A Historical Post - Things That Changed My Life - 2009 -2020
I found this set of annual round up posts from my old blog so I'm saving it here to keep the memories alive.
When I closed down my old blog in 2020 I took a backup of all the posts. I’d not looked for them until now. When I found the XML dump yesterday I realised why I didn’t do anything with them at the time. There were 545 pages of code mixed in with prose. It was a mess that no one in their right mind would trawl through. It would have taken days. So what changed? Enter ChatGPT.
I uploaded my 545-page doc, asked it to remove all coding and then match any posts with the phrase “my life” and put it into a text file for me. Within about a minute I had a perfectly formatted file with every post from those missing years - from 2009 right through to 2020.
So here they are, the missing years - ready for this year’s post in a few days.
I’m not sending this out by email as it’s here more for record. If you do happen across it though, you’ll know why I posted it and not worry that I’ve gone a bit crazy and started writing about things that were epic back in 2009!
Title: 2009 - 8 things that changed my life this year
Content: With the end of the year in touching distance, I thought I’d give you a run down of 8 things that happened to me in 2009 that have changed my life positively. The reason for writing this list is that almost all of it is open to you to get involved with too. If I’ve benefited so much from these things, I hope that at least one person reading this takes action to investigate one or two items on the list and see’s their own life positively impacted. (Admittedly a few are a little jokey but that’s just the way I roll) :)
So lets get on – here are 8 things that have positively changed my life in 2009 (in no particular order :)):
1) iPhone – So I’ve gone on quite a bit about this recently and I do understand it splits opinion with Android lovers so I’m just going to tell you a few quick reasons why this has had such a profound affect on my life/business. First of all, it’s not possible to deny this is a sexy piece of kit and pretty much everything on it has been well thought out from a usability point of view. The phone has made a huge difference to the way I interact with email outside the office as well as social media. A huge amount of the buzz surrounding iPhones is the gimmicky apps that you download and hardly ever use, but if you look carefully you can find ones that really do make your life easier and more efficient. I now do at least 75% of my social media work from my phone, on the move, using dead time that I wouldn’t have used before. Here are a couple of examples of apps that have made a differences to me - Tube Deluxe helped me around London recently giving me more time to catch up on other bits of work. The National Rail app tracks GPS on the trains themselves meaning you can see where the train is at any time on the line – genius. TV Guide gets rid of the need for paper based guides. Natwest now have an app that lets me track my money on the move at anytime. Skype lets me phone other Skype users for free and AroundMe has helped me find cabs/hotels and garages a number of times on the move. CoPilot is better than the inbuilt Sat Nav I have in my own car and Google Maps has walked me to a few places I would have got lost trying to find ‘pre-iPhone’. Remember the Milk helps me with GTD (see later)….I could go on and I know I’ve only touched the surface! If you’re in the market for a new phone and think the iPhone is expensive then (compared to other phones) I would agree, but its so much more than a phone and I know its been worth every penny and much much more. This, for me, is an absolute must have gadget.
2) Jeffrey Gitomer – Sales/Positivity Guru. I was lucky enough to be invited to see Jeffrey earlier this year by owner of TheBestOf – Nigel Botterill. I didn’t know who Jeffrey was at the time but trusted Nigel’s opinion and boy am I glad I did. ANYONE in sales or marketing (yes that means you business owners) MUST go and see Jeffrey if possible. He really is a sales legend. I wrote more about him in this post I wrote earlier in the year. I can honestly say that Jeffrey’s one seminar has made a profound difference to the way I treat the sales process now and the way I teach my sales team to treat it too. His Little Gold Book of Yes! Attitude book is also a kick up the backside in the way we view our lives and other people. New staff members in my team will now be given one of these books and asked to read it during their first few months with us. I've bought every single one of his books now and strongly suggest you consider doing so too. A complete list of Gitomer books can be found on Amazon by clicking the link in this sentence.
3) Social Media – I don’t really know where to start with this. I was dabbling without knowing it for the last couple of years with sites like Facebook/YouTube and LinkedIn but then in Jan of 09 I found Twitter and my life changed (as well as that of our businesses). The clever integration of Social Media has lead to many new services from Optix Solutions, ending up in new work, new joint ventures and alliances, new friends and a very good ROI (yes we’ve been monitoring it). As anyone who knows me personally knows, I love Social Media – I love the connections I’ve made with people all over the world and the new exciting possibilities it brings to businesses willing to get started with it. Much like the buzz of ecommerce when I started out with my web business back in 1999, Social Media has given me a new lust for the Internet and what’s possible for clever, forward thinking businesses. If you’d like further information of Social Media or would like to contract my services in this area, please drop me an email or connect with me on Twitter (@banksy6)
4) White Tea – Alright so maybe this is a bit of a jokey one but I was getting really hacked off with other teas and my friend David Thomas suggested I got involved with White Tea! I didn’t even know this existed! Now a morning doesn’t start properly without a refreshing cup of this amazing drink! (p.s. don’t boil it for more than 1 minute – it ruins it :))
5) GTD – Getting Things Done is a global phenomenon and I never knew about it – until this year. I hold my hands up to the fact that in the past I have struggled hugely to keep all the balls in the air. As a multi-business owner, at any one point I have literally hundreds of things on my to-do list and I’d tried just about every time scheduling/work practice known to man – all to no avail. I had the messiest desk in the office (a source of constant banter for my employees). I never understood how anyone could have a clean desk if they were busy – it escaped me. Then in early 2009 two people I have a lot of respect for in Exeter – Scott Gould and Adam Stone recommended I read Getting Things Done by David Allen. Wow – what a fantastic book/system. It’s given me the tools to operate (most of the time at max efficiency and with a ‘mind like water’ – so I’m at my most creative) This is a very important thing to master as a business owner or you get dragged down in the minutiae of everyday life. I now have a clean (ish) desk and a system that allows me to keep on top of the hundreds of things I have on my plate at any one time. Every business owner should buy this book now.
6) Lizz – Lizz is my girlfriend and one of the points in this list which I hope you won’t be able to take advantage of :) I was a proper bachelor, living the high life for the last 10 years, since leaving university. While busy building a business, I had a lot of fun outside work with friends and family. A couple of years ago my present girlfriend Lizz came along and this year we moved into our first house together. I’ll admit, I was quite apprehensive about losing my independence but moving in with the love of my life (get your puke buckets ready) was the single best thing I did this year. Having a strong support network around you in life when you run a business is one of the most important things you can build. Someone you can share the hard and good times with…find yourself a Lizz if you haven’t already.
7) Apple Mac Shop – This year I got involved in the Apple brand for the first time. I bought an iPhone, we got a Mac Book Pro at work and through this I started to spend some time in the Apple shop in Exeter. I love the place so much so I wrote an article about the experience I had in another blog post.
8 ) Beacon Breakthrough – This one applies to those of you starting up/setup in the South West in the UK. This year, James my business partner and I found out about a new scheme for businesses aiming at becoming Beacon companies for the SW, the turnover threshold of which is £1.5million. For more information on the Beacon scheme check out their website. The Beacon breakthrough forums are aimed at companies that wish to take that next step and learn how already successful companies operate in every area from board setup to marketing to goal setting and planning. It’s a fantastic course and offers amazing value to participant companies. If you’re based in the SW, I would strongly suggest that you put yourself on this course next year as the differences it’s made to my web business are nothing short of phenomenal.
That concludes my line up for 2009. If there is one thing I’m going to be concentrating on next year it’s acting on things (minimising procrastination). I’ve learnt a huge amount this last year and changed my business in many ways because of the things I’ve learnt, books I’ve read and courses I’ve been on – I’d urge you to look down the list again and see if there is anything you can get involved in yourself and please let me know if you do and of course, how it worked for you :)
See you in 2010
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Title: 2010 - 7 Things That Changed My Life This Year
Content: So it’s that time of year again folks - The snow has rolled in and rolled out again and a new year is round the corner. I can’t believe it was a year ago I wrote my round up post for 2009! For those of you who missed it, I write a summary post each year on the things that changed my life for the better. I hope that in amongst the points, there will be some that you can use to improve your own life for the better, after all this blog is about you guys, not me.
Here’s 2010 coming up.
1) Stephen Coveys Book - 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (aff link)
This book has been around for years and I’ve had it on my ‘to read’ list for some time now. I finally got around to reading it this month and I have to say, of all the business books I’ve read (and I read quite a lot), this one is awesome - a real 'lightbulb moment' read. In fact, I felt it was so important, that after reading it, I emailed my staff and offered to buy a copy personally for anyone who wanted to read it. I can’t possibly summarise the whole thing here, but if building your business and relationships is important to you then don’t question it, buy it today (It’s like £7 so don’t hang around) and let me know how you get on.
