A December’s working week in photos.
And what a fine place to live and work - Tobermory, Isle of Mull, Oban.
found us
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.
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.
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”
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
2 pictures and 2 different found us
It is a funny old world in my life at found us in terms of locations. I currently type from Costa Coffee in Ashton under Lyne, and Claire was on a walk in Tobermory earlier and sent a photo of the bay. I’ll be there for the Easter hols. Just thought it funny in terms of locations and the juxtaposition of the two images (Tosser use of big word alert.) It is funny how location can alter the business mentality I have, its reception, and how I approach things. For example, Tobermory and Mull lend themselves to calm, thoughtfulness, and a considered approach to life and business and a distinct lack of not chasing money.
Sunday 24th March 2024
Been tidying up the website and discovering some wobbly internal links (D- and must do better as official web master) and thought I’d write a brief entry.
Ashton town centre has been nice today and not crowded, in fact positively civilised. I suspect people are out enjoying the nice weather. Blue sky with fluffy clouds which make me smile as I think of the song Little Fluffy Clouds by The Orb. A legendary song by a legendary duo, and I groan as I now realise it was released in November 1990. Christ on a Bike that was 30 years ago and I was three months into my first year at the University of Lancaster.
I’ll have to head back to the house in Dukinfield for the simple reason I am starving and have food that will otherwise go to waste. But may grab another coffee en route, from Starbucks.
Slow day today in my being sedentary but have already got a lot done on the laptop.
Biz meetings and new business
Am out in Manchester next week if you fancy a catch up and am on the hunt for new business in the form of senior head hunting briefs and consultancy work. But not desperate. Quality not quantity and in the words of Basil Fawlty, no riff raff please.