Phil Worms, CEO of Frog Systems
IT industry veteran Phil Worms is the CEO of Glasgow based Frog Systems. A mental wellness software company that harnesses the power of lived experience video to deliver messages of hope and support to those struggling with life's challenges.
Phil has spent most of his working life in the IT and telecoms sector. He has enjoyed a variety of senior roles in events, product and service design, project management, marketing and change management with companies such as BT, Centrica iomart Group and VarTec.
Recognising the influence that the embryonic internet would have on our lives, Phil founded the UK's first online gift delivery business in 1997, winning the UK's inaugural e-commerce award.
“Do not limit yourself, take yourself out of your comfort zone and be prepared to suffer disappointment, learn from it and come back stronger. Do not settle for a job or role that you're not passionate about. True success is understanding that you control your destiny.”
Phil Worms
A passion for providing young people with opportunities, led to him creating an extracurricular digital skills charity for under 16s, the Digital Xtra Fund, in 2017 on behalf of the Scottish Government.
Phil has sat on several national and parliamentary advisory committees discussing issues as wide-ranging as the universal provision of broadband access to online child safety initiatives. He regularly contributes to trade publications and national newspapers is a Trustee of the Carers Trust and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Tell us about your current role and what you like about your career/role or areas of focus.
Frog's mission is to ensure that everyone has access to stories of hope and relevant support, providing individuals with the inspiration to recover from personal problems and health issues.
People perform better - at university, at work, on a sports field - when they have a purpose, are confident, motivated, and completely focused on being the best they can be. Good mental health underpins this.
At Frog, we have developed the first dedicated mental health and wellbeing video platform to utilise the lived experience's power to communicate positive messages of hope and support. From those that have survived dark times to others who are facing their own personal challenges.
Prevention is at the heart of Frog's platform. To create a compassionate and empathetic society, we must 'normalise' the ability to speak up and reduce mental health stigma.
Uniquely, the software signposts the end user automatically to their nearest local support and services (the UK or International) related to the video's content, at the point of need, eliminating frustration, and additional internet searches. The software can be fully customised, personalised, and licensed by any organisation that has a duty of care.
The benefits of Frog are twofold. The end-user receives the encouragement and inspiration to seek support, whilst the organisation accesses Frog's real-time anonymised data sets, gaining early insight into the potential levels, and types of, health-related issues that may exist within it.
As CEO of a start-up, my primary task is to ensure that we keep the lights on, that we have sufficient runway to develop the brand, product, pipeline to generate revenues. Establishing tight financial controls allied with a solid metrics-driven culture has been a key challenge.
We've recently market launched so facilitating constant two-way communication between the team, the board and shareholders, which is essential, to ensure everyone understands their role in relation to the overall company objectives and remain excited about where the company is headed.
What inspires you, motivates you, helps you to make each day count?
A sense of purpose, particularly in the knowledge that the work we are undertaking at Frog, can potentially make a real difference to people's wellbeing.
Outside of your professional work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
Time with my family is very important to me. Having moved to Scotland's beautiful west coast over 20 years ago, I am fortunate to have breath-taking scenery on my doorstep.
There is nothing better than a couple of hours spent walking through the glens, or around the sea lochs, to clear the mind and recharge the batteries. I have managed to keep my love for Chelsea Football Club and live music from my youth.
When it comes to your life chosen career, is there a phrase, quote or saying that you really like?
"We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails."
This quote originates in the mid-19th century but has been attributed to many different people over the years.
I like both its simplicity and the notion that no matter what challenges life presents, you still can, through your own actions, determine and influence the path or journey you take.
What are you most proud of in your life?
Pride is not really a term that sits comfortably with me, but professionally when I look back, I think I will derive the greatest satisfaction from achieving the career that I have enjoyed without formal training or qualifications, demonstrating that desire, hard work and taking opportunities when they present themselves can pay off.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
A couple of lessons – eventually learned!
Firstly, you do not need to try to please everyone, and secondly, that time is a precious commodity - spend it wisely.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles?
Probably not the answer expected but I admire anyone, regardless of sector or industry, who inspires, has overcome adversity, and has demonstrably stuck with the courage of their convictions.
On a very personal level, the person that has shaped me and who I admire above all else, for reasons too numerous to list here, is my wife.
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
AG Barr's promotion of its IRN-BRU brand, which has seen a brightly coloured soft drink elevated to icon status within Scottish culture, is frankly genius!
What is the best advice you have ever received?
I started my career in the hospitality and catering sector. During my college days, I spent several months each year on industrial work placements as a management trainee.
During my final year, I worked at a prestigious location in central London where I was given some advice that has stayed with me, about understanding the value of everyone's contribution to an organisation.
And it was simply this: "If you had (me) phoned in sick this morning, we'd have comfortably coped without you. If the kitchen porter had phoned in sick, we'd have needed to get a replacement in by 9.00 AM."
What drives or motivates you each day in a work environment?
Creating a business from the ground up, overcoming the challenges that this presents, and watching a young talented team blossom and grow.
What are your thoughts on the future of social media?
I have developed a love/hate relationship with social media.
I love the idea of community and connection that it offers but find myself hating what it has become. The rise of fake news, intolerance, FOMO syndrome (fear of missing out), dependency and the obsession with self-image is leading to a toxic and unhealthy online environment.
Unless the tech giants act swiftly to restore consumer confidence and take responsibility for the content published on their platforms, they will either find themselves legislated against or face a declining end-user base.
It speaks volumes for their priorities that a clip of a footballer scoring a goal can be removed almost instantly for infringing copyright laws, but racial abuse aimed at the same footballer can remain published until the platform is basically shamed into acting.
I think the future for social media lies in video and audio.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
I find myself engaging with social media far less than I used too.
A couple of years ago it would have been LinkedIn, for its business focus and more considered content, but am now finding that it is slowly morphing into a Me2 Facebook.
A personal improvement I'd like to see is the banning the word 'super' as an intensifier for adjectives, as in 'super excited', 'super humbled' and 'super proud'!
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever been a mentor to anyone?
I have been very fortunate to have worked for, or with, a wiser and more experienced head in every role that I have held.
Interestingly, all have displayed similar characteristics – fiercely passionate, risk-takers, who have been prepared to share their knowledge and invest their time in my personal development - when sought.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work?
Do not limit yourself, take yourself out of your comfort zone and be prepared to suffer disappointment, learn from it and come back stronger.
The digital industry is exciting, dynamic, fast-paced and ever-changing, so if you don't like change, it's definitely not for you.
And above all do not settle for a job or role that you're not passionate about.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
Building products and services that you believe the market needs, rather than what it wants and is prepared to pay for. Failing to get feedback from potential customers is usually fatal to a start-up.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience?
A tough question! For me, success is a combination of many things - from celebrating small victories, achieving your goals, feeling empowered, being surrounded by love, learning something new each day to overcoming fear.
But for me, true success is understanding that you control your destiny.
What skills do you feel have helped you to become successful?
I'm ridiculously optimistic – which can be both a blessing and a curse! Determination, perseverance, teamworking, multitasking but the ability to listen, above all else.