Mantra Marketing Magazine Issue #013
Covid-19: Adapting the Business We discuss our approach to adapting the business during the Covid-19 pandemic
09 Direct Sales: Career or Stop-Gap? We caught up with Rich Snowden to discuss career opportunities and his journey to becoming an entrepreneur
19
Recruitment and Social Media
Adapt to Accelerate #013
We discuss upskilling existing staff, moving recruitment online and social media as a coaching tool
29
Mind Your Mind Feeling more connected to your colleagues and friends, and looking after your health during these challenging times
49
CATEGORY OUR CONTRIBUTORS
Our contributors Francis Colam Chief Editor
Fran is Chief Operations Officer for Mantra Marketing working with people and companies to help the business become more efficient and profitable.
Alex Rae
Art Director / Designer Alex is the Managing Director of Bristol based film production company Falcon Productions.
Rose Lucas Editor / Author
Rose studied at the University of Bristol where she obtained a BA in English Literature, before moving to London to study at Identity School of Acting and continue her work as a writer/ editor.
Nic Kane Photographer
Nic is a Bristol-based photographer specialising in the commercial, events and fitness sectors.
001
CATEGORY INDEX
In this issue Welcome 003 Do It Together
007
Adapting the Business During Covid
009
Is DIrect Sales a Career or Stop Gap
019
Recruitment and Social Media
029
RedSeven Back to School
035
Travelling in a Post Pandemic World
039
Adapting in the Face of Adversity
047
Mind Your Mind
049
Celebrating 7 Years
053
18 Months On
055
Books & Podcasts
059
Glastonbury Festival of Performing Arts Mantra Weekender 2018
061 063
Events 078 Office List
080
002
CATEGORY EDITOR'S LET TER
Welcome
TO ISSUE #013 2020 EDITION
Hello out there! (We shout from our respective windows) We hope you are well and have managed to get through what has been an incredibly challenging time with some sense of perspective and wellbeing.
During times like these, our work really does
come back around, but the learning and the self-
become our life. Back in March when we went into
development that we have invested in is invaluable.
lockdown, faced with the unfathomable concept
We have condensed 12 months of education in a 12
of a global pandemic, we began to focus on the
week period; the fact that our entire organisation
connections we have to the people in our lives - be
has spent this quarter learning together stands us
these colleagues, family and friends, housemates
in incredible stead for the next quarter, not only in
or neighbours - and the contact that we had with
terms of skill set, but also mindset.
these people essentially became our world. The last quarter has been a true test of character and
The training programme ensured that our team
we are incredibly proud of the way that everybody
remained in touch with one another every single
in our organisation has come together and pulled
day, giving them a focus and a feeling of being part
through in the face of adversity. An Entrepreneur,
of something. Our guys have been working from
by definition, is someone who is not afraid to take
home via Zoom and over the phone which despite
risks. Someone who sees opportunity where others
presenting its challenges has ultimately been a
see obstacles. Someone who is resilient, eternally
shining example of their ability to adapt.
optimistic and ready to come at whatever life throws at them with creativity and passion. Whilst
The energy, commitment, support and drive has
no-one could have prepared for a global pandemic,
been phenomenal, so much so that even their
our inherent qualities as Entrepreneurs have pulled
housemates have been blown away by the sense
us through this period of uncertainty with great
of team spirit. The fact that we’ve managed to stay
gusto, and we are now - as an organisation - more
connected and grow together as a team despite
prepared than ever for what the future holds.
the geographical separation is testament to the core values of the business. It has reaffirmed our
Looking back to the beginning of 2020, things had
belief that we truly are building something special
never looked better for the company. By March, we
here, something that extends beyond the sales
had essentially gone from operating at 100mph to
themselves and becomes more of an attitude for
a stand-still in terms of the theoretical business
life.
activity. We had to deal with the repercussions of
2020 Five countries - fifty cities five years
the industry grinding to a halt and that, of course,
Not only have we grown in terms of our skills, but
had an impact on everyone who works with us.
we have also managed to recruit during this period.
However, although we haven’t spent this last
This means that we will be in a fantastic position to
quarter ‘working’ in the traditional sense - selling
expand the business once the restrictions lift and
face-to-face in the field - we have spent a huge
can’t wait to welcome new faces on board. We’ve
amount of time working on ourselves and our
expanded into a new territory and moved over
organization; upskilling and developing strategies
into Energy Sales, which, prior to this, we wouldn’t
for the future, moving parts of the business online
have had the opportunity to do. It’s broadened
and reformatting the recruitment process. In many
our business perspective and we now have an
ways it really brought the team together and
additional strand to the organisation which we are
although the sales themselves were paused, the
really excited about. That isn’t to say that our work
real ‘work’ was only just beginning.
in the Charity Sector won’t ever come back, but instead of sitting there and doing nothing whilst we
003
In terms of education, development and therefore
wait for them to return (not knowing for sure when
potential, we are in a much better position than
that will be), we saw an opportunity to establish
we were before we went into lockdown. Money will
continued --->
CATEGORY EDITOR'S LET TER
004
05
CATEGORY EDITOR'S LET TER
'We’re always looking at how to improve, how other businesses are working, and for the next generation of talent. '
new connections with other companies. We are now working with a company called ‘Don’t Waste Money’, switching people from their energy providers to save them money. The insight it has given us into the Energy market has been mindblowing - in an article from the Independent, Ben Chapman writes, ‘new research shows that consumers have handed an extra £18.7 billion to gas and electricity suppliers than if they had regularly switched to the best deals’. We’re really excited about the direction in which we’re moving with this new client. As restrictions ease, we have gradually started returning to the field, finding ways to work whilst adhering to social distancing regulations. It’s important that our customers feel comfortable with us engaging with them on the doorstep and we want to make sure that everybody - both clients and members of our team - feel comfortable in the work that they are doing. The way in which we run the organization has
changed
forever.
The
adaptations
we have made to our sales process have actually helped to streamline the business and as a result we are operating at a higher level of competency. We will be doing a lot more coaching and training over Zoom from this point onwards as well as continuing some of the phases of recruitment online. We have become more efficient and therefore more profitable as a business, and therefore have opened up further opportunities for expansion in the future. We’re in a really good place right now. If anything, this has been a test of Entrepreneurship, and we’ve emerged stronger than ever. Our goal is to continue expanding and there will be lots more opportunities opening up within the company over the next few months.
Whether
you've
been
working
towards a career in Direct Sales, or have stepped out of lockdown with no idea of which direction to move in, get in touch. We are here to support you, to give you a step
' Take care and we can’t wait to celebrate some of our achievements
up into a career that affords you a fantastic quality of life and the autonomy to do with it what you please; it really is down to you.
with you in person! ’ James Buckley CEO Mantra Marketing Group
006
07
08
CATEGORY STR ATEGY
ADAPTING the BUSINESS
DuringCovid-19
‘We’re incredibly proud of the way in which the organisation has responded to these difficult times. Like everyone else in the world, we had no idea of the scale or extent to which the pandemic would impact our lives, but we took it in our stride, moved everything online and continued to work as best as we could’ - JAMES BUCKLEY -
STAY SAFE
T
009
his last quarter has
PULLING TOGETHER:
thrown our industry
I caught up with Mark Widnell from Enigma, Phil Reid
into (yes, I think you
from The Promotions Company and Rob Cotterell
know what’s coming..)
from RedSeven to discuss how they have managed
‘unprecedented’ terri-
to adapt their respective organisations in response
tory. The ramifications
to covid-19. Mark shared that, ‘For us it’s been pretty
of a global pandemic
full on. When these things happen, you can either
are almost unfathom-
sit back on your laurels, feel sorry for yourself and
able and it can be dif-
wait for everything to blow over, or you can pull to-
ficult to focus on ‘the week ahead’, let alone ‘the
gether and look at the ways in which you can adapt,
future’ when faced with such a vast scale of eco-
grow and alter the business in response to what’s
nomical and social disruption; however, whilst anxi-
been happening in the world. We’ve really made the
ety levels can be high and finances unstable, it is
best of the situation and I’m incredibly proud of my
important to stick together. Forging strong connec-
team’. It’s as much about attitude as it is about any-
tions and enhancing the support network has nev-
thing else, and so one of the first things Mark did
er been more important as we work to sustain a pro-
was to ensure that his team felt as if they were still
ductive level of motivation and keep our business
part of a collective despite their respective isola-
moving. Positivity and team-building have always
tion - ‘The first 4-6 weeks was all about bringing the
been at the heart of our company and whilst these
community together. We’re used to working in quite
are incredibly testing times, our sense of ensemble
a disparate fashion, so it was important to establish
and ability to think outside the box stand us in good
a sense of togetherness from the get go, to main-
stead for coping with the chaos. It’s about adapt-
tain a connection with everybody across the com-
ing; finding alternative methods of approaching the
pany’. Once they had established a sense of unity
workload that came before, whilst simultaneously
as a company, it was time to step into the virtual
implementing new strategies for the future. Now,
office space, hosted by...yes you’ve guessed it...Zoo
more than ever, is the time to connect with your in-
m.
ner Entrepreneur. Take a breath, fill your ‘glass half full’ and step out into the unknown.
continued --->
'You can pull together and look at the ways in which you can adapt, grow and alter the business in response to what’s been happening in the world. We’ve really made the best of the situation and I’m incredibly proud of my team’.
011
CATEGORY STR ATEGY
'It’s about offering a helping hand, but more importantly, we want to help people find their own identity and discover what they stand for themselves.'
