Some people support political parties like they support a sports team. Their party can do no wrong. They remain loyal no matter who is in charge or what they say they will do. The devoted supporter is challenged on their beliefs and doesn’t want to show weakness, so defends policies they don’t quite agree with, to save face. The politi...

An incredibly intelligent friend with ADHD and Asperger's told me that he often, after leaving a social event, asks himself: was I too weird? I think he's asking the wrong question. The people that stick in your memory are those who stand out. Of the thousands of Uber journeys I've taken, I remember the drivers with the stories. Of all...

One key difference between entrepreneurs that make it and those that don’t is focus. Putting all of their energy in as few directions as possible (ideally one) in order to go further. Switching between projects doesn’t just cost your own brainspace. It costs your brainspace in other people’s heads. They don’t know how to help you. They...

When politicians change their mind it’s seen as negative. Inconsistent. A U-turn. They are expected to stick to their convictions so they don’t look like they made an initial misjudgement. Even for the rest of us, there’s a stigma. We are reminded we used to want to live in Spain, we never wanted a dog, we wanted to study law at univer...

The mushroom effect is where, in the absence of big problems, small problems appear bigger. It’s molehills dressed as mountains. It’s the phenomena of needing something to worry about and inventing issues. Perhaps our minds feel uneasy without fear. We’re so used to low level anxiety that when it’s missing we believe it’s cause for con...

In the depths of the UK's first lockdown and with the uncertainty of business, life and travel, I wanted to create some certainty. After reading about the concept of a premeditation strategy (where you choose, in advance, what you will make happen) I loved the idea of being able to decide what type of day I could have. This book is an ...

Athletes cannot train or compete well on empty stores. They need to be well-rested, fed and hydrated. They need to know the technique and the rules and have developed the muscle mass or endurance. Entrepreneurs cannot lead well on empty stores. They need strong intuition, experience, and examples ready to draw on to choose the way forw...

1. Early nights are the new luxury. 2. Once defined, your dream life is halfway there. 3. People who follow up get further than those who don’t. 4. Whatever triggers you requires further exploration. 5. Change your trajectory by changing your geography. 6. What we hold onto might be what holds us back. 7. Every part of your life is a c...

Our brains make up just 2% of our mass but they use 25% of our energy. Brainpower is expensive. Whatever we do and think about is taking energy away from somewhere else. Where are you expending brainpower on topics that just aren’t worth it? Here are twelve true wastes of energy that many of us fall into without realising. 1. Commentin...

Frugal means simple and plain and costing little, or economical regarding money or food. The word frugal conjures up images of scrimping and saving and living a meagre existence. Being tight and ungenerous and counting every penny. One way to be frugal is to check the price of everything. Search around for a better deal. Go without som...

The best leader I worked with had high standards of herself. She knew what was exceptional and what wouldn’t do. She questioned her methods. She asked for feedback. She was open to learning and she saw the detail others overlooked. She had high standards of others, too. When she led someone with similar high standards, the relationship...

Paying for a problem to be solved is not everyone’s first thought when faced with a challenge. Spending our own time to address an issue tends to be the default. Gallantly, we want to fix our own cars. Darn our own socks. To heroically put up our own shelves and plan our own holidays. We want to type up our own notes and spend our week...

At any given time, you can do a lot of things. You can raid the fridge, you can watch YouTube, you can check your phone. You can call a friend, dance naked, check the score or make a purchase online. But there’s a huge difference between can and must. There are powers bigger than you working to turn a can into a must and control your d...

Here are some of the articles written for Forbes during the past few months: The 5 everyday influences costing your potential Every day, these five influences keep you toeing the line and playing small. Subtract those elements of your life that don’t need to be there. The ones that are silently stealing your potential while you remain ...

During a day trip around Maui, Hawaii, the tour guide drew our attention to tourist mishaps on the island. On the road to Hana, on the easternmost point of Maui, the cliffs were steep and the waterfalls were high. Many of the edges had been cordoned off, but those in search of the perfect travel photo had jumped barriers and bored hole...

