The Informer July 2017 by The Clubhouse

Member In The Spotlight

Your summer reading list

Charles Owen, founder and director of CoInvestor, explains why investors are going online

T h e

Five books to read on holiday guaranteed to give you a new business perspective

I n f o r m e r Issue 07

July/August 2017

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ARE YOU PRESENT? For maximum results and the most efficient use of time, learn how to meet mindfully

Meet. Work. Grow.

INTRODUCTION

ADAM BLASKEY FOUNDER & CEO The Clubhouse

W e l c om e reading list on page 5 so when you do come back to work, you will feel refreshed and motivated for the second half of the year. Our events calendar takes a summer break over July and August. In September we have a fantastic series of events lined up: from a breakfast seminar on Influencer Marketing with Oliver Billon, founder of Ykone, to an Evening with Frazer Thompson, CEO of Chapel Down, producers of some of England’s finest wines and beers, along with a unique opportunity to improve your negotiation skills by attending the Harvard Program on Negotiation, hosted by our members IVO Consulting Solutions in partnership with

THE CLUBHOUSE PRODUCTIVITY TIP

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Harvard Law School. This month’s Member In The Spotlight is Charles Owen, founder of CoInvestor, a digital investment platform through which you can build a portfolio of alternative asset investments from leading fund managers. Finally, we are making great progress in working towards completing the lease on our City location, with designs almost complete and contractors ready to appoint. However at the time of going to press, this hadn’t yet completed, so just as soon as the ink is dry, we will update you – watch this space for an announcement over the coming weeks. In the meantime, have a great summer!

Deskercise Work in 90 minute stints and in between do some physical activity: from simple stretches that relieve poor posture to a walk around Berkeley Square or St James’s Square close to The Clubhouse.

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Thank you to everyone who took part in our annual member survey last month. Your feedback is extremely important to us and your responses will help us to not only shape what we do both now and in the future, but also to ensure we provide you with everything that you need to run your business. For those of you for whom it’s business as usual over the summer, on page 4 we have some great tips on how to get the most out of your meetings – a must read if others in the room might be physically there, but not necessarily ‘present’ and daydreaming about their summer holidays! And for those who are about to jet off, we have our essential summer

WINNER Best Business Club

DESIGN & ART DIRECTION Christian Gilliham christian@cgcreate.co.uk 07951 722265 To promote your business in The Informer, please email adam@theclubhouselondon.com Copyright. The Clubhouse London Ltd

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MINDFUL MEETINGS XXXXXXXXXXX

HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM YOUR NEXT MEETING Sometimes it’s hard to concentrate in a meeting, but being ‘present’ could give you an outcome beyond expectation

any businesses have a problem with meetings – people are physically in the room, but their mind is somewhere else. It’s infuriating for their co-workers and can render an opportunity to be productive as a total waste of time. According to Craig Jarrow, aka the Time Management Ninja, there’s one golden rule: “If you are in the meeting, you are in the meeting.” This means if you are going to be in the room, you must participate. You cannot attend if you are going to work on other things. The Potential Project, a leading global provider of organisational effectiveness programmes, specialise in teaching the tools we need for enhanced focus, clarity of mind and resilience, which is vital for modern-day working life and effective collaboration. “We have all experienced being with people who are not present with us,” explains Daniel Stane, senior consultant and facilitator at the Potential Project. “We have also caught ourselves not being fully present with others, yet the greatest gift you can give another person is the value of your full presence. The essence of meetings with mindfulness is to be fully present with the people we are with, for as long as we are with them. In this way, every meeting can be an exercise in mindfulness. The person or people we are with are the focus or anchor for our attention.” Their advice is that to be fully present with those you are with is not only respectful, it can also be an efficient and effective way to get to the point, cover your agenda, manage your time, and be clear on actions and decisions. Following on, it also means you can end the meeting in a clear, concise way and move on to your next task.

There are three phases in every meeting: 1. Preparation When you are going to a formal meeting: take a break with mindfulness before you enter the meeting (three full, deep breaths). This allows you to let go of what you are coming from and allows you to better focus on what is coming up. If your corporate culture allows it, the meeting can start like this for all participants. 2. The meeting itself The basic principle is to be fully present with the people you are with, for as long as you are with them. If all meeting participants are fully present and engaged with each other and the common agenda, it will save time and energy for all making for a shorter and more effective meeting, whilst at the same time everyone will have a better experience in the room. 3. Closing the meeting Mindful meetings can be brought to a close so they do not drag on unnecessarily and where everyone is more comfortable. Be direct enough with one another to bring the meeting to a close and be clear on accomplishments and next steps. But don’t limit this framework to just your formal meetings which take place in The Clubhouse boardrooms and meeting rooms – you can use this in a variety of situations. For informal meetings, such as meeting people in our open plan, flexible meeting areas, at the coffee machine, in the corridor, at the desk or on your way to work, you can employ the same three principles and get the most out of your agenda. ●

“The essence of meetings with mindfulness is to be fully present with the people we are with, for as long as we are with them.” Daniel Stane, senior consultant and facilitator at the Potential Project

Meet. Work. Grow.

