What Are You Promising?

I loved Ryan’s corner shop when I was a little girl. The smells of freshly delivered bread mingled with newsprint from the Evening Herald. It was a relief that Mr Ryan knew exactly what kind of ham your mother would want, without you having to explain in detail the part about making sure it was…

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Digital Empathy And The Secret To Writing Better Emails

We have a problem. One that the Internet and an ‘always on’ world has magnified. I call it ‘Iitis’. We’re all guilty of it, both online and offline. Spend some time today just listening to the exchanges that happen all around you. Conversations between friends at the café. An exchange between the bank teller and…

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Your Work Is A Gift. Talking With James Victore

Your work is a gift. Doesn’t this stop you in your tracks for a second? That’s what it did to me when I saw James’s Victore’s talk on the subject (well worth bookmarking to watch later). James runs an independent design studio in Brooklyn, he is known for his original thinking and unforgettable work. James’…

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Attention Is A Two Way Street

Do you know what’s really ironic? Businesses spend thousands of dollars, manpower, head space and creative energy trying to get the attention of potential customers, and when they get it they waste it. The question for all of us, (not just in business but also in life) is how can we expect what we’re not…

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Don’t Make Things That People Want

On a gorgeous hot summer day at the beach you might kill for a Mr Whippy ice cream cone. But no matter how much you wanted an ice cream today, even if that ice cream was the best you’ve ever tasted, you probably won’t give Mr Whippy a second thought tomorrow. Why is that? When…

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Creating Difference And Why It Matters

So, I’m sitting in a café writing my next book and thinking of you (this is a sneak peek at the cover, the subtitle isn’t even set in stone yet). I’ve found that thinking about (actually obsessing about) you, and what matters to you, is how I can make the most difference. But let me…

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The Value of Soft Data

We assume that the most valuable data is static and lives on graphs and in spreadsheets. Turning to the graphs first, last and always to get to know your customers, is like looking at a child’s development purely on a growth chart. You’re definitely not getting the whole picture. While we’ve been busy analysing the…

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Why You’re Stuck And The Perils Of Peer Gazing

There’s so much cool stuff ‘out there’. So many great ideas already being brought to market. And plenty of people who have done the things (or similar), that you want to do. The trouble is you can’t find a way to stop marveling and being just a teeny bit overawed by them. The Internet has…

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