I have long been fascinated by people in motion—whether they are earning a livelihood, chasing dreams, working strictly by the clock, or simply sitting alone, lost in the quiet labyrinth of their own thoughts. Academic discourse offers a vital yet structured look at these phenomena, but as my journey moves beyond the seminar room, I lean directly into the raw, unfiltered textures of history, psyche, and experience. For this, abstract frameworks are set aside; what is needed, instead, is the patient eye of the painter, the unvarnished emotions of a Beethoven masterpiece, and the fluid, effortless grace of wu wei.

I am now building a new sanctuary for stories unearthed from the archives, or found deeply embedded within city architecture and landscapes across the globe. I tease out narratives from the traces left on a crumbling factory wall, the vivid friction of a bustling historical marketplace, the digital rhythm of a modern workplace, or hauntingly, while chasing ghosts in the forgotten streets of ancient cities where commerce once reigned supreme.

We all work; we all embed deep within ourselves those lessons learned from our ancestors—how they laboured, how they earned, how they organised their efforts. Some call this business history, some management, others anthropology. But I am driven to illuminate the individual; for me, it is simply a deep engagement with the human legacy of work.

The coffee is always on—though that depends entirely on the hour, as I have been known to pour a rather good Cognac when the company is right!