Search engine optimisation in Oban, Tobermory, Argyll and Bute
A business or person listing in SERPS - search engine results pages - can be a much misunderstood process and one shrouded in mystery for most.
Main Street, Tobermory - one of the places I work from
But it is actually quite straight forward.
found us can help you with this area and here is a nice little commentary the practice of Search Engine Optimisation, and of how we can help.
Have a read below and don’t hesitate to say hello.
SEARCH ENGINES
We all use them. Mostly Google in the UK with over 90% of searches coming from this one entity. But when you consider sheer numbers of searches you also need to look to other players. For example Bing.
A search engine is effectively a database of websites across the UK (being UK specific here.) A user types a search and results are delivered on a web page, know as a SERP or search engine results pages. The viewer clicks on their desired result (also known as listing or from a Geek point of view, snippet) and is taken to that website.
Here I am talking about natural listings and the paid for ones (separate article to come on this area) commonly know as Sponsored Links and normally positioned to the top of the results page.
Technically all business is a numbers game. The more people though the shop door, the more likelihood of a sale. And you encourage potential purchasers of a product or service by stock positioning, attractive packaging, price, accessibility (is it in stock?)
Same applies, as has been discovered, to the web. The online shop so to speak. A customer finds you via a big shopping mall (Google) after typing in a search query. They decided to enter your store versus others by clicking on the search result. Your search result is your invitation to a potential consumer.
On then clicking the link the user is taken to a website. From here a number of factors come into play.
Think of all of this as a sales process as defined by the acronym for the sales structure AIDA.
Attention - obtain a customers attention within the many results that are shown.
Interest - create interest via your result title and body copy (known as a Result, Listing or Snippet.)
Desire - match the customer need with your product or service benefits as detailed in the result, snippet, or listing.
Action - on creating desire we stimulate the customer to click on your result.
The searcher has a need we want them to fulfil this by their clicking on your search engine result, and being taken to your product or service. Your part to play is well written copy that captures the searcher’s attention and matches the need they have as expressed in the search. We’ll come onto the actual website after that.
A SIMPLE 2 STEP PROCESS - SEARCH TO CLICK AND WEBSITE
STEP 1 SEARCH TO CLICK
It is NOT simply about copy writing with SEO - search engine optimisation. Well it is, but there is a little more to it.
You have to really go back to basics before even looking to a website. And you can blow a lot of marketing money on an ill produced website.
Our task is to match the search intentions of the customer. In search we refer to brand and non-brand terms. Brand terms relate to your business brands including products and services. Non brand refers to all other terms. For example “Coca-Cola" versus “soft drink”. And you need to optimise for both.
Search Terms / Search Queries
Q: how is someone going to find you via a search on a search engine?
A: use you pre-existing knowledge of the customer and your marketing. Blend with what you observe from online and search data.
Remember the acronym - WHATS.
What do you make? How do you make it? To what area to you sell to? To whom do you sell to? What special features do you have?
You need to get back to basics and evaluate what you make and sell, whether service or product. And what might be exclusive to you. Such information can form the basis of deciding what search terms you wish to use for your business, its product, its service.
You need to understand who your customer is and get inside their head. How do they think? How are they likely to find your product via a search engine query/search terms?
This can be aligned with offline point of sale and marketing activities. How would someone find you in the “real world”? How would they find you in a shopping mall, a superstore? How does your ambient media appeal to users? We need to get back to basics of how we meet a customer’s need at the point in time when that need coalesces?
Search engines are databases and there is analogy with a big shopping mall, or superstore. How does the customer find the shop you sell from or the product on the shelf if they were to ask the passer by?
For example we are a business that runs a hotel in Oban, where there are many other hotels and accommodation providers. You know from your marketing and customers that you are found via people asking about “hotels in Oban”, “hotels in Argyll and Bute”, or the name of your hotel “Peter Cobley Hotel”. You now have queries that translate well to the web.
Online data and research
Search words, search queries, keywords, search terms are basically one in the same thing. It is what the searcher enters into a search engine.
We are now beginning to build up brand and non-brand search terms.
But we also have a wealth of online data that we can mine from our website, free, and paid for tools. Examples can be Google’s Analytics, or Search Console, or some very sexy paid for tools.
Zapier have kindly provided a neat article: The 11 Best SEO Tools in 2025.
Search listing, snippet, website copy
This is where we go back to AIDA - the sales process that applies in all cases. It is a crucial fact that life for people is not divided into web and non-web. But as businesses we can think this way.
Your search engine copy and web copy is your traditional point of sale and both must interact with each other, customer, and a search query. It should fluidly follow the searcher’s thinking “I need a hotel in Oban, I can see Peter Cobley Hotel, and the hotel is both central and showing a 10% offer. I’ll have a look and click”.
Pixie dust and magic
I am not going to go into the more technical side of things. But the following rules apply when it comes to getting “good” search engine results for your chosen search terms.
The higher up the listings on SERPS mean more clicks.
Getting the higher positions can involve “working” the hidden stuff that makes Google what it is, Bing what it is etc.
You may have heard of PageRank, algorithms, viewing and click rates. Blah, blah, blah. But don’t panic - it is not as complex as you think.
Paid listings (PPC, Pay per click) interact with each natural search engine results.
How your website performs is a factor in your position for a search term.
I AM NOT GOING to cover this bit off, suffice to say we know about it in detail and can explain all to you. AND the above is not a definitive list.
The view from the found us office
STEP 2 LISTING TO WEBSITE
Copy and “themes”
When the user arrives on the website it is ideal that the copy reflects the search term they used especially a specific one relating to product or service. The same principles apply as in any offline sales process. For example, if we have successfully navigated the user searching for Christmas pud to the relevant aisle and Christmas pud cannot be located then we have wasted a lot of marketing effort, unless our particular customer is happy to search.
Same applies for the click from listing to website. If you drop the user onto the home page when they are searching specifically, e.g. “double room in Oban hotel” then don’t be surprised of a high bounce rate as users leave the site.
Thematic copy and process is so important. And what do I mean by this? The user is following a train of thought and we have to mirror this in the copy and it positioning.
This is where skill comes in as we look to the very bare bones of a website and how it functions as both a sales, information, or tool vehicle.
I have focused on retail in this post but am at pains to explain that not all websites sell product and service, and that the above does also apply.
It is about structuring your website of linking its copy and disparate parts to search terms and listings, of optimising for what the customer wants and needs of a website. OF NOT OVER OPYTIMISING FOR SEO and so reducing a customer facing means of engagement to a mere amalgam of search terms.
Conversion rates
They all stack up if things are done correctly. AND I did say at the start that it is a numbers game.
You appear on page one of the SERPS for terms, thus reaching a large number of searchers.
You have a good click through rate of good, qualified customers on your search engine listings.
The customers who hit your website stay as the content is relevant.
