Early Christmas Treat For Customers.
It is November. I have an early Christmas Consulting Treat. Read further for what’s on offer.
Argyll Terrace, Tobermory - Saturday 2nd November
A lot has happened this year. And a lot certainly happened in October; the most notable a move to Tobermory and the Isle of Mull. What will happen in November and December, of what remains of 2024 for found us, Peter Cobley, and those he knows or is yet to know?
Now that things have settled down
Now that I have settled down, I can focus on found us and its customers; or yet to meet customers which I imagine will be in the locality of the Highlands and Islands.
The business is two thirds consulting where I apply my sales and marketing, commercial, and board level experience across the advertising, marketing, and media verticals and its people.
The other third is a gift for working with and knowing people, and applying that to executive search and selection/head hunting for the industries I've working in - advertising, marketing, media. I’ve placed MD’s, broadcast directors, executive creative directors, heads of digital before now for leading businesses, and start ups.
Results
I have a track record of working within start ups, businesses in growth, and established blue chip entities - all of which required me to hit stern targets, which I delivered on. This has been across commercial, sales, and marketing functions.
You can see some of the companies I have worked with in the work section of found us.
I can provide exact details of how I target set, of how targets were delivered upon, of how metrics such as margins were part of the process; all such facts and figures I am happy to share with people.
Sales, marketing, running companies is my forte, and I am good with people. I can be utilised in pulling a team together in a joint enterprise to achieve the result, and I have always excelled in this.
So if you are a business person or company looking for a transformation person, a growth person, a new business getter, or a senior “sounding board” I’m your man.
The Pre-Christmas OFFER
I am keen to engage with a new client in the county of Argyll and Bute where I now live. But the offer applies to any person or company that needs help, is genuine, and delivers good product and service.
I will happily work for a day free of charge.
Ideally a company or person in start up phase, and needs that help, that leg up, the experience of someone who has been in the game, delivering results for a number of years.
I get a delight out of helping people and companies, seeing them prosper, and it is not about the money any more.
(Such work will also keep me out of trouble. Ahem…)
Sums me up really. I’m Claire’s know - that’s the wife - but a very kind hearted knob.
Oban, New Business Offer…
I look back on my first proper week on Mull with fondness and happiness.
Saturday just gone - St Columba’s Cathedral in Oban
When in Oban Wednesday I thought possibly of staying over, though in the end did get the last ferry back to Mull with Claire.
My thoughts that day moved to new business and my new location. And I revisit this on Sunday, today.
Wednesday on the 495 from Tobermory to Craignuire - beats Tameside for views
Wednesday on board the Loch Frisa, heading to Oban - drizzle and cloud
Wednesday’s weather report; it was overcast and low cloud and drizzle, making this amazing place brooding and atmospheric. (Amazing place being Mull, Sound of Mull, and Oban.)
I’m was over for a meeting in Oban. With a possible stay over to see friends. Claire was also heading over that evening, and I hooked up with her, both getting the last ferry back, my having decided not to stay over.
Saturday saw us both back in Oban
Minty needs some work on a possible blocked ERG valve, which is to do with particulate recycling. Minty is the campervan we love and cherish.
Lochaline waiting for a ferry, Friday 18th October
So Saturday saw us on a ferry again to hand the campervan over to a local chap for the work, with a day out in Oban. The rain held off until the afternoon, with us seeing an overcast mainland and bracing wind as we shopped, walked, slurped coffee.
The highlight was St Columba’s Cathedral. Roman Catholic which is my religion of birth. And what a cavernous place of peace, prayer, and reflection. (I am not religious these days, just spiritual.)
We sat there in contemplation in a mostly empty church, both making a connection.
New Business (and an offer)
I still push the offer of a day’s free work from found us, ideally for a start up, or business local to Oban.
I enjoy helping smaller businesses not to mention my being delighted were I able to help someone in my new home location.
So if you are interested or know of a business in the Tobermory or Oban vicinity, do let me know. Happy to provide my Consultancy services for a day free of charge.
(And this also applies to businesses located elsewhere, or who may already know me.)
A day’s FREE Work - celebrating a move to Tobermory.
As of Friday just gone I finally joined my wife in Tobermory. And this is also a beautiful relocation for found us and my clients, and potential new clients and people.
Looking into Tobermory Harbour
An Offer
It is a straightforward no strings attached way of my getting to know new customers especially those on my new doorstep in Scotland.
I am happy to provide a day’s service FOC across any of the disciplines I work in.
Read below, have a look around the website and get back to me.
Peter Cobley and found us
In a nutshell I excel in Executive Search and Selection, Consultancy, Sales and Marketing Services, Mentoring; and acting as a Director for start ups or businesses in growth that may need a Commercial Director or Non-Exec, or could for example need help with company structure, profitability, or staff and process efficiency.
I have a track record of achieving results with years of experience in offline and online media, in both London, the Regions, and Ireland. I’ve been involved in the growth and sale of companies, building and management of teams, acquisition and retention of clients.
With Digital I am consummate, being well versed in how to use search, programmatic, across to conversion at website. I’ve been multi channel and platform for many years, have retail and eCommerce experience, as well as knowledge of above the line branding work.
I work with start ups across to medium sized businesses, and am fascinated by what I will find in both the Isle of Mull, its neighbouring islands, and the mainland, including all around Oban, my nearest town. My clients and contacts are UK based, and I work internationally, and this includes having placed a General Manager for an agency in their Shanghai office.
For years I have worked for major brands and have a look at this in the Work section of found us - it is by no means my total work over 10 years. Working with blue chips and brands is something that I will always do, especially leveraging my London and Legal experience.
So it is exiting times for found us.
Peter Cobley, a bit more.
A grasp of my back ground can be found on LinkedIn, and my life found at PeterCobley.com.
found us - An Offer For Customers.
Hunting for good businesses to work with, helping grow them using years of experience and success.
And as an early Christmas treat, and to celebrate my move to Tobermory I’ll include a free day of initial consultancy, executive head hunting, or sales and marketing services - read below
Tobermory, Isle of Mull
So as of yesterday found us finds itself living in Tobermory, Isle of Mull. A wonderful place to live with my wife, and for us to indulge in our love of the outdoors.
Photo taken at “Crater Loch” (Lochan’s Airde Beinn)
The found us location is irrelevant and it always has been remote, even when based out of Manchester for the last 10’years. I’ve a history of meetings in various locations and Zoom calls with people overseas.
I remember one challenging brief when seekng an experienced Executive Creative Director for a leading creative agency that involved Zooms as far afield as South Korea and Taiwan.
And to be honest my career has always involved travel, whether real, or virtual.
found us executive search and selection
This successful side of my business and experience has seen my find and bring to a business senior leadership candidates. I’ve placed for Microsoft across to Dentsu, and helped build teams for OMG/PHD, not to mention others. I have thoroughly enjoyed the briefs and working with talented people, who’s skill sets have ranged from Broadcast Director, Creative Director, or Digital Media Director.
I’ve leveraged my contacts, knowledge of the industry, and use quantitative methods to assess candidates, reporting back to clients as to progress.
Happy to provide testimonials.
Mentoring
This is something I take great pleasure in and also works alongside my Honorary Teaching Fellow position at Lancaster Management School.
I’ve helped talent spot, grow, and drive people’s careers. I work closely with business leaders who also help with mentoring, having run and sold businesses themselves.
Again, happy to provide Testimonials.
Consulting
I’d always wanted to grow this area of the business and did so successfully after COVID.
I’ve worked with advertising agencies, clients, and media owners to help advise on subjects ranging from staff, sales and marketing and commercial matters, helping write marketing plans or advise on business metrics for example.
Ask for more information, or testimonials.
The offer!
A day of free work across any of the above disciplines.
That’s it, and no strings attached.
Tobermory with “The Boss”
found us and Peter Cobley
A friend of mine, James Brown (not the deceased Soul legend from the grave), has given me a kick up the bum and demanded I say nice things about my business and myself.
Well here goes. Gulp.
Photo of myself at the halfway camp of the Saunders Mountain Marathon 2024.
Let’s start of with yours truly. I’m 53 years old with a huge wealth of experience in the advertising, marketing, and media industries, both offline and online.
I started my career in London in National Press in 1994, then shifted to ITV. I embraced digital/online properly in 1998, and helped roll out the likes of Who wants to be a Millionaire onto the Web. I hit the Search marketplace right at the start around 2002.
And from that point onwards I occupied Senior Leadership positions in start ups across to multi-million turnover businesses as a Board Director. All of which led to acquisition or growth of said businesses.
