livemygoals Editor Blog

Tell Your Story to Achieve Your Goals

Blog Author — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 04:00:26 GMT

Last year I delivered the worst presentation of my career. I've tried to forget it. I have since made up for it with many successful, impactful presentations that have engaged and added value to my audience. The difference between that one disaster and the many successful presentations before and after that episode over my career is in the story telling. Effective story telling is the key to achieving your goals.

How are you at story telling? Have you ever thought that you are just a couple of true stories away from achieving your big goal? Sharing the story around your goals attracts supporters who often help you achieve your goals.

In the great presentations, I was relaxed, knew my audience and built their respect quickly with the backstory and relevant tales. They left with a number of useful "takeaways" that they could use immediately after being inspired by these true stories. The worst one quickly created a hostile audience that momentarily tripped me up and made me fall back on theory, product and widget. I temporarily forgot the art of story telling. It was hard for me to recover after that. Some things you just have to move on from. Onwards and upwards as they say.

The one thing that ties my passion and hobby website and my business together is the fact that both involve the discipline of listening, teasing out and sharing people's and company's authentic stories with different audiences, often through the media, sometimes within teams and client bases.

I have enjoyed being involved with many successful Ceo's and business leaders over the years. Savvy chief executives I have known understand how to tell their (and their company's) story. Yes the numbers are important, but only when woven together by the magical (and sometimes terrifying) story that helps make sense of the numbers. We can relate to the story in some way.

The product, service and the experience are vital, but it's the story that capivates and attracts early adopters and then the follower market. Refining, refreshing and adapting this story along the way in a relevant and impactful way to your target audiences including your own team, suppliers, partners, clients and the market is vital.

The art of story telling is learned really early on in life if you are lucky. If you can draw on this you will be ok. Have you ever told your children a story "out of your imagination" rather than reading out of a book? Have you ever told a story around a campfire? It's about theatre of the mind, setting the scene, relating to your audience and having good timing. A beginning. A middle. An end. Many of us tell stories each day around the water cooler, at the barbeque over the weekend and in our favourite coffee shop.

What true stories will help you achieve your big powerful goals? Who will be interested? How will the stories help create action and galvanise people around you?

There is no doubt about it for me, the secret to successful business (whether you own it or work in it) is in the story telling. We have had some success in this at Alexander Communications through both our keynote presentations and our case studies - effectively stories about what our clients are doing to communicate with their audiences. What has particularly interested me is observing some of the world renowned business leaders who have visited New Zealand. I have been been involved with a few international management consultants recently. I hold these experiences in a special place. I have helped to share their story with New Zealand business leaders. Meeting Tom Peters, Jack Daly, Li Cunxin, Michael E. Gerber and many other local thought leaders has inspired and taught me in so many ways. I have interviewed a number of these leaders at the New Zealand Herald, on Livemygoals.com and Unlimited.co.nz and there are many recurring themes in the tales of these leaders rise to the top of their professions.

One of the observations I have about these thought leaders is that they have honed and crafted their story over time and had success in their own backyards, often writing a book ( or many) about their thoughts and experiences and use this as a story telling medium. They then tell the same story all around the world, adapting as they go along, just like your average Rock and Roll, Hip Hop or Country Music star- they learn their lyrics and tell their story more and more effectively, with authenticity and keeping it fresh, engaging with their audiences and adapting all the time.

Successful Ceo's and business leaders are goal oriented, in touch with good and accessible stories and share them regularly. The stories are then easy to repeat and share with others. Its not about the widget, but about capturing hearts and minds.

Some of the things I learned from Tom Peters, Jack Daly, Li Cuxin and Michael E. Gerber:

Write a book (or a few) - if you can't do that then learn how to tell stories every day that interest people.
Stick at it - invest 10 000 hours or more at your craft
Have good timing (in your delivery), know how to read your audience
Understand that you will affend some in your audience, maybe even shock some , but you will do so in a way that is congruent with your brand. Keep the surprises relevant to your message.
Apply your knowledge using international and local stories that your audience can relate to, but keep them out of their "comfort zone"
Dress distinctively. Jack wears monogrammed shirts, Michael wears a panama hat and either full white of full black dress suit. Li Cuxin dresses simply but charms people with stories of his family
Some of these people are naturally shy, but overcome this on the stage to tell their story
Pick up local and relevant examples along the way- use this to create content for the future
Use teleseminars and webinars to engage interested people ahead of your address. This enables you to pick up local questions ahead of your trip. This works equally well for Kiwi's and Aussies branching out into other markets.
Use social media to engage with people and tell your story.

There are many other techniques that the best story tellers use. What are yours? What do you observe from the stories that leaders around you tell? My own perspective is that the most engaging stories are the "warts and all" stories where we can all learn something from the story teller's experience. No one likes, or even believes the perfect story... the one without pitfalls, trials and tribulations.

Stories can help you build your support, your team, your business. Stories attract people, funding and like-minded groups.

How is your story unfolding? How will your story read once you have achieved those big goals?