MOVING THE BUSINESS ONLINE: GEN-
Industry. Instead of wasting time waiting
ERATION ZOOM: For those who have been
for their clients to return, the team decided
living under a rock for the last 3 months (no
to plough headfirst into a comprehensive
judgement passed), Zoom is a ‘modern enter-
online training programme. They essentially
prise for video communications, with an easy,
went ‘back to school’, launching into an
reliable cloud platform for video and audio
upskilling of the entire organisation. Phil
conferencing, chat, and webinars’ (https://
Reid from Promotions Co. was one of the
zoom.us). Over the last couple of months,
main brains behind establishing the online
the platform’s average number of daily meet-
coaching programme and describes how ‘it
ing participants rocketed to over 300million
has enabled them to continue growing the
+ worldwide, with businesses, families and
business’. The programme consisted of 4 or
friends using it to stay in contact during lock-
5 half hour sessions each day led by various
down. Because of the way it is formatted,
members of the company - both in the UK
Zoom allows for up to 500 participants (with
and internationally - over the course of 7
the ‘large meeting add-on), and is therefore a
weeks. Sometimes they had Owners running
fantastic means of holding large-scale video
these sessions, and sometimes they had
conferences as well as more intimate training
brand new members of the team, depending
sessions.
on what people’s strengths were. This meant that everyone had an opportunity not only
Mark tells me that - as a result of moving
to develop their skills, but to develop their
things online - they’ve ‘been able to bring
sense of Entrepreneurship and confidence
everyone together in a way that perhaps
through taking the reins and teaching others.
we wouldn’t have done before; meetings
Phil elaborates on how each day panned out:
have been more frequent and we have been able to get more people in each meeting
‘We had a ‘huddle call’ every morning at
as a result of it being held online, so in
8am during lockdown to plan each day
many ways this has helped us to establish
and maintain a sense of structure. We had
a stronger sense of community’. You’re
separate calls for each team and this meant
engaging with people that you might not
that we were able to be really time-effective,
have had the chance to meet with in person
even more so than before lockdown. Before
before which means you can start putting
we moved everything online, if I wanted to
names to faces and establishing a more
teach somebody how to run an appointment,
coherent understanding of the scale of the
I
business. Because everyone is in the same
presentation and a whole array of other in-
boat, worldwide, they have been able to
person sessions that would have spanned
schedule meetings with Brand Ambassadors
the course of a month or so; whereas now,
and other Owners across the globe, as
we’ve managed to get through the same
opposed to having to base their in-person
level of up-skilling in a quarter of that time
meetings around specific physical locations.
which is phenomenal. The guys have had
Not only did this enable them to continue
nothing to do except learn which is a pretty
educating their guys, but it also meant
unique position to be in, so we really made
that the guys were able to develop a more
the most of that.’
would
have
planned
an
open-day
comprehensive understanding of the scale of the organisation. There’s something about
For the first 3 weeks, the team focussed
the tangibility of seeing everybody’s face
simply on up-skilling and training with a new
on the screen that shifts your perspective
topic every single day. From Week 4 onwards,
slightly.
they started interviewing new people, holding online open days and recruitment sessions
ONLINE TRAINING PROGRAMME:
via Zoom. Once they’d recruited everyone,
Once they had established a sense of
they used the remaining 3 weeks to train
unity across the business, they could then
the new members of the team and bring
begin to focus on structuring the next
them up to ‘working level’. The first week and
few weeks of ‘work’. The first thing to do
a half they were coached, and the second
was to establish a ‘work schedule’ that
week and a half they actually coached that
didn’t involve fieldwork; face-to-face sales
information back to the people that had
simply weren’t possible due to the covid
trained them. This allowed for the integration
restrictions and both the Charity and Events
of the new skills and an opportunity for them
sectors in which the companies worked had
to put into practise everything that they had
been forced to take a step back from the
learned.
continued --->
012
CATEGORY STR ATEGY
MOVING ONLINE
REMOTE methods of RECRUITMENT The
next
phase
first load of recruits, and so have paused on
was
bringing more people in for the time being to
recruitment. Rather than halting the process
focus on developing the initial intake. Mark
entirely due to the restrictions, the interview
explains that, ‘in this way, we will have a solid
process was started via video-chat. Rob
development strategy in place and we will be
explains how ‘it’s actually a brilliant time for
able to grow the business more successfully’.
recruitment right now. Whilst the traditional
It’s important that all areas of the business
methods of bringing people into the office
are developing at a similar pace, in order to
aren’t available, we’ve been successfully
expand the organisation in a sustainable and
managing
effective manner.
to
our
an
transposing
The teams have just finished training the the
organisation
of
online
recruitment
format
process
over
Zoom which has been incredibly productive in many ways’. Not only has it meant that
WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED
they are able to interview more people due
WORKING VIA ZOOM?
to it being more time-effective, but there
been invaluable in providing a virtual ‘space’
is also a wider pool of talented individuals
in which the company could operate, it’s not
looking for employment. As a result of other
without its challenges. After all, our indus-
businesses having to lay people off because
try is essentially based around person-to-
of the pandemic, the recruitment market is
person communication, so it took some time
full of fantastic people that are now seeking
to get used to the etiquette of interacting
alternative careers.
with each other online (not to mention the
Whilst Zoom has
40-minute timeout which sometimes cut Mark describes how moving the business
the meetings short without warning!). Rob
online has ‘made lots of people realise that
was quick to establish a simple set of ‘Zoom
they can change the way they work. I’ve now
rules’, such as ‘everyone putting their video
got twice the number of people working for
on mute when they joined’ and ‘ensuring that
me than before lockdown began, which is
people were appropriately dressed for work’
quite something. Because the recruitment
etc. which sounds basic, but these are things
process started online almost 6 weeks ago,
that are easy to let slip when you’re working
we’ve been gradually building up a team of
from home! Despite the obvious hindrances,
people that we’ve never met in person which
Mark describes how ‘working on Zoom has
is bizarre. In a way it makes you re-evaluate
been a chance for us to pick out those indi-
the necessity of a physical office space’.
viduals who have shown true Entrepreneurial spirit’. They were running the training sessions every single day, so it was easy to decipher who was putting in the most effort and who continually attended every session. Small things such as who switched their video on and things like that really made a difference; being able to see your peers has a huge impact on your productivity. He goes on to describe how, ‘Because people are at home and not having to physically come into these meetings, it’s a lot easier to simply not log on and take a step back without feeling the immediate repercussions of that; it really comes down to personal levels of motivation and that’s a big part of what it means to be an Entrepreneur. It’s certainly given me an idea of who I am going to put my time and energy into working with when things are up and running again at full capacity’. NEW CLIENTS After
they
had
completed
their
online
coaching programme and come to terms
013
CATEGORY STR ATEGY
'it’s a lot easier to simply not log on and take a step back without feeling the immediate repercussions of that; it really comes down to personal levels of motivation and that’s a big part of what it means to be an Entrepreneur'.
with the prospect of their Charity and Events partners perhaps not returning to the field for some time, they decided it was time to branch out and explore a new avenue of sales. They started engaging with two Energy Comparison Companies called ‘Don’t Waste Money’ and ‘Love Energy Saving’, who essentially try to save people money by switching them over to a new energy provider. Each
Owner
implemented
a
structured
training programme based around the new product whilst swiftly moving into telesales so as to be able to complete their work remotely. Mark explains that ‘the guys who are on the tele-sales side of things actually go through a training programme with the client over Zoom. They have to go through a series of tests before they can get on board. We have a similar process with the Domestic Energy client where our guys get sent four videos with questions at the end of each video. They have to answer those questions and submit a DBS check and then I complete the training process with a day’s coaching in Sales in the office. The final part of the training is in person, but obviously with all the social distancing rules in place, and then
perhaps we could offer a ‘Charity Package’
the guys are ready to go out into the Field.
where a business can buy into not just one
It’s quite a varied and rigorous process, but
charity, but three or four that best match the
that’s simply what these times demand’.
ethos of their business.’
When times are hard, the true Spirit of the Entrepreneur shines through. We’ve been testing our levels of Entrepreneurship to the extreme, and it’s simply been a case of seeing what’s out there and where we can take the business during this time. Kev and his team went to companies such as Costa, Starbucks and Nando’s etc. and said, ‘look, you’re going
The pandemic has made lots of people realise that they can change the way
to want to boost your sales as quickly as
they work. I’ve now got twice the number of people working for me than before
possible once we’re out of lockdown, can we collaborate on some 3-4-2 offers?’ for
lockdown began, which is quite something. Because the recruitment process
example. He elaborates upon his strategy of
started online almost 6 weeks ago, we’ve been gradually building up a team of
how to best adapt the business: ‘I had a list
people that we’ve never met in person which is bizarre.
of 20 ideas or so and we just worked through those and adapted our way of working as best we could during this time. I spoke to Mike
- MARK WIDNELL -
Blain and said you know, charities are going to need to get money quickly. They’ve been hit hard by the pandemic simply because people aren’t in a position to be able to donate or to support in the same way as before. The economy is suffering and it has a knock on effect. I suggested to him that
014
CATEGORY STR ATEGY
‘those that are working ‘face-to-face’ come in each morning for ‘Impact Training’, so ways in which we can successfully engage with members of the public despite the limitations of wearing PPE and having to be 2 metres apart’.
DEVELOPMENT OF NEW SKILLS
interacting with the public explaining how
In order to successfully transition into the
‘those that are working ‘face-to-face’ come
Energy market, the teams had to adapt
in each morning for ‘Impact Training’, so ways
their skills accordingly. Mark shares how,
in which we can successfully engage with
‘We’re used to doing a lot of the relationship
members of the public despite the limitations
building with the Charities so upfront when
of wearing PPE and having to be 2 metres
you first speak to them. With energy sales
apart’.
it’s a little different. We’re essentially saving them money by reducing their energy bill so
In terms of the technical aspect of completing
you don’t have to do as much relationship
door-to-door sales, Rob explains that ‘they
building beforehand!’. 65% of people are
have a system in place now where they
currently paying too much for their energy
complete the majority of the sale on the iPad
bill, so it’s a relatively simple conversation
and then any sensitive information given
that’s had on the doorstep or over the phone.
by the customer is done over the phone
‘You still make an effort to get to know your
with the call centre. We’ve adapted not just
customers, but you do it towards the end of
in terms of our personal approach, but also
the sale when you’re working for the Energy
in terms of the physical selling process in
Client as opposed to spending the initial 10
order to continue the work professionally and
minutes establishing a good relationship
responsibly. A lot of companies looked at the
with whoever you’re selling to’. Rob describes
situation and thought, ‘we simply cannot sell,
how ‘working in the Energy field with this new
we cannot do the work’; whereas, we came
client has actually been really brilliant for the
together and found new ways in which to
guys in terms of their skills-development. It’s
move forward’. The main thing, really, has
simply more difficult to get people to sign up
been treating each sale with subjectivity and
for this as opposed to fundraising, so whilst
sensitivity. Rob describes how, ‘the first day I
it’s been challenging, it’s only made for a more
went out, I was very apprehensive and I really
resilient and talented workforce’. When the
had no idea how people were going to react.
fundraising does come back into business,
Some people were understandably cautious
the team will be in an even better position
and very keen to social distance, and others
to move forward in that sector, ‘because
were just thrilled to see someone! A lot of
the guys will be better sales-people. We’re
people just want to have a conversation and
covering all bases and growing in all sorts
the fact that we could then offer to save
of ways as we move through this uncertain
them money during a period of time where
period’.
everyone is experiencing financial instability, was a bonus. Of course we had customers
015
As things are beginning to lift slightly in
that weren’t willing to engage, but the
terms of lockdown restrictions, the teams
majority of people were very willing to engage
have been able to start working together
and we were able to save them up to £500 a
in person a little more. Promotions Co. have
year on their utilities which was a lovely thing
got two floors in the office building, so they
to be able to offer considering the economy
have been able to socially distance the
as it stands right now’. As we move out of
space and have 5 guys upstairs, 5 guys
this period of lockdown, it is important to
downstairs, all working 2 metres apart. They
remember that everyone will be responding
have 3 guys working from home and another
differently to the idea of being out in public
division of the office working face-to-face
again, so the guys have made a concerted
in PPE. Phil has ensured that everybody
effort to ensure that their customers feel not
feels comfortable going back to this level of
only at ease, but safe.
