Oban, Sound of Mull, Craignuire (Oh and Storm Eowyn and a power cut.)
Sailing back to Craignure, Isle of Mull, Sunday morning of the 26th aboard the MV Isle of Arran.
Week commencing the 20th as I type coming up for 9pm on Sunday 26th, at the end of a week that has seen travel, a rather “cheeky” Storm Eowyn that took out power on Mull and the mainland, and finished off with snow and freezing weather.
But worth it when you see the photos.
Smiles aboard the MV Isle of Arran heading over to Oban on Saturday 25th.
And of course, full photos and videos during the week can be found on Flickr.
We had to be resourceful in the power cut that hit the island from lunchtime Friday 24th through to Saturday 5pm.
Donald and the Advertising Industry
Well it was the first day in the Oval office for Donald Duck. I had a think and recorded a video, nothing detailed, but happy to help where someone needs to navigate change due to macro factors.
From found us to Petercobley.com
As well as my business website for found us, I also run my own personal site where I chat about allsorts, post photos; and www.petercobley.com is a place where you can learn a bit more about me.
Have a look and sniff at petercobley.com and list me know if same or insane.
We all break down and don’t be hard on yourself, just like Mull’s solo broken down car on the Tobermory/Craignuire single track road where it’s now being rescued by the island’s own tow truck after semi blocking the road for a few days.
Where does the public and private start and end?
There is no such divide in my life. There is only me.
The business found us is an extension of myself. In fact that is not correct, with myself and the business being one in the same thing.
And this is something people fail to grasp - the holistic life.
In careers, business, job, role, looking for work, being in work, across to employing and interviewing people it is common to create this artificial dichotomy, and create a mental, spiritual, emotional imbalance. To live as two people is hard and impossible, and even worse can lead us to Act out what we think a role is and minimise our true selves.
We can act as we think we ought to in a role, and be seen in the brutal hard boss role by others, yet outside of work we are the home Dad or Mum, a softer different person. This is tiring to act out. It’s tiring for people who occupy both worlds with us. It is dangerous since one persona/role can take over the other, and in modern society where there is so much time spent at work (>50%) we can see where we lose more of our true self. A dystopian version of the classic Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
There are so many people I know that have altered through work. Over time, incrementally, and hard to spot. Remember we are beings of nature and nurture, and our environment will impact and shape us should we be unaware and fail to assert self and core principles and beliefs.
There is a lot of truth and multiple meaning in a sheep in wolf’s clothing. Have you become a sheep in your role or business, following your business environment? Has it turned you into a wolf? Let’s take two examples. Think of the public versus private Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. And is he not a product of his environment? Remember a new fledgling MP in the House of Commons, bright eyed and bushy tailed, and then remember that MP some time later. Have not most become a product of Parliament? A parody of who they were.
The examples seem far removed, but are they?
Be careful out there and what you wish for. The only advice I can give give is to:
Be true to self.
Don’t divide yourself between work and your private life. Keep you as you.
Maybe label life as follows, “I am Peter Cobley and I have the job of Director in my business. I am married to Claire. Divorcing myself from the labels of Director and Husband of what is expected by society or our environment.
I can then be sure he happy, quirky Peter that I am. Able to take risk. Able to take a leap of faith. Able to live each moment freely. Not shacked by norms, past, or future since I operate to my Operating System and Not others - Peter Cobley OS Mark 2.
My search and selection
Where are you really going when you’re in your 30’s, 40’s, and beyond?
Do you have direction, feel you have achieved in your life? But what does it meant to be successful? What’s achievement?
This is where I come into play.
When I set up found us it was with a view to mentoring and building people; of giving back what was freely given to me over the years. And I had some wonderful mentors in my 53 years.
I’ve a history of mentoring people and regularly do so with clients, candidates, and with Lancaster University Management School.
The other side to myself and my business is all the contacts I have nationally and intentionally, and my reputation. This allows for first hand work with my company clients to find them good staff for senior leadership teams.
I am uniquely able to match my contacts and mentees to my clients business needs; often not working to a brief - and I’ve been oh so successful over the years in my Executive Search and Selection.
I’ve placed a Broadcast Director at an international agency, a Sales Director at a major tech company, or created a role for a mobile specialist to set up a division for an international agency group. And there’s more if you have a look about my website or have a chat with me.
If you are a candidate or client…
Do contact me for my very unique brand of search and selection both national and international.
Full tracking of the search and selection process, with help given in candidate assessment if needed is all on offer, so at any given moment you know exactly where you are with your senior hire, and importantly with the money you spend with me.
The start of Loch Ba from the village of Knock, Isle of Mull.
Acting as a sales director
Walking alongside Loch Ba, Isle of Bull.
To anyone one, or any business that needs a good Sales or Commercial Director, I’m your Man!
I don’t with to be arrogant or boastful. Not at all. I merely state the truth. And being honest is a key, if not the most important element in what makes a good sales person.
I started my sales career in 1994 in national Press moving to ITV, and ultimately agency side. Always delivering results.
I thus have knowledge, experience, and track record in creating a sales pipeline, cold selling across to formal tender response and pitching. Working with and pulling a team together to win the business. And this is a commodity sale or a bespoke sale, with some ticket values running into six and seven figures.
