BOSSMENTOR® Renaissance Magazine - April Issue

APRIL 2009

RENAISSANCE MAGAZINE

Strategy How Relevant Are You Really to Your Clients?

How To Riding the Recession 10-Step Plan

Favourite Things Lifestyle, Design & Luxuryl

Success Mindset Ignite your Dreams

Corporate Insights Marketing in a Professional Services Firm

Spotlight Be Seduced by Egypt

Mercedes Benz 5 Brand Lessons from a Global Company

DREAM, BELIEVE, CREATE

Hello!

kind of journey (maybe shopping??)

Welcome to our second issue of BOSS-

The theme of this issue is journeys, and

MENTOR® Renaissance Magazine™!

we explore ways that your business and your personal life can take you on dif-

Thank you all for the incredibly posi-

ferent journeys to personal fulfillment.

tive feedback we received for the first issue!

The photo on the front cover is one

Enjoy!

Jenny Stilwell

from my recent holiday and is the door to a tomb at Abu Simbel.

A recurring symbol on many hieroglyphics and cartouches (a cartouche

Jenny Stilwell

is like a personal brand for a king or queen) is the symbol for life – the ‘Ankh’.

At Ramesses temple in Abu Simbel I caught sight of a magnificent, beautifully shiny gold key, in the shape of this symbol. The key weighed a tonne and I didn’t fancy my chances of bringing it home… unfortunately… I think the two images of the incredibly high, very heavy wooden door opening up to lead us into new sights and experiences, and the symbol of life, are good images to hold as we move forward on our journeys.

In this issue, we have other journeys to share with you: my journey into being seduced by Egypt (page 22), the not always smooth journey that the Mercedes Benz brand has taken over the last 150 years (page20), the journeys that our dreams can take us on (Rebecca Ryan’s article page 6), and the journey that a relatively new professional services firm has taken in its journey to become global (page 16).

We have two book reviews for you, and also a wonderful section on ‘Favourite Things’ that will take you on a different

2

BossMentor Renaissance Magazine • www.bossgroup.com.au

‘Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries.’

James Michener, American Writer.

Table of contents Success Mindset

4 Meditation - The Competitive Advantage 6 Ignite Your Dreams 7 The List of 100 Dreams

How To

9 Riding the Recession Survive & Thrive With This 10-Step Plan

Strategy

15 How Relevant Are You Really To Your Clients?

Corporate Insights

17 Trish Finnemore - Marketing & NBD In A Global Firm

20 Best Info

Leadership & Legacy

21 Mercedes Benz: 5 Brand Lessons from a Global Company

Favourite Things

23 Snippets of info on Lifestyle, Design & Luxury Resorts

Spotlight

25 Be Seduced by Egypt...

Business Growth, Mentoring & Coaching

31 Programs Other Resources And Products

32 About BOSSMENTORÂŽ

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3

Success Mindset

Meditation

The Competitive Advantage Sarah Fletcher teaches simple and practical meditation, and believes meditation is an important life skill. She also writes a meditation blog at www.quietmindmeditation. blogspot.com.

and productivity i.e. busyness. What

“Attention is the key to learning, and

then happens is that the stress simply

meditation helps you voluntarily

goes to work inside the body... silently

regulate it” says Dr. Davidson.

causing ill health and imbalance.

Suddenly our thinking sharpens, our Medical research estimates as much as

concentration and focus improve, we

80-85% of illness and disease is stress

become more efficient and decisive,

related.

priorities become clearer and plans

Stress is what galvanises the body to get

to achieve our life’s vision magically

away from the ‘tiger’ (real or imag-

Meditation is now being taken up in

ined)... ensuring we get the food rather

growing numbers as people seek to

than become the food! Adrenaline and

improve their health and maximise their

Meditation gives us an immediately

hormones speed the metabolism, the

performance. Anyone serious about

accessible, constantly renewable and

heart beats faster and our breath rate

achieving their career and life goals

amazingly powerful competitive

rapidly increases, the digestive and

needs to ensure that they continue to

advantage!

immune systems stop functioning, and

remain competitive, and for many, medi-

our natural pain-killers (cortisone and

tation is their ‘secret weapon’ because

Anyone experiencing ongoing and unre-

endorphins) flood our system – this is

meditation practice not only helps get

solved stress will find it increasingly

the fight-flight response, the survival

rid of the unwanted symptoms of stress;

difficult to make good decisions; what

mechanism inherited from our caveman

it also deeply rests the mind, clears out

tends to happen is that we fall into a

ancestors. In times long past, once the

the clutter and provides the clarity to

pattern of tunnel vision and reliance on

danger had disappeared, our bodies

discern what’s important and what’s

habitual reactions (reactions that may

would naturally trigger the resetting of

not.

be dead wrong in our rapidly changing

our internal systems bringing us back to balance and releasing the stress.

4

By Sarah Fletcher

appear!

world). Reduced flexibility, inability to Dr. Richard Davidson of the University

listen and retain pertinent information,

of Wisconsin at Madison found that ‘the

disengagement, uncertainty and short

Today however our fight-flight mecha-

brain functioning of serious medita-

term focus are hardly going to provide

nism is continually being triggered, and

tors is “profoundly different” from

us with robust and creative solutions.

rarely reset back to balance. Most peo-

that of non-meditators – in ways that

ple walk around with permanent low-

suggest an elevated capacity to concen-

Alternatively, staying cool under pres-

grade stress, wilfully ignoring symp-

trate, sharpened focus and improved

sure, diffusing tension and stress as

toms and continuing to subconsciously

memory”. He calls meditation a “kind of

it accumulates through the day and

measure self-worth and success in speed

mental training.”

unfolding the mind regularly - enables

BossMentor Renaissance Magazine • www.bossgroup.com.au

Success Mindset

us to step back from the edge, see the

way. One recent study showed that

bigger picture, tap into intuitive abili-

after just two weeks of daily 30-minute

ties and bring forth creative solution.

sessions – individuals new to meditation

And you can start now.

Simple 4-7-8 breath technique

showed measurable brain and behaviour Learning to relax consciously, and do it

This exercise is extremely simple, takes

differences.

almost no time, no change of lifestyle or

quickly in any situation, is the first step As well as increasing productivity by

equipment needed... this exercise can be

preventing stress related health issues;

done in a queue, on the bus or even in

In recent years technology and science

meditation also seems to help regulate

a meeting. Practice the technique a few

have been better able to measure and

emotions, which helps people communi-

times a day whenever you need to wash

observe the many benefits of medita-

cate and work together better. “One of

off some stress.

tion. Studies using modern MRI tech-

the most important domains meditation

• Place the tip of your tongue against

nology researching the brains of long-

acts upon is emotional intelligence – a

the ridge of tissue just behind your

time meditators, showed that meditation

set of skills far more consequential for

upper front teeth (and keep it there

affects the structure and functioning of

life success than cognitive intelligence”

throughout the exercise)

the brain, and found a thickening of the

says Dr. Davidson.

in meditation.

cortex in areas involved with attention and sensory processing – areas that usu-

• Exhale completely through your

One breath at a time

ally shrink as we get older.

mouth – making an audible whoosh sound • Close your mouth and inhale quietly

Incorporating multiple short ‘spot’

through the nose to a mental count of

Dr. Herbert Benson, President of the

meditations throughout the day is the

FOUR

Mind Body Medical Institute and As-

ideal starting point for managing stress.

sociate Professor of Medicine at Harvard

Spot meditations allow us to experience

Medical School, is the man behind 30+

some dramatic and immediate results,

years of ongoing research of what he

as well as the ability to recognise our

calls the ‘Relaxation Response’. Dr.

individual hallmarks of stress, and how

• This is one breath. Now inhale again

Benson has shown that practicing medi-

to trigger the relaxation response when-

and repeat the cycle for three more

tators (eliciting the relaxation response)

ever needed.

times – to a total of four breathes.

