 You can now follow me and all my social media platforms to find out who my latest guest will be and don't forget to click the subscribe button and the notifications button so you're notified for when my next podcast goes live. I come out of school when I was 12. I couldn't read or write. I used to, I learnt to read or write through social media. I had Facebook. If I never had Facebook, I wouldn't be able to read and write. My handwriting now is appalling to look at it like you'd struggle to read it to be honest. My dad's given me plenty of opportunities. Like, if my dad wasn't my dad, would I be where I am today? More than likely not, but he hasn't fulfilled them opportunities for me. I'll give you an example. Like, it didn't, but it could have affected people in a worse way. You know, it didn't and luckily enough everybody was very headstrong. But it could have, could have affected people in a different way. Try to make a feel of you. In a sense, yeah, my goal is to overachieve my dad, which is going to be very difficult. He's done extremely well. You know, but the thing is, I'm further forward than him when he was my age. Leaps and bounds, you know. He didn't buy his first park till I think he was 26, 27, I was 18. Been my line and today's guest, we've got Alfie Best. How are you Alfie? James, how are you? Really good, thanks. Well, it's an honour to be on here and thank you very much for having me. Yeah, no, thanks for coming on. Fascinating story. Everybody knows about your old man as well, as well as his son. Multimillionaires, businessmen, entrepreneurs. You've also done a bit of acting here as well. I have. I've done a film. I won him on a Terry Stones film called Once Upon a Time in London. I really enjoyed it. Listen, I don't think I'm going to be no blockbuster, but I enjoyed it. It was nice to see how everything works and how they actually done it and actually the effort that goes into them films. It's madness, you know, it'd blow your mind. Yeah, people don't realise that they may be sitting in cinema for 60 minutes, 90 minutes and they think that was great, but some films take months, years to make man. It's unbelievable, the production that goes behind that. Exactly. Your dad is known as the richest gypsy in the United Kingdom. People say he's nearly a billion pound. You're the son also entrepreneur. You're making money for as young as you can remember, but it's also fascinating to get a bit of an understanding of how the mind works and how you make fortunes and money and live that lavish lifestyle that you've got on social media. Well, listen, it's definitely not easy. I'll tell you that much. But yeah, listen, I'd definitely say he's one of the richest gypsies in England. Listen, he's very wealthy. He's done very well for himself, you know, and to be quite honest with you, it's just persistent. How is that title? Is he happy with that title, your dad? Uh, I don't know. You listen, one day you come in, you know, I mean, you can ask yourself, you know, I mean, I can't speak for him, but I'd imagine he is, you know. Yeah. I always go back to the start of my guess, brother, where you grew up and how it all began. Well, to be fair, I had a pretty normal childhood. Like, you know, I used to box from a very young age, love boxing, which to be fair, taught me a lot in life. I think it's a brilliant lesson for everybody who teaches discipline, you know. It's a brilliant thing to do, but I had a pretty normal childhood. Like, I come out of school when I was 12, I couldn't read or write. I used to, I learned to read or write through social media. I had Facebook. If I never had Facebook, I wouldn't be able to read and write. My handwriting now is appalling to look at it. Like, you'd struggle to read it, to be honest. Then I come out of school and started working. I hired a driver and used to buy and sell industrial supplies and floor mats for shops, toilet paper, anything that I could walk in, anything that, you know, people couldn't reject. Like, everybody has to use toilet paper, you know, blue paper towel, wherever I could get it from. There's a few wholesalers that I got put in touch with. And from then on, I'd done that for about four or five years. I've done a couple, I've done, like, loads of businesses from 12 to where I am now, I've probably done 10 different businesses. And thankfully, I buy and sell watches now, and I really enjoy it because, like I say, persistence. All the other businesses and things that I've run, I'm sure they would have been successful, and they were successful while I was doing them. But I wasn't persistent enough because I didn't enjoy it. I believe you've got to do something that you enjoy. And in any case, I come out of school, started a hired driver, bought and sold industrial equipment, and then I started doing travellers' parties. And, you know, we've always had a fairly good name, fairly good reputation, quite a big reputation. You know, like a lot of people knew I was. And, you know, when Facebook first came about, it connected everybody. It was so easy to promote events. Like, because Facebook really only come out in what, 2005 or something like that. You know, it was out for six or seven years, but it was still fresh, you know. And that's what made me was travellers' parties. You know, I'd done one in a club. It done all right. I never had no fortunes, because I used to keep the door or, you know, a percentage of the door. And the thing is, travellers wasn't allowed to go to many places, or especially not altogether. So when there was an event on that they could all come to, you know, it used to get packed. And then as time went on, I ended up taking on my own club when I was 16, you know, had a little bit of media attention, et cetera. And I tried running it as a normal club. Like, you know, I'd let anybody in to an extent, you know, but I tried running it as a normal club, but it wasn't really taken off for me. Like, the people I attracted was travellers, you know. So then, like, I was hemorrhaging money, hand over fist, like, a club shirt, or a restaurant or anything, that the overheads are massive. You know, and I was only a boy, like, listen, I've always had my dad's advice, never would he put his hand in his pocket and, you know, bound me out of a situation. He believes so much, so that, you know, they're the best lessons, it's a cheap lesson, if anything. You know, I mean, you learn, like, you know, you're going to get hit in the pocket, you're going to learn. You're not going to want to make that the same mistake again. And clubs, you know, you've got rent, you've got rates, you've got, like, you've got staff wages, you have to pay for the alcohol, you know. And sometimes it could cost you a fortune just to open the door, you know, and unless you've got people coming through the door, to be fair, when I took it on, I thought that I was just going to open the door and people was going to come in. You know, I thought it was going to be as easy as that. I mean, there was nights I was stood there with me and my staff, not so more than that, you know. And then after a while, but the thing is, nobody really wanted travellers' events. Like, I mean, you know, the licensing officers and people like that, they didn't want it, you know, they didn't want it in the area. Like, because, you know, some of them can be hassle, you know. But again, where are they supposed to go? What are we supposed to do? You know, I've had this problem as a kid. We can't all go places, we get turned around, you know, the discretion and like, you know, as a licence holder to a venue, you can turn anybody down for any reason you want. You know, there's no law against it, which that is up to them, you know. And then I put a Halloween party on for travellers, but I own the club now. Before I was doing it, somebody else owned the club. So I was only getting a percentage of the door. And then I put one on and I was getting the bar and it was massive. It was done so well. It was absolutely exceptional. And that's what really got me on my feet. It's 16. 