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

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.

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

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

Synchro-destiny, events and other people's launches.

  Deepak Chopra, a very wise man, now in his 60s, believes we can all get what we want. All we have to do is learn about what he calls Synchro-destiny …

It's a book I am reading and re-reading at the moment as I learn how to meditate (no laughing please...) 

The key to Synchro-destiny, says Deepak, is asking questions out loud without trying to find answers. This, he says, allows the Universe to provide you with what he calls “Synchro-destiny”.

Indeed. What Carl Jung called “synchronicity” and James “Celestine Prophesy” Redfield called “meaningful coincidence”, Chopra has coined “Synchro-destiny”.

All people that I loved reading and reading about - and Deepak's version for some reason is the one that has called to me the most. 

He says it’s “the key to getting you whatever you want out of life”. It’s the way the ‘Universe’ (aka God, Source, the Field) helpfully points us all in the right direction, with gentle hints and nudges.

I am wondering if I had one of them yesterday when I attended a conference in Liverpool, the games expo at the #ifb2014, on the way I bumped into a past work colleauge who was 'just thinking' about me, and then at the event I met many people that seem to be placing me onto a road.. of launching my own mobile games development company again. 

On the way home, something I had been chatted about at the conference, as something that might happen in the future - suddenly arrived in my inbox - and this is a BIG company that I have no control over.... so a lovely moment of spooky timing once again. 

To finish the night I then went to another launch party in Manchester, this time for an organisation called Nothing but Epic, where again more and more things happened that seem to be "nudging" me... 

Anyhoo... back to Synchro destiny. 

WHAT IS SYNCHRO-DESTINY?

 Synchro-destiny is when things “fall into place”; when events seem “fated”; when you feel as though the Universe is “trying to tell you something” and you “go with the flow”.

I pop here an exert from  "The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire" by Deepak Chopra. © 2003 by Deepak Chopra. Excerpted by permission of Harmony, a division of Random House, Inc.

To remind myself of the potential power of it all. 
 

"Most of us go through life a little afraid, a little nervous, a little excited. We are like children playing hide and seek, wanting to be found, yet hoping we won’t be, biting our nails with anticipation. We worry when opportunity approaches a little too closely, and hide deeper in the shadows when fear overcomes us. This is no way to go through life. People who understand the true nature of reality, those whom some traditions call enlightened, lose all sense of fear or concern. All worry disappears. 

Once you understand the way life really works—the flow of energy, information, and intelligence that directs every moment—then you begin to see the amazing potential in that moment. Mundane things just don’t bother you anymore. You become lighthearted and full of joy. You also begin to encounter more and more coincidences in your life.

When you live your life with an appreciation of coincidences and their meanings, you connect with the underlying field of infinite possibilities. This is when the magic begins. This is a state I call synchrodestiny, in which it becomes possible to achieve the spontaneous fulfillment of our every desire. Synchrodestiny requires gaining access to a place deep within yourself, while at the same time awakening to the intricate dance of coincidences out in the physical world.

When a coincidence arises, don’t ignore it. Ask yourself, What is the message here? What is the significance of this? You don’t need to go digging for the answers. Ask the question, and the answers will emerge. They may arrive as a sudden insight, a spontaneous creative experience, or they may be something very different. 

Perhaps you will meet a person who is somehow related to the coincidence that occurred. An encounter, a relationship, a chance meeting, a situation, a circumstance will immediately give you a clue to its meaning. 

 “Oh, so that’s what it was all about!” "

Next time I bump into a friend on the train I haven't seen for ages - I will think again. 

And by the by, I now know what Nothing but Epic do - it's kinda cool and fits in very nicely to my new idea - nice one Synchro Destiny. 

Read more about Synchro Destiny at http://www.beliefnet.com/Wellness/2003/10/Coincidences-Clues-From-The-Universe-By-Deepak-Chopra.aspx#Q3D1TSw0MMvdI63o.99

Here are 17 things the most extraordinary people do every day.

 "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act, but a habit." - you know who said that? This quote is always attributed to Aristotle and yet it was never written by Aristotle. This quote is from Will Durant's The Story of Philosophy. But the point is still a jolly good one. Here are 17 more. 

Taken from "17 things the most extraordinary people do every day" by BILL MURPHY JR. who is a journalist, ghostwriter, and entrepreneur.

1. Examine long-term goals.

If you don't know where you want to go, you'll probably never arrive. So, it's crucial to spend a few minutes each day thinking about where you'd like to be one, five or even 20 years from now. Your goals will change, and that's a good thing. But it's easier to act strategically when you've thought about where you want your dreams to lead.

