Ask Martin how he started and he says: "I just did! It sounds boring, but it really was that simple. All I did was take the first step and then back it up with sustained action. Of course, it wasn't easy, but probably no more difficult than jumping off a 10-metre diving board. The hardest part is finding the courage to take that first step.

I'm sure if you ask people I was at school with they would say: "We're not surprised about what he ended up doing!" It's my lot in life, which has made me very humble about my goals. They are not set with the attitude that if I don't succeed I can always go and do something else, because being a teacher is not a stop-gap for me, but a life-long calling. When you realise that, you work in more depth with a completely different level of professional respect. It's a fantastic feeling that benefits both my audience and me."

In 2001, Martin founded theMcompany.com and decided to see how far he could take it based on the philosophy: "Most people overestimate what they can achieve in a year, and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade."