15 minutes with...Tristan Lillingston

How can a career in music management, working with acts like Busted, provide the skills to run a 2,500-acre rural estate?CLA Vice President Eliza Ecclestone sits down with Tristan Lillingston, from the Thorpe Estate, to discuss how he transitioned from a career in music management to taking the reins of his family's rural estate.Tristan, who is hosting the CLA Next Generation Conference at the estate in April, talks candidly about the gradual nature of succession, working alongside his father, and how he found himself learning on the job by simply showing up and listening. He explains how his background in the music industry - where protecting your rights and thinking long-term are everything - turned out to be surprisingly good preparation for estate management.We also hear about his priorities when he first got involved: building a brand identity, launching a wedding venue and opening the estate to the public for the first time - and yes, that includes a few stories about badly behaved wedding guests.Whether you're approaching succession yourself or simply curious about what it takes to run a rural estate in the 21st century, Tristan offers honest, practical and at times amusing insights into life at the helm.