16. Did you have that in green, didn't you? Watching your dad or was it just kind of in your blood to make a crust? Well, to be honest, I'll tell you what it is. I always get listening to critics. I'm very thick-skinned. It doesn't bother me what anybody says it. Like, you know, everybody's got their own opinion and I let them keep it. I believe everybody should have their opinion. It's great, you know. Everybody's going to talk amongst themselves. They can, I don't care, you know. But I like to do everything I can. So I know myself, you know, because everybody said, oh, it was handed to him on a plate. He's done this. He's done that. You know, his dad's given it to him. My dad's given me plenty of opportunities. Like, if my dad wasn't my dad, would I be where I am today? More than likely not. But he hasn't fulfilled them opportunities for me. You know, he's pointed me in the right direction. Like, because after that, after I had the club and after I'd done that night, to be honest with you, we got out of the club. We didn't have a... I didn't want to do it anymore, to be honest. It's not... It's not good. It's not... That nightlife is not good for me, you know, to go out, you know, you're drinking while you're at work. Listen, if you was... Whatever you was doing, you wouldn't drink while you was on the job and it's so difficult, right? And I was 16 then I wasn't allowed to drink in my own bar. But you know, just being out there and being around it and being amongst it, it's not where you want to be, you know. And if you're not on top of everything and watching, like, being straightforward, you know, people take out the teals, people take bottles, you know, you've got to be there and see it, you know. Like, listen, obviously there's companies out there that have got it running like clockwork. I didn't. It's the first time I've run events, I've promoted events, then gone straight from promoting events to having a club, you know. And yeah, like, it's... Watching my dad at work and earning money has just been a massive part of our life. That's realistically, and it might sound very sad, but that's all that's ever mattered. You know, not even having nice things, the thing what matters was earning money and being able to keep it and being able to save it. You know, only the last... Only the last five years, I'd say, my dad's actually started to treat yourself. Like, if you was to look at him walking down the street, you'd never believe what he was worth, you know. And recently he's started to relax a little bit and enjoy himself, and too rightly deserves it. Yeah, but like I say, he's given me plenty of opportunities. And like I say, he's never actually done it for me. Like, he's got an office full of staff. I can go there. I'm allowed to use them staff at my disposal, but never are they allowed to do something for me. If I'm not there doing it with them, it doesn't get done. Yeah, people can be given opportunities left right and centre from people, but it's down to them to make the hustle and push towards to making it a success. Success isn't easy, and it must be hard if you're doing well for yourself and people target you with that and always dad's help when he's done this. People need to actually make it work themselves. I think there's a big percentage of people coming from private schools who've got everything as well and don't succeed in life. It's the ones who work their ass off and like you say, your dad will not bail you out so you'll learn from that mistake. That's where your growth will be. We will not make the same mistake again. It's important to understand that success is a fucking mad thing, but it's a consistency of pushing towards achieving that goal, which is the difficult thing because so many people quit. We're living a soft generation. It's actually so easy to be successful now because so many people are weak. They don't want it. As soon as they hit that one obstacle, they just start stepping back and they don't want to face the failure anymore. But then they've already accepted the failure. And that's why there are very few successful people in a sense. And I wish success on everybody. I wish I had the answer to it and my advice would be to anybody who's looking for success is persistence. That is it because the thing is I think hard work beats talent every single time, to be honest. Talent will only get you so far. If you're not persistent and you don't work hard enough, it's not going to happen. And people say, I'm waiting about for opportunities. Listen, opportunities will come along. Opportunities will come along. The clever people are the ones that create the opportunities, not just grab them. If you're creating them or trying to create one and then an opportunity comes along, bang, grasp it. But try and create the opportunities. Be around it. You've got to stay focused towards your goal. Create a goal and stay focused and don't let anything sidetrack you until you achieve that and then you raise the bar again. How was that then for staff? Obviously, you must have had bouncers at the door from a 16-year-old kid to be telling these people what to do. Did the follow suit okay or were there some of them about like, fuck off? Listen, of course, there were some people like that, you know? And they're not... It wasn't... You know, there wasn't brazen face to it, but again, I'm sure they got amongst themselves and, you know, chatted and whatever. I don't really know, but I had a general manager that was obviously older because he was the licensee because obviously you got to have a licensee for a venue like that. I was too young. Like, there's nothing stopping me from owning it, you know? But I couldn't be the licensee because I was too young. So, like, you know, when it come down to telling them or anything what to do, he was the one, usually, to tell them what to do, except unless I wanted to have a word with someone, but, you know, it's very difficult a kid trying to tell an adult what to do. You know, it's enough to make them want to turn their back. Like, as our old I am now, like, even though I've been through it, I wouldn't really want to be told to do it by a kid. You know, it's straightforward as that. I'd be sitting in line if I'd sit and take it on the chin. Of course, you'd sit and listen, but to be told what to do. And I listened. Obviously, I wasn't aggressive. I wouldn't shout, I'd do this, do that, do that. I didn't abuse my power, let's say. You know, I did kind of, in a sense, know my place, knew that I was younger than them and just had to kind of work with them. Like, I tried to work with them more than anything, you know? Like, I couldn't get behind the bar because I was too young. You know, but if it come down to mopping the floor, like, I'd get involved, I still will. Like, I've got two mobile home parks, which I'll come back to in a minute. If anything needs doing there, what I can do personally, I will go down and do it. I used to do drains, you know? Which people think, you know, it's not the cleanest job in the world, but it is what it is. You know, if it earns money, I'm willing to do it. Somebody's got to do it. You know? That was when I was 14, I had a company that I had, me and a friend set up called Blockbuster Drains, you know? And I was working out at my dad's office and we was doing okay. We used to work on rated people, but it just wasn't the job for me. It just wasn't taking off, et cetera. Who was that? Try to learn the threads and have businesses and you couldn't read, learn how to read or write. Like, was that a block easier or was that enough to drive you on and concentrate on the things you were good at? Well, it definitely doesn't help. It's definitely hindrance, you know? But from when I was 14, I was reading fluently, you know, but then I couldn't write too well, you know? So I had to try and make things as simple for myself as possible and luckily my business partner at the time could read and write. But I've never let anything like that stand in my way, you know? Like, there's loads of things like I will try and educate myself the best I can to a job. You know, I'd sit and watch YouTube, you know, the internet's a massive thing. Now, there's not a lot you can't find out on the internet, you know? It's mad, man, at fucking 16, I was standing in corners drinking and taking drugs and it shows but can be done at a young age to run business season and keep your head screwed on because you're very sensible with what age you're now, 24? 