For Scott “Matchmaker” Michaels, the common thread between hair products, forgotten football brands, player transfers and a historic Los Angeles football club is not the industries themselves. It is the search for potential that has not yet been fully recognised. His journey from Hairbond to Stylo Matchmakers and now the Los Angeles Aztecs reflects a career built around spotting opportunities, connecting people and testing whether overlooked assets can be made commercially relevant.

Michaels’ business career began in a very different setting, working as a hairdresser in Lancashire rather than in an investment office.

Originally from Morecambe, Michaels worked as a stylist before running The Cutting Room in Lancaster. Regularly using professional hair products gave him an unusual form of consumer feedback. Customers would look at their finished hairstyle and ask what had been applied to their hair.

Those questions told Michaels something important. People were noticing the product, not simply the haircut.

In 2008, he turned that observation into Hairbond.

Building a Brand Through Professionals

Hairbond was positioned around hairdressers and barbers, with the professional environment placed ahead of traditional supermarket-led consumer marketing. The premise was that genuine professional endorsement could provide the credibility required to establish demand.

The broader men’s grooming sector was changing quickly. Euromonitor estimated the wider UK men’s grooming market at £2.3 billion in 2025, covering categories such as fragrances, shaving and toiletries, with value growth of 6% during the year. Hair styling accounts for only a portion of that figure, but Hairbond entered the market as men’s styling habits were evolving away from basic supermarket gels and towards clays, waxes, pomades and professional-grade products.

Hairbond says its products have now reached millions of sales worldwide. Its expansion moved the company far beyond its Lancashire origins, with international relationships including more than ten years of distribution in the Netherlands and sales across markets such as America.

Football and sport became increasingly important to the brand.

Hairbond was used and promoted by professional footballers and other athletes, strengthening the company’s association with football culture. England cricketer Jimmy Anderson became an ambassador, while professional footballers and stylists helped expose the products to dressing rooms, barbershops and entertainment audiences.

For Michaels, however, the principle has remained straightforward. A famous face can attract attention, but the product has to perform if customers are going to return.

That principle is now being tested again as Hairbond prepares its first significant styling-product launch in five years.

Drifter Professional Hair Crème, Forger Putty and Vector Hair Gum were developed over approximately two years. Rather than offering three near-identical products, Hairbond created each formulation around a different styling purpose.

Drifter focuses on softer control, movement and natural texture, including longer and curlier hairstyles. Forger is designed for stronger hold, matte texture and definition without the overly dry feel associated with many modern clays. Vector offers a contrasting finish, with glide, separation and natural shine aimed at longer or more polished looks.

The products are paraben-free and sulphate-free, with filling and final production handled by a UK supplier. That supports those specific formulation claims, although a wider statement that the products are entirely British manufactured would depend on the full supply chain.

Behind the launches is another reality of independent product development.

Successful formulas are not always easy to preserve. Ingredients can disappear from the market, suppliers can change and production requirements can shift. Hairbond has previously been forced to replace products when important raw materials became unavailable rather than compromise the formula while continuing under the old product name.

That is the less visible work involved in building a brand over many years. Product development is an ongoing balance between quality, manufacturing realities and commercial viability.

Reviving a Lost Football Name

In 2017, Michaels began exploring a different category of opportunity.

Football had become a huge global business, but a number of historic British sporting brands had faded from view while major international manufacturers captured an increasingly large share of the market.

Stylo Matchmakers was one such name.

The brand had been worn or endorsed by major football figures including Pelé, George Best, Kevin Keegan, Billy Bremner, Bobby Moore and Denis Law.

George Best was particularly significant.

Best had achieved a rare combination of sporting fame, fashion influence, nightlife celebrity and cultural relevance before the modern machinery of personal branding existed. Stylo was genuinely part of that story. Best wore the company’s boots and appeared in its advertising.

Then the brand disappeared from mainstream football.

Michaels saw an opportunity in that disappearance. If Stylo had once been associated with players of such stature, could the name be given a new commercial life?

In 2017, he became involved in its revival.

Rather than limiting the project to retro clothing or nostalgia products, Michaels took the more difficult route of returning Stylo to football boots.

That involved factories, prototypes, tooling, soleplates, materials, packaging, trademarks, stock and distribution. The process required considerably more than reviving an old logo and a collection of archive photographs.

