My Borrowed Thoughts For The Day

#DigitalTransformation it's not about the technology... It's about #TheFutureOfWork

2019-01-31T04:40:00.000-08:00

This might sound odd for someone who gets paid to inspire people around digital transformation. And who talks on the TV and radio about technology. BUT Digital Transformation is NOT about the technology.

IT'S ABOUT THE PEOPLE.

It's taken me a few years to be 100% sure on this. And don't get me wrong it - annoys me (as a techie futurist.) But it's the people that make the difference to your business. Not the technology. As the wrong people - even with the best technology - we still be the wrong people. And so the outcomes you get - go wrong. Or are wrong!

For example...
You can give someone a calculator. But this doesn't make them an accountant. Or even a good accountant. You can give someone excel but this doesn't make them a financial director.
It might seem simple and trite.

But the right people make the ALL the difference.
However, don't just think that this is therefore an HR issue. It isn't. Picking the right people is hard.

But keeping them is even harder. Which is the job of the leadership team (and dare I say management team.) It's the job of the leaders who create the right culture in which your best people can be happy and flourish.

WHAT ABOUT TECHNOLOGY THEN MR TECHIE?

Ok. Technology IS important. It can bring amazing opportunities for businesses to have a competitive edge. Technology brings social change. It is often the trigger for shifts in understanding and opportunities we couldn't even imagine. Did we know the internet would bring remote working, or mobile phones - the gig economy.
Just think what the printing press did. It helped bring about the Protestant church and the reformation. Or what the washing machine did... You get my point.

But technology is the trigger. After that you need the right men (or women) to do (or not do) the work. So AT work. You need technology. You need to get people the right tools for the job. You can't run a launderette with people going down to the river to wash the clothes.
But you might be surprised how many people are trying to do that right now. Conceptually.

"They are thinking like the past (not just in the past) - when managing the present and even the future." (Dan Sodegren 2019)

Only after we free our minds. Will the rest follow.

Yes - we have technology now to help you pick the right people. As GP Bullhound is predicting...

BUT...

Your people need to be trained up in the future of work.

For your organisation to have a future.
After all this. Then let's give them the clever tools and technologies that allow digital transformation to take place.

Why the rant?

It has been triggered as I was listening to the wonderful Prof Helen Marshall give a great speech at The University of Salford. In which she detailed (in ways I will not blog about here) the landscape for Universities.

The external pressures they are under.
The internal need for change.
About how with the right vision - Salford IS doing extremely well.

But like many organizations - they have:

The wish to become agile and to change.
To make sure they not only survive but thrive.
She talked about being "fit for the future"
And how culture is all important. Which was music to my ears after investing in FLOCK.
About...

"How a train is coming and it's our job to get our people out of the way."

So they have a plan. Which many businesses do.

It is a speech that I have heard many politicians and leaders give whilst working around large organizations like the NHS and in education. Both areas renowned for not changing rapidly. And it reminded me of a slide I use in my talks around #DigitalTransformation.

I hope you find it useful.

And as you see here - successful change isn't about technology. It's about the people. The resources (which you can argue technology is part of) is only one small part. As without the right skills and training in place how can you expect managers to change? They don't they just create ANXIETY.
And if they don't change and they punish people below them that try to.

How does the organization change?
It doesn't.
It gets hit by the train. Whilst blindly crossing the tracks.

So the question is

HOW DO YOU HELP CHANGE HAPPEN?

One way I am seeing more and more clearly is that you use technology to help people understand their own motivations and values. You do this en-masse. For your employees and for you too. And then as leaders you get this feedback (decided by them and not a computer) and YOU make calculated (scientific) data driven decisions. Not easy decisions. But data driven / psychologically proven / #future of work decisions.
You might find that some managers might not really be suited to be managers. Some people might need to swap teams.

Some people might need to be helped to leave. And you might want to truly recruit the right people (based on values and attitudes) from the talent pool. The idea of keeping the same people in the same jobs isn't going to work.

BUT YOU CAN TRAIN PEOPLE.

Yes - you can train people. But what if "training" isn't the point. What if they don't share the same values as the organization will need to do - to survive. This isn't a point of training them to use the calculator.
What if they don't like training or the point of the calculator. If someone is fundamentally internally opposed to it... what happens next?

Do they make your life more fun. And the workplace better? Or do they create issues and problems. And cost you lots of money and energy.
In fact, are there people doing that already. As you can see the train on the horizon...

THAT TRAIN 'AINT STOPPING.

I am on .... The TV show FastFix: Diabetes is on @ITV TODAY 9 - 10pm... And I am on it!....

2018-06-13T03:08:00.003-07:00

The TV show FastFix: Diabetes is on @ITV TODAY - as part of #DiabetesAwarenessWeek.

It's on the Weds / Thurs 13 / 14th at 9 - 10pm.

With trailers being aired in prime time as we speak. And I am on it!

Whilst the press release from ITV about it is below...

This new two-part factual entertainment series aiming to break new ground features people with Type 2 diabetes attempting to reverse their condition by living on a radical liquid diet, potentially saving their lives - and the NHS billions of pounds.

Which is why we started this petition...

Please sign it and share on social media...

WHY? As Type2Diabetes is a NATIONAL CRISIS...

“Type 2 diabetes is a national crisis and a massive challenge to the NHS. But this experiment proves that there is real hope of turning the clock back and reversing Type 2, using this revolutionary diet to stop this epidemic in its tracks.” - says Presenter Anita Rani about the programme which airs during #DiabetesAwarenessWeek

The programme features five obese and overweight patients (one of them we can now say is our founder @DanSodergren) who moved into the unique experimental diabetes reversal unit, the Fast Fix Clinic after he was diagnosed with Type2Diabetes in November 2017.

As the press release continues - the story of what happens...

"[The housemates] live on a diet of just 800 calories per day for four weeks in order to see if they can 'fast themselves better' as they attempt to shed more than two stones (15kg).

While all the participants have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, this diet isn’t suitable for everyone, requires medical supervision, and must not be undertaken by those on insulin and with certain other conditions.

Four million people have Type 2 diabetes and another 12 million are at increased risk, so based on research by the Universities of Newcastle and Glasgow, this programme aims to find out whether the five volunteers can turn the clock back on their Type 2 diabetes, potentially pointing the way to a solution to what has been described as Britain’s biggest health crisis.

Also attempting to trim her own waistline is Loose Women’s Coleen Nolan, who undergoes a lifestyle transformation hoping to lose 5kg to minimise her risk of developing diabetes. Celebrity chef Rosemary Shrager and TV quiz boffin Paul Sinha undertake their own extreme fasting diets at home to avoid underlying health issues and the potential of diabetes.

Joining Anita are GP and obesity expert Dr Zoe Williams and Professor Jason Gill, who is at the forefront of research into how diet and exercise can prevent diabetes.

At a time when there are concerns the NHS will struggle to cope with a future diabetes epidemic, Anita, Zoe and Jason aim to get to the bottom of the issue and offer hope to those affected and practical advice on what we can all do to help ourselves.

The founder of www.Type2DiabetesFree.com and www.BeFreeOfType2D.co.uk @dansodergren is one of the housemates to star in the 2 part show.

"I am very excited" says Dan Sodergren, "But as I haven't seen it I don't know the ending or how they will make us all look. Let's hope we can get a positive message out there about people living with (and hopefully reversing) Type 2 Diabetes"

"One of the best parts of it all was meeting some of the great people that have tirelessly worked on helping people with this condition. And really getting to know them and their pioneering work. It's been a great privilege and I am very lucky."

Apparently, today's #GroundhogDay. But what does that film really mean? What does it mean to you?t

2018-02-02T04:07:00.003-08:00

Today's Groundhog day, an oddball holiday built on the premise that winter's a grind, that we want it to be over with, that our motivation is ...

The magic of the film, though, was realizing that our motivation is actually up to us.

And that if we choose, we can change it.

If we do, the world might change in response.

We get more of what we respond to.

Thanks Seth again for this amazing blog.

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2018/02/what-motivates-you.html

Some great advice from Seth Godin for when you write a book. And how to market it.

2018-01-18T01:18:00.000-08:00

I was speaking to someone (someone off the tele) about why they didn't have a book published.

It was madness to me. Someone with that position and belief in what they do and why they do it. Someone with SOMETHING to say. not having a book!

As even I have a book published - Make Your Passion A Success.

So the following advice is from Seth Godin - who has published LOTS of books - and in very many interesting ways. He knows his stuff. And he is a legend in marketing.

The following bits of advice are golden and link into different articles he has written on book publishing and how to market books.

All around his experience of building The Domino Project.

Building a book (part 1) via The Domino Project - Tom Kubik is a gifted and successful commercial ... http://tinyurl.com/ydeffr8b
Building a book (part 2) via The Domino Project - Amazon is it. There are now two channels ... http://tinyurl.com/y7z6r78u
Does it pay to own a small bookstore? via The Domino Project - A student asked this question. My ... http://tinyurl.com/ybog7gq3
The secret to designing a cover (Building a Book III) via The Domino Project - Most books are ... http://tinyurl.com/y925zy6u
The power of bulk sales (Building a Book IV) via The Domino Project - A few years ago, I ... http://tinyurl.com/y743nc7f

I also list this here to remind me - as I am also going to write a book about myself getting Type 2 Diabetes and all the amazing amounts of research around what you can do to reverse the condition.

The best thing I learnt after 8 years and what you can too... In one.

