1. What inspired you to start Distrkt?
Camilla: As a female working in the property sector, I felt very disheartened by what my life as a working mother would look like. I didn’t want to miss out on my little girl growing up and I saw that I had no other choice but to work for myself and create a supportive and flexible working culture that would challenge the norm. Coming together with Mike, we identified a huge gap in the market for a relevant and relatable hospitality agency that reflected the dynamic sector it represented and would attract talent. I’m very proud to say that when I look at our team I can say mission accomplished!
2. Can you describe the mission and vision of Distrkt?
Mike: To push boundaries, have a collaborative approach, be a partner with clients and have fun while doing so. Our vision was to be the very best and grow organically with great people, which I think we have done!
3. How has Distrkt evolved since its inception?
Camilla: When Distrkt started there were two of us doing whatever work we could get our hands on. Fast forward to today and there are 7 of us, we have a leasing and lease consultancy team and we are working on some incredible projects such as The Shaftesbury Capital Estate, Borough Market and Somerset House. We also now have a presence in Manchester which has become a real hotspot for exciting new restaurant businesses and we are plotting another expansion which we can’t say too much about at the moment - but watch this space!
4. How do you stay current and innovative in your industry?
Mike: We only employ people who we can learn from and who will help develop everyone. The second we stop learning from the team and each other the business will go backwards. Provide everyone in the team with a voice and responsibility, it doesn’t matter what level you are, everyone’s opinion matters. We need everyone to help shape the direction of the business.
5. What do you consider to be the key factors that have contributed to Distrkt’s success so far?
Camilla: I would say the main one is that we are very authentic in our passion for hospitality and we always act with integrity. We give excellent client service and we are genuinely nice people. Both property and hospitality are people businesses and we have great people!