The resulting Heirship range was designed with several different approaches. The Heirship Seventeen used microfibre, the Sixty Eight adopted leather and referenced the George Best era, while the Seventy Four used a softer premium-leather construction.

Pricing was also intended to create distance from the most expensive elite boots on the market.

The Heirship Seventeen initially sold for £129, the Seventy Four for £109 and the Sixty Eight for £99. Stylo subsequently reduced the range to £59 direct to consumers, while premium products from major manufacturers can now sell for more than £200.

Michaels says professional footballers returned to the brand and that more than 10,000 pairs were sold during the revival.

The result demonstrated a key difference between having a famous history and having a functioning business.

Nostalgia can generate interest.

A product has to deliver the reason to buy.

Finding the Connection Behind the Deal

Michaels’ football career later moved into the transfer market.

He became an FA-registered football intermediary, working across players, clubs, agents and potential transfers.

He says that at one stage he held mandates representing more than $100 million in football talent, together with club-side mandates involving Boavista and Central Coast Mariners.

This work added another layer to his understanding of value.

The public usually experiences a transfer at its conclusion. A player signs, photographs are published, the fee becomes public and the deal appears straightforward.

The reality can involve months of discussions between agents, recruitment departments, managers, owners, families, competing clubs and others, with budgets, work permits and timing all affecting the outcome.

Talent alone is not enough.

A club’s need alone is not enough.

The transaction only comes together when the necessary interests and circumstances align.

That experience helped turn “Matchmaker” from a nickname into a description of the way Michaels approached business.

He began seeing a common pattern across different markets. Something can have real value without generating a commercial result when the people, rights, capital and opportunities required to unlock it remain disconnected.

Footballers offered one example.

Brands provided another.

Football clubs could offer a third.

The Los Angeles Aztecs Opportunity

That idea now underpins Michaels’ most ambitious project, the attempted revival of the Los Angeles Aztecs.

The original NASL team featured Johan Cruyff and George Best, creating a direct historical connection between Michaels’ work with Stylo and his current plans in Los Angeles.

The project is still at an early stage and is not currently an operating professional football club.

Its Wefunder campaign displays $8,850 against a $50,000 target. The stated investment structure is future equity with a $2 million valuation cap, while the first $100,000 is available on early-bird terms at a $1.5 million cap. The campaign identifies an initial event in 2027 and states an eventual ambition to generate $5 million in annual revenue.

Those figures show both the scale of the proposition and its current stage of development.

The Aztecs have not publicly confirmed a final professional league pathway. Crowdfunding does not secure entry into a league. A historic trademark does not solve the problem of finding a stadium. Nor does the involvement of a famous former player automatically produce a modern supporter base.

The Los Angeles sports market is also highly competitive.

MLS now has 30 clubs, including LA Galaxy and LAFC. MLS NEXT Pro has 30 teams in 2026, while USL is developing another interconnected professional pathway through USL Premier.

Professional football also operates under formal regulation. U.S. Soccer certifies professional leagues using standards that include ownership strength, stadium arrangements, market coverage, staffing and financial viability. Its policy framework requires men’s outdoor professional leagues to have at least eight certified professional teams.

A strong history, therefore, cannot substitute for the infrastructure required to operate a professional club.

That is the central test for the Aztecs.

The value of heritage is potentially different. It may help solve one of the hardest problems facing new sports properties: establishing an identity that people recognise and care about.

New clubs can spend heavily trying to create awareness, mythology and emotional connection. A historic name potentially starts with some of that equity already attached to it, assuming an audience still exists.

That is the opportunity and the risk.

A Consistent Philosophy Across Different Businesses

From the outside, Michaels’ career can look like a collection of unrelated projects.

Hair products.

Football boots.

Player representation.

Historic intellectual property.

Crowdfunding.

Club ownership.

Writing.

ScottMatchmaker.co.uk now brings those activities together as a central platform for his football, brand, ownership and business work.

The underlying philosophy is more consistent than the industries suggest.

Hairbond began with identifying demand that was already present but not fully developed.

Stylo demonstrated that a forgotten brand could retain commercial potential.

Football agency showed that value depends on connecting the right interests.

The Los Angeles Aztecs represent an attempt to apply the same thinking to a much larger sporting asset.

There is also an important distinction between Hairbond and the heritage projects.

Hairbond was created rather than revived.

That means Michaels’ approach has two sides.

One is identifying something valuable that others have overlooked.

The other is recognising an opportunity that does not yet exist in finished form and attempting to build it.