2). YourJobsBoard - http://www.yourjobsboard.co.uk/exeter/
As a bit of a serial entrepreneur I came up with a new business venture this year which aims to change the face of local recruitment. The search engines are going local - You’ll have probably noticed that Google Places is far more prominent (thats the map and pinpoints) and smart phones can geo-locate you (find out where you are) easily in an attempt to offer up content that’s relevant to your area. For this reason, we have built a truly local Jobsite for our town of Exeter. This aims to take on the faceless national jobsites and provide good quality content for the Exeter area. It focuses on the strong links we have with institutions in the area including Exeter University, Exeter Council, Connexions and all the local recruiters and companies looking to advertise their jobs cost effectively. If you’re based in Exeter then make sure you get your jobs on the site asap as it’s currently free for companies to post. Charities will always be able to post their jobs for free.
3). Sandler Training
There is always room to improve. The top athletes in the world have coaches so there should be no pride lost in business coaching of any kind. This year we made the jump and I enrolled on the Sandler Sales Management course. Having started my business at the age of 19 and 11 years on finding myself in charge of more than 10 staff, I’ll openly admit that management was not my strong point. I recognised that, so wanted to better myself. I’m now working with a guy called Andy McCreadie in Exeter on a monthly basis, specifically in sales training and sales management. I’ve learnt so much in the few months I’ve been working with Andy, most noticeably about finding the right clients, qualifying, saying no, shortening our sales cycle and understanding that behaviours drive targets, not the other way around. Sandler offer sales training and management courses all over the world. If you are starting a business yourself or even a few years down the line then I can thoroughly recommend the Sandler guys. If you’re in the Westcountry then let me know if you’re interested in meeting Andy and I’ll set it up for you.
4). My MacBook Pro
I can’t say much more than I’ll never go back to a non apple laptop. Nuff Said! Check out their online store for the latest products.
5). Inbound Marketing Practices
I started practicing true 'Inbound Marketing' properly this year, having been dabbling the year before. If you’re unfamiliar with the term it’s essentially where you give value away in return for peoples details (which become leads). You entice people to you by proving your credibility and authority. This year we launched two pieces of fantastic Inbound Marketing Collateral. The first was our social media survey. After 6 or so months of surveying businesses, we collated and crunched the data we had and spent quite a bit of money on producing a glossy 32 page booklet displaying the results which we have been giving away freely in both hard copy format to local businesses and online to anyone who wishes to view the information. We also produced a tool for creating a free social media policy you can give to your staff. We simply ask for details of people who download it in return for the document which we brand up with their logo and company details. Since launching this just a few weeks ago and without much marketing, we’ve had over 50 companies use the policy - all bona fide leads for my business. Think what you can give away today in order to build leads.
6). Travelling on Trains rather than Driving
I used to drive everywhere. I love driving. It’s my favourite. However, when I realised how much time I was spending in a car and not able to work, it frightened me. I now travel by train whenever possible and if its at a weekend then the 1st class upgrade is well worth it at anywhere between £5 and £20 extra a journey. This might sound obvious for the train crew already but Im sure there are other people out there with businesses not realising quite how much you can do if you turn to train travel.
7). Lizz
Ok so I included Lizz last year (my girlfriend for those of you who don’t know) but she is so important to my life that I need to include her again. All I’ll say this year, is that once again, I recognised on a few occasions how important it is to have a strong support network behind you when the chips are down. I had a great year in 2010 but we all have off days and sometimes it can get quite stressful. When that happens to me, Lizz is always there for me. Thank you Lizz x
Now Your Thoughts
So what changed your life this year?
Who and what made an impact on your 2010?
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Title: 2011 - 7 Things that changed my life....
Content: Hey folks, firstly a very happy New Year to you all. I wish you the very best for 2012.
If you do one thing this year make it your objective to go out of your way to help others succeed with their goals and yours will follow on.
So in the now great tradition, here is my summary post of the last year and the things both in and out of work that changed my life for the better. Remember this isn't just about me telling you how great 2011 was for me, it's written because if just one of the things that had a huge impact on my life, could affect yours in the same way then it will have served its purpose.
By the way, if you're interested - here were 2010 and 2009's lists.
1). Having made it onto the list two years on the trot but not made the top spot (there is no order in this list unless you're my partner by the way) - its Lizz again. This year was very special for us as we recently got engaged. I finally started to feel that settling down and building a family was what I wanted to do and I can't think of anyone better to do that with than Lizz. For risk of sounding corny, I do actually believe we were made for each other. We were both so overwhelmed by the support and congratulations we got back from everyone when they heard - it was my number one high point of the year.
2). Tilly Talking - My niece is now talking and turning into a proper little human being. There is something you can't put into words about the feeling you get when a little person bounds up to you with a beaming smile and full of happiness. It's a shame we lose some of this as adults - we need to do all we can to regain it - it's going to be on my list for 2012.
As Will Ferrell in Elf says, "I just like to smile, smiling's my favourite." - let's all try a bit more of that this year.
3). OK onto the less personal ones now. Having signed up for it a couple of years ago, I re-found Evernote and now it organises my life. Evernote is a fantastic program which has mobile, desktop & web versions and also sits on any device you might have. You can keep notes/files etc all categorised for easy recall and as it's across devices you can be pretty much anywhere with all your stuff available to you. I use it for work and home. Here's a great tip - as people tell you things they like/want through the year, make notes in evernote, take pictures if you can and email them in and then when it gets to Christmas/Birthdays you have a ready made list of things people actually want :)
4). Nudgemail - I have a pretty bad memory. Well in fact I don't think that's entirely true, I just have an awful lot to remember so some of it slips through. No more though! Nope, I use a fantastic tool called Nudgemail which simply emails me on the date I ask it to - either with a cc of an original email I sent it, or just a reminder. Anything I delegate now gets nudged so I can forget about it and move on. An awesome tool folks.
5). Business Away Days - We all know how easy it is to get caught up in the day to day goings on in a business but it can be crippling for you if you don't take time out to think, plan, innovate and consult others. I do this quarterly for a whole day, with two of my best friends (and local business owners) and monthly for a meal where we work on goal setting and holding each other accountable to these targets. The latter is in more of a bitesize format (3 small goals a month) where as the former is much bigger picture. If you don't have a group like this already, I heartily recommend it for 2012.
6). Cooking - Sunday is now MY cooking day and I love it. I regularly spend the afternoon considering what crazy concoction I can dream up, then going out to buy the ingredients and finally preparing and cooking it for Lizz and I. Running a business can be quite stressful, afterall you have to be a boss, a friend, a colleague an advisor, an inspirer and you have to make sure that at the end of the month, you have enough work coming in to meet the outgoings (and hopefully a bit more for some profit!) - oh and all that happens every single month. All these challenges can take their toll on you, however successful your business is. It's extremely hard to turn off (many would say you never do). I've found that cooking is something that helps me to relax, unwind and put aside the challenges of the moment. It's got to be one of the most therapeutic things you can do.
7). Envirosend Email Marketing - We launched our email marketing product, Envirosend, this year and it's flying. We have loads of clients using it very effectively to reach out to their prospects and clients on a regular basis. All businesses should have some sort of email marketing system in place. It is a very low cost, very effective medium for marketing. If you're not talking to your database regularly, perhaps today is as good a day as any to start. The guys at Optix can help you with a demo if you're interested in seeing this product.
So there you have it, just a few of the things that changed my life this year for the better. I'm really looking forward to getting my teeth stuck into 2012 - lets make it a cracking year folks.
Now Your Thoughts
So what changed your life this year?
Who and what made an impact on your 2011?
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Title: 6 things that changed my life in 2012
Content: Well hello there people. A very Happy New Year to you all.
As has become customary on this blog (see previous years: 2009, 2010 & 2011) its my time to have a little fun and go off script. So here we go, here are the top things that changed my life in 2012.
1). Pinterest - I'll admit, it took me a while to get going with Pinterest. For some months I just couldn't get my head around it, either personally or for business. The last few months of the year have seen a huge change in my view - here's what I've been upto over there. Here are just a few of the reasons I use it. Remembering things I want to buy at some point (I have a hopeless memory), sharing a board with my partner Lizz (we keep things that we both need/want) and we collaborate on ideas for the house, garden and wedding. Possibly my most important use for it is to keep pictures which represent my goals. These are a visual stimulant for me. If your goals aren't in front of you regularly you're far less likely to achieve them. I use Pinterest to give me the kick I need. I love it and feel its going to be around for long time. If you've not done so already, you should take a look around.
2). OptixMail - After a very successful year in 2011 with Envirosend, our email marketing product, we decided that 'email marketing' could work as a business itself. We re-branded & recruited in Olly Harrison to run the business for us and boy has it taken off. Olly has landed some great new clients and its looking to be even bigger this year. Many said we were crazy to create a new business in an economic downturn. My feeling is its these kind of moves which define whether you've got the kahunnas to grow, even in times of adversity .
