Name: Matthew Clarke
Company: KernowPods.com
Job title: Owner/director
What did you want to be when you were young? I seem to remember telling people at a young age that I wanted to be prime minister (!!??). However, that outlandish plan turned into wanting to be someone who hounded politicians: a journalist.
What was your first full time job? A sound engineer at a small family-run studio in South London.
What is your best quality? This sounds a little cheesy, but I believe in the future. It is almost straight out of a Michael Jackson song!!!
What is your worst quality? My visual memory is quite limited – I need to see people a few times before brain makes the right recognition connections – I have embarrassed myself a few times because of this.
What is your favourite book? Beatles Complete: Guitar edition.
What is your favourite restaurant? Trevaskis Farm in Connor Downs. The puddings are amazing! I make sure I have just a starter and desert to allow plenty of room for treacle tart and pavlova!
If you could build a house anywhere in the world where would it be? Penwith, overlooking the sea somewhere in the Zennor area. For my money – this is the most beautiful part of the world.
If you could be a superhero, what superpowers would you like to possess? I would love to be able to exert a mind-controlling beam out of my eye sockets. It would have to also produce a very sixties sounding hum.
What do you begrudge spending money on? Car parking!
Who was your teenage pin up? This gives so much away… okay in the spirit of doing this honestly, here goes… Rick Astley. I have just lost so much credibility!
Can money buy happiness? Money can certainly help in achieving your dreams. However, true happiness comes from within.
Most annoying TV personality? I honestly cannot think of any that really annoy me. I never let it get to that stage. A slight disinterest in what they are saying makes me flick over channel fairly quickly.
What has been the best moment in your career? Over the last four months I have learned far more than I ever learned before and met many inspiring people. I would not have got to this point if it had not been for a conversation I had with Toby Parkins of UKNetWeb.
What has been the worst moment in your career? It was so bad that I honestly do not want to even talk about it!
What’s the best thing about Cornwall? Too many things to pick from here – but as a speaker of Kernewek, I am passionate about the Celtic culture.
What makes you angry? Few things – but they are usually related to occasions when I have worked my back off to get something done – and then I have overlooked something.
If you could invite any two people for dinner, who would they be and why would you invite them? Paul McCartney – he is a song writing and music genius – and Billy Connolly – he makes me laugh and I reckon I could also have a good session with him playing banjo.
What could you not live without? Friends and family.
What’s your favourite holiday destination? County Kerry, Ireland. I particularly love the Dingle peninsula.
When is honesty not always the best policy? When admitting who your teenage pinup was!!!!!
Describe yourself in three adjectives. Friendly, thoughtful, creative.
This article appears in the February issue of Business Cornwall magazine
