Category: Throwback Thursday

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Throwback Thursday

Thursday Throwback

Yours truly, talking at the Coca-Cola Headquarters to folk from South America.

Last week, I was in the office for the first time since January 2020.

I remember, February 2020 I was in Rotterdam. And then was meant to fly out to Madrid. However, Covid-19 had Madrid locked and I rang British Airways. Suggested they push my travel to July, by then it should have all blown over.

Here we are. September 2021. Didn’t make that Madrid trip. However, did complete the project on time and in full.

Whilst we all got used to zoom/MS Teams calls. There’s something about being in person. Having the face to face conversation is something special.

So it was nice to be back in the office last week. Meeting people, talking and getting things answered quicker than on Teams and awaiting a reply.

I also recall when I used to do a number of talks.

Above, the photo – my Thursday Throwback, is of me at the Coca-Cola Headquarters in London. I was asked to talk to a number of visitors. They were from South America if I remember correctly. They were here to learn how we were doing things in the UK. How we were making the best of technology.

A nice informal setting. A lot of questions and answers.

I haven’t done any talks since the pandemic. In fact – haven’t done any talks for a while!

Therefore – it’s great, when a friend of mine has asked me to do a TedX type of talk in Wolverhampton! This will be happening in November this year – as long as this type of normality remains.

Might do a few more regular talks. Invite some friends. Have a few good conversations. Where people can take a few golden nuggets. It’s those golden nuggets that will help, grow and nurture you, your business and/or your organisation.

I’ll share more details to when this will be happening. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to me, if you’d like me to talk at your event – and I’ll share my fee’s.

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Throwback Thursday

Think Lean… Process First

Recently, I was asked – why is my blog called, ‘Think Lean, Get Digital’?

The simple answer is – as an organization, a company, whatever you might be – think of the process first – get that lean (for example – remove all the fat, the waste, the crap) and then focus on utilizing more digital technologies to further lean the process or improve the user experience.

We often navigate away from the process, and jump to either sale, solution or the end of the process – because that’s the fun part. Let’s be honest… no one wants to know about raw materials, who really cares about transportation etc… (well, if you’re into logistics then yes! as it’ll be the most important part).

Many organizations do not think about their processes. Processes to one side – how many know their value stream map (this is a map that shows an overall picture and where the value (and non-value) activities are).

Before even thinking about Digital Transformation – it’s important that the process is understood. The key objective is to reduce the overall lead time – from the moment an enquiry is made or a customer wants to purchase a product/service to the moment it’s delivered and paid for.

Everything starts with Value.

Again, this could relate to your startup, your hobby, your passion.

Over the lockdown last year – like many other millions of people in the UK, I started baking. Whilst I thought, everyone is baking – what can I do different (or slightly different) I started to bake vegan and eggless cakes. Moreso, what became a ‘top seller’ were my vegan or eggless cookies.

There’s a variety of reasons people don’t eat eggs – many for religious purposes. In addition, many more are becoming vegan.

So I baked various vegan cookies – and then in my Creative Lab (the kitchen) I experimented with Kit Kat Cookies, Coconut Cookies, etc… and they were good! (that’s not me saying that – that’s customers!)

Again – comes back to value.

Baking in the kitchen is small. Yet – I was able to adhere to the Lean Principles. I had a process in place. My recipe was my process!

So even if you are a small business, a large organization, a charity or service provider – first understand your process and make it Lean (remove the waste!)

Oh.. and I couldn’t leave you without sharing a photo of my cookies, right?

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Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday… with Nina Wadia

I wasn’t able to do a Thursday Throwback in August, because I was too busy throwing back myself in my white inflatable unicorn.

However, normal service resumes… and this month (September… doesn’t time fly!!), it’s a Throwback Thursday with Nina Wadia!

Now, I met Nina a few years ago, and we had a great catch up. We talked about her time on East Enders…. the films she’s appeared in, dramas on BBC…. and numerous other stage and radio performances.

The interesting thing that Nina shared was the number of different shows she’s been in… Usually, opportunities like these don’t come easy. But you can tell, that Nina has gone out looking for the opportunities. Creating them where they did not exist, and then being able to excel.

Personally, I thought she was fantastic in EastEnders… and how she played her character was phenomenal.

So what’s the secret?

“Enjoy the work you do!”

It’s as simple as that…. Enjoy. From the original days of Goodness Gracious Me, where the four of them used to have a great laugh… and how that show excelled.

Just spending those few hours with Nina, it was clear to notice how we both were smiling and laughing.

But also the charities and causes that Nina helps out with. Which is important for her.

“Being able to give and support those who don’t have the same privileges as us is important.”

So true. I help a charity called Khalsa Aid, who go around the world helping people, irrespective of their faith or background.