I started off in traditional advertising and moved into online advertising; and represent a rare breed of sales and commercial person who straddles the old and new worlds of advertising, marketing, and media.
I’ve worked for and set up start ups that were subsequently sold. I’ve been employed by some sizeable businesses working on big brands; at 29
I was a Business Development at ITV in London working on Who Wants to be a Millionaire and Survivor.
So I do know a lot indeed. And this can be harnessed to help grown a business through a solid new business sales process, and account management of clients.
So if you:
Need someone to look at your sales process and staff, then I’m for hire.
If you need a new business pipeline building from scratch then I can help.
Or if you need me to parachute into your business as a sales or commercial director then don’t hesitate to contact me.
Looking out over Loch Na Keal toward Balnahard and Eorsa island.
Pay per Click search advertising (PPC)
View from the found us office over Tobermory
A possibly contentious or easy to utilise form of advertising that originated from the search market that was created (and believe it or not copied from and not invented by Google) by Goto.com, that rebranded to Overture, that was then acquired by Yahoo! I worked for the company and have a very much deep depth knowledge of the PPC marketplace, initially Search but now straddling other channels, e.g. Social Media.
I am keen to work with companies or people on the Isle of Mull where I live in Tobermory, or Oban and the Argyll and Bute area. That said I work UK wide and internationally, and have done so for years.
PPC (Pay Per Click) from Tobermory, Isle of Mull and Oban
I don’t propose to write reams on PPC as it a quite mature channel now and arguable one must focus on the quality of a company’s website and a customers path to it and through it, and of how we can create a desired action that benefits company and customer, for example a sale.
I understand the metrics of making paid search and pay per click media (Programmatic Display for example) work for a business to achieve above, below, or through the line results. I have over 20 years experience in the area.
Looking out from Oban to the island of Kerrera and beyond the Isle of Mull
I can distill my knowledge into the following areas where I can help
Understanding the concept of PPC, how it works, of how it can fit in and supplement all marketing activity, but does not have to be the “expensive” be and end all that it can be, as well as you advertising “red herring”.
Understanding and grasping how the technology works, for example how to structure a Google Ads account to leverage the Quality Score element of the channel, across to buying correctly via a DSP.
Understanding the importance of content to leverage the advertising platforms position “reward” systems, i.e. position in Sponsored Links for a keyword, without degradation of content serving its purpose of attracting consumers into taking a purchasing, non-purchasing action, and brand being negatively affected through poor copy writing.
Working with you to enhance your website to initiate good customer action. It is in one sense very easy to get the customer to the company website, but so so many customers don’t find a website “sticky” and “bounce” away, and thus the marketing activity and spend are wasted. We can help with ad copy, landing pages, and page/website testing whether A/B or as advanced as multivariate. A website like Amazon is leagues ahead of other eCommerce websites with a killing double figure website conversion rate.
And this brings me onto data. Which does not have to be slavish and look nice. We/I’ve knowledge of drilling down into the data in order to use it to benefit company and customer. It is a big area, and an important one, and involves software such as Google Analytics. You need to know your “bang for your buck”. Suffice to say we love crunching numbers and data.
Lastly and maybe this should be point 1. We crucially help with drilling down into what it is you sell by way of product or service, who you sell it to and how your customers buy from you. We then drill down even further for example by looking at relevant keyword searches across to usage of the correct copy. This is the research phase way before you do anything media wise, and the bit of the iceberg under the waterline; the large bit, the important bit. I’ve many years of experience in researching what companies do, and of how they can successfully use digital marketing bought on a pay per click or other cost metric.
I am happy to work on a consultancy, fee based offering, or commission only model. This can very much suit the smaller (or larger) business with finite and precious online marketing budget.
Tobermory Harbour
Urban myths versus Authenticity
Life has its many urban myths, and this also includes a life in work and business. It can be time to sit back and dispel some of those business myths.
Thought I’d use the 2022 Korean film, actually series of films as to characters to highlight and think about people, their behaviours, and the masks they wear.
It’s funny now that I look at a career in advertising and can neatly divide people into two groups.
Non-Urban Myths. Real authentic people, with real words, actions and emotions. Those that get on with it, do a good job, are kind with people and bring out the best in them. And they don’t court promotion, or self promote.
The opposite of 1. naturally. Urban Myths. They create a persona at odds with the reality. They go back on words and actions. They don’t get “on with it” and normally throw sh*t at people to deal with. They stifle people to their own ends. The type that is an armchair general and does not roll sleeves up, delegates poorly, does not lead by example and spends an inordinate amount of time on self promotion ad nauseam in trade press and social media platforms like LinkedIn.
Tobermory yesterday afternoon.
Building on from my last post, here are some suggestions for how to deal with character 2. Who in layman’s language can be a right “royal pain in the arse”.
If a colleague is 2. it is advisable especially in the advertising game to keep an eye on them. Don’t avoid them as it is better to keep them close so you can watch in a passive way what they are up to. Being informed is necessary here as against being in the dark, which aids this type of character.
The cardinal rule here is: You won’t change such people. You have no control over them. But you do have control over yourself. All you can do is keep a clear head and behave ethically.