3). Lizz - Yes, she makes this list again and this year its because we've had a lot of fun organising our wedding together (which I'm sure will feature next year)! A tough year for her personally, she always bounces back and is the rock I need away from work.
4). Buying our first house - Lizz and I rented for years so we finally made the move to buy in 2012. Back in March we moved into our first home just outside Exeter and are currently working hard to give it that 'Lizz and Al touch'. There is something very special about sitting on your sofa, looking around your house, knowing that you can do whatever you want to it. I can heartily recommend it to anyone considering making the jump.
5). Our team at Optix - Ok so not exactly a specific point in time but I honestly feel that we have the best team we've ever had (see what some of the guys had to say about working for Optix earlier this year). People are pulling together & working for each other. Some of the guys that have been in the business for a long time are maturing into great managers and adding value to the business in more ways than just through the skills they joined for originally. Optix grew over 20% last year and looks set to do the same again this coming year. Office moves and new staff are all on the cards early in Jan. An exciting year ahead no doubt.
6). Creating our Vision Statement - I know, I know, it's embarrassing that we've been motoring along without one for so long (well we did have some fag packet stuff but it's not quite the same). This year James and I sat down and wrote our vision statement in the form of a story set in 2015. After reading it out at one of our team meetings I've already noticed more solidarity in the business and have had the story quoted back at me a number of times. I'm looking forward to working this vision out with the amazing team I mentioned above. We all have a place to point towards and decisions can be made with this in mind. Creating a vision statement/story is something I'd recommend you do if you don't have one for your business already.
So there we go again, another year passes and we look to 2013 for even bigger and better things. I hope you enjoyed my bit of fun, it would be good to hear yours now.
Now Your Thoughts
So what changed your life this year?
Who and what made an impact on your 2012?
By Alastair Banks
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Title: 7 things that changed my life in 2013
Content: So it's that time of year again where I look back and reflect on the year just gone. The intention? To reflect, to learn and to take some positivity into 2014.
I'm hoping that these points may help/raise some questions/give you ideas too. Ok, so you won't be getting married to my wife (or at least I hope not) but you might pick up a few take-aways from the list below or at least add a few of your own in the comments that follow.
If you're interested in my posts from the last few years, you can find them here: '09, '10, '11, '12 (can't believe this is my 4th year doing this!) - here comes the list:
1). Getting Married!
Lizz and I had the best wedding we could have asked for. For those of you who've been through this, you'll know just how stressful it can on the run up to your big day. For me it was about making sure it was perfect and that everyone had a great time. We got married at the Two Bridges on Dartmoor, a beautiful venue, worth checking out if you're in the region. We had sun, we had outdoor games, we had beautiful flowers, we had each other and it rocked. They say its should be the best day of your life; unless West Ham get a good cup run and win a final, it's definitely going to be up there (joke Lizz ;). So here's to many happy years of marriage. Any secrets or top tips from those of you who've remained successfully married for many years are welcome in the comments!
Check out some of our photos here if you're interested.
2). Losing my friend Pete
This happened very recently so it's still quite raw. I don't feel I can sum up my feelings to this any better than I did recently here. I'll let you check out that post in your own time.
Happy New Year Pete, I know you're watching down pal.
3). Moving Office
One of the main points we had in our vision statement last year (which I referenced in 2012's post) was to move office. We desperately needed to do this for a number of reasons. We had staff sitting on each others laps, our office wasn't reflective of the Optix brand any longer and we'd run out of meeting rooms! Having hunted down the perfect office, we set to work moving and finally changed over in May this year, just a month after my wedding! We spent the second half of the year working on making it an awesome place to work. We have great artwork, plants, an astroturf meeting room, a training suite and of course our purple pool table - a particular favourite of the Optix team. James and I have seen morale increase in the new office and there is a real sense of family about the place. We're attracting the best people for roles, who do the best work, meaning we attract the best clients. A major change for team Optix and one we look forward to building on over the coming years.
4). Creating a Sales Process
Having built Optix from the ground up and being its sole salesman for many years I didn't quite realise the impact this had on building a sales team around me. I do things my way. I have my own processes (many of which are in my head). I make sales because I own the company and people like dealing with me. None of the above are conducive to being in a team, especially not heading one up. So I've had to learn a lot this year and change my attitude. I've had to step back from things where I would have stepped in before. I've let the reigns go a little and my team have built us a sales process which we all now follow. This has lead to a strong team with a great attitude, one which I have the utmost pleasure in leading and learning from. The second half of the year saw that team win 6 out of 6 tenders in a row - unheard of for us. Its hard to let go, its hard to re-learn what you know you're good at but its worthwhile in the longrun. Special mentions here go to Olly Harrison, Kris Sousa and Charlie Martin, you guys rock.
5). Freeskiing
I've got to have some fun ones right? I bleedin' love skiing, if I could move to the snow and ski everyday I would. Skiing has been through a bit of a resurgance in the 'cool stakes' due to freeskiing, which was born out of new ski designs with two curved ends (called twintips). I purchased a pair in 2013. Basically these allow you to ski switch (backwards) and do tricks that you can't pull off on normal skis. I've finally hung up my snowboard and committed myself to skiing for the remainder of my days. By the way if you've not seen this type of skiing check this guy out -
Oh and watch out for the freestyle skiing in Sochi too - we even have a medal hope in James Woods:
6). My Stag Do
Don't worry I'll save you the sordid details. Actually there weren't that many. What this is really about is friends. When my best man asked me what I wanted to do for my stag a year or so ago I replied I wanted to go skiing. I was half joking. He said why not, its a once in a lifetime event, do what makes you happy. I concurred but given the cost I thought numbers would be limited to 4 or 5. In total, 11 of my best friends joined me in Feb this year to Les Arcs. It was quite literally the best few days I can remember and certainly my favourite holiday of all time. I realised how lucky I am to have such a close knit group of friends, ones that stick by me through thick and thin. You can never underestimate your support networks but I'd guess that most of us don't spend enough time with them, getting cuaght up in the day to day of everyday life. Perhaps a resolution for 2014 could be to reach out more and spend time with those that make you laugh?
7). Freddie
When I was a kid my grandparents had a black lab called Sam. I loved that dog and made it one of my life goals to own one. This year that goal was realised. Lizz and I bought Freddie a couple of months ago and although our life has changed due to the new ties, it is definatley for the better. We both love him dearly, he's part of our family. A word of caution to anyone thinking about buying a puppy - think carefully, its a lot of hard work. If you can put in the time and effort though, its extremely rewarding.
So there you have it, just a few of the things that changed my life this year. Unlike previous years and with the inclusion of my point about Pete, its not all positive but I'm determined to make something good of that tragic event.
To end on a more positive note and remind you how important it is to write things down, do remember that goals that aren't written down are just wishes.
Now Your Thoughts
So what changed your life this year?
Who and what made an impact on your 2013?
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Title: 6 things that changed my life in 2014
Content: Yes folks its that time of year again. While I've been a little light on posts in 2014 there is one that must be written. This one.
2014 has been an interesting year, one which has seen a lot of change in both my personal life and business dealings. In a year that saw Optix Solutions turn 15 and new ventures being started by my business partner and I (hopefully more on those in years to come) we may just have tried to do a little too much. As you probably know I’m a huge fan of change and believe it completely necessary for success however sometimes it can feel like you're biting off too much and its important in those moments to take stock, remember what you’ve achieved and maybe even take some time out. So in this post I'm taking a moment to look at what happened this year and how it affected my life.
Don’t forget that if you're interested in my posts from the last few years, you can find them here: '09, '10, '11, '12, '13:
So let’s do the run down then...
1). Baby Banks on the way - Well this absolutely has to be at the top doesn’t it :)
I’ll be a father for the first time in Feb this year (well maybe a little earlier if you look at the size of Lizz!). I’m excited and apprehensive at the same time which is an unusual feeling. With everything in business, things are generally within my control. I can make decisions and live by them but here we’re talking about another life, one which I can only hope to guide without pushing too hard. I'm pretty sure I'll be a good Dad but there are a few moments when I question if I have the skills and knowledge for what's going to be the biggest change to my life so far. I’m sure there will be more about fatherhood on this blog throughout the year so watch this space.
2). Re-Focusing is important however big the decisions
Three years ago our business was split about 75% design and build to 25% digital marketing. Now its almost flipped and that’s been a conscious decision based on goals and a vision we set out a few years ago. Steering a company with 15 people in it is not like a startup where decisions can be made quickly. If you get them wrong in the early days its fairly easy to claw back, with a larger company it takes time and effort and you have to get everyone on board taking into account their own individual drivers (which of course may not be totally aligned with your own vision). This year we’ve pushed harder than ever to adapt to the industry and its been an exciting journey which we are starting to reap the rewards for.
