insights

My grandmother used to have a saying. Well, she had many sayings, as many grandmothers do. But I think her most memorable was ‘start as you mean to continue’. In other words, put your best foot forward, start strong and confident and create a memorable first...

Hey there The Winter of our Discontent was prolific author John Steinbeck's last novel, published in 1961. The title comes from the first two lines of William Shakespeare's Richard III: "Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this sun of York"....

The front of my home is framed by a massive old ghost gum tree. It’s a distinctive feature of the house but due to its size it needs an annual visit from the tree doctor to trim wayward sections and remove any dead and potentially dangerous branches. This is an almost...

I recently stayed at a five-star hotel and found a major marketing problem lurking in the wardrobe in my room. Upon check-in I was welcomed enthusiastically, and my membership status recognised with a room upgrade. I was even presented with a welcome gift to thank me...

Earlier this month I was part of an experiment. It was risky and had it not worked, it would have been a train wreck. The client was the Professional Conference Organisers Association (PCOA). 300 of the country’s best professional conference organisers. A pretty risky...