A damn fine track record!
found us
In February 2014 my business had life breathed into it, and I’ve never really looked back. I was as able to fulfil my love of working with and growing people and businesses.
The business originally focused on the executive search and selection in my industry, something I was and am successful at working with major agencies, clients and media owners to find C-Suite people.
As the business developed I rekindled my mentoring and person development skills, also deciding to not hire staff or explains the business along those lines. I’d been there, done that, and bought the proverbial t-shirt.
After COVID I started consulting, if but for the fact the bottom fell out of the senior recruitment market in the advertising, marketing, and media fields. The Regions I excel in; North England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, all have a superb wealth of talent and businesses.
I act as a sales and marketing director, commercial, Sales or Non-Exec. As a Board Director I am experienced, trained, reliable, honest and achievement led.
You are welcome to talk to my clients.
I’m a director for hire with strong experience in start up and established business and I tenaciously deliver results, also utilising a tried and tested group of people who I’ve known for years.
Me, myself, and Peter
I work closely advising the team at the Management School of Lancaster University.
I give back by Volunteering with:
OCD Action (I’m an OCD sufferer with a very analytical mind.)
Change Grow Live (CGL - addiction services)
ANEW - charity rehab and homeless services.
I have a mantra of “give back what was freely given to you.”
You see I was helped in my career and life by some wonderful mentors. I learned a lot from them.
I read loads and listen to loads. Currently I’m listening to a Murikami book, across to re-reading Stephen Covey material, and dipping into Gabor Mate’s In the realm of the Hungry Ghosts.
In my spare time I’m to be found running about the hills as I fell in love with Fell Running (trail/mountain running), and have raced for many years.
Claire, my wife, and I love travel, outdoor swimming, and cycle touring. All of which we’ve done way before it became fashionable!
Synopsis
Look me up, really do. I love people and nice businesses and enjoy helping people up their chosen ladder, or will roll my sleeves up and help grow a nice people led business.
I’m very good at what I do! And I am proud to say this.
http://linkedin.com/in/petercobley
Oban Harbour.
Substance over Form. Secrets, Lies. The Law of Equity.
Backpackers hostel in Oban.
What secrets are you keeping? What lies are you keeping? What is your truth? Are you speaking your truth?
Do you think of how you present yourself professionally? Have you ever thought of yourself as a limited company with a mission statement and brand values?
Who are you versus what you choose to show, and how does this potentially affect you?
This is so important for how you present to other people, who will then interpret your presentation via their own filters. This is so important for your well being. I shall explain.
Oban Harbour.
Looking out over Oban Harbour, evening of Wednesday 16th October.
Substance and Form, Truth and Lies
Substance is what and who we are. This is our raw self, good and bad.
Form is how we present to the world (and believe it or not ourselves.)
Truth is self explanatory as are lies.
The Law of Equity / Jurisprudence
I studied Law at Lancaster University and thoroughly enjoyed it. Left leaning approach and certainly not Black Letter Law which seeks to make Law and Life as based upon rules; very dull and facile if you ask me.
In my second year I had to study Equity as a requirement for the Bar and the Law Society, and also chose to study Jurisprudence as an elective. It opened my mind as to Natural Law versus Man made Law, and the power of Equity, and legendary Judges such as Denning who used it to creat such vehicles as the Constructive Trust.
Point is I learnt about Substance and Form via the Equitable Maxim of Equity looks to Intent rather than Form
I am now going to copy from:
https://mcmahonsolicitors.ie/maxims-of-equity
Why? Because they beautifully explain the history of the Courts of Equity and Equity’s Maxims, one of which is the aforementioned Intent rather than Form.
Based on my legal philosophy, especially in the dangerous age of Social Media I suggest you take yourself back to basics and ask the following questions.
Who am I?
What do I believe in and stand for?
What is my purpose?
If I were a business, what would be my mission statement? What’s my Substance.
Is there a dichotomy, a plain discrepancy between my Substance and Form? Form is how I view myself and how others view me.
If there is discrepancy, you will be subject to inner turmoil and spiritual malaise. To present against your true Substance is hard, hard work. And people I suspect at times will see through this. And to be see through is to lose trust and connection. Frighteningly we can also lose connection with self.
But it might be the case you have to look to your very Substance. And slowly but surely change how you tick - and this is hard. Your Form (how you present) is undoubtedly an output of Substance.
Oban Harbour looking out to the island of Kerrera.
Are you will to take a risk and alter “you” and your “environment”? This is a photo taken last night of Oban at dusk. My wife and I have chosen to change where we live. We are also working on ourselves, and how we present.
What does this mean for me?
You have two options.
You can present who you really are, be who you are, showing all imperfections. Substance. You can actually drop the word “present” as it is artifice. Just be. I’ll come back to this.
You can “present” to the world, which is okay since we all wear character hats or personas. Whether son, daughter, mother, employee and so on.
But be authentic and true to your Substance. Your Form should reflect your very Substance. This creates connection to self, to other, and inner peace.
With point 2. You need to understand that each person is determined by genetics, biology, nurture and environment and will interpret you via their own “filters”.
You can alter your Substance! What you believe in, who you are. It is not easy with age. But as I’ve learnt it is doable. Why live a life that’s not you? Especially when feeling you must fit in.
Be Equitable to yourself and Society.
View from our house in Tobermory.
Freedom from Form (masking myself for people, thinking that’s what they want) has resulted in my having time to savour life. Like drowning in this evening view from the bedroom of our house in Tobermory.
Substance over Form
I’m learning that for a variety of reasons, I’ve spent much of my life focusing on form rather than substance. My focus has been on having my hair done perfectly, wearing the right clothes, having my makeup applied perfectly, living in the right place, furnishing it with the right furniture, working at the right job, and having the right man. Form, rather than substance, has controlled my behavior in many areas of my life. Now, I’m finally getting to the truth. It’s substance that counts. — ANONYMOUS
There is nothing wrong in wanting to look our best. Whether we are striving to create a self, a relationship, or a life, we need to have some solid ideas about what we want that to look like.
Form gives us a place to begin. But for many of us, form has been a substitute for substance. We may have focused on form to compensate for feeling afraid or feeling inferior. We may have focused on form because we didn’t know how to focus on substance. Form is the outline; substance is what fills it in. We fill in the outline of ourselves by being authentic; we fill in the outline of our life by showing up for life and participating to the best of our ability.
Now, in recovery, we’re learning to pay attention to how things work and feel, not just to what they look like.
Today, I will focus on substance in my life. I will fill in the lines of myself with a real person—me. I will concentrate on the substance of my relationships, rather than what they look like. I will focus on the real workings of my life, instead of the trappings.
Panoramic photo of Oban Harbour.
A Scottish adventure, a dream fulfilled. Do you dream?
Glengorm Castle
I write from Lochgilphead, then I’m off to Oban, after that Tobermory on the Isle of Mull which becomes the new home of found us. You may have already seen island photos populating this website.
My wife is Scottish and we are outdoor types, always have been, and we’ve loved the wilds of the Highlands and Islands. Claire landing a teaching role at Tobermory High School became the catalyst for the move, the sale of the house near Saddleworth, and the physical and mental de-cluttering of our lives.
Dreams, Goals, Plans
I want to write about dreams we had and have, and of how in business speak we take the fookin’ fun out of dreams by calling and turning them into goals. In fact we cause internal conflict which leads to stasis or “ground hog day” with plans to follow that we never execute. For me the terms “goals” and “plans” are mere business speak. Business jargon that eviserates the essence of a dream we had or long for.
I’ve always had a love of books, and in this blog post I can only but recall Orwell’s Doublethink from 1984. This is where the individual is sold two conflicting ideas as reality. In the case of 1984 the indoctrination occurs via “Big Brother” within the dystopian society that our protagonist Winston finds himself in.
People dream; we still have that child within us. And dreams are important. Yet when we get a job, a career, we change.
We focus on business goals.
We forget self and life outside of employment, career, life.
We use the word “goals”, letting go of dreams.
This business term “goal” sanitises the dreamers, and all of us dream.
What is a dream?
It is a want, a desire. A wish driven by emotion and our very self. It is an achievement of ours and not another.
And this is a crucial distinction. We have become vehicles fulfilling other’s dreams via the language of goals. This post is about our own personal dreams; of how to recognise, reach them.
This is the conflict, the Doublethinking Orwell warns us of.