Over time (not always, sadly) character number 2’s behaviour is usually found out. And experience shows they normally dig themselves a hole and pull the kit pin on their own grenade.
Don’t fight fire with fire, e.g. grandstand, gossip etc. You only demean yourself and become spiritually poorer. You are likely to engender retaliation, so instead lead by example keeping “your side of the street clean”. People will respect you for that. And I must be clear - you cannot and will not be able to change a person who operates in a way counter to you value system.
Worse case scenario is where you have to escalate to management over a “painfu” colleague, but you’ll need to make a judgement call as to where management sits. And what is the company ethos? Conducive to growth and people or dog eat dog? Sadly a lot of advertising businesses are the latter.
It may even be the case that you have to move on to pastures new.
The same approach can also work with bosses, which is a similar situation but can be wildly different.
Here goes…. Some bosses are wonderful, caring ethical and embody character 1. But they are few and far between. A lot of bosses I found (but I must caveat this with my having worked in advertising, and advertising start ups) are usually driven and operate to behaviours that got them there in the first place. They are character 2. through and through.
Capable of shocking behaviour to preserve what is theirs, capable of creating and believing and promulgating a narrative that is of their creation and belief despite evidence to the contrary.
With a boss it can be a bit tricky in terms of what to do as there is a natural imbalance of power.
A nice photo to break the heavy prose of the MV Loch Frisha sailing into Craignuire, Isle of Mull yesterday morning.
So what do you do?
Don’t pander, brown nose, try to over perform, impress with a poor type 2. boss. You will be taken advantage of. They will take, take, take.
Don’t fight back whether directly or indirectly. You won’t win against a person who is hell bent on keeping what they have and living behaviourally to their narrative.
What you have to do is be good at what you do, but also have a Plan B.
Run your role, normally Director, diligently as this achieves two things. Firstly you build a support network, and secondly you become intertwined with your role. It is the hard for said asshole to remove you.
Plan B revolves around getting another role, waiting for the idiot to leave or be removed, or force majeur.
Patience, patience, patience is a requisite.
As an aside it is this that always piss*s me off to no end and here’s why.
It really sticks in my throat this type of individual posting on LinkedIn or using trade press to note achievements when all underneath their managerial role or product/service role is usually a shambles. It is no surprise they leave a role after around two years and I strongly believe this being due to jumping before being pushed or found out.
Anyway….
Peter Cobley esq.
I was guilty of making poor choices in terms of company and those running said companies, especially the start ups. And more worryingly I did not exit some companies when it was clear I could not fix a) poor management, b) poor service, c) clash of personality, d) poor ethics, e) just simply working with 2. type individuals as detailed above (assholes normally only out for self to put it less diplomatically.)
I think it common to accept and the Urban Myth mantra some companies, colleagues, or bosses peddle to your own demise; which seems to happen to good people who try to fix people, places, or things out of their control. Good people can end up destroying themselves at the cost of others, who will willingly let them do this.
Lastly a nice photo taken yesterday morning from the MV Loch Frisha as she sailed between Oban and Craignuire, Isle of Mull.
For example I have two experiences. One first hand, the other second hand.
Example one is first and hand and marks the time between 2008 and 2010 when persuaded to join a start up called I Spy Search that was to change it’s name to I Spy Marketing. Investors in the business and one of which joined the business as CEO called Jim Bridgen. Suffice to say we had a person wrapped in his own self belief, over ambitious, and set sales targets and requirements on the Manchester branch I’d set up that were both onerous, ill thought out, and impossible to deliver on.
In this situation I now realise with age I was on a hiding to nothing and ought to have left the business for a new role unable to overcome the ego of a man whose arrogance knew no bounds. But I did not and instead became a victim, thrown under a bus for his failure to support Manchester (another story.) I learnt that one at times has to make a hard choice. In retrospect I was forced into the hands of Dave Seward and Micky Ward of HOME (now IMA), and that was a good thing.
Example two, involves a business contact who was working in a director role at the well known Manchester social media agency, and at the time her MD was a media type from another big agency full of ego and name and brand, but in my honest opinion crap at his job.
In this situation my friend worked her nuts off to support and stabilise a social media agency that had grown very fast but lacks coherence and structure and was all over the show; she’s an ace ops’ and account management person.
Suffice to say after wittering how well he was doing via various pronouncements on LinkedIn, he proverbially fucked off with his ego to THG before he was pushed or found out, not having achieved much (as per his previous agency) and left people like my business contact to pick up the pieces with management and investors, which ultimately led to her being laid off as a “cost”. Said ex-MD then proceeded to ghost her and colleagues. Class, just pure class.
In this situation she ought to have seen the writing on the wall and left, she’s much better than how she was treated. But she did not being a natural fighter and trying to sort problems out. In the end it has spurred her to set up her own business and good for her! She’ll do well.
In both examples you can note that when up against ego driven and frankly useless individuals where they have the power balance one sided, myself and my business contact were in situations where our focus was on fire fighting to our detriment, whilst the direct boss took no blame, parcelled and posted blame to us, and then fucked off - in example 1 selling a turd of a business to an unwitting agency group, and in example 2 disappearing for a new role that can be a PR exercise.
Anyway, hope you liked the article.
