Stu

27. Architect – A really positive and insightful guy. I’ve known him a while and really respect him – haven’t had a coffee for ages but we’re going to do it more often.

28. Cleaner – Well, actually, she runs a cleaning business. A fascinating operation where they take on the staff that companies already have as cleaners… kind of outsourcing their own staff. I can’t imagine taking on employees that I can neither choose nor interview! She really knows her stuff, too… a gread lady. 1 week ago

YouTube have changed how it all works, so it’s hard to keep track of progress right now… however, wrangling about with analytics gives these recent results…

The heady days of £3 a month are over… but when all the adverts I see on YouTube are adverts for YouTube I guess their earnings aren’t where they want them to be. 1 week ago

1,644 on 16.9% card.
1,419 on 0% card.

I was a bit weak. Ok, very weak. But what I’ve paid out for should get good returns all being well. So maybe not so weak.

But I shouldn’t have put it on a card. If you don’t have the cash, don’t spend it.1 week ago

The design agency from 14th January came good and I did the shoot a week or so ago.

Someone I met at a recent ‘big fish’ shoot had good potential. I did a pro-bono shoot where she was also present. She’s now introduced me to a whole new department of her company.

This was a good goal to take on! 1 week ago

7. A company called me from the other end of the country… their national board meeting is local to me tomorrow so I’m shooting them there.

8. Not quite a new company, but a new department of my top client. A further 19 people to photograph on Friday. 1 week ago

...but when someone asks you about someone else…

A tricky one. Do you give your opinion? Do you give the positive bits and leave the negative bits unsaid?

Is it helpful for you to give your opinion when their experience of the person will be totally different from yours anyway?

Nobody has an “absolute character”, one that exists in isolation from the world.

All they have is the interactions between you and them. The meeting, or misalignment of your two sets of values.

So I guess I can’t give an impression about someone to someone else because that would require me to fully know and understand both sets of values and beliefs, and also how their complex interactions would work.

I am not qualified to do that. 1 week ago

21. Kitchen fitter – Good guy!

22. Caterer – This is a really great guy – fantastic business, driven and just a cool guy to hang around. He’s now on my list of 5 people I need to spend a good deal of time with.

23. Bookkeeper – Knowledgeable, and he’ll be doing my accounts and payroll from now on.

24. Recruitment agent – a repeat of #3 but we talked about her recruitment business this time.

25. Decorator – Great guy. When I have the cash, he’s doing the job. He shares thoughts about money and investing with me too and we’re going on a course together soon about making money work harder for us.

26. Video production – a repeat visit to #14, but at her premises so I could see their workplace and get a feel for the business more. 3 weeks ago

I was put on the spot on Wednesday morning. I was visiting a networking event, and it turned out that everyone was presenting each other’s 60-second presentations; pre-arranged.

The guy I was standing in for didn’t give me anything to say about the person I had to present for. I only found out who it was about 2 minutes before I stood up.

Luckily, we’ve met before and had a couple of chats and I understand his business. He said I presented it better than he could, and immediately passed on a referral for one of his clients.

Awesome! 3 weeks ago

6. A growing team of financial advisors. 3 weeks ago

59. I had the choice to take an opportunity today. It was a tough one… I had a deal in mind that I would be happy with, and the deal was presented at twice the price I had set; but with a buy-one-get-one-free offer.

So I had to decide whether to take the deal and then find someone to go halves with on the free one.

I decided to go for the deal. It could be a huge mistake, or it could be one of the best things I ever did in my life. Time will tell.

But it was a choice. And it’s 100% my own responsibility to make it work out. 4 weeks ago

1. Tree Surgeon – Done.
2. A guy who works for an IT company – Done.
3. A chap who runs a furniture shop – Done.
4. The guy who came through LinkedIn (Jan18th) – Done.
5. A firm of solicitors who first enquired last April – Done.

More on the cards including a financial firm, shooting on Friday and potential work from a firm of bookkeepers, a caterer, and seven doctors’ surgeries (I’ve been running a direct mail campaign targetting those) 4 weeks ago

Which city are you in? (send me a private message if you’d prefer not to share here…)

I’m thinking of travelling around and getting clubs going (with a pack for people to run the club with)...