Both require judgement, and neither comes with a guarantee.

Some dormant brands remain dormant for good reasons. Some negotiations fail. Some consumers do not care about heritage. Some ambitious ventures never progress beyond the ambition stage.

That is why the evidence behind each project matters.

Hairbond has almost 20 years of trading history and says it has sold millions of products. Stylo brought a dormant football brand back into production and sold more than 10,000 pairs of boots. The Los Angeles Aztecs are at a much earlier stage, with major milestones still ahead.

Presenting those projects according to their actual stages makes the overall story more credible.

From a salon in Lancashire to football boots associated with George Best and a developing football proposition in Los Angeles, Michaels’ career keeps returning to the same question:

What valuable opportunity has been overlooked, disconnected or left undeveloped?

The philosophy behind “Matchmaker” provides his answer.

Spot the value.

Work out why it matters.

Bring the right pieces together.

Then attempt to turn the opportunity into something tangible.

More on Scott “Matchmaker” Michaels, his businesses, football projects and writing can be found at ScottMatchmaker.co.uk.

BRISTOL, UK. 1 September 2026 – Bristol homeowners could save thousands by addressing small roof problems now rather than waiting for winter storms to expose them, according to local roofing firm Bristol Roofing Pros. The company says September offers a limited opportunity to deal with minor defects before prolonged rain and colder weather turn inexpensive maintenance into major repairs.

Bristol Roofing Pros says the same handful of minor problems come back every autumn, and that the difference between fixing them in September and discovering them in January is measured in thousands of pounds rather than hundreds.

The firm publishes its repair prices openly. A leak investigation runs £80 to £200. Two or three slipped slates cost £100 to £300 to put back. Repointing crumbling mortar around a chimney flashing, one of the most common faults on a Bristol semi, is £150 to £350. Left through a wet winter, the same faults let water into roof timbers and ceilings, and the repair stops being a repair. A full re-roof on a typical Bristol terrace starts around £5,000.

“Nobody rings a roofer in September, because in September nothing is leaking,” said Charlie of Bristol Roofing Pros. “They ring in January, when it’s dark at four o’clock, everyone’s booked up, and the cheap version of the job stopped being available about eight weeks ago. The work itself hasn’t got harder. It’s just that the water has been in there since November.”

Bristol’s climate makes the city harder on roofs than much of the country. The city takes over 800mm of rain a year and stays mild and humid, close to ideal conditions for moss and algae. North-facing slopes that never dry out are worst affected, and the leafier suburbs, Bishopston, Redland and Stoke Bishop among them, collect extra shade and leaf debris from mature trees. Moss holds water against the tiles and blocks the gutters it eventually washes into.

The firm’s autumn advice is unglamorous and mostly free. Clear the gutters and downpipes before the leaves finish falling, because a blocked outlet pushes water back under the roofline where it does damage nobody sees for months. Look along the ridge from the pavement for gaps in the mortar. Check the roof after any windy night for slates that have moved, particularly on exposed ground on the western side of the city. And go up into the loft on a bright day, because daylight coming through, or a damp patch on a rafter, will show up there long before a stain appears on a bedroom ceiling.

Winter also costs more in a way homeowners rarely factor in. Same-day emergency call-outs run £150 to £400 on top of whatever the repair itself costs, and by midwinter the good contractors are working through a backlog, so the wait is longer as well as the bill.

“A roof gives you plenty of notice,” Charlie added. “It just gives it quietly, in September, in ways you have to actually go and look for. Ten minutes with a ladder and a torch in the loft is worth more than any amount of worrying about it in February.”

Bristol Roofing Pros carries out roof repairs in Bristol and across Bath, Portishead, Clevedon, Weston-super-Mare and the surrounding areas. Assessments are free and every job is quoted in writing before work starts.

YEOVIL, UK. August 27th, 2026 – Van Haven is set to showcase its latest generation of Volkswagen Transporter conversions at the Haynes Motor Museum this weekend, alongside the first public reveal of an ambitious limited-production Supervan powered by an Audi RS3 engine.

The range will be unveiled to invited guests and media at Haynes Motor Museum on 28 August before opening to customers and the public on 29–30 August, with motorsport engineering firm RML Group as headline sponsor.

