6.18 | Life & learnings.

Something I've wanted to do for a while is getting round to writing more. I'm a huge advocate of creating content and documenting my journey, while trying to give industry insight and at times even advice following the things I'm experiencing.

Although video on all platforms is much more 'engaging' it's still not something I feel particularly comfortable doing / can do to standard which I'm happy with.

So, here it is. Hopefully the first of many monthly updates.

Overview

I'm extremely fortunate to be surrounded by amazing people and have the privilege of working on some exciting projects which take me all over the world.

June started out in a very unique way, travelling across Canada with the family and working 3am-9am everyday.

From how I've structured the projects I'm working on, a lot of them are long-term plays which has required a lot of work upfront before seeing any returns. Although I think I could have balanced projects better, I've always been a believer in looking five steps ahead and seeing how I can set myself up, down the road.

Financially it's the worst month I've had since setting up the business. However, that's not how I determine my success or happiness. This month has been extremely positive, from experiencing new places, meeting new people and potential business partners as well as lining up a few huge projects for the rest of 2018.

Canada

Undoubtedly, Canada is the most naturally beautiful place I've ever been. Pictures do not do it justice, the views, mountains and lakes are mesmerising.

I personally find travelling really inspiring and is probably my favourite thing to do. Getting to experience new places and see new things is extremely empowering and gives me a completely different perspective on the world.

We flew into Calgary and drove up through Banff and Jasper, then onto Vancouver and Whistler before I headed off to see clients in Seattle.

While in Canada, and as a big Liverpool fan, losing the Champions League final was certainly not ideal. However, being able to walk outside and canoe on Emerald lake just after the game, definitely helped the healing process.

One of the most impactful things Steve Bartlett ever taught me and the team was that happiness is a choice. Now this does sound pretty strange at first, but when you really think about it, you can make a conscious decision to at the very least deal with a situation better.

A few years ago I would have probably sulked for a few days and I can guarantee I would have been extremely irritable, however being able to understand the bigger picture massively helped me dealing with a huge L.

Seattle

I had an amazing time in Seattle and getting to see a client I've been working with since TWH Media's inception is always a pleasure. Aaron and Emily, who run PNW Components couldn't have been more accommodating and to be honest couldn't be better clients.

Seattle is a really beautiful city surrounded by some amazing mountains. The Amazon and Microsoft money which has been pumped into the area really shows and downtown has some really great views.

30under30

Getting recognised for things like this is really cool, but it's super important to not put too much stock in awards or accomplishments and focus on the next step.

Manchester has been a hot bed for some amazing tech and social media businesses such as TheLADbible & Social Chain so being part of list like this is a nice personal achievement.

Fourth Day PR's Panel

Public speaking is a craft I think I'm quite good at and is also something I'm really trying to continually improve. For the past couple of years I've tried to take up as many paid and unpaid opportunities to practise my cadence, stage presence and body language.

Even though the panel on social media was quite a small event, it actually was a really great experience. Getting to see other people's perspective on issues surrounding social media was fascinating and the other panelists were also really impressive (which isn't always the case).

TruFan

Although we've had a number of delays with the development of the product, it's actually been a super positive month for the team. I am utterly astounded at how quickly and efficiently Manu Goswami is managing to raise money - the guy is a savage.

For those that don't know, Trufan is a SaaS company helping brands and influencers identify and reward their top fans. We provide a platform (mobile/web) and an integrated consulting service that shows customers their passionate, influential and casual fans that can be segmented across platform, location, interests and keywords.

Ever since announcing the project in December, we've had some tremendous interest from some of the world’s biggest voices: over 225 influencers including Kevin Hart, TLC, Casey Neistat, Gucci Mane, Ludacris, Kyle Kuzma, Chris Paul, and Dwayne Wade and over 120 brands including Western Union, UFC, McDonald's, Dunk, TheScore and Under Armour. 

It's amazing to be a part of this group and also is very cool to be able to defy tradition as for the past 7 months the team working remotely across the globe.

myCard

This is a project we will be launching in July and has the potential to be one of the most impactful products I work on.

myCard is a digital business card holder which acts as your GDPR gatekeeper, allowing you to continue building your network under the new regulations.

As someone who has never carried business card this is a fantastic, cost effective and green solution which could be a game changer.

Jobseekrs

June has been a really interesting month for Jobseekrs, investment is looking like it will land in the next few weeks and we've spent a lot of time refining and testing the product.

We are primed to launch the beta and I can't wait to start marketing the product to young people.

Direct Heroes

I'm a founding member of an amazing business called Direct Heroes. In short it's a Direct Messaging tool for Instagram. Using DH you can automate responses and build sequences to help generate leads or sales for your business through Instagram.

The team are very excited to launching the product over summer and I can't wait to share some of the results we are generating.

London

Throughout June I spent quite a lot of time in London, which I always really enjoy. The buildings the energy and opportunity always inspires me when I'm in the capital.

As documented on LinkedIn I got to spend time at the Facebook and Salesforce offices, which was really cool. Having never worked in a big corporate business, I'm fascinated by how they do things, what policies are in place and what environment they create for staff.

While down south I was also fortunate enough to work closely with the creative genius' at Studio Output & Found Studio. Ian Hambleton is someone I really look up too and is a great role model for anyone trying to run an agency.

The stint in London was all topped off with the Glug summer social, which was an incredibly well organised event and typifies the work the Glug team do.

Thoughts / Learnings

One of my key takeaways for June is that things normally take longer than you think. Whether it's development updates, product faults, logistic issues or cash coming in, there are so many hurdles in business that everyone is trying to overcome.

Being surrounded by positive and smart people is the MOST important thing for me. It still astounds me that I have mentors and friends, from all over the world, that are at the top of their field and are still willing to pick up the phone or give advice.