2017-03-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

A couple of months back, I had my Great Marketing Works work anniversary. I know this as lots and lots of people congratulated me on LinkedIn. Which I am forever grateful for.

But it all got me to thinking? After 8 years what had we done? So I started looking at it all.

How – the big question.

How many clients? More than 100.

How many training sessions and talks. More than 500.

How many consultancy gigs. More than a 1000.

How long did clients stay for ? Between 1 talk and 8 years!

Which sector did I get client from? More than 70% of our clients came from the education and training sectors. Ironically, for us, they were also the worst paying sector per client. But I do love education so...

So… How much a day? From £50 (once) to £5000 (once.) But with the public sector paying less and less each year. And the private sector paying more and more.

All interesting stuff BUT… None of this really informed me about me. It was just the business.

The What’s. The bigger questions.

But then I found an old piece of paper. On it I had written down answers to an exercise my mentor had set me many moons ago. I had kept this piece of paper on my wall but never really looked at it and I now had the chance to do the exercise again and compare and contrast my answers.

Was I really on track?

My simple suggestion is that you write down the answers to the questions below.

And then in a year or two (probably not 8) come back to them and do it again. Have you changed? Are you on track? Should you take a day off to celebrate or commiserate?

My mentor questions.

1. What activities do you like to be doing?

2. What skills would you like to be using?

3. What impact would you like to make?

4. Who would you like to work with?

5. What would you like to learn about?

6. What values would you like to live out?

7. What environment do you want to work in?

8. What would success look like to you?

These are my answers separated by the 8 years since I started Great Marketing Works.

1. What activities do you like to be doing?

2009: Talking, writing, doing tech stuff with big screens.

2017: Inspiring people. Talking with people. Being inspired myself.

2. What skills would you like to be using?

2009: NLP, public speaking and teaching.

2017: My talking skills, writing, marketing strategy around startups.

3. What impact would you like to make?

2009: On my bottom line and become slightly famous.

2017: On my family / personal life and health.

4. Who would you like to work with?

2009: Honest people, proactive people, front runners, creatives.

2017: People I like and respect and can go for a beer with.

5. What would you like to learn about?

2009: Google, PPC, Social, Mailchimp and Salesforce.

2017: Myself. How to raise my daughter well. AI. Probably coding and tech. And finances.

6. What values would you like to live out?

2009: Love, Respect and Creativity.

2017: Love, Creativity, Respect, Integrity. Kaizen if possible.

7. What environment do you want to work in?

2009: A fun one, a high tech one, a stable one.

2017: A warm one. A dry (ish) one. A safe one. A progressive one.

8. What would success look like to you?

2009: 2 houses, 2 offices, family living near the beach with a stable work environment.

2017: Living abroad, warm and safe, with a happy family, with no real money worries.

So had I changed that much?

Should I take a day off to celebrate or commiserate?

To commiserate: From the last 8 years.

- We never moved to the beach. But we did live near one for 4 months.

- I didn’t work with many front runners. But had some very cool clients.

- I got "ripped off" - a lot – so not all my clients or business partners were honest.

To celebrate: From the last 8 years.

- Became a paid public speaker and trainer.

- Touched the lives of over 50,000 people.

- Became an expert at digital marketing and social media.

- Co founded other businesses like Follogro and FFFlip.

- Went on the BBC many times – heck – so perhaps I became slightly famous.

- I did at one point have 2 houses and 2 offices.

- With my clients now I have a stable work environment.

So today I took the day off.

A HUGE thanks to all those who have been on the journey with me. Some of you as clients for Great Marketing Works. Some as friends and peers. Many of you as both.

All you have been part of it.

Thanks.

And thanks to you for reading this too. Now get something from it. Copy and paste the above questions and quickly do the exercise. Write down the answers to the questions above. Come back to it in a year and thank yourself for doing it.

If you don't prioritize your life, in 2017, someone else will. #HappyNewYear.

2016-12-31T14:10:00.001-08:00

This is a great quote adapted from the wisdom of Greg McKeown. So my question to you – as my wife and daughter sleep soundly – giving me this hour to blog is…

What are your priorities for 2017?

AND….

What are you grateful for?

This last point I will tackle first – as it’s more important. It’s key for your happiness and the happiness of your world.

What have you been actively grateful for in your life in 2016?

Many people have said 2016 is the worst year EVER. Actually...

the “ Fuck you, 2016” sentiment is likely just acollective feeling, borne by social media, that this was “ the worst year ever”

Which makes me think perhaps some people don’t write down what they are grateful for. And many people don't have a full grasp of the technological and demo-graphical changes that are causing this psychological magnification.

I urge you in 2017 to start doing just that. The former rather than the latter.

Write down a list of what you are grateful for.

Every 5 days or so I write down a list of what I am grateful for. What has gone well that day. And what I will do the day after.

Next year I will make this part of my daily ritual.

In 2016 I did it for over 3 months after a health scare.

Today I worked out the TOP 5 things this year I am grateful for.

They were in no particular order:

1. My Health

2. Our Wealth

3. The Family

4. My work

5. Opportunities.

In 2016… I can sum up each relatively quickly….

My Health.

Simple but key to existence. On a basic level I am here. I exist free of known disease. My back is getting better and stronger. I am overweight and I am 40. I am not fit.

But apart from that I go to the gym a few times a week now. More than ever before.

Our Wealth:

Again, not much to report. Not that we don’t have much. We have lots.

As this infographic shows if you have the basics you are already richer than 85% of the world!

But I could do with a little more (couldn’t we all.)

And so this year I am going to investigate where it all goes and save more.

I will also invest. In myself and in tech companies I believe in. Including my own.

The Family:

I am very lucky. My daughter is fully fit, funny as f%^& and always pushing my buttons and boundaries. And those of my wife. And thinking about she does the same ;)

I am not as close as I would like to be to my closest family – due to my business being set up miles away from them. But my extended family are generous to a fault in both time and energy. Plus we (as a family) have all missed a few “bullets” from the big C this year and so I am continually grateful.

My Work:

Over the last year, I have produced more workshops and training sessions than I ever have done before. I have:

- Produced workshops to over 200 young people. Creating courses for specialised audiences. That have been some of the most rewarding courses I have ever produced.

- Worked with some BIG household names. Training them and their partners in social media marketing, social selling and digital marketing.

- Passed a personal milestone in money made in a day. More than I have ever made before. Making more in one, very special, week than I made in a year - 20 years ago!

My Opportunities:

I am very lucky to life in Manchester, a city growing in its influences and confidence. And I am even luckier to live near the recently created Media City. This means my opportunities are well positioned so I have been lucky enough to:

- Been asked to work on great tech space support ideas like LAUNCH at Media City.

- Launch my own tech startup called FFFlip.

- Be working with the UTC at Media City with their employment engagement piece.

- Been on national radio stations as a digital marketing / social media expert. For all the UK countries – some of them a couple of times. Even been on Radio 4 and the World service!

- Been asked to be on the BBC breakfast show - many times. In fact, I have now been on TV more this year than all the appearances on any channel - in my whole life before. Have even done the newspaper reviews a couple of times...

So what are my priorities for 2017?

And what are yours? Do you have areas of your life that you would like to improve? Or master? Or perhaps you want to start something completely new and go back to being a novice to improve yourself?

All I can do is give you mine – which might surprise you.

My Priorities:

- Either build my brand or forget about it. As going on the BBC is lovely but it only makes sense if part of a continued strategy to be famous.

- Be the change I want to see in the world. It’s time to influence people by being rather than just telling. Training others is great but I need to do more.

- Get a handle on money (not saying this year has been bad it hasn’t.) But I really want money to start working for me rather than me just work for it.

- Start working with other people more. Going solo as a consultant is heart breaking. Handing over projects and moments is soul destroying for me.

- Family first, business second. It’s time to be more patient with my own ideas and failures. Making myself mentally ill for a success that is eluding me - is blinding me of seeing the very success I already have achieved.

Which is the point of this blog on the eve of 2017.

To see what I have achieved. What you have achieved. Not necessarily what the world has achieved.

Happy New Year.

Please do write down a few things that you are grateful for this year.

Perfect timing, my wife has just woken up - it's time to crack open the champagne ....

Very wise words.... An Inconvenient Truth About Silicon Valley and Donald Trump

2016-12-09T13:46:00.004-08:00

Probably the cleverest thing I have read about Trump so here it is... Not written by me.

My own thoughts on Trump are not safe to write down....

An Inconvenient Truth About Silicon Valley and Donald Trump

The President-elect’s disruptive platform sounds awfully familiar to the valley’s leaders

I’ve come to believe that Donald Trump makes Silicon Valley’s founders uncomfortable precisely because they all have so much in common. Hear me out. They consider themselves the ultimate disruptors. Trump won the presidency (if not the popular vote) on the promise of being anti-establishment, and changing everything. This ethos has long defined the valley; it’s the idea from which tech’s founders take their sense of identity — and one that still reverberates through garages, startup accelerators, and shared office spaces from Palo Alto to San Francisco. Everything can always be reimagined so that it’s better than it is right now, and the best way to do it is to ignore the current constraints and systems and dream up new ones.

The problem, however, is that many of the valley’s most disruptive ideas have transformed into massive companies that have established themselves in our culture and economy as mainstream. Techies may think of themselves as disruptors, but they’ve emerged as the titans of industry — the kind of established power brokers that don’t take well to the chaos that comes with new disruption. And Trump? He is disruption embodied. Trump reminds them of the gap between their roots, and their current status. (Check out today’s piece on Uber in a Trump era.)