The customers convert to sales or whatever metric you work by beacuse they want what you offer.
We can deliver on the above for you, and it is NOT EXPENSIVE OR COMPLEX, and we can teach you how to do it yourself. No need for an agency, and we will be the first to advise this.
OUR SEARCH ENGINE CREDENTIALS - WHY PETER COBLEY AND FOUND US
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.
Teamwork in its purest form
Sunday 7th July 2024, end of our Wansfell Category race, 24th out of 92 teams overall, 8th Vets out of 40 teams, and 11th out of 48 mixed teams.
So my wife Claire and I completed the 2024 Saunders Mountain Marathon over the weekend just gone, and when thinking about a found us blog post to write realised it is a good example of what is teamwork in what is a stressful environment, not to mention the weather.
Erm. What is a Mountain Marathon?
You may know what fell running is, it is the English for mountain running. It comes from The Lake District where it originated from, hence to term fell. The word fell comes from the old Norse for mountain.
Fell running is therefore running and racing on mountains. Note, we don’t really have mountains in England so it is more about running up and down hills, and it is not exclusively in the Lake District any longer. Funnily enough the sport originated out of gambling, when the Victorian rich and aristocrats would travel via the new train system to the Lakes and their Estates, gambling on the prowess of their boys who worked their land racing up and down hills in competition against other lads working the land from other estates. In effect Victorian upper class types gambling against each other, with the lads able to win sizeable life changing purses of money versus herding sheep.
Orienteering is where you run in a competition against others navigating off a map via checkpoints. And you need to be good at navigation!
The Mountain Marathon combines the two and is unique to fell running and orienteering in the British Isles. You have a weekend and run with a partner across a course in the Lakes carrying all you gear including tent and cooking kit to a half way camp, and on the following day do the same. It is about fell running, navigation, and of choosing your route, yes your route, to pick up checkpoints whilst trying to find the best navigational lines, and completing each day at the fastest pace. It is jolly good fun, challenging, and team work is vital. And weather can take an event in the Lakes and turn it completely on its head…
Team work - a definition.
Teamwork in my words is about one or more people working together to do something. It is that simple and does not need dressing up, but for the purists here is the Collins Dictionary definition.
teamwork
(tiːmwɜːʳk )
uncountable noun
Teamwork is the ability a group of people have to work well together.
Today's complex buildings require close teamwork between the architect and the builders.
Synonyms: cooperation, collaboration, unity, concert More Synonyms of teamwork
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
So there we have the definition. The official dictionary one, yet all of us know what teamwork is. We a a species are not that daft.
Using the Saunders MM, what is my take on teamwork?
Teamwork with a fell race as the medium
Teamwork means you have to work together to achieve something. As you cannot or choose not to do it alone. Sometimes you have choice of fellow team mate, sometimes you do not.
And teamwork is not purely I now realise the sole preserve of business; it happens in all spheres of life. With the wife, the children, on a holiday trip, having dinner, blah, blah, blah. Teamwork encompasses us as people as human beings very rarely function in isolation, and that applies for a lot of the animal world as well.
Some observations and tips.
Pick your team mate if you can, but not always the case. You see I am married to Claire and she is my Soulmate and understands how I tick in the physical and spiritual planes. Sounds funky, but is important. Humans are creatures of emotion and spirituality and that is how they work together, apart from the obvious physical task.
Chose your team mate if you can (even if nuts.)
So you need to be attuned to emotions, a person’s spirituality, and baggage. You have to make an emotional and spiritual connection for teamwork to serve its purpose. So in our case, Claire and I needed to follow a course on a map as fast as possible and with minimal navigational snafus. This is the task and pretty obvious, yet driving the task are people - Claire and I. And we function differently. And this is not simply about gender. Claire compared to me looks at the world differently and has different worldly objectives and dreams as driven by self, as moulded by her life experiences.
I want to win and become frustrated at being slow. I can thus shortcut. My emotional electricity drives me to run, to win, to achieve as I have past baggage of not being good enough.
Claire wants to enjoy and be careful with navigation, and within the world of orienteering fell running this is vital. She sees the beauty of the Lakeland fells and not just the race. It is an experience for her. She also wants to enjoy, and this does not mean she won’t push herself. She wants to be certain of where she has been, is, will go. Her emotional baggage is to be safe, secure, placed, in control.
Now if you cross compare we have two competing interests that won’t lead to two people reading a map correctly, agreeing on route, or running together at a directional unified pace. Yikes.
But we as a couple have to understand each others emotional and spiritual electricity, of how we see the world, of our place in the world, and how we interpret and filter it. The task is obvious, what is not is figuring out how we connect.
In practice we leverage my drive, sense of winning, myopic focus. With Claire we can leverage her ability to see the bigger picture, see outside of the narrow channel of my vision. I provide uncertainty and risk, taking navigational decisions where all information is not available. Claire provides the caution. Steadies my vigour. She understands my emotional and spiritual drives, but explains them to me with logic and emotion.
I leverage and utilise Claire’s sense of caution, or seeing beyond the singular route and thought process I have to hand. She reminds me of the team, the joint effort, of looking at where we are together - the beauty of it all.
I have to accept Claire, she has to accept me - emotionally, spiritually, baggage and all, for us to function as a unit. And this is the key to team work, and human relations.
Get Spiritual.
And then there is environment
Environment can be a benefit or pain in the bum depending on where you are, and let us not forget time and need.
In our case, we had the possibilty of rain hanging over us for Saturday and Sunday afternoons, especially Sunday from 11am. And this makes for hard running on the fells; difficult and what can be treacherous navigation.
The sun was out and it was humid, and climbing hills, running, bog and tussock hoping meant the sweat dripped off us, and led to occasional frayed tempers. 95% me, 5% Claire.
Something I have to work on is how I choose to let environment and its people affect me. It is a defect of mine. We were obviously under time pressure and objective achievement. And this does not have to be up a hill near Hawswater, it can be on the way to the airport, pulling a business pitch together, managing the kids at a footie match and so on.
Don’t be Pete, be like Claire - at one with what’s about you.
One has to remember we have choice and control over our actions, but not those of the place we find ourselves in and its people - always remember the phrase people, places, things. Let go and focus on you and how you filter or interpret what I have just mentioned. Consider your relationship with that which is outside of you, utilising empathy and understanding to ensure a goal, dream, objective is achieved.
So you can let (in my case) sweat, a steep hill, the sun, the humidity, your rucksack and the list goes on, affect you and thus your team mate. Don’t. They are merely objects if you like in their own right.
Teamwork comes from not just working with team mate, from the people, places, things. It comes from how we chose to interact with them.
Don’t forget we have to work with place (environment), people (covered this), time (but we can make our time), the objective (goal, dream, desire), things.
It is how we govern our spiritual and emotional relationship to them, and not the people, places, things themselves that truly matters.