We are planning for the future and maintaining a positive attitude, focussing on the new opportunities that have arisen as opposed to what we may have lost.
CATEGORY STR ATEGY
LOOKING FORWARDS - EXPANSION
Zoom and learn that way, whereas that could
In terms of the trajectory of the business
never have happened in person. Normally,
looking out over the rest of the year, each
to build an organisation in our industry, you
office still has the same goals in place as
spend a lot of time travelling, which of course
before, they have simply shifted them back
has its benefits, but ultimately wastes a lot
by a quarter. Phil explains that they ‘are still
of time’.
working towards the same high standard of sales and it’s been important not to
All in all, adapting the business during the
lower our expectations of ourselves despite
pandemic has been a blessing in disguise.
the uncertain climate under which we are
We’ve made it work, we’ve adapted as best
operating’. Each organisation is planning
we could and we’re now in a fantastic position
for the future, with the potential caveat
moving forward. Rob tells me that ‘the thing
of another lockdown after the summer.
I’m most proud of is the way that the guys
Mark explains how ‘that’s a worry for many
have responded to all this. No-one sat there
reasons, and is partly why I decided to move
whinging and moaning and feeling sorry for
us into telesales. I can’t see them shutting
themselves. Everyone threw themselves into
down the economy again because it would
this new territory with absolute commitment
just have a devastating impact on everybody,
and enthusiasm, taking notes, educating
so I am confident that if we have another
themselves and each other, and generally
lockdown, my team will be able to continue
coming at it with a positive attitude. They
the work over the phone. We don’t know how
were all really keen to learn new skills and to
long we will be living with this virus, so until
improve their technique which I think made us
they find a vaccine, we have to adapt, plan
all realize that we are surrounded by a team
ahead and make sure we have strategies
of incredible, like-minded, positive individuals.
in place to be able to continue the work
I’m sure that a lot of people will have
regardless of restrictions in terms of travel
responded to this in a very different way and
and communication’.
it’s not always the case that you can take things in your stride with such adaptability
Despite having to adapt many aspects of
and energy, but I’m really really proud of my
the organisation, The Energy campaign has
guys and the way in which we’ve handled
opened up lots of new opportunities all over
this, together’. Here’s to a future where we
the country. Mark and Enigma Promotions
learn from experience. It’s not always the
have plans to open two new offices, one
case that we must return to where we left off,
in Exeter and one in Plymouth. Essentially,
but rather move forwards with knowledge,
they will be splitting the business in two
awareness and a new found perspective.
and moving into a variety of new divisions: Telesales,
Business-to-Business
Energy,
Domestic Energy, Charity Lotteries. It’s a really exciting time and has shaken things up in such a way that it has forced them to explore new ways of working: ‘We are planning for the future and maintaining a positive attitude, focussing on the new opportunities that have arisen as opposed to what we may have lost. In that sense, we are in a good place, and the teams are closer than ever’. Decisions that were initially made
' Everyone threw themselves into this new territory with absolute
out of necessity have actually proven to be
commitment and enthusiasm, taking
extremely productive for the organisation
notes, educating themselves and
as a whole. Things like recruiting online for
each other, and generally coming at it
example, the offices will continue to do in the future; not only does it save them time, but it
with a positive attitude.'
broadens the recruitment pool to other cities. Rob can now ‘recruit in say, Cardiff, and build an office without actually having to be there in person. It also means that my guys can watch me do a recruitment appointment on
018
IS DIRECT SALES A CAREER OR STOP-GAP MY JOURNEY TO BECOMING AN ENTREPRENEUR
w/ Rich-Snowden
‘Where other people might see challenges, I see opportunities ’
CATEGORY DEVELOPMENT
'The qualities that emerge out of taking on the responsibility of representing your company are professionalism, delivering extremely high levels of customer service and the ability to engage with people on a human level'.
O
individuals.
Some
team
here is
‘something to fill a gap and to keep me busy’.
at
made
It didn’t take long for him to change his attitude
up of an
towards the industry. He quickly realised that
incredibly
it didn’t have to exist either as either a means
b r o a d
to an end or a ‘stop-gap - it could be both. All
range
too often we are pushed into making binary
of
decisions based on nothing but impulse or ‘word on the grapevine’; however, there is been
merit in leaving your options open for a while.
working in this industry for decades, some
Rather than deciding on a career forever and
left University early to pursue this career
finding yourself stuck in a rut, why not simply
and others never imagined that this was
commit to working hard in the moment and
where they would end up. However, they
see where you end up. Rich saw his initial
all have one thing in common: an absolute
role in the industry as both an opportunity
commitment to their work regardless of any
to develop skills in an area he wasn’t used to,
preconceptions they might have once had in
and, if he decided to pursue it in the long run,
terms of themselves or their career.
it could be a fantastic career opportunity:
Rich
Snowden
is
of
ur
them
now
an
have
established
‘I was young, you know, I was 20 years old so
Entrepreneurial figure in the Direct Sales
I hadn’t ever really given much thought to my
Industry, having worked in the sector for 13
future at all, let alone my career! My priorities
years; however, looking back over his initial
at the time were very different to where they
foray into this line of work, he never would
lie now; it was very much a case of ‘as long as
have imagined that this is where he’d end up
I have money in my pocket and my lifestyle
over a decade later. Rich initially trained as
could be met by what I was earning at work,
an apprentice in the motor trade, an industry
then that was fine’.
within which he worked for the next two years before being made redundant. Finding
The pressure to put all your eggs in one
yourself in a position of redundancy can be a
basket regarding your career can often lead
peculiar thing to process as you try to garner
to an unhealthy work/life balance, whereby
a sense of self and sense of placement in the
you end up investing a lot of energy into
world. After all, you haven’t been let go due
distinguishing between the two as opposed
to any lack of skill or misplaced motivation,
to integrating your work into your life and vice
and yet it can feel hard to know where to
versa. Of course there are merits to working a
make your next move. Do you try to re-enter
9-5 job that you leave ‘at the door’; however,
the same industry again? Do you re-evaluate
if you are the type of person that possesses
your entire career path? Or do you try to find
the core values of an Entrepreneur, you
a ‘filler’ job to support you financially whilst
are far more likely to seek gratification and
you weigh up the first two options?
fulfillment from the integration of the two as
Rich decided on number 3. He started
opposed to one simply existing to serve the
searching for a new career, but was aware
other. In consolidating your career with your
that he still needed to make some money in
sense of self, you are able to be cutivate an
the meantime. Whilst he was ‘looking for a
objective approach to your ‘development’
real job’, he managed to pick up some work
and therefore the trajectory of your life/
in Direct Sales in an office in Southampton,
career. That isn’t to say that your entire
a decision that he describes as simply
existence should
continued --->
022
CATEGORY DEVELOPMENT
'The rate of advancement is really quite astonishing and within 9 months of stepping foot in the office, he was running his own business'.
be based around your work, or that you should seek validation entirely through your job; however, the kind of people who tend to succeed in this industry lean towards a more holistic approach to their work-life balance. This leads me on to discuss the limitations of forming preconceptions about the type of career you think is right for you. Yes, some people have had a passion and drive for a certain career-path since they were a child, but this isn’t always the case (more on the importance of educating students on potential career paths later in this edition). For those people who perhaps could benefit from figuring it out as they go tend to be pressured into making a decision before they are ready. We, on the other hand, are very much of the ethos that you get out of this career whatever you put into it. In other words, you are given agency. Not only can preconceptions limit your understanding of yourself, but they can also prevent you from exploring the potential of an entire industry. Often they are born out of a lack of knowledge and a habitual impulse to judge the unknown. Rich explains how he ‘definitely didn't expect (his career) to turn out the way that it did. My preconceived notions of what a career in Direct Sales was very much centred around a rather bleak idea of a con man on the doorstep trying to eke money out of an unassuming customer. I had images of myself being forced into lying to people, manipulating them into doing something they didn’t really want to do - essentially selling my soul to the devil!’. He explains how the biggest surprise for him was the realization that he didn’t have to be a certain way to succeed in this industry; it’s about finding yourself and pouring your personality into your work, as opposed to desperately trying to fit a mould and, in the process, stunting your development. ‘It’s much more about being a brilliant Brand Ambassador. The qualities that emerge out of taking on the responsibility of representing your company are professionalism, delivering extremely high levels of customer service and the ability to engage with people on a human level. I founded my business on these qualities and looking back I’ve really come a
023
'In their first full year of trading, they turned over £1million; however, whilst being inspired by this, Rich remained relatively level-headed'.
long way not just in terms of my skills, but in terms of my attitude towards the industry as a whole.’ As you start to coalesce yourself and your career, you begin to care about the work you are doing. You move away from perceiving it as simply a ‘means to an end’ and begin to understand it more as a way of life. As you broaden your understanding of what it means to be an Entrepreneur, you begin to map out a trajectory in terms of where you see yourself in 5, 10, 20 years. You start to invest in a vision of a future. This is reflected in the way that our customers respond to us. Rich explains how ‘we bring in amazing customers that stay on board for years and years. Anyone can sign up to something that they then cancel as soon as you've left the house because they didn’t really want to do it, so we’re much more about customer attention and maintaining these relationships. Again it comes back to investing in the business, investing in a future career as opposed to just looking at it as a way to make some fast cash.’ The other thing that drew him in was just how quickly you can progress in this industry. The rate of advancement is really quite astonishing and within 9 months of stepping foot in the office, he was running his own business. In their first full year of trading, they turned over £1million; however, whilst being inspired by this, Rich remained relatively level-headed, describing how, ‘it all just happened quite naturally, driven, really, by pure enthusiasm and excitement’ as opposed to any sort of ‘plan’. He is a prime example of throwing caution to the wind, ‘going with the flow’ and ‘seeing what happens’ and there is a lot to be admired about that attitude towards life. I asked him to elaborate upon his relationship with his career over the last decade or so...