24. Still very sensible and you've got so many years ahead of you that I could only imagine what it's going to be like the next 20 years for, your 30 years, where you're going to be, it's good to see and it's good to see people thrive and actually be okay about it and give the tools and techniques how they managed to create a business and learn some of the mistakes which is very important for people watching and it shows that what can be done with work ethic belief and just fucking straight hustle, man, like, from cleaning drains and opening nightclubs at 16, like, it's mad to think that what can be done, especially, this generation, like I said earlier, it's a weakened generation, everybody's iPads and computers and they're putting on way easy and they're sad. Nothing's impossible, you know, and like, you see now when I look back at it, I think like, wow, it's amazing. At the time, it didn't feel like nothing. It just felt like every day this is what I've got to do to get anywhere in this life. That is what you've got to do, you know, day in, day out. You've got, if you want to be successful, you've got to dedicate your life to something. It's as simple as that. How was it in the travel community at 16 and 17 and growing up was a lot more obstacles then because you were a traveler or was people scared to take it off you? At this age now, I had done a lot to be honest and I tell you when it affected me, it affected me with small minded people because my past would speak for itself what I've done. You know, I've turned businesses around, you know, from a young age. I literally turned them around. That club was failing. It was done. It was finished. And again, I couldn't make it work as a club, but I did turn it into adventure, that earned money. Okay, yeah, it might not have earned money week in, week out, week in, week out, but over the time that I had it, the time period I had it, I put a couple of travellers' events on there and it did earn money. So, you know, I used it to the best of my advantage and done what I could do. And to be honest with you, I could probably still do that with a club or something now. Because like I say, travellers are not welcomed everywhere. It's not a good thing, you know. We are really the last race that still does get discriminated. Terribly. And I think it will come to an end eventually, you know, but, you know, it is what it is like. I don't let it bother me too much. Why do you think that is? Well, we don't have a good reputation, to be honest. And I do understand why, you know, we're not like, you know, like what's happened in the past and like, you know, we're not serial killers, et cetera. There's good and bad in all people, you know, but the first thing you think of when you mention a traveller, a gypsy or whatever you think are, robbers, you know what I'm saying? Like scammers, whatever people think. I don't actually know, because obviously people are not open with me and they're not obviously going to say what they think. But, you know, you can use your own imagination what people think when people mention travellers. I know a few traveller boys, man, they're all 100%. Crazy bastards and not many get in their circle. Not many know what they're up to or what to do, but we all know they're capable. If a shit hits the fan, like, it's a very select community where nobody else gets in. Same as the Triads, I'm not fucking saying they're the same, but the Triads is not as well that nobody really gets in their circle or their families are, nobody else, no outsiders gets in, that everybody else is, everybody's outside, everybody's mixed and everybody turns on each other and fucking hate each other and snitch on each other, you tend to see in other communities that nobody really gets in, especially the traveller community. They've got to be the family breed that's kind of in the bloodline where, but I know a few boys and they're fucking crazy bastards, but nobody really gets in their circle, nobody really knows what they do, but they do a fucking well. Is that hard then growing up then, like being, not like an outcast? See, I never looked at myself like an outcast. I used to think I'm like, I'm as normal as anybody else. To be honest with you, I actually believed it gave me more wit than anybody else. Why did people know you were the traveller? After a while, you know, at the beginning they never, to be honest, but after a while I'd done a couple of television programs because before, before, before I turned of age, my dad was like, no media, we don't want any media. We're private life, happy life, etc. Then after a while, my dad employed someone I can't remember what his job was, PR or something. He said that it's good. Put yourself in the media, if you want to go places and you want to be at the top, that's what happens. That's what it takes. So obviously Big Fat Gypsy Weddings, the program, was a massive thing at this stage. I put myself on it, which helped my parties massively because any travellers out there that didn't know who I was now did. It wasn't travellers wanting to come to one of these travellers' parties because I put it on my Big Fat Gypsy Weddings and I've used it to our advantage, which was brilliant. I never got paid to do it, but it's great publicity. People still mention it to this day. I was a young kid. Everything I've just mentioned was on Big Fat Gypsy Weddings. I've done three of them. I've done Big Fat Gypsy Weddings once. Big Fat Gypsy Fortune and Big Fat Gypsy Christmas. My dad come on it with me on the second one. It's brilliant. Like I say, I'm quite fixed-skinned. I don't really care too much what people have to say. If you're not very fixed-skinned then you do care what people say. The media and going on television or any sort of podcast or YouTube channel is not the thing for you because there's always going to be someone out there that's criticising you for some reason or another. I'm sure they've got their reasons and I'm more than happy for them to sit and advise me and point me to pieces. I know what I've got to do and I know where I'm going and I know what I've got to do to get there. My goal is to over-achieve my dad which is going to be very difficult. He's done extremely well. But the thing is I'm further forward than him when he was my age. Leaps and bounds. He didn't buy his first park till I think he was 26, 27. I was 18. He's fucking mad though, innit? Yeah, he is. See when those shows came out because everybody knew the big fat Gypsy wedding. How do you think that paints a picture of Gypsies as well? Do you think people then instead of? Because there's so much more to the traveling community than the big weddings and people getting married, and people are out making money every day. There's a lot of... There's a bond and there's a... I think it's hard to explain but because of the work that the travels put into survival and growth and educating themselves there's so many successful people out there from the traveling community as well but how do you think that paints a picture of the traveling community? How were you treated first of all when these shows came out from the travelers? Not bad. People used to come up to me to congratulate me. The people that didn't say anything the ones that you used to question or whatever but I didn't expect anybody to come over and want to shake my hand etc but some people because they maybe did think it was good just to be polite just because they wanted to meet you I don't really know but I never really got a bad response obviously Twitter was a big thing then and I used to get tweets, tweets, tweets all the time and I never actually used to get many bad ones to be honest I used to buy and sell vans and I genuinely had a personal van which was my van it was my own van what I used to go out working in and I was selling it to someone and he'd come to buy the van off me but he never ended up buying it I can't remember because I didn't have a log book and as a matter of fact I'm saying this I don't even know if it was him but I'm quite sure it was but then when I went on I can't remember if it was a big fact it was the weddings or whatever it was it was one of the three and I was now buying and selling vans like how I've come on etc and again it's brilliant publicity all for free if I'm going to do it I want to gain something out of it so I show them my business that's what they want to come and see he rung the trading stands and said obviously that I was dealing vans with the sound I was personal which this deal was personal because it was my van in front of the trading stand I mean listen to be quite honest with you I was shitting myself I was literally shitting myself I cannot explain it anymore and my dad's like yeah you speak to him and I was like which again I'm so happy that I've learned all these lessons young when I've done these things when I was young because please believe me through this life and this is one thing I know for sure it ain't sunshine and rainbows it is the hardest and most horrible is place and anything is obstacles