We feel we need to create goals and plans but do not realise these are subject to or driven by others goals and plans. So we believe in our goals, but also in achieving the other’s goals seeing them as part of our goals and planning. This is the contradictory position I realised we can find ourselves in. This is society. Believing we can achieve our goals and another’s, when both are mutually exclusive. In real terms this is dressed up as job, career, success, achievement. But we are failing to fulfil our dreams.
Have you ever had a flashback to those childhood days of dreaming?
Dreams and Goals
I prefer to talk about Dreams and Action versus Goals and Plans.
Here’s why.
Dreams are unique and centred in the very soul of the person.
Action is a doing word and avoids our being bogged down in pure plans. Many people plan but can fail to act or are distracted.
I discovered plans are irrelevant because when a dream, it is always with us and we will act on the spot to fulfil a dream and not be limited to plans that may take the very life out of intuition and risk taking.
This aligns with the concept of living in the moment, acting in each moment to create tomorrow’s moment, yet to arrive.
If you must talk Goals
There is a huge wealth of material on goal setting and creating plans to match and meet these goals.
I myself would first recommend reading a famous book called The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People written original by Stephen Covey. Have a look at: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_7_Habits_of_Highly_Effective_People
Whilst written a while ago and updated, the book is a valuable insight into how you work as a person, and of how not to work, and of goals and planning in a traditional and business sense.
But we can reduce traditional goal setting (in a business or career context) to the following.
Set a goal. You can use the SMART acronym to do so.
I suggest you also look at a SWOT analysis of self.
Then you create the plan(s) to do materialise goal. I personally prefer looking at Q1-4, and H1/2. You can then break a quarter or half year into individual months, then weeks.
Look at year 1. Then 2-3 years and what you wish to achieve, then 5+ years.
What I am trying to distinguish is my preferring to dream as against thinking of goals. It may seem like semantics, but I use the term dream since this takes me out of work, career, other people, and taps into what is important for me. What in fact “floats my boat.”
We commonly lose our dreams to the job or career or way of life we think we should embrace.
Here’s a good example.
Claire, my wife, and I are outdoor types being fell runners, cyclists, and swimmers. Claire is Scottish and through her we have had many adventures in the Highlands and Islands of her native country. And we were married in Kingussie. We had a dream to move Scotland.
We discussed the dream together.
We made drawings of the house we’d like to live in.
We looked at timelines.
Claire took action by registering with the relevant teaching organisation and getting a new Scottish DBS.
I looked to run found us from Scotland.
The action Claire took was to look for teaching jobs. Hard to come by in the Highlands and Islands.
With it being dream, we were driven, faith and hope created.
Claire eventually spotted a biology teacher role at Tobermory High School which she went for as her dream and won it.
This became the catalyst for us both to take the leap of faith by selling the house and moving to Tobermory.
The dream drove the action.
We did not really lay plans down. We just acted.
You’ll note I use action and not the word plan.
Action delivers and plans do not. If you have a dream and no plans you are likely to act each and every moment you live in.
And this is what I prefer to do now. And it works.
Trust That Good Will Come
It was a slow, boring January day at the Blue Sky Lodge. We had just moved in. The house was a mess. Construction hadn’t begun yet. All we had was a plan, and a dream. It was too cold and rainy to skydive or even be outdoors. There wasn’t any furniture yet. We were lying around on the floor.
I don’t know who got the idea first, him or me. But we both picked up Magic Markers about the same time. Then we started drawing on the wall.
“What do you want to happen in your life?” I asked. He drew pictures of seaplanes, and mountains, and boats leaving the shore. One picture was a video-camera man, jumping out of a plane. “I want adventure,” he said.
I drew pictures of a woman tromping around the world. She went to war-torn countries, then sat on a fence and watched. She visited the mountains and the oceans and many exciting places. Then I drew a heart around the entire picture, and she sat there in the middle of all the experiences on a big stack of books.
“I want stories,” I said, “ones with a lot of heart.”
Across the entire picture, in big letters, he wrote the word “Woohoo.”
As an afterthought, I drew a woman skydiver who had just jumped out of the plane. She was frightened and grimacing. Next to her I wrote the words “Just relax.”
On the bottom of the wall I wrote, “The future is only limited by what we can see now.” He grabbed a marker, crossed out “only,” and changed it to “never.”
“There,” he said, “it’s done.”
Eventually, the house got cleaned up and the construction finished. Furniture arrived. And yellow paint covered the pictures on the wall. We didn’t think much about that wall until months later. Sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly, and sometimes in ways we’d least expect, each of the pictures we’d drawn on that wall began to materialize and manifest.
“It’s a magic wall,” I said.
Even if you can’t imagine what’s coming next, relax. The good pictures are still there. The wall will soon become covered with the story of your life. Thank God, the future is never limited by what we can see right now.
The wall isn’t magic.
The magic is in us and what we believe.
Before we start speaking the language of letting go, we need to understand what a powerful behavior letting go and letting God really is.
God, help me do my part. Then help me let go, and let you do yours.
Activity
Meditate for a moment on the year ahead. Make a list of things you’d like to see happen, attributes you’d like to gain, things you’d like to get and do, changes you’d like to occur. You don’t have to limit the list to this year. What do you want to happen in your life? Make a list of places you’d like to visit and things you’d like to see. Leave room for the unexpected, the unintended. But make room for the possibility of what you’d like too—your intentions, wishes, dreams, hopes, and goals. Also, list what you’re ready to let go of too—things, people, attitudes, and behaviors you’d like to release. If anything were possible, anything at all, what are the possibilities you’d like to experience and see?
More Language of Letting Go: 366 New Daily Meditations
Lochgilphead… where’s that?
I type on my iPhone, and my first ever blog post via mobile, and the outcome to be see as I juggle photos and text via the Squarespace CMS.
So you find me in Lochgilphead right by the sea loch, Loch Gilp, and the entrance to the Crinan Canal. Find Oban and go South and you’ll find me.
Why am I here? Well in a roundabout way this is part of my journey to Tobermory and the Isle of Mull, and a new chapter in the annals of found us and for that matter myself and my wife Claire.
Some of you more observant ones will have noticed photos on the found us website of Scottish scenes; well most are in fact from Mull.
I and the business (well me) move here to follow Claire my wife’s work, and our dream. That dream was to live in the wilds of Scotland. Claire who is Scottish landed the head of biology teaching job at Tobermory on the Isle of Mull at the High School. We sold our house on the edge of Saddleworth, and Lochgilphead marks an epoch in the move.
What will it bring for found us? Will the consultancy business survive and thrive, or will it pass as many others have? Who knows, suffice to say I’m happy with the 10 years I’ve put in. And excited for change, which I want and so need. You see I’ve always embraced change, even when it creates darkness.
What next? Who knows? Who cares!
Feel free to comment.
Teamwork in its purest form
Sunday 7th July 2024, end of our Wansfell Category race, 24th out of 92 teams overall, 8th Vets out of 40 teams, and 11th out of 48 mixed teams.
So my wife Claire and I completed the 2024 Saunders Mountain Marathon over the weekend just gone, and when thinking about a found us blog post to write realised it is a good example of what is teamwork in what is a stressful environment, not to mention the weather.
Erm. What is a Mountain Marathon?
You may know what fell running is, it is the English for mountain running. It comes from The Lake District where it originated from, hence to term fell. The word fell comes from the old Norse for mountain.
Fell running is therefore running and racing on mountains. Note, we don’t really have mountains in England so it is more about running up and down hills, and it is not exclusively in the Lake District any longer. Funnily enough the sport originated out of gambling, when the Victorian rich and aristocrats would travel via the new train system to the Lakes and their Estates, gambling on the prowess of their boys who worked their land racing up and down hills in competition against other lads working the land from other estates. In effect Victorian upper class types gambling against each other, with the lads able to win sizeable life changing purses of money versus herding sheep.
Orienteering is where you run in a competition against others navigating off a map via checkpoints. And you need to be good at navigation!
The Mountain Marathon combines the two and is unique to fell running and orienteering in the British Isles. You have a weekend and run with a partner across a course in the Lakes carrying all you gear including tent and cooking kit to a half way camp, and on the following day do the same. It is about fell running, navigation, and of choosing your route, yes your route, to pick up checkpoints whilst trying to find the best navigational lines, and completing each day at the fastest pace. It is jolly good fun, challenging, and team work is vital. And weather can take an event in the Lakes and turn it completely on its head…
Team work - a definition.
Teamwork in my words is about one or more people working together to do something. It is that simple and does not need dressing up, but for the purists here is the Collins Dictionary definition.
teamwork
(tiːmwɜːʳk )
uncountable noun
Teamwork is the ability a group of people have to work well together.
