News
Duke of Edinburgh Award
I’m assessing my friend’s son for his bronze Duke of Edinburgh award. He has been diligently writing a blog every week since Christmas, and is showing great promise as a social commentator. It’s an honour Read more…
Blog
Why speaking is the new rock’n’roll
The Temperance Movement at Shepherd’s Bush Empire 4/14 (I was there!) by Rob Blackham
Your favourite band records a single. Perhaps an album. They get cover artwork designed. Then they book a tour.
This all costs money upfront, in the hope that people will like their music and buy it.
They have to promote themselves, so they arrange media interviews on shows that their target audience will see or hear, and in areas where they are travelling.
If they’re lucky, they will earn more money than they spend, and people won’t just download or share their music without paying for it.
It’s not miles away from the professional speaking business.
We create a talk. Perhaps a series of talks. We get slides designed. Maybe publish a book or create a course. Then we go out speaking (our US friends would say we go out to ‘rock the platform’).
News
Back from SA
I had an amazing trip to Cape Town last week, where I’d been asked to speak about websites to an audience of professional speakers at the PSA SA ‘break out’ convention. I walked on top Read more…
News
Happy 14th birthday to me!
I can’t quite believe it, but today is exactly 14 years since I started my own business. My first slogan was ‘I make complex information appear simple’. When the third person asked me ‘Ooh, do Read more…
Media
Secrets of web success
Margo Manning interviewed me today for The Business Hour on Harrow Community Radio, talking about the secrets of web success. There was even (at least) one listener in Australia! Listen again
News
Full house in Bromley
Around 40 people packed the Civic Centre committee room for my interactive talk about websites at the London Borough of Bromley yesterday. Thanks to the team at Action Coach for the opportunity to be part Read more…
News
Bye bye, SurreyWISE
As you may remember, I’ve been running a series of social media training sessions in Tatsfield for SurreyWISE (Women in the Superfast Economy). Here’s a little video we made at the final session yesterday, to Read more…
Media
Website webshow, coming soon
Delighted that I’m to be interviewed by Alan Stevens and Claire Boyles for the PSA webshow. Join us on Google Hangouts at 4pm on Friday 13th. Ooer. Edited 12 January 2015 This webshow has been Read more…
Media
Back on the radio
I’ve just been booked to do another radio interview about websites – this one will be in the ‘business hour’ on HCR-FM from 10:00-11:00 on 27 March with Margo Manning. Excited! Listen live
News
PSA South East first official event
A week ago, we’d sold all 35 tickets, so we released some more. Yesterday afternoon, we’d sold 47. Last night was the first official meeting of the new South East region of the Professional Speaking Read more…