3). Ben Corbally
I hope adding Ben in here means he doesn’t get too much stick from the rest of the team. They aren’t those kind of people so I'm sure they won’t give him too much :) So why did Ben make this list? Ben is a young gun who joined Optix in late 2013 in our Digital Marketing team. He now works alongside me in the client facing part of the business and helps build the digital strategy for some of our newer clients. The reason that he makes the list is that he’s pushed me to think differently this year, to take a new perspective on things which I've made fundamental business decisions with. We've bought in new services (which has attracted new clients) and pushed ourselves more than I think we would have done without him. Ben you’ve been a delight to work with and I look forward to doing more along side you over the next few years. Exciting times ahead.
You can find Ben over on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bencorbally
4). Vision for 2020
We re-wrote our vision story for Optix this year and delivered it to the team in September. The statement is our second of this type, the last one being done in 2012 and running out in September of 2015. Its written in the format of a story (from a clients perspective of Optix) and outlines some of the goals that James and I have set for the business. This new vision features everything from turnover figures hitting a million to owning our own building. Better get working then!
5). Finally bringing Project Management to Optix
OK so this is an area I’ll put my hands up and say we hung around too long to sort out. This year we’ve recruited Mr James Cassap, a heavyweight recruit for the business from Cambridge University Press who brings 10 years of project management skills to the business. One well known friend of the company has described the change as likely to look like Optix on steroids. I’m looking forward to seeing that next year. :)
6). Bellroy
Ok so a bit of a light-hearted one to throw in here but hey you need to have a bit of fun don’t you. A man’s wallet is a key item to have around his person. The problem with wallets is they are bulky things. They can affect the shape of nice suits and weigh you down. Bellroy know this too well and have invented a set of wallets which solve this problem. I bought one this year and I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that everytime I use it, its an absolute pleasure and puts a smile on my face.
So there were six of my year-changers. I’m looking forward to 2015 for personal and business reasons and I’ve got a feeling that next years post will have some pretty special points in it.
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year and a prosperous and healthy 2015
Now Your Thoughts
So what changed your life this year?
Who and what made an impact on your 2014?
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Title: Eight things that changed my life in 2015
Content: Yes folks, its that time of year again. The round up post you've all been waiting for ;)
Don’t forget that if you're interested in my posts from the last few years, you can find them here: '09, '10, '11, '12, '13,'14
2015 - Its been a big one! Featured here are my first child, an offline tool that’s changed my life and a diet that’s had a dramatic impact on how I've felt after 10 years of putting up with stomach pain. All that alongside a few less serious, but still important ones.
1). Coming in at Number 1 there is only one place to have him - it's Oscar, my first child. There is no doubt about it, having your first child changes you. For the first time in your life someone is completely reliant on you and that re-focuses you. I've spent the last 15 years putting everything into my work and while I still have a passion for that, it will sit alongside the newest love of my life - Oscar. I've also found a new respect for my wife Lizz who is quite literally the best Mum ever…just incredible.
2). About ten years ago I started to suffer with IBS, one of those hard to diagnose problems that the doctors don’t really do much about or give you much advice on. After hospital inspections and private consultancies which showed up/gave me nothing, I just had to live with it. When Oscar was born I was in so much pain some nights that I couldn’t do his bedtime and that made me realise that something had to change. I persisted with the doctors and found a diet out of Australia called FODMAP. A university there have tested hundreds of food groups against four main triggers and rated them on an app and in a book. The diet has changed my life. After about 6 months of doing it, I’d say that I’m about 75% better than I was and I intend to continue living and coping with this using management of my diet. If you’re an IBS sufferer then you should definitely check it out. I’ve created a Pinterest board to help people find their feet with the diet as its a bit of a minefield of info out there.
3). The passion planner (I know what you’re thinking but don’t worry, I'm not going there) started off as a Kickstarter project. The ultimate organisation tool. It combines goal setting, diary management, reflection time and to-do lists all in one lovely leather bound book you’d be proud to take to any meeting. People know me as the owner of a digital agency and many are poking fun at the fact that despite the plethora of on-line tools (most of which I feel like I've tried) I've reverted to good old pen and paper. The fact is there is something very real about planning out your week and crossing things off as you complete them which you just don’t get on-line. You have to get these from America but I guarantee you its worth it.
4). Slack. Used by NASA for collaboration and teamwork we've rolled this out internally at Optix for our digital marketing team and a group of Sack Savvy clients. Slack's strap line is 'Be Less Busy' which if anyone disagrees with then I'd suggest you're reading the wrong blog. We share information, useful links and sometimes just shoot the breeze on this channel. Its closed unlike the big social media sites but that works well and if you want to strengthen comms in your organisation you should check out this app today.
5). Whatsapp Web. Did you know you can use WhatsApp from a browser window, opening up the use of this tool to desktop and laptops not just mobile? Well if you’re old skool like me and still use one of these antiquated computer things then maybe you should just get yourself over there to use the web interface. Simply have your phone app open and scan the QR code on the screen and it will link your computer to your phone. Game changer. Genius.
6). My Apple Watch. Ok so it's questionable as to whether its really changed my life or not. Most days I forget to charge it but when I do remember and wear it I find myself checking my tweets, messages and email with a little smile on my face. These notifications definitely mean I check my phone less which can only be a good thing right? Would I pay the same again for it? Probably not but I’m glad I have it and its certainly a talking point.
7). My Northface Jacket. Yes its one of those weird ribbed jackets people are wearing everywhere. I saw people turning themselves into the Michelin man and couldn't get my head round it for a year or so….until I tried one. The one I went for is a particularly fetching bright orange one. You can tell I'm an introvert right ;) So although I might stand out like a sore thumb I’ll be a particularly warm one and I'm unlikely to get lost in the fog. My other reason for getting one was to ensure that I look as stylish as possible on the slopes this year (although my Dad and skiing partner may disagree with that statement)! If you didn't know, I also run a skiing blog over at http://www.firstlift.co.uk
8). Insights. I've always said that if I wasn’t running a digital agency (and I didn’t make it as a ski instructor) that my second favourite job would be something to do with psychology and in particular psychometric profiling. I find it absolutely fascinating. This year we profiled the whole company using the Insights model. A local practitioner, Jack Russell ran a session with us after we’d been profiled and what's happened since is quite amazing. A common language, a deeper understanding of oneself and others and better communication all round. We've enjoyed it so much that my wife and I are in the process of setting up a new business and partnering with Jack so we can share the excitement and success we've had at Optix with others. If you’re interested in learning more about what happened with the profiling at Optix, check out the post I wrote here.
So there we go, eight things that changed my life this year, its been big, its been fun and hopefully next year will be just as exciting.
How was your year? Have you taken the time to reflect on it and write down the things that mattered to you?
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Title: Nine things that changed my life in 2016
Content: So as another year draws to a close, it’s time for my customary post about the things that changed my life this year.
If you’re interested in previous years then you can check them out here: '09, '10, '11, '12, '13,'14,'15
Ok so lets get on with it, here’s the run down (no particular order):
1). The birth of our daughter Alexa
This year we were blessed with our second child, and first daughter Alexa. I would obviously have been super happy with a brother for Oscar but I was secretly very pleased to get a pink one. The idea of having a daddies girl is quite appealing. Lizz and I decided (together) to create a video of the big day (don’t worry we took out the gruesome bits) so we had an amazing keepsake. You can watch that video here if you wish:
2). Our son Oscar
Ok so technically he didn’t arrive this year but watching his little personality develop has been absolutely magical and has enriched my life in a way that I’ll find hard to articulate. Whether starting to walk, uttering his first words or beginning to engage with us in a more human way, every single day there is something new to marvel at. I can’t wait to go through all that again with Alexa, while Im sure Oscar will continue to fill my heart with a love that is hard to comprehend.
3). Being Best Man for my Brother
When my brother asked me to be his best man last year I was truly touched. As the majority of my friends have already tied the knot, I really thought my chances of getting this honour were running out. Then my brother surprised me and asked. I jumped at the chance. The minor mission of organising a stag do to Vegas was my first major responsibility and we all made it back alive so I guess that was a success. The wedding was an awesome day held at Ham Polo Club back in the summer. Stu and Caitlin seemed chuffed to bits so once my speech was over, I was a happy man.