Each vehicle requires around 120 hours of specialist work at Van Haven’s Shillingstone workshop. The line-up is as follows:

T7 Camper, The Hambledon: The conversion Van Haven built its name on, now on the new T7 platform. It features 62mm of insulation fitted by hand, stitched leather, colour-matched panels and the manufacturer’s warranty left intact.

T7 Sports, VH-PMV: The performance take on the platform, making its debut alongside the Camper.

T7 Swamper, VH-X: In development for next year, built for owners who want a T7 that can leave the road.

Parked beside them will be a £20 million line-up of Koenigsegg hypercars from Van Haven’s exhibiting partner, SuperVettura.

Alongside the T7 launch, Van Haven is also revealing a limited-production Supervan featuring the engine from an Audi RS3.

“Supervans have traditionally been one-offs, built once and never repeated,” said Paul Kilbride, Managing Director of Van Haven.

“Putting one into limited production means a customer can order one, and that’s the point. The engine will get the attention, but repeatability is the real breakthrough.

“This is a Van Haven programme from the first sketch to the finished vehicle: our concept, our production line and our name on every one that leaves it.

“At its core are two donors: a VW Transporter T6.1 and an Audi RS3, complete with its 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo engine. Both were chosen deliberately, not by chance, as the starting point for an ambitious limited-production engineering programme.”

For the engineering, Van Haven has partnered with RML Group, a Wellingborough-based engineering company founded by racer and engineer Ray Mallock in 1984. Four decades on, the company has built a reputation as one of the most capable technical operations in British motorsport and automotive engineering.

RML counts Aston Martin, McLaren Automotive, Bentley, Nissan, Lotus Cars and NIO among the manufacturers it has worked with on special projects, holds the contract as Official Parts Supplier to the British Touring Car Championship, and its own build sheet includes the McLaren Senna GTR, continuation Bizzarrini 5300 GTs, the Nissan Juke-R and its own RML Short Wheelbase and GT Hypercar programmes.

Paul Kilbride added: “Backed by fresh investment and a new leadership team as it enters its fifth decade, RML is exactly the kind of partner capable of taking on a programme of this ambition.

“We’re not detailing the engineering itself. It’s the part of this project we’re proudest of, and the full story will be told closer to launch.”

RML is running the Supervan through the same formal, gateway-based development process it uses on full OEM production programmes, such as benchmarking, simulation, prototype build and validation, with a route to type approval already being mapped out alongside UK homologation specialists. Every prototype is being rigorously tested, on track and on the road, before a single one reaches a customer.

James Nurse, Principal Engineer at RML Group, added: “Van Haven brought us a problem nobody in this industry has solved: how to make something as extreme as a Supervan repeatable, safe and homologated, without losing what makes it special. That’s a serious engineering challenge, and exactly the kind of project RML exists for.”

The Supervan is in development now and arrives next year, strictly limited to 30 examples, with customer ordering details to be announced in due course.

The invitation-only VIP day on Friday 28 August will close with a private dinner for 120 invited guests, a toast to Van Haven’s first ten years and a live set by Rick Parfitt Jnr & The RPJ Band to see the night out.

A documentary telling the full story of the event will follow in September.

PORTSMOUTH, UK. August 27th, 2026 – Portsmouth-based recruitment consultancy ARM is celebrating 30 years in business, reaching the milestone after three decades of helping organisations across the UK and international markets attract and secure specialist talent through changing economic conditions, industries and recruitment practices.

From the telephone and email-led recruitment of the 1990s to LinkedIn, messaging platforms and AI, ARM has continually adapted to major shifts in how organisations identify and hire specialist professionals.

Established by Paul Huntingdon in 1996, Advanced Resource Managers (ARM) began as a small Hampshire recruitment business and has since grown into a multidisciplinary specialist consultancy operating across the UK and internationally.

Over the past three decades, ARM has placed tens of thousands of professionals into permanent and contract roles, with placements reaching more than 50 countries. Its areas of expertise have also expanded, covering specialist markets across engineering, technology, manufacturing, transport and infrastructure, professional services, life sciences and other highly skilled sectors.

While recruitment methods and the industries ARM supports have changed significantly, the value of strong, lasting relationships with clients and candidates has remained central to the business throughout its history.

Chief Commercial Officer Leon Howgill joined ARM in 2000, when the company had around 12 employees.

He said: “The tools we use to find people and the markets we work in may have evolved, but recruitment is still fundamentally about relationships. We have clients whose history with ARM goes back decades, while there are candidates we’ve placed several times as they’ve progressed through their careers. Some have subsequently become senior decision-makers and clients themselves.