Anyone can sign up to something that they then cancel as soon as you've left the house because they didn’t really want to do it, so we’re much more about customer attention and maintaining these relationships'.
CATEGORY DEVELOPMENT
At what stage did you think, actually I’m really enjoying this, I’m
that I could be whatever I wanted to be and create whatever I wanted
going to make this my career?
to create: I was in charge of my career. I think that mental shift from viewing yourself as a passive cog in someone else’s business, to
I think my mindset towards the industry shifted when I began to visit
someone with agency that can make things happen for yourself is really
the different offices. I first started working in Southampton and after
what changes everything. Once you’ve asserted a sense of being your
a week or so, people started high-fiving each other - I had no idea
own Boss then the industry opens up for you. A lot of people who enter
what was going on - and then suddenly I was told that I was going to
this business think that they have to copy, but I quickly realised that it’s
Bristol for the week. I jumped in a car with a group of strangers and
not about replicating other people, it's about sourcing your inspiration
found myself shadowing them - working alongside those salespeople
from other people and then pouring that into your own version of the
was incredibly inspiring. It was an incredibly formative time and made
same career.
me realise that the people you work alongside have a huge impact in terms of your perception of the industry as whole. When you are first
What was the next step for you once you’d made a commitment
starting out, your colleagues are really your only portal into what this
to this career? Where did it first take you?
line of work means, so I think, consciously or not, you place a lot of value on these early interactions. For instance, the office that I worked in
So I ended up setting up a business in Colchester in Essex before
previously - One Way Marketing - was run by a young Nigerian woman.
I’d even set foot in the town! I’d hear really good things about that
She was fantastic and I’m sure I learned a lot from her, but we never
area and decided to jump on it as an opportunity, which in retrospect
really shared many of the same passions. Whilst I was inspired by her
means that I had probably adopted the mindset of an Entrepreneur
in many ways, I suppose the lifestyle that she was affording herself
at quite an early stage. It was the best move I ever made; I loved the
didn’t strike a chord with the ambitions that I had for mine? You know,
place to bits and ended up staying there until 2010. During this time we
she would parade around in her Gucci shoes and Prada handbags and
generated a huge amount of success, winning records such as ‘best
whilst that was brilliant because it was a representation of her idea of
quality in the country’ and this led to us opening a second office in
success, it didn’t motivate me. I never aspired to fill her shoes. (no pun
Cardiff, followed by a third in London. By 2009 we had expanded into
intended)
Poland and eventually things came full circle and I opened up another office back in Southampton in April of 2019.
Yes, I suppose a big part of this industry is seeing yourself in others and finding inspiration that way? When you are able
How has your role changed over the years?
to pin an idea of success on a figure, how does that change things?
Over the years I suppose I have taken on more of a consulting role, helping business owners around the country with their strategies for
Yeah it was only when I travelled to Bristol and saw young guys my
development. I wanted to start a family and so that was a big part
age running their own businesses, driving fast cars and living a great
of returning to Southampton and basing myself there. I made the
quality of life, that I began to see myself in those people - my sense
decision in order to be closer to my parents and began to think about
of ambition started to come alive. It was a wake up call, a realisation
the future in terms of how I wanted my life/work relationship to exist.
025
CATEGORY DEVELOPMENT
I think once you’ve tasted what it’s like to work for yourself, you can’t really imagine going back into regular employment where you’re working for someone else your whole life. This business ticks all the boxes I need:
'I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. When you put yourself out of your comfort zone you really do achieve'
It allows me and my family to live a certain lifestyle, it gives me freedom both financially and in terms of where I want to take the business, and the best thing about it is the way in which the industry allows you to grow alongside your peers. It’s not just about one person reaping the rewards of an entire company’s work, it’s about collaboration that’s the thing I find most gratifying.
Looking back upon the span of your career, how do you feel about the direction in which it’s taken you? If I look back over the last 13 years, I never would have imagined that this is where I’d end up. It’s quite an unusual set-up in terms of business structure and the opportunities there are for self-development, so I feel very lucky to have fallen into this line of work, but also proud of myself for taking the reins and dedicating myself to this career. It really has been a combination of ‘stop-gap’ and ‘career’, but has meant that I have been able to find myself through my work and learn as I go. What would your advice be for new recruits, or people that perhaps haven’t considered a career in Direct Sales before? What would you say to them? Throw yourself into this! You might not have any idea of where you want it to take you, but that doesn’t matter; as long as you commit to the work and work hard, then the industry is your oyster. It really is a case of getting out of what you put in. By nature of being self-employed, you are our own Boss, which is both a liberating and daunting prospect, depending on which way you look at it. Personally, I find the agency that comes with this line of work incredibly motivating, so I would recommend digging your heels into the work, committing fully to this career and running with it. It essentially comes down to personality type and character traits, so if you’re worried about not having the right CV or the necessary skills to apply, go for it anyway; you can pick up these skills as you go. I would also say don’t let your preconceived notions of the industry or expectations you have for yourself hold you back; I never would have imagined this would be where I ended up, but I am very grateful that I took a chance on this career.
027
CATEGORY DEVELOPMENT
‘We’re looking for optimists. This business is 99% attitude and 1% concrete ability. If someone tells me something isn’t going to work, I will question it and find a way to find a silver lining. Even over the last few months with covid-19, insead of falling into a pit of despair, I naturally will look for new opportunities and I think that’s the key to becoming a successful Entrepreneur - your mindset’
- RICH SNOWDEN -
028
CATEGORY GROW TH / EXPANSION
Recruitment and
Social Media w/ RedSeven & Promotions Company
B
ack in March, when
develop as an organization’. Drastic times don’t
the world went into
always call for drastic measures; in fact, adopting
lockdown
we
a calm and measured approach to the chaos that
were thrown into a
was descending upon the world was probably what
realm of uncertainty
enabled the team to find their feet and successfully
and panic, we had a
adapt to the situation. So what was their process
lot
during lockdown and how did they manage the
of
and
reconfiguring
to do. One of the main
areas
of
recruitment process online?
the
business that we immediately had to reformat was
PROCESS
recruitment. We soon realised that despite having to base ourselves at home and press pause on
PART 1: Development of Current Team in Order
some of our partnerships with clients, one of the
to make Way for New Recruits
things that we could focus on was sourcing brilliant
In order to make way for new recruits, the initial
people with whom to move the business forward
focus was on upskilling the existing members of
when things lifted. Here’s how we did it...
the team. The team found themselves in a pretty unique position in that, as a result of the frontline
RESPONSE TO LOCKDOWN - ATTITUDE
sales work coming to a halt, everybody’s day-to-day
Rob Cotterell from RedSeven explained how they
schedules were cleared and they could hone in on a
‘looked at lockdown a little differently to some
purely skills-based development regime. Instead of
companies. When things came to a grinding halt,
looking at the first few weeks as having ‘nothing to
a lot of our team had the mentality of, ‘there’s a
do’, the guys saw an opportunity to essentially go
silver lining in this and it could be recruitment’’.
‘back to school’ and upskill the entire organisation:
RECRUITMENT ATITUDE
Sourcing the right people is a big part of Direct
029
Sales and given that they knew there were going
‘Having the opportunity to really focus on training
to be a lot of skilled people that had been made
the guys was a huge silver lining to this period.
redundant or lost their jobs, they looked at the
Normally, we don’t have the time to be out in the
situation as an opportunity to find some fantastic
field and continue our training; it had become more
new people to grow the organisation. Kevin Nash
of a ‘learn as you work’ development programme
from Promotions Company describes how being
and whilst there are definitely benefits to that in
thrown into such unprecedented territory ‘forced
terms of character building and directly engaging
us to work harder than we’ve worked before, and
with the public, having the chance to strip it all back
that itself has injected a new lease of life into the
and go ‘back to school’ was a real benefit to us all’.
business; we’re coming at things with a new energy,
(Rob)
an alternative approach and new ideas of how to
We’re coming at things with a new energy, an alternative approach and new ideas of how to develop as an organization’ - KEV NASH -
CATEGORY GROW TH / EXPANSION
'I was out of my comfort zone before I even set foot in the company, but since that first pitch on day 2 I’ve even pushing myself. That’s why I am where I am now. I’ve taken risks and reaped the rewards.'
