Power Retail
We sat down with Nick Morgan, CEO and Founder at Vudoo to talk never sitting still, guilty pleasures, and his talent for building teams by bringing good people together and empowering them.
What has been the proudest moment in your career?
Bringing on junior team members, seeing them build their lives and grow into highly respected professionals.
What was the last book you read?
‘Leading’ by Sir Alex Ferguson, former Manchester United football manager.
What did you want to be when you were five years old?
I always wanted to be a race car driver and race cars!
What takes up too much of your time?
Worrying.
What is one of your guilty pleasures?
I eat healthily most of the time and usually have protein and yoghurt for breakfast, so having a warm Danish and coffee as my first meal of the day would be as guilty as I could get!
What is an assumption about you that is completely false?
That I’m confident, and at times, can come across as being arrogant.
What are three words that would describe you?
Never sit still.
Do you have any secret talents?
The older I get, the more I realise how quickly I process information. I’m also really adept at spotting trends. I might not engage in the trend, but I can identify and observe it and, a few months later, witness it bubble up. I also have a talent for building teams by bringing good people together and empowering them. I believe good people beget good people.
What is one skill you would love to master?
I would love to be amazing at numbers! My son is the most proficient at numbers in his class and is already being called on by the teacher to explain how he solves math equations. I wish I was very good at complex modelling and numbers.
What’s the best thing that happened to you last week?
We signed off on a global strategy to focus on a particular market and customer and consequently restructured the business. Seeing the team deliver the first result was a confirmation that we did things right.
If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?
My dad.
If you had a time machine, where would you time travel to, and why?
I’d like to travel back in time to see my dad and ask him a few questions.
What could you give a 40-minute presentation on with absolutely no preparation?
Empowering talent.
What’s on the top of your bucket list?
I’d like to get my pilot’s licence and fly my own plane.
Who was your childhood hero?
My mum.
What is one song that you would request a DJ to play at a party?
Unfortunately, my favourite songs aren’t party songs (they’re reflective songs that lead people to sit down and reflect on their lives), so I feel like I’d disappoint! But I would go with Weird Fishes/Arpeggi by Radiohead or Mayonaise by Smashing Pumpkins.
What was your first job?
Working on a dairy farm.
How do you handle criticism?
I think I handle feedback really well. I’m proud that I don’t have an ego and don’t get consumed by it. I don’t get offended by people telling me what I can do better.
If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?
The ability to quell a storm, i.e. to be someone who can arrive at any kind of conflict (including war) and bring peace. At different points in my career, I’ve been referred to as ‘the cleaner’ and called Winston Wolf from Pulp Fiction because of my ability to fix problems – the bigger, harder and more complex, the better I perform.
If you could jump on a plane right now, where would be the first place you would go?
Noosa. It’s hard to explain how amazing the area and the places around it are. For instance, Double Island Point, which is just two hours north of Noosa, probably has the longest surf breaks anywhere in the world and hardly gets any press attention.