I have done this with my mentor and coach but it is time to get them on the walls of the office. 

2. Examine daily plans.

Whether you've written it down or not, you have a to-do list. Do the tasks you're accomplishing truly contribute to your long-term goals? Nobody is 100 percent productive, and that's OK. But if you're working your tail off each day to become better at something you don't even want to be doing, that's a sign it's time for a change.

Maybe understanding mobile app analytics in depth really isn't for me - has been on my to do list for 3 months now.  Or maybe I should just...

3. Ask for help.

Nobody does anything worthwhile alone, and asking for help, when done correctly, isn't a sign of weakness--it's a sign of respect. People enjoy being reminded that their knowledge and skills have value to others. Just ask politely, respectfully and on the other person's schedule. If the help leads to a positive outcome for you, make sure you express your gratitude.  

Time to re-engage in the community as a start up and not as a consultant me thinks.

4. Engage in mentorship.

Mentorship has two sides, so on any given day, do two things: Engage with a mentor, and also offer mentorship to someone else. Not every interaction has to be profound; that would be exhausting. However, if you take a few minutes, for example, to reply to someone seeking to enter your field, and later ask a more expert friend to help you refine your start up plan.

I will contact Phil J, Garry P, and Al M and help out a friend who wanted helping. 

5. Give yourself a break.

Extraordinary people recognize that they are just that--people. We're only human, and success (however it's defined) is never an overnight thing. Should you hold yourself to high standards? Sure, but every day, give yourself a pass on a few things you did wrong, and for missing a few items on this list. You're looking for a general, rising slope in all things in life--not an uninterrupted (and unrealistic) sprint to the top. 

Tomorrow is my day off with my daughter (as a Tuesday) so I will turn off my phone and turn on the rest. 

6. Write down what happened.

Life is a journey, so keep a journal. You don't need to be a polished writer or even devote a lot of time to this; even a small effort can pay huge dividends (as we'll see in item No. 7, below). A top military leader who was working 16-hour days in a time of crisis wanted to keep a journal. His solution? Every day he wrote a single haiku poem describing what happened that day and how he felt.

I have blogged about this and then never done it - I am going to create an app which reminds me to write one sentence a day. Should be simple enough. 

7. Build your confidence.

Everybody has crises of confidence; everyone has to learn to overcome fear of failure.

The best ways to win are twofold, and we've already covered the groundwork on this list. First, engage with mentors. People who've been through similar challenges and inspire you and show you the way. Second, remember the challenges you've overcome in the past--say, perhaps, the things you wrote about in your journal. You did it then; you can do it now.

My confidence is low about my body image after being on the TV and seeing how large I have got - see picture -  so it's time for a walk out with my daughter and to find somewhere, where I can do yoga. 

8. Give thanks and compliments.

Just as you sometimes have crises of confidence, so does everyone else around you. So, make it a point to compliment others, and to express your appreciation for what they do. If you end each day having sincerely uttered the words, "thank you" to a colleague, friend, family member and even people you only interact in passing, you'll find this habit pays you back tenfold. 

I will drop everyone a text (including family members) for everyone who 'liked' and / or shared that I was on the BBC over the weekend. As the reaction truly shocked me. 

9. Focus on others.

No matter that you do, you will leave a legacy. The question is whether you'll be remembered for something positive or something negative. So, keep in mind during all interactions, that this might be someone's lasting impression of you. If you want to hear a powerful example of this in action, read this story about actor Robert Downey Jr. I won't ruin it for you; just read it.

Just read it - and if I didn't love Robert Downey Jr. or the characters he plays enough - I do now. 

10. Get some physical exercise.

It doesn't have to be much--just a 20- or 30-minute workout each day can improve your outlook and change your life.

Find me the 20 minutes.... Ok I will make 20 minutes. Christ I blog for more than an hour! 

11. Quit something.

Coming up with a great idea isn't the hard part in life. Instead, it's eliminating 99 out of 100 great ideas, so you can focus on the few that really work. The only way to do that is to be willing to give up on things you've tried but aren't paying off--nevermind the sunk costs.

This is the one that has got to me more than the others combined. 

So I quote from the hyperlink. "It's escalation of commitment,when an entrepreneur has invested resources into a new business, they have difficulty letting go even when things go south or another opportunity arises." Today I quit something, handed my notice in emotionally, and tomorrow I am going to do the same with something else. 