Often, when people set out to take down the establishment, they succeed in creating a more elite and calcified version of it. It’s classic. Earlier this week, I published a story about Peter Thiel’s eponymous fellowship program, which pays young people to forego college in favor of entrepreneurship. Intended to be a meritocratic way to help smart teens learn about entrepreneurship without going into debt, the Thiel Fellowship has become a prestigious entitlement bestowed on already successful young men (and just a few women), many of whom look and sound remarkably similar to Thiel himself. He set out to take down higher education— to prove that a pedigree didn’t have to matter. Instead, he just created an even more elite pedigree, bestowed to an even narrower cast of already established entrepreneurs.

In many ways, the fellowship’s trajectory reflects the recent history of Silicon Valley. Its charter members were renegades and contrarians — people who took issue with the status quo, and who had radical ideas about how to change the future. But their success in pushing those ideas forward came with a price: Those ideas moved the founders who had them from fringe to mainstream. In the United States and the beyond, everyone got a personal computer. Then an AOL account. Then Facebook. Then a smartphone, and on and on. And as technology crossed from nerdland to the center of our economy, the companies that introduced it grew from innovative tiny startups to the titans that now threaten nearly every industry.

Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google are five of the seven largest companies in the world. (Berkshire Hathaway and ExxonMobil are the other two.) In other words, the disruptors have become the establishment.

Which brings me back to Peter Thiel. He has become the de facto ambassador to the valley. He has grown up to become a member of the new establishment, without abandoning his roots. He is a self-made billionaire, having benefitted from the valley’s rise; he wrote Mark Zuckerberg his very first check for Facebook. But he’s also the kind of freethinking contrarian who positions himself as antiestablishment.

He is always willing to bet against the status quo, to take a swing at the institution. I wrote about the fellowship in part because I wanted to understand Thiel better by learning about the people with whom he surrounds himself. In doing so, I re-read Zero to One, the best-selling book he wrote with Blake Masters on building startups. Even those people who take issue with Peter personally will often step back and acknowledge that it’s a very smart look at what makes valley companies successful.

My favorite thought that he introduces is one that embraces the power of humans. He writes:

“Other animals are instinctively driven to build things like dams or honeycombs, but we are the only ones that can invest in new things and better ways of making them.”

In classic Silicon Valley fashion, Thiel made a contrarian bet that the ideas Trump espoused — primarily, that many Americans weren’t being served by the current establishment, and a massive disruption could unleash the change they needed — would be embraced.

He was right. The danger is that Thiel’s stab at remaking the administration under Trump will turn out as misguided as his attempt to build a program to replace college — instead of introducing the change that will make all of American great again, it will simply make a lot of rich white men (and a few women) even richer and more entrenched than they already are.

VERY VERY WISE WORDS INDEED.

And sadly probably what's going to happen. The rich will get very quickly richer.

And for a more balanced and even clevererererer view - which is still kinda surprisingly pro trump - check this out.

What's Next? A BIG scary question for all of us.

2016-09-13T09:12:00.002-07:00

Lots of people have asked me "What’s next?" for me? After my working, on a secondment from my agency, at PeoplePlus.

At PeoplePlus, we worked on the Nu-traxx project, which helped lots of young people in Manchester start their own businesses. This was really successful and amazingly rewarding. But...

What is next for me?

It’s a great question.

Do I continue with my agency, Great Marketing Works, training people and organisations like O2? And consulting for startups and established companies?

Or do I move into something new?

I can tell you in the first instance that I am planning to work part time as a consultant for The Landing. Helping them with their new offer LAUNCH.

As this new venture is something I believe in. A place and space different to what is out there at the moment in Manchester. It’s something that is needed in our growing UK tech ecosystem.

A new playground for growing tech businesses.

A place where they have world class infrastructure, unrivaled technology, and an ecosystem second to none, with the like of the BBC. As well as a plan to double in size in the next ten years.
It really would be foolish of me not to work with them, even part time.

As reported in Manchester Evening News, at LAUNCH I will:

“lead The Landing’s direct engagement work with businesses based in the north west on a part-time basis, with an emphasis on scale-ups and fast growing SMEs within the health tech, VR and IoT sectors.”

These are all sectors I think have amazing potential.

Not just for Manchester but for the world as a whole.

In addition, as reported in the Insider, LAUNCH are:

“developing a range of business membership options which will allow external companies access to its world-class technology and labs.”

The role with my love of technology, startups and changing the world is a dream come true. PLUS I also get to work with Jon Corner. Which is something I have wanted to do for years….

However, should I do this JOB forever?

This is something that we all have to answer at some point. Should you stay where you are, in your career for a long time. Modern research says we SHOULD change the companies that employ us every 3 years. Which seems like a lot in a career but it's what we have done with my agency. We kept clients for between 3 - 5 years.

But at my age – 40 - is it really wise to start entirely again?

I have no answer for this.

I only have a couple of questions. One’s which we all might need to think about at some point in our lives.

What would you do if you did something for 8 years but felt it was stagnating?

You see for 8 years (almost to the day) I have had a marketing training and consultancy agency. We have specialised in digital marketing and start up marketing. Training up companies and individuals, as well as taking on part time roles and projects in different organisations.

The work has been great. I have been able to employ myself. To employ others. To work with some amazing people and for some great companies.Each company and role has taught me something different – and each one has got me to where I am now.

I have been able to work on some great projects all which pushed the technology boundaries at the time. Many of which are now common place like online webinars with NCGE years before people did them.

Online video courses with Your Marketing Trainer. Augmented Reality, half a decade before it became fashionable, with GoAugmented. We created branded mobile games for business to business campaigns before many others dared. Increased employee engagement with gamification before people in the UK even knew the term.

We have been at the forefront of lots of these, with lots of people.

And I thank our daring clients who have allowed us to succeed with them.

But in the end – what do we have to show for it?

As a sub contractor of mine brilliantly put it with Great Marketing Works…

“Our clients at Great Marketing Works win awards - so we don’t have to.”

But after 8 years of workshops and training (and clients) and helping people succeed. What do we have?

What does anyone really have with an agency – especially a small one like ours?

We have over 30 different workshops in marketing. But most of these are redone each three months as digital marketing changes daily. So what do we really have?

A reputation for doing fun and memorable training events? Yes.
Maybe a brand people kinda recognise? Maybe.
Myself getting more famous? Hardly.
Even though it is nice to be asked to go on the BBC once or twice.

Is it really worth doing such a startup? Is it worth the networking and the hours? The freebies and the hustle? The low sales cycles and sleeplessness worrying about invoices betting paid.

You know after 8 years. I don’t know.

Dan Norris, author of The 7 Day Startup: You Don’t Learn Until You Launch, felt the same thing so he sold his agency. Perhaps I should have done the same?

I haven’t but I can change my company. So from now on – I will only work with people and for people that create something worth doing. We did this with Barclays with The Escalator - which has now grown to become RISE – a global startups ecosystem.

We want the same success for LAUNCH. We want to create a new playground for growing tech businesses. With unrivaled technology and an ecosystem to be proud of for Media City. Full of tech, startups, scaleups and investors.

We will create something very special. Something that I can believe in.

Something I can stand for. But after that?

What should I do?

What I do know is that I can choose to make a difference. And the difference is to be building an asset instead of building a job. As Duct Tape Marketing author tells us..

“Building an asset takes investing in you, in others, in creating things that didn’t exist before, in following through on audacious ideas. Building an asset almost always means letting go of your current thinking, finding ways to think bigger and surrounding yourself with people that lift you rather than hold you back.”

Maybe LAUNCH will be this community.

A community made of people testing, building and proving tech ideas and businesses. Not just for startups but for scale ups and for established businesses that want to grow.

That’s our goal. Perhaps that's your goal too? If so sign up today.

My question to you is...

What would you do?

A hierarchy of value when everything functions and what that means for your #startup

2016-09-08T18:34:00.003-07:00

This Blog from Seth Godin again hits the nail on the head.

With such certainty and precision that I have to pop it down here.

His point is a great one - that a business decides by action or by non action where it is on the ladder.

It's like a customer version of Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

See below for a lovely modern take on this...

But Seth's point is more serious... and really apt considering it was Apple's annual launch day.

A company that through it's marketing and design has changed the conversation and ecosystem around telecomms more than any other. See his point on smartphones later on.

The reason I include it here is his point about freelancers

"Most freelancers have been so beaten down in the quest to make a go of it, they stop at function and take what they can get."

Which in some way is a trap I am falling into. My training company Great Marketing Works didn't do that - we had connection and style.

Perhaps my freelancing as a consultant does as well? We have some great gigs coming up.

BUT.... with FFFlip - The fast, fun, photo montage maker for the event professional.

I want to have the audacity to redefine 'function' (see his end conclusion...)

I hope for your startup you decide to do the same - or at least do something with style....

Here's to doing that and here's to Seth Godin's A hierarchy of value when everything functions

When two things offer simply the same appropriate level of function, we'll choose the cheap one.

But if one offers more connection than the other, it is worth more.

This hotel over that one. Where is the tribe, do people like me do things like this, who's there, will they miss me, do I trust them, have I been here before...

If two items offer connection, but one offers the approval and sexiness that style brings, some of us will pay extra for that. After all, style promises ever more connection.

And at the top of the hierarchy is our quest for scarcity, desire and the hotness of now.

In a market like smartphones, it's pretty clear that it's really difficult to offer more function than the other guy. And the quality of connection, the very attribute that fuels the smartphone, was surrendered to the app makers a long time ago. Which leaves the sexiness of a drop-dead case and the urgency of the latest model.