MEMBER STRAPLINE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

CHARLES OWEN FOUNDER & DIRECTOR CoInvestor

Pu shin g th e i n ve stor p l a tf or m Tell us about your company. CoInvestor is an alternative assets investment platform. A combination of changing legislation, an ageing demographic and the ongoing adoption of technology is driving investors online and increasing investment allocation to alternative asset investments. The CoInvestor platform connects fund managers, private investors and their advisers to make it easier to invest in high-quality alternative assets providing capital growth, tax efficiency and yield. We work closely with a number of leading fund managers who provide our investors with easy access to their funds and to opportunities to co-invest alongside them in individual deals in which they are investing, on the same terms.

very large wealth management businesses under a licence agreement. Each licensee firm will then be able to provide their clients with an own branded alternative assets platform as these assets become increasingly important for their clients.

What has been your biggest success? Launching the v1 CoInvestor platform in late 2015 was an amazing moment and the result of two years planning and hard work. For most of this time I was acting entirely alone and needing to validate the theoretical business model, specify and build the platform so that fund managers and investors would engage with us from the very start. It was a very satisfying achievement.

Where can members find you? At The Clubhouse Mayfair but I’d be delighted to hear from any members and can be emailed at charles@coinvestor.co.uk

What project are you most excited about right now? We are just in the process of bringing our white label product to market and this will see the platform installed and in use by some

How has being a member of The Clubhouse contributed to the success of your business? The flexibility of The Clubhouse has been invaluable to us as a business as we steadily increased our team from just me initially to a staff which now numbers fifteen. Whilst we have an office in Canterbury, having a flexible London base really helped during this period of rapid growth.

coinvestor.co.uk

Launching the v1 CoInvestor platform in late 2015 was an amazing moment and the result of two years planning and hard work.

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QUICK-FIRE ROUND

Favourite place to go in London? St Pancras station on my way home each evening. Who inspires you and why? I’m inspired by hearing the true stories of other entrepreneurs, whether they have succeeded or failed, as its always a tough journey and too easily glamourised. Best bit of advice you’ve been given? If in doubt – ask. If you were on a desert island, what would you bring? A high quality tent, mattress, cotton sheets and a pillow. Might as well be comfortable if I’m going to be there a while. Which super power would you like to have? The ability to slow down time. What is the worst business ‘faux-pas’ you’ve committed? Too many to count, mainly centred on naivety when I first started out building businesses over 27 years ago. This was a long time before the word ‘entrepreneur’ became a buzz word.

FUTURE EVENTS

The Clubhouse

ST JAMES’S

Influencer Marketing

Harvard Program on Negotiation

FRIDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 8.30A m – 10.00AM FREE FOR MEMBERS AND THEIR GUESTS NON-MEMBERS £25 Olivier Billon, founder and CEO of international influencer marketing agency, Ykone, shares his expert knowledge on the influencer marketing industry and how brands can benefit from this emerging marketing approach. Olivier founded Ykone back in 2008 in Paris and has since gone on to develop his agency internationally with offices in New York, Dubai, Berlin, Bangalore, Copenhagen and London. Ykone counts many global brands such as Cartier, Moet & Chandon and L’Oreal as clients. Please join us for an insightful discussion around this evolving marketing topic.

SA V E THE D A TE

26, 27, 28 SEPTEMBER REGISTER AT IVOSOLUTIONS.COM QUOTE PROMO CODE ‘10PONLONDON’ TO RECEIVE A 10% DISCOUNT Harvard Law School is on a mission to improve the theory and practice of negotiation around the world. The Program on Negotiation (PON) at Harvard Law School is a world leader in negotiation and dispute resolution research and now, for the first time, the faculty are bringing their flagship executive education course to the UK – in partnership with commercial insight and procurement consultants, Ivo Consulting Solutions. The course will combine sessions taught by Harvard’s expert faculty with dynamic videos and classroom simulations.

Olivier Billon

HOW TO BOOK: VISIT THECLUBHOUSELONDON.COM OR ASK AT THE FRONT DESK

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Art

Theatre

Review

MINATAURS AND MATADORS

HAMLET

SCOTTS

This exhibition examines the intersection of Picasso’s bullfighting imagery with his mythological and biographical compositions of the 1930s. Including works dating from 1889 to 1971, this career-long survey traces Picasso’s engagement with the ancient rituals and narratives of his native Mediterranean. Comprised of painting, drawings, sculpture, prints, ceramics and a home movie made by Picasso in 1929, the exhibition is presented in an innovative installation designed by Stirling Prize-winning architecture firm Caruso St John.