• Gently hold your breath for a count of SEVEN • Exhale completely through your mouth to a count of EIGHT

have significant cumulative benefits in managing stress. To quote Benson,

This is meditation in the heat of the

Go ahead and try this exercise – it’s

‘repeated activation of the relaxation

moment!

a guaranteed positive return on your

response can reverse sustained problems

investment!

in the body and mend the internal wear and tear brought on by stress’.

Mental Pause Holding on for that one big annual holiday is not the ideal way of dealing with ongoing stress, and we can’t just store it on another memory stick. The best approach to managing stress is a proactive and ongoing one. For those who cry they ‘cant afford the time’ – a bonus from recent studies has been the finding that with relaxation and meditation practices a little apparently goes a long

BossMentor Renaissance Magazine • www.bossgroup.com.au

5

Success Mindset

Ignite Your Dreams

By Rebecca Ryan

Suddenly my toes are very cold, I step

ley ahead of me, there are at least ten

back, out of the icy water pooling at my

thousand items, and here I am, with my

feet. Its cold but not unbearable. I slide

1. Dream the impossible, who cares if it

basket of frozen foods heating up...

my basket a few inches forward and

comes off, if it makes you smile its a suc-

step into the circle, maybe, as a grown

cessful dream.

The kid’s magazine in the rack oppo-

up mermaid, I’ll stand here and dream

site me catches my eye. There are three

dreams for me.

freedom, they look like they’ve never queued for anything in their fantastic little lives. I heard somewhere that we build our images of what we want when we’re kids. It looks like these three are on a winner. I guess they dream of nice houses and Prince Charmings and horses. I remember wanting good friends and pretty kids and horses. It sounds so mundane now, luckily, I also dreamed of growing up and being a mermaid...

2. Imagination is more important than knowledge - and free and constantly

beautiful girls, all smiles and energy and

Can I dream other dreams now, at this late stage – especially as I’ve lived beyond my original ones? If I could get past the weight of my expectations and my disappointment and my fear, I wonder what I would dream. From here, where would I go?

What would I do?

I’m looking at the white teeth and perfect hair of one particularly enviable girl. You can’t see anything of who she actually is under all the cool clothes and makeup. She could be hand drawn for all I can tell. I peer at her a bit, no, shes real. Was I trying to be her, breathtaking and lifeless, when I dreamed a mainstream future for myself?

The trolley in front of me jostles a bit and I’m back to loafing, watching the checkout boy scanning one item at a time (we’re down to just five thousand).

6

Tips for dreaming

I’m standing, staring into the trol-

BossMentor Renaissance Magazine • www.bossgroup.com.au

available NB The mainstream and your inner critic probably aren’t good places to dream from, their dreams might not take into account what YOU want.

Rebecca is the Director of Living Dreams, a specialist coaching & training company with a vision to think differently. She can be contacted via mobile URL betterfuturenow.mobi or email ylangroup@optusnet.com.au.

Success Mindset

The List of 100 Dreams...

I realized some time ago that I had somehow, somewhere along the way, let go of my dreams. I hadn’t abandoned them, but I

By Jenny Stilwell

Use a spreadsheet or a piece of paper. Draw up these headings:

had definitely neglected them. It happens… and it’s not good.

As I walked through the park opposite my house the other day, I was drawn in to a group of children playing underneath

Your aim is to reach a list with 100 dreams on it.

Things that make your heart sing when you think of how you’ll feel when you achieve/do them.

a tree. The branches stretched way out, sort of like a Christmas tree shape, and in the space between the ground and

99 Do it on your own.

where the lowest branches started, they were huddled around

99 Get your partner to do one too and see how well matched

the trunk of the tree playing a game. I couldn’t hear what they were doing but they were totally absorbed in their game...

your lists are.

99 Get the whole family to do it.

99 Have your business partner do it with you.

I have found a great replacement for hiding under tree

99 Just do it!

branches, that adults can engage in quite easily! (If you really do prefer the tree thing, that’s OK too!) I acquired this idea

By the time the next issue of Renaissance is in your hands,

from Jack Canfield, in the book profiled in this issue. It’s hard

you could have done this exercise, and have started moving

to get going, but once you start to limber up your imagination,

toward your List of 100 Dreams…

it becomes really fun.

Places to go

People to meet

Things to achieve / do

Things to have

Things to be

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7

Photographer: Chris Aschenbrener

8

BossMentor Renaissance Magazine • www.bossgroup.com.au

How To

Riding The Recession

Survive and Thrive with This 10 Step Plan

A

By Jenny Stilwell

s everyone is aware,

to survive and thrive in the recession.

people who have been there and sur-

sales and marketing

Some of this content has been published

vived. These people are real evidence

become even more criti-

in past issues from the BOSSMEN-

of what happens if you take the right

cal functions in a market

TOR® Business e-news over the last few

steps. They also know how to be

months.

resourceful and will make you feel the

downturn. Divesting your business of marketing resources is the worst thing to do.

Step 1 Reframe Your Thinking

If ‘Sales’ is the pointy end that goes out

same way.

• Stay away from the newspapers and the news while you do this step (and longer if you can!).

and meets with prospective clients and

We all have days where we can’t get our

secures business for your firm, ‘Market-

mindset away from the negatives and

grateful for and put these things

ing’ is the driving force that attracts

the negative ‘what-ifs’. These days put

into perspective; focus on all you are

people to your company/products/

us in hell, and keep us in hell!

grateful for in your life.

services and positions you in the right

• Perspective - know what you are

• Focus on the process for now, not

market to attract the right potential

I know what it’s like, you read the

the outcome. Don’t worry about an

buyers, for products or services that

newspaper or the business pages, you

outcome; just know that when you

deliver outcomes and value.

have a conversation with a friend, you

do the right things, the right things

meet with a client, you attend a func-

happen. One step at a time and keep

Right now, these functions are critical,

tion, and depending on the informa-

as are efficient and effective operational

tion you take in, you could be positive,

procedures, cost management, and

negative, hopeful or despairing all

son’s philosophy is to expand when

measurement of return on any funds

within about 60 seconds flat!

your back is up against the wall. He

invested (for marketing or selling activi-

moving forward; don’t stop.

• Expand your thinking - Richard Bran-

means to adopt expansionary think-

ties, people, and resources of any kind

These are my tips to help you reframe

ing. Ask yourself questions like: who/

that are consumed by the business).

your thinking to get into the right

what market segments haven’t we sold

headspace to do what needs to be done

to and could we do it now, how; how

Here’s a summary of my 10-Step Plan to

in your business:

do we make our service/product com-

help you focus your activities on how

• Talk to calm, positive, resourceful

pelling and must-have; what are the

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9

How To

new needs emerging for our clients

– but it has to be of interest and of

Use testimonials:

and target market.

value to generate new leads’

• on your website

• Use whatever it takes to shift your

• in your marketing collateral

mindset into a calmer and more re-

The most effective source of low cost

• as part of your message on hold

sourceful state: music, physical activ-

lead generation is typically referrals &

• framed and hung on your meeting

ity, quiet time, driving with the wind

testimonials. Speaking engagements are

in your hair! Do it.

also very effective as long as you are in

room walls

• When you’ve reframed your thinking

front of your target audience and your

Another important aspect of lead gen-

to be more resourceful, you can get

message has content they want to hear.

eration amongst warmer contacts is to use affiliation. By definition, if someone

stuck into Step 2 - keeping the sales With referrals, you need to ask clients

approaches you and also belongs to

who best reflect the sort of new clients

the same club as you, or is part of the

you’d like to attract. Knowing how

same association or industry group, or

you’ve been able to help them, they

even has children at the same school

will more easily translate that to other

or a partner that works for the same

companies of similar size or type. If

company as your partner, etc, you will

Your best source of sales is from exist-

relevant, don’t just ask your contact for

be more inclined toward that person

ing clients. However, you also need to

a referral, but any other people in the

because affiliation to the same thing cre-

implement lead generation activities to

client’s organisation that you’ve been

ates a warm contact.

attract new prospective clients so you

dealing with and have a good relation-

have a pipeline of leads for the future,

ship with. They can also be an excellent

So, explore your own memberships and

not just for now.

source of referrals.

associations and groups to develop new

momentum going!

