Tom Oswald, 38, is an entrepreneur and expert problem solver in robotics, engineering and technology and had his first patent at age 14. Tom suffers with the debilitating condition ulcerative colitis. It is Chrohns and Colitis Week Dec 1-7 but it doesn’t let it affect his entrepreneurial spirit or success – he grew his photo-sharing company ClickASnap into a multi-million pound business last year and takes part in an array of hobbies that help his condition.
Tom was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in August 2019. He had already set up photo sharing site ClickASnap and has learnt to juggle the stresses of running a business with having IBD.
His business ClickASnap is a photo sharing site where members earn money just by having their photos looked at. He has built it up to over 22,000 photographers with a million images viewed a month. He started the business in 2016 to disrupt businesses like Instagram and Facebook who monetise your content with no return to the person with the skills and work required to produce the artwork. Building a big tech disrupting business like ClickASnap is stressful, expensive and extremely hard work.
Tom’s mindset has helped him cope with the immensely disruptive nature of ulcerative colitis, and he looks at this disease as just another thing to conquer, one way or the other. As with every career avenue there are pros and cons. Running your own business can certainly give you freedom; conversely it can cause immense financial stress if you are stuck in hospital and have bills to pay. However, a driver for Tom is to be free of the 9-5 and I certainly think that helps alleviate some of the stress associated with chronic conditions like IBD. Managing stress is extremely important when building and running a business, and becomes even more so when dealing with something like IBD. Tom finds problem solving and hobbies such as photography, diving and clay pigeon targeting help immensely to mitigate this. He wants to use a significant portion of ClickASnap funds to find a cure for ulcerative colitis.
We asked Tom to share more of his story…
1. Could you share your diagnosis story?
I was out for dinner with a friend one evening in 2018, came home with a desperate need to go to the toilet and basically didn’t stop going for 3 weeks straight. Eventually, it got so bad (without going into details) that I had to go to A&E. They stated that I had UC and that I should phone Bournemouth hospital so I did, they sent me some steroids but they did nothing and so I got admitted roughly 4 weeks after all this started. Over the next few months I was in and out of hospital for weeks at a time until I was put on a biological medication called infliximab which has literally saved my life
2. Could you share how you juggle your business with IBD?
I have to go into hospital every 6 weeks for an infusion and take a plethora of pills every day. Whilst the medication does hold back the worst of it, there isn’t a day that goes by where you are not exhausted, and some weeks where you are laid in bed because of how ill you are. Couple that with being on immunosuppressants means that colds and flu properly knock you out.
The truth is, getting through it is down to sheer perseverance, same as building a business. The way I see it with a disease like this which can get progressively worse and with the welfare state the way it is in the UK, and rents/housing completely unaffordable plus the difficulty of holding down a job/career with a disease like this I see making the business succeed as my only option to have a future.
3. Has having IBD limited you in your business? How do you deal with flares?
I wouldn’t say it has limited me directly, that’s not because I am not affected by flares and the disease, it’s because I just get up and fight through it every day. It is exhausting, but the only other option is to quit and I simply won’t do that. I always have a disabled toilet key on me, and always plan out my days so I know roughly where I will be at certain times of the day, manage my foods and ensure I stay on top of my medication.
Lastly, do you have any advice for others?
Tom’s advice to people is: ‘You woke up one day and were diagnosed with a chronic, incurable life changing disease. You have a unique perspective on life that healthy people don’t have. You could wake up tomorrow and be diagnosed with a terminal disease. You’ve literally nothing to lose by diving into that idea and making it work. Remember persistence and grit is what makes a business successful.
Finally, don’t chase investment, work on getting paying customers, borrow what you can and investment will likely come to you on your terms. Don’t quit – the disease or the business.’
Don’t quit – the disease or the business
Tom Oswald
