Each week we shine the spotlight on a leading light in Dorset and ask him, or her, for answers to our part fun/part serious questionnaire. This time…

His favourite smell – and food – is curry; he’d like to share a car with Sir Alex Ferguson and gets angry at people who don’t follow through with their commitments and don’t take accountability.

Gary Hales, Performance Coach, ActionCOACH, takes the ‘hot seat’ for our popular 20 Questions.

Question: What is your favourite TV show?

Answer: I love science fiction so Star Wars and Star Trek are a ‘must watch’ for me. I also enjoyed the American drama series The Sopranos (from a few years back), Peaky Blinders and the drama series Ray Donovan.

Q: Who would you like to share a car with?

A: Sir Alex Ferguson. As a Man United fan (and Bournemouth fan!) I’d love to know his secrets on how he managed such a broad range of characters during his long career.

Q: The best bit of my job is…?

A: Watching the excitement in business owners as they start to see the improvements and success in their business that they were striving for.

Q: And the worst?

A: There isn’t anything I don’t enjoy about my job. The tough parts are the challenge and the learning opportunities for me.

Q: Who was your childhood hero?

A: As a football fan it has to be Bryan Robson.

Q: What’s your favourite smell?

A: Curry.

Q: Where’s your favourite place in Dorset?

A: Southbourne beach, where we love to walk our dog.

Q: What advice would you give to anyone starting out on a career?

A: Try out different jobs and roles. Follow where your heart leads you and don’t be afraid to fail. Treat everything as a learning experience. The only failure is the failure to participate.

Q: What was your first record/CD?

A: ‘Antmusic’ by Adam and the Ants.

Q: What gets you angry?

A: People who don’t follow through with their commitments and don’t take accountability.

Q: Do you have a favourite piece of music?

A: To get me going and motivated, it’s the opening of Thunderstruck by AC/DC.

Q: What are the qualities you look for in a new employee?

A: Honesty and a desire to learn.

Q: What’s your favourite food or dish?

A: Curry definitely, and quite hot!

Q: Steamed sponge pudding and custard or a plate of melon?

A: Sponge pudding and custard, a great comfort pudding for the winter.

Q: Name the best thing about living/working in Dorset?

A: Having the beach and the countryside so close gives lots of options for taking the dog for a walk/run.

Q: If you were Prime Minister for the day what would be the first thing you do?

A: Bearing in mind what’s going on right now, resign and get the Chancellor of the Exchequer to follow me out of the door!

Q: What’s your biggest frustration?

A: Queuing, I’m quite impatient.

Q:  Where’s your favourite holiday location?

A: I’m fortunate to have lived in the Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean but my favourite place is Positano on the Amalfi Coast in Italy.

Q: Where do you see yourself in ten years’ time?

A: Definitely still coaching and helping people to improve their performance and grow their businesses; but probably more of a digital nomad and travelling and coaching people online.

Q: What would you like to be remembered for?

A: Having helped people make the change they needed to, and achieve what they wanted from their business. I strongly believe in “Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day, teach a person to fish and you feed them for a lifetime”.