Step 2 Lead Generation & Sales Building a Pipeline

leads.

When creating leads, your goal is to

You can ask for referrals and do several

start with the warmest way of generat-

things with them:

ing new contacts, as warm leads will en-

• call those people directly with the aim

able you to build your relationship with these contacts faster than cold leads.

of setting up a meeting • have lunch or a meeting with your cli-

Remember, the goal is for your contacts

ent and the person they are referring

This applies to new opportunities

to know you, like you and trust you. All

you to – best where you have a very

within your niche market, as well as op-

your lead generation marketing activity

good relationship with your client

portunities in new niches.

needs to be around ways to make this

and the process will flow very easily

happen in the soonest possible time.

• invite your clients and their contacts

Ask yourself: ‘what new things do busi-

to a function or event you are hold-

nesses/people in my target market need

Ask yourself: ‘what is the most effective

ing, where the referred contact will

now?’

way for me to not only get in touch with

have a chance to meet you, and see

new leads, but to give them a taste of

you in action, so to speak

the value I could give them?

• send something to the referred con-

Look at the niches or companies that are addressing those new needs and doing

• Let other people tell them how good

tacts directly so they have some back-

well, and consider what you could do

you are! (referrals and testimonials)

ground information on you and your

for them right now. Are they spending

company, then contact them with a

money on more people, more marketing,

view to having a meeting

more training, more financial planning

• Get in front of them and give them value first hand (speaking, being

interviewed, radio) • Give them content of value and of

10

Step 3 Identifying New Growth Opportunuties

advice, more HR advice?

For those clients who aren’t comfortable

interest (research data relating to

referring, or don’t have any contacts

This step was covered off in more detail

their niche, webinars, teleseminars,

they think would be appropriate to

in the November 18th, 2008 issue of

magazines (like this one), books, etc

refer, ask them for a testimonial.

BOSSMENTOR® Business.

BossMentor Renaissance Magazine • www.bossgroup.com.au

How To

Step 4 Products & Services Marketing Reinvent to Remain Relevant Staying relevant and reinventing your offer is something that should happen on an ongoing basis in any market, as being complacent is a cardinal sin in business! So, it’s time to get out your wand and weave some magic!

I established a marketing consultancy during the last recession, against everyone’s advice, and initially I won clients on the basis of a very broad service offering.

Back then, a lot of people still thought marketing was about advertising, or producing brochures (I know, I know…!) so at times, the sales process was an uphill battle. It wasn’t really about the recession, it was about the relevance of my offer.

Here are 10 questions to ask yourself about your products/services, in order to keep them relevant: 1. Is your offering easy to sell?

steps in what they need to do to buy

Which products/services do your

If not, you need to chunk it down to

your product/service, an alternative

clients usually buy first? For example,

more manageable offers. For example,

offer is likely to have more interest and

will they ask you to design a brochure

when I was offering a broad marketing

relevance to them.

before they ask you to redesign their

service, it was difficult to sell because

website? Do they have you develop a

I was trying to be all things to all po-

3. What is the sales trend for your

strategy first, then do what’s needed

tential clients! By doing that, I wasn’t

products/services?

to implement it or project manage it?

focused on any one thing and so it was

That is, what sells well, what is it that

The point of this is that if you know

hard to sell. If you have trouble articu-

your clients don’t buy much of, and

what the sequence is, you can lead your

lating your offer, it won’t be relevant to

what’s the trend? If there’s a product

clients into it, rather than focus on just

your prospects!

or service that you offer but no-one is

selling one service on an ad hoc basis.

particularly interested in it, you need to

Focus on the sequence.

2. Is your offer easy to buy?

replace it with something more relevant,

Same as the above but from the pros-

and focus on those products/services

5. Does your offer reflect market

pect’s perspective. If they can’t get their

that sell well.

trends?

head around what your offer is it will

For example, if your marketing firm

have zero relevance to their business.

4. Is there a pattern in the purchas-

only focused on printed media and ig-

Also, if there are too many hurdles or

ing sequence?

nored digital, it would have decreasing

BossMentor Renaissance Magazine • www.bossgroup.com.au

11

How To

relevance in the broad market, as clients

it time for a spring clean and ‘relevance

want a mix of media.

overhaul’. Leap now, rewards later!

Strategy 2 Analyse your marketing returns

6. Can you quantify the outcomes

10. Finally, have you looked beyond

• Marketing options are many, but

and value you can deliver to your

your own market?

clients?

It’s always important to continually

This is essential in any business, but in

look at what other businesses are doing,

more buoyant markets a ‘nice to have’

both in your industry and beyond, and

marketing activities produce the best

offer is more likely to get through. In

watch what the leading companies are

results. If you’ve never tracked it then

tougher markets, your offer needs to be

doing. Constantly scan for ideas and

start doing so, otherwise you will

a ‘must have’ with tangible ROI for your

fresh perspectives and approaches.

potentially waste not only money but

not all marketing produces the same results • Make a point of knowing which

energy and time

prospects.

That’s for starters. Get onto it and see

• Also, make sure that the marketing

7.Have you converted services to

what you can do to shift your relevance

activities which produce the most

products?

rating up the scale by the next issue!

results also produce the best results

For example, a broad marketing service becomes far more relevant when it is packaged into products, such as Focus

Step 5 Identify & Address Risks

– that is, they attract the sort of potential clients that match your target profile

Group Product Testing, Lead Generation Without having to do an entire analy-

keting Campaign Packages, etc. Your

sis of your business operations, here

prospects understand what the service

are 3 quick strategies to minimize risk

is by the name you give it, and a prod-

and ensure you will ride through the

uct description can highlight the value

recession with a healthy and profitable

I can’t tell you how many clients I have

it delivers and the outcomes it achieves.

business:

worked with who don’t have sales forecasts and don’t do budgets. If you don’t

You can charge a higher fee for a packaged product and outcome, versus an hourly fee for a general service.

8. Have you had conversations with your clients and other business people to determine what their challenges are?

Strategy 1 Analyse your sales

forecast and track, you can’t effectively

• Know what you sell and to whom

your sales and marketing activities.

• Know which products and services

• Develop a P&L budget for your com-

are more in demand • Know what each product or service contributes to your business)

manage your cash flow and/or adjust

pany and/or your product • Over estimate your expected expenses and underestimate your expected sales

For example, if you are a Sales Consultant you could potentially be having a

Ideally, sell more of the ‘in demand’

field day offering lead generation and

products, sell more of the high value

will be determined by the length of

client growth services to many busi-

products, focus on the products that

your sales cycle: if you own a retail

nesses. If you provide services to your

contribute a large proportion of your

shop you can track this daily; if you

clients and want to secure the busi-

company’s revenue or profit.

sell high-end software systems you

favourable terms for your clients.

• Track on a regular basis (frequency

may track monthly)

ness you have, you may consider more

12

Strategy 3 Analyse & track your cash flow and sales forecast

Campaign Development, Email Mar-

Be mindful of the sales cycle too. If you have a very high value product that has

These 3 strategies alone are very quick

9. What’s to be scared about the

a long sales cycle, factor that into your

and effective ways to minimize risk in

positive aspects of reinvention?

forecasting. Balance the long sales cycle

your business and stay ahead in a tight

Just because you’ve had your business

products with those that are easier to

market.

for many years, doesn’t mean it needs to

sell, and are in effect your company’s

remain the same as it always has. Consider

‘bread and butter’.

