Author: Darrell Irwin

Making choices to align your life with your heartset may cause you to clash with people that lead with mindset. Having a healthy mindset may well help you to ascend to the top of your field or position within a place of work, but when you start listening to your heartset, the way you operate will change. One of the first things you are faced with is making big choices… and then you have to keep on making them.

When you hear what is on your heart you can’t then forget the voice that lives in there. The choices you make subsequently will be according to that God-given destiny that you have finally tuned into. Your first test comes when you are faced with making choices of conviction over choices of circumstance.
 
At some point you are going to have to commit to ‘purpose’ and that will mean change. Now, I would like to say that the changes you make will be small, but the truth is that, when you make choices according not your conviction it will actually cost you. These choices will cost you friends, family and fortune but they will gain you peace, power and true potential.
 
Once you have made that one time change to transport you from your current situation into a place of the unknown, you will have to continue to make big choices to walk on the road called purpose.
 
It’s a funny thing, when I started this journey I was very aware I was making the choices for me and then my wife, and now I’m making choices for my whole family. Today, I’m very aware that the choices I make go beyond that even. I can help people step into their purpose by making the right choices and then keep living them out. I want to help people to switch their focus and learn to make generational choices. The role we have to play can shape the future and its effects can be felt long after we have left the land of the living.
 
If we follow what our heart is set upon (heartset) rather than just what our mind is set on (mindset), we are prioritising the impact we’ll have on others. I am a firm believer that if we do this, the income will take care of itself. Leading with mindset means prioritising income and leaving impact for later.
 
What are we here for after all? I believe we all have a purpose to fulfil and it concerns the needs of others. Our true value can’t be found in money and stuff. Our insecurities get magnified when our value is in the wrong place. We need to know that we are intrinsically purposeful and valuable.
 
I guess what I am trying to say is that following our hearts and making an impact will give our lives more meaning than just working on our mindset with a view to upping our own standard of living. Prioritise heartset ahead of mindset to avoid living a life that is only skin deep. Our image might look great from the outside but the heart inside suffers. We lose compassion, empathy and are less sensitive to being kind. We fall into leading from position and not from our passion. We disconnect.
 
Heartset establishes your purpose, power and potential, mindset determines how we think, feel and behave. When you have this in the right order powerful things happen, it gives you the balance to be set for life. 
 
Heartset + Mindset = Set for life
 
If we listen to our hearts we won’t just be after status for ourselves, there’ll be more than one winner. We’ll be able to collaborate rather than compete, happy to celebrate the success of others and comfortable even if we are no longer part of it.
 
The moment you try to listen to your heart and make the right choices people will come to distract you. Some may appear to be allies at the start but they’ll be threatened by your progress.
It’s not always a personal thing against you, rather a conflict that they have within themselves. Your actions, no matter how unintentional they are, spark them into living out there worst side.
 
Sadly, we live in a world where we will come across hurt people and not always healed people. When you live in heartset you will have to go deeper and deal with a few things that heal the heart (more on that next time), but hurt people often hurt people. Knowing how to navigate through them will help you continue to live the dream rather then allowing them to steal it.
 
Living a blockbuster life means we will have to deal with people who feel better when others fail rather than flourish. Don’t let that hold you back, know that everyone is on their own journey and your reaction will, in time, get them to reconsider their actions long after you have moved on.
 
So, watch out for…
 
The Flick Flackers:
They have a position of influence but no courage of conviction. They are perpetually stuck in a ‘play it safe’ mode. The thing is though, never making a decision is actually making a decision and it leads to a life of frustration. These people look to people please and, before you know it, years have flown by.
 
My advice: Do it anyway and get it done.
Double minded people never have any clarity. Ultimately, we are all responsible for the choices we make. Make your life count, own your choices and make moves… now… away from doubt, disbelief and dithering. Create a life of purpose and fulfill your potential.
 
The Bigmissers:
A bully that hides themselves as a victim. To everyone that is willing to listen they present a compelling story, with a sprinkle of humility. Yet as they get to know you, you become a threat, and they’ll slowly plot your downfall. They spend their time discussing people rather than vision and you realise that when you are not in the room, you too will be the subject of their chatter. Often found in key support roles they’ll hinder the progression of what you deem most important. Forever an obstacle and a fan of creating red tape.
 
They always appear under appreciated, should be earning more, and of course be more famous then they currently are in the company they find themselves in. Bigmiss was always close to winning big but will always remain small in stature for as long as they look to harm others.
 
Stay focussed enough to be a big hitter.
Kindness always wins. Guilt might kick in as they reflect on their low life actions as a reminder not to do it anymore. Your job is to focus on the job in hand and not miss the opportunities that you are faced with by being focussed on revenge. The reward is this: you live free to be you!
 
The Shapeshifters:
The plotters, the deceptive allies, the velvet glove with the rock in it. This person enters with all the answers while desiring to pull strings behind the scenes for their benefit. They live their life at the expense of others. People are pawns and this person is the pawn star. The level of corruption hides in plain sight but because of the smile you push aside the troubled feeling in your heart.
 
