Generosity & Strategy…
This comes from recent conversations I’ve had with those in the music industry… not that I’m part of a music industry but just sharing business insights that can be applied.
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Month: July 2018
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Busy July, Calm August…
As you’ve probably seen from my twitter feed and insta account – I’ve been travelling a lot in July.
To say it’s been crazy is an understatement. Rotterdam, Toronto, Berlin and Brussels.
But I’m hoping for a calmer August. Why? – well, I’m going on holiday…. That’s why!
Thoroughly deserved as well if I may say so… but in the back of my head, I’ll be thinking about emails, work going on, etc… There’s a wonderful chart that illustrates this…
I’ve said before… it’s important to take a break. Most of us, are on laptops. And there comes a time when our laptop slows down, we need to stop it – shut it down, and then start again. Similar to us… we have so much going on… mentally, that we need to shut down and start again.
I won’t be having my phone on. I will definitely not be checking emails. If someone wants me – you have two options… 1. Talk to someone in my team and get the best advice from them, 2. Wait for me to come back.
Admittley, I’m not taking the holiday at a busy time of the year nor is it during a period when everything is happening – you know these times in the year we come across. I’m taking it in August. During school summer holidays. But also – that shouldn’t matter. You should take your holidays, when you want, how you want!
I remember this post from Cristina when she went on holiday…
Brings a lot of attention about how important it is.
So folks, I won’t be posting much… you’ll get my Friday thought – because I know there’s a lot of people that watch out for them and enjoy reading them. Otherwise, a few weeks with no blogs… unfortunately. However, I will be back mid-August….firing on all cylinders (as they say!)
Thanks…Bal…sat on a beach… somewhere in the Mediterranean
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Bal’s Friday Thought…
Depend on no one…
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Happy 100th Birthday Nelson…
On this day, in 1918… Nelson Mandela was born.
Now, most of you will know about him… his struggles, his fights and his wins.
What I wanted to do, was share some of his words… because he was known to write and share thoughts that would make folk think. Not only about the current situation but the future.
There’s a few quotes of his which I love…
Such a strong statement that can be applied to everyday, every walk… every life.
Then my favourite…
It’s all about education.
Learn and then, learn some more.
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Didn’t they do well….
Let’s be honest.. hasn’t it been a great Summer so far, especially with the FIFA World Cup!
All the surprises… who would have thought Germany would’ve gone out during the group stages… or that Croatia would’ve made it to the Finals?
Or how’s about, England making it to the Semi Finals? I know… although there was a moment we all thought that the finals were ours… we did very well in Russia this summer.
But most in particular for me, it came down to one thing. Leadership.
That’s right… the leader, the manager, the person in charge. Mr. Southgate.
Couple of things that really stood out for me….. (that made it a bit magical).
1. The Passion.
A normally quiet kind of guy… composed and not necessarily always full of emotions… however, the passion was there.
When we won, there was a moment when Gareth would walk over to the fans and really encourage them… Thank them…. show the passion!
And this filtered down to the players. They played with passion. They stepped up and that’s one of the reasons why the England team did well.
2. The Experience
We know he’s been there. He’s experienced heart ache. He’s got the scars and the stories.
You have to have been through those times, those difficult times…. where either things haven’t gone right and/or you know what could’ve made it better.
And it’s that…that helps you learn. Make things better for the future. With experience…. comes that knowledge.
3. Humanity
There were several other words I could’ve used. Compassion. Kindness. Sympathy…..
After the Semi Final game…. Gareth, hugged each devasted player. Hugged the staff.
After the majority had gone home. Hugged his wife. It’s this quality that shows he cares. Deep down… he cares. It matters to him. A lot.
Even at the press conference, thanked the players, the staff, the fans – especially those who travelled over… thanked Russia for hosting such a wonderful World Cup, thanked everyone.
Thank you Gareth. You exceeded expectations.
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Bal’s Friday Thought…
Don’t be a slave to your emotions…
Firstly my apologies. I know I usually publish a ‘Throwback Thursday’ on the first Thursday of every month.
However, recently, you may have noticed if you follow me on social media – I’ve been traveling a lot (and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon!)
That’s right, last week I was in Berlin, and didn’t have the opportunity to prepare, write and publish my blog post for my monthly Throwback Thursday.
However, I did want to ensure I published one for the month of July!
So, here we go… Throwback Thursday to a time when I met up with James Caan….
James Caan is a successful business man. He’s worth over £100m and he’s appeared on TV shows such as Dragons Den and many others…
When I met up with James, the important thing I wanted to hear from him was how he started… what did he do, to become so successful!
Well… believe it or not, his family business was leather jackets and garments. They were successful and the natural route for James was to go into the family business.
BUT… he didn’t. He wanted to do something different. So he started a recruitment company. The interesting thing here is, it was all about the address. Location… yes, we’ve seen the TV show…. Location, Location, Location.
But it really matters!
So, in Pall Mall… he found a small location. It wasn’t big at all.. James told me, it was so small…. you wouldn’t believe but the great thing was the address. So when he was talking to clients and customers, and he was providing the address – it’d set a precedent. To be in this location, you’d have to be worth something…
James is a great guy. During our chat (which was a few years ago now…) there were some great hints and tips I picked up…
1. Don’t follow the crowd – Now, you may have seen or heard this before, but for me, it’s so important. James natural progression was the family business, it was all there for him… but no.
2. Be strong – be confident – When in business, you have to be careful you don’t come across arrogant. But at the same time, you have to be strong and confident. And I took this away from James. He was polite… but also strong-minded.
3. Hard Work pays off – He told me a story, of how he takes time out to relax and enjoy life. Now admittely not everyone can go off on their own yacht or take a holiday to the Caribbean but you can, if you work hard… put the hours in and then reap the benefits.
These are the 3 of the many things I took away from our conversation…. There was so much James shared… maybe I’ll dedicate a blog post to some further insights and maybe more about how he started up… and the struggles he had.
You may see all the glitz and glamour but it wasn’t always that easy….
Many people will see the big house, big cars, etc…
…but starting in the smallest of rooms, with just enough space for a telephone… and working hard, has paid off.
And that’s what it comes down to… hard work.
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Bal’s Friday Thought…
Thinking of giving up…. don’t.
This is my 50th Bal’s Friday Thought, many a times I’ve thought of giving up… but for some reason, kept on going.
And now proud to announce, that you can purchase a selection of my Friday Thoughts on canvas! I’ll be providing you further information on which ones, sizes, how, etc… over the next few weeks.
But as a strong believer in ‘Progress over Perfection’, if there’s one you like and you want it… message me, with which one… and I’ll provide you with sizes, prices and payment details.
