“When I went to all those great cities, I saw wonders……”

Ya know the old truism, If yer in a hurry they’ll be No buses for hours and then (when it’s practically too late) 4 come together. Or once ya focus on something completely novel that impresses you, you will then see it again in every shop window & every overheard conversation, night, noon & morning. It’s a famine or a feast. GB Shaw says “when I went to all those great cities, I saw wonders……” Alright, OK Socks, we get it, stop with the resonances! Anyway, this week, I’m on a roll, I’ve been closing pitches I couldn’t close for years. At work, 4 different Business Siloes I was staring out for 18months all blinked, approved my joined-up publicity article and started collaborating cos they immediately felt the positive feedback from external players (just delayed common-sense catch-up, as I expected & they didn’t). And in local community volunteer activity, a gang of parents became a club despite being unable to get there for months, cos they suddenly had to in order to apply for a government grant to expand a cause they found they believed more passionately in than their own Siloes. I’ll save you the other 2 cases. Silo-Busters-r-Us this week. Didn’t get time to get to the Middle East peace process or my own election as global CEO however ……. And now it’s the weekend & time to chill – the moment & the Busses may have passed. Take it easy (and if ya get it easy…. ), N.Socks

N.Socks – Try again. Fail again. Fail better

Ever try. Ever fail. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. (Beckett). In my innovation portfolio, I have a favourite folder of Marketing  ideas. And I think I’m getting better and bigger and faster and more  confident at failing! A few months ago I pitched a complex idea (my own) to our own  corporate global marketing + an external stakeholder / partner that I  chose. About €50k each + lots of personal investment. I delivered the corporate part & failed to deliver the partner part. Lots of  learning but it ate my time & energy for weeks, and I even flogged  it after it had died (the first time). This week I sourced & pitched & failed in my next €100k  marketing innovation pitch – all within 3 days! I called time out on it  today. Failed faster? Failed better? And I helped the external partner  to improve (for free) & I’m confident they will succeed with another corporate! Take care, N.Socks