I think the more we’re able to help… the better this world would be.

For me… Nina is a bit of an inspiration. Because of the amount of stage, TV and Film work she’s done. The charities she supports and gives her time to.

I think, we all can learn something from Nina…

(By the way, here’s just a small selection of the work she’s done…. EastEnders, GoodnessGracious Me, 2Point4Children, Holby City, The Vicar of Dibley, Thin Ice, Citizen Khan, Doctors, Loose Women,  Still Open All Hours, Doctor Who and many many more…..)

 

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Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday…with James Caan

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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Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday… to a time I was in Vegas!

This month’s Throwback Thursday is to a place.

A place that I thoroughly enjoyed – and I know, it’s not to everyone’s liking, but there’s so much on offer there… from the Statue of Liberty, to a variety of shows… to the brilliant food… oh the buffets, wow!

Yep you guess it… it’s Las Vegas!

I’ve been there a few times.

Now some people may say it’s a bit tacky, not nice, cheap, etc…

But you know what, it’s the mindset you go with. If you go with an open mind – you’ll also really enjoy it. There’s so much to do… so many places to visit, you really do need some time there.

Now, to clarify, this isn’t a sponsored post by the Las Vegas Tourism board, nor am I endorsing any of the places to visit within Las Vegas – however, there are a few places you must really visit there.

Such as the Lions in MGM…

Oh, there’s real ones there also!

Then there’s the great marketing that pulls you into the various places…

Bal, why are you sharing your trip to Vegas with us?

Well, a few reasons.

  1. There’s things, in business, we can learn from Vegas. Whilst out there, I could see how certain things were really important… one for example is, location. There’s the main boulevard… and the places on there were very busy. However, if you go a little north and further out, not as busy and a little cheaper – to attract the clientele. So where your business operates from, is important to ensure you attract the maximum number of customers possible.
  2. Offer – there’s all sorts of offers to attract you – like eat all you can buffet. Once again, businesses who highlighted these offers and were able to show, it’s a great deal – were busy. I’m sure they’re still making good money, so what offers have you got on, to attract customers?
  3. Size matters. It’s like, when they were designing it, someone said… ‘Go Large or Go Home!’. Everything is supersized. Everything is there. And what I noticed, the more attractions, the more visually appealing… the busier they were! Take the fountains… when the show starts… people were outside to see them. Take the lions in the MGM Hotel. There was something unique about every location that made people go there. And spend their money.

So, there’s a few takeaways you can apply to everyday business from my takeaways from Vegas.

Obviously, anything you do… is a gamble. But if you do it with some research, a bit of data to back your decision…. you could be onto a winner.

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Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday… with my friend, Amir Khan.

Usually, I do my ‘Throwback Thursdays’… on the first Thursday of the month. However, next Thursday… (3rd May)… is my birthday, so I won’t be publishing anything on  my blog, as i’ll be taking the day off…

So, Bal… you’re now going to tell me, you’re friends with the boxer Amir Khan and want to share a conversation or two, you’ve had with him?

Yep 🙂

 

Back to a time, when I was at Amir’s gym in Bolton. Sitting in the ring, talking about boxing, cars and other things… but I don’t want to share all that… what I want to share is, how he’s taken time out, re-focused and come back!

Couple of things I wanted to relate what’s been happening with Amir and the business world.

  1. Things not really happening…

We know, it’s been a while since Amir had a fight. Good fight. And won it convincingly. And there’s a number of reasons for that…. there’s been a lot in the press about him… his family… his wife…. etc… and he sent tweets, which, maybe he shouldn’t have.

You could say, it’s been a difficult time.

Relating to business – this can happen. When things aren’t going your way. Customers leaving, business not going well… you, as the main person are not in the right frame of mind…. etc… so what do you do? – sometimes you need a break. Sometimes, you need to gather your thoughts. Go do something different. Go into the ‘jungle’… steal some strawberries and make new friends.

2. It’s all about the People

Amir has a new promoter. New trainer. And this has given him a new lease of life. He’s even said in an interview recently, how he’s doing things he didn’t know… or was not aware previously… he’s feeling refreshed.

Same in business. Have you got the right trainer? – I’ve spoken about mentors… Have you got the diversity in the team to make you think differently and/or get you doing things you hadn’t known or were previously aware of.

These are my main two points I wanted to share… from watching and seeing what Amir has been doing for a few years…

… wouldn’t it be great, for him… to have a match with Brook! Who knows… if he beats him, who could he face next?! – is he back… being bigger and better than before?

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Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday… Goodness Gracious Me

Today’s Throwback Thursday, is to a time when I met up with my good friend, Kulvinder Ghir – comedian, actor… and an all around, nice guy.

