John Paul, from Castledene Group, is successful cage fighter

Amid its electricity-charged atmosphere, battle lines are drawn as people await the next move in a fascinating and elaborate game of chess.

For many, such boardroom exchanges can be intensely draining and power-sapping bouts.

But, for John Paul, managing director of North-East letting agency Castledene Group, they rarely pack a punch.

He's faced much tougher opposition as a professional cage fighter, a sport he found after donating a kidney to his brother.

The 35-year-old, from Easington, east Durham, competes in mixed martial arts and Thai boxing, and has a number of bouts and victories under his belt.

His passion and commitment to sport have seen him travel across the UK and the US, even meeting his hero and five-time world champion, Randy Couture, during one training exercise.

It may be an over-used cliché, but for John, who also played rugby, the phrase battling spirit is an apt description.

Putting his fighting career on hold, he set about building his business in 2008, and now manages more than 1,850 properties across the North-East from branches in County Durham, Cleveland and Tyne and Wear.

It employs 35 people and last month picked up an Investors in People Gold award, which John says makes it the only letting agency in its sector across the North of England to receive the accolade, given for world-class best practice in people management.

He discovered cage fighting about eight years ago, not long after donating a kidney to brother Jamie, who had been diagnosed with the rare disease, Nephritis.

He said: “I had really enjoyed rugby and martial arts since being a teenager.

“But when I decided to donate a kidney to Jamie, I couldn’t continue with those sports, in case I was kicked or punched and any damage was done to my kidney.

“After Jamie's successful operation, I came across cage fighting and I got into it in a big way and decided to take it up professionally after winning a couple of fights.”

This success has given John, who lives with partner Gemma and their children, eight-year-old Stephanie, and Jack, three, the chance to go back to his fighting roots, an industry he says mirrors the business world.

He said: “ I went to the US and all over the UK when I was younger, to train and take part in fights.

“It really takes your mind off work, and the two disciplines go hand in hand.

“If you can take the focus and intensity of training and fighting into the business arena, you can be successful.

“As strange as it sounds, you are just testing your skills against another opponent, and it is nowhere near as brutal as it looks.

“The good fighters are very humble and intelligent people with a lot of discipline and integrity.

“You get some who come in and say there are going to do this and that, but it is exactly the same as in business.

“If you stomp on people, you will get stomped on twice as hard.”

John is scheduled to fight professionally for the first time in six years in July, and says it has given him new vigour, both in the boardroom and in the cage.

He said: “Now I've got the right team and systems in place at Castledene, and the business is going well, I can devote more time to the sport.

“Having one kidney is not ideal as I enjoy the contact side of sport, but I’m not going to hold back my life because of it.

“I could have an accident and damage my kidney another way, so I might as well enjoy sport and stay fit at the same time.”

Favourite North-East building and why? I love Durham Cathedral. I used to go to Durham Choristers School so spent a lot of time in the Cathedral. However, I can't sing a note.

What was your first job and how much did you get paid? I worked in the six weeks holidays for my dad’s engineering company and swept floors and made the tea. I think I got £20 a week, but it taught me the ethics of hard work and getting your hands dirty.

What is the worst job you have had? I used to be a nightclub doorman, and the worst thing about that was the late nights and the smoky atmosphere before the smoking ban came in. Dealing with drunken people wasn’t top of my list either.

What would you cook for me if I came around for dinner? As I train all the time, it will be something very boring like salmon and broccoli or chicken and vegetables.

What would your superpower be? To have to be the ability to read people’s minds. That way I will know if people are genuine or not, which unfortunately can be a problem in business.

Name four people, dead or alive, who would be at your perfect dinner party. Stephen Fry, Bruce Lee, JD Rockefeller and Albert Einstein. What is the most expensive thing you have bought – other than car or house – and how much did it cost? I like watches and I treated myself to a Breitling a year back. It cost more than I expected. I also bought a villa in Spain 18 months ago, which we use a lot.

Who is the best person to follow on Twitter and why? I like following Ricky Gervais. He comes out with some of the funniest lines and always makes me laugh.

Favourite book? The E Myth, by Michael Gerber, had a profound effect on me and my business. It made us from being like any other business to being a very systemised and procedurally driven company, and is a major part of our success and where we are today.

When did you last cry? Just before my dad passed away, and have never shed a tear since. I think my tear ducts have dried up.

What is your greatest achievement? I couldn’t pick any stand-out achievement, but we have won many awards which I’m very happy about. Gaining the Investors in People Gold Award at our very first attempt was a big thing, and had never been achieved before in the lettings industry.

What is the best piece of advice in business you have ever been given? Stop talking and get on with it. It was a very straightforward piece of advice that I still regard very highly today. Too many people tell you what a good idea they have, but don’t do anything about it.

Favourite animal and why? I like the African elephant. It's sheer size and power is impressive.

Most famous person on your mobile phone? No famous people on there.

What was the last band you saw live? Michael Buble. I'm not really a concert person but went to see him and loved it. I love the Rat pack era, and he’s the closest thing we have to a modern day Frank Sinatra or James Dean.

Describe your perfect night in. Night in with the family, tapas food, a nice bottle of red wine and a good film.

In another life I would be… Playing in front of 80,000 people at Twickenham or boxing at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Who would play you in a film of your life? Robert Downey Jnr, in his Tony Stark character from Ironman. I’m a comic book geek.

What irritates you? People who ask for advice repeatedly, then do the opposite. Also, people who make excuses for things not getting done really drive me mad.

What is your secret talent? Apparently I have a great memory and remember conversations and the smallest details from years back. My girlfriend will disagree and always says it’s selective, especially when she asks me to do something.