What do you and your team offer? Where are you in the hierarchy?

Most freelancers have been so beaten down in the quest to make a go of it, they stop at function and take what they can get. Some businesses (small and large) find the patience and guts to offer connection or even style. And every once in awhile, an idea and an organization come along that promise to share the elusive hot that sits atop the pyramid.

So, buy a Harley, not because it can move you from here to there cheaper, but because it comes with a tribe. And buy that Nars lipstick because of the way it makes you feel. And get on line for that new gadget, because, hey, there's a line.

And then, someone finds the audacity to redefine 'function' and the whole thing begins again.

Dan Sodergren on the BBC: Review of the Papers August 16th Part 2: Pokem...

2016-08-03T03:57:00.001-07:00

My Borrowed Thoughts For The Day: Perhaps #FFFlip (and your #startup too) should foc...

2016-08-02T01:31:00.001-07:00

My Borrowed Thoughts For The Day: Perhaps #FFFlip (and your #startup too) should foc...: As my daughter plays happily in her bedroom, I put this blog from Seth Godin here to remind me - in all the excitement of my new business i...

Perhaps #FFFlip (and your #startup too) should focus on raising money from your customers rather than from investors....

2016-08-02T00:57:00.003-07:00

As my daughter plays happily in her bedroom, I put this blog from Seth Godin here to remind me - in all the excitement of my new business idea (FFFlip) that I need to concentrate on creating value rather than just securing investment.

Seth as ever, makes a really good point.

One which many of my startup clients need to listen to as well.

As he says:

"Focus to raise money from your customers. To delight more customers often enough that they happily pay you for what you can do for them. And then repeat. And again."

Perhaps making FFFlip more about creating revenue from customers rather than creating customers from investment is the better strategy.

Anyhoo, here is the blog....

The struggle to raise money

When your small business is struggling, the thought of raising money feels like a life preserver.

That possible infusion of cash is a beacon of hope, the thing you can work on tirelessly. It's the one thing that appears as though it will make everything better.

Careful. It's often a detour, a distraction that won't pan out at the very same time it takes your eye off the real issues.

The problem starts with this: Few people will tell you to stop trying to raise money. They'll encourage you to polish your business plan, make more pitches, add more rigor, dream bigger.

Add to this that it's essentially impossible to build a 1000x company, but those are the ones that get all the hype and the ones that investors crave. So you're comparing yourself to something that's quite elusive.

And finally, as you get deeper and deeper into the quest, there are individuals and institutions that will happily take advantage of you, requiring you to personally guarantee debt, to give up control, to turn your dream project into something you never envisioned.

The reason for this money trap is that so many small-business owners confuse raising money for expenses with raising money to build an asset. This is worth understanding.

If you can say, "I will spend this money on X, and X will make Y happen, and Y will pay off handsomely," then a professional investor ought to be open to hearing that story.

But the things to spend money on are a significant real estate presence, machines, patents, a permanent, expensive brand. The entrepreneur who spends this money does it with enthusiasm, because she's buying things that are going to grow in value, fast.

This is the painting contractor who realizes that a high-powered industrial paint booth will make him the only guy in town who can do a certain kind of job. Or the fast food impresario who asserts that opening ten restaurants in one town in one year will give her the footprint to be more efficient and profitable.

But that's not the way most small business folks are wired.

We're wired to delight our customers, charge for what we do, and then spend some of that money to do it again.

If that sounds like you, pretend that it's not even possible to raise money from investors. Take the option off the table (where it isn't, really).

Instead, spend that energy and that passion and that focus to raise money from your customers. To delight more customers often enough that they happily pay you for what you can do for them. And then repeat. And again.

It's not a life preserver. Not at all. It's a stepwise path, a ramp from here to there, a process with no guru, no miracle, no signing bonus. It's merely the work.

The thing you signed up for in the first place."

So the question I have now for FFFlip as we make the tech spec for her and start the build is WHERE IS THE WOW?

As The Next Web rightly puts it - every great app needs a wow.

The Old Man and the Starfish: It ALL makes a difference....

2016-02-09T08:41:00.004-08:00

For the last little while I have been working with PeoplePlus on a project called My-Biz.

What is My-Biz?

MyBiz has been created to help the next generation in Manchester start up their own business. We don’t just offer advice and guidance; we offer practical skills development, hands on training and a network of tailored support.

MyBiz is the first of its kind in the Greater Manchester area, formed by the combined experience of the private and public sectors. The service is a collaboration between PeoplePlus, a training and employment support provider, Nu-Traxx and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority

Whilst on secondment from my agency, I am doing the startup and enterprise training for them. Hopefully helping as many young people, in Manchester, aged between 18 - 24 who are not in work and want to start their own business.

In just over 6 months we have helped more than 200 young people with 1-2-1 help and started many of them on a journey of discovery around starting their own business. It's something I am really quite proud of.

However, we can help many, many more.

And today someone asked me why I bothered helping them at all - considering the millions of other young people unemployed or underemployed.

Literally - they asked me that...

My answer was this story below.

Which I hope my daughter Mia will read when she is able.

More importantly, I hope she takes the story to her heart and makes a difference to the world....

The Old Man and the Starfish
Author: Unknown

There was a young man walking down a deserted beach just before dawn. In the distance he saw a frail old man. As he approached the old man, he saw him picking up stranded starfish and throwing them back into the sea.

The young man gazed in wonder as the old man again and again threw the small starfish from the sand to the water. He asked, “Old man, why do you spend so much energy doing what seems to be a waste of time?”

The old man explained that the stranded starfish would die if left in the morning sun. ” But there must be thousands of beached and millions of starfish!” exclaimed the young man.

“How can you make any difference?”

The old man looked down at the small starfish in his hand and as he threw it into the safety of the sea, he said,

“I made a difference to this one.”

Worth thinking about...

FOR MIA, THE NINE GATEWAYS TO A BEAUTIFUL LIFE

2015-11-30T06:22:00.001-08:00

I have not personally blogged for soooooo long, for too long.

This says something about how much I am working or something about how little I am taking care of myself.

As I do so love to blog, think and read. And re-think. It's part of this re-thinking that has got me to jot down these notes from a book just read.

The Saint, the surfer and the CEO.

Which is a great story. A lovely narrative. Which covered many of the themes, which are in so many of the books I have read in my past. So much so it became a "refresher" in things that I had forgotten I believed.

So the below is really for my daughter Mia. Who might read it in the future. And realize after I am gone, or after I become someone I should not, that her father had some decency once.

And a soul too.

It's up to you whether you read the whole thing. I would definitely read these top nine points, even if you aren't Mia (and have no idea who she is...)

NINE GATEWAYS TO A BEAUTIFUL LIFE

#1: The main work of every human being is inner work.

Each day, do something significant to deepen yourself. To have more of the life that you truly want, you must first become more of who you truly are. (This is something I truly had forgotten.) Do something each day to nurture your mind, body, and spirit.

#2: See your life as a fantastic growth school.

Understand this truth, and keep asking yourself, “What opportunity does this person or situation represent” in terms of your personal growth. This is a great source of inner peace.

#3: Be true to yourself—the best life is the authentic life.

Never betray yourself. Take off your social mask and have the personal bravery to present the real you to the world. The world will be richer for it. (But maybe don't post it all over Facebook or LinkedIn for that matter.)

#4: Remember that we collect what we project.

Our outer lives are nothing more than a mirror image of our inner lives. Pour light on your dark side. Become aware of the false assumptions, limiting beliefs, and fears that are keeping you small, and your exterior world will change.

#5: We see the world not as it is but as we are.

The world can seem like it is full of trouble and darkness. But... Know that the truth in any given circumstance is filtered through your personal stained glass window—your personal context. Clean up the windows, and you’ll clean up your life. Then you’ll see the truth.

#6: Live in your heart—its wisdom never lies.

Follow the quiet promptings of your heart, and you’ll be led in the direction of your destiny.

#7: Stand in the curiosity of your life.

In surrendering control (which the world will tell you, that you need more and more Mia) you’ll create a space for possibilities to enter and treasures to flow.

#8: Build human connections.

Dedicate yourself to deepening your bonds with the people around you. Focus on helping others achieve their dreams, we are here to enrich this world, and you simply betray yourself once you forget that.

#9: Leave a legacy.

The deepest longing of the human heart is the need to live for a cause greater than oneself. I hope you will find your cause Mia. I hope I was part of you finding it.

Hope you enjoyed the blog.

Please do share this and do read the book.

The Saint, the surfer and the CEO.

---------------------

Private bit for Mia.

This blog is a gift for you - in November 2015.

From your dad... Dan Sodergren

With all his love.

Before he turned 40.

A wonderful blog by Seth Godin. Glow in the dark

2015-08-20T03:24:00.003-07:00

A wonderful blog by Seth Godin.

Glow in the dark

Some people are able to reflect the light that lands on them, to take directions or assets or energy and focus it where it needs to be focused. This is a really valuable skill.

Even more valuable, though, is the person who glows in the dark. Not reflecting energy, but creating it. Not redirecting urgencies but generating them. The glow in the dark colleague is able to restart momentum, even when everyone else is ready to give up.

At the other end of the spectrum (ahem) is the black hole. All the energy and all the urgency merely disappears.

Your glow in the dark colleague knows that recharging is eventually necessary, but for now, it's okay that there's not a lot of light. The glow is enough.