BossMentor Renaissance Magazine • www.bossgroup.com.au

How To

Step 6: Client Growth – 5 Steps to New Revenue Focus on your existing clients and make sure you are providing them with everything you possibly can to make their life easier, wealthier, healthier, more pleasant, exciting etc.

Don’t neglect these clients, just because they are already your clients.

Remember that old saying, ‘a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush’, which always makes me laugh because how often does anyone want a bird or two in their hand?

Never mind about the birds, remember to stay on top of your client base: • Analyse your existing clients so you know where the opportunities and growth are • Set clear goals for how you want to

does not equal cash.

Keep updating your cashflow forecast

• Draw up a cashflow forecast spread-

on a regular basis – it is an ongoing

grow your clients and what you are

sheet (if you don’t know how to do

trying to achieve

it or have never done one before, get

• Focus on your relationships (refer to this issue’s article on ‘How Relevant Are You Really To Your Clients?’)

• Develop one page account plans to

your accountant to set it up for you and take you through it)

process.

Step 8 People & Getting Things Done

• Do your invoicing promptly • Ensure your receivables don’t blow

Make sure every person in your busi-

provide a clear summary of what you

out - keep on top of collecting your

ness, and those resources that are

need to focus on and how

revenue (collected revenue = cash!)

outsourced, are aware of exactly what

• Implement the actions needed to grow

• Make sure all your expenses are

your client base, and keep this loop

itemized (again, get your accountant

going

to check this for you)

Step 7 Manage Cashflow This is essential but many business

• Make sure your terms are in your

they need to do and how they will be assessed.

In order to keep things moving along in

favour (for example, don’t invoice

your business, you and your team will

projects 100% at the end but aim for

need to be focused on high yield activi-

progress payments with short terms)

ties (priorities) and do them efficiently.

• Manage your creditors – if you need

Efficiency applied to the right things =

owners don’t do cashflow forecasting.

to shuffle around your payments to

Even owners of multi-million dollar

coincide with payments, let your

businesses don’t do it.

creditors know. Communicate with

Now is a good time to review everyone’s

them at all times. Running away

Position Description (they all have one,

You must do cashflow forecasts so you

and not communicating is the worst

don’t they…) and the goals and KPIs

can be on top of money flowing in and

strategy!

attached. You want to make sure that

out of your business. Invoiced revenue

effective.

you and your team are all focused on

BossMentor Renaissance Magazine • www.bossgroup.com.au

13

How To

the outcomes that will produce the best results for your business.

Key activities are likely to be sales/ business development, marketing and promotion, new product/service reinvention/development, effective product/ service delivery and client growth (as well as cashflow management!).

Make sure your processes work. A phrase I heard from Bill Glazer (GKIC) is ‘inspect what you expect’. In other words, if you expect a certain process to

• Merging with another business

or a daily action list that’s been accumu-

have a certain outcomes or to flow in a

• Acquisition of another business or its

lated over a month.

particular way, check it and make sure it works.

products • New markets

They are the top two, five, ten things

• New channels (online, affiliates)

that you need to do to actually move the business forward. Your team will each

I recently did that as a matter of course with our website, and discovered that

When you assess your new opportuni-

there was no way anyone could buy a

ties, always consider:

product from us online! That’s why the

• What is the cost to do this?

Big Rocks define your top priorities and

‘Product’ section has been taken down

• What is the estimated return? Will it

keep them clear for the month ahead.

and when it goes back up, it will work the way it should.

be worth doing?

• Will this take my business closer to our overall goal?

You can check these processes in any

• What is the lead time on this opportu-

area of your business: what happens

nity (i.e. is it short term or long term)

have their own list of Big Rocks.

Whenever you feel a bit overwhelmed or off-track, refer to your Big Rocks list and you’ll be focused again.

The name and concept came from Ste-

when you get a new client on board;

• Does it capitalize on our strengths?

phen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Suc-

what happens if someone returns prod-

• Does it strengthen our weaknesses?

cessful People” whereby an exercise in

ucts; what happens when someone calls

• Is there another alternative that could

fitting big rocks, stones, pebbles, sand

your company; what happens when you sign people up via your website; what happens when your newsletter goes out; what happens when you

Step 9 Pursue & Assess New Opportunities

produce better results?

Step 10 Be Clear On Your Priorities Big Rocks

and water into a large jar will only work if you put the big rocks in first and the other items will fit in around them. If you focus on the small items first and give them your attention (fit them into the jar) you won’t have any room for the

I have a system that I use for my busi-

big rocks. They just won’t fit if you try

ness, and I encourage all my clients to

to put them in last!

use it as well.

These could be in the form of:

Big Rocks always go first, and I sug-

• New product/services (develop your

It’s called ‘Big Rocks’ and they repre-

gest you draw up a list for each month

own; licence or distribute others)

sent the activities in any given month

to keep you on track, and have your

• Joint ventures (for new projects/un-

that will move your business closer to

team do the same. Make sure you’re all

its goals.

in alignment and watch as you progress

dertakings with new partners) • Affiliates (to market/sell your products)

14

towards your big objectives.

They aren’t a checklist or a ‘to-do’ list

BossMentor Renaissance Magazine • www.bossgroup.com.au

Strategy

How Relevant Are You Really To Your clients?

Would any of your clients betray you?

your customers.

By Jenny Stilwell

for shelf space and working to replace

Would you have any warning? Any why

you. For those who deal with corporate

would they betray you? They would

We have done several surveys on behalf

clients, the competition is just as intense

if you were no longer relevant to their

of our clients to determine their ‘Cus-

to secure as much as possible of corpo-

business

tomer Relevance Score’. We use six

rate spending budgets.

questions and their associated feedback I want to take this opportunity to out-

to deliver results that will enable you

line a way to help optimize your core

to constantly stay ahead of the pack

business in a difficult market.

in servicing your customers. The end

A global tier one consulting firm de-

fectively ‘protects’ your position with

veloped a score called the NPS – Net

your key customers and continues to

Promoter Score. They use it with their

make you relevant to their business.

Clients don’t always complain if your service is no longer relevant to them. They just ‘go’.

result is a score you can track that ef-

multi-national clients to determine how close they are to their clients and there-

It is also a great customer service tool

fore how secure that relationship is. The

from the client’s perspective, just

essence of it is, how well would your

because you have taken the time to ask

clients really speak of you to others and

what they think, want and need. And,

how important are you really to their

some of the results that are uncovered

business.

include feedback on how to strengthen your relevance to your client’s business,

A high rating with customers is es-

and what you need to do to build or

sential if your business is to success-

maintain secure relationships.

fully ride the recession. It is now more important than ever to have a strategic

For companies that deal with retailers,

focus to protect your greatest asset –

there are many competitors jockeying

BossMentor Renaissance Magazine • www.bossgroup.com.au

15

Strategy

If you don’t ask, you may be exposing

adopting innovation in everything they

example in PR, recruitment, design and

your business to a potential risk. Isn’t it

do, now uses this score and what it tells

branding firms, this is an essential tool.

worth asking the question?

them is to stay as close to their clients

If your business targets high net worth individuals, for example, this is especially important, as the level of service these clients receive must be of a very high level in

as possible. There is limited room for a

You can do this exercise yourself or

competitor to take their place and they

you could approach us to do it for you.

want to keep it that way!