Could be great fun, and educational too! 1 month ago

I was at an event the other day, a professional event, and I was chatting to someone about a person they know who I’d like to get introduced to… someone else I know came by asked who we were talking about and then declared that this person is “a f*ing arsehole”.

Not so professional.

I was pretty shocked and it has seriously changed my opinion of the person who said it. It didn’t influence my view of the person they said it about. That’s an interesting observation.

So actually… venting about people to other people only actually tells them about YOU not about the other party. And what it tells them about you is that you’re indiscreet and negative.

I think I’m pretty good at this goal now… always seeing the best, taking the positive angle, and if I can’t do that, at least accepting that other people are ok even if they think and act out of line with my values. 1 month ago

I’ve just learned the power of residual income; that’s not passive income… I have to do work for it, but I am paid the same amount whether any work needs doing or not.

I signed my first client up for a retainer today. That brings me just over a quarter of the way to this goal (which is a temporary goal – once I hit £100, I’ll go for maybe £1000)

This isn’t the same as my “passive income” goal. That one earns me money even if I’m asleep! 1 month ago

Who on this list is in the UK? Who would like to help set up a local monthly meeting for people interested in Japan and Japanese? 1 month ago

I’ve made a decision to rekindle the Japan Club that I started a few years ago… it’s a big task – the vision is to have real-life monthly meetings all over the UK where people can talk all things Japan and Japanese.

My own regional meeting folded due to lack of interest… but I think that’s an excuse… the demand is out there; it just needs tapping. 1 month ago

I like it. 1 month ago

I’m beginning to understand this better. I was at a business seminar yesterday, and one of the key things they did was to get us to focus on our own values.

They then said that:

1) Your business must reflect those values.
2) Never let anyone tell you your values are wrong.

An interesting insight. 2 months ago

58. I was getting embroiled in politics and stuffy corporate life. I made the choice to get out of it and haven’t felt better. The corporate brand is still there, but I have a free “me” brand running in parallel. It is my sandbox to play with… 2 months ago

I don’t know what happened last month… the whole month netted me just £0.87. This month is already on £1.48, so it was a temporary blip. 2 months ago

Another local charity. They were really pleased I went along, and they’re hoping to get some promotion into the local paper for me.

Nice bunch of people, too! 2 months ago

I’m on panoramic stitching. I’ve only made one finished article so far… must just get round to photographing ANYTHING towards this goal. 2 months ago

18. Training Company – Interesting. The chap who runs it is a very keen entrepreneur. Young and full of confidence. I think I need some of that to rub off on me!

19. Radio Advertising Sales – Less interesting. Well, ok – interesting but not massively relevant to my business. A lovely lady, though.

20. Make-up Artist – A fantastic meeting which will allow me to offer her services as part of a premium package. She’s really clued up, knows where she’s going and I think we’re going to work together well! 2 months ago

Standing outside Leicester Railway Station is Thomas Cook. He, basically, invented going on holiday (or at least the package tour).

His first excursion was by rail from Leicester to Loughborough; my home town. Every time I take the train back home from a trip to Leicester, it feels like I’m retracing the steps of history, and his statue is there to remind me. 2 months ago

I’ve had a few enquiries… every single person has understood (and agreed with me) about quitting. It’s like quitting smoking – people know they should, but can’t bring themselves to do it! 2 months ago

A shoot for a local charity, where a local blue chip is helping them decorate using paint sourced by my Rotary club, donated by one of our members’ suppliers.

It’s win-win-win-win-win! 2 months ago

I forgot about facebook. Didn’t take long!

Might have to mark this done soon… 2 months ago

I’ve had a good day at this today. And I’ve come out of the day feeling quite good about it!

Tidying up as I go along. Leaving less mess behind me than I make.

It’s really good for peace of mind… 2 months ago

Restructured my debts and now have…

123 on 16.9% card
1569 on 0% card 2 months ago