With my new job - I will be the glow in the dark light bulb... :)

9 things unsuccessful people seem to do. "Observations from a holiday"

2015-07-30T00:39:00.001-07:00

This post was originally up on LinkedIn. It was meant to be a look into success and my own definition of it as well as a tongue in cheek look at the UK society.

However, it offended a few people so much so someone said it was...

"A crass, rude, generalist, bigoted article."

I don't think it is but I repost it here to remind myself what NOT to post on LinkedIn.

9 things unsuccessful people seem to do. "Observations from a holiday"

Right now, at this moment, financially, I am unsuccessful. I know this, as this year, we had to book a holiday, to a place we wouldn't normally go. But as it happens, it was the perfect place to observe a few things about the "unsuccessful".

Now, before you get upset. Let me clarify.

What do I mean by unsuccessful?

For me being 'successful' means you have more than a million in the bank. It's purely a financial thing for this definition.

I know it's not great but there it is. And no I don't know how much people on holiday had in the bank - it is a guess as they were in the same place I was.

I also understand that purely saying success is about money isn't a great definition but read to the end - it will all make sense.

We all have our own version of being successful or unsuccessful, I know that, we all do.

You have one too. That’s yours… This is mine. I don't know yours.

However, what I do know, for a fact, is that.

People love reading about success.

LinkedIn, with it’s millionth person publishing, is full of articles about the top things successful people do. So are Inc. and The Next Web and every other entrepreneurial magazine.

We love reading about the successful and their habits and tricks. Especially when the titles have numbers in them. So you get to read "9 successful things the successful you probably don’t do yet." Or what the super successful do over the weekends. Or what the successful, do to be ‘successful’ on a Monday morning.

But, I am unsuccessful so far. I am on my 9th startup idea / business and not one of them has made me a million pounds. (Yet.)

See here - The F word and why we should celebrate it

And ... I DO MANY of the below. At least 5 of them.

How many do you do?

"9 things the unsuccessful SEEM to do."

1. Shout over each other.

This is a naughty one, as rich people shout as well. I think it's called 'braying' when they do. But do "self made" people do it as well? The real point is that it's not the shouting, it's not moving nearer to one another once the shouting starts. There is no attempt to minimize the social disruption. The "shouter" simply continues to shout over the top of you, at the person they are shouting at.

2. Buy tat.

By this I mean stuff that breaks easily, is made from plastic, is cheap and throw away able. Ironically, it last for years, as broken plastic, but that's another story entirely.

3. Gamble.

This really should be just seen as a tax on the poor. Giving money to something where you know that 30% goes to the house (at least) just seems silly and counter intuitive. (But as 9 out of 10 starts ups fail... I will leave this one alone.)

4. Have lots of kids

This is a controversial one - as children cost a lot - the average expense now at a staggering £225,000 (to raise one until 21 in the UK .) It could be a chicken and egg moment i.e. three or more children and you spend A LOT. Ironically, therefore, if the numbers are right with 4 kids you already have spent like a millionaire.

5. Have tattoos.

It was staggering, the percentage of people who had tattoos on the holiday and the how much of their bodies were covered. Around 80% of the adults had tattoos and big ones too. The UK average is around 25%. I have a tattoo too but it's tiny compared to the "amount of ink" people had.

6. Smoke.

A BIG one for me (as an ex smoker.) A huge number of adults smoked, more than half of them, often with their children right next to them. But could smoking make you less successful? Maybe as according to some, smoking could cost you around $1 million in your lifetime. So you have less to invest or create wealth with whilst apparently, people from richer countries are starting to stub out their cigarettes. And poor countries smoke more. Which might say something.

7. Overeat.

Ok, an aptly bigger one for me. As I am overweight and I am not alone. As in the UK, 64% of adults are classed as being overweight or obese. I overeat and over the past four years, after Mia was born, I put on weight. And kept on doing so. Without much exercise and a laptop bound lifestyle I am now a chubby entrepreneur. It's not good. However, on this holiday I would think at least 95% of the people I saw were overweight and some massively so.

8. Drink LOTS.

I do this and it has to stop. It has made me even more 'chubby'.

9. Care.

I saw more people with elderly relatives than ever before. Lots of families, most of them with three generations all together. From this I took it that they cared for each other. I might be wrong. I kinda hope I am not.

So what should we do?

The above are things that unsuccessful people seem to do. But perhaps we could all do with doing the last one a little more as we strive to become more "successful." As the happy startup people put it perhaps:

"You can measure success in terms of the relationships you’ve developed, the experiences you’ve been part of and your impact on the lives of others. These will be the things you remember and get remembered for."

I think this is a better definition of success than just looking at the financial side of life. The problem is - that it is so much harder to measure...

I have helped over 5000 people and businesses with marketing and start up help over 10 years... but where did that get me? To a holiday in the UK ...

By the by...

I haven't mentioned where we went, no names, BUT... It was an amazing holiday for my daughter 4 year old daughter Mia.

She will remember it and maybe that's the point?

Maybe I am more successful than I think... Maybe you are too?

What do you think?

What other things have you noticed "unsuccessful" people do?

Please do comment below. Without gossiping or name calling ;)

And thanks for those who helped me with the changes to the piece.

And if you want to read something BRILLIANT read this.

A man has to BE something; he has to matter. From Hunter S Thompson.

“To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles … ” (Shakespeare)

And indeed, that IS the question: whether to float with the tide, or to swim for a goal. It is a choice we must all make consciously or unconsciously at one time in our lives.

-------------------

If you enjoyed this post, please click the thumbs-up icon under the heading to let me know. Some people have ...

And... If you would like to read my regular posts then please click 'Follow' and send me a LinkedIn invite. And, of course, feel free to also connect via Twitter.

--------------------

About the Author:

Dan Sodergren is co founder of Follogro - a social media tech start up - a serial entrepreneur, occasional keynote speaker and full time digital marketing trainer. He specialises in mobile and social marketing with ideas ranging from augmented reality, to RTB and back again. He trains companies and individuals in best practice on social and mobile marketing platforms, gets to talk about it all on radio and is even occasionally seen on the BBC.

Other stuff he writes about...

9 things unsuccessful people do. Observations from my holiday in the UK.

2015-07-15T00:51:00.001-07:00

Borrowed from my LinkedIn Blog.

Now, before you get upset. Let me clarify.

What do I mean by unsuccessful?

For me being 'successful' means you have more than a million in the bank. It's purely a financial thing for this definition. I know it's not great but there it is.

You have your own version of being successful or unsuccessful, I know that, we all do. That’s yours… This is mine. However, what I do know, for a fact, is that.

People love reading about success.

LinkedIn, with it’s millionth person publishing, is full of articles about the top things successful people do. So are Inc. and The Next Web and every other entrepreneurial magazine.

We love reading about the successful and their habits and tricks. Especially when the titles have numbers in them. So you get to read "9 successful things the successful you probably don’t do yet." *1 Or what the super successful do over the weekends.*2 Or what the successful, do to be ‘successful’ on a Monday morning. *3

But, I am unsuccessful so far. I am on my 9th startup idea / business and not one of them has made me a million pounds. (Yet.)

And ... I DO MANY of the below. At least 5 of them.

How many do you do?

"9 things the unsuccessful do."

1. Shout over each other.

2. Buy tat.

By this I mean stuff that breaks easily, is made from plastic, is cheap and throw away able. Ironically, it last for years, as broken plastic, but that's another story entirely.

3. Gamble.

4. Have lots of kids

This is a controversial one - as children cost a lot - the average expense now at a staggering £225,000 (to raise one until 21 in the UK *4.) It could be a chicken and egg moment i.e. three or more children and you spend A LOT. Ironically, therefore, if the numbers are right with 4 kids you already have spent like a millionaire. *4

5. Have tattoos.

6. Smoke.

A BIG one for me (as an ex smoker.) A huge number of adults smoked, often with their children around or right next to them. But would this make you less successful? Maybe as according to some, smoking could cost you around $1 million in your lifetime. So you have less to invest or make wealth with whilst apparently, poorer countries are smoking more, as rich countries are starting to stub out their cigarettes.*6. Which might say something.

7. Overeat.

Ok, an aptly bigger one for me. As I am overweight and I am not alone. As in the UK, 64% of adults are classed as being overweight or obese *7. I overeat and over the past four years, after Mia was born, I put on weight. And kept on doing so. Without much exercise and a laptop bound lifestyle I am now a chubby entrepreneur. It's not good. However, on this holiday I would think at least 95% of the people I saw were overweight and some massively so.

8. Drink LOTS.

I do this and it has to stop. It has made me even more 'chubby'.

9. Care.

So what should we do?

The above 10 are things that unsuccessful people seem to do. But perhaps we could all do with doing the last one a little more as we strive to become more "successful." As the happy startup people *8 put it perhaps:

"You can measure success in terms of the relationships you’ve developed, the experiences you’ve been part of and your impact on the lives of others. These will be the things you remember and get remembered for."

By the by...

I haven't mentioned where we went BUT... It was an amazing holiday for my daughter 4 year old daughter Mia. She will remember it :)

What do you think?

What other things have you noticed "unsuccessful" people do?

Please do comment below. Without gossiping or name calling ;)

-------------------

If you enjoyed this post, please click the thumbs-up icon under the heading to let me know.

If you would like to read my regular posts then please click 'Follow' and send me a LinkedIn invite. And, of course, feel free to also connect via Twitter.

Points and References for this article.