Learning from bad Characters and Actors.
Patrick Bateman of American Psycho, played by Christian Bale.
I’m sat back comfortably in my lounge thinking over past times, well quite a few years in fact, and musing over what I learnt from a number of bad actors. And I think of Shakespeare’s lines from As You Like It (see footnote for full details).
“All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,”
What I want to talk about are the bad characters as played or lived out by people I have met and worked with, reported to. We are all actors in our own lives as Shakespeare highlighted, but in business it is the characters we play that made me think as to my management style and what I learnt from bad characters as acted out by types of people I met, or actors in their own world.
This is about what I learnt in terms of management. Not taught in a classroom environment, but what I saw and heard on the job. It has stayed with me and I thought it useful to pass this on.
Why the pictures of the Joker and Patrick Bateman?
I’ve used examples from film to show how a consummate actor can play a very bad and flawed character - the Joker. It is a very black and white picture, and of how Phoenix can act out a part.
The other example is of how Christian Bale portrays the psychopath Bateman as a normal, successful New York businessman.
And from this I want to highlight how I’ve sadly come across people who portray bad characters and they think this correct. This is about how not to “act badly” and how to spot “bad actors”, “bad characters”.
Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker being our Hollywood example of how a man bent by circumstance becomes a monster. This is understandable when considering the stress someone may be under.
Then there is the more sinister Bateman as played by Bale. And I would argue one to watch out for. This is the actor Shakespeare speaks of, playing their wonderful, enigmatic, roles in life. But like Bateman this is a veneer to suit their ulterior means.
Peter’s Management Style
I think it important to realise that my management style, people style, was very much educated by p*ss poor managers and bosses in the advertising business I worked in, but I can also say it was honed as well by the conduct of colleagues.
By bad actors and the characters they play, I mean those individuals I invariably interacted with when working in advertising companies, and more so when in fellow Director roles, or they acted as bosses.
The good actors are the ones I learnt so much from and who sought to bring out the best in people. The characters they act in their role as Boss were authentic and genuine. The likes of Bill Osmond, Mehdi Salam, Carol Dukes, Phil Rooke for example. I learnt so much from these people and can never thank them enough.
The subtle but oh so important difference between the two I think can be distilled as follows.
Good actors act correctly. Their character in business is a mere extension of whom they really are.
Good actors care about people.
Good actors look at people and not the role the colleague or staff member occupies.
They have a strong ethic of growing peole emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and not just the person in the role.
Money is not their key driver.
They are honest, authentic people, who strive for truth.
They accept challenge and suggestion from subordinates or colleagues and act on such.
They are not driven by self will or ego.
These are some of the attributes you need to excel as a boss or colleague who is remembered.
The bad actors for me were driven people who could only see their self Aggrandizement at the cost of others hard work, ideas, and loyalty. But they can be hard to spot, easy to spot. Let me explain.
Let’s take the Joker. The actor acts out a flawed broken character angry with all. And you can see this in some colleagues and bosses where they lash out, are perpetually angry, and wear their badness on a sleeve. But such characters as played by the actor are understandable especially where we can see people struggle with management. After all some people are not natural managers. We can forgive the Joker for what he has become and we can forgive others.
Let’s take Patrick Bateman. There is a character veneer of success, kindness, largesse and goodwill. But this is a sham and normally hides a person hell bent on achieving what they want at any cost, any life. Normally such people (as does Bateman) believes their narrative and cannot see they act outside of norms. They have become (or possibly always were) vain self centred people, those who lied to and bullied people, or did hurt to people for status and money, or plain gratification.
As a comic aside let us not forget the wonderfully acerbic Office Space, and if you have seen the filM here’s a reminder of some of its characters. When reading this post you’ll be horrified as to how many you may be working with presently. If you’ve not seen the film? Then watch it!
So you get (for example) some people out of their depth and who merely lash out through fear and an overwhelming sense of being not in control. For example Harvey Sarjant who I worked with at Carlton TV/ITV.
Others were terrible people managers, non-natural in my opinion. For example Nick Jones at Yahoo! UK & Ireland and I Spy Marketing, where he would vacillate between moods (there are reasons for this).
As we shift from the Joker to Patrick Bateman we come across those who lie, connive to get what they want, are morally bankrupt. Warren Burket at Yahoo! UK & Ireland springs to mind. A quite odious figure who still remains at Yahoo! (I would add into this mix Phil Macauley who I again worked with at Yahoo! who’s management style lacked complete empathy or ethics.)
The worse I think is the American Psycho character in the form of Patrick Bateman as played by Christian Bale who positions self as a caring person, whilst behind the scenes using people for their own ends and fulfilment, leading people on, and not delivering on promised rewards, acting in a solo role yet leveraging a wolf pack mentality, and singularly throwing others under a bus at their own failures.
These are what I call the non-authentic people. They frighteningly believe what they think, say, and act by; immune to any form of constructive criticism or suggestion. Believing their own narrative over and above the truth, and courting public recognition at the cost of everything.
The worse encounter of this type for me being Jim Brigden. (I must admit I have to thank him for learning what not to do when dealing with human beings. Not to mention covering one’s tracks and creating a persona that is far removed from the truth in hand. I learnt to be plain honest after my experience with him.)