I recently told my story to KiwiNation . Hosted by Glenn Williams from wammo.co.nz and Ben Young from bwagy.com, the aim is to expose stories and inspire not only Kiwis but also the rest of the world. Jump in a take a look around KiwiNation! Glenn and Ben do a fine job of sharing peoples stories and helping them and their listeners / viewers achieve their goals.

My story is still being written. I am working on the next chapter right now !

2011 An Accountable Year -Write that Letter to Yourself

Blog Author — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 01:51:12 GMT

Every year Carey Smith writes a letter to himself. 2011 will be no exception.

Find out how he does it on his website Careysmith.com

The first days of the New Year have always been a time for looking back to the past, and more importantly, forward to the coming year. It’s a time to reflect on the changes we want (or need) to make and resolve to follow through on those changes.

There are countless different ways to make resolutions and change... this is a powerful method of holding yourself accountable.

Carey gives us some pointers on how to do this at the this link

Chris Pescott -Goals about Attitudes

Blog Author — Thu, 06 May 2010 02:08:11 GMT

Business Interests

Managing Director of Perceptive - Brand Strategy, Marketing and Market Research Company , Also launched Attitude New Zealand

Who am I? (Describe yourself in 140 characters- note not words)

I am passionate person, and firmly believe in loyalty.

24/7 - my obsessions

Movies, XBOX, Group Fitness, and playing guitar..... oh and spending time with my wife.

You have endured and succeeded throughout uncertain economic times since -what has been your secret to maintaining inspiration and cash flows in your business?

There is no secret. I stuck to the basics of business, which is keeping the overheads down and focusing on revenue generation. I challenged the market to see market research in a new way, while avoiding the dreaded “discretionary spend” title. I worked hard on repositioning what the business does, to align with the market, and I had the best team on board to help do that.

My biggest mistake

Not reading up enough about the many mistakes start ups make (before I started up)

How I used the learning’s

I have applied my learning’s to the business in several areas, including pitching, marketing and overall business development. The biggest impact of all has been in the way I recruit staff. Recruitment mistakes plagued the business early on, so this was a major change, which immediately affected the businesses overall performance.

My source of pride

I enjoy making my parents proud. My dad has been my hero, both in business and in life in general, so in a way my source of pride is a by-product of his.

Is balance possible?

Yes, I find mine in the love of a good woman. Seriously though, having a true partner in life is where I believe the balance is possible.

How did you come up with our concept? What was the spark?

I was working on my Masters thesis when I uncovered the concept. My supervisor Prof. Brian Murphy kindly supported me, by allowing me to commercialise the model. We were not successful but this was where I got the idea to back myself. Brian continued to give me support and guidance, and introduced me to Steve Corbett at the e-Centre at Massey University. The rest is history.

2 Myths in business

If you survive up to year 3 you will be fine.
If you build it they will come

3 Rules I live by

Be loyal to all stakeholders, to thine own self be true & always treat people with respect

Don’t Ever... (do this to me)

Lie

My first job

A waiter at the good old Cobb & Co.

I knew I was onto something when ...

I was quoted as “an expert” on TV

How I turned lemons into lemonade?

I squished them into a container, blended them whole, and drank their juice. And yes I am talking about ex-employees not lemons.

How do you personally handle failure

One of my favourite quotes is, “if you take life to seriously, you will never get out alive” – Van Wilder

The next big thing in my life will be...

Probably starting a family, in at least three years or so (not that you can always plan these things)

My secret to managing people

I employ people who are of a calibre that they do not need managing. I look for people who can share a vision, not do a job.

I set goals that...

I am goal oriented. I set goals that are SMART.

If I had my wish I would have unlimited....

Money

I believe education is...

The single most important thing in building a strong foundation for life

People are often irritated when I

Make them do push ups

People admire me for...

Being stubborn enough to see my vision through

My favourite charity

Leukaemia and Blood Foundation, Kids with Cancer & CBM

Now that the recession is easing off I will...

Act as though it isn’t

Parting Shot

I’m not that special, I just surround myself with special people, and bask in their ambience.

Dwayne Alexander also interviews people with UnLtdLives at www.unlimited.co.nz

Keran McKenzie : Big Hairy Audacious Goals

Blog Author — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 23:18:31 GMT

Keran McKenzie

Keran is your typical can do kiwi bloke who grew up in small town NZ spending school holidays working on farms & as a builders labourer. After 7 years in tertiary education Keran turned his back on doing things the traditional way and forged an education in the university of life. Never going anywhere without God on his side, Keran has lived from one adventure to another.

* Published author
* International speaker
* Successful business owner
* Popular blogger on social media, technology, marketing and business
* Father, husband, Jesus follower

* Personal challenge for 2010: Participate in the 2010 Transsyberia Rally

Name
Keran McKenzie
known online as Mr K (Twitter: @oo00_Mr_K_00oo )

Business Interests
Right now I actually have no business interests outside my full time employment with Yellow Pages Group. My core focuses at the moment are family, faith and fun. I still work in the online space however playing with a few side projects in the web and online technology areas. Am currently working with some talented iPhone lads on my first iPhone application (it'll be a guitar tuner - so I know Dwayne's gonna want a copy of the app!)

