a life, a story, a book

‘Now is the time to think about yourself.’ Selfish eh? This is a line I utter to myself often, whenever someone talks to me about diversity or reinvention. Or even AI. I mean, it’s taken me (you as well) a lifetime to develop into the unique creations we’ve become. There have been stumbles along the way, shoves and distractions. This is the essence of what makes us who we are. Like it or lump…

I recently spent the day with a whole bunch of creative writers. It was a workshop run by the really lovely, equally fun Barbara Slade, a fantastic presenter, so knowledgeable, so well connected. Anyway, Barbara was talking all sorts of ways to structure the screenplay that you deserve. Highly interactive and deeply engaging. Thank you, Barbara. We talked about ‘Show and tell as opposed to say…

|How to Be a Living Unison: D.H. Lawrence on Harmonizing the Conflicting Parts We Live With The great paradox of personhood is that the sum is simpler than its parts. We move through the world as a totality, fragmentary but indivisible, clothed in a costume of personality beneath which roil parts perpetually fighting for power, perpetually yearning for harmony. The person making the choices, the…

Hi Everyone… I recently felt that my time spent following a particular path was coming to an end. I sensed I was tired; my enthusiasm was down to a minimum … I felt we (my community practice and I) had run the race, now becoming yesterday’s flavour. It wasn’t until I sat with a friend who – by pure coincidence- confided that she herself had felt ‘burn-out’ had become her constant…

Building relationships online is the same as in any other community. How your audience comes to see and know you through the messages we’re delivering. Getting to know you, that’s important. Often, I see people enjoying our morning business meeting, introducing themselves through networking, looking to deliver the message of what they’re looking for, and for one reason or another, they neglect…

As business owners, there are times when we’re so intent on making money, we forget about the fundamentals that may help drive our enterprise while we’re working ‘in the business.’ Recognising the foundations of your business is critical and takes dedication, 6-12 months if working business-to-customer, perhaps longer working business-to-business. We know relationships and trust are important,…

I was in conversation with a group of 16-18yr olds the other day. They were discussing careers, some looking to university, others apprenticeships. Some looking for work experience, most of them had become disillusioned. The advice I gave my new friends is the same I offer anyone who needs help. Reach out to the bigger picture. What you are looking for right now may not be right in front of you…

I received a call from an old friend early last week. Geoff and I hadn’t spoken since he married and left for Denmark almost fifteen years previous and it was great to catch up. We’d originally met when introduced on a flight, London to Zurich. “Charlie, remember that flight to Zurich?” I’d surprised myself taking the offer to join a group of unknown travellers leaving London for an…

I met Karen recently. She has a start-up business and is now looking to generate new opportunities via ‘word of mouth.’ It’s always a pleasure to share new contacts with my own business community. The new connection is invaluable, although Karen may not ‘connect’ with everyone during her first meeting, she has the opportunity to introduce herself to many via second and third degree contacts ……

‘That’s typical.’ I said, thinking to myself as I peered out of the kitchen window into a gloomy sky. Today’s public holiday, Sunday looks set to be a wet occasion. So Plan A is a no-go, and it’s time to adapt and play it by ear, ‘dog duty’ is always first-up whatever the weather, but the plan thereafter to tackle a little gardening, followed by a stroll by the coast … then the BBQ?   Yes, that…

There are many things competing for our attention … perhaps just now it’s this note from me to you. Many of us take on more than we should, agreeing to and saying yes to things we probably shouldn’t. At some point, with all the demands, appeasement, noise and interruptions, when we finally sit down, it’s hard to know where to focus, which project to tackle first, or we begin to spin, thinking…

Many moons ago, as a youth Rugby Coach, one of the things I remember saying to my son was to make sure he stayed wide and watch for the gap. “Once you see the opportunity, move into the space at pace.” I would say. He understood what I was saying, it was grasping (as a 9yr old) the required urgency he needed to work on. I never realised that it would become an important part of a kind of…

During the course of any working week, if I were to expect to hear one question, it would be this one: ‘Why aren’t I getting any business, Charlie?’ I can’t answer each query without knowing a little more about how that person operates as a business. What it is they offer, their pricing structure and who their market is. There are though, some fundamental questions everyone should be asking…

“When does a network stop working,? asked Chris?  When … when, I don’t get referrals, Charlie. After all, I only turn up for the business. Don’t you?” I sat down with Chris and one or two right after the regular meeting when Chris asked me the above question. Answering the query himself. I thought it was one of those ‘trick questions’ at first, you know the one, the set-up before the fall? I…

I bumped into a good friend at ‘Pets At Home’ the other day. I hadn’t seen Cheryl lately, and we got talking about similar ‘doggie’ interests, their diets (not ours), and the fickle life we, as dog owners, endure.  Our best friends have particular tastes. I mean, they have to work hard if they’re ever going to achieve dog nirvana … they need to work smart in getting the messages regarding their…