So with teamwork
Yes do focus on the task at hand. And -
Know your emotional, spiritual attributes, and baggage. And don’t view them as positive or negative. View them as they are, and harness them.
Try to understand your team mate’s emotional, spiritual attributes, and baggage. Harness them.
With understanding and playing to your own and another’s way of ticking you make a connection and two or more become one unit. And the task can then come into play.
A taste of honey. (disposed, disruptive, dysfunctional.)
The dysfunctional, the dispossessed, the disruptors will always have hope.
A Taste of Honey - Rita Tushingham and Paul Danquah in the 1961 film.
I was studying English A Level at All Hallows RC High School (now All Hallows Catholic College) when I discovered Sheila Delaney’s A Taste of Honey. The late and great Gerry Campbell, an influential Teacher was Cousin to Sheila Delaney, and I was also lucky to be taught by Anne Goddard, a marvellous English Teacher.
It is an important play for me and my education as it was one of the many stimuli that kick started a process of thinking and challenge, think and challenge those social givens and of how we can all be sheep, but don’t have to accept societal stereotypes. I was to lose myself many years later, gradually, painfully, and without awareness; but thankfully I can and do remember so much from my past, which in coming back to me reminds me of my loner individual self, and of challenging social mores and beliefs. And there is nowt wrong with that.
What an earth do I mean by this? Jo, the lead character in the play leaves behind social norms at the time by openly not observing them, by doing what is right for her.
Arguably she is forced into action by circumstance and is thus not a disruptor, to use a more modern term. But a disruptor she is by her not conforming to norm, to being that solo operator. In her dysfunctional environment she has to be dysfunctional herself, part of and necessary for everything to function as it is. Yet also for change to occur. Whether by voluntary or involuntary cognition. Sometimes though it is the Universe that plays the role of disruptor and we are merely swept along.
This was all something that I latched onto. My childhood background was broken, disfunction, chaotic, destructive; and with time, recovery, help, and education I came to see that like all in life it is both a positive and negative, a yin and yang, a good and a bad. And that I was swept along to where I am now; ultimately guided by the Universe and what its plans are for me.
I now see that disfunction about me led to my disfunction in society and personally. Now this was not necessarily all good as it caused a lot of chaos and hurt over the years. And I suspect this the case for a lot of people I know, especially in addiction and advertising and maybe all of us. Addiction and Advertising - where does one start and the other stop?
But disfunction is a synonym for disruption, and now realise that my disruption created change and development, though the journey painful.
The case for disfunction.
I think now that I am still disruptive and have learnt to harness this. You see, there is an opposite for all in life, and the bad that came with my being disruptive, is now turned to good.
I look back and now see that all those disruptive people were and are able to see the gaps in the artifice that is normality, or what people present as normal, given, or societal norms. And they are able to open those gaps up, split apart the veneer of artifice, in fact shatter it and replace it with something new. Sadly this is where disruptors fall down, as one commonality is failure to deliver on what they disrupt or to follow through on what they start. This is something I had to learn about.
I think my advertising career and for a lot of achievers in life and business is disjointed, disruptive, leading to great results, but also great failure. But we can change the defects, the faults, learn from the mistakes. We are disruption and thus we are change, and we can change self, environment, the current balance and status quo, and this can be the artifice I talk of.
Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek - President Barack Obama
I think now my mentoring, career advice, and help of other can focus on these disruptors, to harness the positive element and assuage the negative which is something that you can never really remove. To receive help from others, emboldens one to give back what was freely given to you. And that is what I must do. You see these disruptors who are also dispossessed of much (normally emotional, spiritual succour) make change in life and drive development, and I honestly believe that these flawed people who look so hard for that “something” can and should be engines of change, for their and the common good.)
It is every man’s obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it - Albert Einstein
I seek to harness my learned disruption to bring about change, where the Universe needs and compels it. And help others do the same. In a business and personal life.
Advertising disruptors I welcome you. I wish to meet and help more of you in your careers and your lives, because you don’t need to go through what I went through. All of us who are older, and maybe wiser, have a duty to pass down what we have learnt.
As I said with this picture which I love, earlier in the piece, a still from the 1961 film, “The dysfunctional, the dispossessed, the disruptors will always have hope.” And I strongly believe this. Hope for themselves and others. They in their broken way seek self-attainment (see Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and similar.)
Imagine! All these wonderful people who can see and wiggle through the gaps present in the norms of society, the bore of society, the status quo, the life we may all be trapped in, and make news things, ways of being, living, thinking, behaving. Making wonderful things.
As night draws to a close, dawn arises and we can each of us start a new day. And each of us can chose to be a change for good.
Recognise and embrace you are a disruptor.
Do you have baggage or trauma within your life? Do you drive yourself in all areas, and have you really asked why? Is your driven behaviour, breaking and making things a means of distraction from your history, what you think on?
Does your disruption cause change, but can this vacillate between good and bad? Have you built as much as you have torn down, or has fallen down?
Is this all cyclical?
Do you want change, but don’t know how to?
Is it a case of knowing how to harness your skills in the right direction, and to then fulfil on what you have started? You light the fire but fail to put it out, or stoke it.
Feel free to contact me, have a chat, a sit down, a Zoom. Whatever. I’ve been there and know how to talk about it, and make change. It is not easy. Not at all. But it can be done.
4 horsemen of the apocalypse, 4 good bosses
This post is about what constituted a good boss for me when employed. I am now self-employed and have been for a while. In about 10 weeks I’ll mature to 53 years of age, so have had a number of direct or indirect bosses, though not since 2014, and to be honest don’t miss being employed in the industry that I was in, and if you read a piece I’d written elsewhere you’d understand why.
So what and who did I think was a good boss and what do 4 horsemen have to do with it all?
Wikipedia - for brevity….
Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse[1] are figures in the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Bible, a piece of apocalypse literature attributed to John of Patmos. Similar allusions are contained in the Old Testament books of Ezekiel and Zechariah, written about six centuries prior. Though the text only provides a name for the fourth horseman, subsequent commentary often identifies them as personifications of Conquest (Zelus), War (Ares), Famine (Limos), and Death (Thanatos).
Please note that there is no chronological order to these bosses.
My 4 good ex-Bosses
They are in fact opposites of the 4 horsemen. If you read below I explain.
I learnt if you act the opposite to appalling bosses, then you become good management, and this did work for me. I was not the best but had no real intention of subjected to the styles of Victor Synott across to Jim Brigden or Warren Burke for example.
Being young and stupid I did the opposite to those with poor man management who resorted to bullying, interspersing their styles with dashes of immorality, and smatterings of sheer cruelty.
But there was more to it that doing the opposite as that only lasts so long. I had to have people I could learn from, who would teach me, who cared, who in fact cared for my growth as a person and not a mere employee. People I could out for a drink with after work in London on a Friday, knackered and frazzled, and pour my heart out to them. People I now realise who were just as bat shit crazy, but a little older and experienced, cared about people not wanting them to emulate mistakes they’d made, or simply have a crap day or career.