Who am I? (Describe yourself in 140 characters- note not words)
One crazily passionate guy who loves a challenge almost as much as he loves his daughter (who can be a challenge at times) & wife. (well okay probably not, the wife & daughter are my ALL, challenges are .. just challenges!)

24/7 - my obsessions
At this point I should be saying God - being a "good" christian and all that. Faith should be my obsession. So on top of faith & family, if it's a gadget, electronic device, Apple device or ... if it's a tin box with four wheels and an engine (actually doesn't need four wheels), that'll be me. My favourite blog is www.autoblog.com, followed by gizmodo.com & engadget.com - cars are and always have been a passion for me. Of course I wouldn't be where I am if I wasn't equally passionate about the web & all it can be for businesses today. I built my first commercial website 15 years ago - and haven't looked back.

My BHAG for 2010
It's become know as Rally Challenge 2010 & it is one hell of a big challenge. I want to participate in the Transsyberia Rallye 2010 - that is a rally that runs from Moscow to Ulaanbaatar (that's the capital of Mongolia). It's 6,200k's over 14 days. One of the toughest motorsports events around (although less likely to kill you than the Dakar rally). I want to do this without spending a single $ of my own (I don't have any to spend anyway), and raise a decent chunk of change for Make-A-Wish Foundation (NZ).

My biggest mistake
Not learning from my mistakes - which happens some times. I've made my share of mistakes (some with a number of zero's attached), but I don't dwell on them. Life is too short for that. We all screw up, get over it, move on. There is another adventure (and probably more mistakes) just around the corner.

How I used the learning’s
Fuel for the fire. Mistakes are often coupled with apologies, and I hate that 'sick in the gut' feeling you get when you have to apologies for really screwing up. So I have a little prayer I pray "God, whatever it is I'm learning here, help me learn it, cause I sure as hell don't want to go back through this again!" These things fuel me to get better & improve at what I do & how I do it.

My source of pride
My daughter - she might be only two but she is an immense source of pride for me. Funny really. See I failed high school, failed University, failed Polytechnic, was told I'd be NOTHING without a degree. But I'm a published author, I've spoken at conferences internationally, I've run successful websites, I've managed successful businesses & I'm now helping shape the future of internet and mobile solutions here in NZ - but all of that is nothing, compared to a smile & hug from my little girl. She's my pride, she's my reason.

Is balance possible?
Totally! I was talking to a friend the other day and he'd been looking at my online portfolio (http://www.keranmckenzie.com/) and he knows I'm involved in church (media tech advisor, small group leader & worship leader), he knows about this crazy Rally Challenge & he knows how much time I spend with my wife & daughter. "How do you do it?" he asked. I feel I could do more, I still find time to read, watch TV and hang out in the garden at home. Balance is possible - but you must get your priorities right. I have to make time for projects, just like I have to be prepared to walk away from any project when my little girl wants her Daddy.

How did you come up with this outlandish BHAG? What was the spark?
I was standing in a book shop looking at books with rich, famous people who had done some of these crazy things like, ride a motor bike from London to New York "The long way round". I got to thinking, can the normal guy do these things? The guy who's struggling to pay the mortgage, the guy who's paying his taxes and doing things the hard way?
I passed the idea off, but it wouldn't go away. I started thinking about my network and how I could leverage that. I know people, who know people, who .... how far could I push it? Could I find the right people and TALK my way into a TV Documentary, vehicles, logistics and more?

The idea was born not long after that ... and I've only hit one NO so far.

2 Myths in business
That you need a degree to get a 'real' job. Sadly this is encouraged but some businesses and HR companies. Companies need to place importance on degrees, but don't live and die by them when looking to employ. Some of the best people you can find to work with you in business, will come from the most unexpected backgrounds.
That working people 10+ hours a day, 5+ days a week is good. It's not and more companies overseas are starting to see this. I know a number of highly efficient companies who are now moving to 4 day weeks. I think this is something New Zealand companies need to embrace more. People really are only effective in their jobs for 30 to 35 hours a week, most people know this but sadly New Zealand still has a culture of "working" means in the office by 7:30am and leaving work at 6pm. I like the idea of the French 35 hour working week, and I love the idea of businesses who cherish staff to be flexible around hours - after all, your staff are the KEY to your business.

3 Rules I live by

Life is for the living - get to living it
Just ask, what's the worst they can say? - No, anything else is a bonus & you might be surprised at the answer
Don't believe everything people tell you - believe in yourself, set your mind - go do it.

Don’t Ever... (do this to me)
Tell me I can't do something - I'll probably go out of my way to prove you wrong.

My first job
Builders labourer earning a huge wage of $10/hour which I was really happy with. I remember one day being a young teenager, I picked up a 2x4 plank too fast, it spun round and smacked my boss upside the head. Through the blood & bent glasses I was given a lesson that day - if a job is worth doing, do it right! Slow down and do it right.

I knew I was onto something when ...
I met my wife - if you are looking for some business thing here, you are outta luck.

How do you personally handle failure
I'm a believer in "grieve, let it go and move on" - I'll sit down and have a good cry (if the failure merits it) and I have a little grieving session. I get up, find a mate and have a beer & a jolly good laugh. Then move onto the next thing. I heard someone say (or I read somewhere) that real failure is not to fall down. Real failure is not falling down again. Real failure is when you fail to get up .. to fall again.

