Q1) What gets you out of bed in the morning (and why)?
Not to be too cliché, but I love life. I have great friends, family, a beautiful girlfriend & a lot of passions/hobbies. I am always striving to be better. I have always been into music since I was a kid & have been in many bands, including my school Jazz band. I always believe in following your passion & dreams in life, and still to this day, I’m doing just that. I’m in a pretty successful band called The Capollos. We’ve been going strong for over 7 years! Although we have had many ups and downs throughout the years, we’ve never given up. We all have the same dream that we can do it full time, and I don’t think we’ll stop until that’s a reality. Another passion of mine is Marketing. I do most of the social media posting & content for the band, so throughout the years I’ve always been very interested in how the marketing aspects of it works. In my opinion, Marketing is just as (or even more) important than the product. Therefore, during lockdown I really put my head down into studying online marketing. This then progressed into starting my own business. Its still very early days, but I’m enjoying the process! I’m a bit of a Gin lover, so I really wanted to help local gin companies get more sales online. I have already made quite a few connections already and I’m really excited for the things to come. These are just some of the things that gets me out of bed, although I could probably go on for hours!
Q2) Do you have any habits or routines you follow …and what benefit do these bring for you?
I’m my happiest when I’m following a routine. As soon as 2022 started, I really nailed down on it. I get up at 6am Monday – Friday & make myself a coffee & smoothie. This sets me off for the entire day. Its no lie when you hear breakfast is the most important part of the day. If my morning doesn’t start off well, then it usually ruins my whole day! I also go to the gym 3 times a week & have band practice twice a week, so I’m pretty busy. If I stop doing these things, then I don’t feel fulfilled.
Q3) Are there any quotes or mantras that you love &/or live by…and why?
One of my favourite quotes is “Memento Mori”, which translates to “Remember Death”. It basically means that our time on earth is limited, we don’t live forever. Anytime I think of the quote, it really brings me back down to earth and reminds me what’s really important in life. Anytime I’m scared to do something that could potentially help me progress in some way, I think of the quote and it helps me to push through and do it. I love the quote so much, that its tattooed on my arm!
Q4) Is there a specific skillset or personal attribute you have that you can say has contributed to your own success to date?
I would say my greatest personal attribute is perseverance. I don’t give up on things easily. When things get tough, or I don’t think I can do it, I stick at it until I can. Its helped massively with my band, in getting gigs we didn’t think were possible. I’m now trying to do the same thing my new business venture. I know it won’t be easy to make it successful, but I know in my heart that I wont stop until it is.
Q5) Are you currently learning any new skills or working on improving anything about yourself and why?
I’m currently learning Online Marketing. As I mentioned earlier, it’s been a passion of mine for a few years, so I’m excited for my new business venture. I’m also very into self-improvement. I’m always trying to better myself in some way as I think it’s important to grow, however I try not to focus my whole life on improving, because you’ve still got to enjoy yourself and love who you are in the moment.
Q6) Looking back – can you pick out any achievement to date that you are the proudest of and why?
I’d say one of my proudest achievements would be playing the Isle of Wight Festival with my band in 2021. This was our first major festival, and being a band from Aberdeen, to be picked to play this kind of festival is unheard of. I’m extremely proud of not only myself, but for my band as well for getting that opportunity to play.
Q7) Again, looking back, have you experienced adversity (or faced discrimination/prejudice) in your life and how has that shaped who you are today?
Personally, I haven’t in my opinion. I have always had to work hard to get things, but I would never say I felt discriminated in any way. I feel pretty lucky for where I am in life and the opportunities that I have been given.
Q8) What is one key piece of advice you would pass onto someone/ to your younger self and why? or have you ever been given a piece of advice that has served you well?
Another cliché, but I would say life is short. I always try to appreciate life for what it is, but if I had any advice, it would be to just keep enjoying yourself and not worry about the future. Things will work out the way it’s meant to, so just enjoy yourself whilst you’re young. Things you worry about now, you wont even remember in a year.