Today's complex buildings require close teamwork between the architect and the builders.
Synonyms: cooperation, collaboration, unity, concert More Synonyms of teamwork
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
So there we have the definition. The official dictionary one, yet all of us know what teamwork is. We a a species are not that daft.
Using the Saunders MM, what is my take on teamwork?
Teamwork with a fell race as the medium
Teamwork means you have to work together to achieve something. As you cannot or choose not to do it alone. Sometimes you have choice of fellow team mate, sometimes you do not.
And teamwork is not purely I now realise the sole preserve of business; it happens in all spheres of life. With the wife, the children, on a holiday trip, having dinner, blah, blah, blah. Teamwork encompasses us as people as human beings very rarely function in isolation, and that applies for a lot of the animal world as well.
Some observations and tips.
Pick your team mate if you can, but not always the case. You see I am married to Claire and she is my Soulmate and understands how I tick in the physical and spiritual planes. Sounds funky, but is important. Humans are creatures of emotion and spirituality and that is how they work together, apart from the obvious physical task.
Chose your team mate if you can (even if nuts.)
So you need to be attuned to emotions, a person’s spirituality, and baggage. You have to make an emotional and spiritual connection for teamwork to serve its purpose. So in our case, Claire and I needed to follow a course on a map as fast as possible and with minimal navigational snafus. This is the task and pretty obvious, yet driving the task are people - Claire and I. And we function differently. And this is not simply about gender. Claire compared to me looks at the world differently and has different worldly objectives and dreams as driven by self, as moulded by her life experiences.
I want to win and become frustrated at being slow. I can thus shortcut. My emotional electricity drives me to run, to win, to achieve as I have past baggage of not being good enough.
Claire wants to enjoy and be careful with navigation, and within the world of orienteering fell running this is vital. She sees the beauty of the Lakeland fells and not just the race. It is an experience for her. She also wants to enjoy, and this does not mean she won’t push herself. She wants to be certain of where she has been, is, will go. Her emotional baggage is to be safe, secure, placed, in control.
Now if you cross compare we have two competing interests that won’t lead to two people reading a map correctly, agreeing on route, or running together at a directional unified pace. Yikes.
But we as a couple have to understand each others emotional and spiritual electricity, of how we see the world, of our place in the world, and how we interpret and filter it. The task is obvious, what is not is figuring out how we connect.
In practice we leverage my drive, sense of winning, myopic focus. With Claire we can leverage her ability to see the bigger picture, see outside of the narrow channel of my vision. I provide uncertainty and risk, taking navigational decisions where all information is not available. Claire provides the caution. Steadies my vigour. She understands my emotional and spiritual drives, but explains them to me with logic and emotion.
I leverage and utilise Claire’s sense of caution, or seeing beyond the singular route and thought process I have to hand. She reminds me of the team, the joint effort, of looking at where we are together - the beauty of it all.
I have to accept Claire, she has to accept me - emotionally, spiritually, baggage and all, for us to function as a unit. And this is the key to team work, and human relations.
Get Spiritual.
And then there is environment
Environment can be a benefit or pain in the bum depending on where you are, and let us not forget time and need.
In our case, we had the possibilty of rain hanging over us for Saturday and Sunday afternoons, especially Sunday from 11am. And this makes for hard running on the fells; difficult and what can be treacherous navigation.
The sun was out and it was humid, and climbing hills, running, bog and tussock hoping meant the sweat dripped off us, and led to occasional frayed tempers. 95% me, 5% Claire.
Something I have to work on is how I choose to let environment and its people affect me. It is a defect of mine. We were obviously under time pressure and objective achievement. And this does not have to be up a hill near Hawswater, it can be on the way to the airport, pulling a business pitch together, managing the kids at a footie match and so on.
Don’t be Pete, be like Claire - at one with what’s about you.
One has to remember we have choice and control over our actions, but not those of the place we find ourselves in and its people - always remember the phrase people, places, things. Let go and focus on you and how you filter or interpret what I have just mentioned. Consider your relationship with that which is outside of you, utilising empathy and understanding to ensure a goal, dream, objective is achieved.
So you can let (in my case) sweat, a steep hill, the sun, the humidity, your rucksack and the list goes on, affect you and thus your team mate. Don’t. They are merely objects if you like in their own right.
Teamwork comes from not just working with team mate, from the people, places, things. It comes from how we chose to interact with them.
Don’t forget we have to work with place (environment), people (covered this), time (but we can make our time), the objective (goal, dream, desire), things.
It is how we govern our spiritual and emotional relationship to them, and not the people, places, things themselves that truly matters.
So with teamwork
Yes do focus on the task at hand. And -
Know your emotional, spiritual attributes, and baggage. And don’t view them as positive or negative. View them as they are, and harness them.
Try to understand your team mate’s emotional, spiritual attributes, and baggage. Harness them.
With understanding and playing to your own and another’s way of ticking you make a connection and two or more become one unit. And the task can then come into play.
A taste of honey. (disposed, disruptive, dysfunctional.)
The dysfunctional, the dispossessed, the disruptors will always have hope.
A Taste of Honey - Rita Tushingham and Paul Danquah in the 1961 film.
I was studying English A Level at All Hallows RC High School (now All Hallows Catholic College) when I discovered Sheila Delaney’s A Taste of Honey. The late and great Gerry Campbell, an influential Teacher was Cousin to Sheila Delaney, and I was also lucky to be taught by Anne Goddard, a marvellous English Teacher.
It is an important play for me and my education as it was one of the many stimuli that kick started a process of thinking and challenge, think and challenge those social givens and of how we can all be sheep, but don’t have to accept societal stereotypes. I was to lose myself many years later, gradually, painfully, and without awareness; but thankfully I can and do remember so much from my past, which in coming back to me reminds me of my loner individual self, and of challenging social mores and beliefs. And there is nowt wrong with that.
What an earth do I mean by this? Jo, the lead character in the play leaves behind social norms at the time by openly not observing them, by doing what is right for her.
Arguably she is forced into action by circumstance and is thus not a disruptor, to use a more modern term. But a disruptor she is by her not conforming to norm, to being that solo operator. In her dysfunctional environment she has to be dysfunctional herself, part of and necessary for everything to function as it is. Yet also for change to occur. Whether by voluntary or involuntary cognition. Sometimes though it is the Universe that plays the role of disruptor and we are merely swept along.
This was all something that I latched onto. My childhood background was broken, disfunction, chaotic, destructive; and with time, recovery, help, and education I came to see that like all in life it is both a positive and negative, a yin and yang, a good and a bad. And that I was swept along to where I am now; ultimately guided by the Universe and what its plans are for me.
I now see that disfunction about me led to my disfunction in society and personally. Now this was not necessarily all good as it caused a lot of chaos and hurt over the years. And I suspect this the case for a lot of people I know, especially in addiction and advertising and maybe all of us. Addiction and Advertising - where does one start and the other stop?
But disfunction is a synonym for disruption, and now realise that my disruption created change and development, though the journey painful.
The case for disfunction.
I think now that I am still disruptive and have learnt to harness this. You see, there is an opposite for all in life, and the bad that came with my being disruptive, is now turned to good.
I look back and now see that all those disruptive people were and are able to see the gaps in the artifice that is normality, or what people present as normal, given, or societal norms. And they are able to open those gaps up, split apart the veneer of artifice, in fact shatter it and replace it with something new. Sadly this is where disruptors fall down, as one commonality is failure to deliver on what they disrupt or to follow through on what they start. This is something I had to learn about.
I think my advertising career and for a lot of achievers in life and business is disjointed, disruptive, leading to great results, but also great failure. But we can change the defects, the faults, learn from the mistakes. We are disruption and thus we are change, and we can change self, environment, the current balance and status quo, and this can be the artifice I talk of.
Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek - President Barack Obama
I think now my mentoring, career advice, and help of other can focus on these disruptors, to harness the positive element and assuage the negative which is something that you can never really remove. To receive help from others, emboldens one to give back what was freely given to you. And that is what I must do. You see these disruptors who are also dispossessed of much (normally emotional, spiritual succour) make change in life and drive development, and I honestly believe that these flawed people who look so hard for that “something” can and should be engines of change, for their and the common good.)
It is every man’s obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it - Albert Einstein
I seek to harness my learned disruption to bring about change, where the Universe needs and compels it. And help others do the same. In a business and personal life.
Advertising disruptors I welcome you. I wish to meet and help more of you in your careers and your lives, because you don’t need to go through what I went through. All of us who are older, and maybe wiser, have a duty to pass down what we have learnt.