The next big thing in my life will be...
Conquering this challenge, once that's done I'll work out whats next. My wife and I have some plans we have had on hold for a while that we want to explore - there's a great big world out there & NZ is pretty small.

My secret to managing people
Talk to them. I'm a people person, I love to find the story within a person. Working with people I find their story and work with that to help them bring out the best in themselves. Find the story, find their passions, find their strengths - leverage these and bring out the best in the people around you, and bring that best into your business. Remember you employ people, not staff.

I set goals that... or I don’t set goals because....
Goals, setting and not setting. I probably should but I don't really. I'm a futurist, I prefer to dream and see where it takes me. Having said that I guess I've set one HELL of a goal now though aye

If I had my wish I would have unlimited....
Wishes he he .. I have long dreamed of sitting in the back of a church or venue and hearing some young passionate person talk about going to set up a hospital in some country and being able to walk up to them quietly afterwards and say to them "Go fulfill the dream God has in your heart - don't worry about the money, it's taken care of".

I believe education is...
Overrated and underperforming in this country. I spent my entire child hood slipping through the cracks, the stuff I needed to know, school didn't teach me. I wasn't taught the value of $1, I wasn't taught how to save, invest or manage money. I left 7 years of tertiary education with a $42,000 debt and no degree to show for it. "You can't put a price on education" - bollocks, you can and people do every day. It's taken me 12 years to pay off that debt, 12 YEARS! It's one heck of a noose around your neck starting life, starting marriage etc.
HOWEVER, having said that, I would encourage ANYONE to pursue education in while they are young. I don't have a degree, and because of that I'm 3 points short of the required VISA points for Canada - a country my wife and I would love to live & work in one day. That's an extra hurdle I have to cross. Get an education - whatever that means for you - then get on with living life. Just because you have a degree in one subject, doesn't mean you can't work in another area.

People are often irritated when I
Turn out to know a litte more about a subject than they thought I did. I sometimes don't let on I know as much as I do (some times I don't know much).

People admire me for...
You'd have to ask them I guess ...

My favourite charity
Make-A-Wish Foundation (NZ) is a charity that works with terminally ill kids, giving them a moment in their lives to remember for ever. A moment that can change their lives - happy memories. I'm a believer of moments in life & love the fact that Make-A-Wish help build these moments. Did you know that Make-A-Wish has been in NZ for over 20 years? And they grant around 160 wishes a year? That's 160 lives impacted and moments created. Incredible!!

Now that the recession is ending I will...
Not really make too many changes. Things have been VERY tight budget wise for us over the past 18 or so months. But that's also taught me what we can live with and without. Another year of living tightly, means more funds in the bank for tomorrow.

Parting Shot
Rally Challenge 2010 is all about leveraging networks and asking people to get involved. I'm going to have lots of opportunities for others to get involved with this project, in fact I need your help. Do you know someone at TVNZ that can help me talk to the right people about getting a "Letter of Commitment" for a TV Documentary, can you help me source vehicles? Can you help with logistics around getting vehicles to other countries. Are you an accountant or lawyer who'd like to help out - I need advice about the best ways to set up trust accounts etc so that Make-A-Wish can get all the funds we raise, in a transparent open way.

Want to see this normal Kiwi guy battle these odds and triumph? I can't do it without your help - check out http://rallychallenge2010.com and click on Getting Involved to see how you can help.

Write a Letter to yourself : Make a committment - Dear Carey

Blog Author — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 07:06:00 GMT

We've interviewed Carey Smith on Livemygoals.com before. It's that time of year again when millions of people around the world make some commitments to themselves and the people around them. What are yours? Despite the media about New Years resolutions, writing down your goals and committing to them is a definate first step to achieing them. As long as you follow up of course.

We particularly like Carey's "annual letter to himself" Click the link for a few free chapters of his book "Deliver" and find out how this letter has helped him build a successful career.

Or go to his website and learn a little about his journey. Here's to the new decade , filled with the attainment of our goals through action.

Jayson Bryant: It’s Goals About Wine 2/4/7/365

Blog Author — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 00:07:23 GMT

Jayson’s roots in wine began when his father literally dragged him round France and injected his passion into him. From the age of 8 his family took month long holidays in France travelling through all regions and sampling their wine. No wonder the idea for Wine Vault TV came naturally all those years later.

Business Interests

Owner of The Wine Vault and Wine Vault TV, Partner in nakedwines.co.nz wine auction website, Partner in Screwd.co.nz New Zealand wine review website

Who am I?

New Zealand's most passionate wine guy, star of Wine Vault TV. Video blogger and wine story teller.

24/7 - my obsessions

I live, breathe, drink, read, and talk wine but when not doing that I am answering emails from customers about New Zealand wine. Before running The Wine Vault I used to play hockey and have a normal life.

My biggest mistake

My biggest mistake has been neglecting the wine community around the shop and concentrating far too much energy on building an online presence when I should have taken a more balanced approach and built both.

How I used the learning’s

Through the mistakes made I now try and have a better work life balance and concentrate not solely on online but all aspects of business but the biggest thing I have learnt is that in order to be successful you need to have passion and be able to tell stories.

