Phil Codd is the CEO of Explio, an IT services company in Ireland, where he has worked for over 15 years. He started his career in sales and enjoys building rapport with customers, emphasizing the importance of positive interactions and relationships in business. Highlights: Phil grew up in London after his family moved from Dublin in the 1960s. He worked in the early days of the computer industry in Ireland when it was still quite small and immature. He got his start in sales selling newspapers and working retail, where he enjoyed the "buzz" of meeting customers and making sales. This indicated his natural inclination towards sales. Phil has been with Explio, an IT services company, for 15 years now. He takes pride in the company's growth to over 850 employees in Ireland, as well as its diversity and empowering culture. He believes mentorship is very important for leaders and managers. Having someone outside your company to provide advice and guidance is invaluable. Key Insights: Ireland offers a "luxury" for salespeople and business development to leverage personal connections and relationships unlike bigger countries. Decisions made at work are generally quite small compared to big life decisions. Employees should feel empowered to make decisions themselves. Interactions with people, no matter how small, are never neutral - they either leave you with a positive or negative feeling. Phil aims to have positive interactions. We need more nuance and balance in how we view leaders and public figures, rather than simplistic "good or bad" judgments.