Why We Should Value True Eccentricity

To be off centre is the meaning of eccentricity. David and Alison believe that the most interesting things happen around the edges. They tell how doing things off centre shaped their lives and their businesses.

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David Lea-Wilson is a Welsh Entrepreneur who used his love of living by the sea in Anglesey to start sea related businesses with friends or relatives. These have ranged from oyster growing, being a wholesale fishmonger, running a lobster hatchery and running Anglesey Sea Zoo for 23 years.

The last decade has been focused on starting The Anglesey Sea Salt Company, Halen Môn, and turning it into a successful business. All these have been started with his wife, Alison.

Alison Lea-Wilson moved to Wales aged 18 to attend Bangor University. She trained as a teacher but didn’t like the constraints so she chose self-employment enabling her to try out different roles as a fish merchant, aquarium owner, sea salt maker as well as bringing up three children.

Her skills lie in making connections, establishing relationships and fierce attention to detail: the perfect foil to her husband who gets excited and does things at the slightest provocation.

If she talks it will be to show that you don’t have to have big, unique ideas, just have the confidence to try things, work hard and be nice to people.