4). The Appeal for Chris Tester
This is a story of solidarity and what people are capable of when they come together. On Christmas Night (last week) an old school friend of mine who I’d not seen for many years was shot in the head at his parents restaurant in Antigua while it was held up. The family started a crowdfunding campaign to raise the 90k needed to get Chris back to the UK for the treatment and care he needs. I picked up on the campaign on Boxing day when they’d reached 7k. I did everything I could, using all my knowledge of social media mechanics to help them promote the campaign. Within two days the campaign had raised 60k and within 4 it had reached the target of 90k. Chris is now on his way home and its all thanks to the amazing people who dug in and helped spread the message. Two things occurred to me during this horrible ordeal; the solidarity of old friends - people who hadn’t seen each other in 25 years came together and worked for the good of the campaign. I was just one of many helping spread the message, many of the rest I knew from days at Brentwood School. The second was the power of social media, without which, this would have been next to impossible and it may just have saved Chris’ life. Doing what I do, you’d not be surprised that I’m a huge advocate of this world but this amazing story just goes to cement my feelings that its not just about marketing and helping businesses, it can be focused for social good. In fact this was on a scale I’d not witnessed before. The campaign is still raising funds to help goto towards Chris’ care in the UK so if you’d be kind enough to share for me I’d appreciate it, even better if you’d think about donating: http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/chris-tester-urgent-appeal/?
5). Vlogging (please check out my channel: https://www.youtube.com/alastairbanks)
Back in Feb of 2016 I set out to become a daily vlogger. I’d been watching the rise of the YouTube celebrity for a while and although it wasn’t my intention to become one of them, I wanted to see what it took to build an audience and to ensure I understood the medium so I could consult our clients on how to maximise their use of it. I knew it would take a long time to get off the ground so I set myself the goal of a year and away I went. I didn’t anticipate how hard it would be. Very few subscribers and less than a handful of video views for the first six months was quite disheartening. That alongside quite a bit of negativity from people close to me (about the reasons behind doing it) and it would have been easy to quit. This spurred me on if anything. I wanted to prove that I could do it and now, almost ten months on I’m really starting to gain traction. Speaking gigs, video production for others and wonderful engagement on some of my videos have been indirect benefits of this effort but I’m building for the future, its never been about the here and now. I don’t think people realise how hard these things are to get off the ground so if you’re thinking about life in ten years time, you need to be taking action now. My most popular video has now had over 4700 views (and gets lots of comments which I do my best to respond to everyone of. I’d love for you to subscribe in 2017 and pass it onto to anyone you know who might find it of interest.
6). Podcasts
I really got into podcasts this year. What a great way of learning and growing as a person. One of the challenges of video is that you have to look at a screen and can do very little else while doing so. This is not the case with Podcasts. I listen to them in the car everyday and quite often in the shower too. Its an awesome way to get a shot in the arm every morning before work. My goto’s have been Gary Vaynerchuck’s channel, Boagworld, Tim Ferris and The Craft of Marketing but there is a podcast for everyone out there so I’d highly recommend looking into them in 2017.
7). Amazon Prime
I took the plunge and ordered a Firestick (aff link) this year. We’d had Netflix for a while and Love Film before that but Amazon Prime makes life so easy. We’re addicted to box sets so being able to watch Walking Dead, Vikings, Spartacus, Lucifer, Blacksails and The Killing to name but a few makes us very happy. Then when Grand Tour was released we were even happier (much to the annoyance of Simon who works for me at Optix). If you’ve not got yourself a firestick (aff link), go get one, you won’t regret it.
8). Casey Neistat
The first ever YouTube vlogger I got completely hooked on. Casey is a filmmaker from New York who made the transition from the big screen to the world of YouTube and did it in style. The quality of his daily vlogs was off the chart. Earlier this month he gave up the daily vlog having hit 5 million subscribers, his reason being that he needed to focus on new projects and that he was losing the passion in the daily uploads. He’s not done too much since but his first ‘feature’ video didn’t let us down. They built a drone big and powerful enough to pull him along in the air on his snowboard! If you haven’t watched and subscribed to his channel then you should. Watch the drone video here:
9). Speaking Events
This year I had a number of opportunities to speak publicly for which I am very thankful. The more I do this the more I realise its where my heart lies and what I would like to be doing more of in the next phase of my career. The positive interaction, engagement and feedback I get from these events is my oxygen. This year I was lucky enough to speak on the London Business School and Exeter University’s MBAs as well as various other events all over the UK and as far a field as Copenhagen. Early in 2017 I’ll be flying to Barcelona so lets hope this is the beginning of another busy year of talks.
So there you have it guys, my run down of the year. Another one passes and this exercise once again serves as a useful reminder of all the good things that have happened to my family and I in 2016. We’re very lucky indeed and should remember that everyday.
What significant things happened to you in 2016? Have you gone through the journalling exercise above? It really helps clarify where you are and where you want to get to. I’d hugely encourage it.
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Title: Ten things that changed my life in 2017
Content: It’s that time of year again folks, the time to reflect, feel grateful and commit to writing. A quick look back at the blog last year and I can’t believe this is now my ninth year of doing this! I have to say it's incredible having the memories and being able to read back over previous years. If you’re so inclined you can always take a peek here:
’09, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’13,’14,’15, '16
Right so this year is going to be super hard to condense. Lots of things could have made the list but I’ve had to choose carefully. Remember this is work and pleasure and is made up things that genuinely changed the way I do or think about things. There are a few materialistic things thrown in with deeper stuff but thats all part of the fun of writing this, there are no rules.
So in no particular order:
1). Launching my Udemy Course
Back in April and after spending a number of days filming and editing my first course on how to get the best use out of LinkedIn I finally pressed the button to go live and really didn’t know what was going to happen. I try and live by the mantra of just do it and if it fails, you learn. The worst that could happen was that I’d have lost that time. Since April, over 10,000 students have taken my courses from 143 countries and I’ve just (last week) had my course enrolled into Udemy’s business program which means employees from companies all over the world will have access to my content. In 2018 I’ll be launching further courses so watch this space. If you want to know more, I put this page together explaining the courses in more detail: https://iambanksy.co.uk/linkedin-training/
2). Personal Training with Tom Johnson
I’ve known for years how important fitness is to your overall effectiveness in life but like so many I’ve procrastinated on it, always finding something supposedly ‘more important’ to do. Nothing brings home the need for extra energy and fitness like coming home to a 2 and 1 year old after a 10 hour day at work. Tom is an ex-international and Exeter Chiefs rugby union player. When he approached me to help with his new business, I took the opportunity to ask for his help in return. Working together over the last few months has been an absolute eye opener. The feeling of intense energy an hour or two after a session is addictive and looking and feeling stronger helps in every way, especially mentally. Tom has loads of exciting things happening this year so make sure you follow him on www.tomjohnsonlifestyle.co.uk
3). Slack
For years I’ve been praying for something to come along and replace email. I think its still a way off but this amazing communications tool is definitely putting a significant dent in the amount of email traffic internally in my business and that my friends, is a GOOD thing. I don’t know if this can or will become a legitimate tool for comms with external parties but I’m excited to see because I really need another cc in my life. 😉 Check out slack at www.slack.com
4). Instagram
Ok so I was late to the party, I get that. Technically I’ve had it for a few years but really only started to use it properly this year. What I like about this platform is that it cuts away a lot of the rubbish you see on other social networks and really gets people to think a bit more creatively about their updates. Its harder to post a picture or video that is meaningful than it is to write a tweet or a FB update. With the advent of instagram stories which I’ve dabbled in but not got into a regular routine with, this platform has the making of it all for me. You can follow my story on www.instagram.com/banksy6
5). Directors Breakfasts
This year we started running networking events specifically for directors and we’ve done so almost every month without fail. I recognised a while ago that most of the events I get invited to are based on a topic, not your position in a business. This felt wrong - what better people to learn from than our peers. So I started the directors breakfasts looking at the digital landscape - a safe place for fellow directors to come together, to learn and to discuss their business. In Q4 of 2017 we had our first ever ‘big directors breakfast’ which we held at the Deer Park Country House Hotel. You can find details for all directors breakfasts in 2018 on our website: www.optixsolutions.co.uk/events - I’d love to meet you there next year.
6). Bose Quiet Comfort 35 Headphones
Saying these have changed my life my seem a little futile but they really have. They’ve changed travel for me for good and that is a big thing in my life. I spend a fair bit of time on trains, planes, walking round cities etc and wearing these little beauties literally takes me to a different place. The advert of the girl dancing in the middle of a city with all the noise taken away is so accurate. If you like music, if you like to be in your own thoughts and if you like the hustle and bustle of every day life taken away then you must get yourself a pair of these. Pair them up with an audio book or two and you’re benefiting from learning at the same time as experiencing these extraordinary pieces of tech. You can buy them on Amazon here (aff link)
7). My New Car
I’ve had a few nice motors over the years but its quite rare that one comes along that really puts a smile on my face. Thats what happened this year. We were actually looking for a landrover discovery for Lizz when we visited our friends at Castle Motors in Liskeard. We ended up coming away with a 3 door BMW M135i. Don’t ask me how that happened. This pocket rocket is quicker than you need but thats not what I like most about it. Its just seriously well thought through. Everything is ergonomically where you think it should be. We have a Mercedes as well but I have to say the Beamer wins that battle all day long. In fact Im a massive convert now. This could be a love affair with the brand for a long time.