Joaquin Phoenix playing the Joker.
To not be a bad actor/character one simple needs to read the bullet points above and be aware that all can be distilled into a mantra of: putting others before yourself.
Remember that people work to live and do not live to work. The bullies that I describe above, and they are bullies, drive others to suit their game plan, needs and wants. My time spent at I Spy Marketing out of all the companies I worked for was tantamount to slave labour or serfdom while Emperor CEO and his cohorts held sway portraying a nice picture and reaping rewards not distributed; all daring not to challenge the Emperor’s New Clothes.
We can learn to be authentic and loving with others in business. The bad actors and characters are not authentic, far from it. They appear to be, and the trick is to identify them.
What is authenticity? It is about being genuine. What you say is true. What you do is true. And you lead by example. One person I felt excelled in this that I did not work for but observed him from outside his business is Mick Style, formerly Director at Wavemaker. Mick excelled in his personal life as a cyclist and as a business leader. The team behind him testimony to his role as leader. Kind hearted and always conscious of growing people.
Great, thanks for the theory, but what do I do?
It is very easy for me to talk about bad colleagues and bosses. But what did I do?
Being honest, I did not handle it well. I can say this with hindsight aged 53 years old.
Here are two examples.
When I came across Warren Burke at Yahoo! I should have weighed up on a balance of probabilities my success rate and realised I was on a hiding to nothing, and have left for pastures new.
The same applies to I Spy Marketing. When Jim Bridget became CEO and a “cult of the personality” developed, unworldly targets placed on Manchester, and a number of let downs occurred via London, I should have left the business.
Why not in both examples?
Because being an honest, diligent, hard working chap I wanted and tried to make things work. But I was yet to learn about the concept of people, places, and things being out of my control.
I’d yet to learn that surrender can be victory.
So my learned advice is don’t put up with the Warren Burke’s and Jim Brigden’s of this world. They are people who only believe in self and their measurement of success in life is “title” and their Altar of Mamon.
Leave their presence and build dreams with people who genuinely care for your and others dreams. Work with like minded people, they do exist.
As to management style? In one sense it it very simple. Just observe the Golden Rule - treat others as you would want to be treated yourself.
(This article is again written with love and thanks to Bill Osmand, Mehdi Salam, Carol Dukes, Phil Rooke.)
Footnote:
"All the world's a stage" is the phrase that begins a monologue from William Shakespeare's pastoral comedy As You Like It, spoken by the melancholy Jaques in Act II Scene VII Line 139. The speech compares the world to a stage and life to a play and catalogues the seven stages of a man's life, sometimes referred to as the seven ages of man.
SEO and PPC share of traffic and clicks
Following on from my last post, this is an in-between post as to traffic to a search engine results page (SERP).
I thought it would be handy for those who don’t know the difference in traffic and clicks for SEO and PPC.
Costa Coffee Oban this morning
I typed the following search query into Google.co.uk.
“share of clicks serps seo ppc”
This is what Google delivered by its AI.
AI OVERVIEW
Organic search results receive more clicks than paid search results on search engine results pages (SERPs):
Organic vs. paid search
75% of clicks on SERPs are for organic results, while 25% are for paid results.
CTR by ad platform
The average click-through rate (CTR) for Google paid search ads is about 2%, while marketing agencies see a CTR closer to 5%.
CTR by position
The average CTR for the top organic result in Google search is 31.7%, which is 10 times higher than the CTR for the 10th position.
Here are some other statistics about SEO and PPC:
53.3% of all web traffic comes from organic search, while 27% comes from paid search.
70% of marketers believe SEO is more effective than PPC.
64% of marketers invest in SEO.
55% of marketers consider SEO to be very important or extremely important to their marketing strategy.
93% of businesses that invest in SEO see an increase in website traffic.
You can use both SEO and PPC to create effective marketing campaigns. You can use PPC to get your name out there quickly, and then use SEO to boost your organic traffic.
A December’s working week in photos.
And what a fine place to live and work - Tobermory, Isle of Mull, Oban.
found us
“People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy.” Anton Chekhov
Savouring a view out to sea from Gavanan Beach near Oban.
Life’s reality can be our singular viewpoint of it and not one governed by the outside influences that swirl daily about us.
(*There is a more concise version of this post if you scroll to footnote at the bottom of this page.)
What glasses are you wearing today when you look at life?
Can you see the Robin?
Can you see the beauty in all including people, no matter what?
Do you need glasses given to you by others, by society?
Are you looking with clarity at your life, or is your viewpoint opaque, clouded by a focus on others? By wearing glasses given to you people and society, and so wearing their world views.
It is so easy to be myopic as to what others have done to you, not done to you, your world situation and where you are; compared to being yourself, true and authentic, living each moment at a time, recognising what has been and may come, whilst not being and living in moments past and yet to come.
I always remind and encourage people to draw their sphere of influence inward , from that which is outside of them and self; for self is what we truly control. And in controlling self we have direction, purpose, clarity. We live in our moments when we focus on self, not the moments of others.
"What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness." - John Steinbeck, "Travels with Charley: In Search of America"
Scottish mountains when sailing into Oban. The rugged beauty of winter.