“That’s something you can only build over time, and I think it says a lot about what has sustained ARM for 30 years.”

ARM’s offering has developed alongside its specialist recruitment capabilities. Alongside permanent and contract recruitment, the business now delivers broader recruitment and outsourcing solutions for organisations with more complex or large-scale talent requirements.

Founder Paul Huntingdon said the 30th anniversary provided an opportunity to reflect not only on ARM’s growth, but also on the values that have shaped the company since its formation.

“When I started ARM, my ambition was to build a recruitment company that treated clients, candidates and its own people well,” he said.

“A great deal has changed since 1996, including the scale of the business and the industries we support, but I’ve always wanted ARM to retain the sense that people matter. Looking back after 30 years, I’m particularly proud of the careers we’ve helped develop, the organisations we’ve supported and the relationships our people have built along the way.”

Today, ARM continues to recruit across established and emerging specialist markets, with expertise spanning engineering, manufacturing and infrastructure through to cyber security, life sciences, AI and data centres.

Leon added: “Specialist recruitment never stands still because the skills organisations need don’t stand still. Our job is to keep developing our understanding of those markets while retaining the relationships and specialist knowledge that have brought us this far.

“Thirty years gives us a lot of history to draw on, but our focus is very much on what comes next.”

New analysis reveals Guildford, Exeter and Dartford are outperforming major cities for motor industry opportunities as interest in automotive careers continues to grow

Interest in automotive careers is gathering pace across the UK, with jobseekers increasingly looking beyond the country’s established motor industry centres. New research indicates that smaller towns and cities may be offering some of the strongest opportunities, with several unexpected locations outperforming major automotive hubs.

Searches for “automotive jobs” have risen 28% over the past year, reaching 19,000 searches in the past month, according to Google search data analysed by Regtransfers.

Interest appears to be accelerating further, with searches for “mechanic jobs” jumping 45% in the past month alone, also reaching 19,000 monthly searches.

Now, new research from private number plate specialist Regtransfers has revealed where that growing number of jobseekers could have the best chance of finding work.

Analysis of automotive businesses and job vacancies across 96 UK towns and cities found that Guildford, Exeter and Dartford are emerging as three of the country’s strongest motor industry employment hotspots, beating much larger cities including Manchester and Birmingham.

Guildford Named UK’s Top Motor Industry Job Hotspot

Guildford topped the ranking after recording 2.5 automotive vacancies for every existing automotive business over the past 12 months.

That’s 2.8 times the national average, making the Surrey town one of the clearest examples of automotive employment opportunities appearing outside the places traditionally associated with Britain’s motor industry.

Exeter ranked second, with 387 automotive businesses supporting 602 vacancies over the past year and an overall job vacancy rate of 34%, among the highest recorded in the research.

Dartford placed third, where 259 automotive businesses generated 399 vacancies during the same period.

The findings suggest the geography of automotive employment could be broader than jobseekers might assume.

Despite Birmingham and Manchester having some of the largest automotive business bases in the country, their vacancy-to-business ratios were roughly six times lower than Guildford’s.

It means simply living near a major automotive centre does not necessarily translate into more opportunities for people currently looking to enter the industry.

The findings come as interest in automotive careers appears to be rising significantly.

Search demand for “automotive jobs” remained relatively stable for several years before beginning to climb more sharply through 2025 and 2026, with searches now 28% higher than a year ago.

Searches for “mechanic jobs” have also recently surged, increasing 45% in the space of a month.

The rise comes during a period of significant change for Britain’s automotive workforce, as electrification, EV infrastructure and new technologies create roles extending beyond traditional vehicle maintenance.

The government is also rolling out its £1.5 billion Youth Guarantee, including new Foundation Apprenticeships launching this year. One of the routes covers electric vehicle charging point installation and maintenance, creating another potential entry point into the wider automotive industry for younger workers.

Mark Trimbee, CEO of Regtransfers, said:

“There’s a perception that if you want to build a career in the motor industry, you need to look towards the places traditionally associated with automotive businesses and manufacturing.

What’s interesting about this research is that some of the strongest hiring activity isn’t necessarily happening in those places.

Guildford, Exeter and Dartford aren’t the first places most people would name if asked to identify Britain’s motor industry hotspots, yet they’re currently producing a significant number of opportunities relative to the size of their local automotive sectors.