My source of pride

The part of my life that I take the biggest pride in, apart from family, is the Wine Vault TV online wine show where we have just had our 50,000^th viewer and the audience is growing each week. I started it out of nothing, bought a camera and then started reviewing wine online. To this day I have remained completely independent.

Is balance possible?

No, certainly not. You can try but ultimately your life will be out of balance because no else cares about your business as much as you do. 18 hour days are standard and providing you have passion then it won’t feel like work.

I believe you turned your “downtime” at the shop into productive Community building time on Twitter? What have you learned from this?

Twitter, Facebook, and all the other social media sites have enabled me to engage directly with customers. Customer service is the single biggest important aspect to business. Answering questions all times of day and night are part of the job and people love being engaged with the owner and someone who cares about what they are doing, drinking, eating etc. Answer all feedback whether complimentary or not as people still like your views even though they have been mean to you.

Two Myths in business

1. That you have to have been hard and stern to run a successful business as I think you get the best out of staff if you are fair and nice.

2. That social media is for every business. I disagree, social media is not for everyone and nor should they be pressurised to invest in it either.

Three Rules I live by

1, Always treat people how you would like to be treated yourself.

2.The only relationships that are going to matter in the end are that of friends, and customers become friends then so much the better.

3, be true to yourself and love life with a passion.

Don’t Ever... (do this to me)

Don’t ever tell me I don’t care as much as you!

My first job

Selling fruit and vegetables but I sucked and really only wanted to eat the apples.

I knew I was onto something when ...

With Wine Vault TV I started to realise that I could use a business model that I had seen overseas and apply it here with much success. I started getting quite a few comments early on and an audience started watching on a regular basis, then wineries started sending me wine to review without me asking for it. People commented in-store and online about the honest reviews that I was giving them and really engaging with me and sales started to increase. I noticed a 4000% rise in online sales after one year of winevaulttv.com.

Business advice I wish I was given earlier on

Care more than you have ever cared before. Care about where you are spending your advertising budget as much as you care for your customers. Care for your online community as much as the locals that come to the store. Just care!

You have to reject certain wines that you don’t like? How do you personally handle rejection?

I am really very bad at rejection. I want to understand, and tend to over analyse, the situation why that person doesn’t like what I am doing. I then sulk about it for a few days and then start to rationalise the situation and if it means saying sorry then I do it.

The next big thing in my life will be...

Seeing my viewing audience on Wine Vault TV increase and really engage with me.

If I had my wish I would have unlimited....

Time for telling stories and answering questions about wine. Wine is a great social subject, it’s a social lubricant, a meeting place and guiding people to the best wine to suit their palate, because they are all unique, is the thrill for me.

I believe education is...

Very important but does not have to be in the form of degrees or BA, BSC or MA’s. Life skills are an important lesson for one to learn as much as economics. Not every job has to be certified.

People are often irritated when I

Talk about social media and spend time in the trenches on sites like Facebook and Twitter answering peoples questions and recommending wine and the amount of time I spend doing winevaulttv.com

People admire me for...

Having conviction and passion in what I do and to care about what people are drinking out there. There are far too many people selling wine that don’t care about what the customer is drinking. I want them to drink good wine at a good price.

My favourite charity

Animal charities are my charity of choice as animals are unable to speak for themselves and therefore should be protected.

When the recession ends I will...

Still be answering emails and caring about customers caring doesn’t stop when there is more money around.

Parting Shot

You’ve just got to be passionate about what you are doing, whether it’s making coffee, selling wine, or cutting hair.

Chris Morrison- Ethical Goals

Blog Author — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:15:33 GMT

Business / Ethical Interests

Allgood Organics (fairtrade organic bananas), Clean Planet (Sustainable commercial cleaning and products), Kokako (fairtrade organic coffee roaster, hot chocolate, food provider)Chair of SBN (Sustainable Business Network), Chair of Biogro (NZ’s leading organic certifier), Previous life was founding co-director of Phoenix Organics.

Who am I?

I am 49, married to Deb, who has her own eco funeral business (State of Grace) with four kids aged from 15 to 23, and a grandson aged 4,live in town after years out west, have a house at Piha where I can pursue my love of surfing. Also really enjoying the Ocean swims I started last year. I get huge enjoyment out of involvement with ethical and sustainable business. I am committed to doing what it takes to see this beautiful country become a leading nation in sustainability.

24/7 - my passions

Surfing, walking in the beautiful west coast bush, cranking up the veggie garden at Piha, music, good movies, family life.

My biggest mistake

Jumping into a business too quickly after moving on from Phoenix ....it was a disaster

How I used the learning’s

Took a great deal more time to look deeply into the current businesses I am involved in,

My source of pride

Growing an iconic NZ brand from a small production (making ginger beer in the bathtub) to what it is now.

Is balance possible?

Not initially with a new business, but what we should strive for in our work life.

3 Rules I live by

To live as healthy lifestyle as possible, positive outlook on life, try to make a difference

Don’t Ever... (do this to me)

Greenwash (integrity is very important to me), don’t be perpetually late.