Either way, if you have high value

If your business targets high net worth individuals, for example, this is especially important, as the level of service these clients receive must be of a very high level in line with their fees! Would

Clients don’t always complain if your service is no longer relevant to them. They just ‘go’.

you like more free time and if so, how would you spend it?

line with their fees!

clients in particular, just make sure you do something to assess and protect your

I undertook this exercise on behalf of a

relationship with them!

business advisor and a financial advisor, and both received very low scores. The

Set your business goals because they are

potential risk of their clients moving to

in alignment with what you really want

There are many benefits in identifying

another firm was high. For both firms,

to do, and enable you to live a great life.

your Customer Relevance Score now:

the level of service they received was

Don’t set goals simply because you can,

• If you don’t take the time to do it,

not of high perceived value and for

and be tethered by them as a result.

your competitors will – it will be

both again, their service offerings were

good for your customers to see you

confusing and as such, seen as not par-

Think of the lines in the INXS song:

take the lead

ticularly relevant. Needless to say, they

‘we all have wings, but some of us don’t

weren’t happy with their respective

know why’. Make sure your business

sightful information on what really

results, but at least we could then put a

enables you to use your wings and fly!

strengthens your business position

plan of action in place to address these

with your customers – this is the best

risk exposures.

• In a difficult market, you want in-

way to get it • You can get feedback from more than

If you are in a highly competitive

one contact in the organisation, pro-

market where competitors are always

viding a more holistic perspective of

pitching to win your clients over, for

your company • It’s the best way to discover if you could be lifting your game, and in what way

• It can be done quickly, in a way that is convenient for your customers, and at minimal cost to you Once you have this information – your score – you can use it in your business as a KPI that is measured each year.

If you are in a highly competitive market where competitors are always pitching to win your clients over, for example in PR, recruitment, design and branding firms, this is an

One of my clients, always mindful of minimising risk in their business, and

16

essential tool.

BossMentor Renaissance Magazine • www.bossgroup.com.au

Corporate Insights

Trish Finnemore ‘Get the Marketing Mix Right’ experts who focus on risk, advisory

dence, corporate governance, internal

Name

and transaction services. We help firms

control assessment, and enhanced finan-

Trish Finnemore

solve problems in finance, operations,

cial disclosure.

Position

technology, governance, risk and com-

Business Development & Marketing Manager

pliance. Protiviti has over sixty offices

Protiviti helps companies with the SOX

in fifteen countries in Asia-Pacific, the

compliance. This flowed on to countries

Location

Americas, Europe and the Middle East

including Australia - there are many

Melbourne, Australia

and employs over 3,000 professionals.

companies here that are head-quartered

Company

Protiviti, a global audit & consulting firm

in the US that required SOX compliance.

JS: How big is the firm in Australia and how long have you been in operation?

Website

JS: So the initial growth driver was regulatory compliance?

www.protiviti.com

Trish: In Australia, we have five offices

Size

in Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth

Trish: Initially, but since then we’ve

3,000 employees

and Sydney. Protiviti started in the US

built a significant Internal Audit and

almost seven years ago and in Australia

Risk Consulting business in Australia

JS: Hi Trish, thanks again for agreeing

we are celebrating our fifth anniversary

including technology risk. We have

to be interviewed for Renaissance

this month.

a global alliance with SAP and work

Magazine. I thought it would be

with them on governance, risk and

interesting for our readers to have

JS: So what’s been the driver behind

some insights into how you approach

the firm’s rapid global growth?

marketing for a growing global consulting firm.

compliance implementations.

JS: And what was the rollout model for

Trish: In the first few years, our growth

the next offices outside the US?

came out of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act Before we start talking about you and

2002. SOX (that’s what it’s generally

Trish: Each office was started by profes-

your role, could you tell us a little bit

known as) was a response to a number

sionals, originally from other firms, who

about Protiviti?

of large corporate scandals including

were able to develop a client base and

Enron, Tyco and Worldcom which cost

build the firm up in that country

Trish: Protiviti is a global business

investors billions of dollars. The Act

consulting and internal audit firm with

covers issues such as auditor indepen-

JS: And what role do you see marketing

BossMentor Renaissance Magazine • www.bossgroup.com.au

17

Corporate Insights

having in the growth of the company,

JS: So, you’ve been a brand marketer in

is differentiation through the applica-

particularly here in Australia?

FMCG, and a marketer of professional

tion of marketing strategies whether

services. Broadly speaking, how does

that’s in the product, pricing, advertis-

the marketing differ?

ing or whatever.

executive team in Australia imple-

Trish: This is a good question. I see

In the services industry, marketing was

menting business development strate-

a lot of marketing short-sightedness

much slower to take off. Banks were

gies. We have an excellent CRM system,

when it comes to viewing the difference

focusing their attention toward market-

Salesforce, that helps us to capture

between consumer and services market-

ing in the 1980’s and we have only seen

leads, contacts and opportunities. In a

ing. For the most part, the theory

it in professional services firms since the

service firm like Protiviti, establishing

of marketing applies in all areas of

1990’s. We still have a way to go.

Trish: My role is much broader than marketing. I work with Protiviti’s

a strong business development culture and processes is vital to its success, particularly during challenging economic times such as these.

The business development strategies drive the marketing plan in terms of the target audience, key initiatives and budget. Whatever marketing strategy we implement, it has to be in synergy with the business development plan.

I’m not sure I could do my job effectively without being across both roles in the business.

JS: So you focus on top level business growth down to the level of account planning?

We all need to look outside our own industries to other strategies being used by marketers in other businesses.

Trish: In a service firm you need to have your head around both areas.

marketing irrespective of the indus-

I have been able to use my marketing

Client growth – who your clients are,

try and whether you are marketing a

skills obtained from a number of indus-

how you will grow them, what their

service or a product.

tries to think more broadly and strategi-

needs are and how you can deliver that

cally about the issues facing Protiviti

– needs a plan. It’s about real targets

I won’t deny that consumer market-

and how it applies to this industry. I’m

and how you’re going to achieve them.

ing has been doing that successfully

not afraid to challenge norms and try

We need to stay on top of things – for

for well over 50 years and the most

new things. I would like to see the pro-

example, we need to know about up-

proficient companies at marketing are

fession broaden its thinking about the

coming tenders before they even go out.

in the FMCG industries. In my view

synergies rather than thinking about

We have a national approach to our key

that’s because the whole business is

the differences.

clients. Business development - what

marketing centric rather than driven by

we do at an account level - and what

sales or accounting or other parts of the

JS: How would you look at the syner-

we do to market the firm overall are

business. They have to be because they

gies?

crucially interwoven.

operate in a highly competitive market and the only thing that sets them apart

18

BossMentor Renaissance Magazine • www.bossgroup.com.au

Trish: Well, first of all marketers need

Corporate Insights

to be broader in their thinking and

Trish: There’s no one measure overall,

to improve our position in the market

open their mind to employing people

but these are some of the measures you

while our competitors are slowing down

from other industries. Tunnel vision

can use for different types of activity:

their efforts.

You can move around and be better

For PR you can measure number of

Just last week in the paper I read about

marketers because of it.

releases produced and the number

a marketing head at a high-profile law

of those that get into the media. For

firm being “shown the door” along with

JS: We all need to look outside our

advertising, you can ask new people

members of her team.

own industries to other strategies

approaching the firm where they hear

being used by marketers in other

about Protiviti, and do informal research

It’s tough for marketers right now but

businesses. All we have to do is look

that way. Formal research is costly so we

businesses equally need to ensure that

at the airlines and how they’ve always

try to capture this information informal-

their marketing function is deliver-

catered to different categories of flyer,

ly. For conferences, collecting business

ing to the bottom line. That’s why

with First, Business, Premium Business

cards is a measure relative to the total

having measurable objectives is so

and Economy. That same principle has

number of attendees. We also try to col-

important to demonstrate the value

been carried into many industries and

lect names and titles of people who may

of marketing to the business. And it

businesses where different levels of

be interested in our services, at a very

helps to have bosses who are strategic

experience are offered for a premium –

minimum.

in their approach.

is too rampant – it stifles creativity.

both product and service businesses.