About the Author:

Dan Sodergren is co founder of Follogro - a social media tech start up - a serial entrepreneur, occasional keynote speaker and full time digital marketing trainer.He specialises in mobile and social marketing with ideas ranging from augmented reality, to RTB and back again. He trains companies and individuals in best practice on social and mobile marketing platforms, gets to talk about it all on radio and is even occasionally seen on the BBC.

Other stuff he writes about...

YOU ARE THE PROBLEM. AND THE SOLUTION.

2015-06-10T08:12:00.000-07:00

It was interesting that last night at the Northern Soho event in Manchester at The Manchester Escalator. @McrEscalator

The event has been wonderfully Storified by @AnjleeB on https://storify.com/AnjleeB/northern-soho-startup-journeys

I spoke about this very thing.

Maybe more to myself than the 30 or so creatives there.

That it is NOT the economy or the business you are in (when it's a startup.)

It's your mindset. Your happiness levels.

Your own abilities or lack of them that makes the difference.

It's harsh but true and beautifully put by Dave Ramsey here.

YOU ARE THE PROBLEM. AND THE SOLUTION.

“So the problem with my company then and now is me. The problem with your company is not the economy, it is not the lack of opportunity, it is not your team. The problem is you. That is the bad news. The good news is, if you’re the problem, you’re also the solution.

You’re the one person you can change the easiest. You can decide to grow. Grow your abilities, your character, your education, and your capacity. You can decide who you want to be and get about the business of becoming that person.”

~ Dave Ramsey from EntreLeadership

I have made a decision to grow and to change.

Doing the talk at Northern Soho is part of that process.

Not just talking and training people in start up thinking and marketing (I do that as a job) BUT in doing so from a deeper POV. Warts and all. Even bringing in politics (not like me at all....)

And doing so from the point of creating change.

Northern Soho is a great organisation in Manchester which is all about changing things including yourself. Northern Soho was made as they believe, quite rightly, that there's too much talk and not enough action in parts of the creative industry.

You see with the creative industries especially in Manchester - people can talk a lot but not do much.

As they put it "The issues we've been facing over the last 10 years haven't really changed. This movement aims to bring the creative industry together to take action and raise awareness of the great work that comes out of our region and show what we can do!"

You can join them on Meetup in a positive space to share ideas, tips, issues, raise the bar creatively.

Lets share our passion for what we do.

Not just the agency owners and senior management, but anyone who works in an agency or a freelancer - we all have the power to bring about change and learn and teach.

Amen to that - that's what we are all about at our new start up Follogro. Working with PR agencies and creative digital agencies to not only grow Twitter audiences but make a difference with the power that comes with doing so.

How can your Job work to brighten up the world. Worth thinking about on the day of the UK #GE2015.

2015-05-07T00:29:00.003-07:00

Not blogged personally, for a long time.

So on the eve of the General Election in the UK I thought it was about time to do something. Not only vote, which I did, with my heart.

But also blog on something that is close to my heart. And perhaps to all our hearts.

The idea of YOU and your job. What you / we are on the planet to do.

This is a great excerpt from Brian Johnson's blog so thanks for that.

YOUR JOB WITH A CAPITAL J

In a chapter called “What Is My Job on the Planet with a Capital J?” Kabat-Zinn tells the inspiring story of Buckminster Fuller—who, apparently, before he was recognized as a genius, had failed numerous times by age thirty-two and was contemplating suicide. Apparently everything he tried didn’t work out and he thought perhaps life would be better for his wife and infant daughter if he ended his life.

~ Jon Kabat-Zinn from Wherever You Go, There You Are

Thankfully for all of us, he decided to live from that moment on as if he had died that night and decided that he would become an employee of the planet—devoting himself to “asking,
“What is it on this planet [which he referred to as Spaceship Earth] that needs doing that I know something about, that probably won’t happen unless I take responsibility for it? He decided he would just ask that question continuously and do what came to him, following his nose. In this way, working for humanity as an employee of the universe at large, you get to modify and contribute to your locale by who you are, how you are, and what you do. But it’s no longer personal.

It’s just part of the totality of the universe expressing itself.

Rarely do we question and then contemplate with determination what our hearts are calling us to do and to be. I like to frame such efforts in question form: “What is my job on the planet with a capital J?” or, “What do I care about so much that I would pay to do it?” If I ask such a question and I don’t come up with an answer other than, “I don’t know,” then I just keep on asking the question.”

What an *awesome* exercise!!

Ultimately, our meditation is not the end goal in itself but a vehicle to help us most fully live. So, what’s YOUR J-O-B with a capital J-O-B?!? :)

Here’s to embracing our practices that help us most fully plug in so we can shine with an uber-bright radiant enthusiasm that lights up our world!

It kinda aligns with why I voted and why I started Follogro - so we can make a difference.

Remember:

“God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well.”

~ Voltaire

20 Powerful Quotes on Failure

2014-12-29T09:06:00.003-08:00

20 Powerful Quotes on Failure worth remembering after I posted this blog on LinkedIn. Should we celebrate failure... Aka "What we learnt in 100 days". Which is ironic, as this blog posted, did extremely well.

Which is worth investigating later on.

But for now - I quote the author - Brigette Hyacinth

"Few things in life are certain but failure is. Failure seems as something to be avoided at all cost. Although it leaves a sour taste, we should embrace failure for the learning opportunity it is. Failure is the oldest teacher, and perhaps the wisest of them all. Some things are impossible to completely grasp without first falling down. We live in a culture that values perfectionism and failure is often viewed as a sign of weakness. People become so fixated on not failing that they never move forward."

20 Powerful Quotes on Failure

1. "You always pass failure on your way to success." Mickey Rooney

2. "A failure is a man who has blundered, but is not able to cash in the experience." Elbert Hubbard

3. "Failure is the tuition you pay for success." Walter Brunell

4. "Feeling sorry for yourself, and your present condition is not only a waste of energy but the worst habit you could possibly have. Dale Carnegie

5. "Success represents the 1% of your work which results from the 99% that is called failure." Soichiro Honda

6. "The season of failure is the best time for sowing the seeds of success.” Paramahansa Yogananda

7. "Success is not built on success. It’s built on failure. It’s built on frustration. Sometimes it’s built on catastrophe." Sumner Redstone

8. "Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor." Truman Capote

9. "There is no failure. Only feedback." Robert Allen

10. "Remember that failure is an event, not a person." Zig ziglar

11. "Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough." Og Mandino

12. "Its fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure." Bill Gates

13. "Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again." Richard Branson

14. "I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying." Michael Jordan

15." Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit." Napoleon Hill

16. "Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently."~Henry Ford

17." My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure." Abraham Lincoln

18. "I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward." Thomas Edison

19. "Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat. " F. Scott Fitzgerald

20. Our best success often come after our greatest disappointments. Henry Ward Beecher

Finally, don’t let the fear of failure hold you back.

Remember to take risks: if you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise.

Best Advice, Biggest Failures, and Defining Success From 13 Inspiring Entrepreneurs

2014-11-28T03:57:00.003-08:00

I have always loved the process of being an entrepreneur - the fun parts, the freedom, the financials, the marketing, the newness of it all.... but one part I have always shielded myself from is the failure.

In fact, you could argue that none of my businesses have failed, THTC is still going and growing after 15 years, Spearfish may have changed but it exists, whilst Great Marketing Works has kept me employed either full time or part time for 8 years straight.

So what's this about the F word.... Failure?

Well in all honesty, THTC kept going due to the hard work, finance and brilliance of others, Spearfish started losing money and clients straight after I left and is now more like a charity, whilst my last business, my digital marketing training agency Great Marketing Works, after Mia was born has not grown lots (unlike my lovely daughter who is quite wonderful and very tall for her age)...

Which is why I have launched several side projects over the years. And all of them have failed to make me a millionaire.

My latest, after just 3 months, is going to have to put to bed as well - which is a shame as I loved it so - RIP NowTryThat version 1.

So I loved this article all about Failure. About successes too and key lessons learnt by some amazing entreprenuers and people who I admire.

The lessons are for us all. The article is taken from Entrepreneurs.com

"Biggest Failures, Best Advice and Defining Success From 14 Inspiring Entrepreneurs"

1. Barbara Corcoran

The Shark Tank investor went from achieving straight D's in high school to creating a multi-million dollar real estate firm in her early twenties.
Biggest failure: My fabulous new idea to put all our apartments for sale on videotape so customers wouldn’t have to go out to see them. I pissed away my first profit of $77,000 and it was dead on arrival.
Biggest lesson: In an effort to save face, I put them on this new government thing called the Internet. It was 1989. We had two sales out of London in the first week. I registered all of my competitors URLs under my name. One by one, they called.
Best advice: “You will never succeed without me!” The prediction of my boyfriend and business partner when I ended our business partnership -- after announcing he'd marry my secretary.
Definition of success: Feeling proud of yourself got trying.

2. Guy Kawasaki

Guy dropped out of law school to complete an MBA at UCLA. His years working alongside Steve Jobs shaped his work as chief evangelist at Canva and co-founder of Alltop.
Biggest failure: That Macintosh did not achieve 100 percent market share of the PC market.
Biggest lesson: I learned that the best gizmo doesn't necessarily win. It's taken 30 years, but I've gotten over this.
Best advice: Never ask people to do something you wouldn't do. This is a very good test for how you treat your employees and customers, assuming you're not a sociopath.
Definition of success: First, that you made the world a better place. Second, you don't "have to" do anything.

