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I’ve Left my Executive Job to Start Thirty Three Percent

Garry Lee

Updated: Feb 25, 2021

I was a well-paid CEO and now I help small businesses — I couldn’t be happier


In April of this year, I finally told the business I’d spent 19.5 years working for that I was leaving. I’d decided that it was time for change and time to help small businesses for a change.


I’ve been so impressed with how communities have come together during these difficult times and some of the great startups that have been spawned from the COVID inspired lockdown, I decided it was finally time to stop making money for big brands and enjoy having an impact on smaller businesses, the lifeblood of the UK economy.


So What Am I Doing?

Having left my well paid executive job, I’m looking at multiple new careers that I hope will start to give something back.

  • Sitting on the board of a schools trust that focuses on helping children in difficult areas. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. If you are thinking of putting something back into the community, helping those less fortunate than yourself, I’d really recommend the trustee route. You personally get valuable experience, you get new perspectives on work and you are helping people in so many different ways.

  • I’ve been mentoring small business owners to make the most of their businesses and I’m now looking to do that in a more official capacity, helping out at board level

  • Finally, the part that I’m most excited by is that I’m going to give SMEs and startups the inside secrets on competing with bigger brands on an equal footing — which is where Thirty Three Percent was born

Why am I doing this now when the world is in such flux? I’m fortunate to be in a position that I can afford to take a few risks and people in worse spots than me have taken brave steps, so really it is — Why not now? and Why not me?


Helping Startups and SMEs? — Now is the Perfect Time

I’ve learnt a lot over 25 years in digital marketing, but the biggest thing I’ve discovered — the strategies/tricks/techniques that work for the big brands I’ve helped, they can be adapted for any business, without having to pay enterprise prices. Big agencies do a wonderful job for the big corporate businesses (well most do) but the SME can replicate those things on a smaller scale and actually have the advantage of being a more agile business.


I’m hoping I can help these new businesses to realise the opportunity they have. It might be the small business that suddenly quadrupled orders because everyone went online, could be the Mom and Pop store that started selling online for the first time or your friends’ daughter that started her own cake making business when put on Furlough (all these are real businesses that I’m lucky enough to know and been inspired by).


Whoever they are, I’m looking forward to working with them and helping them realise the power they have in a post-pandemic world.

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