As I said with this picture which I love, earlier in the piece, a still from the 1961 film, “The dysfunctional, the dispossessed, the disruptors will always have hope.” And I strongly believe this. Hope for themselves and others. They in their broken way seek self-attainment (see Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and similar.)
Imagine! All these wonderful people who can see and wiggle through the gaps present in the norms of society, the bore of society, the status quo, the life we may all be trapped in, and make news things, ways of being, living, thinking, behaving. Making wonderful things.
As night draws to a close, dawn arises and we can each of us start a new day. And each of us can chose to be a change for good.
Recognise and embrace you are a disruptor.
Do you have baggage or trauma within your life? Do you drive yourself in all areas, and have you really asked why? Is your driven behaviour, breaking and making things a means of distraction from your history, what you think on?
Does your disruption cause change, but can this vacillate between good and bad? Have you built as much as you have torn down, or has fallen down?
Is this all cyclical?
Do you want change, but don’t know how to?
Is it a case of knowing how to harness your skills in the right direction, and to then fulfil on what you have started? You light the fire but fail to put it out, or stoke it.
Feel free to contact me, have a chat, a sit down, a Zoom. Whatever. I’ve been there and know how to talk about it, and make change. It is not easy. Not at all. But it can be done.
Manchester in the Sun
Tuesday and Wednesday of this week saw me in Manchester. A delight as were the people I saw, places visited, hot weather that hit the city after an unduly wet and poor summer thus far.
The resplendent Charles Reid.
I’d not ventured into Manchester in a short while and was certainly delighted to do so after what had been a short while. Across Monday evening to Tuesday afternoon I was subjected to hot and balmy weather and a city abuzz with summer calm and goodwill. Manchester in the damp, dark rain of a February makes for poor mood.
So why was I in Manchester?
There was not detailed plan of action apart from seeing some old contacts for a natter and catch up and to get a gist of the state of the Manchester advertising marketplace.
At the moment I am taking a sabbatical and enjoying it, with my Claire in Tobermory teaching. I am not due up there permanently until July next year.
Sabbatical:
noun
a period of paid leave granted to a university teacher or other worker for study or travel, traditionally one year for every seven years worked.
"she's away on sabbatical"
adjective
1.
relating to a sabbatical.
"sabbatical leave"
2.
ARCHAIC
of or appropriate to the sabbath.
I am not religious, so the Sabbath bit goes out of the window. Certainly not a university teacher. So I suppose as a self employed person it comes down to being off from work, which must therefore translate into being lazy, wastrel, derelict, dosser and the like if canvassing a Tory at present. But I don’t care. My business, my life, and I enjoy the time.
Back to people of interest
So Monday early evening saw me catch up with Dani Briers for a good, solid strategic chat as to business and all that goes on. So it is clear that money can be made ethically whilst all seems to be going the way of ancient Rome - decadence, invading tribes, people at war, and not enough beer, bread, and games to keep the mob on your side. The ruling Senate and Emperor in GB Ltd is fighting a rear guard action akin to the friggin’ Alamo.
But money can be made if you are good at what you do. And Dani shows this with knowledge, care, expertise, and transparency. So there is hope for me.
Deansgate with smile and nice threads. Hot and sticky as well.
Tuesday
This saw me venture back into Manchester for a first meeting with Mick Style at Foley’s in Manchester though with a bit of confusion as I’d missed the venue on Quay Street instead ending up at the other off Hardman Square. Anyway we got there in the end, and enjoyed a lovely coffee and sandwich (this cheese and ham morsel being kindly bought by Mick S) while chatting over business and a Lakeland walk. Mick is off with a posse up Coniston and sought some advice as well as my using the OS Map App I have on the phone; with the route looking a good shlep up the Walna Scar Road, Brown Crag, Dow Crag, the Old Man, then over to Swirl How, and Wetherlam via Prison Band and back to Coniston.
Business wise Mick, like myself, is on the hunt for consultancy work and if you know of any do let us know. Mick like myself is ethical, a consummate professional, and knowledgeable as to media, creative, and commercial stuff. (If honest and humble Mick is on a much higher level of all the aforementioned than I am, and I doth tug forelock to him in reverence.)
Mick and I then walked over to the correct Foley’s on Quay Street to say hello to the lovely Rich George of Wavemaker, both ex-colleague and friend to Mick. He’s a good guy Rich, and after Mick left I enjoyed the chat we had as to business including changes Group M/Nexus level across to his wife and what she’s achieved and my moving (eventually) to Tobermory and Mull.
Rich confirmed as others business is a question of treading water at present until change, whatever that brings. And I don’t envy the traditional salary man in the advertising agency if honest. It must be a hard lot at present, pleasing the taskmasters of London (see useless twats who have no clue as to regional business.)
But Rich and Co are fine. A good bunch of nice people who work well with clients and have done so over many years. Both have come through the ranks “old school” style and know the journey.
Bonded Warehouse and Charlie Reid
After saying goodbye to Rich it was a short walk to Bonded Warehouse (a beautiful old brick built industrial warehouse) behind MOSI to see Charles Reid of Dentsu.
Seeing Charles is certainly like seeing an old pal, old school teacher, a long lost friend where distance and time disappear with today only being yesterday since you last chatted.
And chat we did. Business, life, people. It was enjoyable indeed. I am pleased all at DAN have Charles leading. He is firm but understands people and cares for them. And I suspect he acts as a buffer between London and the North.
Business is steady and again more a question of treading water.
What did I learn?
To never give up hope in dire economic and global climate as espoused and shown by Dani Briers. Of always being cheerful, pragmatic and hard working as shown by Mick and Rich. Of having the brains and common touch that Charles has, whilst still always smiling and making time for people, knowing people matter. Of how there are still a lot of decent people in this business, but the older ones worry for those coming through who don’t seemed to have worked their way up, nor been trained in traditional advertising values, and that this is a pointy finger mostly at the digital lot.
I can see in Charlie Reid that experience is so valuable in such a time, weathervane to impending storms, calm in the turbulent and truculent waters. But we are classed as old, and PAH to that I say!
And treading water is action, not inaction. There is a time and a place for everything. And a little bit of patience does not hurt advertising people. I suspect it is something they need to learn.
To live is to fight, David Rutley MP, and Arnold Rimmer.
Left: David Rutley. Right: Arnold Rimmer
To live is to fight / vivere militare est
The quote is attributed to Seneca the Younger and very apt for a lot of people in today's GB, and countless other locations. I suppose when born we automatically have to go into fight mode to survive, or do we have to?
If you really want to escape the things that harass you, what you’re needing is not to be in a different place but to be a different person.
- Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Letters from a Stoic
And I suppose there are a lot of Tories fighting to live as I type this, especially what appears to be the tone deaf, clueless, Cockwomble of Macclesfield, the Rt Hon David Rutley, its local MP.
Orinoco the Womble, distant relative of MP for Macclesfield. The prefix “Cock” used to differentiate Genus, as is the fact one picks rubbish up, the other sends it into the sea via the sewage system.
Species / Genus
Forget the sewage laden term Tory, and look to the man. 14 years of what could be seen to be sheer self interest revolving around career, voting with government, Ministerial role, being a Whip, yet besmirching the good constituent MPs of all parties that are out there doing something and delivering local results. Not only have I seen more adept things floating on their backs in a pond, but I've seen Politicos with more balls canvassing those they represent than someone behaving as this ineffectual weakling, who has yet to be seen in all areas of Macclesfield for example.
The reason I am angry?
I am Macclesfield born and bred and whilst I left the town properly in 2013 am still attached. There are not many places I've not touched or been touched by in the town from having grown up, played, and lived in a famous town centre pub with two well known historical publicans. I'd play like a Bash Street Kid in the Indoor Market, West Park, South Park, everywhere, have fallen in the river Bollin countless times, and learnt to read and write through St Albans and All Hallows.
I've also been a Trustee of Macclesfield Round Table.
So more than most I've been very much intertwined in the town's heartbeat over the years.
Over time and wIth sadness I've seen the centre of the town decline. I landed in the town in 1978.
There are many macro factors out of any Politicians hands. There are changes to shopping habits of the consumer. People have been skint for a while.
But this does not excuse in any way shape or form the crass claim of David Rutley to have supported retail growth in the town. (Or other local centric activities to enhance economic growth.)
David Rutley - SMEG Head - Arnold Rimmer - Your MP for Macclesfield
My back is up and I’ve decided to write as I am genuinely stunned as some of the video sound bites Arnold Rimmer aka David Rutley MP has been posting as his contribution to Macclesfield town and its environs. And we thought the Hitler Diaries were the greatest work of fiction this side of the Royal Family not being German by using the nomenclature Windsor.
