Most of you know I live on a boat. I think to some people that sounds totally romantic, with visions of martinis on the back deck, simple earthenware pottery serving up hearty fish dishes, sunsets and the sound of seagulls. Hmm actually CAW CAW CAW CAW is not a romantic sound, believe me, but you get my drift.
Well it is romantic - in that it is a simple, straightforward sort of a life. Not a whole lot of frills or fancy stuff and its hard work, but I guess that's sort of romantic too. I thought I'd share a couple of photos so you can see how UN-romantic my living accommodation currently is. And has been for 18 months...
That's pretty much my entire living area, except for the 'sanity shed' that we built before winter, housing the whiteware (OK so I have a few frills) and which also protects us from the howling southerly when we go out to the shower (yes. go OUT to the shower).
It is, of course, being transformed into a gin palace of monstrous proportions over the next couple of years, at which point I won't be able to blog about how clever I am living so simply and sustainably because it will be larger than many people's apartments. In the meantime though, I love it, am proud of it, and quite pleased to be able to add 'resilient, resourceful and tenacious' to my CV with plenty of stories to back those claims up.
The best bit - martinis on the back deck :-) Oh, and no lawns to mow...
I've received a flurry of invites to LinkedIn recently. Which is nice. However, despite a reputation (publicly stated) for connecting, I have only ever received TWO requests for a connection from people within my LinkedIn network. I think most people are using it to manage their contacts rather than as the powerful networking and interactivity tool it can be.
I'm not the first to suggest better ways of actually USING Linked In (try these from Linked Intelligence) but this is how I do it and it works:
1) Prospecting? Need a connection in a company so it's not a cold call? Search for people within that company then use your network to reach them. Ask your first connection for a referral, who'll ask their network etc until it reaches your target. A warm intro to a prospect is way better than going through switchboard.
2) Track Start Ups and watch for venture opportunities: Do an advanced search for a range of keywords like 'start up' or 'stealth'. Even better if you use the 'Sort by degrees away from you' to see those connected to your nearest/dearest.
3) Check the health of an industry you're considering investing in: Search on competititors of the venture you're assessing. Perform an advanced search for a company name and uncheck the 'current companies only' box - previous employees give more honest references about the business. The results you get from this search also give you an insight into turnover within that company, useful if that's your target opportunity.
4) Create an online resume: OK seems obvious but LinkedIn is not just a place to store contact details. It's a self promotion tool. So get those references in there, upload presentations of your business venture, put a photo up (yes photos are good, they make you real) and make sure your LinkedIn presence does you proud. Headhunters use it all the time to check out prospects.
It's important to update your profile for obvious reasons (same as a blog really, an abandoned profile is distressing for readers and makes them unlikely to connect with you) but one less obvious is the google page ranking benefit - more updates, higher ranking in search results. Because we all google each other. Well, I do!
Our new office looks out towards The Terrace and a house that nearly slipped down the hill earlier in the year. It's being shored up right now and there's a team of builders putting up scaffolding to hold the cliff back.
Frances and I have been watching their efforts. And thanking our parents for an amazing education, and our friends for continuing to drive us. Because being out in a southerly humping concrete, trying to hold back nature, is a job I'm SO GLAD I don't do. Here's some others:
There's a theme here: I'm not so great outdoors, doing repetitive work, with no people. Phew. I am in the right job. Are you?
I've just got back to my desk from visiting OfficeMax, and had to have a long sit down and take deep breaths... Last week, we moved offices and after a week of not being able to print, got a geek to help us sort the printer (there's that 'call in the experts thing again, really should take my own advice more often!). Unfortunately he sorted it within 10 mins but we couldn't print as there was no ink. *Doh*. So I toddled down to OfficeMax, ordered a cartridge and it turned up two days later. Not bad I thought. It was the wrong one. So I rang them.
"Sure we can help, what's your customer number?"
"I don't know. I have an order number?"
"No, we need a customer number."
"What for?"
"So we can track the purchase."
"Well, I don't have one. Can you track it from the order number?"
"Maybe." "No that's not showing in the system. Do you have an invoice number?"
"No, there's no invoice in the box and I paid cash."
"There should be an invoice in the box."
"Well, there isn't."
"Well, there should be"
And so on and so on. Eventually I just asked for the thing to be picked up and I would go to the shop to credit my bank account sometime soon. Nope, couldn't happen. I would have to pay a courier to have it collected. So I get the darn thing to the shop finally, and we go through the whole "You haven't got a customer number, we really need one, where's your customer number" for about twenty minutes until finally I got my money back.
I watched the woman faff about with her online stock control system, tutting and sighing and worrying and checking with her manager for ages. It pretty much cost me more to return the thing than to buy it.
Customers want service, not systems. Deal with the customer, then make your systems work later.
Got my ink from ComputerLink in Petone (cheaper and smilier and you don't need a customer number!)
This time last week I was on Waiheke for the Angel Association first annual (!) summit for angel investors and the angel investing industry. Highlights for me were sitting between Tom McAskill and Steven Tindall, the discussion led by Phil McCaw on creating value and of course, the networking.
The discussion on creating value focused on the concern many new ventures have in New Zealand - finding a CEO of the right calibre to lead the company. It seems we're not short of capital, not short of innovation, but we're short of great leaders and commercial managers to drive growth in businesses.
The angels discussed how to 'tame' the inventor without losing their passion - recognising that the venture wouldn't have got so far without that passion, but that the inventor is probably not the person to take the invested company to the next level. The general agreement was to try and deal with the human issues, in up front conversations, before the capital is committed. With a realisation that it's easy to be rational outside the deal negotiation, but harder once you're in it!