12. Check small things.

Extraordinary people learn to delegate effectively. That can be scary, because it requires trust. You can't possibly check everything you've delegated, but you can check some small things, which in turn creates the possibility you'll check everything.

I don't know what to do about this one - which is probably why I am still blogging so much. Ok I will outsource 75% of the new work I have coming in. 
 

13. Laugh--especially at yourself.

Comedy is the flipside of tragedy. For all the passion with which they pursue their goals, truly extraordinary people keep perspective by recognizing that a well-led life is full of humor. Thus, the most important jokes you'll ever tell are the ones about yourself, even your failures. As H.G. Wells (the writer who gave us War of the Worlds, among many other works) put it, "The crisis of today is the joke of tomorrow."

Time to watch some comedy again - perhaps even listen to The Milk Run again - good stuff - a bit dark.

14. Sleep.

Seven to eight hours a night, at least. If not, you're killing your productivity and killing brain cells.

I will nap with Mia around 2 - 4pm - as been up all night blogging away....

15. Continue your education.

Lifelong learning is one of the keys to success. As my colleague Geoffrey James wrote, "[Approach] lifelong learning with a sense of fun that adds pleasure and energy to the tasks at hand. It means expanding your principles and practices so that they serve a greater purpose."

I have signed up for many coding courses.... in an attempt to... 

16. Cultivate outside interests.

All work and no play makes ... well, you know the rest. Let your mind wander every day, and feed it heartily. And, when you've stumbled upon something truly fantastic and worth telling others about...

 Wednesday

17. Share something great.

Did you hear the one about the SEO writer who walked into a bar ["best bars," "taverns" "pubs" "B&B joint," "where should I go tonight?"] (If you laughed, credit this great PR person; if you groaned, blame me.) Seriously, extraordinary people always have something to share, and something truly interesting to talk about--a joke, a story, a bit of good news. Follow their lead.

I share every day - tomorrow I will share some more :)  Perhaps you will share the original of this too?

The 17 Parts of the Mono myth and the 3 stages thereof… and more to think about...

Nothing about marketing - but something about story telling - which is a big part of marketing... 

I pop it here as today I have been thinking about where I am in the story of my life. 

A great man died last week - whilst I was away on holiday a TRUE LEGEND passed away - where it all began for me Jay Conrad Levinson. The father of Guerrilla Marketing. 

Was his book the call to adventure? I don't know - Thank you, Jay http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2013/10/thank-you-jay.html …

Anyhoo.... this is all by James Campbell and great stuff.

It was Joseph Campbell who , in the 1940's,  first brought to the public's attention the Mythic and Archetypal principles embedded in the structure of stories.  

The 17 Parts of the Mono myth and the 3 stages thereof…

Departure:

The Call to Adventure

The hero begins in a mundane situation of normality from which some information is received that acts as a call to head off into the unknown.

Refusal of the Call

Often when the call is given, the future hero first refuses to heed it. This may be from a sense of duty or obligation, fear, insecurity, a sense of inadequacy, or any of a range of reasons that work to hold the person in his or her current circumstances.

Supernatural Aid

Once the hero has committed to the quest, consciously or unconsciously, his guide and magical helper appears, or becomes known. More often than not, this supernatural mentor will present the hero with one or more talismans or artifacts that will aid them later in their quest.

The Crossing of the First Threshold

This is the point where the person actually crosses into the field of adventure, leaving the known limits of his or her world and venturing into an unknown and dangerous realm where the rules and limits are not known.

Belly of The Whale

The belly of the whale represents the final separation from the hero's known world and self. By entering this stage, the person shows willingness to undergo a metamorphosis.

Initiation:

The Road of Trials

The road of trials is a series of tests, tasks, or ordeals that the person must undergo to begin the transformation. Often the person fails one or more of these tests, which often occur in threes.

The Meeting With the Goddess

This is the point when the person experiences a love that has the power and significance of the all-powerful, all encompassing, unconditional love that a fortunate infant may experience with his or her mother. This is a very important step in the process and is often represented by the person finding the other person that he or she loves most completely.

Woman as Temptress

In this step, the hero faces those temptations, often of a physical or pleasurable nature, that may lead him or her to abandon or stray from his or her quest, which does not necessarily have to be represented by a woman. Woman is a metaphor for the physical or material temptations of life, since the hero-knight was often tempted by lust from his spiritual journey.

Atonement with the Father

In this step the person must confront and be initiated by whatever holds the ultimate power in his or her life. In many myths and stories this is the father, or a father figure who has life and death power. This is the center point of the journey. All the previous steps have been moving into this place, all that follow will move out from it. Although this step is most frequently symbolized by an encounter with a male entity, it does not have to be a male; just someone or thing with incredible power.

