It Costs No More to Be Nice

As I sat in the boardroom, I could sense it.

I am not sure if others could, but I could see what was happening. All the little signs were there. Who they were looking at. How each statement was framed. The body language.

The power game was on and it was about to get interesting.

It turns out the individual in question was Daniel (not his real name) and Daniel had a particular way of handling himself that didn’t earn him many friends. Although not a very large man, Daniel was a bully. Someone who used the force of personality and unspoken threats got what he wanted, regardless of cost.

As I sat in our meeting I observed how usually even tempered people become on edge, how the tension in the air lifted. This way of working with people is toxic.

Ugly. Continue reading →

Why You Should Not Follow Your Passion

Follow your passion is often thrown around as pithy, heart-felt and earnest advice to people pondering the big questions of life.

But, it’s terrible advice.

Passion is good for many things. But one thing it is not is a predictor of success.

Let me explain.

I get to meet with a wide range of people in business as part of my role as Account Director at Bonfire, which I love. One of the perks is meeting interesting and successful people who have incredible stories of working hard, being smart and creating a business that bring them and other great pleasure and financial reward. Continue reading →

Website Ripoff: How Do You Find if Someone has Stolen your Website Design?

The email caught my eye.

As I read it I couldn’t help but feel indifferent.

Another one.

Another business has decided to choose the shortcut of stealing someone else’s identity rather than legitimising their business through their own creative endeavours.

Unfortunately, in our industry – digital marketing – another hit to our collective credibility and our trustworthiness is not something we can readily absorb. But that’s another issue.

How can you tell if someone has stolen your website design? And what can you do about it?

First, I want to share some of the wonderful recent ripoff merchants who have decided to lift our agency’s (distinctive) design, and make it their own.

First, here’s Bonfire’s site. Continue reading →