My first job

Deckhand on a salmon boat in Canada

I knew I was onto something when...

I bought a ginger beer bug, on impulse, for $50, 24 years ago.

Business advice I wish I was given earlier on.

Actually pretty happy with the advice I was given, lucky to have a very supportive extended family

The next big thing in my life will be...

Seeing the businesses that I am involved in, (All Good Organics, Clean Planet and Kokako), really coming into their own. Combating the big guns in the Fruit & Vege world and seeing the very first Fairtrade Organic bananas being available for the public in NZ supermarkets through All Good Organics.

I set goals that... or I don’t set goals because....

I regard myself as pretty disciplined, but having a goal encourages me even more to focus, and I really enjoy the satisfaction of achievement.

If I had my wish I would have unlimited....

Influence – I would then convert all NZ farms to organic production and get the government to commit to a meaningful reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

People are often irritated when

I go on and on about the above! And the kids hate me repeatedly telling them to turn the lights off etc.

My favourite charity

Organisations working with micro enterprise funding, we have visited a couple of groups in Indonesia that we have donated to and it really does work.

Why is it important for NZ to have a sustainable future?

Simply, if we don’t, there will be no real future here.

Do you think organic can feed the world?

Of course!

Parting Shot

We are so lucky to be living in New Zealand, let’s look after it, and help create something wonderful for the generations to come.

Duncan Shand : Do as I Say, Do as I Do- goals around strategy

Blog Author — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:32:13 GMT

Duncan Shand is one of those rare people who is a consultant, and who actually creates stuff as well- one of the founders of Blinka.me.com, and MD of his own firm InsideOut, when he is not advising clients he is making the most of time with mates and family.

Who am I?

I am @duncanshand and help businesses grow by finding a clear way forward. I’m a strategy, marketing and online guy that wants to make a difference.

Business Interests

Managing Director of InsideOut Consulting Group Digital Business Planning Specialists One of the founders of blinka.me.com (recently featured by trendhunter.com, urbandaddy.com and made the weeks most inspiring ideas on Springwise.com)

Involved in strategy,marketing, branding and commercialization of startups.

24/7 My obsessions

My family, design, apple, innovation, fuel economy

My biggest mistake

Giving up the agency to import Burton snowboards. I brought the first 5 snowboards into New Zealand when I was 18, but wasn’t sure it would take off. How wrong was I!

How I used the learning’s

Believe in the long term and the short term will sort itself out. It’s easy to get trapped in the short term, but usually the short term will get in the way of achieving you long term goals. Instead of worrying about the fact I had no money and was going to University, I could have had a very profitable business to fund my student lifestyle!

My source of pride

I take pride from the work I do and what I help to create. On every job I look to find something outside of the core project that I can deliver as extra value. I believe it’s critical to always look to do something unexpected.

The best thing about being a consultant?

With every business I get involved with I get to learn about a new business what works for them and what doesn’t. This newness keeps me on my toes, engaged and interested. Of course it also helps me to build a breadth of experience across different industries that I can draw on when developing new strategies.

The worst thing about being a consultant?

It would have to be walking away from projects. You get very involved in your clients businesses, you help develop a plan and the way forward and maybe help implement some of the ideas, but at some point you need to move on and let the client do things on their own.

Is balance possible?

I believe it is. I think work fills the time available. If you can focus and immerse yourself in a problem and follow the right process it’s amazing what you can get done. If you allow work to push into your personal space it will. Of course there are going to be periods when you have to burn the midnight oil, but you need take the opportunity to enjoy a quiet day when you can.

Two Myths in business

1.The Customer is always right - while it’s hard to argue with this one it’s not an absolute. Of course you need to treat your customers with respect but not all customers are equal and sometimes firing customers can be good for your business.

2. The Need for Research - I’m very cautious about customer research. Of course you need to really understand your market, your competition and what your customers what. However you need to be careful not to rely solely on research to guide your decisions. Most research is done in an artificial environment, asking people to logically think through situations. In the real world we don’t think like that. Our experience, emotions and senses automatically make 90% of our decisions for us. Probably less than 10% of the time we really think about things. I’m not saying don’t do any research but be careful about how you do it!

Three Rules I live by

Customer loyalty is king, collaborative creation, over deliver.

Don’t Ever... (do this to me)

Ask me to dance. Ever.

My first job

I was in the accounting team at NCR. I was an Accountant in an American Multinational. I quickly realised I had made a mistake. A big mistake. It took me almost three years to get out of my Dilbert cubical and into the Marketing Department at Air NZ. But I was stronger for it. Don’t get me wrong I love numbers and accountants - it just wasn’t for me, doing it everyday!

I knew I was onto something when

My phone kept ringing. I believe that if you stick at something long enough (and if you’re good at it) you can’t help but to succeed.

Business Advice I wish I was given earlier

The importance of a strong customer proposition. We all have offers that we are making to our customers everyday. Often they are more about us than what we actually do for our customers. If things are turned around and the language is focused on the outcomes the product will deliver, the offer will be a lot more compelling. When we started we talked about being good experts in our field with unique processes and IP. This just put people to sleep. But when we turned our language around and started talking about outcomes - moving forward, generating sales, growing etc, we started closing a lot more jobs.

