Monthly Archives: June 2016

#BREXIT – The Future is Bright – If We’re Bold

There is much uncertainty, fear and hysteria circulating around the world at present in light of the recent UK referendum where #BREXIt won.  Here’s a blog that I published on the Huffington Post USA website previously.

I only look at the business opportunities in this blog.  I’ll explore many of the others in future blogs.

 

#BREXIT:  The Future is Bright – If We’re Bold

The people of Great Britain have spoken.  #BREXIT won.  FULL STOP!

Now it’s time for quiet reflection, reconciliation, kindness and healing, and for calm.

Most importantly, it’s time for Great Britain to once again be bold.

It’s time for new, visionary, progressive leadership, not just in government but from everyone. Let’s envision the possibilities of what the future holds for us all.  It’s time for ordinary people to say:  “I have a dream too”.  Not dream based on entitlement.  A dream focused on empowerment, contribution, achievement.

 

A New Vision for the UK

Let’s create a new vision for Great Britain – a vision that will serve us to be leaders in our fast changing global world.

Great Britain holds the cards.… we can deal them strategically, wisely and globally.

We’re the sixth largest trading nation in the world.  Let’s make it bigger.  We’re not leaving Europe, we’re restating how we want to work within it.  We’re taking back our power and sovereignty so we can better serve the rest of the world too, our way.

Let’s do more business across the world without being restricted.  It’s in the offing. Let’s grab it boots ‘n all.  Globalisation opens those doors. Progressive Government policy and trade agreements must too.

Let’s be more entrepreneurial, not based on our industrial revolution past, but focused on the future. Let’s lead the global digital and knowledge economy.  To thrive we must focus on ideas, innovation, intellectual property – think Uber, AirBnB.  There are many more disruptions like those to come.  May Great Britain lead the way!

Who are Britain’s new and upcoming Richard Bransons and James Dysons? Where are the UK’s equivalent of Elon Musk, Mark Cuban or Oprah?  Where’s our Silicon Valley?  Shoreditch in London?  It’s a start but we’re capable of so much more.

There will always be plenty of funding available for great ideas that solve local and global problems or offer solutions to things we don’t even know we want – think Whatsapp and Snapchat.  Who’d have thought!?

 

Education Reform Too!

Let’s reshape our education system where our children learn skills that are future focused:  like computer programming, entrepreneurship, money management, time management, philosophy, psychology, leadership, and much more.  Our education system isn’t good enough for a country with a bold new vision.  We must turn out school leavers and graduates who are equipped for their future.  Jobs are not for life.  Most will be self employed – knowledge workers who can work from anywhere for anyone.   Let’s inspire our young people to want to achieve greatly in their lives – in whatever endeavour they choose.  Let’s guide them with our own successes (and failures) and stories.

 

We’re Still in Europe – Just Differently

As we dream of our future, we’ll still be a strong voice in Europe.  Yes, short term there will be challenges.  Change brings uncertainty.  It also brings massive opportunity, and not just for us.  In the longer term, Europe will benefit from the brave decision taken by Great Britain.

The European Union Project had an admirable original vision, and to a point, it has achieved it.  But the world has changed massively, and it needs to adapt, fast.  It’s become a monstrous bureaucracy.  It will fail if it doesn’t take off its rose tinted glasses.  If the EU attempts to ‘slap’ Great Britain in the upcoming negotiations, European industry and people will respond.  It will end in tears for the EU.  So stop the rhetoric and focus on a future where everyone wins – find the common ground and generously and kindly negotiate the differences.

There’s plenty of time to resolve our position with the EU, despite the protestations of Jean-Claude Juncker and the financial markets.  In the meantime, it’s business as usual.  For most of us, nothing has changed and nothing will for quite a while.  Great Britain’s economy is strong and there’s plenty of liquidity in the market.  Get on, live life, do business and think about the possibilities of the future.

The future is bright – if we’re bold.

Finally, a magnificent quote by Johan Wolfgang Goethe:  “Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it”.

 

Question:  Where do you sit in the recent referendum?  I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Please leave a comment below.  I read them all.

 

 

Would some guidance from me be helpful to you? If so, please arrange a free 30 mins Skype strategy meeting with me. Here’s my calendar to make an appointment. I’d love to support you in some way to gain ‘seductive clarity’ in any aspect of your business or life.


Stand Out and Get Noticed in Business

Have you ever wondered why in business some people stand taller and stronger, and have more impact, influence and success than others?

I guarantee you’ve noticed those people.

They capture their market, time after time.

They get media exposure.

They appear to have a successful business.

They have a big community following them.

And they have people wanting to associate and do business with them too.

Whatever they touch seems to turn to gold.

Their profile and success makes you feel green with envy.

And intuitively, you know their technical or business skills aren’t any better than yours.