8). The Speaker Circuit
I remember the first time I had to do a public speech (well at Uni) and that gut wrenching feeling, not wanting to eat anything before because you’re so nervous, worrying what people will think of you etc. Understanding its importance, I’ve since been honing that skill and began to do talks for external organisations whenever they’d have me. Constantly putting myself outside my comfort zone. Its only in the last few years that people have asked for me to speak at their events and been prepared to pay for me to be there. It just goes to show that you don’t become an expert at something overnight. Its taken me twenty years! In 2017 I spoke in Barcelona & Rome as well as on a number of Exeter University's courses including its MBA. My proudest moment was being asked back to talk at London Business School on their Summer Entrepreneurship Program (part of the MBA). These talks all help me develop, both in my knowlegde of the industry but also how to handle rooms of people and sometimes difficult questions. I know its not everyones cup of tea but if you can make yourself do this, it will reward you more than you can imagine in the long run.
9) YouTube
Last year I told you about my new YouTube channel and how I spent a whole year uploading a video tip everyday. That was an invaluable exercise which taught me so much but what I couldn’t have anticipated were some of the indirect benefits. My most successful video is one I created about the FODMAP diet for people who suffer with IBS. This now has front page exposure for key terms and has had over 25,000 views. Its the comments that get me though. That one video has obviously had a profound effect on a number of people who have expressed their thanks in the comments to me. I feel like a few hours of my time to create it have been unbelievably worthwhile and I’m thankful for that. At the back end of this year and because they’d seen other videos I created (indirect again) the Exeter Chiefs asked me to do a behind the scenes vlog from one of the premiership games. They were incredibly giving with their time and access for which I could go fully behind the scenes to give the fans an awesome view of the club. The video went on to be watched over 20000 times within the first week. I’m now focusing on more creative videos less often. You can check out my channel here: www.youtube.com/alastairbanks - please do subscribe and like where possible as it all helps 😃
10) My Family
This isn’t a token mention, my immediate family have impacted my life more than almost any year in 2017. With the birth of Alexa last year and Oscar growing up into a beautiful, well mannered young boy I’ve loved spending time with them more than I can articulate in this post. When you’ve had a tough time at work, coming back to two small people with no care in the world you quickly realise there is more to life and although they might not consciously be doing that for me, I thank them for that. My wife lizz has once again been my rock this year. She’s taken a bigger role in Optix and we started our own business Alacrity on the side too. Somehow she manages to mix being a full time mother of two, with these businesses and looking after me (and that’s not easy believe me)! Superwomen is not a great enough accolade.
So there you have it guys, my run down of 2017. I keep meaning to write down what Im grateful for more regularly, maybe that will be on the list next year but for now this excercise really does remind me how useful and important this can be to show what you’ve achieved and whats had a big impact on you. I recommend it to all of you.
What significant things happened to you in 2017? I’d love to hear about things that have had a positive impact on you and your families. I wish you a very happy new year and successful 2018.
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Title: 8 things that have changed my life in 2018
Content: So it’s that time of the year where I look back and reflect on some of the things that have changed my life in the last 12 months. Unfortunately, with the loss of our baby Sophie so raw its been one that I’ve battled with - do I put pen to paper and talk about things that feel so meaningless and material or do I battle on and do what I’m so determined to do, move on with life positively, while keeping her close to my heart and in my thoughts at all times. I’ve chosen the latter but dedicated the top space to a few special people who’ve helped Lizz and I immensely over the last month.
If you're at all intrigued by the last 9 years you can check out the series here: ’09, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’13,’14,’15, '16, '17
1). Exeter Labour Ward; Women's Centre for Health
I know that 90% of what these guys do will be full of joy, working with excited expectant parents but its that other 10% they have to go through that I now have a new found respect for. It can’t be easy for the people doing the scans to tell a mother there is something wrong with their baby, but they do it with such compassion. It can’t be easy for the doctors and nurses to console you and deliver very difficult news, but they do it with such sympathy. It can’t be easy for the midwives who see you through some of the darkest times of your life to do so with such care and tenderness, but they do. This is the amazing way we were treated by Exeter RD&E’s staff from the horrific moment we attended our 20 week scan to the delivery of our baby Sophie a week later, sleeping peacefully. It was incredible and will never be forgotten.
2). My Wife Lizz
Our kids are too young to know what’s happened this last month but the strength my wife has shown is nothing short of incredible. Yes we both have very bad days and sometimes you’ll find us blubbering wrecks but throughout all this pain Lizz has been an absolute rock. I know she is hurting badly but she will get through and bring up our other children in her special way, the way of the most amazing women I know. She’s always changing my life but this year has shown a whole new side and given me even more respect for the her. A phenomenal women in every way.
Now onto a slightly more ’normal’ set of changes.
3). A better understanding of single use plastic
I think a lot of us have Sir A to thank for bringing the horrendous future of a 'single use plastic world' to our conciseness but it surprises me it's taken this long. I too have been oblivious to the destruction it does to our Oceans and planet. This year I’ve made conscious efforts to minimise and where possible get rid of single use plastic from my life entirely. We’re also looking into how we can do this at work and will support any efforts our staff make to help us with this mission. At the beginning of the year I came across https://4ocean.com/ - a great outfit who will remove a pound of trash from the ocean for every bracelet you buy. It might not be much but if we all bought one think of the good it could do.
4). Online Training
I realise that I first wrote about my online courses last year so technically its not a new entry but I’ve been so blown away by the uptake in them over the last 12 months that I felt they deserved a second mention. For those of you who don’t know much about this, I launched a course about how to use LinkedIn effectively back in early 2017. Since then I’ve gone on to launch a basic course on the same subject, one on getting the most from your personal brand and one on the specialist diet for IBS sufferers - FODMAP. I’ve now had over 16,400 students from 162 countries take the courses. This year I’ve seen a big corporate uptake from forward thinking companies looking to up skill their sales and marketing teams. They’ve used the online course, quite often together with some of my time offline, to get their teams operating more effectively and making the most of this fantastic b2b networking site. I expect much more of this in the next 12 months and will undoubtedly be launching more courses, so watch this space.
5). Echo/Alexa
If there is a topic you’re going to hear me talk about A LOT over the next 12 months its voice. It's going to change the way we live and do business. It's going to change my industry and I’m doing a lot of work at the moment to understand that and adapt to the landscape. With voice devices set to double year on year it would be hard to argue against this. We bought our echo dot (we have a daughter called Alexa so that ruled that out!) a little over a year ago and for the first few months it sat on the side as a glorified cooking timer. Don’t get me wrong, it does that job exceptionally but now it's used for so much more. Recently my kids have reached the age where they can start to ask it questions. Every day, it becomes more integrated in our daily lives without us even realising. It plays the radio, it plays Spotify, it answers our questions, tells us the traffic info and still times my roast chicken to perfection. A little like the boom of social media around 2006-7 this has really excited me and I’m sure will continue to do so over the next few years.
6). Iphone XS
Almost ten years ago I wrote about getting my first iPhone in this blog series (read that here)
10 years on and for their anniversary Apple launched the iPhone 10 which I sidestepped as it was quite a big change from the standard iPhones I’d become used to. Facial recognition, OLED screen and quite a bit bigger. Lots of new tech that I was fearful could go wrong. But when they bought out the XS recently I was straight in there on launch day. That new tech has proved itself and after a short ‘getting used to it’ period it really has changed my use of the phone for the better. The screen is out of this world. It looks a little bit like a really bright kindle. The resolution is insane - its as crisp as a piece of paper. The facial recognition is pretty cool although occasionally a little frustrating. All in all though, much less friction than annoying passcodes (especially as they made them longer recently). I fully understand there is a war going on in the phone market and that many have jumped ship from iPhone to Android in the last couple of years but I’m so impressed by this gadget that I’m one very happy camper and won’t be going anywhere else soon. Apple has had a HUGELY positive affect on my life over the last ten years and I thank them for that.
7). GetLighthouse
I’m not a very structured person. I don’t really keep notes or have ways to refer back to things I’ve said. When you’re a manager of people this is a problem. How do you remember the things you’ve asked of someone, more often than not, I didn’t. Until this nifty little tool was found by Thomas who works for us. Its super simple, it allows you to setup your direct reports and then store action points against 1-2-1s with them. These can be emailed to you both at the end of a session and you can easily tick them off as you go along. There is also a section for storing bigger goals (we do quarterly ones) and other notes that you might not want to share with that person directly. So now, every 1-2-1, I log in, remind myself of what we said we’d both achieve and make notes for the follow up. Ideal.
