Tag: People

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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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Bal's Friday Thought

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.

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Uncategorized

Why should I read your blog, Bal?

Just before Christmas, I shared a blog post, within which there were a few items/suggestions, that you could buy as Christmas presents for loved ones.

These were centred around technology items, gadgets… for the home.

Now, whilst I don’t often do this (saying that, I did it again for Valentines!) – I will only share the best, and what I’ve actually experienced and/or tested with you. I wouldn’t be sharing any old thing, or something I feel does not hold value.

That is one reason why you should read my blog. For what I share, will have some value. And if you can read in-between the lines, there’s more value for you, than what you may realise.

Let’s take one of the items that I mentioned, it was Ring.

What is Ring? – well, to remind you… it’s a door bell, with a camera… which can communicate to your phone or tablet device, and you can see who’s outside. Great in so many ways…. for the older folk, the lazy folk, for those who are not at home, etc…

I also mentioned, how a number of these devices are all connectable making your home, a smart home. They can connect with the Amazon Echo, for example.

And this morning… what did I hear…

That’s right. Amazon… paid $1billion for Ring.

Now, 2 things here…1) Imagine you’d never heard of Ring, read my blog and thought – this looks good, might buy some shares in it…. 2) All these connected devices, surely they’ll come under one company one day… I should look into investing in them.

Either way, you’d be very happy this morning.

Now, I want to make it very clear – i’m not in a position to advice you.. in what to invest and what will provide you with great returns.

The position I am in, is for you to read my blog, have conversations with me… and then assess for yourself, what may work and what may not.

I too, have invested my money into various companies, businesses and start-ups. Moreso, to help them grow… and for them to help my pension pot to grow. Let’s be honest… who wants to be working when they’re well into their 50’s and 60’s… mind you, there’s even possibilities for many folk to be clever with their money and retire earlier! (On which point, I know some folk who have just done that).

So, you’re probably wondering… when will I be sharing my next ‘top things to buy for a particular occasion….’ well, I’ve nothing scheduled right now. But what I might do, is share individuals whom I’ve met, working with, listened to… who’ll be successful. Becuase at the end of the day, it’s the people that make the businesses work.

Oh… on the conversation of investment – there’s various places you can look and research, where you can invest your money… anything from Kickstarter (the potato salad was my favourite) to various websites & organisations. I would however, encourage you… to do your research. And continue to read my blog.