I like the quote and its symmetry to weather. The reality is that winter balances summer and vice versa; both are really mirror images. Yet the interpretation one can put on winter is darkness, cold, damp, wet, snow, despondency. But this is an interpretation. Is not winter also something to be marvelled at as a season of beauty, of both hibernation and recovery for new growth and life, and also a time of reflection, of closing in together in warmth with loved ones?
To Mentor is to Grow
This is something I have done for years and for the most part freely believing in the mantra of giving back what was freely given to you. After all how much of life to you really need to live and enjoy life?
What I have learnt is that a lack of self belief and faith, of low self esteem, of people pleasing, of fear of action to lack of goal and dream planning is down to the interpretation we have of life including ourselves, which is a product of the glasses and thus viewpoint we were given from birth. And that it is possible to re-engineer all of this and simply remove the glasses and adopt a viewpoint of self, others, world and all that we are comfortable with.
Through mentoring I grew others and I grew myself. I learnt to be empathetic, caring and considered.
Sailing into Oban, with Ben Cruachan beyond. I see its rugged and towering beauty and cast aside my worldly beliefs and marvel at what can await me.
In simple terms I wasted so much time thinking about other people, other places, and other things. It did not matter if it was a house to live in, a job to aim for, jealousy or anger, or worse hate of others, bemoaning a situation I found myself in, usually blaming others for this, hours spent conniving my climb up the corporate ladder, or worry pangs of what people thought of me - The list went on ad nauseam.
I was very shallow, insecure, eager to please, easily led back then.
Thankful not anymore.
What glasses are you wearing this winter, or do you need to remove them?
found us
I now realise I gave good advice when mentoring or advising in my 10 years of found us but did not necessarily follow it myself!
I do now.
I took my glasses off which jaundiced my viewpoint to one of believing I was not good enough, people better than me, and spent too long worrying about others.
Now, I just focus on me and how I can live in each moment and I now achieve so, so much more.
I care for but am not worried as to other people. Why should I be? Nor do I worry as to places or events, let alone what’s happened or may happen.
I now teach this approach (and actually have done for a while) and people I work with, especially the senior ones. I now do think each senior person with all their confidence are quite insecure beneath the surface. And that’s okay. That’s being authentic and believable. Rather than the usual approach of positioning oneself with bravado, knowing it, and keeping people at distance for fear of being found out.
*Sweary Footnote - the simple version for those who can’t be bothered to read my post.
There is a chap called Craig Johnson who once said to me that the world is 50% c**ts and 50% non-c**ts. I still remind myself of this fact.
Where will your journey take you when you become free of what you were? Disembarking the Isle of Mull ferry to Oban.
Nice “Ad People” and the reality
Mad Men (and Women.) But as I discovered mostly men.
I pen, well type, from Tobermory as Storm Darragh lashes against the patio windows. Claire is in Killin to be with old school friends enduring a drive that saw a trapped jack knifed lorry and VW car in snow; and I can now breath a sigh of relief after speaking to her.
I looked briefly at LinkedIn, which I now lump under the category of “time wasting social media” and rued my doing so as I saw a post by an individual who I don’t have a great deal of respect for. I did in the olden days but watched him corrupted over time by what he believed in himself to the point of his becoming detached from reality and sadly his empathy and love for people, with career and Mamon becoming his Gods.
I was also tasted bile as he was sat at my old University in Lancaster??!!
I bemoaned his being there as it is one of my sacred places, but I recognised he was there for one of his children who I realised is studying there, which is fair enough.
The emotion passed but I learnt from it. I remembered anger is a natural emotion to be welcomed and it is a question of what you do with it. I cannot change the fact I came across on LinkedIn a person who is a not so nice person, and more so when they dress themselves up as being a) nice, b) God’s gift to digital advertising.
All I can do is keep my side of the street clean. He has to live with himself and his “dirty hands”.
Please note that I have not provided hypertext links to external content to encourage people to have a good root around as to what’s on the Web.
People, Places, Things
In the life I have had with a career in advertising I have come across people who have “worked me over”, “taken advantage”, and less politely “screwed me over”. (One of which I just refered to having seen a post on LinkedIn.)
It was and is the nature of working in the advertising, marketing, and media trades.
It is the nature of working in senior leadership roles.
It is the nature of an exponential career rise, as was the case for me.
And it’s not just people who go drive you insane, hurt you, stitch you up, lie and the rest. Places and things can also bring out strong emotions in you; maybe a place you worked at, or something like a project for example you were involved in, or an event and happening that still stings.
Advice on the Past, the Future, the Present. (People, Places, Things.)
People, places, and things can drive you nuts if you let them. And what can often be forgotten is where they sit contextually in time, be it past, present, future. And this is important for the generation of emotions, of how we react, our very mental wellbeing.
The first thing you must always do is look only to yourself and what you are thinking, feeling, and therefore behaving. You only have control over yourself.
In having control over yourself you focus on your side of the street. Using whatever method of goal (dreaming) and plan setting to achieve what you want out of life.
Perform a SWOT analysis and also look at how you function (point 7.) With SWOT you want to get an idea of who you are, where you’ve been, and where you are currently going.
Also look at the Johari Window.
