces and Bremont who make custom military watches.
What are you doing to stay sane during the COVID-19 lockdown? Any tips for our readers?
Exercise has been very important as part of my lockdown routine. I just make sure that I’m keeping to a routine and have certain tasks that I hold my self-accountable to daily so that at the end of the day I feel like I’ve achieved something. Staying active mentally and physically. I’ve always known this but it's really reminded me of the the importance of friends and family, as I’m sure it has for many others.
Did you wear any of the ThruDark or Bremont products whilst filming SAS:WDW?
Yes, I wore my Bremont S2000 and pretty much all the clothes I wore were ThruDark, both perfect for those harsh filming conditions.
What do you think you would have done after the military if you hadn't joined ThruDark?
I had a thousand ideas going around my head. I wanted to do something that would include my passion for exploration and the mountains and continue to climb 8000m mountains. I was also going to do an MBA, but the timing worked well with ThruDark even though at first we all took a massive pay cut and there were obvious risks. I always knew if everything failed there was still the chance to get back into the military.