obstacles, obstacles, obstacles, obstacles there's just there's no easy route to anything of course you know you can win the lottery you can have a touch you can invest in something like bitcoin it can go bang you know it's possible but you know realistically everything's hard there's no quick fix to nothing how was that the pressure then from a young age did you feel pressure or did you have on it to try and make things into a success it's got a lot harder as I've got older to be honest because whatever I got back then I was happy with you know whatever I own now it seems like it's never enough you know back then like I was you feel like you've got all the time in the world from being 14 to 24 it's like that I think of it like yesterday every job I've done some days I wake up you don't know where the time goes I'm 38 now mate and I'm fucking feeling it because I've got my head screwed on for the first time in many years for ever probably the last four years everything's about business everything's about taking things to new level to not just have more freedom but give my kids and family the freedom that they deserve but then even though I'm creating that now I still want more and part of me then thinks are you becoming obsessed with business success but that's healthy but that's why I've took a few weeks out there and I've kind of travelled the world as well it's been amazing as well but then I've been choking at the bit to come back work and grind again and keep building and creating opportunities that when it at least says here what is enough it's like you know there's never a cut off point and the thing is once you think it's enough you want to take it to the next level you want to go further and that's a good thing I believe it's a good thing you know everybody's got their own opinion some people are more than 10 and I don't blame them going to live a nine to five doing their things spending plenty of time with the family with what I do and where I need to go there is no routine you know today I could be sat here next one I might have to jump on a flight and go to America you know there is no routine I can't make plans you know I don't think that's a bad thing and the thing is you say you've you know you've started you've done it you've got on the right road you're on your way it's one of the best podcasts I've ever seen I mean I've watched more or less every single one you've put on that they are great and you've made it a success and I credit it to you but I watched a documentary and it had Morgan Freeman on it and whoever was interviewing him looked up and said to him are you not upset that you know you've got fame and come to money like so late in your life and he looked at them and he went well no not at all because it didn't have to happen ever you know and I thought to myself well that's right if that ain't enough like inspiration for someone to start like you know that's if you want to take it to the next level whatever you want to do if you want to be massive in any area of your life you know I thought that's not enough inspiration but that's brilliant because he was an old man I think the sure show he never started acting until I think in his 40s you know and I thought what a thing to say that does make sense but because I used to think smash it for five years make a few million and then disappear but I don't want to stop because then I think why stop to levels help people along the way keep doing your thing keep opening doors keep creating opportunities keep giving people a platform to tell their story and invite new people and like everything's limitless to me and it's about enjoying a journey in the last few months two three months I have been enjoying a journey because I felt as if I was working too much but then look where it's got me that has given me my freedom it has given me better opportunities it has given me a better time with my family and friends and that's a beautiful thing and I'm only getting started with different things and there's a lot of things that are doing on the side that people don't know either which I'll probably touch on maybe in a couple of years but I want to get on that success first and then come out the woodwork and say like this is how I achieved that also but success is a mad thing you're never fulfilled ever my success goes by numbers and views and but you're never I used to think I remember doing my first podcast and I was fucking so excited to hit my thousand views buzzing now I'm fucking now you want a hundred thousand then a hundred million and then it's mad you've got to keep chipping away and raising a bar so see when you're doing things and there's failing what's your secrets to then turn them around persistence that's all I can say is persistence and and and you know like like you said the easiest thing to do is turn you back and I'll drowns up and and say no I don't want to do it like any business you have bills chucked at your left right and centre you know anywhere anybody can bill you and have some money off you they're gonna do it you know I mean and anything that you're doing you know and it is disheartening it is disheartening you know but listen there's no secret to anything obviously it depends on the business thankfully with the parties for example and the nightclub I I had a reputation like I say for putting parties on because I've done parties before and I took the opportunity obviously to put travellers all in one place you know which which helps the drainage company again I would be out at six or seven o'clock we was called 24 hour service the last thing I wanted to do was get up out of bed at one or two o'clock in the morning or whatever time it was to get out and go and unblock a drain to be honest but you know I knew that's what it took to make the company work if you're calling it like you know there's loads of companies that call their self 24 hours you ring them up and say when you come in the day they come in the next day that's that like come on and with a business you've got to build a reputation listen social media is great don't get me wrong please believe me I love it it's connected me and you so easy I'm not saying you wouldn't be able to get in contact anyway but look one message you're in touch you know and and so there still needs to be that word of mouth like oh yeah they're a good company you know and listen we obviously we worked around London I've always been inside or very close to the M25 because I'm from London I was born in Redbridge you know and I think I think London is a brilliant place again you meet some lovely people but to be fair I do think England is very restricted for for where I want to go I think like when they say America is the land of opportunity I genuinely believe it is the land of opportunity because listen you've got 50 countries in one to go out whatever you're doing you know and I think to myself that's where I'd like to be to be honest same for me mate I need to tap into there America is where exactly it just takes 360 million people now this is what I mean how many is here 60 million 70 million yeah do you know what I mean it's just like what's that a quarter after that 70 no fucks sake it's like I think to myself would I be further forward now if I was in America because I feel I don't feel very restricted and listen again I try and make it work whatever I'm doing or wherever I'm at you know like I love business I thrive off a business you know I thrive off of doing deals it makes me feel good about myself it's like a drug to me if you like you know like thinking being on it it keeps you sharp you know I'm saying talking to people having deals etc I do I enjoy it and like I say in America there's just so many more people so many more things to go at yeah that's what it's all about though Anna it's just taking things to new levels and new heights and that's the beautiful thing about it man that's that's where I need to tap into is America because it's a bigger audience it's more doors opened and it's just another level of whatever the fuck it is we're chasing what's the difference from a travellers party to just a normal guy in a streets party to be honest with you they're all very smart dressed they love a good time listen they drink more than a lot of other people please believe me you know like of course like I've never seen people drink like it to be honest you know they love a drink they love a get-together you know listen let me tell you something like you know they can get rowdy you know I mean but the thing is it wouldn't