I learnt so much from these four and thank you.
Conquest for me is Taryn Newlove (Dr Taryn Bashford as she is now)
The opposite? Not succumbing to conquest of self, from all sides.
I learnt from Taryn how it is possible to overcome prejudice, adversity; whilst pursuing a dream. And Taryn taught me how to be tough and fair, whilst she took a barrage of sexism in the advertising field; with my suspecting her South African heritage standing her in good stead. She was never shy in saying what she thought to people, me included.
I first met Taryn when she became my boss at Carlton TV in the Halcion days of my media career in London in the early 2000’s. I was, ahem, a handful to say the least and the industry up and down like a yo-yo.
Pretty, intelligent and most importantly a SAFFER.
If you are to read her LinkedIn profile or learn about Taryn, she has brought up two wonderful kids, taken a career change into writing and academia and done very well.
She is now an Associate Director at The University of Queensland and very happy pursuing her dream.
I learnt a lot about responsibility, teamwork, and about how to be a good boss, and look after people. Taryn extoled the rule of giving people empowerment and responsibility and control over their destiny. This was her South African ethos; just get on with it in your own style and achieve the objective.
War for me is Carol Dukes
The opposite to war? Don’t go to war, be the thinker, the Strategist.
Carol Dukes was behind Emap Online and then Carlton Online, where I was one of her employees, is and was one of the cleverest people I have met with a common touch.
I learnt from her that all out warfare in business, especially the advertising community and in the dotcom boom, is and will always be a pointless, vanity led, wasteful, and crippling project.
Carol successfully built and led from the front the fast paced and leading digital media business at the start of the rollercoaster ride in 1998 that was to become Joe Public embracing The Web. This was Carlton Online, part of Carlton TV, one of the biggest franchise operators of ITV.
To see her operate as the consummate Strategist avoiding warfare with rival Media Owners who were literally throwing millions into digital, when we working with fookin’ dial up modem, and Flash was thought to be funky, was amazing to see and learn from.
I learnt so much about not playing the game, not picking up the ball, avoiding confrontation and being good at self, colleagues, and what your business does. I learn this from Carol.
There is one thing that has always stuck with me. One day I was dealing with an individual at Mindshare (WPP) who was not happy with the media rate we were charging. So he went above my head and called Carol, who backed up my decision despite this person and agency being a major play with budgets we needed. She simply said something to me that has stuck and been oft quoted many, many times:
“Too much, too soon, too young”. Always the Teacher. It was her way of keeping me grounded.
Viktor Mikhaylovich Vasnetsov
Famine for me is Phil Rooke
Now you may think this an odd one if you know Phil Rooke. I shall explain. Phil as my direct boss at Carlton Online was on the senior management leadership team with Carol Dukes and basically led sales and commercial affairs. From him I learnt the opposite of famine which is growth and harvest, and Phil is, was exceptional as to this. He grew businesses because he knows how to grow people.
He helped found business with limited “advertising space” to sell in the oh so early days of digital marketing, and was a true creative at the creation of products and services to be sold to clients. Always at the forefront of new things. A natural curosity. For God’s sake he chose Microlight flying as a hobby!
I learnt that you can always find and make opportunities in times of famine, and Phil showed me this and much more, with his having a erudite mind, caring for people, and always being creative. I learnt to think out of the box from Phil. Always looking for a solution.
And this is why if you look to Phil’s profile you’ll see a true entrepreneur. But crucially someone who realised, leverage, and taught me that businesses are made of people, so nourish them; but what was special was that this is natural to Phil.
Death for me is Richard Firminger
Why death and why Richard Firminger? The opposite of death is life, rebirth, rising from the ashes, achievement over adversity. He is someone I admire for what he has achieved, of obstacles overcome, and for never giving up.
Richard was my boss when at Yahoo! UK & Ireland, and I think he can be summed up with the care and help he showed me when I was off ill in 2007 with clinical depression for three months. He understood and helped coax me back to returning to work when broken. He himself had not had it easy, also occupying very senior and stressful roles. I looked to him and thought, if he can do it, I can do it.
When you look to his profile he is like the other three, plus being a true achiever. Richard was in a very challenging position at Overture as it proceeded to be shoe horned into Yahoo! UK & Ireland. He had to deal with some absolute Yahoo! types who had and probably still do have the morals of an alley cat, and I am being diplomatic when I say that.
A leader, entrepreneur, yet he demonstrated the opposite to death in a personal and business context, whereby he kept coming back. And as a sales and commercial type I learnt so much from this, and in recent years his rubbing off on me probably was one of those subconscious factors in my never giving up, of embracing and loving the fact that the opera is not over until the fat lady sings, and of making sure you put a chair against her stage room door so she cannot get out. Richard is one of those. I suspect he stuck two fingers up at the Yahoo! Cronies and was always one of the team, and fondly thought of by his ex-team today. If you know Firminger’s story it is one of clearly snatching victory out of the jaws of defeat, and whilst showing the flaws we all have as humans, coming out on top for self and others.
Saint-Sever Beatus
But what was the common theme?
Across all 4 people is a common theme that I picked up on. Each of these people has their own style and idiosyncrasies. Just like we all do. But each one follows the golden rule:
The Golden Rule is the principle of treating others as one would want to be treated by them. It is sometimes called an ethics of reciprocity, meaning that you should reciprocate to others how you would like them to treat you (not necessarily how they actually treat you). Various expressions of this rule can be found in the tenets of most religions and creeds through the ages.[1] Wikipedia.
I suppose I can also finish with the following, namely you get what you give. The Universe I am convinced operates and lives in a most sarcastic form of Karma. Do you want to be the dog that has its day? All these three people were great bosses because they helped people on the way up. Others don’t and I know a few. And when you fall you need help. And in my game people can and do piss on you if you plummet when saddled with a questionable reputation. And you can fall at any time.
We always have a Wildcard in life and the Universe
And it comes in the form of an Insiad Graduate from whom I learnt so, so much and helped cement and grow my commercial and legal knowledge. This man was not a direct boss but I worked closely with him at Carlton/ITV, and smile fondly at our commercial sessions together.
He fascinated me with his acumen, whit; saddened me with his life story, and held me astounded with his tales. This man is so posh, yet was our Henry V and we were his band of brothers. He operates within an orbit that only star ships do. This is a man who appeared in a US Court in his pyjamas in the middle of nowhere to argue his case. He is very intelligent and bat shit crazy, and one of the most caring and thoughtful people I met in my time in London, despite his operating in shark ridden environment working with the likes of David Cameron before Pork Loins entered politics.
You know who you are and thank you.
I still remember you barracking me in the depths of the The Media Centre on Great Titchfield Street as I desperately fought your intellect as you asked me which bit did I not understand? I still don’t understand a lot if honest, but learnt so much from you.