Q9) Looking at the arts, are there any specific films, songs, pieces of art, plays, books or podcasts that you have enjoyed/resonate with you, that you in turn, would recommend?
I could go on forever, so I’ll start with an album, which would be The Courteeners – St Jude. It’s a great album about being young and going out. I remember when I was a teenager listening to it, going to my first festival etc. it really brings me back so many amazing memories and feelings. It also has my all-time favourite song which is “Not Nineteen Forever”. It’s a song about being young and naive. It also has the line “I know it seems strange but things, they change”. It just resonates me how as you get older things change a lot, so enjoy it whilst you can. A book I love is the subtle art of not giving a f*ck by Mark Manson. The book is pretty much about how you only have a limited time on earth, so there’s not point caring about things that don’t matter. Only put your effort into what you really care about and let the other things go. It’s a great book to make you more grateful and also help you stop caring about people’s opinions that don’t matter.
Q10) Bucket list / Travel. Can you recall your best holiday & what made it so? I.e. Is there anything/anywhere you have experienced that you highly recommend and anything/anywhere on your list you have still to do/go and visit?
My two favourite holidays were Thailand & Las Vegas. I went to Thailand with three of my best mates in 2016. We travelled to many different places like Bangkok, Phuket & Koh Tao to name a few. Still to this day it’s a holiday I wont ever forget. It’s no where like I’d ever been before, and it was an unbelievable experience. I went to Las Vegas with my family in 2017. We always said we’d go when my youngest brother turned 21. It’s a place I’ve always wanted to go & it definitely exceeded expectation. The casinos, the lights, the buzz around the city. It was everything I wanted from a holiday. It also holds a special place in my heart as it was the last holiday I went on with all my family!
Q11) Your last supper. What dish are you eating (and why?)? & who are having it with (and why)? (Other than your immediate family, can be a person dead or alive or a fictional character)
This is a tough one, because it definitely would be my friends, family & any person I cared about who passed away…. And also my cat Saffie, who sadly passed away this year. If I had to choose though, it would be Marcus Aurelius. He was the roman emperor from 161 to 180. He was also a stoic philosopher. I’m really into Stoicism, so I would love to pick his brains. The meal I would pick is probably a McDonalds haha! I think he’d definitely enjoy one, and its my go to take out.
Q12) What is your own definition of success / Your own vision of happiness / What’s your NorthStar?
Success/happiness to me is having a fulfilled life, with great memories. That’s all that really matters in my opinion. You can be the richest person in the world, but if you haven’t enjoyed your time here on earth then what was the point? We’re all going to be dust in 100 years, so all that matters now is that you’re enjoying every minute of it.
Bonus Question) If I was to ask you, what you thought the meaning of life was to you? A big question I know, as it stands today – what would your answer be?
This answer will probably be similar to the last question. Meaning of life to me is just to enjoy it. You can either look at life as pointless and nothing really makes sense, or you can believe that everything has meaning and enjoy the ride. Nothing matters apart from that. We’ll all be dead someday, so be grateful for the time we have left and make the most of it.
Biography:
Greg is a charismatic, passionate person. He loves his friends, family & anyone who is close to him. He is an easy-going person, who gets on with pretty much anyone. He’s hard working and puts everything into his passions. He follows his dreams & won’t stop until he achieves them. He is in a pretty successful Rock band too, hailing from Aberdeen, Scotland. His band (The Capollos) have supported some massive acts like Elton John, Cast & The Pigeon Detectives, to name a few. The Capollos were also one of the first to ever bands sell out Café Drummond (Venue in Aberdeen) two nights in a row, with over 600 people. They also sold out their whole Scottish tour in 2021. As well as being in a band, he has a passion for Marketing. He always wanted to start his own business one day & help people gain the exposure they deserve. Having a lot of time at home during lockdown, he made it a reality. He has not long started his new business “Memento Vivere” & already he’s made many connections & friends. Greg’s extremely excited for this new chapter, and knows it won’t be an easy ride, but he will more than step up to the challenge. Greg has a lot of love for people and life. He wants to enjoy every moment of it and make memories to remember forever.