The People I've Met Along the Way

Andy Heath

Over the years at Asgard, I've been lucky enough to meet some remarkable people.

When I first started, I certainly didn't imagine that the job would lead to conversations with Olympic champions, actors, comedians and some genuinely fascinating characters from completely different walks of life.

Being involved with Asgard's marketing has given me a front-row seat to some of those relationships.

Cycling has probably been the most memorable connection for me personally. As someone who has always been passionate about bikes, working with Olympic cyclists including Laura and Jason Kenny, Elinor Barker and Helen Scott has been a real privilege.

What struck me wasn't simply how successful they were. It was the level of commitment behind that success. When you're talking to people operating at the very top of their sport, you quickly realise that the small details matter.

And sometimes those conversations have directly influenced what we do at Asgard.

One example was working with Elinor Barker, where her requirements for storing bikes and equipment helped us think differently about how our storage could be configured. It's a great example of how listening to customers — whoever they are — can lead to better products.

Then there have been the celebrity connections.

We've had the opportunity to work with people such as Ewan McGregor and Rhod Gilbert, among others. I won't name everyone we've dealt with — some customers quite reasonably prefer their privacy — but there have certainly been moments when I've thought, you couldn't have written this into the job description.

Formula 1 - Football Managers - Premier League Footballers - Airline owners ..... the list is huge .. and keeps on growing.

What's perhaps most rewarding is that some of those relationships haven't ended when the project or campaign finished.

Even now, some of them still pick up the phone and call me for advice.

And that's something I'm genuinely proud of.

Because ultimately, it's not about being able to say that you've worked with someone famous. It's about building enough trust that, years later, they still think, I'll give Andy a call — he'll know what to do.

That's one of the things I've enjoyed most about working with Asgard.

A business can start with a simple product and a clear purpose, but you never quite know where the journey will take you or who you'll meet along the way.

I've met people from elite sport, entertainment, television and business. I've heard stories I couldn't possibly repeat and had conversations that have stayed with me long after the meeting was over.

But perhaps the biggest lesson is that, regardless of someone's profile, the fundamentals are the same.

People want something that works.

They want quality. They want reliability. They want someone to listen to what they actually need.

Whether you're an Olympic champion protecting a collection of bikes, a celebrity looking for secure storage, or simply someone who wants to keep their possessions safe at home, the principle doesn't change.

Reputation isn't built by who you meet. It's built by what happens after you've met them.

And after all these years, I'm still fascinated by who might pick up the phone next...

I know at the time of writing, we are about to install a shed for a major TV star...