You can measure on fairly simple things,

The reality is for most marketers that

Trish: That’s right. You see people not

for example with electronic mail-outs

budgets will be cut. This is where we

getting marketing roles because they

you can measure open rates and click-

need to employ all our skills to be

don’t have the exact experience in that

throughs to downloads and links.

better communicators with the busi-

industry, but they could bring a lot of fresh ideas and creativity to it.

ness to make sure they are seeing the You have to be able to capture and

value in what is being delivered.

record this sort of information, and then JS: How important is the marketing mix

you can build up trend information and

JS: Finally, what do you do when you’re

in what you do?

analyse performance from one year, or

not focused on marketing strategy for

activity, to the next. It involves work

Protiviti?

Trish: It’s crucial to the success of the

and follow up, but that’s what you have

plan and achievement of objectives.

to do.

Trish: I’m an active person and enjoy

You can only really start to determine

spending time at the gym. I workout

the most effective mix when you have

JS: A lot of people don’t really under-

mainly for my brain but I also get the

set up measurable objectives and be

stand what marketing is, but a lot of

benefits of keeping in shape. I love

in a position to calculate ROI. When

business owners in particular are now

skiing and I’m hoping for a cold winter

I came into this role, there was a skew

very focused on marketing as a way to

with lots of snow on the mountains. I

towards conferences and events. We

survive and thrive in a tough market.

grew up in Queensland and didn’t start

have adjusted our mix and now have a

What’s your view of marketing as a

to ski until I was in my thirties. And

more balanced approach. It enables me

business function?

now I’m totally addicted to the sport

to focus on other areas such as publicity

and can’t get enough of it!

that has delivered greater returns for us

Trish: I’m fortunate to work for a

as a business.

strategically-minded leader who looks

JS: I’ll keep my fingers crossed for

at these economic conditions as an op-

buckets of snow! Thanks Trish – it’s

JS: How do you go about measuring

portunity for Protiviti. Being a young

been great having a chat about the

the results of your marketing, as this is

organisation, we still have a way to go

importance of marketing – one of my

something that many businesses, of all

with brand awareness so we will con-

favourite subjects!

sizes, struggle with?

tinue with our existing marketing plans

BossMentor Renaissance Magazine • www.bossgroup.com.au

19

Best info

ships--only Jack Canfield is addressing this greater void in the marketplace of

BOOKS

Content Rating

ideas.

Easy-Read Score

The Success Principles(tm) is a water-

Promotional Blurb

shed book for a renewed era of Success-

The three-pointed star. Magic. Mys-

oriented culture, touching on every

tique. Mercedes-Benz.

aspect of our lives. As Napoleon Hill’s

Success Principals Jack Canfield

Think and Grow Rich was a touchstone

With its legendary performance and

for readers last century, so this book

quality, Mercedes-Benz is one of the

will become the new self improvement

most recognizable brands in existence.

standard for our own.

The first book to examine Mercedes-

Summary

Benz as a brand phenomenon, Enduring Passion provides a fascinating look at

Jack Canfield’s style is very engaging,

how the brand developed and the myths

based as it is on telling the stories of

and realities surrounding it as it faced

people whose experiences are relevant

the global convulsions of war, mergers,

to the lessons in each chapter.

and economic uncertainty. Handsomely produced in a large format and richly

Although he himself uses these same

illustrated with previously unpublished

principles and has a track record as

photographs, Enduring Passion is the

testament to their effectiveness, they are

life story of the Mercedes-Benz brand

not all Jack’s principles. What he has

and how its iconic symbol became a

done is collect and collate proven strate-

synonym for power and elegance.

gies, many around mindset, from the masters of personal development – Tony

Summary

Robbins, Bob Proctor et al.

From a marketing perspective this is a fabulous reference book that can

Content Rating Easy-Read Score

It’s a good read, it has very practical ad-

provide some interesting and useful

vice that’s easy to follow, and it’s worth

frameworks for assessing and managing

picking up a copy if ‘success’ is a topic

a brand. The history of both Mercedes

of interest.

and Benz and how these two companies

To be human is to aspire to success: in

Enduring Passion: The Story of the MercedesBenz Brand

life, home, relationships, work, educa-

Leslie Butterfield

Promotional Blurb

were brought together, with quite different cultures, also makes for a fascinating acquisitions and mergers case study.

Beyond that, the history of the highs

tion, creative expression, and indeed in

and lows of a global brand and the

every aspect of daily living. Not since

strategies to keep its fortunes and value

the seminal works of Dale Carnegie and

intact, is definitely worth reading.

Napoleon Hill has a writer produced a work that can inspire, instruct, and

This is a beautiful hard cover book with

practically nurture the impulse for

fabulous images that could also be a

success in all its manifold expressions.

coffee table book once you’ve finished

While many authors are serving seg-

reading it.!

ments around this need--mentoring, coaching, discipline, habits, relation-

20

BossMentor Renaissance Magazine • www.bossgroup.com.au

Leadership & Legacy

5 Lessons from a Global Brand Mercedes-Benz: 150 Years of Passion People create legacies. People create

There are many lessons to be learned

Some brands have the power to satisfy a

brands that become their legacy.

from this amazing story of brand legacy,

range of human needs from belonging,

but here are just a few to provide some

status, recognition and self esteem. Very

food for thought:

powerful stuff.

Strong brands help us to make choices, because we know what they stand for and what their promise to us is.

If someone mentioned your brand to

Does your brand help your potential

Not all brands are the result of great strategy. Some evolve.

So is the case of the Mercedes Benz brand, a brand that has been appreciated by several generations over the last 120 years, and a brand that is known in most countries of the world. The brand extends from luxury limousines to road

me, and I’d heard of you before, what sort of images would you want me to think of?

sweepers (yes!).

In 1995, the International Olympic Committee conducted a worldwide survey that revealed that the Mercedes-Benz logo of the three-pointed star was better known around the world than the Christian cross. 1

clients make choices? Is it clear what you stand for?

A representative from Mercedes-Benz Think about some of the brands you

said the company had its first strategic

have around you – your car, your

discussions only in the 1980s. That same

perfume, your handbag, your makeup,

person said the brand was a result of

your watch.

working in little steps and was up until that point, a ‘happy accident’.

That’s a legacy. The history is colourful

What images come to mind when we

and has plenty of bumps in the road,

talk about ‘Chanel’?

My personal view on that is that such

but what are some of the lessons we can

evolution comes from being authen-

deduce from a brand that has grown

What sort of lifestyle does reference to

tic in how the brand was continuously

from the alliance of two quite different

Ralph Lauren evoke?

improved and the pursuit of excellence

and potentially competing car compa-

behind it. Being authentic in anything

nies? (The company founders were Karl

What sort of person wears the Nike

can create its own level of leadership to

Benz, and Gottlieb Daimler.)

brand?

others.

BossMentor Renaissance Magazine • www.bossgroup.com.au

21

Leadership & Legacy

Are you and your brand really coming

outside unfold upon the screen, as if it

tional Values Authenticity Innovation

from a place of authenticity?

were a silent movie.”

Leadership Quality Flip Side Complex

For brands that have the power to evoke feelings in consumers who want to belong to the brand and be part of its story, the companies behind them can charge a premium.