Every single day, they were running Zoom calls with different levels of the business. At one stage, they were running 5 or 6 separate Zoom meetings per day, so the training itself became the centre of the business for the first few weeks. They had guest speakers from across the country running sales topics, leadership topics as well as hosts from India, America, Australia. Not only was this hugely beneficial in terms of learning from a vast array of professionals, but having the chance to engage with speakers from all over the world helped to puncture the feeling of ‘isolation’ that would now and then rise to the surface. There’s something about realising that everyone is in the same boat, globally, that helps you to harness a sense of perspective. Kev tells me how, ‘the online training programme that (they) developed helped everybody to establish a sense of structure and routine to their days, and was a fantastic opportunity to reconfigure aspects of the organization that we perhaps hadn’t had the chance to do in a while’. For example, Rob started to record his presentations online, meaning that he was able to send these recordings out to people to study in their own time. They now have what is essentially
an
archive
of
presentational
footage that can be used as a resource for training new recruits in the future. PART 2: Moving Recruitment Online After the initial stage of upskilling the existing team was well in motion, the team began their online recruitment process. Throughout the whole of lockdown, they focussed on placing adverts online, reaching out to people that they thought might be interested in a career change: ‘we made sure that we were absolutely on the front foot during those first few weeks’. They knew we wouldn’t be able to run the business in the same way as before, so instead of simply watching their clients drop away and feeling helpless, they quickly adapted to the situation and made the most of their time out of the field to focus on building a strong network of new team members. They saw an opportunity in that there would be a broader demographic of people looking for new careers and focussed their efforts on that. Kev ensured that they were reaching out to people on a variety of platforms - Facebook / Instagram / LinkedIn - and adapted the social media content in a
031
'The biggest thing for me is that this industry offers so much support and networking; whereas at University this wasn’t the case'
way that placed recruitment at the forefront of the organisation. ‘We knew that we would be missing out on our usual student intake
how
due to the fact that both Bristol Universities
everyone feels comfortable being in that
had closed down and people wouldn’t be in
environment again, but at the end of the day
a position to take on graduate schemes etc.,
we are face-to-face specialists and it was
so we tried to focus more on actively reaching
brilliant to get back to working together in
out to people rather than waiting for them to
person once more. That’s what we’re good at
seek us out’.
and what we love about this Industry’.
They decided to start reaching out to interns on Instagram and headhunting people from other industries via social media. Once they had pulled together a strong list of potential employees,
they
began
the
interview
process. This was all done over Zoom, which despite feeling initially quite reductive in the sense that you aren’t able to interact with your interviewee in person, actually ended up being a much more time-productive method of recruitment: ‘It has saved us a lot of time in the long run. We’ve managed to streamline the business in that sense and have realised that recruiting online is perhaps the way forward which is interesting’ (Rob). Kev, on the other hand, certainly missed the faceto-face aspect of the recrtuiment process and explains how it’s not just about what happens during the formal interview: ‘We’re such a people-facing business, you know,
the
relationship
building
process
begins in our reception space as we welcome people in; it’s sort of like we’re hosting a party and the recruits are our guests, so it’s been difficult not having a physical space to welcome people into. It’s in those first 10 minutes or so that you make connections and you get to know people when they’re a little more relaxed, so we’re very much aware that not all aspects of the recruitment process have translated over Zoom.’ PART 3: Stepping back into the field In June, when the restrictions started to lift somewhat, the team were able to start holding their first batch of face-to-face recruitment sessions in-person. These have been in groups of just 3 people at a time in order to adhere to social distancing and masks and hand-sanitiser are provided. After such a long period of isolation, it probably feels a little bizarre for people to enter the work space again, especially for interviews. Rob explains
continued --->
it’s
important
‘to
make
sure
that
CATEGORY GROW TH / EXPANSION
how it’s important ‘to make sure that everyone feels comfortable being
It wasn’t without its challenges, after all ‘there are only so many zoom
in that environment again, but at the end of the day we are face-to-
screenshots that you can post!’ (Kev), but they found a way to adapt
face specialists and it was brilliant to get back to working together in
their social media presence to meet the needs of their viewers in the
person once more. That’s what we’re good at and what we love about
best way possible. ‘We’ve had to be quite creative in terms of sustaining
this Industry’.
our online presence, so I’ve been posting links to books and podcasts, links to resources that people might find useful to study in their own
SOCIAL MEDIA AS A COACHING TOOL & PLATFORM FOR RE-
time, graphics instead of photographs...things like that’.
CRUITMENT One of Kev’s other goals back in January was to start using social Kev and Promotions Company
media, in particular Instagram, as a tool to widen the recruitment pool.
Seeing as there hasn’t been an opportunity to get together and
Prior to lockdown, they had been gearing up to launch a landing page
to attend events etc., Kev has had to move the social media of the
from IG to the website to link people to recruitment information and
organisation in a slightly different direction. Instead of posting photos
this is something that they are looking forward to setting up over the
and coverage of meetings and milestones, he decided to use the
coming weeks. Using things like hashtags is a fantastic way to connect
platform as an additional resource for coaching and training purposes.
with a broader audience and social media really is paving the way for a
He explains how they ‘started pushing the social media side of the
more contemporary version of recruitment.
business in January, focussing on Instagram in particular as a tool for personal development’. They invested in a series of professionally
You can check out their social media pages via:
filmed videos to release as more of an educational resource, as
@thepromotionsco
opposed to simply using IG as a way of promoting the company.
@redsevenmarketing
034
REDSEVEN
Back to School
Debunking the stereotype of self-employment and inspiring the next generation of talent with local Swindon Colleges.
W
i
h
establishing a long-standing relationship with
traditional
t
the colleges, where others hadn’t - ‘It's been
methods of
really lovely for us to put some effort into the
recruitment
local community of schools and it’s been met
f a l l i n g
with such gratitude. The schools have just
by
the
been so thrilled to have an organisation that’s
wayside,
so engaged and willing to put some effort in
and
that our relationship with them has developed
social
m e d i a
really quickly, it’s been great’.
platforms paving the way for a vast array of new talent to be discovered, there are
So how did they get the ball rolling? One
a variety of ways in which one might find
day, Nina and her colleague simply turned
themselves working in the Sales industry.
up to a college and asked to speak to the
Nina Collis from Redseven has been widening
career’s advisor. They explained what their
the recruitment pool for years now, and one
business was about, the sort of skills that
of the ways in which they ensure that they
they teach members of their team, asked
are meeting a wide demographic of people is
if there were any events they could attend
by going into local colleges in Swindon, (where
and it was as simple as that! That year they
their company is based). I caught up with her
attended two careers fairs as a company
to find out how this initiative began and why
and on one of the visits they were asked
it is so important to engage with the student
by a teacher if they’d be willing to speak to
community.
a group of students directly - ‘As you can imagine, I thought it was going to absolutely
The initiative began back in 2015. Recruitment
flop - students are a notoriously tough crowd,
wasn’t as high as they initially thought it would
especially 16-18 year olds! But I wanted to
be, so they started looking into alternative
make a great first impression so I said yes’.
ways in which they could start introducing
Ironically, Nina actually ended up doing the
their brand to the talent in their area. Nina
actual presentation on ‘First Impressions’;
explains that ‘It’s one thing just spreading
she spoke about body language, how to make
awareness, but to really get people interested,
someone like you in 7 seconds, what to avoid
it’s about providing some value’, so they set
etc - ‘I tried to make it funny and relevant. I
up some workshops with various colleges
remember I used a picture of Kanye West and
and start getting involved with careers fairs.
said you know ‘this is someone who doesn’t
She soon realised that the attendance rate
know how to make a good first impression’
from businesses at these careers fairs was
which got a laugh’. The presentation went
surprisingly low, probably due to companies
down well with the students and from that
thinking, ‘oh these kids are too young, there’s
point onwards, the RedSeven team started to
not much point being there’, so they decided
run workshops and talks, mock interviews and
to take the opportunity to really invest in
work exchanges on a regular basis.
036
CATEGORY GROW TH / EXPANSION
‘It's been really lovely for us to put some effort into the local community of schools and it’s been met with such gratitude.
This soon led to Nina meeting with a woman
students about the benefits of going self-
from The Careers and Enterprise Company
employed. More and more people are now
(who cover the South West) and she was
choosing to be freelance, opting for a more
offered a role as an Enterprise Advisor for
flexible career path as opposed to simply
Swindon New College. It transpired that it
settling for the standard 9-5 salary job. Nina
had become a requirement for children to
explains how the term ‘side-hustle’ has been
have access to workplace engagements
so overused as of late, because freelancing
throughout their education - be that a tour of
is becoming such a trend, and so to involve
a business, work experience or a talk from an
students in this conversation before they
employer - in order to better equip them with
find themselves having to complete their first
the necessary skills for pursuing a career.
tax-return is something that we should be
Part of her role now is to go into the college
doing more of! Congratulations to Nina and
along with other advisors and decipher - from
the team at RedSeven for their continued
a business perspective - which of these skills
work in local colleges and for inspiring the
are missing from the student’s education.
next generation of talent in the field.
‘It’s so important to bridge the gap between your education and the real world before you leave school, otherwise you can feel totally misguided and out on a limb. It’s not the responsibility of a teacher to give you sound career advice across the board. It’s much more beneficial for them to bring in someone from that specific industry and for the students to be able to ask questions and gain a direct insight into the workings of a company’. As a result of this further engagement with the careers department, RedSeven started offering tours of their office - ‘At one point we had 15 x 15 year olds come in to speak to Rob about how he started the company and to see how the organisation operates which was fantastic. The kids were really engaged and the teacher was really grateful that they were given a first-hand insight into the industry’. The whole point of the Government incentive is that children get a much broader insight into what careers are on offer. One of the big problems is that there simply aren’t enough
between your education and the real world before you leave school,
women going into STEM roles (science, tech,
otherwise you can feel totally
engineering and mathematics), so that’s
misguided and out on a limb'.
why initiatives such as this are so important, to inform the students of a vast array of career opportunities so that they are able to choose which avenue to follow. Again, it’s about providing them with a sense of agency and not quashing their potential before it’s had a chance to be fully explored. Nina, for example, ‘never knew (she) wanted to do sales or that it would suit (her) personality I was just lucky in that I fell into it’, proving the importance of educating students on the wide array of potential careers that are out there waiting for them. Another aspect of this initiative is to inform
037
‘It’s so important to bridge the gap
‘It’s one thing just spreading awareness, but to really get people interested, it’s about providing some value’
038
TRAVELLING IN A POSTPANDEMIC WORLD REFLECTIONS ON
Miami
CATEGORY TR AVEL
'For the younger generation of talent that are looking into a career in this industry, the opportunity to travel the world is a huge part of what attracts them to this line of work'.
Why do we Travel? •
Winning a place on a trip encourages the guys to hit their sales criteria and goals
•
Through travelling the globe, we are investing in our team and the future of the business.