8). LastPass
Ever had that scenario where you goto a website and need to login but can’t recall your password? Possibly one of the most frustrating challenges of the modern world! Well No More. Earlier this year a friend introduced me to lastpass which stores all your passwords across multiple websites. We now have a corporate version at Optix and its an absolute game changer. You can share across teams or simply keep your own. You’ll never need to remember another password again!
So there we have it, my round up of 2018. Its always good to reflect back on what’s happened to you over the last 12 months so you can take stock, learn lessons and move forward. Its been an incredibly difficult end to a year which I’ll be glad to see the back of but as my mantra has always been to stay positive where possible I think given the circumstances, as a family we’re not doing so badly. As Seth Godin says, doom is inevitable, gloom is optional. There is a lot of sense in that.
How has your 2018 been? What have you learnt, experienced, found that has positively affected your life? I’d love you to share so we can learn together. I wish you a very, Happy New Year!
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Title: 7 things that changed my life in 2019
Content: Before I go on with my list this year, clearly the most life changing moment of 2019 was losing our Baby, Charlie in November. Having lost another baby, Sophie, only 12 months previous we were/are in total shock and having to go though the same feelings of grief, despair, depression and hopelessness again. I don’t want to belittle what’s happened by including it in this list but I also feel its appropriate to acknowledge it before I move on.
The thought of trying to write a post about things that have changed my life this year has been very, very difficult but if I don’t do this I break 10 years (’09, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’13,’14,’15, '16, '17, '18) of tradition and even though grief rules our lives right now, I’m trying hard to do things which bring back an element of normality and help focus my mind on things I’m grateful for. So although this blog is tinged with undertones of sadness, there really are positive things for me to focus on and move into 2020 with.
Here goes then:
1). The Fetal Cardiology Dept at Bristol Children's Hospital (esp our consultant Patricia)
From September this year we've spent an inordinate amount of time in Bristol’s Fetal Cardiology Dept and formed very strong bonds with our consultant Patricia who was on the journey with us as we learnt about Charlie’s heart conditions, that ultimately proved to be too much for him in late November. It's impossible to document all the ups and downs, twists and turns we had on this journey in a short post but Patricia was there for us to the end and we can’t thank her enough for that support. We also received amazing support from Exeter’s Fetal Medicine Dept lead by Miles and Helen, two of the senior consultants who also shared our journey over those months. Exeter even sent a couple of the team to Charlie’s funeral (a small family only affair) which showed just how close we’d grown to them in that time. We’ll never forget the support we’ve had from Helen, Miles and Patricia and the teams around them. The work they do is incredible and I’ll personally be looking at ways I can support them through the skillset I have in 2020 and beyond.
2). My Wife Lizz
Last year, when I wrote this post, it was just after we lost Sophie and I commented that our kids were too young to know what happened. This time they weren’t. When I saw Lizz tell Oscar that his brother hadn’t made it, it was heartbreaking but showed what an absolutely incredible woman my wife is. Less than a few days after her C-Section and losing a baby, she was able to deliver that news to our 4 year old and be there for him when he needed her most. I don’t think I would have been strong enough to do that. Once again she proves she’s the most amazing mother and woman I know and I’d be lost without her.
3). Mindfulness
After the year and a bit we’ve had, you can forgive us for having wobbles, having dark days, really wondering what it's all about and why life can be so cruel. I’ve always listened to podcasts and read business books and for the last few years the topic of meditation has come up time and time again but I’ve largely dismissed it. This year I decided to look into it. Now the word meditation sounds a bit cooky if you ask me but when I looked into it, at the most basic level, its very far from it. Mindfulness is about being more aware (mindful) of yourself, your surroundings and the life you lead. Being grateful and appreciative for what you have and not letting the fears and anxiety that many of us live with day in day out consume us. I’m no master by any means, so I can’t give further counsel than this (maybe next year) but I can tell you that when I manage to make time for it, 10 mins of mindfulness a day can make a very big difference to your mental health. I’ve been using the Calm app which you can download from the various app stores but I know there are many others on the market so if you’re struggling with anything life is throwing at you, I can heartily recommend making space in your busy schedule and integrating a bit of mindfulness into it.
4). Harry Potter Books
Ok so I know I’m late to the party here, perhaps 30 years too late in terms of age but I don’t care what people think, this epic series of books changed my life this year, no question of a doubt. I’d watched the films when they came out and I remember liking them but when I was talking to a friend about having trouble sleeping and I explained I used to check my phone last thing at night, they suggested I get into a good book instead. My in-laws had always raved about the series and had them all so I asked if I could borrow the first one and within a week I was completely hooked. I read the whole series from book one to seven in a few months. You might think saying this changed my life is a bit over the top but it did in so many ways. It introduced me back to reading (books not audio books) again and how pleasurable that can be. It helped me escape from day to day challenges into a different world. It helped me fall asleep again! Thank you J.K. Rowling, I just wish you’d write more!
You can buy all seven of the books here (aff link): Harry Potter Collection
5). Tisserand Sleep Balm
Along the same lines, another product to aid sleep. After losing Charlie, a very kind friend knew that Lizz and I would be having trouble sleeping, so they bought us this pack from Tisserand. When you’re walking around in a daze, you try what you can to get by but I don’t think either us realised just how good this product would be. I’m seriously considering writing to them asking if I can be an ambassador or something! The pulse rollers allow you to put the calming essential oils onto your skin and pillow and almost everyday I’ve used it, as my head has hit the pillow and been encased in the calming scents, I’ve fallen asleep within minutes (aided of course by dreams of witches and wizards flying around on broomsticks). If you struggle closing your mind off at the end of a busy day, I can’t recommend this highly enough.
You can buy this here (aff link): Tisserand Little Box of Sleep
6). Smart Lights
I’ve actually had smart lights installed for a couple of years but in truth they’ve acted more like standard light bulbs, being turned on and off by the main switches - nothing too smart about that. I don’t know why, perhaps laziness, perhaps I just didn’t get it. I decided this Christmas to sort it out. I bought a load more bulbs and set motion sensors up in key places such as our landing. I got strips to go under our breakfast bar and I got fully into the app, setting up routines I never realised were possible. Now, for example, when we need a bathroom break in the middle of the night, there is no fumbling around for the light switches, they come on automatically and because its the middle of the night, they turn on using a dim setting which means you’re not left cowering like you’re looking straight into the sun or waking the entire household up. I know material items like this aren’t exactly important in the grand scheme of things but as they turn themselves off when we’re not in the room and are more efficient than normal bulbs, I like to think that the benefits are not only purely for us but there are also some small environmental benefits as well.
Here is a list of the items I’ve bought for my setup:
Bayonet Bulbs
Dimmer Switches
Bridge (needed for app)
Strip Lighting (LOVE THIS)
Motion Sensors (got a few of these)
7). Oscar Starting School
I know every parent says this: "I can’t believe how quickly they are growing up". Nothing demonstrates this more than when your first born goes to School for the first time. It's also possibly the most gut-wrenchingly difficult thing to get through as you leave your child in a strange room with people they don’t know, as they cry their eyes out. That said, we were very lucky and Oscar soon got over his initial fears and started to really enjoy his new friends and routines. The thing I’ve enjoyed the most is watching him learn new things everyday. I’ve loved hearing how excited he was as he learnt his first facts about animals, his first letters of the alphabet, how to add and subtract using his tiny hands and now he’s beginning to be able to read short stories himself! It melts my heart every time and reminds me that with everything else that’s gone on this year, watching our two children grow up is one of the main reasons for being. Now I just need to wait for him to want to read the Harry Potter books 🙂
So there we have it, my round up of 2019. That’s TEN whole years of doing this!
As always, it's good to reflect back on what’s happened to you, so you can take stock, appreciate what you have, learn lessons and move forward. Once again for Lizz and I it's been a horrible year but we’re trying our hardest to take small positive lessons from it so we can grieve, grow stronger and move on.
How has your 2019 been? What have you learnt, experienced, found that has positively affected your life? I’d love you to share so we can learn together. I wish you all a very, Happy New Year! Here’s to a new decade!
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Title: 10 things that changed my life in 2020
Content: Its that time of year again. :)
Well, its my 11th year of doing this folks! Feeling pretty chuffed with myself for that. I now get people telling me they are looking forward to this post! You only get that after years and years of commitment. It’s hard to explain the feeling of accomplishment when you can look back on ten years of something.
If you’re interested, here are the last ten year’s posts: (’09, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’13,’14,’15, ’16, ’17, ’18, ‘19)
Maybe this is the year I can inspire you to start something yourself?