There are four core or recognised self evaluation maintenance models, for example Gibbs or Tesser. Best bet if you want to evaluate yourself is to read up on them.
Bring all you observations as to self together in one consummate reading. This way you’ll have a feel for where you sit as a person.
How you function or act must also be examined as well. This was touched on at point 3. A good way to look at how you function is to read from Stephen Covey and learn about his Quadrants of Time Management. Are you in Quadrant 2 and being effective with your time? The point simplistically is to ask, “am I working smart?”, “am I working effectively?”
You NOW HAVE a full evaluation of who you are and how you act. This is your side of the street that you can work on.
Back now to people, places, and things. Through working on self you are able to indirectly control how external people, places, and things (events included) affect you. You can never control them directly and this is a bridge of understanding and awareness you have to cross, and yet so few of us do, and waste time focusing on other people and things as we try to control them. Imagine yourself as the theatre director putting on the show; do you actually control all, or merely exist within the show guiding where necessary? Do you really control your actors for example? Really and truly? Well the answer is no.
Yon only really control your fate via control of your own mindset and action; and from the past work you have put into self.
The plain old fact of life is you cannot control other things including people, but you can influence via self-management. And this is a crucial learning that I only recently accepted and implemented. I wish I’d done this sooner. But high achievers and driven people achieve up to a point through control, but the truly successful ones are those actually let go of trying to control and work on self - it is counter intuitive.
And that my friends is the trick. And with it comes serenity because one is not burdened down by other people, places, and things. You only have to focus on number one. This does not mean you travel through life in isolation. You have to interact. But paradoxically you gain more control by letting go of concerns, whether past, present, or yet to come (maybe.)
With this learning I was able to leave a certain person to his own fate and not worry about his popping up at Lancaster University. I am able to know who I am, am comfortable and happy with myself, and make amends where necessary. I have achieved in my own way. I wonder if he is really happy at all what he has done in his life. But that is not my worry any longer.
Don’t waste your time on other people, places, and things.
“It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it. Life is long enough, and a sufficiently generous amount has been given to us for the highest achievements if it were all well invested. But when it is wasted in heedless luxury and spent on no good activity, we are forced at last by death’s final constraint to realize that it has passed away before we knew it was passing. So it is: we are not given a short life but we make it short, and we are not ill-supplied but wasteful of it… Life is long if you know how to use it.”
Seneca in his letter to Paulinus.
Sunday morning after Storm Darragh passed through.
Recruiters. Head Hunters, Search and Selection - Glasow
A case of the Emperor’s New Clothes; all talk and no action.
It always amuses me how the blurb people write on their websites bears no correlation to how they actually provide a service, or lack of it; and I am talking about some recruiters I contacted in the Glasgow area on moving up to Tobermory, Isle of Mull.
So I thought I’d name them, and here’s why.
I relocated seven weeks ago to Tobermory, Isle of Mull to be with my wife Claire. I had options open to me, as follows.
Resume found us my own business. Which can be worked remotely.
Get a part time job local to where I now live, and have some time off.
Look for a new job in advertising which is my background.
So, with my working in executive search and selection, I thought I would identify and contact recruiters who I could work with when looking for a semi-local role in advertising, with Glasgow being the major city closest to me.
Now, I was not expecting a miracle due to a) my location, or b) the state of the market.
But I was shocked at a complete lack of contact or even acknowledgement after contacted the following companies with a nicely put together e-mail.
How an earth can these recruitment, head hunting, search and selection biased Glasgow orientated companies front their websites when their candidate comms’ were non-existent? It baffles me.
I appreciate people are busy, but there is no excuse for a no-show, and such piss poor comms’ pales when compared against those who did get in touch to have a chat with me as to market and roles, and be very honest; which is all I was after.
So, here is the list of recruitment companies who did not bother getting back to me.
You are welcome to try them, and if so good luck, but I won’t be bothering again, instead using my own Scottish network which has gone back years. I am not surprised recruiters, as I learnt on entering the field as part of my business, have such a terrible reputation for treating people as non-existent or a meal ticket.
https://totalrecruitmentgroup.com - Total Recruitment Group
https://www.stafffinders.co.uk - Staffinders
https://www.edenscott.com - Eden Scott
https://www.michaelpage.co.uk - Michael Page (not a surprise really.)
https://www.denholmassociates.com - DenholmAssociates
https://www.gilchrist-recruitment.com - Gilchrist Recruitment
I did try, as a test, one London based search and selection specialist. Not a dicky bird was heard from them. Nice website, shame about the service….
https://redgravesearch.com - Redgrave
Come on guys and girls, use the phone. You give us all a bad name.
Conclusion
It is clearly a case of the Emperor’s New Clothes with the above mentioned companies. All show and not substance.
My advice folks with companies of this kind is to just do it yourself and not waste time on them. If you are looking to talk to a search and selection biased entity then you will be of a certain experience and calibre; therefore more than capable.
Me?
Decide to do some part time work, some of which is to give back to society in a couple of care roles.
Oban - the closest major town on the mainland where I spend a lot of time.
what found us offers its clients
Wednesday 13th November - Oban harbour, the town, McCaig’s Tower at night
I am enjoying exploring Oban, where I have now been a handful of times since landing properly on the Isle of Mull. This is my 4th full week on the island and I am thoroughly enjoying it, and being with my wife Claire makes me happy.