•
Mixing business and pleasure is very much a part of our ethos as an organisation
‘Travel is a huge part of our business. We integrate many trips abroad into our working year, not just as time to relax and explore other cultures, but as a chance to learn from other businesses across the globe. It is therefore something that we are going to miss hugely over the next few months. However, it is more a case of postponing as opposed to cancelling the plans we had in place for 2020 and we will be going ahead with our trips to Sri Lanka and Ibiza as soon as it is safe to do so. Whether this involves diminishing the group size, or reformatting the trip slightly, we will do whatever we can to get our guys back out there. For the younger generation of talent that are looking into a career in this industry, the opportunity to travel the world is a huge part of what attracts them to this line of work. We can assure you that we will do everything that we can to ensure that we continue to integrate trips into the company calendar, and we look forward to sharing these experiences with you again.’ - Fran Colam Our trips abroad are essentially about expansion; expanding the mind, expanding your perspective on the industry and expanding your sense of self as an Entrepreneur. Sometimes you have to step away from your immediate context to be objective about your career, and what better way to do so than to step off a plane into a brand new city. We have been lucky enough to host trips to Sri Lanka, Ibiza, Portugal and America to name but a few. I caught up with the guys to hear about the most recent trip to Miami... Back in February, we took a small group out to Miami for five days to network with US companies. The trip served as a reward for
041
CATEGORY TR AVEL
'One of my concerns was how I was going to be able to properly establish my business whilst studying, but the trip to Miami really cemented the belief I have in myself'.
'It was really interesting to see what
the team hitting their sales targets and was a both a chance to relax and enjoy some down-
How did you find the trip to Miami? What
time in the city as well as an opportunity to
did it offer you?
learn from other businesses. Congratulations to Vik, Magda, Josh, Paul, Mark and Rob who
Vik: It was such a fantastic opportunity in
were the lucky few to go Stateside!
terms of networking, and for us younger
works for them and the strategies that they have in place for such rapid levels of expansion'.
members of the team to get inspired and The conference itself was held over 3 days
learn from people that are at the top of
at The Miami Beach Club and was based
their game. There were so many different
around the topic of ‘Expansion’. All our offices
offices there which created a really inspiring
have big plans for expansion over the next
atmosphere and I definitely came away with
few months, so this was the perfect oppor-
the motivation to push the business forward
tunity to learn more about the process from
back in the UK. For instance, they open up
people who have established an incredibly
offices out there so quickly, it’s extraordinary.
successful business model. The US organisa-
It was really interesting to see what works
tion have opened up 25 offices in the last 18
for them and the strategies that they have
months which is extraordinary, so we went
in place for such rapid levels of expansion. I
over there to find out how they’ve managed
definitely think it’s something we can learn
to grow the company at such a rapid rate in
from back home. Just before lockdown, we
such a short amount of time. It was a chance
had enough guys to open up another office,
for us to find out how they strategize, what
so we’re looking to do so post-July which is
their targets are, what they do differently,
exciting.
and bring some of that learning back home to the UK to develop our own organisation. It
Josh: These work trips are always so fantastic
was a fantastic conference, jam-packed with
because not only do they serve as a reward
opportunities for education and learning, as
for hitting our sales targets, and therefore
well as for self-development. As with most
as motivation to work hard, but they always
of our trips abroad, they are as much about
offer opportunities for further development.
broadening perspectives and soaking up an-
They are the perfect combination of learning
other culture as they are about the meetings
and having fun, and both these things feed
and the work; after all, the spirit of the En-
each other in a lot of ways. This trip was quite
trepreneur is rooted in an interest in others.
intense; we had meetings from 9am-6pm, so it was quite full-on and required a lot of
After the conference finished each day,
focus (even though a lot of it was sitting and
there was an opportunity to have drinks and
listening) but meant we got a lot out of it.
to network with the other Owners in a more informal setting.
What were your main takeaways from the trip in terms to bring back to the UK?
There was also time for some essential sightseeing and to explore the area. One evening
Vik: I am actually still at University, so one
they went down to Little Havana, Miami’s
of my concerns was how I was going to
bright and bustling Cuban district with Latin
be able to properly establish my business
Art Galleries, restaurants and live music to ac-
whilst studying, but the trip to Miami really
company their dinner. This area is renowned
cemented the belief I have in myself; it
for its Domino-playing tradition, and as you
gave me a big dose of motivation as well
wander through the park you can watch the
as providing me with the skills necessary to
old folk playing each other as the sun sets.
make these ambitions a reality. We are hoping
On another day, the team went to play golf
to open up in Bristol with the two divisions of
at the Donald Trump National Course, which
the company - Energy and Charity - so it’s a
( at $150000 a year for membership!) was a
really exciting time, despite all that has been
glimpse into a rather lavish lifestyle, as well
going on.
as a chance to play in a stunning location. And of course, they spent some well-deserved R&R time on Miami beach.
042
“ If you’ve got the right attitude and simple core values then here you go take the reins! "
CATEGORY TR AVEL
'It really embedded in us the importance of sourcing people with these core values. It’s about finding people that can perform, set a good standard and build a business'.
Josh: This trip in particular was a chance for us to
each year which changes things a bit I think. Saying
see how the US operates in terms of business ex-
that, there were definitely aspects of their business
pansion. It was incredibly eye-opening to see the
model that we can take back into our self-employed
speed and momentum with which people rose up
structure, such as holding people to basic expecta-
through the company. It's very much a case of, ‘if
tions and core values. It really embedded in us the
you’ve got the right attitude and simple core values
importance of sourcing people with these core val-
then here you go - take the reins!’ which was both
ues, otherwise you’re just going to come up against
surprising and inspiring. It really was as simple as
difficulties if you try to expand the business with
that! they’d see who was capable of training and
people who don’t fundamentally want the same
building a team and then say you know, ‘which city
things as you. It’s about finding people that can
do you want to go to? See you there on Monday!’. It
perform, set a good standard and build a business,
was phenomenal.
essentially.
And in terms of the specific skills you devel-
Does it feel as though there is a slightly more
oped whilst you were out there, what did you
precise recruitment process in terms of who
learn?
is even allowed through the door in terms of qualifications?
Vik: There was an Office Owner out there called Melissa who really inspired me in terms of branding the
Josh: Because they are employing people and
business. What she did with a lot of her guys out in
therefore committing to a base salary, I think it does
the field was give them personalised water bottles
impact who they decide to interview. They can’t
and things like that, which just meant that she was
take as many risks on people because they have
promoting her business in alternative ways. It also
to pay them $250 in their first week, it's a state-
served as an indicator of just how proud she was
requirement, so I do think that it has an affect on
of her brand, which is a really lovely quality to see
the initial recruitment process, yes.
in a business owner. It inspired me to go to a shop in Miami and start making my own merchandise. I designed my brand logo out there and got hoodies, hats, polos etc. made with the new design to start handing out to people. It has really impacted my relationship with my own brand; when you have a physical item with your own logo on it, you have a tangible representation of our business, which encourages you to engage with your company in a different way. That can be really useful for clients to see and enhances your sense of brand identity. Josh: The biggest takeaway for me was definitely the speed and confidence with which they were expanding the offices out there; however, it’s important to note that they are operating under a slightly different business structure out there because they are paying everybody a base salary, whereas we are all self-employed. It means that they can ask slightly more of their guys from the offset because they are getting paid a set amount
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CATEGORY TR AVEL
'It’s engaging with the personal side of the business that I find motivates me because I am able to see myself in these people; you put a face to a name, a quote, an organization and it helps you to ground it in reality somehow'.
How do you find learning in this environ-
to respond in the moment and perhaps ask
ment, at a conference listening to talks,
questions that you wouldn’t have thought
as opposed to in the field? What are the
of otherwise. Zoom feels quite ‘structured’
benefits of attending events such as
in the sense that you’re not really able to
this?
gain a proper insight into how the business is run, you’re just fed information about the
Vik: It’s incredibly motivating to hear people’s
process. It makes you realize quite how much
stories, first-hand. The speakers that we lis-
you pick up on from sharing the space with
tened to were so inspiring in the way that
someone else and absorbing everything
they talked through their background and
from their body-language to their communi-
their journey to becoming a successful En-
cation skills, to the way they hold themselves
trepreneur. It’s engaging with the personal
in front of an audience, to their intonation....
side of the business that I find motivates
It’s fascinating.
me because I am able to see myself in these people; you put a face to a name, a quote, an
And did you have a chance to have some
organization and it helps you to ground it in
downtime and socialize?
reality somehow. Another thing that they’re really good at over there is holding people
Vik: Yeah there was plenty of time to explore
accountable, so that’s something that I’ve
both sides of the business; we went out club-
been putting into practise, especially during
bing, we had drinks on the beach so there
lockdown. When you’re not seeing people
was lots of time for socializing and hanging
face-to-face, it’s important to ensure that
out. It’s so nice to combine business and
people are working hard and not just doing
pleasure and to celebrate each other’s suc-
the bare minimum because they’re at home.
cess. It’s an important combination in this industry.
Josh: Yeah, as Vik mentioned, it was really interesting to see first-hand how they interact
Josh: Yes, by the end of the working day we
with their guys; they are quite militant in hold-
were very ready for some downtime and so-
ing people accountable but it clearly works!
cializing! We’d leave at 6pm and go and have
It was also just really exciting to be around
dinner and then finish the evening with some
such a broad demographic of business Own-
networking drinks which was a great chance
ers; there were companies from so many dif-
to get to know the guys in a more informal
ferent States, you know, we were chatting
setting.
to people from Texas, from New York, Dallas, Chicago...so many accents going around, it
How are you feeling about the prospect
was great! I think it’s really important to get
of travelling less as a result of the pan-
out of your bubble sometimes and to hang
demic?
out with a broader variety of people from different backgrounds; you pick up on so many
Josh: It is a shame, you know, we had a few
intricacies in terms of approach and people
trips planned and the May Ball etc. so we are
skills, as well as the more technical side of
missing out on opportunities to celebrate
things. Our industry is about engaging with
each other’s achievements, but we’ve man-
people from all walks of life, so that’s really
aged to stay pretty well connected on Zoom.
why travelling and expanding your network is
Social events online have really made a dif-
so important.
ference and whilst it is sad not to be able to travel, I know that we’ll just appreciate it
What is it about having the chance to at-
a huge amount when it comes back around.
tend these business conferences in per-
For educational purposes, there’s nothing
son that impacts your learning?
quite like the real thing - travelling to a new bit of the world and learning from the best
045
Josh: There’s definitely something in the im-
of the best in the flesh - so we’ve got that to
mediacy of face-to-face learning; you are able
look forward to again!