Eduard von Steinle
Mental Health, Paediatric, and Emmergency First Aid at Work.
A short blog post to say thanks to the team at Millie’s Trust who took me through 3 excellent first aid courses, and one of which Mental Health First Aid will greatly assist me with my voluntary work, and now makes me a member of MHFA England.
The charity was set up in 2014 by Joanne and Dan Thompson to provide sensibly priced but comprehensive first aid courses for non-professionals such as you and I.
This all resulted out of the tragic choking death of their daughter Millie. With Dan and Joanne recognising a need for adequate first aid training.
The charity has trained over 40,000 people in first aid and will have undoubtably have saved lives. And I think it so important that we take the opportunity to learn about saving lives in the time it takes for the professional people to arrive on the scene of an emergency.
Did you know for example that a first aider with CPR knowledge and armed with an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) can increase the success rate when dealing with a cardiac arrest up to 75%? That’s someone’s life - a son, a daughter, a wife, a husband, maybe even you?
Have a look at a video I took of Dan Thompson showing a group how to use an AED.
Where’s Wally?
Well…. Not exactly true, but it amused me indeed to think of the analogy. Suffice to say that Wally is in fact the eminent Tom Cheesewright, Applied Futurist, and long standing contact.
We caught up today in cavernous Foundation on Whitworth Street. A Metrolink tram from Ashton into the bowels of Piccadilly and then a walk to the coffee shop. Passing the beautiful old buildings that line the route, and including what were the old UMIST buildings. Which makes me think of my age.
Tom was, and is always on good form and a cheerful wind blowing into my somewhat vacant mind. Especially when food comes into play, and it was lunchtime. Always a distraction. That said I ended up having a coffee and instead ate on returning home.
It has been a while since we caught up and it was good to chat as to market and economic trends. We both tried to figure out when we might see an upturn in economic conditions, different to sentiment. Labour will get into power we agreed, and with this we will see a rise in positive sentiment amongst the population and those that consume. But this won’t manifest itself properly as an upturn for business, taking aside Christmas, until Q3 of 2025; so quite a while away.
Tom is perfectly fine, strongly supported with his speaking, consulting as a pre-eminent Futurist for leading brands, and also representing other notable public speakers.
I’ve always felt he deserved to do well because not only does he have what it takes, he took the plunge and followed his dream to success and reputation when no one knew what the heck a Futurist is. I’d always recommend him.
Please do make sure that you read up on what TC gets up to in his life; it makes for great reading. And I was quite fascinated when he mentioned he is producing and delivering a Podcast for the BBC.
Tom also runs Pomona Partners, representing a number of leading speakers. A highly recommended look for those needing expert speakers.
Tom like me enjoys reading and is an avid consumer of educational books, and recommended the following by Peter Etchells. I’m interested in a book (having read Irresistible) that talks about having a positive relationship with tech, social media, and mobiles. I’ve used one of my Audible credits for it.
The Amazon precis reads, “Professor Pete Etchells studies the way we use screens, and how they can affect us. In UNLOCKED, he delves into the real science behind the panic about our alleged device addiction and withering attention spans. Armed with the latest research, he reveals how little we have to fear, and the great deal we have to gain, by establishing a more positive relationship with our screens. That begins with asking ourselves some essential questions about how we use them.
Instead of clamouring for us to ditch our devices (before guiltily returning to the same old habits), UNLOCKED is a sustainable, realistic and vital guide to transforming our connection with technology.”
Jones and Kershaw.
It is Sunday 28th April as I type, and I think back to Wednesday of this week when I caught up with two old and treasured contacts.
The first coffee in Haunt on Peter Street was with Simon Jones who I have known for a number of years. Simon Jones heads up Wavemaker Studio and has made a massive impact to the business with the set up and growth of this area, especially where media budgets are showing contraints as are margins for agencies.
It was a good chat as to life, family, and business. And it is tough times for a lot of people in and outside of our business. Heading in to meet Si, I felt Manchester busy for mid-week, but not as busy nor vibrant as I would expect. But good old Wavemaker Manchester under the steady and capable hands of Emma Slater is doing well, and also in new Quay Street offices.
Amusingly after Haunt we headed to Greggs on St Peter’s Square for a pizza slice for Si, sausage roll and ring donut with sprinkly things for me, and kindly paid for by Si. Off he went, and I kept myself busy before seeing Jon Kershaw at Ditto Coffe on Oxford Street.
Forgot to photo snap Jon at Ditto Coffee, so apologies Mr Kershaw I used LinkedIn instead.
Where do I start with Jon Kershaw? Someone I have known for a number of years and highly respect. An example of being able to get to a senior role in this game and retain being a nice chap, someone who cares, and runs a good business.
Jon heads up PHD in Manchester, and the agency has a roster of good clients, staff, and is widely respected. Jon is a strategist and thinker at heart and we enjoyed a good chat and vague attempts at forecasting the marketplace and when it would pick up. We think, and I use this loosely, that improvement or even stability probably won’t be seen until at least Q3 next year. There is a lot going on globally, and there is also a concern of a potential shift of advertising clients to London, and their not recognising the strength of the North. We may pitch against each other, but if one agency loses a client to London, then we all lose.
And as I have said before London looks after London.
I suspect people and businesses in the advertising industry (all emcompassing term that covers all disciplines and the offline/online split) are treading water some gracefully as a summer swan, others a fresh unsure and rain drenched Cygnet. But better to float than sink in my opinion, and I always believe that in times of uncertainty we have opportunity, as change can breathe afresh in turned soil. Sometimes we need re-ploughing, when we risk growing in the same vein.
Ancoats Coffee, Guy Levine, Ditto Coffee, Craig Johnson.
A nice day was had yesterday in Manchester. A tram from Ashton for an afternoon coffee with Guy Levine, and a second with Craig Johnson.
It was a pleasant day indeed and a nice walk from New Islington Metrolink stop between Ashton to Rochdale Canals for Ancoats Coffee and Guy Levine.
I have known Guy for many years and we both enjoy our chats as to life and all that entails. Guy is an entrepreneur behind Return.co and Abe & Co. Let me tell you more.
Return is digital marketing agency that focuses on customer journey and how to achieve that. A business I have worked with for years.
Abe & Co is a speciality coffee roaster set up by Guy, that my wife and I buy coffee from. It is quality, unique, hard to find and beautiful coffee. And that reminds me that I need to get some coffee on order for Dukinfield.
I’ve caught up with Guy over the years chatting as to all sorts and sharing a love of cycling and Zwift (the male advertising mid-life crisis go to), plus Guy’s family and beliefs something he is so passionate about and to be admired for. Through thick and thin I have been able to stand on the shoulders of a giant, and I thank him for his support.