Inconsistent Complacent

Great brands have an essence

If you’re interested in brands and This representation of the brand’s as-

marketing I urge you to read the book

sociations (both positive and negative),

detailing the history of the brand, how

outstanding features of the product, and

it survived through difficult times, and

the values of the brand are summed up

the future of the brand is it looks from

here. The flip side represents the unin-

today. The history of a great legacy in

The figures below are a couple of years

tended perceptions of what the brand

automation, and marketing a brand!

old now, but it shows the relative values

stands for, which if you’re going to take

of global brands and how they have

care with your brand you need to be

1 The International Olympic Committee

shifted between 2004 and 2007 (they are

mindful of.

survey into symbol recognition. Sample of

taken from Interbrand’s annual analysis of leading brands):

Leading brands create powerful messages

7,000 questioned in the UK, US, GerThe essence of the Mercedes-Benz brand

many, Australia, India, Japan. Details

today is one of enduring passion (which

published in Today, 20 July 1995.

is why the book is titled thus, and not

Flip Side

the other way round!).

Complex Inconsistent Complacent

Back in Henry Ford’s day, the choice of

I’ve used this brand template in devel-

your car in any colour, as long as it was

oping brand strategies with my clients,

black, was not such a big deal because

and if it’s good enough for the Mercedes

how many cars were on the road any-

Benz brand, it’s good enough for me!

way? Choice of colour was less important than the accessibility of actually

Mercedes-Brand Today Essence Endur-

being able to own a car. Just having the

ing Passion Product Safe Durable Ad-

car was a sign of wealth.

vanced Luxurious Performance Associa-

Associations Positive: Trusted Special Dynamic Negative: Ostentatious Serious Traditional

per se, and more about lifestyle (think message of the brand to today’s global

Enduring Passion

Values

Negative: Ostentatious Serious Tradi-

The Top 10 most valuable global brands

consumers).

2004

2004 Rank

2007

2007 Rank

Coca Cola

67.4B

1

65.2B

1

the Mercedes-Benz brand – Enduring

Microsoft

65B

2

58.7

2

Passion, featured in this issue’s ‘Books’

IBM

53.8B

3

57.0

3

section – is taken from inside the car,

GE

44.1B

4

51.5

4

Intel

33.5B

5

30.9

7

Disney

27.1B

6

29.2

9

The photo on the cover of the story of

looking over the three-pointed emblem on the hood of the car. It is accompanied by words that speak to a lifestyle requirement of a certain type of con-

McDonalds

25B

7

29.3

8

sumer. They are:

Nokia

24B

8

33.6

5

Toyota

22.7B

9

32.0

6

Marlboro

22.1B

10

21.2

14

Mercedes

?

25.5

10

“The door shut with all the reassurance of a vacuum sealed vault. Then I sat back in my seat and watched the world

22

Essence

Safe Durable Advanced Luxurious Performance

Authenticity Innovation Leadership Quality

tions Positive: Trusted Special Dynamic Now, the car is often less about wealth

Product

BossMentor Renaissance Magazine • www.bossgroup.com.au

Favourite Things

Haven Home Amalfi Coast

everywhere, & whether you live, work or are travelling to this exotic piece of

The Amalfi Coast has long been on my

paradise, food, wine & happiness are

list of destination locations for some

an integral way of life for all to enjoy

time, & is more so after reading Amanda

all day long. These photos give new

Tabberer’s “My Amalfi Coast” (released

meaning to “a room with a view”...

last year), her ‘up close & personal’

again, white works so beautifully & ef-

account of her life there for 18 years, &

fortlessly.

her stories & experiences of one of the world’s most spectacular coastal land-

For another dose if Amalfi inspiration,

scapes, its people & the culture.

latest Vogue Entertaining & Travel issue (Feb/March 2009) includes a feature

Gelati colour palettes adorn the cliff

article “Stroke Of Genius”...pg 126...I’d

faces, & the views of the Mediterranean

call it ‘heaven on earth’.

are simply majestic. Cultural pride is

Amalfi Coast Image Courtesy CN Traveller

Amalfi Coast Image Courtesy CN Traveller

The Amalfi Coast Image courtesy CN Traveller

Restaurant – Amalfi Coast Casa Augerlera

BossMentor Renaissance Magazine • www.bossgroup.com.au

23

Favourite Things

Claire Jackson, Interiors Consultant, authors Haven Home:

www.havenhome.blogspot.com Contact Claire:

claire.haven.interiors@bigpond. com This is an excerpt from a blog that features the latest, and most divine, interiors, lifestyle profiles, design, and luxury resorts.

Heaven Scent For a special dose of personal pampering, step into a touch of ‘heaven scent’ at the stunning boutique perfumery, Peony Melbourne, in Hawthorn.

memorable. Upon leaving, I rang a dear friend of mine who had experienced a similar day to mine, with the express purpose of telling her that I had found the perfect antidote to her tension...& no, it didn’t involve wine!

Jill Timms’ passion is dedicated to the world of boutique fragrances, many of which she stocks exclusively. The first time I walked into her beautiful store, my day had been somewhat challenging. The moment I walked in, my mood

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immediately lifted, & I was totally

Next time you’re in need of being

absorbed by all that was around me.

pampered, I recommend a visit to

The magnificent array of collections,

Peony Melbourne, it’s perfect. And of

merchandising, amimage bience, gift

course, for those of you who celebrate

wrapping & service made the half hour

Valentine’s Day, I suggest a visit to

experience thoroughly enjoyable &

Peony, with or without your partner.

BossMentor Renaissance Magazine • www.bossgroup.com.au

Spotlight

Egypt

Home of the Pharaohs The Chaos of Cairo

from the structures built to house the dead. Some have managed to hook up electricity, others haven’t…

I thought Rome’s traffic was chaotic. Cairo makes Rome look orderly! No traffic lights anywhere (and I was looking!), no

In spite of the poverty and the overcrowding, Cairo is obvi-

lanes, every car has dents and scrapes, they often touch each

ously a very religious city, and also one which is highly

other and it never stops. As we travelled the one hour drive

dependent on tourism. This may be the reason for the contrast

from the airport to the hotel, which in parts was virtually a

between manicured gardens and beautifully maintained build-

crawl through the traffic, peddlers and beggars knocked at the

ings of tourist hotels and places of religion, and the chaotic,

windows, drawing us in with pleading faces and sick chil-

dirty streets outside.

dren, wanting money passed through the window. Confronting, horrifying and tragic…

The equivalent of Australia’s entire population lives in Cairo; personal space is an unknown concept. The comfort and relative luxury that my dog lives in would be a stretch of a dream for so many of Cairo’s children. The poverty is heart-breaking.

Population estimates vary between 500,000 and five million people living in the City of the Dead, a number of cemeteries in an area of Cairo. The urban housing crisis has created a subculture living in tombs amongst the dead. They make ‘houses’

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Spotlight

By contrast, the hotels we stayed in were 5-star luxury, and in

photo opportunity taken at just the right angle, is offered in

some cases, beautifully restored old palaces.

exchange for a pound (about 25 cents).

The driving force that led me to Egypt was a lifelong fascina-

One of my friends was given a ‘leash’ at the end of which was

tion with Ancient Egypt’s pharaohs and their history, and a

a camel. The owner walked away and as my friend then had to

desire to see one of the Ancient Wonders of the World, the Pyramids of Giza.

chase after him, dragging a huge camel behind him, the photo opportunity was captured and my friend charged five pounds.

It’s fun, but you need to be on guard!

The Pyramids of Giza

In the early morning light, before all the tourists arrived, we had a chance to sit in awe and take in what lay in front

During the early hours of my first night, with a body clock

of us. The three largest pyramids, and two smaller ones that

out of synch, I got out of bed and drew the curtains back.

still remained – there were originally nine at Giza. It’s quite a

I can’t explain how I felt at that moment. Rising up in the

profound experience.

darkness and reaching toward the sky I could only just see the outline of the largest of the pyramids. The vast hotel grounds

Each day was about 24-26 degrees – we went in the middle

were sheltered from the noise of the traffic out in the streets,

of winter. The sky was a bright cloudless blue, sometimes

and in the silence I stood there in awe of a structure that had

so bright that taking photos was almost impossible as we

been standing in that spot for 4,000 years.

couldn’t ‘see’ what we were trying to take.