that's no different to the club you'd walk in and go in in West End you know anybody can get rowdy you can get an argument there can be a confrontation it happens you know but realistically like listen there's a big difference if you used to stand there and look you know but to actually explain it you know listen the girls are done up to the 9s they always come out looking lovely you know they make an effort you know which is good maybe I don't know they make more of an effort than most you know like listen they still wear shirts nice shoes etc you know it's like the casual like listen I'm not dressed as smart it's like but you know it's the style it's the trend you know realistically you're allowed to go in most restaurants or anything like this but you know where's the colour and shoes gone like a class travellers are still got that little bit I want to give them credit for that because they just don't like them you know there's something that's been set in their brain that there's something not to like about them and again there's there's good and bad in all people what did you do after the nightclub what did I do after the nightclub I went and bought my first mobile home first mobile home bike that was two years later though let me think what did I do after that nightclub see I've always been trading like buying and selling vans but I can't think what I've done after that where do you get the good deals from vans did you I used to go to a van auction in Leicester to be honest vans have gone through the roof now back then it definitely wasn't so easy and you know the thing is there was a time span that you had to sell it in because obviously they depreciate quick like any vehicle does you know we're in a strange time at the minute and that don't seem to be happening but it was fucking nuts nuts I don't know what it is maybe less production or something I don't really understand it to be honest I'd like to look into it but yeah I get told 20 different things you know and you know I'm searching too deep into it doesn't really affect me either either as long as I've got a car I obviously wanted to go through the roof you know but see I bought my first mobile home bike not long after that because I've got a mobile home park in Basildon which was my first one you know which again my dad found the mobile home park but come to me and said right let's have a sit down what money have you got do you know what I mean because again I like to try and keep it private you know sometimes you know I'd probably come back and even lie to him more than I have to know what I mean to try and keep him happy and my dad's not the type to be pleased and you know he said right well if you can round up such and such amount we'll see if you can get your mortgage he introduced me to his bank manager which he sat me down and after a couple of took went through the full process you know and obviously my dad was a guarantor like you know but nothing on paper my dad's obviously just got such a good relation to the bank like it was genuinely a handshake for them like you know they never had nothing to worry about my dad's got 20 sites out maybe even more than that with these people which is HSBC and then I bought my first mobile home park and to be honest with you there's not actually a lot for me to do there it's not enough to keep me busy and that was a very small one and in any case I got a pass for a mortgage I ended up buying the mobile home park and then and then I tell you what I done after that I ended up buying another one maybe another two years down the line but to be honest with you there has been a couple of years in my life where I've gone you know I've gone a while you know going out a little bit too much like listen for me to go out truthfully I get hangover I'm in bed for five days you know you know and do you know what I did something mad every time I go out and have a drink my thinking changes to how it was the week before I mean changes like how it's a difficult one to explain like but I don't feel how I was feeling the week before about something like it could change my mind about something you know like I could have my eyes set on something and bang go out and have a drink and listen I believe enjoy myself I keep it in moderation you know it's not a problem for me it's a confidence that goes though isn't it it fucking hits that central and you have this system so that idea you're putting that in the back burner exactly and you know it's not listen it's not good for work and business etc you know it's definitely not good for work and then after I bought another one in Dunstable same thing but I already had a mortgage now you know and I found this mobile and parked myself you know I was in the like now I'm on the ladder you know I'm talking to people people that we buy the homes off of etc and in any case he said right there's a mobile home park come up do you know I mean interest years yep so I've gone back to me bank manager said what can we can do so cut long story short ends up getting past um ends up getting past another mortgage is in Dunstable and now that's really what really got me on my feet like that was not wasn't so I was made because I don't believe I've ever been made you know but it like I was well on the property ladder you know I know listen people to say oh you had one so I already etc but I was going like I could that did keep me busy there was things to do there like there was a small developments to do etc I didn't really learn a lot of the first one you know because there wasn't a lot to do it's fully developed but there was a couple of empty bases or empty plots on this site which I needed to develop myself you know which to be honest is is uh it's easy if you know what you're doing you know but it's not so easy if you don't know what you're doing you know and I was learning on the job like I said my dad would give me all the advice in the world what he could you know but you just wouldn't like gift nothing do you understand like you know how hard does it to run one of these hold the homes it's not easy you know you've got residents screaming down you at the phone you know the hardest part is buying them and finding them you know finding one for sale like you know the thing is how much do you pay for it you know what I'm saying like you know what do you value it you know they're all around the area you look at one one could be in Aberdeen one could be in London you often call that one in Aberdeen's cheap but realistically it's not in London you know like it's like that's the hard bit he's finding them you know it's like anything you know it's like nothing it's easy to run but we can get a heads around it and we can do it or we can employ someone that can how long when did you start the boxing with age uh I've been boxing like all my life like I've boxed since I've been about six but obviously I couldn't compete when I was six but I was in and out of the gym and then I and then I started boxing from when I was 11 I give up when I was 16 turned over when I was 19 so I got out of there and I thought it was far way too corrupt you know and to be honest the professionals ain't much different from what I can gather but to be honest like I'm not going to sit here and like you know I love the sport though I do and and it is what it is and it's like there's nothing we can change about it but um I started boxing when I was like six and genuinely I probably didn't stop from six to about 16 and then I did stop because I thought to myself you know as a kid I wanted to live my life a little bit I wanted to go out like it's very difficult when you're boxing you know and I've always struggled with my weight not like my boxing weight you know it wasn't easy like we always like we've had some mad conclusions my dad used to train me as well which wasn't the best to be honest like it works don't get me wrong but you never got a break you know like when you come out of the gym boxing was still happening when we come home you know what I'm saying like sometimes you do need like a little bit of your own time you know what I mean and then I turned over pro when I was 19 I had my first professional fight won that and then to be honest with you I got so carried away with work I didn't boxing until last year which was 2021 a boxing october and I was supposed to box on the 27th of November but I perforated my eardrum how? sparring fucks sake how much health rates did you have? uh 20 what's the difference between boxing and making money what's the buzz if