3. Gary Vaynerchuk

From managing seven lemonade stands as an 8-year old, Gary hasn't skipped a beat with numerous startups, bestselling books and, most recently, creating VaynerMedia.
Biggest failure: In 2009 I had founded VaynerMedia, purchased Cork'd and was involved in about half a dozen other business ventures. I tried to do everything, and ended up not doing anything.
Biggest lesson: Since then, I've learned how to focus much better, and I've built up a team around me that allows me to do just that, so let's see if I've learned anything.
Best advice: Word is bond.
Definition of success: I'll define success by how many people show up to my funeral.

4. Christiane Lemieux

The Ottawa native started DwellStudio from her apartment in 1999 after grinding it out for years as a fashion intern in New York.
Biggest failure: The biggest mistake I made was not seriously vetting an investor I had in the business.
Biggest lesson: Not all money is helpful or strategic, and all money has strings attached. Sometimes theses strings become a noose. Be very careful. Ask all the right questions, vet your investors very seriously.
Best advice: "Stay focused.” As a serial entrepreneur with “shiny object syndrome,” my path to success has been a jagged line. A straight line meets milestones much more quickly.
Definition of success: Success for me is defined by how my business touches the people I work with.

5. Grant Cardone

After starting off in automotive sales, Grant has gone on to become a New York Times bestselling author, successful entrepreneur and founder of Whatever It Takes Digital Network.
Biggest failure: I should have gone 10X bigger from the get go.
Biggest lesson: It's the same amount of work to stay small as it is to go big. Building a $100 million dollar company is no more work than building a $1 million company.
Best advice: The best investment you will ever make is in yourself. (Grant's mom told him this).
Definition of success: The attainment of the gap between my current reality and my potential.

6. Jack Canfield

Graduating from Harvard, Jack turned the Chicken Soup for the Soul series into an international billion-dollar enterprise.
Biggest failure: We spent a year attempting to create a new human potential oriented internet portal, and we never got it off the ground.
Biggest lesson: To stick to our core business -- writing and training. And having adequate funding for the marketing needed to pull off such a huge venture. We were ignorantly going up against AOL, which was spending millions.
Best advice: Dream big, ask boldly and take action on an idea immediately.
Definition of success: Fulfilling your soul's purpose. I believe everything works better when it is done in the spirit of love and joy rather than fear and greed.

7. Mark Cuban

After a billion-dollar deal with Yahoo, Cuban purchased the Mavericks. The Shark Tank investor's court side dancing as entertaining as his appearance on Dancing with the Stars.
Biggest failure: Lots of failures, but I haven't had my biggest one yet.
Best advice: Today is the youngest you will ever be, live like it.
Definition of success: Waking up every morning with a smile on my face knowing its going to be a great day.

8. Alexa von Tobel

Launching her personal finance company, LearnVest in 2006, Alexa was inaugurated by President Obama as a member of the Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship early this year.
Biggest failure: As an entrepreneur, you have to be OK with failure. If you’re not failing, you’re likely not pushing yourself hard enough.
Biggest lesson: “Fail fast” is a concept we tend to encourage at LearnVest. Don’t be afraid to try something, but be ready to learn from it and move forward.
Best advice: Get up, dress up, show up.
Definition of success: Success is working towards a goal I can believe in. My life’s mission is to make financial education and advice accessible to people nationwide.

9. Noah Kagan

Beginning his career at Intel, Kagan joined, and left, Facebook as employee #30. The marketing expert has numerous startup successes in the tech world, currently working behind AppSumo.
Biggest failure: Ha. This has been documented more than I care. Getting fired from Facebook. Losing out on $200 million at today's market value.
Biggest lesson: The best way to get known is to create things that help others.
Best advice: I ran away from home and then my mom went across the street and made me come home. My step-dad then said instead of running away, I need to face issues head on. I think about that moment and the message a lot. Face your fears and go towards them -- never as scary as they seem.
Definition of success: Doing work that I'm proud of and having fun. Be careful to avoid having others put their success pressures on yourself.

10. Erika Trautman

Having owned an Emmy award-winning video production company, Erika's current venture, RaptMedia, is about enhancing interactivity for online video.
Biggest failure: Rapt Media went through some scary moments getting off the ground. I thought if my team knew how tough things were, they'd panic and quit their jobs. So I kept them out of the loop. When we finally closed our seed round, I turned to the team to celebrate only to discover I’d lost their trust.
Biggest lesson: Without openness and transparency, you can lose the trust of your team. Since then, I share the good news and the bad. We tackle the issues together because the vision is worth it.
Best advice: "Fearlessness is a muscle. The more I exercise it, the less my fears run me." This is a quote I once read by Ariana Huffington.
Definition of success: Success is building and leading an amazing team capable of creating something indelible and transformational.

11 & 12. Steven Pressfield & Shawn Coyne

A prolific writer, Pressfield is known for many works including The Legend of Baggar Vance, and The War of Art. He has partnered with fellow writer, Shawn Coyne, and created Black Irish Entertainment.
Biggest failure: Failing to start doing what matters sooner.
Biggest lesson: The lesson learned is to start before you're ready.
Best advice: Never pass up an opportunity to use a rest room.
Definition of success: Discovering what you're supposed to be doing and then doing that.

13. Jessica Butcher

Based out of London, Jessica is the co-founder and CMO of Blippar, the augmented reality platform that turns printed images into digital experiences.
Biggest failure: Allowing a negative situation to spiral downward, and then choosing to quit rather than salvage the situation through small, positive steps
Biggest lesson: Sometimes it’s the right decision to end a particular course of action or working relationship, but I now make a more concerted effort to salvage or reverse a situation.
Best advice: Invest in memories. It’s ultimately what life is about—people, places, moments and experiences.
Definition of success: Achieving a true work-life balance. Doing something you love work-wise, whilst also coming home to a happy, healthy home.

So why 13 rather than 14 as in the original?

Because this last person is a ex client of Great Marketing Works with Blippar - which is a great company growing at a HUGE rate - kind of a pin up poster child for UK business.

I am humbled to have worked for them in the past and end with it here to remind me of what can be done for my future tech company....or client to come.

Oh and Jess you were right - Blipp builder did take a year longer and Malaysia was not the right call for the company - New York was. But you know that.

Which is why you also said the wisest thing on there about your definition of success -

Doing something you love work-wise, whilst also coming home to a happy, healthy home.

Truly a winner.

The top 10 lessons learned from a journey from fax machine saleswoman to entrepreneurial superstar worth $1 billion

2014-11-12T07:01:00.002-08:00

I have just been researching entrepreneurs and personality types for a new app idea I want to create with Dr David Bozward. Matching your personality type to entrepreneurial archetypes and examples in real life.

However, half way through, we realised that we didn't have enough entrepreneurs examples that were women!

We have now corrected that with great people like Oprah Winfrey and Adrianna Huffington.

But whilst researching it was this article by Kathy Caprino about Sara Blakely, creator of Spanx, and who's Myers Briggs personality type I still can't find, that caught my eye.

Here are the top 10 lessons learned from Sara’s journey from fax machine saleswoman to entrepreneurial superstar:

1) Fail Big

Sara’s beloved father followed Wayne Dyer’s guidance in teaching his children the power of failing big. Each day, her father would ask – “So, what did you fail at today.” And if there were no failures, Dad would be disappointed. Focusing on failing big allowed Sara to understand that failure is not an outcome, but involves a lack of trying — not stretching yourself far enough out of your comfort zone and attempting to be more than you were the day before. Failing big was a good thing.

2) Visualize it

Sara is a big fan of “visualizing” your big goal, in specific, concrete ways. She saw herself clearly on the Oprah TV show 15 years before it happened. She simply knew it would happen. She’d see in her mind’s eye sitting on the couch with Oprah having an exciting conversation, and wondered, “What are we talking about?” The rest was just “filling in the blanks” to get there.

3) Don’t share your fragile idea with the world too soon.

Sara kept her idea of making a fabulous new undergarment for women under wraps for an entire year while working on developing the prototype. Only after she was 100% committed to it and ready to launch, did she sit her friends down and explain her new direction. Sara explains that ideas are vulnerable, fragile things. Wait until you’re completely read to move forward before you share it with people. Meaning well, they’ll shoot it down, offering all the reasons why it won’t work. But when they do, you’ll be ready to deal with it.

4) Don’t take no for an answer.

Sara reached out to slews of manufacturers and lawyers to help her patent her idea and create a successful prototype. In every conversation she had with potential manufacturers, she was asked three questions: 1) Who are you? 2) Who are you with? 3) and Who is backing you? When the answers to these three questions remained, “Sara Blakely,” no one wanted to take a chance on her, until one manufacturer called her back and said “OK.” Why? Because he had gone home and told his daughters about the idea, and they said, “It’s brilliant!”

5) Hire people you like and trust (even if they don’t know a great deal about what you need them to do).

Sara hired a head of Product Development and a PR director who had been friends and supporters from the beginning. Neither knew anything about the functional areas they were hired to oversee, but Sara trusted they’d be fabulous at their new roles, and they were.

6) You don’t have to go in order.

Sara’s passionate commitment to her new Spanx product was so fierce, she just tackled each task in the development and marketing journey as they came up, not necessarily in the best order for a smooth launch. She landed a Neiman Marcus deal involving placement of the product in seven stores, before figuring out how to mass produce “crotches” for the product. The Oprah show called to do a feature on her in a staff meeting in her “offices” before she had an office or a staff. She winged it, and it all went well.

7) You CAN figure it out – you have the ability.

