Difficult to get is not the same as valuable. I chat about this when I help business leaders. Sat at the Board Table. As Brand and Marketing Director. (That’s what I do for a handful of clients/friends). Trying to win an unprofitable account, just to block ‘them’ from having it. Managing reputation when those adversely affecting it have no reputable position of their own. Trying to hold on to a team member that doesn’t want to be held. All difficult. None valuable. These things are sometimes hard to see when you’re inside. But it’s not so hard for me to see, from the outside. That difficult t ..read more

I’m not sure about you, but I think I have a Brain-switch. When it’s on, I’m quite clever. When it’s off, I’m not. So if you want to talk to me about something businessy and important, please check my Brain-switch is on, first. Brain-switch on. I talk to MD’s about Underthinking. As a Brand and Marketing Director. Brain-switch firmly on. I encourage leaders to listen to what the gut says today. Then act. Today. I think with clarity and speed when my Brain-switch is on. Eyebrows down. Concentrating. Listening. Moving businesses, big and small, forward, at pace. Brain-switch off. You know how y ..read more

Something I saw yesterday made me think about how we all solve problems. And in conclusion, I advocate the following. Don’t blow. Suck. I lived in Newcastle for 30 years. I don’t go much nowadays. But I was there yesterday. And at a sunny 10am, from my parked car window, I noticed a smartly dressed lady outside one of Newcastle’s best restaurants, with a leaf blower. And as I watched her, I felt sad. Because she had a problem. And she was blowing. Not sucking. Right now, we’re revamping our holiday cottages in Northumberland. It’s hard! Cleansing. Upgrading. Adding more beyond-expectation sur ..read more

Childhood lasts a lifetime. I really like this thought because it can be read, and read into, in so many ways. A reminder of our responsibility as parents – today – no matter how old our kids are. A reminder to get off our collective arse, to knock on the doors of local schools and universities, to give our time to young people. (Not that he knew, my art teacher, Mr. Rice, was my dad when I was 16). A reminder, for me at least, that it is neither unusual or wrong for some of the deepest scars incurred in childhood to still hurt. A reminder that the best parts of childhood need not be gone. So ..read more

When we’re asked, ‘What do you do?’ – I don’t think we answer that question at all. We answer this question instead: ‘What do people like you do?’ It’s because we’re nice. Helpful. We give relatable responses. And that can sound, well, boring. I updated my LinkedIn profile this week. To this: “I’m a fan of Underthinking. Underthinking is doing what your gut said today, today. I help business leaders Underthink, get unstuck, and act. Also, I think Marketing and Brand should be entertaining. Fun. Funny. Brave. Marketing that just tells you stuff – no good. Don’t do that.” In summary, my work is ..read more

For me, right now, for various reasons, Coddiwompling is essential. Coddiwompling is ‘travelling purposefully towards an as yet unknown destination’. In a certain frame of mind, I’d see this as silly. Moving forward not knowing where to. But, thinking about it, moving forward not knowing where to has taken me to the greatest places I’ve been, meeting the greatest people I know. So join me if you like. If you do, at the very least, it means you can say this: Them: “Hey; what you up to these days?” You: “All good actually. Life’s exciting! I’m Coddiwompling ..read more

Hate is good. When I started Kickboxing Fitness, I hated it. Then I started Kickboxing Drills which I hated more than the Kickboxing Fitness. But, weirdly, I’ve grown to love the challenge of Kickboxing Fitness. I need Kickboxing Fitness for Kickboxing Drills. Then I started Kickboxing Sparring which I now hate more than Kickboxing Drills. But, weirdly, I’ve grown to love the challenge of Kickboxing Drills. I need Kickboxing Drills for the Kickboxing Sparring. And all of a sudden. Just like that. I’m better at doing a thing than I used to be. Hate, it turns out, is good ..read more

Not taking risks… is risky. When I ran brand and marketing agencies I’d deliver ‘opinion’ events. One was called ‘Marketing is a Waste of Time’. The message being that without a differentiated and distinctively communicated brand, all a marketing agency can do is get their client to to outspend your client. Agencies win. Client lose. So we called it out. It’s risky having a pop at your own profession. But not taking risks… is risky. 100 people paid to come (money to charity) and – at the start – I introduced the day, and my 2 guest speakers. First, I introduced my sister, Debbie, a television ..read more

There’s a long list of problems that I cause for myself. And on that list is this. I sometimes think I have it all worked out. Not always. But sometimes. And each time I do (I am increasingly realising), doors close. I stop learning. I stop absorbing. I shrink. It’s such a danger to me. Imagining that I have it all worked out. So what happened from 11pm last night, as I sat down to watch the first episode of Baby Reindeer, was really useful for me. Even though I’m quite tired today. Because four hours later. At 3am in the morning. I’d watched all seven episodes. Watching Baby Reindeer was rea ..read more

Someone I now know quite well, wrote something inside my trousers about 20 years before I met him. I sometimes recall what he wrote, and the brand he and his wife created, when sat on the toilet. The reason I mention this, is to illustrate something important about my business and yours… If you want your business to be remembered, do something memorable.* Howies was created in 1995 by Clare and David Hieatt. I bought their jeans. And written inside the back of the waistline, upside down (I think) was, “When did you last change your underpants?” In a world of so much choice, please remember it ..read more