I let bad habits hold me back. I wish I’d done it 10 years earlier
Phil Smith, 53, owns Smith England salon in Salisbury and hair care ranges Phil Smith Be Gorgeous and Smith England. He lives in Wiltshire with his wife Louise, his daughter Ellie (who works at the salon), his son George and their two Westies, Smithy and Smudge
Icompletely overhauled my lifestyle in my early 40s after a health scare. At one point, I ran a total of 28 Toni & Guy franchises. I was in the right place at the right time business-wise, at the height of Toni & Guy’s expansion, but it was a stressful roller coaster and every day was a juggle. I was responsible for 600 members of staff, with celebrity clients to look after and appearances on daytime TV to fit in.
Working 12 or 14 hours a day, I lived a very unhealthy lifestyle. I ate fast food and red meat every day and I even started smoking in my mid-30s. I tried to fit in exercise, and running had always interested me, but at 35 I was nowhere as fit as I felt I should be for my age. At times I weighed between 16 and 17 stone. When I ran the London Marathon in 2007 it took me hours to finish. I remember looking at pictures and being shocked at the way I looked.
Soon after, I discovered I had serious skin cancer – invasive melanoma. I was only weeks away from the cancer going into my bloodstream, and had to have three operations. I thought it was all over, and started to put everything in order for my wife and my children. Thankfully, I was given the all-clear the day before Christmas Eve in 2009. It was a defining moment. My outlook changed, and I began to prioritise my health. I stopped smoking, stopped eating red meat, and I started taking running more seriously.
Running was a way to have my own time and get a bit of thinking done. It helped me to make the decision to slow down and sell all the salons. I still loved business and the thrill of making money, but I began to measure success in a different way. I thought to myself, I can’t do this any more – it’s killing me.
Now, I cook often from scratch and eat lots of chicken, vegetables and fish. As a family, we make a point of eating together. I swapped spicy sausage pizzas and burgers for Linda McCartney dishes or plant-based burgers. I run five days a week, anything between five and seven miles a day, and take the dogs for a walk every day. The weight loss happened slowly, over the course of a few years. I’m 5ft 10in, and these days I aim to stay below 12st. One of my goals was to do a marathon in less than four hours. It took me seven attempts, but I did the 2019 London Marathon in 3.59. I’ve got my name down for the London Marathon in October this year, and I’m aiming for 3.30.
I still cut hair regularly, but recently I bought a little house in Port Isaac on the north Cornish coast, with no phone signal. I go there once a fortnight for two or three days at a time and completely switch off.
I’ve never felt healthier than now, and I’m slimmer and fitter than I’ve ever been. I feel comfortable wearing whatever clothes I want. As well as feeling physically healthier, I feel mentally clear. I was never a big drinker, but when I drank it was sugary alcopop things. Now, I’m learning all about wine and enjoy a good bottle once a week on a Friday or Saturday evening. It’s a good way to live. I enjoy life more now, and I’m angry that I let bad habits and an obsession with making lots of money hold me back. I wasted too much time in my 30s not really living – I wish I’d done it 10 years earlier.