Next meeting involved a 15-20 minute walk through Ancoats into Piccadilly Gardens and down Portland Street to meet Craig Johnson outside Ditto Coffee on Oxford Street.
Craig is someone I again have known for a number of years and like Guy a good hearted, caring, confidential, and professional person. He always considers his staff and clients and looks after them. We have caught up many times over the years and have become friends, with the coffee catch up at Ditto a natter as to business, family, life and the rest. Highly enjoyable.
Another person I admire. A family man who cares for his wife and boys, and driven in business but proof that you don’t need to be horrible or an arse to achieve in this game.
Speaking of which Craig is currently CEO of Ultimedia in Manchester, and his knowledge of eCommerce and digital marketing is second to none.
I said a fond goodbye to Craig and made my way via Whitworth Street to Piccadilly for the Metrolink tram back to Ashton.
Finishing off with Big Trouble in Little China
Great Easter Sunday with a mixture of stuff, the house to myself and writing this post to a long overdue viewing of a classic film. Youngsters watch it. Watch it now! (And Escape from New York.)
This blog entry is light hearted and nothing to do with work, advertising, and consultancy. More designed for those bored enough to read what I get up to on an Easter Sunday when not yabbering on about found us.
So the day started well early, 5am I think and that was taking into account the clocks going forward an hour. Between then and 9am I got a heck of a lot done sorting things for Claire coming down tomorrow from Scotland. Then back to bed as shattered and still suffering from a cough for which I’m on antibiotics. Meanwhile as I slept Claire made her way from Mull to Oban.
I awoke and climbed out of bed.
Plan was to head to Denton to repair one of the shared bikes at ANEW, then transport Claire’s road bike back ready for heading to Scotland. The bike has been down here a while. All ready to go and the washed out feeling hit me again from the aftermath of the cold and the cough. Back to bed for what must have been a couple of hours. Mind you I did listen on Audible timer to 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, a highly recommended read and one that fits in with my belief system.
Got up and checked where Claire was on the campervan tracker. She was heading to Hamilton via the scenic route through Callander avoiding Easter Sunday traffic in the Trossachs and the Loch Lomond route.
Me? It was getting into Denton part 2, and this time I was ready. Whilst heading for the bus I listened to an absolute banger on Spotify - Sugar is Sweeter by CJ Bolland.
Got to Denton and said hello to the lads, made a brew, and proceeded to fix a punctured tyre with a new inner tube. Which proved to be hard as the tyre was very tight on the rim.
Task accomplished only to realise the front of said bike has a flat and needs new front brakes…. Claire’s bike had the front wheel removed and it was placed into a bike bag. Now, you are not allowed bikes on Stagecoach buses even in bags but I strode to the bus stop bike bag on shoulder and the kindly bus drivers let me on; important as I was pushed for time needing to get back for a kind lift from Mark to a meeting. On getting back I realised Claire’s bike had a puncture on the front tyre on the seam of the inner tube, so effectively knackered.
On arrival at the meeting and set up, the weather had dropped in temperature making it a tad nippy with a wind. But we had a good meeting nonetheless despite being thin on the ground over the Easter weekend. I took three photos of Christ Church in Ashton with its wonderful organ that was built 6 years before the death of Queen Victoria. And I received a lovely present in the form of a book of walks for Mull and Iona from my friend Debbie.
Returned home to home made stew and the delight of being able to watch Big Trouble in Little China. Legendary. And also replaced the inner tube on the front wheel of Claire’s bike. Oh, and have munched away on Lotus Biscoff chocolate biscuits. Ah……
Smile, because we can.
Smile because you can, and Varley and I did in order to goad the excellent David Edmundson-Bird. Why? Because he refuses to smile despite an excellent write up on ChatGPT.
Today involved a good couple of hours with a fav’ person in a fav’ convenient haunt. I travelled in today to Carluccio’s in Manchester Piccadilly for a personal and business chat with Mr Mark Varley, and useful it proved indeed. Carluccio’s is buried deep in my memory of meetings. Never too busy, good coffee, good food, friendly staff, and great when you cannot be arsed walking into the NQ, especially when it’s pissing it down.
It was a good meeting chatting as to consultancy, speaking events at Lancaster University, the industry, family, across to the elections in the UK and US. Connection is something that is so important to me. From a business perspective; yes, we all get that. But we also benefit spiritually and emotionally from meeting peers.
David Edmundson-Bird
There was connection. I shall explain. I noticed Mr E-B had written a cracker of an article on ChatGPT and of worthy reading. Prescient, knowledgeable, and explains the bleeding obvious impact on your SEO amongst other things. However I felt he ought to smile. He pointed out that smiling was weakness and the conversation deteriorated into black humoured banter thereof. So Mark and I thought we’d smile for him (and wind him up.)
Do read E-B’s article because it makes important points as to the conflict of AI, brand integrity, useability, and honesty.
Manchester, NQ, Peeps, Metrolink Ticket Collectors, The Rozzers, Ashton.
The always ever cheerful Richard Gregory
A good day was had in unexpected cold and the slight rain of the NQ in Manchester where I met three people I had not met in a while. Only one gets a photo mention as I forgot to snap the other two. But never mind. The journey home was livened up by people being nicked off trams at Piccadilly for ticket evasion. Life is never dull in Madchester. (Oh, and I had an enjoyable few minutes perusing Fred Aldous in the NQ for gift ideas; one of which were mugs covered in hand drawn willies or boobs - depending on today’s preference.)
Anyway I refrained from purchasing the porcelain of naughtiness and made my way back to Piccadilly for a tram to Ashton and more on that.
First meeting of the day was a well overdue and colourful bitch and stitch session with Danielle Bromley who I have known for a while and someone I rate on a par as a sales and commercially led person in the business. Not to mention she’s sane, which says a lot in this game. I would like to publically mention that her offspring, in my humble opinion, have the best Mum ever. Mind you she was rolling eyeballs at needing to take a phone call from school on behalf of a sick youngster that belongs to her. Danielle dealt admirably in the moment by saying she was in Manchester, could do nothing, and if she could not contact her mother then said child was the property of school for a few hours. Proper Mothering if you ask my opinion. No Snowflakes in that family!
Joining us for the second meeting was and is the lovely, serene Mick Style avec bobble hat and I wish I had taken a photo since I can confess to never having seen Mick in a bobble hat in town and it threw Danielle and myself if honest. We had a really good natter as to his cycling recently in Spain which certainly wet my whistle and also caught up on some interesting business ideas and contacts. It was good to see him looking so well. I am glad he is thriving outside of the big network agency scene.
Last but not least was lunch with Richard Gregory at Yard & Coop on Edge Street in the NQ. Clearly home of anything as long as it is chicken.
Mind you the food was very nice as was the long overdue chat with Richard. Business and personal stuff was discussed and I also talked Richard through my moving to the Isle of Mull in a few months, whilst he told me of NY bound plans for his 50th in two weeks, of which I was jealous. He was good, is a good guy, and was on good form.
