personal

A little about me

Graphics c/o Karla Hallam ©

The skills I consistently bring to every job is understanding the customers I sell to, delivering value to them and not only focusing on the features and functions of the products or services. What has helped me meet so many people stem from my ability to demonstrate that I have a comprehensive grasp of their business and identifying challenges they require solutions for. My priority focus is pinpointing their pain problems and offering suitable solutions for them irrespective of the ROI.

Nowadays most companies have a start-up mentality, and I have worked for several companies where the response have been, “I have never heard of you!” I used to enjoy the thrill of approaching potential buyers and driving outcomes, even in the absence of brand recognition. I don’t want to just manage accounts where they just keep coming back purchasing from us as there is no frill in that. I am driven by solving problems and creating meaningful impact for companies.

The habit of gratitude

The more you educate yourself the more you understand where things come from, the more obvious things become, and you begin to see lies and deception everywhere. I think seeking and embracing the truth is essential for finding freedom. Developing a habit of gratitude, intentionally looking for and feeling grateful for life and the abundance around us. Staying in a state of gratitude and joy, is the best habit we can develop because in joy there is no room for worry.



Taking back your power

I think that if you want to achieve anything in this world you have to get used to the fact that everyone is not going to like you. And if you want everyone to like you then this would be inconsistent with making any significant impact. Therefore, I made a deal with myself a long time ago that if people didn’t like me because they disagreed with me then I was OK with that, and if a person didn’t like me because they were intimidated by something I said, then I was also OK with that. On the other hand, if someone I respected didn’t like me then I would have a problem, and I would definitely have to take accountability for that and admit that I am doing something wrong.

Clarify the purpose

Image c/o Indi Young’s book “Practical Empathy”

I was born with practical empathy, the ability to see people for who they are and what they really want. I’m always trying to understand:

•           Why are things the way they are?


•           What are people looking for?


•           Why is this layout the way it is?


•           If it is not working on me, why is it working on other people?

Working from home

The whole purpose of digital technology was to make location irrelevant; I mean where you are is irrelevant to the performance of a particular function. When I was growing up you could only really work on your computer when you were in your office, there were no laptops or mobile telephones. Nowadays, we have phone, tablets, and laptops, so you can do anything, anywhere. Today, there was a train strike in Copenhagen and therefore, many people chose to work from home.

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Lifestyle and behaviour

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I like what I sell and love what it does for my customers. I’m now in the process of digging a little deeper to map out my customer’s psychographics:

⁃            What are their values?

⁃            What are their spending attitudes?

⁃           What makes them excited and what makes them tick?

#ThrowbackThursday

Kindness is a strength

I think practicing kindness and humility allows us to grow as individuals as it helps us cultivate self-awareness. When we understand our own strengths and weaknesses while appreciating the value and worth of others is a manifestation of inner strength and confidence. And this nicely demonstrates that we don't need to tear others down to feel good about ourselves. Being kind releases endorphins, which boosts our mood and reduces stress. Numerous studies have shown that acts of kindness can improve our mental and physical well-being. It also enhances our sense of purpose and fulfilment, contributing to overall happiness and satisfaction in life.

Embrace balance

What brings you joy, fulfilment, and a sense of purpose?

I believe lives are only enriched by strong relationships therefore I dedicate my time to nurturing and cultivating meaningful connections with my family and friends. I think quality time spent with loved ones can create lasting memories and provide a sense of purpose and fulfilment. And it’s important to have a balance between different aspects, for example, work, relationships, personal growth, leisure, and self-care. One should strive for a harmonious allocation of time across these areas, enjoying the ebb and flow of life's demands.


You just never know

Sometimes it’s hard to behave with patience when the rest of my life is run on efficiency. If you understand yourself then it should easier to put yourself in somebody else’s shoes, for example, if they are having a tough time or are angry, it’s a good idea to not just dive in and respond to their behaviour. It makes more sense to stop and think about why this person is behaving like that and ask yourself where this behaviour is coming from? Understand it, and if they are just responding emotionally to something and you respond emotionally in return, this behaviour will not get you anywhere. So, it makes sense to hold back, wait and find out the real reason for their outburst.

Memory loves meaning

When we try to understand something deeply, it's important to ask why it's true and how it relates to other things we know. I think this helps us to organise the information in our minds and make connections between different pieces of information. This is known as "elaborative rehearsal" in psychology, where we try to relate new information to our existing knowledge. And when we understand the connections between different pieces of information, we are more likely to remember them in the long-term, because our brains can retrieve related information more easily. In my case, this is why it's more effective to learn a concept or idea in context, rather than simply memorising a list of facts.


I have found it helpful to break down complex ideas into smaller, more manageable parts and then focus on understanding each part before moving on to the next. I think one effective way to improve our ability to understand and remember information is to practice active learning techniques, for example, summarising information in our own words, creating mind maps or diagrams to visualise connections between ideas, and then testing ourselves regularly to reinforce our memory. What about you?

Feel good factors

Tirana 2023

The more someone tells you how strong they are the less likely their strength is real. The more someone posts images of their perfect body the less likely they feel perfect in it. I think people should focus on winning their inside game because once you open the faucet of external validation it never fills.