The picture was different, but still amazing, by day. The

From the madness of Cairo we flew south, to Upper Egypt

pyramids are surrounded by tourists from all over the world

(yes, south is Upper and north is Lower). Arriving in Luxor

and those tourists, in turn, are surrounded (circled more like

we were instantly transported from the dirt and dust of Cairo

it) by the equally ubiquitous Bedouins on camels. A perfect

to a landscape of tropical lush greenery. The Nile truly creates abundance. Palm trees everywhere, vibrant green fields, rows and rows of sugar cane, and a pace of life that has probably changed little in thousands of years.

Egypt’s Original Vision Boards The temples in Karnak and Luxor are incredible! Luxor’s temple can be seen from the roadside, and is a monument to Amenhotep III and later Ramesses II who added to it. There is

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Spotlight

for the Gods to enjoy in their after life. (On their death, the pharaohs become Gods.)

The temples and tombs are covered in images on the walls and pillars, depicting stories of the life and riches of the pharaoh.

After a while it’s possible to start understanding the vision that the stories have for their pharaohs, including plentiful amounts of food, wine, servants, and positions of great power

a huge statue of Ramesses at the entrance. Although thousands of tourists were roaming the area when we were there, it is so vast that it is quite possible to take photos without any people in them.

from defeating their enemies. I think these walls of Egyptian hieroglyphs were the original Vision Boards!

It is still possible to see the remains of the colours used to paint the hieroglyphs that adorn all the walls and columns of all the temples. It is incredible that these colours have survived for so many thousands of years.

In Karnak, a temple complex the size of a small suburb was

It was amongst the columns at Karnak that the soon-to-be vic-

built for the Gods Mut, Amun and Montu. Huge columns

tims and fellow travellers explored in Agatha Christie’s ‘Death

of stone in rows, decorated at the very top in the shape of a

on the Nile’. Fortunately there was no such mischief as we

papyrus or lotus plant, are representative of a garden of trees

travelled along the Nile, our departure from the beautiful Old

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27

Spotlight

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BossMentor Renaissance Magazine • www.bossgroup.com.au

Spotlight

Abundance Along the Nile In the very early hours of the morning, before we boarded our cruise ship, I experienced a hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings, at sunrise. If you go to Egypt, and if you have the opportunity, you must do this. All thirty two of us in the basket (I had no idea they held so many people) had a bird’s eye view of Hatshepsut’s 3,000 year old temple, the tombs of

Winter Palace on the banks of the river in Luxor. The pool area, sheltered in the tropical hotel gardens, was pure luxury for an afternoon at rest after exploring the mysteries held within the ancient ruins…

the nobles and the ruins of ancient temples. For the most part we absorbed this experience in awed silence (apart from the occasional blasts of hot air to take us higher into the sky) as the balloon gently floated over an ancient landscape.

As we travelled further south, we saw many temples by the Nile, and the contrast of the sparkling blue water, the bright blue sky, and the dust surrounding the temples made for beautiful scenes and interesting photos. Life along the Nile is slow.

The Egyptians are such friendly people who truly want the tourists to enjoy their amazing country. Tourism is one of the highest contributors to Egypt’s foreign currency earnings, and after tourist terrorist attacks in the nineties and earlier this

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29

Spotlight

like the ones at airports, every time we re-entered the hotels.

We experienced this at the entrances to the airports. At all the sites we visited there were security guards wandering around with machine guns by their side, and others in sentry boxes high up on lookout points. Many were actually asleep while on guard – maybe the sun was too hot in those heavy woollen military uniforms, maybe the guns didn’t fire too well anyway, maybe they had no hope of preventing a real terrorist attack.

It is easy to absorb all of this as part of the landscape, because the people you encounter all along the way are friendly and helpful, whether in a uniform or on the back of a camel, or by the river, waving as you sail past on the ship. decade, they had to wait for tourists to start returning to their country. In February this year, there was a bomb explosion at

From the Pyramids of Giza to Ramesses II massive temple

the Citadel in Cairo, where we had been a few weeks earlier.

down at Abu Simbel, and back along the Nile, Egypt offers a

Tourism will no doubt take a slump as a result.

feast of scenery, history and mystery (how did they build everything?). The landscape offers contrasts from dry and dusty

Everywhere you go in Egypt there is an appearance of secu-

ruins of thousand year old stone, to azure skies and tropical

rity. We had to place our bags into security X-ray machines

bougainvillea providing the backdrop as white-sailed feluccas glide through the glistening water of the Nile.

A recurring symbol on many hieroglyphs and cartouches (a cartouche is like a personal brand for a king or queen) is the symbol for life – the ‘Ankh’. At Ramesses temple in Abu Simbel I caught sight of a magnificent, beautifully shiny gold key, in the shape of this symbol. The key weighed a tonne and I didn’t fancy my chances of bringing it home….unfortunately…

I will return to Egypt and look forward to spending a week in Luxor – the ‘Nice’ of Egypt. Archaeological ruins, the mysteries of dynasties of Pharaohs, 5-star luxury in the old Winter Palace Hotel, and felucca rides down the river on balmy, slowmoving sunny days. Drinks on the terrace at sunset as you watch the sun go down on a surreal land of contrasts.

What more could you ask for in a holiday?

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About Jenny Stilwell

Professional

Finalist in the Telstra Businesswoman of

Jenny Stilwell is the Managing Direc-

Jenny has a Bachelor of Commerce with

tor of BOSS Management Group. She

a Commercial Law major, and a Bach-

has helped many clients to significantly

elor of Arts with majors in French and

grow their businesses, and build more

German, both from the University of

successful companies.

Melbourne. She is also a Certified NLP

the Year Awards.

Practitioner.

Prior to establishing BMG, Jenny was Chief Executive of a publicly listed company (one of only a handful of women heading up listed companies in Australia at the time). Previous positions

Personal Some of the things I love

included general management within both large and medium sized organisa-

The beach, peaceful islands, big cities,

tions, as well as establishing a marketing

London, New York, Paris, Golden Re-

practice in the mid 1990s with a diverse

trievers, Hudson (my Golden Retriever),

client base of small and mid-sized and

Vegemite (my American friends know

corporate clients.

that a taste test is coming – you know who you are… ), good red wine, travel,

Very early in her career Jenny advanced

writing, listening to my fave music on

to a senior management position at

high volume, the Northern Hemisphere

Nortel Networks, being one of only

in Winter, luxury resorts, the colour

three women at the time in senior man-

of Autumn, laughing until I cry, and

agement roles within the Asia Pacific

of course, my family and my fabulous

region.

friends.

Jenny Chaired the Marketing Women

That’s just a start… there’s so many

network for two years, and has also

things

mentored several women in careers and in business as a way of ‘giving back’ to the business community and to career women in particular. She has also been a

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PUBLISHER BOSSMENTORÂŽ Magazine is published by Hanby Park Publishing, a Division of BOSS Management Group Pty Ltd ACN 062 571 171

Disclaimer The publisher takes due care in the preparation of this publication and takes all reasonable precautions and makes all reasonable effort to ensure the accuracy of the material contained in this publication, but is not liable for any mistake, misprint or omission. The publisher does not assume any responsibility or liability for any loss or damage which may result from any inaccuracy or omission in this publication, or from the use of information contained herein. The publisher makes no warranty, express or implied with respect to any of the material contained herein.

The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in any form in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Š 2009 BOSS Management Group Pty Ltd