GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 38 - July 2017

tition. Regulation is also going to increase, but I think this is good: the more trust in this industry, the more mainstream it will become. The trend of big mergers will continue, although I am not sure that is a good thing for the affiliate or the user. I worry if you have too many massive betting companies, then competition will start to break down. What do your family and friends think of your work as an affiliate? My family loves it. I am at home when they go out and I am at home when they come back. I get to spend time with my young son in ways that many other fathers who commute to places of work can’t. I am not sure most of my family under- stand what I do, though. How do you manage your to-do lists? Do you use any special software to help you out? I’m old fashioned; I use written lists and Post-It notes. I manually do my accounts each month – I think this is bet- ter than using software. The only way to understand your business is to know it inside out and from top to bottom. How much time do you devote social networking for your sites? Very little right now. I find that social media accounts can be easy to pick up, but are largely poor in value. I think to go after social you need to do it properly, and it is something I am ex- perimenting with on the side from time to time. Once I’ve got my conventional marketing model up to speed I may put more effort into social. What’s the most difficult thing about running your sites? Loneliness. It is a chronic problem for many affiliates, es- pecially starting out. What’s the best thing about running your sites? Freedom. They are my sites, my ideas and my property. No one can tell me what to do, where to be or what to work on. What do you do to stay in shape – both physically and mentally? The biggest benefit of not commuting is I feel like I’ve freed up 2.5 hours each working day. I therefore use some of this time to go swimming. I love to swim; I’ve done it as long as I can remember, and I am able to get an off-peak membership and use the pool in the middle of the day when it is quiet. Swimming also keeps me mentally fit. It is an opportunity to spend time in your own head. I plan most of my projects in the pool. What do you do with your spare time? Spend time with my family and friends, watch sports, go for a beer, DIY and keep- ing up with the latest scientific research. What did you dream of doing, both pro- fessionally and personally, when you were a kid? I wanted to be a scientist, to work in a lab and test my own ideas. I did it; job done. If someone from out of town were vis- iting you, what’s the one place you’d definitely take them to see? The pub! Seriously, there are some amazing pubs in London and the U.K. Going on a pub crawl is a great way to sightsee and socialize at the same time. When you need to get as far away from work as possible, where do you go? I like going back to my hometown of Liver- pool and seeing my parents. It reminds me of simpler times, and it helps me switch off and relax from the stresses of work and life. What’s your all-time favorite movie? Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – I am a massive Trekkie. It must be where the whole science thing came from. If you could invite any five people, living or dead, to dinner, who would they be? Einstein, the Queen, Ronnie Barker, John Lennon and Ranulph Fiennes. Name three things that people reading this magazine don’t know about you. 1. I am dyslexic. It has not held me back, but it does make writing and proofing my content a little difficult at times. 2. I swam for the England Under 16 team back in the day. 3. I hate mushrooms; they are the incar- nation of the devil. The world would be a better place without them. Matthew - Mattbar Matthew with his wife and child. w w w . g p w a t i m e s . o r g 53