On the way back I did take some random photos around Stephenson Square and Tariff Street; it has changed, a bit.
Metrolink Ticket Collectors and The Rozzers
I am not sure if it was a slow news day on the ticket collector enforcement front for the girls and boys of Metrolink, but by heck they were mob handed with the Police at Piccadilly this lunchtime, apprehending any poor soul failing to have bought a ticket. Identified, straight to the Police, novelty hand bracelets attached, then frog marched off in full public view. It was a somewhat dystopian moment, especially as I was listening to Fahrenheit 451 on Audible on my headphones. But suppose paying the fare is only fair? (Geddit?)
I now finish off this post in Ashton’s Costa Coffee in my best bib and tucker including a rather nice Bee shirt before I head home to relax, maybe have a nap - Richard welcome to the 50’s.
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.
“ Master the topic, the message, and the delivery.” — Steve Jobs, Co-Founder, Apple.
I deliberately dug this quote out of the bag, well that is a lie, I used Google to search for a good quote on writing content and chose this one out of three from the search results. One of the other quotes is below. Why content? Me being a smart ass? No. Because I am re-reading Fahrenheit 451. Well, listening on Audible if honest. I am lazy and that’s okay. And it is 4.27am on Saturday 23rd of March and I cannot sleep.
And what is Fahrenheit 451? It the temperature at which books burn.
For anyone who relishes or for that matter writes, consumes, uses, or has content play a part in their life this is a must read book. A testimony to the power of content and of how it can be controlled by the unscrupulous or more frighteningly the lost.
Job’s quote is double edged. I shall explain.
Good writing is important for conveying something that is important to you. That’s the substance of your content. Know you topic. What is it that burns you up? That’s important because it is the passion. Next, how do you say what you want to say? What’s your Prose? How is this consumed or interpreted by readers? Yet delivery in this day and age is vital and Job’s was a master of the last two elements. Topic? Computers and stuff. Bit dull if you ask me. He mastered the message and delivery.
Job’s quote can be viewed as sinister. If one thinks of content as this three step process then we have a very simple way in which content can be consumed to nefarious means. Set topic, message to to the masses, deliver en masse. Sound like Populism? You bet ya!
Books and what they contain have been outlawed and are burnt by Firemen
The crux of the novel (sans spoilers) is that books and thus content is outlawed to the masses and instead the Parlour or interactive technology as Bradbury describes it delivers defined content. Does this sound familiar? Society and its characters become devoid of emotion, of life itself.
This is my worry with books, and content, and all the SHIT that now appears on the Web and is so easily consumed via Jobs second and third elements from his quote; ease of message and delivery. I allude to social media, Apps etc. and it is worrying. The advertising community is helping dictate content via the search engines hence the term Search Engine Optimisation.
Here is another quote to elaborate on what I think.
Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read.– Leo Burnett.
It is the simplicity with which people can be convinced that have been leveraged by the advertising and of course Politicos. Simple (“They, Our”) media is messaging that is delivered via an easy to use and access channel(s). The message of a brand across to that of a political party and it’s theme. Hence the term “Their, Our” Media - the media of organisations or brands, and people can be brands. This is mass media in its purest form. You will and do consume what “We, They” have to say.
Hang on a minute you cry… You are writing for your blog and Pot, Kettle, Black. So WTF are you doing?
Peter Cobley’s thoughts
Neatly summed up via a paragraph from Wikipedia that summarises how Bradbury felt and I certainly feel.
“In later years, he described the book as a commentary on how mass media reduces interest in reading literature.[8] In a 1994 interview, Bradbury cited political correctness as an allegory for the censorship in the book, calling it "the real enemy these days" and labelling it as "thought control and freedom of speech control."[9]”
We are all seeing a challenge to freedom of speech, but this is phrase that has been worn out and become misunderstood in popular vernacular.
I do embrace the dissemination of content that the Web has allowed for and created; shifting control of media from “They” Media of the traditional Press/Media Barons to “My” media as created by me and others. Unfortunately two things have happened that warrant concern and need redressing before the balance shifts too much into dystopia and we have to fight a rear guard action.
Under the cover of “My Media”, my ability to create content, the big boys of business, politics have snuck in under the guise of how great the Internet and Web is and of benefit to all to peddle their shite. See Citizen Kane. And remember the phrase, “ A wolf in Sheep’s clothing.”
“My Media” of the newly empowered individual has taken a nose dive with a vast quantity of further shite appearing across digital media. You could argue I do the same and stop reading what I write. People have been influenced by the type of message and it’s delivery (remember the Job’s quote) and are aping what the big boys and girls do rather than be authentic and real and true. All content thus blends into one, including audio visual and becomes a societal pastiche with no originality. A far cry from the heritage that literature evolved from - fiction, biography, social commentary, parody. Think of Shakespeare or Thackeray for example.
Note that Press Barons of old (Citizen Kane was allegedly based on Hurst) have now morphed to the likes of Google or Facebook (Messaging carriers) allowing a Pandora’s Box of shite to hit the airwaves. There is no POLICING of this, but…
The concern of a Governmental policing takes us down a slippery slope of who decides what is correct content. Yikes. Best left to people to decide what is content that needs consuming. Been going on for years since Adam was a lad. What government needs to do is batter and kick the content carriers who in my opinion are facilitating the shite. In old money we need more virtual printing presses and need to expose Zuckerberg across to Musk for what they are, Wolves in Sheep’s clothing. The base utilisation of content to generate money. Police them by all means but allow for more carriers.
The bloody frightening addiction of online and digital
This goes hand in hand with what I have just written previously. Topic, Messaging, Delivery are clouded and become further clouded as we sign up to non-stop drivel via addictive technology and this worries me. Have a read of the Fahrenheit 451 and of how Bradbury blends technology into the book in the 1950’s and you’ll see how prescient he actually was, or fooking hell very true to later life.
Again from Wikipedia as I am being lazy.
“In writing the short novel Fahrenheit 451, I thought I was describing a world that might evolve in four or five decades. But only a few weeks ago, in Beverly Hills one night, a husband and wife passed me, walking their dog. I stood staring after them, absolutely stunned. The woman held in one hand a small cigarette-package-sized radio, its antenna quivering. From this sprang tiny copper wires which ended in a dainty cone plugged into her right ear. There she was, oblivious to man and dog, listening to far winds and whispers and soap-opera cries, sleep-walking, helped up and down curbs by a husband who might just as well not have been there. This was not fiction.[81]”
Where are we going as people, as society, as individuals?
This all worries me, as one who was almost lost himself.
We need to act before it is too late.
We need to read, to write, to read and write together, to stick two figures up at those who feel they can both dictate what is content and how it is delivered.
Do get out there and write or go and buy a ticket for an independent play or show.