Adapting in the Face of Adversity
w/Monument Promotions
We caught up with Matt Nicholson from Monument Promotions to see how things have been
developing since he opened up his second office. Matt and the team have now expanded into two cities - Swindon and Manchester - and have been busy adapting to the new strand of the business, working with energy-saving client, ‘Don’t Waste Money’.
So what are your plans for expansion post-lockdown
in which we engage with the public, but I also think that the
when things start moving again?
conversations we have on the doorstep will need to change as well. For example, I think we will be openly discussing
Over the next quarter, we’re going to be focussing on
the impact of the pandemic on the Charity sector with our
establishing the energy-residential side of the business, so
customers; the context within which we are working will
developing our relationship with ‘Don’t Waste Money’. We’re
definitely become part of the proposition and that’s really
also looking forward to re-establishing our relationship with
important to us. It’s about being honest and responding to
our charity partners once again and once all our team have
each member of the public in a subjective way; the pandemic
returned from being furloughed, we will be looking at opening
will have affected everybody individually, so it’s important to
up two new offices in Cheltenham. Rather than opening up
acknowledge that.
in lots of new different locations, we will instead be focusing on opening up new divisions of the business in the cities
In terms of recruitment, have you found that there has
we’re currently based in. The divisions will be: Charity Events,
been a wider pool of people looking for work?
Energy Residential, Events Residential in both Cheltenham and Swindon.
Totally! The recruitment pool has opened up in a huge way for us. There are going to be a lot of highly skilled people
Are there any changes you’ve made to the business
from a wide variety of backgrounds that will be looking for
during this period of re-evaluation that you will carry
new avenues of work. I’m really looking forward to working
forward?
with these people and the fresh energy this will bring. Over the coming months, I will be looking to scout individuals
Absolutely. It’s been great in the sense that it’s given us the
in the organisation who might be capable of heading
opportunity to expand into a new area of sales and we’ve
the Energy side of the business once I move back into
now split the business into two parts: Charity and Energy.
Charity work, so there’s definitely an opportunity for rapid
I will be running one strand of the organisation and will
progression over the next few months. A big part of my role
appoint somebody else to run the other, and each location
is searching for those people who will replace me as I expand
from now on will split off into these two divisions. I think that
the organisation, so I’m always on the lookout for new talent.
the last quarter has provided us with the opportunity to really consider the type of business we want to run. It certainly
On a personal level, what have you taken away from this
gets you thinking about the bigger picture and your position
time? Has your interpretation of what it means to be an
within the industry as a whole; that shift in perspective has
‘Entrepreneur’ changed at all?
been really beneficial for me, personally. It’s funny, as the world has slowed down, things have really picked up for us;
I think I’ve come to realise that a lot of it comes down to
we’ve been going at 100mph, learning a new product and
adaptability. That’s certainly something that we will be
adapting to a brand new way of working.
instilling in our teams from now on. I’ve learned that, however stable the economy feels, it’s about being ready for anything
Do you think that you will change the way that you
and not afraid of change. The skills that we teach our
engage with your Charity Partners once they return to
guys aren’t set in stone; we very much encourage them to
the industry?
integrate these skills into a way of life, an attitude towards the industry as opposed to trying to follow an exact formula
I think there will be a huge demand for Charities to catch up
for success. I’ve realised the importance of building strength
on missed income, and we will absolutely be ready to jump
into my team; by this I mean instilling in them a belief that
on board as soon as the opportunity arises. Obviously the
success isn’t just about context, it’s about self-belief and
first thing to think about is PPE and reformatting the way
mindset.
047
'Over the next quarter, we’re going to be focussing on establishing the energy-residential side of the business, so developing our relationship with ‘Don’t Waste Money’.
CATEGORY HEALTH & WELLBEING
Mind Your Mind Looking After Your Mental Health During a Pandemic
Looking after your mental health is extremely important during these challenging times, and whilst work can be a welcome distraction from the anxiety of a global pandemic, it can also be difficult for some people to feel ‘productive’ under such extreme circumstances.
I chatted to various members of the Organisation
body’s individual circumstances and support them
about how they managed to sustain a sense of ca-
as much as you can. I’m sure that those people who
maraderie during lockdown and their tips for mov-
did have to leave will come back once things are
ing forwards as lockdown starts to ease. Despite
properly up and running again, and we will welcome
the geographical separation, there are still ways in
them with open arms’.
which you are able to feel connected to your col-
Kevin Nash
leagues and your friends; it is these connections that help pull you through the difficult days and
‘A vast majority of the people we recruit are quite
ensure that you still feel like you are part of a team.
young - in the 18-35 age bracket - so they don’t necessarily have children to home-school or as many
‘The strangest thing for us has been the separa-
other responsibilities. This has meant that they’ve
tion. We are such a face-to-face company, we spend
been able to fully throw themselves into the online
most of our days in each other’s pockets! We thrive
coaching programme and have kept themselves
off being in busy places, attending events, travel-
busy in a way that’s been incredibly productive’
ling the world and are used to lots of physical con-
Fran Colam
tact, you know, hugging and high-fiving each other as a way of establishing a tangible sense of what
2) Staying connected
we’re about: people! So it’s been a difficult time, but
‘I made sure that 90% of people had contact with
I’m very proud of the way that every single one of
at least one other person in the organization every
our offices has dealt with things; we’ve found the sil-
single day. This was so important in keeping a sense
ver lining in all this and have made a lot of progress
of cohesion and togetherness across the company.
in terms of the way we operate as an organisation.
Even just one conversation with someone else in
It was very much a case of, let’s pull together and
your company means that your bubble of solitude is
not just ‘get through it’ but come out the other side
broken and you are able to see things a little more
even stronger’.’
clearly. It means that you’re not so stuck in your
Fran Colam
head and you’re able to, well, simply communicate! Weekends were by far the hardest. The weekdays
1) Respecting each individual and their needs
flew by because there was a solid structure in place.
‘We’ve been doing things like Zoom Quizzes to
A lot of the guys were starting their day with a call at
keep everyone together which has been great. It’s
8.30am and had a solid timeline in place for the rest
different for everybody though; some people have
of the week, whereas the weekends really dragged
slipped through the gaps regarding government
on because when you don’t have anywhere to go, or
support and so have had to take other employment,
people to see, you become acutely aware of time!’
but then on the flip side of that, we’ve had a fantas-
Phil Reid
tic period of recruitment. You have to respect every-
049
CATEGORY HEALTH & WELLBEING
let's pull together
050
If you’ve got the right attitude and simple core values then here you go take the reins!
051
CATEGORY HEALTH & WELLBEING
'People were occupied, they had a reason to get up each day, a focus and a responsibility to the team. During this period of literal isolation, it is so important to try and remain connected to others, be this family, friends or colleagues'.
People
a
‘challenge’ though, otherwise I wouldn’t
reason to get up each day, a focus and
were
occupied,
they
had
keep it up, so I decided to train towards
a responsibility to the team. During this
my version of a Triathlon! This involved
period of literal isolation, it is so important
500km on a trail bike, 50 km running, 30km
to try and remain connected to others, be
walking. I posted updates every day and
this family, friends or colleagues. We really
shared photos with my team so that they
are a family here at Mantra, so to quickly
could track my progress, and get a taster
establish a strong support network was
of the beautiful scenery in Devon which
one of our main priorities as we went into
was an added bonus! Being somewhere
lockdown.
like Devon has been a blessing during
- JAMES BUCKLEY
lockdown and the landscape has really helped our mindset I think.
3) Establishing a sense of routine &
- MARK WIDNELL
setting up a ‘work-space’ at home One of the things that I tried to implement
5) Online social events and (dare I say
straightaway was that everyone got up
it)...Zoom Quizzes!
early and started the day with the right
Usually, we have team-nights once a week
energy. That was really important to me
where we go out for dinner, have some
and I think is partly why we’ve managed
drinks and take the time to enjoy each
to get through this so successfully. You
other’s company outside of the workplace,
get up, you get out of bed, you iron your
so I made sure that we had quizzes, online
shirt and trousers and get dressed for the
socials, cocktail-making nights and things
working day, even when you’re working
to ensure that the social side of the
from home. That makes a huge difference
organization was kept alive.
to how you feel and how productive you
- ROB COTTERELL
are. It’s such a simple thing, but really
does have an impact upon your emotional
We’ve been using Zoom regularly for social
well-being. Another thing that I made
activities and that’s really helped us to
sure that everybody did was to make a
get through this period of isolation. It’s as
‘To-Do’ List every morning. This helped to
important to spend downtime together as
establish a sense of routine, which really
it is to work together ad that’s something
could have been the first thing to go had
that’s always been at the heart of how we
we not put small things in place such as
operate as an organisation
this to anchor the day.’
- KEVIN NASH
- PHIL REID
6) Coaching and Training 4) Exercise
Moving the business online was not
Exercise has been a huge thing for me
without its challenges, but the wider
personally, and a lot of the team. It really
company pulled together and quickly
helps to get moving and to get out of your
established a slick online training platform
head and into your body, so I’ve been
and timetable for everyone to work by. Not
doing a lot of yoga which has helped a
only did this enable us to keep learning
lot. Another thing has been getting up
and training our guys, but it meant that
at the same time everyday and asserting
we all felt connected which is a huge
some sense of agency over your day, be
part of the ethos of our business.
this through exercise or other types of
had a ‘huddle call’ every morning at 8am
routine.’
during lockdown to plan each day and
- FRAN COLAM
maintain a sense of structure and then
We
full days of coaching sessions, so this I’ve been making sure that I do my exercise
meant there simply wasn’t as much time
every day which has been really beneficial
to sit and worry about the world or get too
to both mindset and physical health.
overwhelmed by the situation.’