Yet I am maddened especially by one of his latest soundbites, stood on Church Street, back to St Michael’s. Right royally pissed off at this brass neck claim to support local business.
Man realises Macclesfield is dying on its arse (after 14 years, mostly abroad feting and being feted by dodgy, corrupt governments with questionable human rights records in Central and South America, whilst dressed as Alan Partridge in the Wilderness Years.
I suspect he helped hamstring Cheshire East and other Councils with his voting negatively with Party to cut local government funding, and do check his voting record. It makes for salutary reading:
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/24820/david_rutley/macclesfield/votes
His voting record makes for SHOCKING reading. For the simple fact it flies in the face of the videos he uses for his re-election campaign.
I suspect he would not work with Cheshire East as it is Labour run (can I just point out I’m more liberal in view than Labour, and am certainly no fan of Stan Laurel Starmer.)
I suspect he’s tone deaf as to local business having come from big business, and theoretical academic business background.
I suspect he’s spent that much time out of the county in his Ministerial role, that this sound bite is a last ditch attempt to alter the reality. He has simply not been here, instead abroad, in London.
As an ex-Whip and consistent Party voter I question his moral ethics. “Yes” as a word has an opposite and that is “no”. Nick Winterton (whilst no complete fan) had the courage to vote against party when morally correct. Rutley would vote that the sky is green if told to.
David Cameron. Jesus, where do I start? Rutley was parachuted into a safe seat by a PM (who visited him recently) whom I had the inordinate displeasure of working with at Carlton TV (contact me for comments and fruity language.)
I don’t give a shite about religion. And I’m Catholic. But how this man can observe a very moral form of Christianity, and have not questioned how he conducted himself morally and engagement wise, with a people and town that is genuinely struggling, makes me think the Mormon Church on Priory Land may soon be on the receiving end of a thunderbolt.
I suspect he has suspended his LinkedIn credentials. If he be God’s gift to business (soz God) then where is a LinkedIn profile, versus prose about senior roles in businesses such as Asda or PepsiCo? No detail. Name dropping, Arnold Rimmer would let lose a tear with lump in throat in respect of this positioning of self.
Let us cry Smeg Head aloud. In unison.
The Social Media activity that Rutley undertakes is locked down on Facebook, but he is unable to do so with the different beast that is Twitter. I would strongly suggest reading (with pinch of salt obviously) people’s comments on Twitter. I understand that Facebook lockdown stops abuse, but for God’s sake you are an MP and comment, criticism goes with the job, and has been around way before Gladstone and Disraeli were yelling at each other across the Commons.
It just vexes me that this Marketing campaign is one way, not transparent, and does not allow for comment. It is so frustrating, but that’s politics.
Seneca the Younger and Democracy
Democracy is more cruel than wars or tyrants
Let me think in the hot sun of a day out in Manchester. To live is to fight. Hmmm. I suppose that David Rutley is doing what we all may have to do, fight to keep what we have.
But like us all, he has choices and volition. He could maybe reflect on his 14 years and be honest about what he’s delivered and next steps. If I were still in Macc’ and could vote I’d consider him as we all make mistakes and can rectify them.
The people with have their say. Please vote wisely. And if you kick him into touch, he won’t starve, and think of all the poor fuckers the Tories have let down.
Manchester in the sun. Nuff said.
4 horsemen of the apocalypse, 4 good bosses
This post is about what constituted a good boss for me when employed. I am now self-employed and have been for a while. In about 10 weeks I’ll mature to 53 years of age, so have had a number of direct or indirect bosses, though not since 2014, and to be honest don’t miss being employed in the industry that I was in, and if you read a piece I’d written elsewhere you’d understand why.
So what and who did I think was a good boss and what do 4 horsemen have to do with it all?
Wikipedia - for brevity….
Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse[1] are figures in the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Bible, a piece of apocalypse literature attributed to John of Patmos. Similar allusions are contained in the Old Testament books of Ezekiel and Zechariah, written about six centuries prior. Though the text only provides a name for the fourth horseman, subsequent commentary often identifies them as personifications of Conquest (Zelus), War (Ares), Famine (Limos), and Death (Thanatos).
Please note that there is no chronological order to these bosses.
My 4 good ex-Bosses
They are in fact opposites of the 4 horsemen. If you read below I explain.
I learnt if you act the opposite to appalling bosses, then you become good management, and this did work for me. I was not the best but had no real intention of subjected to the styles of Victor Synott across to Jim Brigden or Warren Burke for example.
Being young and stupid I did the opposite to those with poor man management who resorted to bullying, interspersing their styles with dashes of immorality, and smatterings of sheer cruelty.
But there was more to it that doing the opposite as that only lasts so long. I had to have people I could learn from, who would teach me, who cared, who in fact cared for my growth as a person and not a mere employee. People I could out for a drink with after work in London on a Friday, knackered and frazzled, and pour my heart out to them. People I now realise who were just as bat shit crazy, but a little older and experienced, cared about people not wanting them to emulate mistakes they’d made, or simply have a crap day or career.
I learnt so much from these four and thank you.
Conquest for me is Taryn Newlove (Dr Taryn Bashford as she is now)
The opposite? Not succumbing to conquest of self, from all sides.
I learnt from Taryn how it is possible to overcome prejudice, adversity; whilst pursuing a dream. And Taryn taught me how to be tough and fair, whilst she took a barrage of sexism in the advertising field; with my suspecting her South African heritage standing her in good stead. She was never shy in saying what she thought to people, me included.
I first met Taryn when she became my boss at Carlton TV in the Halcion days of my media career in London in the early 2000’s. I was, ahem, a handful to say the least and the industry up and down like a yo-yo.
Pretty, intelligent and most importantly a SAFFER.
If you are to read her LinkedIn profile or learn about Taryn, she has brought up two wonderful kids, taken a career change into writing and academia and done very well.
She is now an Associate Director at The University of Queensland and very happy pursuing her dream.
I learnt a lot about responsibility, teamwork, and about how to be a good boss, and look after people. Taryn extoled the rule of giving people empowerment and responsibility and control over their destiny. This was her South African ethos; just get on with it in your own style and achieve the objective.
War for me is Carol Dukes
The opposite to war? Don’t go to war, be the thinker, the Strategist.
Carol Dukes was behind Emap Online and then Carlton Online, where I was one of her employees, is and was one of the cleverest people I have met with a common touch.
I learnt from her that all out warfare in business, especially the advertising community and in the dotcom boom, is and will always be a pointless, vanity led, wasteful, and crippling project.
Carol successfully built and led from the front the fast paced and leading digital media business at the start of the rollercoaster ride in 1998 that was to become Joe Public embracing The Web. This was Carlton Online, part of Carlton TV, one of the biggest franchise operators of ITV.
To see her operate as the consummate Strategist avoiding warfare with rival Media Owners who were literally throwing millions into digital, when we working with fookin’ dial up modem, and Flash was thought to be funky, was amazing to see and learn from.
I learnt so much about not playing the game, not picking up the ball, avoiding confrontation and being good at self, colleagues, and what your business does. I learn this from Carol.
There is one thing that has always stuck with me. One day I was dealing with an individual at Mindshare (WPP) who was not happy with the media rate we were charging. So he went above my head and called Carol, who backed up my decision despite this person and agency being a major play with budgets we needed. She simply said something to me that has stuck and been oft quoted many, many times:
“Too much, too soon, too young”. Always the Teacher. It was her way of keeping me grounded.
Viktor Mikhaylovich Vasnetsov
Famine for me is Phil Rooke
Now you may think this an odd one if you know Phil Rooke. I shall explain. Phil as my direct boss at Carlton Online was on the senior management leadership team with Carol Dukes and basically led sales and commercial affairs. From him I learnt the opposite of famine which is growth and harvest, and Phil is, was exceptional as to this. He grew businesses because he knows how to grow people.
He helped found business with limited “advertising space” to sell in the oh so early days of digital marketing, and was a true creative at the creation of products and services to be sold to clients. Always at the forefront of new things. A natural curosity. For God’s sake he chose Microlight flying as a hobby!
I learnt that you can always find and make opportunities in times of famine, and Phil showed me this and much more, with his having a erudite mind, caring for people, and always being creative. I learnt to think out of the box from Phil. Always looking for a solution.
And this is why if you look to Phil’s profile you’ll see a true entrepreneur. But crucially someone who realised, leverage, and taught me that businesses are made of people, so nourish them; but what was special was that this is natural to Phil.
