Gavin

A couple of years ago, Gavin Smith did a couple of series for me as a Researcher. Which in the hierarchy of production teams is barely a rung above 'serf' -- you get to boss around the runners, but that's about it, and even some runners feel sufficiently sure of themselves to bite back.

Now, the self-same Mr. Smith not only has a slick business card, but also fawning articles in the Evening Times all about him. Every time I call, he seems to be at an airport en route to some exciting conference destination like New York or Cannes. And increasingly, my calls are about my working for him, and not the other way around.

Lesson number one of business: never be rude to the doorman, for today's doorman is tomorrow's managing director.