At the same time, we’re seeing searches for automotive jobs rise considerably, suggesting more people are actively considering careers in the sector.

The industry itself is changing too. Working in the motor trade doesn’t necessarily mean being a mechanic. There are careers across sales, logistics, customer service, technology, administration and an expanding EV sector.

For anyone looking to enter the industry, particularly younger people considering their first career, the message from the data is to look beyond the obvious locations. Some of the strongest opportunities could be in places you wouldn’t expect.”

A New Map of Britain’s Motor Industry?

The research also raises questions about whether Britain’s traditional map of automotive employment is changing.

While cities such as Birmingham and Manchester retain large numbers of automotive businesses, the new ranking measures where businesses are actively recruiting relative to the size of the local industry.

That puts smaller and mid-sized locations much further up the table.

Further analysis of the 96 locations will examine whether there is a wider North-South divide in automotive employment opportunity, as well as which traditional motor industry centres are gaining and losing ground.

Taking a break does not make a leader less committed, and stepping away over the summer could actually help sustain performance later in the year, says leadership expert Drew Povey. He argues that meaningful recovery gives leaders the opportunity to return refreshed rather than simply pushing through exhaustion.

Drew Povey, author and founder of the Drew Povey Consultancy, has highlighted five persistent myths surrounding summer holidays and leadership. With the right approach to recovery during July and August, he says leaders can protect their energy, sharpen their thinking and prepare for the demands of the final months of the year.

Drew, who has over twenty years’ experience working in elite level sport, education and business, says: “There are a lot of leaders I work with who carry a level of unnecessary guilt about taking time away, and others who feel like they need to rest in a certain way, as if it’s a rule.

“But actually, instead of seeing down time as slacking, we should be looking at it as an important part of working.

“What’s important to remember is that like most things in leadership, one size is never going to fit all. So the question isn’t whether you should switch off, it’s how you do it in a way that will genuinely help you perform when you return.

“There isn’t one perfect holiday strategy, but holidays are important. You’ve got to know yourself and make smart choices for you.

“The best leaders don’t copy someone else’s routine or style, they deliberately choose a recovery strategy that allows them to return with the energy, the better clarity, and the better judgment.

“The goal isn’t simply taking time off in the summer, it’s coming back ready to lead well for those last four months.”

Here are Drew’s five holiday myths busted:

Good leaders don’t need a break

Everyone needs a break, Drew says. There are some people who seem to wear the refusal to use annual leave or get the recommended amount of sleep as a badge of honour. In fact, it’s become a myth that you don’t need rest, that rest is for the weak.

“The reality is that recovery isn’t a reward, it’s an essential part of performance,” Drew says. “Top athletes don’t get better during training, they improve during the recovery, and it’s the same in leadership.”

You need to completely switch off

Down time is a personal choice, Drew explains. Some people will completely switch off and not consider taking a work phone or laptop with them, but for others that would be a nightmare and they’d be constantly thinking about what they were missing.

“If downing tools completely would create anxiety, then don’t do it,” Drew says. “Some people can enjoy their day as long as they’ve had ten minutes in the morning to check their emails, or know that someone can get hold of them if they’re needed. The trick is to communicate with your team and do what allows you to relax.”

You need at least a week off to relax

Some people love one long holiday, others recharge better with shorter breaks, Drew says. A four-day break can be just as restorative as a week off, so those who baulk at the thought of a longer holiday shouldn’t feel pressured into one. The advice is to take the breaks that work for you.

Your holiday starts the moment you leave

“Holidays often start much earlier than when you shut down your computer,” Drew says. “You’re winding down for a few days before you’ve actually finished. The other side is that you need a few days to unwind before you can really start to relax.

“I fall into that group, which is why I’m the kind of person to take a ten-day break rather than several shorter ones. I need about three days to get into the holiday mood before I can properly switch off for a week.

“The trick is to communicate with your team and be realistic about what’s right for you.”

Summer is a time to completely ease off

July and August do have a different rhythm, and they’re a great opportunity to take time off and recharge, Drew says. But two months of drifting shouldn’t be allowed to become four months of recovery.

“There’s no point coasting along if you’ve a busy September planned, because September isn’t built in September, it’s built in the habits we choose in July and August,” Drew says. “Rest will help us finish the last four months of the year strong, but we need to make sure we’re not stepping off too much or dropping our standards, because otherwise it will come back to bite us.”