you get a good deal maker about a door or one in a fight what's the best buzz to be honest without lying to you there's no better feeling in a fight you know it lasts a couple of three or four days but there's nothing nothing better even as an amateur turning over as a pro like even having a good sparring session you feel good you know listen you have a bad one you feel bad and losing there is no worse a feeling you want to lock yourself in the room and not come out for years you know I mean it's a for me it's a horrible feeling but the thing is losing money for me I also get that kind of feeling you know it's not a very nice feeling like more so to be deceived out of money because you think ah I wasn't clever enough or I wasn't on that do you know what I mean or if you see something change yeah of course you can learn but initially your first instinct or your first feeling is not the best you know what I mean listen of course you want to tell yourself yeah I've learned from that I won't be doing that again because listen if you don't think to yourself that then you're not very bright you know because listen you've got to take the positives out of every situation whether that may be a bad situation there will be positives in it somewhere but if that's a lesson then great you need to learn from it where do you go from the boxing where do you want to go listen I'd like to take it all the way I'm that type of person you know I want to be a world champion but it's very good for my life I want to keep it up thankfully I've got a good trainer now I'm training with Mark Tibbs which is the best you know like I'm very appreciative for that opportunity and I wouldn't blow it for the world because you know if I stopped that a bit I would never step foot back in a boxing because now is my opportunity you know like if I'm going to go anywhere or I'm going to do anything with this boxing he's the man to do it with you know there's they've got 50 or 60 years between him and his dad you know training in there with monsters you know like it's a good atmosphere in that gym you know like I say if I'm going to do it anywhere and I'm going to do well it's with him fair play man but do you think you'll use that business mindset to get into the boxing is that a business strategy as well in what sense what do you mean to make money as well you can make money from it when you get to the higher levels are you just doing it because you enjoy it I'm not doing it to make money you know but listen if the opportunity comes up and I can get a few please believe me I'm obviously not going to turn it down but I'm not doing it for money like I don't get up and go to the gym thinking to myself right one day I'm going to get X amount I'll get up there and go and think right I want to win more than that like you know if I could take the winner not take no money I'd rather take the win you know what I mean I'd rather win like you know it was it's a funny thing I love boxing boxing is a good sport like so it keeps your head strong and teaches you a hell of a lot and you meet some very very very good people yeah it's lots of good people seeing you were on the TV shows and shit how was that worth the thing coming kind of side effect did that kind of side track you with partying and whatever other shit you were doing or were you still trying to stay focused because attention is a funny thing when you start getting it kind of changes people especially at a young age especially if your dad's successful you're doing well you've got a bit of money you can fucking relax a bit like was that a hard thing getting put into the ring like I didn't particularly like it to be honest listen I love listen I loved it I mean in the sense everything come off the back of it do not I mean people recognize you it's lovely do not I mean you haven't got to explain to yourself who you are but you like you've got a there's a level of trust there straight away which is great for business you know it's people that watch them programs and they feel like they know you etc which to be honest with you then reality TV programs for me are a furthest thing from reality you know okay yeah they do follow you about with a camera etc and their video in day to day life they only put up what they want to put up they show what they think is going to put bums on seats they're going to show what they think is going to get viewers that's how I feel about it you know and particularly I didn't enjoy doing it all that much to be honest because there was a couple of things in that program I didn't like to be honest I wouldn't really like to go into depth about it like you know but to be honest I'm good friends of everybody that was on that program very good friends of everybody that was on that program and I was very good friends of everybody that created it you know and I'm fully aware that you've got to do what you've got to do you know but again like you know there was doing too much to put bums on seats to be honest with you I'll give you an example like it didn't but it could have affected people in a worse way you know it didn't and luckily enough everybody was very headstrong but it could have affected people in a different way try to make a feel of you in a sense yeah it's not good for people to sit and have an insight on that you know like listen I don't believe people should then relationships that happen on them reality TV shows they're not going nowhere it's the first thing that's going to bring it to a straight end you know and I couldn't be myself because this night I have a character I want to keep you know I'm not going to make a fool of myself to people like I couldn't care if nobody liked me on there you know I'm a businessman and that's how I wanted to portray myself you know that's that's it you know it's great and listening was great for publicity you know I've gained a massive following from it you know I wasn't on it all that much to be honest but I felt like I was being forced to do stuff like it didn't just flow freely for me it's got to you know it was glorified like you know it is more or less scripted like you know like listen it's like for an example it's like me bringing somebody here for example that you don't like putting a camera there well obviously something is going to happen because you don't like each other that's not reality TV because in reality you wouldn't bump into him if you see that he was somewhere you wouldn't go there would you you know I mean you're going to try and stay away from it and that's what I didn't like set ups do you know what I mean but that's what sells and that's the views they're only up for reviews they don't give a fuck about people's feelings because we had a show in Scotland called The Scheme and the people didn't even get paid for it but they were on heroin they were on all the drugs used to film them and they were all fighting and arguing and people used to laugh at it not realising I actually had one of the boys on Marvin he was cool he actually sees actually a decent guy yes he's got his problems with addiction but back then even myself just to laugh at it I go look at the fucking state of them but then as you get older and you realise that people are human and you make mistakes and these people made total fun of them and it was all in contract that they never get paid a penny and they just fucking slaughtered them and I think it went up after as well just threw them all under a bus it's mad you know and like I said not like you know Tau has done extremely well you know made in Chelsea has done extremely well the program I was on wasn't that successful to be honest from what I can gather I'm just speaking I think it was I think it was watched by millions then I just don't understand why it didn't get recommissioned if something successful then obviously you'd recommission it it got recommissioned for a second series and you know like I'd think half of the first one they got to give it the benefit of the second one like come on like you're just getting going after the first one then after the second one if you're not cutting cloth man then obviously you're going to cut ties blame any television company if you're not putting bums on seats what's the point where did you do it after all that then I started a motorbike track motorbikes? because I love bikes I still like to enjoy myself but the thing is when I start to enjoy myself I'm looking for business opportunities you know what I'm saying I get into something like I used to love bikes boys ended up buying myself