As an experienced operations manager, mental health advocate, volunteer, and mentor, Mylo Kaye takes great pride in building environments where people of all backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, and sexualities feel they are welcome.
Based out of Manchester, U.K., Mylo Kaye has spent the last 10 years of his career building successful teams in companies and start-ups. The companies Kaye has worked with have been recognized for their people development and have won numerous awards for their work.
In the past, Kaye has sat on charity and advisory boards, advised local leaders, managed teams of up to 25 people, and has provided his expertise as a judge for industry awards.
Kaye’s passion for mentoring and advising has led him to coach others, helping them develop their lives around their home and work lives, relationships, entrepreneurship, and other areas over the last 5 years. Mylo Kaye is a wellness coach and trainee counsellor working towards earning his British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy accreditation.
An ever enthusiastic volunteer, he has devoted time every week to DePaul, a youth charity, coaching and mentoring young people toward better and brighter futures. To learn more about Mylo Kaye, see his mental health blog or his counselling profile on Tawli.
When he’s not helping manage a team or mentoring others, Kaye spends his time creating videos and content as a licenced drone flyer and aerial photographer. Kaye has traveled the world as an aerial photographer, taking spectacular footage throughout the years of places like Mexico, Lisbon, Dubai, and the UK.
Where did the idea for your career come from?
Aside from my day job as Operations Manager for a national retail group, I enjoy aerial photography. I fly my drone in cities worldwide and have photographed places such as Mexico, Dubai, Portugal, and beyond. I recently have been commissioned by the BBC and BT Sport, and I’m always looking for that next best shot. I’m also a trainee counsellor and spend a couple of days per week training. I’m hoping to be qualified in 2022.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
I’m an early riser, so I’m up early, around 6, but usually, I wake up when the sun comes up, something I find resonates with my body and mind. I like the natural alarm clock feeling. I do the usually daddy-dog responsibilities, and then it’s time to either get stuck into some study work, my day job, or look to see if the weather is nice to fly my drone.
How do you bring ideas to life?
For me, it’s about giving your mind to have as many ideas as you want, in the bath, while running, or while watching a movie. If I give my brain the freedom to think, then I come up with some naff ideas, but equally some excellent ones.
What’s one trend that excites you?
I get excited by Augmented Reality and how it’s becoming more and more popular. There’s so much you can do with AR, and I think we’re touching the surface. I can’t wait to wear a pair of AR glasses and be directed on how to change the oil in a car or show me how to hand a picture that’s not wobbly correctly. Those everyday moments where AR can make your life just a little bit easier.
What advice would you give your younger self?
The answer to this question is too long, but essentially there’s so much I would do differently. It would be like re-writing history, and you have to learn and live with your past. You can’t change it.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Ask for help! So many people try and do things on their own and do not ask for help. Many people in this world have the time and energy to help others, but something just needs you to ask them for help. If you don’t know the answer to something, either learn it or ask someone who knows more than you.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
I once had a job about 15 years ago where I would knock on people’s doors and ask them to sign up for a major charity. It was awful, and I hated it. I was conflicted by trying to ‘sell something’ but at the same time realising this was charity. I remember being quite upset and leaving mid-shift and quitting on the spot.
What did I learn from it? 1) Never leave your job without telling anyone 2) Sometimes conflicts will happen within your life and at work, and you need to be able to either deal with it or find something else to do.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Insurance for e-scooters. They’re soon to be made legal in the UK like other European countries, and riders will need insurance. If you can create an incredible brand and partner with retailers that sell e-scooters, you will make a killing.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking. It’s an easy read that Hawking has made it easy to understand at the same time. It tries to answer any questions we have about the Universe. It’s a thought-provoking book, and you come away with even more questions that we have yet to answer. Where does the Universe end? How was it created? Is there life out there?
Steve (Stefan) Junge hails from Germany and helps with the day-to-day publishing of interviews on IdeaMensch. While he and Mario don’t share a favorite soccer club, their enthusiasm to help entrepreneurs is a shared passion.