Winning with Awards with Professor Paul Cadman

Canny Conversations Series three – Episode One

Safaraz Ali is joined by Professor Paul Cadman for a conversation about awards and what they do to promote business.

Paul, who is Professor of Entrepreneurship at Birmingham City University, went into business after a career in the fire service and is a multi-award winner including in 2021 carrying off the ‘Brummie of the Year’ accolade at the Birmingham Awards. Saf, who is also an award winner, judge and organiser of awards events and Paul Talk about how awards can motivate and make stronger teams as well as celebrating excellence.

Safaraz Ali and Professor Paul Cadman who is Professor of Entrepreneurship at Birmingham City University are in conversation about awards.

With many years of experience as an award winner, judge and event’s organiser, Saf has seen awards from all angles, He was head judge at the Birmingham Awards and a judge of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards amongst others.

Paul Cadman was born in one of the poorer parts of Birmingham and remembers as a boy finding his way into the Birmingham City Ground to watch his favourite team. He overcame challenges, including severe dyslexia to have a successful career in the fire service before going into business where he now consults on many aspects of entrepreneurship. He collects awards like some people collect stamps and in 2021 won the accolade as ‘Brummie of the Year.’

He says that being recognised by his own city is the award that has pride of place.

Saf and Paul share their experience of awards and discuss the role that they play in encouraging business and celebrating success. They share their own experiences, good and bad, with Paul telling of the time he went to a major event in London, not expecting to win anything but found himself taking a top award after a few too many glasses of wine. His speech was interesting to say the least. Paul also talks about ‘imposter syndrome’, often experienced by winners.

As a judge, Saf talks about the kind of things needed of a winner and lifts the lid on the huge amount of work that goes into organising a successful event.

Both men talk about the importance of spontaneity and say that the announcement of winners must always be a surprise and that in no circumstances have they ever known of a winner being told they were successful in advance.