Do you know those types of people in business?

You might be asking, ‘Why them and not me?’

Well, it can be you!

It’s all about personal branding.  Those people have worked out how to take what they know and use it to build their personal profile so they get noticed.

Personal branding is one of the topics I coach business people on…. It’s such an important issue now, in the online (digital) and offline worlds we live in.

 

Would you like to learn more about personal branding?

I’ve created a free YouTube video series just for you, to help you learn more about what personal branding is all about.

Please click the image below to see the first video – it’s not very long.  There are 9 short videos in the series.

As my friend, Kevin Roberts, global executive chairman of Saatchi and Saatchi, says:

‘No business is irreplaceable, but we MUST become irresistible’.

I hope these free videos help you to think more about your personal brand and how you can develop and use it stand out and tall in your market niche.

I’d love to know your thoughts on personal branding.  How about leaving a comment under the video on YouTube?  I read every one of them.

 

 

Would some guidance from me be helpful to you? If so, please arrange a free 30 mins Skype strategy meeting with me. Here’s my calendar to make an appointment. I’d love to support you in some way to gain ‘seductive clarity’ in any aspect of your business or life.

 


The 8 Circles of Business Excellence

Right now I have a fair number of business people talking to me about growing their businesses.  Some are one person businesses or solopreneurs who want to take the next step on their business journey, and others are businesses that are reasonable in size already, and the owners really want to leap ahead.

It’s really thrilling and exciting for me when I hear this.

In fact, I’m speaking at a conference in London on Thursday to health and wellbeing professionals and the topic the organisers have asked me to speak about is just that:  Business Growth.  I can’t wait to share my knowledge and experience with the delegates.

 

Where are you at on your business journey?

Are you happy with how your business is progressing?

Would you like to get a little or a lot bigger?

Want more profitability in your business?

I coach my clients around the 8 Circles of Business Excellence.  Focus on 8 circles in your business, and you’ll definitely grow as you’d like to.

 

I’m getting used to videoing….

As you may recall, I’ve created my own YouTube channel, Adèle McLay TV, where I post free videos on topics related to business, personal branding, and personal growth.

If you’d like to know more about the 8 Circles of Business Excellence and how they apply to your business then I invite you to watch my videos on Business Excellence.

There are nine short videos in total, starting with me answering the question, ‘What is Business Excellence?’ in video 1.

I’d be thrilled if you took a moment to watch this video (you can click the image below to see it).

I hope it serves you as you think about the possibility of growing your business.

If you like the video, I’d be hugely grateful if you left a comment on YouTube for me.  I read them all.

You can watch all 9 of the Business Excellence videos from my YouTube channel. They should follow one after the other.

I hope in some way, big or small, my video series supports you to achieve your goals in your business.

 

Would some guidance from me be helpful to you? If so, please arrange a free 30 mins Skype strategy meeting with me. Here’s my calendar to make an appointment. I’d love to support you in some way to gain ‘seductive clarity’ in any aspect of your business or life.

 


A Chapter in My Life… And What I Learned

Have you ever wondered what it means to live an extraordinary life?

Is an extraordinary life the same as success in life?

I was a business woman in NZ with all the trappings of success as I defined it at that time:  money, sports car, fantastic wardrobe of clothes, expensive jewellery (until it was ALL stolen in 2005 – but that’s a story for another day), a million dollar house, international travel… you get the idea.

I’d set up my own consulting practice in 1994 that at its peak had 20 staff located in 2 offices.  We supported NZ’s biggest and best corporates, public sector entities and charities to be more successful for their stakeholders.  It was a multi-million dollar turnover business.

 

Ohhhh, the challenges

Owning my own company wasn’t without challenge.  We had all the usual ups and downs of business….

Not enough cash – especially at month end when bills and salaries were due.

Not enough clients then too many clients – the usual feast and famine in business.

High performing staff and low performing staff.

You name it, I had to deal with it.

Persistence and resilience were my middle names.

 

June 2002 – and my world changed

Yes, in June 2002 my world changed – in a good and unexpected way.

 

Would you like to hear the rest of the story? 

I’ve recently taken to creating my own YouTube channel (finally :)) and I’ve told the story of this chapter in my life in a video.

I’d be sooo thrilled if you clicked on the image below to hear what happened next.

I’d be doubly thrilled if you’d leave a comment on my YouTube channel telling me what you think.

So, what happens in my story? Please click the link in the photo to find out.

I’m hoping my story will inspire you in your business and life.

Thank you so much in advance for watching the video.

 

Would some guidance from me be helpful to you? If so, please arrange a free 30 mins Skype strategy meeting with me. Here’s my calendar to make an appointment. I’d love to support you in some way to gain ‘seductive clarity’ in any aspect of your business or life.