Responsibilty
We all have a role to play in taking action and stopping this decline and decay into puerile content and more so those who peddle it, especially people like me who work in advertising. We do know better.
Consult, consult, consult. Erm, just help
Consulting can be a maze and all you can see is a wood and no trees. Trepidation, frustration, waste of money? A proverbial Gordian Knot. But brute force (graft) equates to action. Action slices through your knot whether client or consultant. Drop the BS Consultant. Client, what action is needed from outside source/stimulus?
Consult is a big work in big business and one that I use but also get fed up of. What is consulting? Snake oil? Pithy words easily sold? Pithy words easily taken and paid for? In fact a quick Buck?
Goyt Valley, Bredbury - March 2024
Sat here on a Thursday relaxing and thankfully getting rid of this dratted cold and cough. Stuff to do that includes volunteer work with OCD Action from 11am - 1pm. But I am allocating some time as to found us. Few e-mails to people and business contacts, rest as still drained, and some web work including this blog.
Consult, business “cuddle”, chat, or action?
I prefer action and always have done. To me I try not to dress up what I do when working with others, just deliver. If honest I was like others, the market, the advertising business as I would look to use big words and plans. I now call this polishing the turd and this is the proverbial advertising turd, and a turd that I no longer wish to polish.
With a bit of time, experience, personal illness, and getting more serene and tolerant with age I realise that my role is to act as one of a team, a pal, a friend, and someone who should look at speaking my truth, being honest, and focus more on the moment versus grandiose plans delivered as an armchair general.
This has had quite a huge impact in how I deal with clients and their businesses. The truth hurts is a very old adage but one I am now comfortable with.
So what is action?
Really straightforward and oft forgotten. It is about getting involved with detail way before applying anything, whether that be what you know or from a book, or a plan.
Money, money, money
I have always known that money and cashflow are the most immediate things that can scupper a business. And something that I look at daily with a business, just how much working cash do we have and what is the daily burn rate? I am not too bothered as to assets and liabilities as these are not per se immediate problems.
Looking at salary and rent are big ones. Salaries including expenses and rewards keeps people motivated and people work to live and not the other way around.
Paying suppliers is another huge one for me, morally and sensibly. There is nothing worse than waiting for a bill to be paid and this applies to our suppliers.
This gives me an immediate handle on cash and what we can do with it. Important in the service industry that is advertising.
(Assets and liabilities can be examined later, but one thing to note is that I always like a business with money aside for emergencies. Ideally I like a business to be able to trade for a quarter without issuing an invoice.)
Sales and Marketing
We then have selling the business, its people, and letting everyone know what you do and that they should engage with you. Simples?
We can be more simple.
WHATS - What are we selling, how do we make it, what area do we sell in, to whom do we sell it to, and what are out special features?
I always like to lift the bonnet and have a look at the engine. Is what we sell sellable? Is it what the market wants and needs, or are we flogging a dead horse? Questions that must tie into the “to whom” are we selling? Who are our clients, punters, people we like working with and what do they think of our service and product?
The rest of the acronym is self explanatory.
People, staff, colleagues
Always important to try to sit down with all members of staff, and that’s all staff and not just managerial. Information must flow from the ground up and not down. Takes time, but worth it. People and what they do are the bread and butter of the standard advertising firm. And how they do it is so damn important. It is all very well to say, “what’s the margin?” That’s a given. But are we honestly delivering good service, product, and value for money? Do our staff and clients have pleasure in what we do? Life is for living and seizing a moment. Past has gone, so don’t dwell on it or you are playing catch up in real time, and thus also jaundiced what is to come.
Plans, yawn, plans
Planning is important, very important, but don’t miss the wood for the trees. It is very easy to get wrapped up in planning and not to do anything.
My philosophy is to hit the ground running and figure it out afterwards. Information is important and its immediate acquisition allows for action, plans can sadly stifle this, and you need to be aware and this is why it is important to have communication with staff.
Oh and always keep your feet on the ground.
AND THAT ALSO MEANS ASKING FOR HELP. Giving advice means being humble enough to ask for help from staff and people you know. Some consultants can be aloof and arrogant. Don’t be, this is poor and leads to mistakes. No one person is infallible.
Meeting Peeps in the NQ and Ancoats
Today was a good day, despite having a horrid cold with hacking cough, as I ventured by tram from Ashton into central Manchester to catch up with three old advertising comrades for a natter over coffee. Very productive and well met with people I have known for years.
The first person was met at a prompt 9.30am, but in fact I was 10-15 minutes late due to underestimating the tram journey to see the very unique Mark Varley. We met at Foundation on Lever Street and it was interesting to see Manchester’s Northern Quarter still resembling a Costa Del Sol building site. The coffee was very strong, but nice, and drove some good nattering between a pair of individuals who started their careers together in London a few moons back.
In fact we are both so prehistoric that we can remember using dial up modems and the Mosaic Browser. And it was Mark who introduced me to a sh*t new search engine that had no content or advertising called Google.
It was interesting to hear that the advertising market is flat at the moment and will probably remain so until two elections happen. One here, one across the pond, and may the Lord have mercy on our souls.
Mark and I had a good chat over consulting, an area we work in and one we are looking to develop, both mulling over working together again. And we both are lucky to have straddled offline and online media and so can add a certain something when working with companies at senior level. And we’ve held a number of board positions previously and gained a lot of useful experience, not to mention having the privilege of working with some clever people.
Next was a quick walk into Ancoats to catch up with someone who can only be described as a character. This being Simon Wharton of PushON, the established eCommerce consultancy and a company I rate and well led by the front of house Simon. Interestingly it was good to catch up with him having recently referred a Shopify build from a large luxury car dealership brand.
It was nice of Simon when being photographed to pose with his legendary resting bitch face.
Simon kindly brought me up to speed with the eComm’ market including platforms such as Magento, and it was interesting to hear how PushOn does not just advise on eCommerce and tech, but has a razor sharp marketing team that specialises in eComm’ executions - certainly worth bearing in mind, and why I recommend PushOn.
We chatted as to family and friends in the beautiful Beehive Mill in Ancoats, before I moved onto the next meeting.
The next catch up was with the wonderful Heidi Kenyon-Smith at Another Heart to Feed on Hilton Street back in the Northern Quarter. I’ve known Heidi for a number of years and originally helped her move from client side to agency, and she has now moved back to client side as General Manager of the female brand Simply Be, where she excels.
We chatted family especially her two children, Betty and Ralph, and my heading up to the Isle of Mull to be with Claire later in the year. Heidi was clearly saddened at the number of redundancies at Dentsu where she worked previously; which in my opinion is so short sighted and will have extreme consequences for the UK business. Yet again, London always seems to know best about the regions when it comes to the advertising business and time will tell.
We only had an hour before I had to head to Piccadilly for a train for another meeting, spluttering with a cough as I went.
It was a good day. That’s it. A good day with nice genuine people.