I once attended a lecture by a university professor who joked that he saw the world of business as a petri dish. As entrepreneurs in the audience, were his material. Everything contained within the petri dish was there for analysis, monitoring and experimenting. He would make observations and draw conclusions. Whilst the light-hearted ...

For much of his career my dad sold cars or developed teams of people who sold cars. Often a customer would base their decisions on model, trim or extras on the price. When a decision came down to price alone, my dad asked the question, “What do you work for?” Primarily, the question represents a sales tactic. It helped the customer fee...

Bud Tribble, longstanding colleague of Steve Jobs, created a concept to describe a phenomenon that happened when you were in Jobs’ vicinity. The reality distortion field. Back in 1981, the vision held by Jobs for the Macintosh project was so strong, so exceptional, so compelling, it had a magically persuasive effect on the developers a...

Have you ever had someone ask a question that you know you know the answer to, but you can’t quite find it? The answer feels like it’s on the tip of your tongue. You know it’s in your head somewhere, but it won’t reveal itself. It’s super frustrating. You rack your brains trying to muster up the word. Later on, in the middle of the nig...

On April 23, 1910, Theodore Roosevelt gave a speech upon leaving his presidential office. Known as the man in the arena address, it differentiated between the man who, in the arena, strives valiantly, errs, spends himself and triumphs, and the critic or onlooker. This man, said Roosevelt, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatl...

1. What does your perfect day look like? 2. What do you do that you don’t want to? 3. What really matters? 4. What will you regret not doing? 5. Looking back in one year’s time, what will have made the year great? 6. What are you uniquely placed to do? 7. In which areas are you failing to demand the best for yourself? 8. Whose approval...

Imposter syndrome means believing you are not as competent as others perceive you to be, specifically around intelligence and achievement. When others think you are awesome and you aren’t sure you agree, it signals low self-esteem and a feeling of hollow success. Andy Warhol once said, “Sometimes people let the same problem make them m...

In December 2020 my book, Instagram Rules, was published with White Lion Publishing, an imprint of Quarto. The book contains 125 bite-sized tips on how brands, businesses and individuals can harness Instagram for commercial and professional gain. Having seen, and helped, Instagram completely transform brands, writing this book was a lo...

1. The easiest road has the least to offer. 2. Someone else’s “too soon” or “too much” might be your “just right”. 3. Tech-free days are essential, not optional. 4. Money can buy a great car or house but it cannot buy a great body. 5. At our very core, we all want the same things. 6. My grandad backs his directions over the sat nav’s g...

"What's the alternative" is one of my favourite questions. Use it in response to any question that holds limiting beliefs. You're being unrealistic. What’s the alternative? Your standards are too high. What’s the alternative? You have so much discipline. What’s the alternative? People will stare and comment. What’s the alternative? Eve...

Nearly everything you see as black or white actually lies on a spectrum. For every concept, each of us have our own imaginary range which dictates how it’s defined in our mind. Consider these words: Workaholic Awkward Risky Worthless Where one sees a workaholic, another sees someone who has found their calling and is barrelling forward...

I love chance. Luck, coincidence, mysterious connections. That person you meet on the train, who happens to be in the market for your company’s skills. The lady you bump into whose recommendation was exactly what you needed. The books someone mentioned that turned out to be your favourite. The phrase you overheard that became your mant...

If today was your last day on earth, would you be pleased with how you spent it? Did you make the most of every minute, treat people well, laugh lots and keep perspective? Did you act true to the best version of yourself, or were you irritable and rubbish company? Did you do things that moved you forward or held you back? If you repeat...

It takes just as much effort to be miserable as it does to be happy. It’s just as easy to criticise as it is to compliment. Entrepreneurs running impressive, game-changing businesses work just as hard, for just as long, as those running small ones. Elon Musk probably puts in the same hours as a restaurant owner, he’s just chosen a diff...

Everything you have isn’t really yours; you’re simply borrowing it. Your family and friends don’t belong to you. You don’t own your partner. They aren’t going to live forever and neither are you. One day you’ll drive your car for the last time. One day your house, garden and office will belong to someone else. Ownership of anything is ...