Death for me is Richard Firminger
Why death and why Richard Firminger? The opposite of death is life, rebirth, rising from the ashes, achievement over adversity. He is someone I admire for what he has achieved, of obstacles overcome, and for never giving up.
Richard was my boss when at Yahoo! UK & Ireland, and I think he can be summed up with the care and help he showed me when I was off ill in 2007 with clinical depression for three months. He understood and helped coax me back to returning to work when broken. He himself had not had it easy, also occupying very senior and stressful roles. I looked to him and thought, if he can do it, I can do it.
When you look to his profile he is like the other three, plus being a true achiever. Richard was in a very challenging position at Overture as it proceeded to be shoe horned into Yahoo! UK & Ireland. He had to deal with some absolute Yahoo! types who had and probably still do have the morals of an alley cat, and I am being diplomatic when I say that.
A leader, entrepreneur, yet he demonstrated the opposite to death in a personal and business context, whereby he kept coming back. And as a sales and commercial type I learnt so much from this, and in recent years his rubbing off on me probably was one of those subconscious factors in my never giving up, of embracing and loving the fact that the opera is not over until the fat lady sings, and of making sure you put a chair against her stage room door so she cannot get out. Richard is one of those. I suspect he stuck two fingers up at the Yahoo! Cronies and was always one of the team, and fondly thought of by his ex-team today. If you know Firminger’s story it is one of clearly snatching victory out of the jaws of defeat, and whilst showing the flaws we all have as humans, coming out on top for self and others.
Saint-Sever Beatus
But what was the common theme?
Across all 4 people is a common theme that I picked up on. Each of these people has their own style and idiosyncrasies. Just like we all do. But each one follows the golden rule:
The Golden Rule is the principle of treating others as one would want to be treated by them. It is sometimes called an ethics of reciprocity, meaning that you should reciprocate to others how you would like them to treat you (not necessarily how they actually treat you). Various expressions of this rule can be found in the tenets of most religions and creeds through the ages.[1] Wikipedia.
I suppose I can also finish with the following, namely you get what you give. The Universe I am convinced operates and lives in a most sarcastic form of Karma. Do you want to be the dog that has its day? All these three people were great bosses because they helped people on the way up. Others don’t and I know a few. And when you fall you need help. And in my game people can and do piss on you if you plummet when saddled with a questionable reputation. And you can fall at any time.
We always have a Wildcard in life and the Universe
And it comes in the form of an Insiad Graduate from whom I learnt so, so much and helped cement and grow my commercial and legal knowledge. This man was not a direct boss but I worked closely with him at Carlton/ITV, and smile fondly at our commercial sessions together.
He fascinated me with his acumen, whit; saddened me with his life story, and held me astounded with his tales. This man is so posh, yet was our Henry V and we were his band of brothers. He operates within an orbit that only star ships do. This is a man who appeared in a US Court in his pyjamas in the middle of nowhere to argue his case. He is very intelligent and bat shit crazy, and one of the most caring and thoughtful people I met in my time in London, despite his operating in shark ridden environment working with the likes of David Cameron before Pork Loins entered politics.
You know who you are and thank you.
I still remember you barracking me in the depths of the The Media Centre on Great Titchfield Street as I desperately fought your intellect as you asked me which bit did I not understand? I still don’t understand a lot if honest, but learnt so much from you.
Eduard von Steinle
Mental Health, Paediatric, and Emmergency First Aid at Work.
A short blog post to say thanks to the team at Millie’s Trust who took me through 3 excellent first aid courses, and one of which Mental Health First Aid will greatly assist me with my voluntary work, and now makes me a member of MHFA England.
The charity was set up in 2014 by Joanne and Dan Thompson to provide sensibly priced but comprehensive first aid courses for non-professionals such as you and I.
This all resulted out of the tragic choking death of their daughter Millie. With Dan and Joanne recognising a need for adequate first aid training.
The charity has trained over 40,000 people in first aid and will have undoubtably have saved lives. And I think it so important that we take the opportunity to learn about saving lives in the time it takes for the professional people to arrive on the scene of an emergency.
Did you know for example that a first aider with CPR knowledge and armed with an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) can increase the success rate when dealing with a cardiac arrest up to 75%? That’s someone’s life - a son, a daughter, a wife, a husband, maybe even you?
Have a look at a video I took of Dan Thompson showing a group how to use an AED.
busy bee is me…
Last few days have been busy to say the least, but good nonetheless.
Cairn atop Little Ingleborough, Yorkshire Dales
It is Monday and I am over in Macclesfield at Muver’s place saying hello. That said I have the house to myself today as she is off on her jollies to Scarborough and then the Yorkshire Dales.
I was in town earlier with the wonderful Terry McCusker of searchup for a coffee which was highly enjoyable. We discussed how searchup is getting on, and all is good, good, whilst delivering results to its clients. A lovely little search led agency (and a lot more) that I enjoy consulting for.
We also had a good natter as to his son Ozzy’s new found love of MTB (mountain biking) with his now disappearing with his mates armed with pocket money and butties. I smiled as I used to MTB all over the surrounding areas.
Saturday saw an absolutely marvellous walk with The Pigs from Ilam into Dove Dale, then back to Ilam via the Manifold Way. Probably means nothing to a lot of people, unless of course a walker, suffice to say it is a very beautiful park of the White Peak. It does get busy, so be advised to arrive by 9am as we did for our 12 mile walk.
Thursday had seen a Manchester trip for coffee with the wonderful Liam Anderson who I have known for yonks, and Nick Jaspan of Prolific North fame who I have known for eons… Both on good form and dealing with the changeable working environment we are all living with in the advertising industry. It appears a number of companies are treading water in unpredictable times; and there are swans gliding gracefully and ducks paddling furiously.
Wednesday was a bit of an adventure as I walked with friends on a recce of Ingleborough prior to a Yorkshire 3 Peaks challenge on the 26th of this month. All good fun, with the highlight looking into the void that is Gapping Gill.
Some notes
You may ask what on earth has a lot of the above got to do with running a consultancy, or working, or advertising, or you the reader? Thanks for thinking that, and I hope you don’t feel you’ve lost 10 minutes of your time. What I want you to see is the balance of self. I am not going to talk about work life balance as this irritates me. I prefer the concept of “self” and of how the self exists. We are holistic creatures and not divided up. I feel at peace, rounded, and connected to what is going on. This being a result of not getting wrapped up in one thing and taking time out from difficult trading conditions to connect with nature and people. Try it. Please do.
(How am I paddling? I am not. I float with flow and ebb of the water and guide myself as needed. Accepting that I should embrace changing waters.)
Where’s Wally?
Well…. Not exactly true, but it amused me indeed to think of the analogy. Suffice to say that Wally is in fact the eminent Tom Cheesewright, Applied Futurist, and long standing contact.
We caught up today in cavernous Foundation on Whitworth Street. A Metrolink tram from Ashton into the bowels of Piccadilly and then a walk to the coffee shop. Passing the beautiful old buildings that line the route, and including what were the old UMIST buildings. Which makes me think of my age.
Tom was, and is always on good form and a cheerful wind blowing into my somewhat vacant mind. Especially when food comes into play, and it was lunchtime. Always a distraction. That said I ended up having a coffee and instead ate on returning home.
It has been a while since we caught up and it was good to chat as to market and economic trends. We both tried to figure out when we might see an upturn in economic conditions, different to sentiment. Labour will get into power we agreed, and with this we will see a rise in positive sentiment amongst the population and those that consume. But this won’t manifest itself properly as an upturn for business, taking aside Christmas, until Q3 of 2025; so quite a while away.
Tom is perfectly fine, strongly supported with his speaking, consulting as a pre-eminent Futurist for leading brands, and also representing other notable public speakers.
I’ve always felt he deserved to do well because not only does he have what it takes, he took the plunge and followed his dream to success and reputation when no one knew what the heck a Futurist is. I’d always recommend him.
Please do make sure that you read up on what TC gets up to in his life; it makes for great reading. And I was quite fascinated when he mentioned he is producing and delivering a Podcast for the BBC.
Tom also runs Pomona Partners, representing a number of leading speakers. A highly recommended look for those needing expert speakers.
Tom like me enjoys reading and is an avid consumer of educational books, and recommended the following by Peter Etchells. I’m interested in a book (having read Irresistible) that talks about having a positive relationship with tech, social media, and mobiles. I’ve used one of my Audible credits for it.
