Hi Reader This morning there was a message from my sister on the WhatsApp family group chat. “Does anyone have spare straighteners I can borrow? I left mine in Abersoch and won’t be able to get them back for 10 days.” Before I could reply, her best friend came to the rescue. My sister has a stop-gap measure. A temporary fix. When she gets hers back, she won’t have to worry about returning them to anyone. They are hers. The idea of ownership has been on my mind recently. Especially when it...
3 days ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, On Tuesday morning I was back at my old high school presenting 3 x 40 minute sessions to Year 12 students. The theme: AI + Applications: How to Stand Out THE SHORTCUT ILLUSION AI is a reality for anyone job hunting or recruiting right now. Last week, the BBC reported about a law firm, Mishcon De Reya using AI to screen early stage applications. They had over 5,000 for 35 roles in its last round of hiring, so you might be able to see why from a time perspective. They also hoped that...
9 days ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader Over the past year, I’ve been thinking a lot about “soft skills”. How you interact with people. How you make them feel. And the impact it has on life, not just business. And I’ve always found it frustrating that they’re called soft skills, because while they might not be quantifiable on a spreadsheet or end of year accounts, they are so important. They give us The Invisible Advantage in these AI times. An advantage which means so much and leaves a lasting impression. In July 2014 I...
16 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader I missed you last week - I was prepping for a panel I was hosting at Wolverhampton’s International Women’s Day (IWD) Conference and I’m deep in my website rebuild. But I’m back with something I’ve been thinking about: word of mouth. Specifically: why AI is impacting our relay-ability. THE RELAY EFFECT Last week, my client Emma Thompson, Director at Get Smart Accountants, spoke at the conference. Last November, Emma came to me saying: “I did something slightly bonkers. I applied to...
24 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader If you were going to a future-themed fancy dress party, what would you dress as?Back in my 20s, living in Bristol, this was once the theme of my birthday party. What I loved most was the interpretation of the theme: Jack came as an old man (aka his future self) Steffi and Tom came as Kate and William, the future King and Queen of England Martyn, Mary and Chad came as Fry, Leila and Zoidberg from Futurama Ellen came as a character from Avatar - still one of the best costumes I’ve...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, A year ago, I was pretty closed to AI. Not hostile. Not actively against it. Just… overwhelmed. People were asking me “are you scared AI is going to take your work?” That’s a lot to take on board. Then something shifted. I got curious. I opened up. And honestly? I’m so glad that I did. THE OPEN CIRCUIT In electrical terms, an open circuit is broken - electricity can’t flow. But in human terms, being open is how everything flows. Ideas. Possibilities. Discovery. A year ago, my...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, I missed last week. Life got busy with workshops and 1-2-1 sessions. Rather than rush something out, I paused. But I’m back this week with something I’ve been thinking about since a fire-making event last year. THE FIRE STARTER I spent one crisp Thursday in November learning to make fire from scratch. Not with a lighter. Not with matches. With flint, steel, and a lot of patience. I was under the expert guidance of Tiny Mountain’s Simon Withington and Spirited Adventure's James Heir...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, When this email is sent, I’ll be closing January’s Netwalk and Talk. It’s the 19th event since it started in April 2024. I can’t quite believe it. Add that to the networking events I organised at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, the online events during pandemic times, special events like the Cellar Dining Experience and the Wolverhampton BID Excellence Awards… Plus the countless events I’ve attended as a guest… too many to mention. And there’s a question that always makes me smile...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader I’ve been to some events recently and I’m sure a couple of speakers have gone to ChatGPT the day before and asked them to write them a script. Then they read it out loud. If you've done this yourself, I'm not shaming you. When time is tight, AI can seem like the magic bullet - something polished in seconds. But it misses the core ingredient: you. Yesterday, I was delivering a workshop for the Black Country Chamber of Commerce team and we were speaking about AI. They were recently...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Happy New Year Reader! Here’s to a fantastic 2026. On Monday I had my annual New Year’s breakfast with Kaye Heseltine. This is the third time, so it’s officially a tradition. Kaye is a really talented designer and business owner - she designed my branding - and always interesting to talk to. Much of the chat was about, you guessed it, AI and its impact on our work and how we’re using it. These are some of my favourite conversations right now. Sharing ideas and tips on how to use AI tools, and...
3 months ago • 3 min read