Month: March 2017

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Life Reimagined: The Science, Art, and Opportunity of Midlife by Barbara Bradley Hagerty

“Maybe you’re having a mid-life crisis?” my wife said to me one day. “Yes, I think you’re right” I replied.

In a very short time my life had started to spin down the plug hole.

  • I had just turned 40
  • I had missed out on a change of career
  • I lost several major clients, income had dried up
  • I moved from the city to a home office to save money
  • I became increasingly isolated from friends and work colleagues
  • I had stopped exercising
  • I lost energy, I woke up later, and still felt tired, felt exhausted in the afternooon, and fell into bed at night
  • I found little pleasure in activities I used to enjoy

On the verge of seeking professional help and medication, I searched Amazon for a book to help me.
Continue reading “Life Reimagined: The Science, Art, and Opportunity of Midlife by Barbara Bradley Hagerty”

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How the isolation of a 3 day storm spured me to truly connect with the city I love: Tauranga

When I ran for Tauranga City Council in 2016, I was invited to talk to several groups about how I had managed to lead a team of 24 volunteers to deliver TEDxTauranga to an audience of 1010 people.

That story began with an epiphany I had during a 3 day storm several years previous.

During that storm I was connected to the whole world through various technologies. But without face-to-face contact I felt isolated and alone.

I emerged from that storm with a list of 4 events to connect people together.

I knew this is what Tauranga (and I) needed.

After a brief period of waiting for them to happen, I realised that someone had to stand up and get started.

And that someone was me.

Here’s the 23 minute version of my story recorded at a breakfast event for 40 people in Sep 2016:

If you are desperately short on time today, here’s the 5 minute version which I told during the 2015 Priority One AGM:

 

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Look Who’s Back Beyond The Orange Door At 64 Devonport Rd, Tauranga

I’m back in town! Once again you can find my office beyond the orange door at 64 Devonport Rd, Tauranga.

Up the stairs and turn right into the co-working space called 64Bit run by Sam Kidd and Phil Waylen.

For the last 5 months I’ve been working from home and, although cheap, was distracting, isolating, unmotivating and noisy (especially at 3pm when the kids came home).

Plus, even though my wife Shantelle loved me making her lunch everyday, she wanted me out so she could have the space to herself. Fair enough.

Continue reading “Look Who’s Back Beyond The Orange Door At 64 Devonport Rd, Tauranga”

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Email Marketing Essentials Workshop: Wed 15 March 2017 in Tauranga, NZ

Join me for my workshop entitled: “How to create emails that get opened, get read, and get acted on”.

  • When?: 8.30am to 10.00am Wednesday 15 Mar 2017
  • Where?: Tauranga Chamber of Commerce, Bay Central, 65 Chapel Street, Tauranga
  • Cost?: $25 for chamber members, or $35 for non-chamber members
  • Register

Email gives you the most direct way of communicating with your customers, and for converting prospects to sales … which is why the most savvy content marketers have no intention of giving it up any time soon.

It’s also amazingly cost-effective. With an ROI of around 3,800% (that’s $38 return for every $1 spent), email more than pays for itself. It’s what you use when you want to move from “conversation to commerce.”

Join me for this fast-paced 90 minute session which includes: Continue reading “Email Marketing Essentials Workshop: Wed 15 March 2017 in Tauranga, NZ”