Before I go on, I’ve just re-read last years post and promised myself that this year will be a lot lighter in tone! Sorry about that but 2018/19 weren’t good years personally so I struggled to inject the normal element of humour and fun into them!
OK, lets crack on with the list.
1). Journaling
I’m an absolute nightmare when it comes to being advertised to on Instagram. I get caught out regularly! This year one of my purchases (which I love) was a journal, made especially for men.
Since buying this, I’ve been doing a fair bit of personal writing, this product is awesome – it helps you set goals, bucket lists, balance your life and obviously journal. It has loads of great exercises which ease you into the practice.
With the personal journaling going well, I turned to the idea of business journaling. Not a bad year to start with everything going on. Earlier in the year I’d heard about this breakout platform called Substack which is a cross between blogging and email marketing. People subscribe to your (paid or non-paid) list (please subscribe to mine :)) and when you create your content, it updates them straight to their inbox. For me it answered the main reason I’ve not been on my personal blog much these days – the ongoing challenge of dissemination.
Over the last month I’ve created a handful of entries. I wrote an entry about mental health a few weeks ago and it absolutely took off. If you’re looking for a platform to build your database and keep connected this year maybe you should check out this one.
2). Plum
I am not ashamed to say that I am terrible at saving money. It just doesn’t compute! So when my friend talked about this app that does it automatically for you, I was all ears. Its super easy to work. You download the app, connect it to your bank accounts and tell it how much you’re happy saving and if you want to invest that money or simply leave it in a savings account. As I didn’t really know or particularly trust this sort of technology a year or so ago I just set it off really low, saving a couple of quid a week. I also put myself into the highest risk profile I could find for the investments (eek). I’ve played around with it a lot over the last year and while we aren’t talking mega money here, the app has saved me almost £2000 and made a 20% increase in my investments! And the best thing – I haven’t even realised. Genius.
3). Digital Academy Launch
Last year we had our first full year’s cohort through our digital marketing academy. This was an idea I’d had at least five years previously, so it was amazing to finally see it come to fruition. Naturally the first time you run things you find it’s not quite as simple as you thought but we got through and finished the cohort (virtually) in October. Two of the team – Becky and Jack were integral to making this a success. During the lockdown we also invested a huge amount of time into taking the courses online. We filmed and edited hundreds of videos and now have 6 of 12 courses online for anyone to take, wherever they are in the world, breaking down geographic boundaries that previously existed.
p.s. Our new ‘live’ sessions start in Jan so if you’re interested, drop me a line, there is still time.
4). Google Nest
My first product of the year. Before our Nest, we had a bog-standard thermostat in our house and I was constantly turning it up and down. It was a joke! Enjoying a gadget as I do, I bought a nest from Amazon and got my good friend Gareth to install it (if you need a quality electrician, ask me and I’ll put you in touch). If you’re wondering, you definitely need someone to do this for you, something I don’t think was pointed out too well. We can now control the temperature of our home from anywhere via the app (no more returning to a freezing cold house after a holiday (whatever those are)). It also learns heating patterns and helps you save money with its eco modes. A absolute no-brainer household gadget I should have bought years ago.
*At time of writing this product has £50 off on Amazon! 31/12/20
5). Coronavirus
I’m not going to get away with a post about things that changed my life this year without mentioning Coronavirus am I. I refuse however to put it at the top though. It gets far too much airtime already! I’ve written extensively about this from a business perspective, however I’ve not really touched on things from a personal perspective. As a family, we’ve actually quite enjoyed the various lockdowns but we realise that we’re also in a very privileged position. Lizz works from home for our businesses so was able to do the home schooling very easily. We have plenty of devices for the kids to share and we have room (just) for us all to live without tripping over each other. We realise we are very lucky and many people had a torrid time, either alone or battling multiple jobs and home-schooling together.
I experienced a couple of personal breakthroughs during this period – exercise and nature being two of the biggest. We started off doing PE with Joe back in lock down 1 and it kinda stuck with me. I’m now doing exercises every morning. That wouldn’t have happened pre lockdown. Due to the difficulties of work and the pressure we were under, I ended up spending an inordinate about of time in our local forest – Ashclyst. Some days I’d be there for 3 or 4 hours, just walking the dog with my headphones on making constant phone calls. There is no doubt being in nature helped me massively and I wrote about that in my post about mental health here. This has been a year like no other. I hope we’ll never experience anything like it again in our lifetime but if we do, hopefully we’ll have learnt a lot of lessons this time round!
6). Understanding Mental Health
Unfortunately, I was born in an era that didn’t pay much attention to, or understand mental health and we’re seeing a worrying number of people (particularly around my age) take their own lives because of it. I’m ashamed to say that until I started to struggle myself, I too fell into the camp of people who thought it was a weakness. Not exactly stiff upper lip stuff! I now understand, having immersed myself in books/blogs/videos/talking with others about it that it really is no different to having a physical injury. If you sprained or broke your leg, you wouldn’t think twice about seeing a doctor, yet for some reason when people’s minds (which are unbelievably powerful and complex things) start to suffer, we don’t do the same. If you want to watch a sad but powerful documentary which shows the impact of pressure and success on someone’s mental health, watch the avicii documentary. Sorry, I did say at the beginning of this post I’d keep the tone light! The positive for me therefore is being more aware of this subject and ways of combatting darker thoughts and times.
7). Video Calling
I really had to question my reasons before putting pen to paper on this one. On one hand I love the fact we’ve all got used to this technology and it’s just a part of our lives now, on the other hand I detest it sometimes. Let me be clear tho, this is a list about things that have changed my life and no one could argue it hasn’t! This was made most apparent when we organised a call with a client in Germany earlier this year. When I got off the call 45 minutes later I realised what had just occurred. Pre Lockdown and in a desire to impress, Thomas and I would have jumped on a plane, spent a night in Germany and flown back again. That’s two flights, two hotel rooms, taxis, meals and that’s before all the coffee that Thomas and I drink! We achieved the same result in a 45 minute video call and neither of us left our living rooms! The cost is one thing but when you think of the saving to the environment as well you can’t help but smile. When things go back to ‘normal’ again I hope to see a blended mixture of face to face and video meetings. I fear it will need consciously considering as everyone is desperate for human interaction again. I hope in part that by writing this now, I might remind my future self of the way I was thinking when I wrote this.
8). Lumie
My second product of the year. Thanks to Dan White who gave me the inspiration for this one. Two key reasons I think this is a great product. It’s an alarm clock which means you can stop relying on your phone and therefore checking it last thing at night, first thing in the morning. Secondly (and this is my favourite bit) – its natural light function slowly wakes you up in the morning. You control all the times and settings, but I have mine start to get lighter about an hour before I want to wake up. Then by the time it reaches my alarm, its natural light has helped you gain consciousness. There is also the reverse for when you go to bed but I’ve not worked that out yet! I don’t have trouble going to sleep so it’s not been a priority. I would imagine if this was a problem then this would be an epic product for that as well.
9). Scrabble Go
Always gotta chuck in a fun one right? I’ve loved playing Scrabble since childhood. Playing a game which helps improve your vocabulary – how can that be anything but a good thing? The Scrabble Go app allows you to play your friends / family or complete strangers. Probably should come with a warning that its extremely addictive and may cause you relationships issues with the aforementioned (especially if it’s your younger brother who is notably better than you at it)!
10). Rob Stevens
I’ve run Optix with James for 21 years now. That’s a long time. Although I still love the industry, over the last few years I was undoubtedly starting to feel the pressure and burn out so James and I bought on Rob Stevens in October 2019 as our Ops Director. It was our first appointment at Director level which was a scary enough move for us but after a year of running the business with us we made Rob the offer to join us as an equity partner in the business and to take on the title of Managing Director. I’m so pleased that Rob is part of the Optix Family. He’s really taken to the role of MD and between James, himself and I we form a really strong management team. It also helps that I really like Rob as a person. A genuinely nice guy with strong ethics, values and a drive for success that matches my own. In a post I did on LinkedIn recently he said he had a mancrush on me but the feeling is mutual Rob. I’m now focusing on more of the thought leadership work I’ve always loved and this in turn has given me a renewed enthusiasm for the business again. All this makes me a happier person :)
So there we have it, my round up of 2020.
Although I didn’t include Lizz as a point herself, it doesn’t mean I appreciate her any less. Once again, she’s been a rock (my rock) this year and constantly amazes me with her skills and kindness as a mother and partner. To my kids, you are a constant source of joy and laughter for me on a daily basis.
How has your 2020 been, difficult I’m sure? What have you learnt, experienced, found that has positively affected your life? I’d love you to share so we can learn together. I wish you all a very, Happy New Year!
*Disclosure - some of the links in this post will be affiliate links. I NEVER choose to link to these products because of the comissions they pay, only ever because I want to share the benefits I’ve had with them, with you.
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