So if you're raising money, take a look at the team. Are you the right person to lead the business once the money's in the bank? Can you step aside, find a different role for yourself? Do you know someone who'd be an ideal CEO? Given the conversation I participated in, you can expect to be asked the hard questions about leadership, but also expect respect for your achievement, and an understanding of the transition you're going through.
We've kept track of the business connections made at our party last week. So far, at least 6 people there have had follow up discussions with people they met, about new business opportunities.
The best news was that not only was there overt networking going on, there was some stealthy stuff happening too. Check this out:
Tarik Mallett was contacted the morning after by someone that
attended and was introduced to him and his services by another attendee
in his absence....!!!
How's that for the network effect.
And it's a reason why networking is not just about who you meet, but who they know. Don't think that just because it's hard to find common ground with the person you happen to be talking with, you should write them off as a network connection. Who knows who they know?
Frances and I threw a networking party last night. It was great fun and achieved what we set out to do: thank everyone who's made this first year in business so great, and give everyone we have the privelege of knowing, the chance to know each other. As it was my first party, the experience has given me some fresh insights into networking (in the same way that running your own business makes you better qualified to advise others wink wink).
Thanks to everyone who obeyed these rules and had fun with us.
1) Always respond to an RSVP It was SO annoying, when Roz had spent so long creating a beautiful invite, to find that people couldn't be bothered even saying no. It doesn't matter if you say no, it matters if you ignore the gesture of being invited. (Caveat on this: our invite was so fabulous it did get stuck in some people's spam filters..! so you lot are excused)
1a) If you didn't respond to an RSVP don't just bowl up There won't be enough food and drink and if its a seated affair you'll stuff it all up. The height of rudeness I reckon, to not acknowledge an RSVP and then bowl up on the night. It smacks of 'I didn't want to come and was holding out for better offers but none came so you'll do'. Well you won't do.
2) If you can't make it, tell your host We spent a fortune in Moore Wilsons and luckily our party went until midnight so it was all eaten. Would have been annoying otherwise. An apology, no matter how late, is better than not turning up
2a) If you don't apologise before, apologise after The next day is fine. Otherwise you're a no show and you ain't getting another invite.
3) Say thanks Ohmygosh it was so wonderful to get all the thank yous today. We were really touched. It's not hard to fire a quick email with 'thanks for putting on the event' - you don't have to say you enjoyed it, if you didn't, just acknowledge the effort and aspirations of your host.
Lots of other comments on the goings on at the event, will cover them separately!
I am now completely sold on the idea of calling in the experts. When you run your own business its so tempting to JFDIY (just, well, do it yourself) because it saves money. Well, maybe, but it certainly doesn't save you time if you're bashing away at a website that would take someone else three hours to create. Time is money, and its more valuable.
That argument has been had and won before. BUT there's one more layer to add, now. And that is, calling in the experts exposes you to a level of skill that you just don't have, that can take your business somewhere you hadn't dreamed of. That's why they're called experts, stoopid.
Example - I'm moving offices, and moving in with Frances to a cool new pad on Boulcott Street. Hurrah! I had a vision of some nice matching furniture and a couple of pot plants and, well, simply our own space. This is what we're renting:
And this is what Roz Paterson has designed for us:
See I love it so much its my desktop background! Aren't we lucky! And aren't you looking forward to the office warming....
Baxi launches this month..brainchild of the mad and fabulous Vicky Ha you'll now be able to hail a baxi and be biked across town to your next destination. Human powered pedicabs, how much greener can you get?! And no competition for the taxis - I mean, someone still has to take people up Boulcott Street and Mount Vic.
Each Baxi® can take two grown ups in comfort and considerable style. And you get to choose what you pay - there will be no set tariff. Passengers will be able to negotiate their fare with their Baxi® pilot, or to decide at journey’s end what the trip was worth.
This fantastic new start up is launching at Southern Cross on Tuesday 21st, from 5:30pm. Great media opportunity (the bikes will be there) and if you're keen on becoming a pilot (yeah thighs of steel!) or want to advertise on the baxis, contact Vicky. haha@baxi.co.nz
My partner returned on Sunday after a weekend away with the boys. Not any old weekend away though, this was a New Warrior Training Adventure and man, it's pretty cool living with a New Warrior! I am amazed at how much it's affected him, in a positive, glowing, shiny eyed, uplifted, energised, connected, authentic, fantastic way! He hasn't told me much about it, they're not supposed to - and I get that as words take away the magic - but from the little I've gleaned, its affected him profoundly.
The adventure is run by the Mankind Project, which is a not for profit community of men from all backgrounds that support each other to live fulfilling lives. Like I say, when you try to put it in words it sounds a bit simple, wierd almost. What's wierd though about connecting with other men, finding great mates, getting outside your comfort zone and sorting our your mission in life. I mean, wouldn't you want to get all that sorted in one weekend!
Before he went, we tried to research the weekend more, and discovered what we should have known already - that you find what you're looking for on the internet - so found stuff that made him nervous about going. Turns out it was all crap, and that it's the kind of experience you can only appreciate by doing, not by reading.
Interestingly at the graduation last night, there were lots of women there who said that it was through them that their men got to know about MKP. It doesn't seem to come so well from a bloke to another bloke ('hey, what you saying, there's something wrong with me?!") so here's a call to action, ladies, have a read through the website - talk with me - and let's get more New Warriors out there in the world.
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