The next big thing in my life will be

I’m really focused right now on doubling the traffic to our site and using social media tools to do it. Part of our philosophy is to give things away, our thoughts, tools and processes. We physically can’t help everyone so we’re happy if we can inspire and inform a few people along the way.

I set goals that

Challenge me to do new things, to step outside of my comfort zone. I think we all need continue to learn and grow. Do I always achieve my goals? No - but I always learn something along the way.

If I had my wish I would have unlimited …

Patience

I believe education is …

Important but attitude and ability matter more.

People are often irritated when I …

Sing out loud when listening to my iPod

People admire me for…

My passion. I like to get involved and help people. You need to love doing what you do. We spend far too much time working for it to be “just work”!

My favourite charity

World Vision, I love donating goats.

When the recession ends I will

Hope we’ve all learned a good lesson.

Parting Shot

Act first, ask permission later.

Justin Brown - Goals around Adventure and Writing

Blog Author — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:48:00 GMT

We have all wanted to create some positive change at some point when life throws us a lemon or two.

Justin Brown is a writer, TV presenter, and an entrepeneur. He is busy doing just that.

He has had 18 books published (travel, humour, sports and children's) and also writes for TV (animation and live action).

It was when he was laid off recently from his ten year breakfast radio job that he was inspired to set up a website to promote the Good Guys.

Justin Brown is impressive not so much for his talent (which he has oodles of) but for his tenacity to just keep at it, when it woud have been easier to give up. He impressed me recently when he stood up on a stage and told the audience about his new book, then promptly brought out his guitar and sang a ditti too. He is the only person I have interviewed so far who has in turn been interviewed by CNN.

He is earning his crust by using his brain -literally- coming up with ideas that have a commercial and social value. He answers some of my questions on what makes him tick.

Business Interests

Radio, TV, writing, the Web, www.justinbrownbooks.com

Who am I?

I’m a writer, TV and radio host. My books include ‘Bowling Through India,’(currently #9 The Bookseller charts) ‘UK on a G-String,’ and ‘Kiwi Speak.’ I can’t imagine a life where I’m in an office waiting for the clock to hit ‘home-time,’ or a boss not letting me leave until he says. If you love your job, it’s not work. It gives me a buzz meeting new people and trying new things. I saw a sign while fronting tourism videos in Australia recently that summed up how I see life: ‘Adventure before dementia.’

24/7 - my obsessions

Sport, new music, ipod, new shirts, youtube, blueberries, flat whites, technology, jokes, sleep, and giggles from my kids.

My biggest mistake

I was going to say starting www.wehaventlaidanyoneoff.com. (There’s no one that hasn’t laid anyone off!). In saying that, where the site has lead me, the people I’ve met, and the opportunities I have struck by going ahead, have all been worthwhile.

How I used the learning’s

I learnt a ton of stuff about the web – twitter, digg, ping, linkedin, youtube, facebook – and how to use these incredible sites to meet people and do business.

My source of pride

My young daughters, my wife, family and friends. And a signed $5 note from Sir Edmund!

Why did CNN interview you?

For my site www.wehaventlaidanyoneoff.com. I was interviewed by Richard Quest from ‘Quest Means Business.’ CNN is an American organisation, but I had a feeling Quest, who is a quirky Pom, would be interested in such a site. And I was right.

Is balance possible?

Depends how you define balance. Writing is my job, but I love it. I might write to a deadline; I might write to relax. Not everyone plays golf. Some people’s way of chilling out is by making more deals. But everyone needs hobbies. Without squash, running, movies, nights out with mates, I would go crazy.

Two Myths in business

Everyone is interested in me and my product.

If you have a website you will make money.

Three Rules I live by

Fail fast, fail smart and move on.

Don’t Ever... (do this to me)

Say you won’t try – life is ‘Green Eggs and Ham.’

My first job

Delivering fridges for ‘Hill and Stewart’ - $4.25 an hour.

I knew I was onto something when ...

I didn’t have to rearrange my titles on the shelves to make them bestsellers.

Business Advice I wish I was given earlier on

Just give it a go. Throw some money at it. Don’t be a tight arse, go for it!

The next big thing in my life will be...

Being completely open to new directions.

I set goals that... or I don’t set goals because....

I try to set goals but they end up underneath the unpaid bills in the kitchen. I don’t struggle with motivation. We’re not being ‘marked,’ if you want to make it happen you will.

If I had my wish I would have unlimited....

Ideas

I believe education is...

Necessary, for no other reason than being able to spell accommodation and broccoli (two words I constantly struggle with.) I sometimes wonder whether I would have done better if I attended uni, but no subjects interested me. I always felt like I should have gone, purely because it was the thing to do. I don’t regret not going. I still can, right!

You’ve been known to get up on stage and work that guitar to get your point across. Describe that feeling?

People love a tune and a story. I know this from my stand up comedy days. I can see why playwrights love what they do. Unlike novelists, they hear laughter and enjoyment. It’s addictive, a great feeling. I’m currently working on a few new songs for gigs, so watch this space.

People are often irritated when I

Stress when it’s really not that important

People admire me for...