With found us I now turn my attention to work; so think it useful to drill down in a post and explain what it is I do for people and businesses.
my full profile - linkedIn
Have a look to who, what, where I am. You’ll see that there is a huge wealth of experience, qualifications, hard work and effort, some luck and being in the right place at the right time, and help from good people; but most of all results and success.
found us - peter cobley - locations
I work across the United Kingdom, and internationally, and I am now located in Tobermory and Oban. I would love to hear from companies based in Tobermory, or for that matter the Isle of Mull, Oban, and Argyll and Bute.
The good news is found us has always worked remotely. I’ve dealt with people and business in China, South Korea, New York and other locations.
So please be aware that being in the Hebrides means nothing to working with people. I’ve always worked this way, enjoy it, and am successful. Face to face meetings can happen quite easily as well, travel not being an issue.
So that’s that one wrapped up.
found us - tobermory - a synopsis
found us can easily work with smaller businesses (or larger) to help grow and utilise their offline and online marketing. This could for example be digitally led using search marketing in the form of PPC and SEO, with the supporting data analysis as to a business’s eCommerce performance. Programmatic forms a core as well, thus allowing for above the line marketing, in addition to below the line.
Offline can incorporate traditional media as based on a cost per thousand (CPT), whether press, print, magazine, broadcast, radio, or ambient for example.
Audio visual (AV) work goes without saying, and we are skilled in this area.
Anyway just read below.
Looking out into the Sound of Mull from Tobermory
services - a by no means definitive list
What I wanted to do here was list, also for basic SEO purposes, what it is I do. This will inform in a somewhat simplistic way what I do.
I’ve never need to optimise for non-brand terms; should be interesting to see how I fare as an example!
services - consultancy - non-executive
I’ve sat on a board of directors since the first such role in 2001 when made a director at a Carlton TV (ITV), which was my first board director role. That I had to learn fast, encounter pain, encounter joy, and think very hard is an understatement.
I built on this first role with further such roles across different businesses, and learnt a lot, was successful, and delivered results.
I suppose if I were to condense the experience I have it would be my being able to start a business, grow it, and sell it. Or join a growing business and grow it further. Or work with a more mature business to make it more efficient or profitable.
Ultimately it all depends on what people want to achieve as their life goals. Something I excel in.
https://www.foundus.co.uk/talk/found-us-consulting
services - consultancy - acting as a director
I can act as a stop gap director if you need one, with a commercial, sales or marketing bias.
services - sales director
I am a good sales director both offline and online. I’ve sold agency, media owner, and client side working on standardised volume sales across to bespoke pitches for a company’s advertising budget. I’ve built sales teams from scratch, managed them, and delivered results.
https://www.foundus.co.uk/talk/found-us-business-development-and-sales
services - executive search and headhunting
found us was initially created in 2014 to focus on executive search and head hunting, based upon the extensive experience, connections, and the knowledge of Peter Cobley.
Senior roles have been placed within a number of known blue chip businesses and smaller independents. Senior roles have been created in businesses where Peter Cobley has applied his board level commercial knowledge.
Have a read to find out more:
https://www.foundus.co.uk/talk/found-us-executive-search-and-headhunting
services - marketing
I come from both online and offline media, with above and below the line experience, helping market my client’s business to customers. Both consumer and trade.
I also partner with friends who act as data specialists across to fractional CMO’s. They can bring a breadth of experience and knowledge to your business.
https://www.foundus.co.uk/talk/found-us-marketing
services - PPC
In 2002 I first came across search marketing at the start of the market when working for GoTo.com/Overture. I am very familiar with utilising search and pay per click marketing to achieve results.
https://www.foundus.co.uk/talk/found-us-search-marketing
services - SEO
A big area for all companies and in the UK very Google centric. An area I am familiar with, where I partner with some of the best SEO techies in the business.
https://www.foundus.co.uk/talk/found-us-search-marketing
services - Programmatic
Arguably the buzz word of digital advertising presently, maybe even the darling child. It has its pros and cons as does any medium. Point is I am very familiar with this area of display, having been around with Blue Lithium or Struq at the very start of it all.
https://www.foundus.co.uk/talk/found-us-and-programmatic-advertising
services - web
I’ve been involved in many web builds and launches and can dig deep into this area, as can the partners I use.
my partners - the hidden ingredient to success
I know a ridiculous amount of people in advertising, marketing, and media, and utilise a number of them in my business as transparent partners. Why?
One man cannot do all, and these friends are at the top of their game whether SEO, eCommerce, web builds, strategy, and the rest.
They are tried and tested friends who have repeatedly delivered for me. Could be a marketing strategy piece, a Shopify build, a media buy - it does not matter.
one for the clients - why found us?
We are knowledgeable, experienced, hard working, and loved by our clients - you are welcome to talk to them.
Being small, with partners, means we are very, very nimble when working with people and businesses.
Ourselves and our partners work transparently, and at any given moment you know where we are against target and cost.
And speaking of cost we are very, very competitive! Why? Because we are small, and as they say perfectly formed.
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.