a bike and I'm all or nothing person ended up getting a bike from getting a bike I ended up getting a camper van to go in from having one bike I got two bikes I went to a bike I went to a few races I raced a few times I wasn't particularly that good I was more game than I was good but I still like my brains wired up you know what I mean in that sort of sport you've got to be willing to break your neck people have died doing it and in any case I started going to a track and I was walking around the track thinking this is an honor this and again motorbikes are like travelers the government everybody they don't give you somewhere to ride it's very far and few between tracks it's such a grey area because you don't know like I wouldn't know how to set one up you know you've got to be in the middle of nowhere there's houses etc and my dad's got a farm in Norfolk and I said like let me put a track there you know and he went like oh no I don't know and when I tell you it was like this bit of land genuinely it was like brambles and stinging nettles it genuinely wasn't worth having and like he said what are you going to do with it and you see my dad if my dad don't understand it he kind of turns his nose up at it like what do you want that for he thinks I want to set up a track so I can go down and ride it and I'm like I'm telling you like I could do alright out of this you know what I mean and anyway I built a track but again there's things you don't think of like it needed watering you needed kind of electric down there like a toilet etc you know I never had none of this stuff from the ground upwards bang built it and it was doing alright you know I used to hire I used to private hire it out of weekends etc and then what happened was the lockdown come you know and we obviously wasn't allowed to use it in the initial three weeks or the initial six weeks or when the first lockdown came in fucking two years it passed the last time no but the thing is you was allowed to go to your household you know and everybody everybody was living together I mean everyone was living with everybody and after a while there was like there was nowhere to go you know and then it done well in lockdown and then I got shut down wait to be honest with you I wasn't there like I wasn't there but I wouldn't say legally like it's a grey area like I didn't know I built a track you know just jumping the deep end that's what I done built it I had it out and that's what it was and then I got issued a stop notice because of the noise like I felt when I've been at a couple of speedway events but I was fucking loath it yeah listen to that I shouldn't imagine it would like the neighbours was upset and again you know probably maybe selfish of me to be honest but again sometimes you only see dollar signs yeah I tried all the days to make something happen and the thing is I tell you what I love about it there was no maintenance really you know you just needed to grade the track get a little bit what a brilliant business but again it's a grey area you wouldn't know where to start because you can't buy a bit of land and you know there's rules and regulations with everything do you know I mean I don't know like you know I'm sure I'm sure the councils and governments make them up as they go along you know I might and sell watches now what's the most expensive one you've sold the most expensive one I've sold would probably be about 60 grand sorry why is the prices of watches still on the rise if you get a Rolex I know friends that bought Rolexes 5-10 years ago and they've already made 5-6 grand of them to be honest with you there's a brilliant investment at the minute and the answer is I actually don't know listen again it must be down to not enough supply and more demand because like you know there's watches out there stainless steel watches out there that's making more than a gold watch full gold like you know okay like you know there's a stainless steel watch out there worth 220, 230 stainless steel like okay listen if you was to take a watch and go and weigh it in you're not going to get nowhere as near like the equivalent of the watch you know so obviously hit kind of that's why it don't make no much of a difference but it's always been that the precious metals worth more money and as the times the times are changing it's not like that you know like stainless steel is massive and they're making so much money to be honest I don't know why they've gone mad on it I think the lockdown I played a big part in it because obviously the factory's out to close you know like the Rolex factory and there is only a certain amount every down to try and get one out of the shop is like nigh on impossible like it more or less can't be done what are you doing with your leaf like the steel because you're very sensible you've got your head screwed on but how hard is it to try and not go fucking off the rails and enjoy your freedom in life and like I said you were in Dubai earlier and like how hard is it to try and keep sensible at a young age because when I was your age when I was fucking buying on it and I never had much so if I had though then when I would have went fucking mental listen I have listen I go out you know I go I get drunk I've done in bed for two or three days I do go out I kind of don't promote that side of me of course I like going out I like eating in nice restaurants but you know I put business first and obviously I put boxing first and boxing is also very good for my business because it gives me a reason not to go out you know and like I said I appreciate life a lot more but I think it's next month in April fingers crossed yeah I can't wait to be honest for your opponents you think they're up against it more against you than any other person because a lot of boxers or maybe what a box to try and make money you know how fucking ruthless it is there's not that much money to be made unless you're a top 10 fighter you're fighting for the buzz and the love of it okay well I'm not a massive name in the boxing yet but I'm still a name to be you know to come out and say I've beat Alfie Best Jr it's a fucking great name man Alfie Best could be worse brother Alfie Best that is a great name but do you think you'll feel that that people want to because when you're a celebrity kind of status and you're doing well for yourself listen people want to people don't like that people are envious more than likely but again I can't I can't worry about that too much listen you've got to think that they want to get in there and kill you no matter what you know so listen it just keep me sharp keep me more in the game do you get a lot of trolls a lot of trolls talking shit loads loads yeah because your instagram is popping you've got already the best club on your travel in the world there's a good thing to see for anybody but there's not butter enjoys to see somebody doing well but if you're not in a good place in life you fucking hate that shit no but listen in a sense isn't every message that comes to me you know I'm going to be a liar to say that I could but some I flick through you know some people that reach out to help and you know what the thing is I'll tell you what ruins it for the people that do reach out for helping that are being genuine is the people that are not being genuine that are reaching out I've got this going on because you then you just flick through them all thinking to yourself you know like why am I going to help you you know it's a scam or whatever it is you know I mean but I do try and filter through to the ones that are legitimate and I will try and do my best to help listen to some message at the end of the day you know if I've got time on my hands like you know it is good to help people even if you've never met them in your life and that's what's a good thing about Instagram you know and people remember that you know you never know if I could put someone on the right road they come back to me in 10 years and be uh in parliament you know it's a long long long long life you know when I try and listen I'm never going to please everybody and I don't try to but we now live in a world where you can't save us on your mind you know and I'm in a position not to be able to save us on my mind like for example like let's say I do exceptional boxing and I get sponsors like um listen I love all people please believe me and I mean that and I mean it with a good heart I do genuinely listen there's obviously some individuals I don't like but you know race, colour, sexuality it doesn't bother me you