The Amazon precis reads, “Professor Pete Etchells studies the way we use screens, and how they can affect us. In UNLOCKED, he delves into the real science behind the panic about our alleged device addiction and withering attention spans. Armed with the latest research, he reveals how little we have to fear, and the great deal we have to gain, by establishing a more positive relationship with our screens. That begins with asking ourselves some essential questions about how we use them.
Instead of clamouring for us to ditch our devices (before guiltily returning to the same old habits), UNLOCKED is a sustainable, realistic and vital guide to transforming our connection with technology.”
Jones and Kershaw.
It is Sunday 28th April as I type, and I think back to Wednesday of this week when I caught up with two old and treasured contacts.
The first coffee in Haunt on Peter Street was with Simon Jones who I have known for a number of years. Simon Jones heads up Wavemaker Studio and has made a massive impact to the business with the set up and growth of this area, especially where media budgets are showing contraints as are margins for agencies.
It was a good chat as to life, family, and business. And it is tough times for a lot of people in and outside of our business. Heading in to meet Si, I felt Manchester busy for mid-week, but not as busy nor vibrant as I would expect. But good old Wavemaker Manchester under the steady and capable hands of Emma Slater is doing well, and also in new Quay Street offices.
Amusingly after Haunt we headed to Greggs on St Peter’s Square for a pizza slice for Si, sausage roll and ring donut with sprinkly things for me, and kindly paid for by Si. Off he went, and I kept myself busy before seeing Jon Kershaw at Ditto Coffe on Oxford Street.
Forgot to photo snap Jon at Ditto Coffee, so apologies Mr Kershaw I used LinkedIn instead.
Where do I start with Jon Kershaw? Someone I have known for a number of years and highly respect. An example of being able to get to a senior role in this game and retain being a nice chap, someone who cares, and runs a good business.
Jon heads up PHD in Manchester, and the agency has a roster of good clients, staff, and is widely respected. Jon is a strategist and thinker at heart and we enjoyed a good chat and vague attempts at forecasting the marketplace and when it would pick up. We think, and I use this loosely, that improvement or even stability probably won’t be seen until at least Q3 next year. There is a lot going on globally, and there is also a concern of a potential shift of advertising clients to London, and their not recognising the strength of the North. We may pitch against each other, but if one agency loses a client to London, then we all lose.
And as I have said before London looks after London.
I suspect people and businesses in the advertising industry (all emcompassing term that covers all disciplines and the offline/online split) are treading water some gracefully as a summer swan, others a fresh unsure and rain drenched Cygnet. But better to float than sink in my opinion, and I always believe that in times of uncertainty we have opportunity, as change can breathe afresh in turned soil. Sometimes we need re-ploughing, when we risk growing in the same vein.
Ancoats Coffee, Guy Levine, Ditto Coffee, Craig Johnson.
A nice day was had yesterday in Manchester. A tram from Ashton for an afternoon coffee with Guy Levine, and a second with Craig Johnson.
It was a pleasant day indeed and a nice walk from New Islington Metrolink stop between Ashton to Rochdale Canals for Ancoats Coffee and Guy Levine.
I have known Guy for many years and we both enjoy our chats as to life and all that entails. Guy is an entrepreneur behind Return.co and Abe & Co. Let me tell you more.
Return is digital marketing agency that focuses on customer journey and how to achieve that. A business I have worked with for years.
Abe & Co is a speciality coffee roaster set up by Guy, that my wife and I buy coffee from. It is quality, unique, hard to find and beautiful coffee. And that reminds me that I need to get some coffee on order for Dukinfield.
I’ve caught up with Guy over the years chatting as to all sorts and sharing a love of cycling and Zwift (the male advertising mid-life crisis go to), plus Guy’s family and beliefs something he is so passionate about and to be admired for. Through thick and thin I have been able to stand on the shoulders of a giant, and I thank him for his support.
Next meeting involved a 15-20 minute walk through Ancoats into Piccadilly Gardens and down Portland Street to meet Craig Johnson outside Ditto Coffee on Oxford Street.
Craig is someone I again have known for a number of years and like Guy a good hearted, caring, confidential, and professional person. He always considers his staff and clients and looks after them. We have caught up many times over the years and have become friends, with the coffee catch up at Ditto a natter as to business, family, life and the rest. Highly enjoyable.
Another person I admire. A family man who cares for his wife and boys, and driven in business but proof that you don’t need to be horrible or an arse to achieve in this game.
Speaking of which Craig is currently CEO of Ultimedia in Manchester, and his knowledge of eCommerce and digital marketing is second to none.
I said a fond goodbye to Craig and made my way via Whitworth Street to Piccadilly for the Metrolink tram back to Ashton.
Finishing off with Big Trouble in Little China
Great Easter Sunday with a mixture of stuff, the house to myself and writing this post to a long overdue viewing of a classic film. Youngsters watch it. Watch it now! (And Escape from New York.)
This blog entry is light hearted and nothing to do with work, advertising, and consultancy. More designed for those bored enough to read what I get up to on an Easter Sunday when not yabbering on about found us.
So the day started well early, 5am I think and that was taking into account the clocks going forward an hour. Between then and 9am I got a heck of a lot done sorting things for Claire coming down tomorrow from Scotland. Then back to bed as shattered and still suffering from a cough for which I’m on antibiotics. Meanwhile as I slept Claire made her way from Mull to Oban.
I awoke and climbed out of bed.
Plan was to head to Denton to repair one of the shared bikes at ANEW, then transport Claire’s road bike back ready for heading to Scotland. The bike has been down here a while. All ready to go and the washed out feeling hit me again from the aftermath of the cold and the cough. Back to bed for what must have been a couple of hours. Mind you I did listen on Audible timer to 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, a highly recommended read and one that fits in with my belief system.
Got up and checked where Claire was on the campervan tracker. She was heading to Hamilton via the scenic route through Callander avoiding Easter Sunday traffic in the Trossachs and the Loch Lomond route.
Me? It was getting into Denton part 2, and this time I was ready. Whilst heading for the bus I listened to an absolute banger on Spotify - Sugar is Sweeter by CJ Bolland.
Got to Denton and said hello to the lads, made a brew, and proceeded to fix a punctured tyre with a new inner tube. Which proved to be hard as the tyre was very tight on the rim.
Task accomplished only to realise the front of said bike has a flat and needs new front brakes…. Claire’s bike had the front wheel removed and it was placed into a bike bag. Now, you are not allowed bikes on Stagecoach buses even in bags but I strode to the bus stop bike bag on shoulder and the kindly bus drivers let me on; important as I was pushed for time needing to get back for a kind lift from Mark to a meeting. On getting back I realised Claire’s bike had a puncture on the front tyre on the seam of the inner tube, so effectively knackered.
On arrival at the meeting and set up, the weather had dropped in temperature making it a tad nippy with a wind. But we had a good meeting nonetheless despite being thin on the ground over the Easter weekend. I took three photos of Christ Church in Ashton with its wonderful organ that was built 6 years before the death of Queen Victoria. And I received a lovely present in the form of a book of walks for Mull and Iona from my friend Debbie.
Returned home to home made stew and the delight of being able to watch Big Trouble in Little China. Legendary. And also replaced the inner tube on the front wheel of Claire’s bike. Oh, and have munched away on Lotus Biscoff chocolate biscuits. Ah……
Smile, because we can.
Smile because you can, and Varley and I did in order to goad the excellent David Edmundson-Bird. Why? Because he refuses to smile despite an excellent write up on ChatGPT.
Today involved a good couple of hours with a fav’ person in a fav’ convenient haunt. I travelled in today to Carluccio’s in Manchester Piccadilly for a personal and business chat with Mr Mark Varley, and useful it proved indeed. Carluccio’s is buried deep in my memory of meetings. Never too busy, good coffee, good food, friendly staff, and great when you cannot be arsed walking into the NQ, especially when it’s pissing it down.
It was a good meeting chatting as to consultancy, speaking events at Lancaster University, the industry, family, across to the elections in the UK and US. Connection is something that is so important to me. From a business perspective; yes, we all get that. But we also benefit spiritually and emotionally from meeting peers.
David Edmundson-Bird
There was connection. I shall explain. I noticed Mr E-B had written a cracker of an article on ChatGPT and of worthy reading. Prescient, knowledgeable, and explains the bleeding obvious impact on your SEO amongst other things. However I felt he ought to smile. He pointed out that smiling was weakness and the conversation deteriorated into black humoured banter thereof. So Mark and I thought we’d smile for him (and wind him up.)
Do read E-B’s article because it makes important points as to the conflict of AI, brand integrity, useability, and honesty.