Apotheosis

When someone dies a physical death, or dies to the self to live in spirit, he or she moves beyond the pairs of opposites to a state of divine knowledge, love, compassion and bliss. A more mundane way of looking at this step is that it is a period of rest, peace and fulfilment before the hero begins the return.

The Ultimate Boon

The ultimate boon is the achievement of the goal of the quest. It is what the person went on the journey to get. All the previous steps serve to prepare and purify the person for this step, since in many myths the boon is something transcendent like the elixir of life itself, or a plant that supplies immortality, or the holy grail.

Return

Refusal of the Return

Having found bliss and enlightenment in the other world, the hero may not want to return to the ordinary world to bestow the boon onto his fellow man.

The Magic Flight

Sometimes the hero must escape with the boon, if it is something that the gods have been jealously guarding. It can be just as adventurous and dangerous returning from the journey as it was to go on it.

Rescue from Without

Just as the hero may need guides and assistants to set out on the quest, oftentimes he or she must have powerful guides and rescuers to bring them back to everyday life, especially if the person has been wounded or weakened by the experience.

The Crossing of the Return Threshold

The trick in returning is to retain the wisdom gained on the quest, to integrate that wisdom into a human life, and then maybe figure out how to share the wisdom with the rest of the world.

Master of Two Worlds

This step is usually represented by a transcendental hero like Jesus or Gautama Buddha. For a human hero, it may mean achieving a balance between the material and spiritual. The person has become comfortable and competent in both the inner and outer worlds.

Freedom to Live

Mastery leads to freedom from the fear of death, which in turn is the freedom to live. This is sometimes referred to as living in the moment, neither anticipating the future nor regretting the past.

 So to recap the Hero's journey

1. Heroes are introduced in the ORDINARY WORLD, where
2. they receive the CALL TO ADVENTURE.
3. They are RELUCTANT at first or REFUSE THE CALL, but 
4. are encouraged by a MENTOR to
5. CROSS THE FIRST THRESHOLD and enter the Special World, where
6. they encounter TESTS, ALLIES, AND ENEMIES.
7. They APPROACH THE INMOST CAVE, crossing a second threshold
8. where they endure the ORDEAL.
9. They take possession of their REWARD and
10. are pursued on THE ROAD BACK to the Ordinary World.
11. They cross the third threshold, experience a RESURRECTION, and are transformed  by the experience.
12. They RETURN WITH THE ELIXIR, a boon or treasure to benefit the Ordinary World.

And for a little more thinking - the characters that join the hero...

The Seven Archetypes:

1. Hero:  "The Hero is the protagonist or central character, whose primary purpose is to separate from the ordinary world and sacrifice himself for the service of the Journey at hand - to answer the challenge, complete the quest and restore the Ordinary World's balance.  We experience the Journey through the eyes of the Hero."
2. Mentor:  "The Mentor provides motivation, insights and training to help the Hero."
3. Threshold Guardian:  "Threshold Guardians protect the Special World and its secrets from the Hero, and provide essential tests to prove a Hero's commitment and worth."
4. Herald:  "Herald characters issue challenges and announce the coming of significant change.  They can make their appearance anytime during a Journey, but often appear at the beginning of the Journey to announce a Call to Adventure.  A character may wear the Herald's mask to make an announcement or judgment, report a news flash, or simply deliver a message."
5. Shapeshifter:  "The Shapeshifter's mask misleads the Hero by hiding a character's intentions and loyalties."
6. Shadow:  "The Shadow can represent our darkest desires, our untapped resources, or even rejected qualities.  It can also symbolize our greatest fears and phobias.  Shadows may not be all bad, and may reveal admirable, even redeeming qualities.  The Hero's enemies and villains often wear the Shadow mask. This physical force is determined to destroy the Hero and his cause."
7. Trickster:  "Tricksters relish the disruption of the status quo, turning the Ordinary World into chaos with their quick turns of phrase and physical antics.  Although they may not change during the course of their Journeys, their world and its inhabitants are transformed by their antics.  The Trickster uses laughter [and ridicule] to make characters see the absurdity of the situation, and perhaps force a change."

 Perhaps we / you can think about who in your life has / is being each one. 

And for a more fun look at the above.... here you go :) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZxs_jGN7Pg

the characters explained with puppets... 

and the stages - for us all in a lovely animation - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhk4N9A0oCA&list=TL2W_SQ-k7GPhiUkyONvYntBHQtQiW3j9e