know but I do appreciate people's opinions like everybody's got their own opinion there might be a reason why some people don't like somebody for whatever reason I think it's wrong but that's up to them you know we're all our own person and you know you for example if you was to criticize someone's culture or something you'll never get sponsored by the likes of Nike or Adidas the thing is that culture would then hate you from the rest of your life and then if you're sponsored by Nike they are not gonna go and buy off a Nike anymore do you understand what I'm saying so it's like it's difficult to speak what's on your mind you know we don't live in a world where we can but you know everything is weird just now man you're certain things you can't mention and without people being offended we're living in a fucking weird world but it's also a place where you can be anything that you want to be which is a good thing but I just don't even comedians and I've got dark humor so I like to see people talk shit but now even I think comedians are being watered down which is another thought I would see some comedians that don't give a fuck but I think a lot of people are scared about it did you watch Jimmy Carr's one the other day he doesn't give a fuck and I watched him but did you see the one he put about Travellers yeah no oh brother he's done one about Traveller what did they say is that the one that's on Netflix I haven't got a clue but since he's come out Dave Chappelle's as well he was going on about he was going on about the Holycast and like listen again yeah I've seen that club somewhere and he said nobody mentioned however many Travellers got killed because nobody ever wants to mention the positives like I've seen that but again you couldn't say that about any other race it would have been dragged out there in a pair of cuffs if it was anybody else you know I think it was a pretty sore thing to say because listen joke do all the jokes in the world but when you're joking about like a mass murder like that you would have been pulling their hair out you know and again I'm thick skinned I don't care if she's job but you know I wouldn't imagine they remember any of their relatives but people have got family that died in there but again it's their job I'd like to think that it was said with no intent just to put bums on seats and make people laugh it was in that stadium and again it doesn't bother me I wouldn't kill you see if you were there and there's a talk about that joke like would you have been offended it's best if they were laughing at that not not listen it wasn't a very nice thing to say and then when people kind of explain it to you and go into detail you think oh yeah that was wrong but then on the other side of the coin if you looked up and went like hold on he's a comedian think of all the jokes that people have made up about other races and religions in the past it's been cut down now do you know what I mean terribly if you go back to some of the old ones listen you'd laugh your ass off it's all changed Eddie Murphy's back in the day they were ruthless everything has been kind of watered down but your Jimmy Carrs and Dave Chappelle Dave Chappelle was talking about transgender trying to shut them down cancel them but you can understand why people do get offended but when the comedy side of things if there's no malice towards that they're all means fucking laughing that's the way I see it I don't discredit anybody for trying to better their self it is what it is and he obviously wanted to say a joke let me tell you something people don't understand everybody whether it's good or bad you know, scream recording it put it on their story now people are probably going on Netflix I want to see that, I want to see it from start to finish do you know what I mean like they're still promoting him but that's why some people talk some shit the way they do as well because they know it does promote them well it's free publicity and it makes money where does Alfie Best go from here just because I followed the journey I'm confident that I'm going to be like I want to be a billionaire off my own back and listen one day genuinely hope but any day not too soon listen, obviously such as life everybody dies, do you know what I mean my dad's going to die the company's going to get passed down to me and when it does, I am going to take it I will have my own business to tell him I hope so because I want him to be here and see what I've achieved I will take his business to the next level and just have to how much pressure is that from you knowing that your dad's so successful from your son 24 trying to replicate that and more do you feel a lot of added pressure from your dad no matter what you do he's always going to back you he's pressured just by himself do you know what I mean like him being there just presents his pressure do you know what I mean or it is for me and in a sense in a sense it actually gives me more of a drive do you know what I mean to think right look he broke his back with grease it works do you know what I mean like yeah it works it does work do you know what I mean if your role model was not successful then why are they your role model do you know what I'm saying this man who is so successful he's around me and with me all the time it's like second nature it's like it's always going to happen do you know what I mean how big is your family kids brothers sisters I've only got one sister and that's it yeah one sister it's fucking unbelievable what your dad and that's achieved and it's good to see you on the same track try to do what he's trying to do and push yourself like I say everything's limitless to where you want to go in life and no doubt with the things that you've learned from your dad the mistakes that you've made and the businesses that you've succeeded in like put all that together man you've just got a big fucking pot of whatever you want to make it and it's mad that life is mad do you know what I think what the fuck is that about Alfie that's it whatever you want it to be about it's whatever you want to achieve and whatever you want to do more than one obstacle stopping you doing from whatever you want to do I'm not being funny if you want to get in the car and drive to a restaurant there's obstacles there's doors in your way that you've got to open that's the same as anything you've got to find the car because you've got to go and get in the car it's an obstacle everything's stopping you from doing anything you know and you've just got to get your head around that and the quicker you learn that nothing is gifted to you trust me the easier life will be for anybody that's maybe watching just now that's maybe what start up a business like it can be any small business big business what advice would you give them like I say once again persistence is the only thing that you don't need education educate yourself on the subjects and to be honest with you personally I would stick to be successful at anything I'd definitely definitely try and do something that you enjoy you know like that's a job half going to do something you enjoy that you're looking forward to to get up and going to do that gives you some spirit and inspiration by itself you know something you enjoy like these podcasts you enjoy doing them if you didn't like them there wouldn't be the same feel about it you wouldn't be reaching out to people to try and get good podcasts on the go so you know something you enjoy but the thing is unfortunately sometimes that ain't a way for success you know like sometimes you might not make it something you enjoy I'm sure there's plenty of boxes plenty of sportsmen out there that probably don't enjoy what they're doing you know but they're so good at it that they need to stick at it and also I'd stick to what you know the best you can if you can you know like you know if you've got a family business etc or your dad runs a company you know because they've been through it and of course the times are changing etc but I'd stick to something that you know yeah would you like to finish up on anything brother no that's it thank you very much for having me but honestly it's been a privilege I'm that grateful for being here Alfie listen I wish you all the best of the future look forward to your fate for your social media where can people get you Alfie best Instagram Alfie underscore best everything can be all posted on my instagram listen I wish you all the best for the future thanks for coming on and telling your story bro thank you God bless you