Readers' lives: Hair yesterday

Humour has got this Cheryl Cole fan to the top of his game

Feldman: Discovered his sales acumen while working at a hairdresser's.

What was your first job?
At a hair salon. While terrible at cutting hair, I was the best at selling hair products. I was kept on by my employers to keep their clients entertained with my jokes. Twenty or so years later, my ex-employer is hairdresser of the year and recently became a client of mine.

How much did it pay and was that fair?
No, but who had a say in the 80s? I think I got £4,500 per annum plus tips. If I earned more than £10 in tips in one day, I felt I was on the verge of greatness.

How did you get into IT?
I always loved computers (my 13th birthday in 1984 had a ZX Spectrum-shaped cake) and while working in car sales was referred through a friend looking for a car. His dad was a director of Viztopia and a year later I was their top salesman.

Which TV character would you most like to be?
Simon Cowell. Not because he is cool, famous and rich but more because I can sit next to Cheryl every week.

What sport should be in the Olympics but isn’t?
The Fifa 10 championships. It’s the only sport I train for daily and I am so fit I don’t even break a sweat working out.

How do you relax, and do you find it easy to switch off from work?
I spend a small fortune with a well known online music store and boast a music collection of over 19,500 songs. I relax by rating each 1-5. I even know why something scores a ‘1’ and why it scores a ‘5’. Sad, I know. My wife and children are also a perfect distraction from work. I can buy the kids all the toys I never had but still want to play with.

Which is your favourite city?
New York. We have an office there and I don’t need any excuses to jump on a plane. It’s big, loud, colourful, and the movies come out there first!

What could prompt you to give it all up and join the revolution?
What revolution? I can only think you mean the support and service revolution, of which I am proud to say I’m already a disciple.

What is your favourite joke or the one you heard most recently?
In an actual recent email, I joked to a shoe-shop owner client that I liked the pink wellies he displayed in the window. Autocorrect changed ‘wellies’ to ‘willies’. How embarrassing. But I did win the deal so it was kind of worth it.

Which is more satisfying: money or power?
Life without power would be dull. Although if there were solar-powered PCs I may change my mind.

What would you like to eat tonight?
My grandma’s apple cake, no question. But should I have custard, cream or ice-cream?

Is IT well taught in schools?
I recently went to visit a potential school for my daughter and I was impressed with the all the smartboards and IT rooms. Although my children will be well educated in IT regardless.

Mitchell Feldman is sales and marketing director at The Internet Group

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