Now, for those who are thinking… I’ve seen him before somewhere… indeed you have. He was one of the four, in Goodness Gracious Me…

That’s right – the popular BBC Show, really funny show that aired a while ago. He played a number of characters – my personal favorite being ‘Bhangra Man’.

A proven comedian – who had his own live stand up shows.

A proven actor – starring in not only Goodness Gracious Me, but also the recent series of Open All Hours on BBC 1, and many more. He’s also been in a number of films also… including, Bend It Like Beckham.

He’s done some great work over the years. And continues to do so… today.

I met up with Kulvinder, a few years back, at his home in London… we had a good catch up, and there are some things he’s shared with me previously, about his journey which I wanted to share with you…

  1. It’s not Easy – Stating the obvious, right? – We see a lot on social media, photo’s of big cars, luxury lifestyles, etc… but many of these folk, who genuinely have built their careers or businesses, haven’t always had it easy. It takes time. Goodness Gracious Me was hugely popular. But did you know… the struggle behind it… the hours and days of writing good material… and how it first started on radio, not TV.
  2. Have Fun – The guy is seriously funny. In real life too. He doesn’t take many things seriously. For example, I was sat in his living room, and he said – oh I need to pop out and get some biscuits, you make the tea i’ll be back in a bit…. I was like… don’t worry about the biscuits! Let’s sit down… And this behavior transpires into the work that he does. Writing material, for a show… must be hard work, but when you’re with friends, having a laugh… and a joke, time flies by and before you know it, you’ve got some good material! Enjoy what you do. Have fun.

There’s a lot we have talked about. Sacrifices he’s made, how he moved away from home, how he’s learnt from a lot of people…. etc… but i’m not going to go into that. Because the 2 points I’ve mentioned above, are what really makes him stand out – the second one, especially!

So, whatever you do… how ever you do it… and when ever you do it… make sure you have fun!

You can find various clips of the show on YouTube, Vimeo, etc.. but I wanted to share one of my favourites…

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Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday… with my friend from Formula 1

So I’ve decided to start throwing back to some good old times… on Thursday’s. Not every Thursday, I’ll throwback once a Thursday a month.

Last month, we had my good old days at Kodak… and this moth, I wanted to share with you a throwback, to a time when my good friend, Karun Chandhok and I met up at Silverstone for a little beverage and a conversation.

Now, Karun is an accomplished racing driver. He’s raced in Formula 1, he’s raced in Le Mans, he’s raced in many races around the world… I could keep going on about his races, but easier if I share a link to his bio – http://www.karunchandhok.com/KC/

But why I am sharing this information with you? – well, when we met up, he shared some real good insights into his daily life that are applicable to all of us…

For example,

Karun has, as I mentioned, raced a lot. He’s done speeds, which I can only dream about… but when we met up, he pulled up in a VW Passat. Now, no offence, they’re extremely good, solid, family cars… but for a Formula 1 Racing driver to pull up in a Passat, you’d ask the question… where’s the sports car?

Now his answer… “Well, Bal… you see, i’m doing 350km per hour, in some of the best racing circuits in the world… don’t need anything fancy on the roads where you’re limited”.

Damn! – that put me in my place!! – So true… when you’re following your passion, and you’re doing what you love – you’ll be near the top of your game, with that in mind… who cares what you do (or drive – in this case) when you’re limited with restrictions.

Karun never wanted to be a doctor or an accountant… he didn’t want a professional job like that… he knew, he wanted to be a racing driver. He followed his passion… he worked hard… even though he was limited to resources when in India, he moved to Northampton, out of his comfort zone (away from the hot weather) and kept on pushing himself to achieve his dreams.

That’s another lesson we can all learn. Move away from your comfort zone. We talk about it… but how many of you are willing to give up on home comforts?

The one thing, I really wanted to share about Karun is how humble he is.

Honestly, this guy… is so nice… for example, when we’d finished chatting at Silverstone, I asked him… is it the private jet to the next race venue? – his answer… no, it’s a normal flight. In fact… came over on Easyjet, because it was the quickest and easiest.

Easyjet?! – now… once again, nothing wrong with Easyjet, in fact, I use them a lot… but it goes down to the thinking. Yes, from time to time, the private jet or chartered planes are there to take him around the world, but for Karun, it’s the quickest and easiest method of transportation to get him from A to B. And you couldn’t get any more ‘Lean Thinking’ than that.

And there you have it… a couple of lessons from Karun. Who left the lovely hot weather of India, to come to Northampton to follow his dreams….

I feel I need to put a number of disclaimers in this blog post – The VW Passat, as mentioned, is a lovely car… Easyjet are a great low cost airline (Value for money indeed)… and Northampton does have hot weather (for a few days in August).