My persistence. I have been told that, unlike others, I follow through on ideas. I don’t see it that way. I think if you’re lucky enough to have an idea, you’ve got to give it a crack. Persistence, however, isn’t sexy.

My favourite charity

Radio Lollipop

When the recession ends I will...

Get out of bed, go for a run, drink coffee and think up a new project. I.e. Do exactly what I’m doing now. Those Wall Street bankers can go to hell.

Parting Shot

Network…or die!

Andrew Wadsworth: Twin Goals - Sustainability & Balance

Blog Author — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:05:11 GMT

Hometown

Wellington-born and Whakatane-raised.

Hobbies and interests

My life changed dramatically on 29 December 2008, when I became a father of twins, Luke and Samantha. It is what takes up most of my time outside of work – it is tough but great fun, and puts life in perspective.

Sport is my other passion. In my younger days I played competitive cricket, squash and golf. Now my sport activities are generally confined to watching what appears on TV!

My companies and otherroles

I am the Bayfair Shopping Centre Manager in Mount Maunganui. Most of my career has been in finance roles, but it is the management of and interaction with people that I enjoy most.

My favourite time of the day is, and why . . .

Walking in the door after work and seeing the kids smile and giggle.

I really enjoy...

My new family life, but also the peace and quiet when the twins are asleep…..this generally means dinner and a glass of wine.

How do you go about balancing the requirements of work, family and social life?

For me, family always comes first. I want to be involved in everything my kids do. I balance this with work by being contactable via mobile, taking my laptop home to check emails, and empowering my team to make decisions in my absence.

What does the recession mean to you? How are you responding to it personally and professionally?

The recession is a chance for everyone to take a step back and re-focus on what’s important. As our household is now down to one income, this has meant a stronger focus on where our money is spent – nappies are not cheap! Professionally it has meant working even more closely with retailers to find win/win solutions during a major shift in retail market conditions.

List a few of your recent accomplishments that you are proud of:

Taking leadership of a new management team when AMP purchased 50% of Bayfair in late 2006.
The team winning the Bay of Plenty Sustainable Awards, and being a finalist at the NZ Sustainable Awards.
Bringing the NZ Squash Open to Bayfair (NZ Open has not been played for the last 12 years).

You are saving the equivalent weight in waste of 240,000 hamburgers each year. Does this not cost you extra?

No , It definitely saves us money. Over the last six years our annual waste bill has decreased by 44% -a great result considering waste-to-landfill costs have increased by an average 7% every year. My hat goes off to my Operations Manager Steve Ellingford – his passion for sustainability has generated some great results.

What drove you to become involved in your industry?

When I was in London I worked as a Property Accountant for Waterstone’s Booksellers. It was my first retail role and just clicked with me. With retail, the element of change means there is never a dull day.

I knew I was onto something when:

I got the opportunity to move out of a finance role into a centre manager role, which is all about managing relationships. I always knew I had people skills and after six months in the role I knew I had found the job I’d always been looking for.

My secret for getting things done is to:

Empower my team to make decisions on their own. Not only is this rewarding for them personally, they may make mistakes along the way. This is the best way to learn.

My darkest hour was when:

Singapore Airport in 2000 – my now-wife Angela and I had been going out for six months and she was leaving for London. As a farewell we had a week’s holiday in Singapore, and I returned to New Zealand. It could have been over, but I think we both knew that we were meant to be together .Let’s just say there were a lot of tears.

I came through it by:

Making a change in my life and getting out of my comfort zone. I lived in Rotorua and had a comfortable lifestyle. However, I saved for four months and followed Angela to London – the rest is history!

What would do if you were not ...

I have always wanted to own a bar/restaurant. Don’t ask me why – it may have just been all the great pubs we visited while in London and Europe!

What do you do to cope with stress?

Exercise and spend time with my family and friends. A quiet drink with my wife always helps.

How many hours do you work each week?

I don’t see working long hours as always being productive. We get things done as a team, which generally means we can all keep to a standard 40-hour week.

What is the most important piece of advice you'd give to people who are struggling to create a positive change in their lives?

Be open to change and to be willing to listen to and take on other people’s ideas and suggestions.

What is the hardest lesson you've had to learn in life?

Becoming a father – nothing can prepare for this and a simple thing like going to visit friends can become a mission.

What separates successful people from unsuccessful people?

Thinking outside the square, and being open to new things.

What are the three most important personal qualities you've had to develop to become a leader?

Act-learn-act-learn approach – a failure is only a failure if you do not learn from it.
Team orientation – value the contribution each part of the business makes to the success.
Honesty and openness – seek to understand rather than to be understood.

Who inspires you the most and why?

My wife – staying at home and looking after the twins is something I’ll always admire her for.

Do you have a formal goal-setting process?

Yes – as an employee of AMP Capital Investors I sit down every year with my manager and establish a performance management agreement and a personal development plan. This sets my objectives for the current year and also looks at the skills I need and want to develop.

Have you ever been scared to .........? What did you do about it?

I have always been scared of public speaking. I did a presentation course last year, which proved that I knew what I was doing and gave some great pointers in how to improve.

The parting shot:

Don’t be scared of change – change can be good!