I knew I needed to set myself a daily
- PHIL REID
052
CATEGORY MILESTONES
CELEBRATING7 YEARS
w/ RedSeven
Celebrations are in order for the RedSeven team who will be celebrating their 7th Birthday on the 23rd October. Congratulations to the whole team who have worked so hard to grow the organisation over this time - we couldn’t have done it without you. We hope to be able to raise a glass with you in person after the summer and can’t wait to toast our achievements. After a good few weeks of reflection, what better time to look back over some stand-out moments for
STAY SAFE
the team. Here are 7 of their highlights:
053
01
Their first day in the new offices
02
Nina winning UK Admin of the year
03
Promoting our first Managing
04
San Francisco! (A fantastic
05
Pioneering lotteries for charities
06
Speaking in front of over 2000
07
Taking two of the team on a
Director, Matt Nicholson
networking trip)
people at an industry rally
business class flight to Florida
CATEGORY MILESTONES
054
EIGHTEEN MONTHS ON
Redline-ChanceCowie Chance Cowie stepped into the world of Direct Sales 18 months ago
after making a quick-fire decision to leave his job in Tenerife and move back to the UK
A
fter a whirlwind
Chance quickly found his feet in the field and
first
few
this is where he really thrives. The business
m o n t h s ,
quickly started to gain momentum and by
learning
the
April 2019 his 25-strong team were hitting
ropes
and
personal bests every single week. However,
to
despite the team having grown by 500%,
grips with the
they were still working out of their original
industry,
he
office space which was ‘literally the size of a
himself
broom-cupboard’. Time to move! The team
building a team of his own and setting up
transferred to a new space over in Ancoats
Redline. So where did it all begin? Chance
just in time to celebrate their 1st Birthday. The
opened up in Disbury in Manchester back in
physical space in which you are working can
October 2018 with a team of just 5 people,
have a huge affect on your state of mind, so
and looking back he ‘never would have
the literal shift to a new location came at the
expected to be where he is today’. When
perfect time. The new office meant that they
you first enter the industry, it can be easy to
could start to concentrate on recruitment and
look at other businesses with offices all over
soon they had grown the team to 43 people
the world and think ‘how am I ever going to
and were achieving over 200 weekly pieces.
get there?’, but Chance explains that ‘it’s all
Fast forward another 6 months and Redline
about maintaining a positive attitude, having
are looking to open another two offices by
faith and staying as present as you can’. This
2021. Despite the pause in proceedings due
mentality is something that Founder of ‘The
to the small blip of a global pandemic, the
Strategic Coach’, Dan Sullivan, promotes,
team have high hopes for the future and have
explaining how: ‘getting trapped in their
used the last quarter as a chance to expand
past is one of the biggest things holding
into a new residential division. Chance himself
entrepreneurs back in their lives. Yet it is the
has been running topics at Amplify and used
present that holds all the possibility, growth,
the time to share his experience of building a
excitement, and satisfaction of being an
business with others; how to turn the genesis
entrepreneur. Being present in the moment
of an idea into a reality.
getting
found
is an undeniable catalyst for success’. In this way, things begin to grow, naturally. This isn’t
I caught up with the man himself to reflect
to say that you shouldn’t set yourself goals
upon the first year and a half of Redline…
and work towards targets - this is all part of running an office - however, it’s all too easy to get lost in the idea of the career and drift off track. A healthy dose of ambition goes a long way, but only when paired with a strong work ethic and two feet firmly on the ground.
056
057
CATEGORY INTERVIEW
‘getting trapped in their past is one of the biggest things holding entrepreneurs back in their lives. Yet it is the present that holds all the possibility, growth, excitement, and satisfaction of being an entrepreneur. Being present in the moment is an undeniable catalyst for success’.
I suppose lockdown has given everyone
It can be difficult to remain present as your
time to reflect upon various things, their
company grows, so being able to hand
career path being one of those. Did you
responsibilities over to my team and business
expect to end up in this position when
partners makes it a lot easier to focus on
you first entered the industry?
the things that you’re good at. In order to stay present, I’ve learned to delegate and
Absolutely
not.
That’s
what’s
been
so
inspiring about this line of work - the rate at
therefore to not try and juggle everything at once.
which you can progress! My life has changed so quickly and I am so grateful to be where
What do you love about the industry?
I am today, running my own business and
How do you stay inspired?
achieving things I never thought possible. Everything! I love the highs and the lows, the What would your advice be to anyone
variety and the pace of this industry. I keep
looking to move into this line of work?
myself inspired by continually setting myself challenges and goals to hit along the way. I
I suppose my advice would be, ‘be a student’.
think that’s important in order to sustain a
I don’t mean that in terms of actually going to
sense of momentum.
University, but I mean in terms of the mindset that you adopt; be curious, be interested,
What do you think has changed since
learn from others and tune into your self-
lockdown?
development.
So
many
people
spend
thousands of pounds on degrees that they’ll
That’s a hard question! Really, I don’t think
never use or think about again, just because
much has changed in terms of how we’ve
they were told that that was the trajectory
approached our work, which is a good thing!
that they should follow, and I think that can
My mentality is very much along the lines
stunt a lot of people’s potential in many
of: where there are challenges or hardships,
ways. At the end of the day, this industry
there are opportunities.
is a people industry; the skills learned here can be life-changing, not just in terms of the business side of things, but in all aspects
What are you looking forward to over the
of your life and I think it can be far more
next few months now that things are
beneficial for people to step into a job and
beginning to return to ‘normal’?
learn as they go, whilst making a career out of it, as opposed to following the traditional
The main thing I am looking forward to now
University path.
is being able to give my friends the same opportunities that I’ve been blessed with.
Last time we spoke, you talked about
To be able to work and grow alongside your
the importance of staying ‘present’, of
peers is a really fantastic thing and I love
maintaining a clear sense of perspective.
being able to facilitate that. It’s how I started
Have you managed to stick to this as
out, so I want to be able to offer my skills to
you've grown the business?
others now that I’m in the position to do so.
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CATEGORY BOOKS & PODCASTS
Books and Podcasts Me and White Supremacy
Girl, Woman, Other
How to recognise your privilege, combat
Teeming with life and crackling with en-
racism and change the world
ergy - a love song to modern Britain and
The Comparison Cure
How to be less 'them' and more you
black womanhood
By: Layla F. Saad
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By: Bernadine Evaristo
By: MLucy Sheridon
CATEGORY BOOKS & PODCASTS
During lockdown, we relied on forms of entertainment more than ever. As our worlds got smaller and we were confined to our homes - human interaction diminishing by the day and conversations with housemates starting to loop - it was time to plug-in and get lost in the realm of audiobooks, podcasts and soundscapes.
Uncanny Valley
Podcasts
01
No Such Thing as a Fish By: James Harkin / Andrew Hunter No Such Thing as a Fish is a weekly British podcast series produced and presented by the researchers behind the BBC Two panel game QI. In it each of the researchers, collectively known as "The QI Elves", present their favourite fact that they have come across that week.
02
How to Fail with Elizabeth Day By: Elizabeth Day is a podcast that celebrates the things that haven't gone right. Every week, a new interviewee explores what their failures taught them about how to succeed better.
03
Off Menu By: Ed Gamble / James Acaster Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster is a food and comedy podcast in which guests are invited to select their dream menu by British comedians Gamble and Acaster. Off Menu was launched in December 2018 and was nominated for the 2019 British Podcast Awards in the Best Entertainment category
Uncanny Valley is a coming of age story set against the backdrop of our generation's very own gold rush
04
Table Manners By: Jessie Ware Jessie Ware hosts a podcast about food, family, and the beautiful art of having a chat, direct from her very own dinner table.
By: Uncanny Valley
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Glastonbury
F E S T I VA L O F P E R F O R M I N G A R T S
With large group gatherings still very much out of the question, I’m sure we will all be missing our festival fix this summer! Whilst it’s not quite the same
as sharing a field with 250000 others, wailing along to Beyonce and dancing in Shangri-La until sunrise, the BBC uploaded hours of archive footage of the biggest festival in the UK to enjoy from the warmth of your own home (who wants to be covered in mud anyway eh?!). Celebrating 50 years of Glastonbury Festival, get stuck in..
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Mantra Weekender MALMESBURY / COTSWOLDS 2018
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We reminisce on our Festival in Summer 2018 and look forward to whats to fun times in a field again soon.
To celebrate such a fantastic year so far, we headed to Boondock’s Festival to let our hair down and celebrate the community we have built between us. What better way to come together than to spend the weekend sharing stories over sharing beer whilst soaking up the fresh air of the great outdoors. We spent the weekend camping together, donning our brightest festival gear and dancing until the sun came up over the stunning West Country hills. We were lucky enough to occupy our own section of the festival, with our own tipis and fire-pits; Boondocks is all about finding your Tribe, and we have certainly found ours here . We are a community. We work together, travel together...and party together. We hope you all had a fantastic weekend!
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Office List 2020
CATEGORY OFFICE LIST
Our UK, Spanish and Russian office list. Please be sure to visit our social media channels for future developments
UK
RUSSIA
SPAIN
Mantra Marketing Group James Buckley / Francis Colam www.mantramarketinggroup.com
JB Company Zhasmina Suleimanova Moscow website coming soon
EMDI Marketing Nelson Pereira Reus www.emdimarketing.com
RedSeven Marketing Robert Cotterell Swindon / www.redsevenmarketing.co.uk
Magic Magomed Parizhev Krasnodar website coming soon
RedSeven 2 Dale Trinder Cheltenham www.redsevenmarketing.co.uk
ZIMA Albina Zigangirova Moscow website coming soon
Enigma Mark Widnel Plymouth website coming soon
People Boosted Veronica Ovechkina Moscow website coming soon
Monument Promotions Matt Nicholson Swindon www.monumentpromotions.co.uk
ZAR Marketing Aidar Zamaletdinov Belarus www.asana-mg.com
Fairview Advertising David Hebblethwaite Ipswich www.fairviewadvertising.co.uk
First Group Albina Fazlieva Nizhny Novgorod www.firstgroup.moscow
Redline Promotions Chance Cowie Manchester website coming soon
Yuppie Timur Konovalov Moscow www.yuppie.city
B23 Marketing Roddy Barker Glasgow website coming soon
We Make Radik Kamalov St Petersburg www.pr-wm.com
The Promotions Company Phil Reid Bristol www.promotions-company.co.uk
Luck Look Company Aina Papedova Krasnodor website coming soon
Regardless Marketing Floyd Marriot London www.regardlessmarketing.com
MarGroup Mikhail Mareev Nizhny Novgorod website coming soon
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