"Don't part with your dreams - when they are gone you may still exist but you will have ceased to live" - Mark Twain

"Do you know that this blog wouldn't exist if it wasn't for you being here to read it!?" - Bobby Gill
Showing posts with label community. Show all posts
Showing posts with label community. Show all posts

Wednesday, 26 April 2017

Do you want to build and grow your network or community?

6 years ago Simon Zutshi asked me to work with him to create and grow the online media presence of property investors network ‘pin’.

He’d seen me online and knew I was active within various online communities, as well as hosting my own events - in Property, Business and Internet Marketing.

I’d been doing online marketing for a long time and active on Facebook using paid Advertising (since 2008) before a lot of the big corporates were even aware of online marketing.

I’d also helped at and supported many personal development events, from local YES Groups to bigger Tony Robbins UPW events and similar.

As well as booking speakers for events, it was important for me to provide outstanding customer service to attendees as well, as I’d been to too many events where the organisers lacked integrity and each person was just a 'lead'. Things sometimes do go wrong and we all make mistakes - but when no-one takes actual responsibility for actions, service suffers and so does ‘word of mouth’ (and now social media posts) about your company.

People will remember how you make them feel and if you care enough to provide excellent service, which is more than just ‘good enough’. (Thanks to Graham Hill, Regional Director – Buckinghamshire & Bedfordshire of Shopper Anonymous for that reminder yesterday #FSB)

People are the most important part of any community or business.

Working with pin was a good fit, as one of my biggest values is that people should have a good time and feel valued. I would be able to help create that community online.

When I started with ‘pin’, I took on the task of creating and building the online presence of the property investors network across various online platforms and company websites. This grew from a few meetings to 50+ meetings and I was responsible for maintaining their online presence. Once I’d systemised all this, it became easier to scale and grow the online exposure.
The online marketing was all bootstrapped but has grown to a successful and large presence, had I bigger budget to work with I’d have done an even better job.

I also provided training & support to pin meeting Hosts on how to best use social media effectively, to connect with people and increase exposure for the meetings they ran in their local areas. Another task I took on was to keep on eye on the online reputation of Simon Zutshi, the company and the meetings.

As well as the online social media presence, I supported the Mastermind community by making sure information was easy to find on the forum and help them out with any queries they had, whether it was my ‘department’ or not. Either I’d sort it out myself or find the best person to help them.

All your clients (and team) are important, especially those that have paid for first class support.
This belief is what enabled me to provide the best service I could whilst at pin for many years.

In my spare time (Entrepreneurs don’t take evenings or weekends off, unless they want to take a holiday) I would also support on other events and help other Property education providers, as long as there was no conflict of interest.

After being there for over 5 years, it was time to move on.
So I have now moved to Milton Keynes. Why you ask? Why not?
It is closer and easily accessible to all the places I usually visit, from Birmingham & London being within 1 hour or so drive.  It was also good for a fresh start and to work on some new projects.

I’m now looking for a new challenge.  
Are you in property, personal development or a business related field and want to improve your service and/or reach? 
Or maybe you just want to create a community to share your love or hobby? 
Even if your idea is to start a Nicolas Cage Appreciation Society, get in touch.

If you have a business and no time to do it yourself, then why not give me a call and see how I can help.  My past experience and long-term view will help save you and your team many hours and tens of thousands by setting up things right to start with.
As I did when I advised a new property education startup earlier this month on the best way to set up and move forward.
The digital landscape has changed a lot in the last few years again, so don't think that trying to copy someone else will help you remain ahead anymore.   It's not just what you see at the front end that counts but how it is managed in the background that matters.

You can find out more and contact me on Facebook , Twitter and LinkedIn

I also prefer to work with people I know, so if this is of interest to you, read the mini-CV below and get back to me if I can help you in any way 😀 👍

[full CV available on request]

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Solutions focused Systems & Operations Freelancer looking to contribute extensive experience towards supporting progressive organisations in optimising their performance. Through increased efficiency by systemising, making things simpler by automating frequent processes, serving clients and having happier customers by meeting their needs and over-delivering on expectations.

