Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Authenticity, Communication Strategy, Confidence, Culture, Equality, Experience, Health, Honesty, Loyalty, Prejudice, Relevance, Resonance
David Lee Roth once stated “whoever said money doesn’t buy happiness, didn’t know where to shop”.
I get it … money is epic and makes life easier and – superficially – happier.
But what he didn’t say is that “there’s no amount of money that makes being miserable, worthwhile”.
Maybe it’s because he didn’t know it.
Maybe it’s because he didn’t want to admit it.
But given how he has talked about his toxic time in Van Halen, I am pretty sure he’d agree now … because while there are many benefits to independence [and ownership for that matter, but that’s a post for another day], the one that is the most valuable personally, professionally, creatively, commercially and collaboratively is the ability to be honest with your colleagues and clients.
Utterly honest.
It might not always be the most comfortable meeting – especially if you’ve been an asshole and tried to fuck them over and then beg forgiveness later – but it will always get to a stronger outcome.
After all, they say ‘honesty is the best policy’ for a reason.
Happy weekend.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Attitude & Aptitude, Communication Strategy, Confidence, Content, Context, Creativity, Fake Attitude, Marketing, Marketing Fail
This is kind of an addition to the post I wrote a week or so ago.
You see I recently read a business magazine and almost every article – and I mean EVERY article – had a story about a company that was obviously trying to position themselves as ‘against the ordinary’.
Now while I appreciate anti-ordinary can be manifested in many ways, I couldn’t help but think that all the brands featured were selling products that were the epitome of ordinary.
Now there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Ordinary is both misunderstood and underrated which is why I think it would be great if a company actually embraced and celebrated that’s what they did … however in the context of the companies featured in the magazine, they were suggesting that what they did elevated them beyond all comparison.
I get why they would want to do this.
I get the commercial value of being seen to do this.
But if you’re going to claim it, your products and brands should demonstrate it and in the great majority of the companies featured in the magazine, the absolute opposite was true.
There are probably a ton of reasons for this.
From the ego of management to the job protection strategies of the people below them to the revenue fear of the agencies they work with … but that still doesn’t escape the fact the stuff they made was about as bland as a beige Volvo.
To paraphrase that old joke, isn’t it disappointing the people who know how to create extraordinary products and brands decided to end up making beige and boring instead.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Fashion, Porn, Pornhub
I recently received a t-shirt.
I don’t know who it is from.
I don’t know if I will ever wear it.
But for what it lacks in fashion, it makes up for it in intriguing.
Have a look …
How many of you read it incorrectly.
Then when it told you that, how many of you realized you had read the acknowledgement of your mistake incorrectly as well?
While there are many scientific reasons for this, another reason is our seemingly endless obsession for speed.
Speed trumps everything these days.
We’ve been led to believe speed lets us do more, achieve more, become more,.
And while I don’t doubt there are situations where that is true, it is also leading to more mistakes, more misunderstanding and less appreciation of what we have and should enjoy.
I accept I am literally the last person who should say this – just like I accept this is rather a deep conversation for a t-shirt that has purposeful spelling and grammar mistakes – but the genius of it is that it tells us we have made a mistake by making us make another mistake which forces us to accept we are addicted to the rush rather than just idiots who make the odd slip up.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Anniversary, Attitude & Aptitude, Birthday, Childhood, Comment, Dad, Daddyhood, Emotion, Empathy, Family, Home, Jill, Love, Mum, Otis, Parents
Yesterday would have been my Mum’s birthday.
My Mum’s 87th birthday.
That means she has been gone 4 years and frankly, that seems incredible.
So much has happened in that time …
From moving countries twice.
To changing jobs twice.
To selling our family home to buy a new one.
And while I am in a much better place than I was after the tragic days that she died, I still am prone to being hit by moments where her loss is almost overwhelming for me.
I wish she could have met Otis for real.
I still remember her words when I called her minutes after he was born.
I was incredibly emotional and she was so tender towards me.
Making sure I was OK, Jill was OK and Otis.
Asking if the baby crying in the background was her grandson.
Telling me how happy she was and how happy she was for us.
How she loved the name Otis.
And while she was alone in her home in Nottingham – wishing madly that she was with us – she still told me to go and be with Jill and my son because she was the most compassionate, thoughtful person I have ever known.
While Mum saw Otis on video chat, sent me countless emails/SMS’s about him and – for a brief while – was in the same room together [though sadly it was after she had passed away] … the fact is they never were together in the flesh and I would have loved to have seen that happen.
To see her face as he called her Nona.
To watch her smile he wrapped his arms around you and gave her a big hug and kiss.
To look at my Mum reading her first grandchild a story or walking him through the gardens and explaining the flowers or just watching him run around like a tsunami and then look at me with that look in her eye that tells me everything.
How he’s perfect.
How she loves him so much.
How she is so proud of me and Jill.
How happy she is right at that very moment.
That would be the best present for her – not to mention for me – and while none of those things will be able to happen for real, I will think about them tonight when I’m home and giving Otis a big hug and kiss, because while there are many things I can do a whole lot better at, my Mum [and Dad] taught me one thing I am very good at.
How to love.
Happy birthday Mum, I miss you so much.
Hope you and Dad are laughing and holding hands.
Rx