Following a sold-out run at the Almeida Theatre, Olivier Award-winning director Robert Icke’s new production of Hamlet is now playing in the West End for a limited season. Starring BAFTA and Olivier Award winner Andrew Scott (Sherlock, Birdland, Cock, Pride) as the Danish Prince and Jessica Brown Findlay as Ophelia, Hamlet is brought to the stage by the critically acclaimed and multi-award-winning creative team behind 1984 and Oresteia.

For the finest fish, shellfish and game, Scotts of Mayfair is a classic choice beloved by Londoners and visiting glitteratti alike. Gary Hume originals adorn the walls, Art Deco mirrors and mosaic panels create a sparkling ambience and the general buzz of the place has firmly cemented it as a firm favourite. We love the griddled prawns and Dover sole, and don’t forget to order their delectable petit fours to finish.

Showing: UNTIL 25 AUGUST GAGOSIAN.COM

Showing: UNTIL 2 SEPTEMBER ATGTICKETS.COM

SCOTTS-RESTAURANT.COM 020 7495 7309

Meet. Work. Grow.

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ESSENTIAL READING

You r su mme r re a d i n g l i st Start With Why By Simon Sinek Why are some people and organisations more inventive, pioneering and successful than others? And why are they able to repeat their success again and again? In business, it doesn’t matter what you do, it matters WHY you do it. Start With Why analyses leaders like Martin Luther King Jr and Steve Jobs and discovers that they all think in the same way – they all started with why. Simon Sinek explains the framework needed for businesses to move past knowing what they do to how they do it, and then to ask the more important question – WHY? Why do we do what we do? Why do we exist? Learning to ask these questions can unlock the secret to inspirational business as Sinek explains what it truly takes to lead and inspire and how anyone can learn how to do it.

Get ahead of the game on your sun lounger this holiday with our world-class book selection guaranteed to bring you back to work empowered, informed and unstoppable

Hustle By Neil Patel, Patrick Vlaskovits and Jonas Koffler Three of America’s top entrepreneurs and consultants have teamed up to teach you how to look at work and life through a new lens – one based on discovering projects you enjoy and the people and opportunities that support your talents, growth, income, and happiness. More than just an inspirational career guide, Hustle aims to fundamentally transform the way you work and live, and give yourself permission to thrive in today’s uncertain world. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance By Angela Duckworth In this must-read for anyone seeking to succeed, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth takes us on an eye-opening journey to discover the true qualities that lead to outstanding achievement. Winningly personal, insightful and powerful, Grit is a book about what goes through your head when you fall down, and how that – not talent or luck – makes all the difference. Superbosses: How Exceptional Leaders Master the Flow of Talent By Sydney Finkelstein A good boss hits her goals and leads her team. A superboss blows away her goals by building an army of new leaders. Which would you rather be? Superbosses exist in nearly every industry, from the glamorous to the mundane. They are defined by consistent success in

The Alliance: Managing Talent in the Networked Age By Reid Hoffman According to the cofounder and chairman of LinkedIn Reid Hoffman, the employeremployee relationship is broken, and managers face a seemingly impossible dilemma: the old model of guaranteed long-term employment no longer works in a business environment defined by continuous change, but neither does a system in which every employee acts like a free agent. The solution? Stop thinking of employees as either family or as free agents. Think of them instead as allies. This bold but practical guide for managers and executives will give you the tools you need to recruit, manage, and retain the kind of employees who will make your company thrive in today’s world of constant innovation and fast-paced change.

their fields and their approach to finding, nurturing and developing talent. If you study the top fifty leaders in any field, as many as one-third will have once worked for a superboss. After ten years of research and more than two hundred interviews with superbosses including technology CEO Larry Ellison and fashion pioneer Ralph Lauren, Finkelstein explores this previously unidentified phenomenon – and shows how each of us can emulate their best tactics to create our own powerful networks of extraordinary talent.

A good boss hits her goals and leads her team. A superboss blows away her goals by building an army of new leaders. Which would you rather be? Superbosses Sydney Finkelstein

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A CLASS ABOVE FIRST JetSmarter is the only curated, luxury travel platform in the world. As a member of The Clubhouse, you get a three-month trial membership that includes a complimentary single-seat booking on a last-minute flight and pay-as-you-go access to our private flight services.

To begin your trial membership, write to jetsmarter@theclubhouselondon.com This offer is valid until December 21, 2017 exclusively for members of The Clubhouse and cannot be combined with any other offers. Trial membership will grant members access to purchase JetSmarter’s service at the prices displayed in the JetSmarter application prior to booking. Trial membership does not include access to free flights, except as otherwise described above. The trial membership will be active for a period of three months from the date of activation of the account (“Term”). Please note that the Term is continuous and cannot be paused or interrupted and renewed at a later date. Membership will give users access to various membership benefits that are subject to change. JetSmarter does not own or operate any aircraft. All flights are performed by licensed air carriers. See jetsmarter.com for full trial membership details.