““Your value does not decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth.” ”
— Professor Richard Feynman

A professional practice

Working as a consultant has given me substantial experience with motivating and inspiring team members to take ownership of their work is a valuable skill that can help to create a productive and successful work environment. I do this by creating an environment where everyone feels invested in the success of the organisation, fostering a sense of teamwork and collaboration which leads to improved morale and higher levels of productivity.

““A wise old owl lived in an oak;
The more he saw the less he spoke;
The less he spoke the more he heard:
Why can’t we all be like that bird?””
— Edward Hersey Richards

As you can see

In my experience, smart people never talk about how smart they are, as they are too busy growing their minds. I have made some observations of smart people, and I think that they tend to:

1. Change their mind
2. Read and write more
3. Have great manners
4. Talk less but say more
5. Stay teachable
6. Show gratitude
7. Ask more questions
8. Work on problems longer
9. Anticipate outcomes
10. Seek feedback

Rinse and repeat

One thing I've learned that when you "win", you can't come back the same way twice. You need to have a new mindset, a new fire, a new approach if you want to secure victory over and over again. And this must be all based on universal principles. Therefore, when success begins to slip from your fingers, for whatever reason, the response isn’t to grip and claw so hard that you shatter it to pieces. It’s to understand that you must work yourself back to the aspirational phase. You must get back to first principles and best practices.  

“Two principals of a happy life:
1. Use things and not people.
2. Love people and not things.”
— Unknown

Health is wealth

I am currently re-reading the New York bestselling book, “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert T. Kiyosaki. In a recent conversation with my son I said, “Wealth is measured in time, rich is measured in money.” And this allowed me to go deeper into the subject and explain that one could argue that wealth is measured in time because time is a finite resource that is equally distributed among all individuals. No amount of money can buy more time, so how we choose to use the time we have reflects our true wealth. On the other hand, being rich is often measured in monetary terms because having a large amount of money can provide us with financial security and the ability to purchase material goods and experiences that contribute to our quality of life. Ultimately, the definition of wealth and being rich can vary depending on one's personal values and goals.

““Money is numbers and numbers never end. If it takes money to be happy, your search for happiness will never end.” ”
— Bob Marley

Smart people

The traits that characterise a smart person can vary depending on individual perspectives and definitions of intelligence. However, I think some commonly recognised traits of smart people include:

1.         Curiosity: Smart people tend to be curious and have a strong desire to learn and explore new things.
2.         Open-mindedness: They are open to new ideas and perspectives and are willing to consider alternative viewpoints.
3.         Critical thinking: They have the ability to analyse and evaluate information, and to think logically and creatively.
4.         Adaptability: Smart people are able to adapt to changing situations and are flexible in their thinking.
5.         Persistence: They are determined and persistent in the face of challenges and setbacks.
6.         Emotional intelligence: They have good social skills and are able to empathise with others.
7.         Good communication skills: They are able to articulate their thoughts and ideas effectively.
8.         A broad range of knowledge: They tend to have a wide range of interests and knowledge in various subjects.

I think it’s important to note that intelligence is not limited to these traits alone, and that everyone has their own unique strengths and abilities.

Embrace the challenges

Part of being an adult is that you have to plan your day. If you know you’re capable of more, a big reason why you’re not doing what you said you were going to do is because you didn’t plan out when you were going to do it. Nowadays, we are all dancing on a template trying to figure out how to deal with our current circumstances. There are always lot of ups and downs and I have accepted that it is supposed to be this way - What about you?
My mantra for April will be as follows: “I’m really excited about all the chaos in my life, and I am really looking forward to see how it all plays out.”

I do my best

I’m constantly taking in information, I read a lot of books and listen to loads of podcasts, I use some of the information. I don’t just copy/paste it as it’s conceptual and I like to understand what’s going on behind it, the theory, the thinking and this drives people mad because I can speak about methods and models all day long. Fundamentally, this is how I like to work – taking things down to its deepest level of understanding and then construct it relative to the context or situation, and how I can apply to what you are doing. One should always take the time, effort, and energy to think about the information you are receiving. When you get a real understanding for something, then you can see whether you really agree with the fundamental principles and either follow them or question them and develop your own ideas.

Advice on Mother’s Day

Mother's Day is a celebration honouring the mother of the family or individual, as well as the influence of mothers in today’s society. Mother's Day is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world. Here’s some advice from my mother RIP:

Character is a door opener, so be honest.
You may be wrong, so be humble.
Luck seeks the thankful, so be grateful.
Givers end up with more, so be generous.
Artists believe in their craft, so be courageous.
You will also make mistakes, so be forgiving.
You will be happier., so always be yourself as everyone else is taken.

Small steps stick

When trying to make a change in your life, a too big a change is not sustainable. It’s far easier to make small, incremental changes and make them stick. It’s important to reframe change into a positive and stick to it. Try telling yourself that change isn’t a chore, improving isn’t a chore! It’s the stickability over time that makes us different.

 

When we feel good about ourselves, we are going to be happier, more engaged, and willing to make more changes. It’s not about what happens to us, it’s about how we deal with it. When people think about habit loops, they often have a reward at the end of it. It’s really important to think about the suffering, as I think change happens when the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of making a change.