My background is in Engineering, Property, Systems, Networking and Training Events and Social Media/Digital Marketing.

Engineering has given me an analytical background and project management skills which come in useful with jobs that require attention to detail and planning.

I have been involved in property investment and education since 2001, learning valuable lessons through boom and bust, and know many of the experts and trainers in the UK.

Attended a lot of personal development, business and entrepreneur seminars and paid for high-end coaching over the last 10 years.

As well as attending these events, I've also set-up, organised and hosted networking events, as well as helping out and crewing for many training courses.

Extensive background in social media and online marketing, website design from SEO to funnel creation, including paid marketing and CRM.

I'm more than competent in a lot of fields, although not a self-proclaimed expert or goo-roo. I realise I can always learn more and be better at everything. I'm a polymath (Renaissance man) with curiosity and many hobbies, talents and areas of interest and expertise, therefore I have a wide knowledge base that I can draw on and use in other areas to solve problems and for success.  I can explain what needs to be done in simple language, by removing fluff that some experts use to complicate things to justify their position.  I will listen to your ideas and recommend creative solutions & improvements.  I offer highly professional consulting and honest opinions and feedback, always acting in the client's best interest.

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So if any of that is of interest, contact me today on Facebook , Twitter  and LinkedIn or call if you've got my number and not rung me for a long time anyway. Always happy to meet up and have a chat.

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Sunday, 25 May 2014

The Hidden Dynamics That Inspire Leadership and Trust - Simon Sinek

Great lessons on Leadership. How to build trust and connection with people around you.

I felt it was a great video and wanted to share it with you.

Email is great for exchange of information, phoning and meeting people is actually better. It shows you care and prepared to put time and energy into your communication and relationships.  I meet up with friends as often as possible and give people my time.
At times it is quicker/easier to reach a lot of people via email or other mass media.  This connection is weaker but I still hope you value it and take time to watch the video to benefit yourself and those around you.

People feel more comfortable around those they can trust in an organisation/team/family/company and know they've got their back. Do you feel this way around your colleagues? What about companies you deal with? Are they looking out for themselves only or for your interests? Do they give others credit or try to steal credit from them because they don't feel safe?
Groups like this cause stress and cortisol, which makes people self-interested, less empathic and less generous - only caring about themselves.  This has a negative knock-on affect to those around them.

Leadership is not a rank or position in an organisation, it is about a decision to look after the people around you.

Watch the video and meet your Happy chemicals: endorphins, dopamine, seratonin and oxytocin

Remember, I got your back!

Regards,
Bobby :-)





In this in-depth talk, ethnographer and leadership expert Simon Sinek reveals the hidden dynamics that inspire leadership and trust. In biological terms, leaders get the first pick of food and other spoils, but at a cost. When danger is present, the group expects the leader to mitigate all threats even at the expense of their personal well-being. Understanding this deep-seated expectation is the key difference between someone who is just an "authority" versus a true "leader." 

A trained ethnographer and the author of Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, Simon Sinek has held a life-long curiosity for why people and organizations do the things they do. Studying the leaders and companies that make the greatest impact in the world and achieve a more lasting success than others, he discovered the formula that explains how they do it.

Sinek's amazingly simple idea, The Golden Circle, is grounded in the biology of human decision-making and is changing how leaders and companies think and act.

His innovative views on business and leadership have earned him invitations to meet with an array of leaders and organizations, including Microsoft, Dell, SAP, Intel, Chanel, Members of the United States Congress, and the Ambassadors of Bahrain and Iraq.
Sinek recently became an adjunct staff member of the RAND Corporation, one of the most highly regarded think tanks in the world. He also works with the non-profit Education for Employment Foundation to help create opportunities for young men and women in the Middle East region. He lives in New York, where he teaches graduate level strategic communications at Columbia University.


For more on this topic, check out Sinek's latest book Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't.