FeistyFemale

2 05 March 2010 2 Comments

I had the privilege (and I use the word privilege because it inspired at least five blog posts) of encountering what must be the most bombastic person I’ve met in twenty six years on this planet.

Within minutes of meeting he concluded that my intellect was inferior to his brilliance – I’m guessing  that most people he encounters would be labelled as ’stupid’ in seconds.

I realise that it was his every intent to dazzle me with his superior knowledge on every topic touched upon. His wonderful use of jargon and his ability to take the simplest concept and turn it into a twenty minute explanation that would leave a PHD student confused, was truly remarkable. Clearly this strategy worked for the rest of the crowd. Bullshit baffles brains – if you don’t know what’s potting you can find comfort in jargon.  ;-)

His rudeness and complete disregard of the experience and backgrounds of the people gathered around the table was amusing. Actually I don’t give a flying f*** whether he took trouble with background details. But… ladies and gentlemen, if you are going to fail establishing basic context at least have discretion and tact as ammunition.

Blissfully unaware that I’m closely tied to the company he was loosely throwing into his strategy suggestions, (in the most inappropriate context) I had to smirk.

Moral of the story: if you are an arrogant, bombastic self-proclaimed guru, you better know your stuff . Stay clear of  those company names and development  tools. You not the only person that spends time on Google.

It’s said that one should under-promise and over-deliver. I’m relieved to know that this won’t be a problem for this individual. If you proclaim to be Superman, it’s easy right?

Posted in: Just Me

2 01 March 2010 2 Comments

Communication is not rocket science. When developing a message, it’s worth considering the fact that creativity can detract from a powerful message. As an example:

I’ve had a fair number of business cards in my time. As I dislike titles (especially the ones that read Founder, Founding Member, MD or CEO), I used to spend a fair amount of time conjuring up replacement titles.

One year, my business card read “Ideas Magician”. At an event I handed my card to an elderly lady running an NGO. She scrutinized the card, looked up and asked “Do you do children’s parties?”

Lesson learned. When you are running and promoting a marketing agency you hardly want to do children’s parties. Subsequently all titles have been omitted from my business cards. I believe creativity in this instance, is overrated.

Posted in: Just Me

2 26 February 2010 2 Comments

I don’t know how long my life will be. Nobody does.

Something I tend to forget in my focused, work frenzy mode is to have a balanced lifestyle. It is utterly vital that my life is balanced spending enough time on the things I consider important (an amazing family, exceptional man, learning, friends, work, networking and exploring the world at large).

A reminder then that “As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.” Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Posted in: Life

24 February 2010 No Comments

I’ve always believed that hardships, setbacks and uncomfortable events are great for building inner strength. Once you know you have the ability to overcome something it unleashes an indescribable power.

JK Rowling captures this most eloquently in her speech on “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the importance of imagination” at the Annual Meeting of the Harvard Alumni Association.

“The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive. You will never truly know yourself, or the strength of your relationships, until both have been tested by adversity. Such knowledge is a true gift, for all that it is painfully won, and it has been worth more than any qualification I ever earned.” JK Rowling

Posted in: Quips, Quotes & Humour

3 23 February 2010 3 Comments

“You lose yourself.”

I asked an executive to single out one thing he lost, when he chose work above anything else. His above response echoed in my head and tugged at my heart (while simultaneously shifting it into file 13 for later exploration.)

“When you lose yourself you pretty much lose your grip on everything.” he said.

I’ve been in a work frenzy. My business is not a year old and I have taken on new ventures. I generate ideas and trouble shoot from morning till night. I’ve made peace with a fast-thinking mind that simply put DOES.NOT.SWITCH.OFF.

For every minute I sit in front of my PC, a piece of my creativity dies. I haven’t painted anything worth hanging for over a year. I haven’t written anything noteworthy and controversial since 2008…and in fact the reminder to write something for Thought Leader is neatly tasked in Outlook under “One Day/ Maybe”.

At this point in my life I am unsure how I spent my time before insane business drive took possession of me. The last two weeks I have been nothing but nostalgic whilst I long to have some freedom back.

Here I am 26, and probably over serious. Never ever will I be like I am now. I will grow older, life will be filled with more complexity and more serious commitments. May I not look back one day – wondering why I neglected the people I love and let the things I truly enjoy doing slip away in an attempt to be uber successful before thirty. That will be a sad day indeed.

Posted in: Just Me