Thinking - the evening of Thursday 27th February 2025.
Well Keir Starmer is in Washington talking to, or being talked at by Donald Duck. I am in bed typing away and thinking. Smooth Chill Radio is playing some good tunes on the Google Nest Max, and Claire downstairs having a brew with a colleague who has popped over.
This I now realise is how business life can also be for those who choose to make the leap. The leap into living life via your business and not for your business. You may need to do a double take on that sentence, but it does make sense.
I’ve not checked out MAD//Fest in Manchester, which is the advertising, marketing, and media event that has come up from London, and to be honest if you do the maths you’ll realise I’m also not attending since I am in Tobermory and Manchester is a long walk away (and swim.)
But to be honest I’m glad I am not there. I’ve glanced at my LinkedIn feed and can see a lot of posts relating to the event in between the posts of the day from connections. It is withering to be honest; to read, to see, and very ego centric. I used to be like that, maybe not the worse. And I suspect the event has brought all that London has to offer - eyes roll upwards.
My approach to life nowadays has changed to one of living in the moment and action. And I shy away from publicity, grandstanding with statements on social media especially LinkedIn, and can imagine compatriots rubbing shoulders with various job titles and thinking how “good” they are; depending on what you define as “good”.
I prefer now to get on with things and help other people and businesses and if I get paid then great. And if I deliver good results, then great. In fact it makes me smile to hear of a business growing, or people for that matter as a result of my input. It is a healthy approach to my life and that of others. Being transparent and authentic is key to living I now feel. And I’d rather tell a business man x, y, z and that to sort it out he needs to do a, b, c and that I can help and that it will cost money, and this is what he can expect. Simple, honest, straightforward and not a case of milking someone or a business and of being smug about it whether conscious or unconsious.
(Seeing the photos and copy as to MAD//Fest I could only taste smugness.)
found us executive search, and headhunting
When found us came to life in February 2014 it solely worked in executive search and selection across the advertising, marketing, and media industries with a focus on the North UK.
Tobermory 17th November 2024
It does not really matter what you call it, whether executive search and selection or head hunting. The point is Peter Cobley and found us excel in the placement of senior people, in senior roles. Why?
Because of unrivalled personal connections within the industries of advertising, media, and marketing dating back years. There is detailed knowledge of the relevant businesses at senior level, Peter Cobley having worked as a board director for a number of years; in both online and offline channels. And you can ask around as to how well I’m known!
However it is our approach that makes us so, so different to the competitors.
Empathy - Peter Cobley is able to place himself in the shoes of senior people who are looking to move, and of where they might be within themselves as people, their career, their wants and needs. I can help with mentoring and personal development. For my clients I am able to find the right people for a business, understanding where a business and its senior leadership team are heading.
SWOT - Nearly all competitors operate to a brief, which of course I can do. But I can operate outside of the norm, and this all comes down to my commercial experience. I regularly talk to my clients and know their businesses and know where they have a gap or commercial need. I can then discover or match people to fulfil the business need. Likewise, I speak to candidates on the look, who I can then refer to businesses knowing a business has a need. Or I can sell a candidate into a business where I can see a connection - after all I have run and lived business, and am a entrepreneurial person. Thus I’m not slavishly working brief to person, person to brief, which can be very formulaic.
Experience - I have placed a variety of senior roles nationally and internationally. These have included, Managing Director, Broadcast Director, Executive Creative Director, Head of Digital.
Process/reporting - I delight in reporting process during the discovery and hire of a person. Full accountability is a must for clients, and products such as Nutshell, Hubspot, or plain old Excel may be used. Likewise a candidate is consistently kept in the loop.
Analysis - Always analysing the hire, the company, the people, the situation, and the role. I do, where necessary, utilise psychometric tests or personality tests for example. Or I may create a candidate pipeline to look at trends and other observational factor.
Location - I am based in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, with Oban close by as the nearest town. We work though nationally and internationally.