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My Worst Investment Ever Podcast

Chris Ball - If They’re Not 100% Right, Don’t Hire Them

Apr 22, 2024
16:59

BIO: Chris Ball started his career in 2004 as a tax adviser with KPMG LLP. He then transitioned and founded Hoxton Capital Management in 2018. The group’s sole emphasis is helping HNW and UHNW clients with borderless global financial advice. Chris’ specialty is assisting individuals with their retirement planning needs.

STORY: When Chris started his career young and fresh, he got into spread betting. That didn’t go so well, and he lost 10,000 pounds, which was a lot of money in 2008. In terms of business, he wasted over $750,000 on bad hiring decisions.

LEARNING: Don’t enter markets that you don’t understand. If someone is not 100% right, don’t hire them.

 

“Hire and fire fast. If they’re not right, and you spot it, don’t keep giving people chance after chance or trying to fit a round peg into a square hole, which doesn’t work.”
Chris Ball

 

Guest profile

Chris Ball started his career in 2004 as a tax adviser with KPMG LLP. After seven years with KPMG, Chris moved to the Middle East to join the deVere Group, where he continued his work as an IFA. He started in their Abu Dhabi offices and eventually headed up the Qatar operations for the group, which dealt with HNW and UHNW individuals.

Chris then transitioned and founded Hoxton Capital Management in 2018. The group’s sole emphasis is helping HNW and UHNW clients with borderless global financial advice. Chris’ specialty is assisting individuals with their retirement planning needs.

Chris has three children with his wife.

Worst investment ever

When Chris started his career young and fresh, he got into spread betting. That didn’t go so well, and he lost 10,000 pounds, which was a lot of money in 2008. In terms of business, he wasted over $750,000 on bad hiring decisions.

Lessons learned

  • Don’t enter markets that you don’t understand.
  • If someone is not 100% right, don’t hire them.
  • Playing at things never produces good results. You have to be 100% dedicated and focused on your work.

Actionable advice

Hire and fire quickly. If someone is not suitable and you spot it, fire immediately. Don’t keep giving people a chance after chance.

Chris’s recommendations

Chris recommends using his recently launched Hoxton Wealth App, available on iTunes, Apple App Store, Google Store, and the company’s website. It’s completely free. The app enables people with accounts in different countries to live link those accounts and view them in a currency of their choice. It also has cash flow modeling, which enables people to see if they have enough money saved for various goals.

No.1 goal for the next 12 months

Chris’s number one goal for the next 12 months is to launch a wealth app and attract 100,000 users.

Parting words

 

“Thank you very much for having me on. I really enjoyed it, and I wish you all the best.”
Chris Ball

 

[spp-transcript]

 

Connect with Chris Ball


Andrew’s books


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