Sara knew absolutely nothing about women’s undergarments, patenting a new product, manufacturing, marketing, product development, website development, online commerce, and more. But that didn’t stop her. She researched what she needed to, hired out what she couldn’t do, and marched forward with undying commitment and energy. Don’t stop yourself from pursuing an idea because you don’t think you have what it takes.

8) You can build a billion dollar business starting with $5,000.

Sara had only $5,000 in savings on that fateful day when she cut the feet off of her stockings in order to wear them under her white pants for a more flattering look (and thus, realized the world needed a new undergarment product that would be comfortable yet flattering to the female form). From that $5,000 she embarked on designing a prototype, securing a manufacturer, naming the product, legally protecting her product, and getting the word out to potential buyers. You don’t have to be rich to move forward with your fabulous new idea.

9) Don’t worry about the outer “stuff” until the time is right.

Sara worked tirelessly from her apartment creating her product, avoiding investing in outside office space or other marketing and business tools until the product had taken off. She didn’t have a formal website until she made it on the Oprah show and needed one. Anything that wasn’t essential to building the product and getting the name out there simply wasn’t a priority.

10) Breaking the mold is a good thing.

When Sara began to research undergarments for women and how they’d been made for the last 50 years, she was astonished. From the absurd sizing protocols (only one average waist measure was used on all the products, regardless of the size of the garment), to how products were tested (on manikins not real people), Sara saw that the undergarment industry needed a female perspective – insights from a real woman wearing these items to shape the product development direction so the products were useful, effective, and as comfortable as possible. She broke the mold, and developed a completely new approach to developing women’s undergarments.

Sara’s most important tip:

“Believe in your idea, trust your instincts, and don’t be afraid to fail. It took me two years from the time I had the idea for Spanx until the time I had a product in hand ready to sell into stores. I must have heard the word “no” a thousand times. If you believe in your idea 100%, don’t let anyone stop you! Not being afraid to fail is a key part of the success of Spanx.”

In the end, Sara Blakely’s story shows us what’s possible when we believe, when we’re resourceful beyond measure, and when our passion and commitment to something outside ourselves brings us to a calling.

My question to you... What are you most afraid of failing at?

The Creator gathered all of Creation and said... What Jim Carrey said.

2014-10-30T11:00:00.001-07:00

The Creator gathered all of Creation and said;

“I want to hide something from the humans until they are ready for it. It is the realisation that they create their own reality.”

The eagle said, “Give it to me. I will take it to the moon.”

The Creator said, “No. One day they will go there and find it.”

The salmon said, “I will bury it on the bottom of the ocean.”

The Creator said, “No. They will go there, too.”

The buffalo said, “I will bury it on the Great Plains.”

The Creator said, “They will cut into the skin of the earth and find it even there.”

Grandmother Mole, who lives in the breast of Mother Earth, and who has no physical eyes but sees with spiritual eyes, said “Put it inside of them.”

And the Creator said, “It is done.”

This creation story is from the Hopi Nation, Arizona, North America

Which nicely ties into this from Jim Carey

Click here for the video.

Which one did you find the more surprising or revealing...?

We Need More Mid Sized Businesses (MSB’s) – 10 Ways To Build One

2014-10-27T10:09:00.001-07:00

A while back a much wiser man than I, someone I can on some levels call a mentor, told me that the real opportunity for business advisers now, will be someone who can help SME's become MSB's.

For those of you not in the business support industry that means small and medium businesses to and mid sized businesses.

I think Phil Jones, is right, maybe start up and small businesses are not where we should be looking anymore for our country's growth

Maybe they have had plenty of help and the spotlight already.

Maybe the real growth needs to come from, as John Leech, writer of this article and CEO of Winning Pitch, says from the MSB's.

"From a UK business base of 4.8M companies, 99% employ less than 49 staff. So the current stock of mid sized businesses is less than 50,000. We must not only look at helping existing mid sized companies we also need to address how we fill the pipeline - the next generation."

As he puts it:

"The need to help and support medium sized businesses (MSB) is very much at the heart of economic policy making at the moment. The missing component of the great work research institutes, accountants and think tanks have come up with is, just how difficult it is to set up and build one?

Having done it with Winning Pitch (and working with a handful of others to do the same) there are so many lessons I would like to share.

Here are 10 platforms critical to anyone on a MSB journey:

1. Think big – genuine ambition is vital – be clear on your higher purpose.

2. Be clear on the business model - a detailed plan to execute and operationalize the strategy to scale is crucial.

3. Understand the different funding routes and instruments to fuel growth.

4. A high quality senior team is vital, combine this with a great culture and you have the magic dust - values become more important the more staff you recruit.

5. Consider the role of NEDs – having someone who has already done it sat round the boardroom table offers many advantages. Something that Phil Jones echoed in his talk at VentureFest about including wise owls in your team.

6. Don't be too precious about hanging on to your equity – smart people want a share of the value they bring.

7. Embed tight operational control and strong performance management – remember it comes down to always having enough cash.

8. Establish a clear brand and communicate this with passion – celebrate with fervor what makes you different and why you are the “go to organisation” for what you do.

9. Strong internal (in the office) and external (in the market place) leadership is vital.

10. Stay one step ahead of your competitors by living in the customer’s world – deliver innovative propositions with an edge.

Sustaining growth beyond 50 staff is a massive task - this is why so many entrepreneurs sell out before they burn out.

Beyond 50 staff, business help and guidance becomes more sophisticated - PE/VC, NEDs, headhunters, governance, IPO's, expensive lawyers and financial engineers, corporate finance... trusted support is pivotal to sustained growth. A community of trusted help is vital to the entrepreneurs who are aiming to do something special with their business."

Wise words Mr Leach wise words. Follow on John Leach on Twitter here.

The last point being the best - as many micro businesses - including my own stayed small due to the lack of training and courage of their boards. Perhaps NowTryThat will be different but I doubt it.

However, by using data to help companies with their digital marketing - Now Try That might just be able to help larger businesses take part in the digital revolution that start ups are already part of.

And just as an aside - congrats John for winning the best Chief Executive at the DIBManc #Mancoolian14 awards! Richly deserved - your high growth business is a lesson to us all.

Should being connected to the internet make us happier?

2014-10-15T03:46:00.005-07:00

An exclusive Newsbeat poll of 1,015 British teenagers, put together by Comres, indicates that a quarter feel happier online than they do in real life. Is this worrying or just a sign of the times?

This, and a series of other questions, was the posed to me by Darren Adam from Radio Scotland a couple of minutes ago on a live phone in show.

What amazed me from the phone in show was that people were wondering whether the internet was really worth having!

Now remember this is Scotland, just a little north of us all in England, this is not India, a million miles away. The reason I give this comparison is not to shock, or be naughty, but as it is topical, as Internet.org is right now launching a contest to convince Indian farmers, migrant workers, women, and students why the Internet is valuable. The same could be done, it would seem for parts of Scotland.

Money To Get People Online:

This Innovation Challenge rather famously back by Facebook will award $250,000 prizes to the best app, website, or service that makes the Internet relevant to each of the four different demographic populations of India stated above.

As Techcrunch reports:

“The contest from Facebook-backed Internet accessibility partnership Internet.org could help millions of people recognize the value of the Internet, pursue access, and gain knowledge and opportunities that can help them get better jobs and improve their lives. That could in turn help Internet.org’s flagship sponsor Facebook gain new users that it can connect to the world.”

Now whether Facebook’s motives are pure (i.e. not just for profit) in wanting to connect such people i.e. the developing nations being Facebook’s main growth area, coupled with mobile growth, you cannot argue that they see the point in being connecting to the internet.

But Should We Be Happier Online?

Personally, I feel online is a double edged sword – which through things like Meetup and social media can bring people together. In fact, from the study - a third of 15 to 18-year-olds in the UK have met someone in person they originally met through social media.

Which has to be a win for social media and mental health but the other side of this is the potential to be addicted to social media and to miss out on the real world outside. As the survey also indicated:

25% of teenagers admitted they were addicted to social media but 62% thought their friends were instead
25% wished they could give up social media
13% said their online friends knew them better than their real-life friends
51% of the respondents said they felt it important to check a notification as soon as it came through.

A lot of these stats are worrying and probably affect a person’s happiness, again something that I know personally.

However all the doom and gloom of the phone in show and the questions surrounding it really missed the point. The internet is a tool, nothing more; it is an amazing tool which gives us so much potentially. However, it is how we use it. More and more reports are coming out how Facebook really can make us happier.

But… Facebook is not the only internet. Do we really need to watch more cat videos? Or do workers in India for that matter.

Have you say…

And in case, all these newsbeat facts has got you down, here are 5 Ways To Add Some Happy To Your Online Social Life

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About Internet.org

This is a Facebook partnership with Samsung, Ericsson, MediaTek, Nokia, Opera and Qualcomm named Internet.org, aimed at bringing affordable Internet access to the 5 billion people without it.

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About the Author:

Dan is a Digital Marketing Trainer, Speaker and Consultant specializing in Digital, Social and Mobile technologies to help businesses, especially digitally focused businesses, make more money.Dan aligns his passions for marketing and teaching, by being a keynote speaker / business trainer in events around the country for household names like O2 / Telefonica.Dan has over 17 years in all round marketing, specialising in Guerrilla Marketing Tactics,12 in B2C marketing, 10 in B2B marketing, 7 years in Digital and 5 years in Social and Mobile Marketing.

Hear him tweet about marketing @ukmarketinghelp