They have no problem bending rules and asking for forgiveness rather than permission. Moral decisions find themselves under the carpet along with the reputations of those that dared speak up. These people love the appearance of doing right but have no intention of living right.
 
These people find themselves in advisory roles and want you to play the game by their rules. For entrepreneurs, this can be an investor whose money attracted you, but given the choice you’d want it redacted. Or they sit on boards blocking your every move to discredit your character to mask the defects in their own.
 
Think outside the box they try and put you in:
Sometimes, you just have to play the role of a fool to fool the fool who thinks they are fooling you. Steve Maraboli
 
One of my favourite quotes. Acting dumb runs contrary for a capable leader but actually there will be times that letting people be their worst exposes them and in time they become trapped by their own actions.
 
The sign off:
You don’t have to fear the dream stealers but you need to know the tactics to navigate through the circumstances they create. Just like our homes need protection, security and wisdom in staying and remaining safe to intruders, home is where the heart is. Guard you heart. Not everyone should know what is in it, but you should be led by it. 
 
The world in which we live can be a strange place, full of broken people who, for some strange reason, feel better distracting others rather than seeking healing, walking from insecurities or making peace with their past.
 
Sadly, life experience teaches us that not everyone you encounter wants you to win.
 
Yet, as you play your game and show heart in the fight, you’ll win fans. People who have been afraid to step out begin to cheer you on and the “Boos” are drowned out in the myriad of “Woohoos”!
 
Don’t abort your dream or allow the naysayers to take you off track. Real winners focus on the goal. What you carry in your heart is why you live here in this moment. The goal is to continue to be brave in the face of the opposition and competition.
 
If you want to live an extraordinary life then you will have to make extraordinary choices. Those choices set you apart. Very few are ready to make that step, but the closer you tune into your heartset the more confident you will become to make choices propelled by belief.
 
Today, I’m telling you, no matter what the opposition, there is a way through, I promise you that. You can’t go to your next level with betrayers or pretenders. People with authenticity will be your electricity to help you level up. Don’t settle for second best!

You’ll often hear that dealing with the up and down life of an entrepreneur requires a certain mindset. One thing’s for sure, it’s not easy, so working on your mindset helps massively. I think we have all seen a ‘journey to success’ image in our mind’s eye, with life as a straight line, but in reality, it is full of peaks and troughs.

Life does get easier when you are surrounded by people of a similar mindset and, for me, being on the Natwest Entrepreneurial Accelerator has connected me with a community of change makers!

More Than Just Mindset 
I have learnt something about mindset from this bunch though: At some point they had all made a decision to do something for the world. Deep down, they were brave enough to ask deeper questions of themselves and then were brave enough to act. It didn’t have much to do with their mindset though, it was more to do with setting out to act on what was in their hearts – I call it their ‘heartset’ . Having the right mindset will increase your income, but having the right heartset means you increase your impact. The story of the impact you want to have on the world is the story you need to double down on. From profile to stage and website to blog, if you lead with the heart you’ll always attract attention.

If you survive on mindset alone you’ll take action and get the job done, but without heartset, you’ll eventually need a reset. When what’s in your heart doesn’t align with your actions you start to experience a drift in meaning and momentum. This in turn leads to being heartsick rather than heartfelt. Mindset works best when your heart is set on the right things rather than just maintaining a stubborn mind and denying that the heart exists.
 
As an entrepreneur, business owner or even elite level leader, it’s too easy to get swallowed up in day to day business rather than staying convicted by the reason we started in the first place. Mindset conditions us to break through and to keep fighting the fight. Heartset, on the other hand, reminds us of what we are fighting for – and in those tough moments when the mind is exhausted, it’s your heart that carries you over the line.
 
So, why wait until we get to the end of ourselves? Why not just stay in tune with what is in our heart? That will carry us, help us say no to the things that exhaust us, and keep us sharp for the journey ahead. Heartset is where courage lives and brave men and women are what we need right now. Rather than always wanting to lead, they are focussed on looking to love. The world needs people of purpose, not just people looking for position. Titles count for nothing in the trenches, it’s those that go the extra mile and care more who will win a crowd for a cause.

Leading with the Heart 
When we invest in heartset, powerful stuff happens. This is what we call alignment. The biggest transformation that heartset changes is our perspective. Our heart will always remind us to make choices for the right reasons, which the right mindset then helps us to execute.
 
HeartSet + MindSet = Set for life.
 
If mindset is the set of beliefs that shape how we think, feel and behave, heartset is the existence of our purpose, power and potential. The mind creates momentum, the heart carries the message. Each of us has a message to bring, a purpose to walk out, a voice to share and a mark to make. When heartset connects to a healthy mindset, then you are set for life.  
 
So, how do we recalibrate our hearts to our minds? How do we learn to tune ourselves into our heart when life has just gotten so full that we can’t think straight? If your mind is ‘fried’ you need a healthy helping of heartset. Even though we don’t listen to our heartbeat it’s still there. It’s the noise of normal that drowns it out. If we don’t look after our heart, artificially beating faster with caffeine to ensure that it keeps up with our mind, it will eventually give out under the strain.
 
When we live by mindset alone in our ‘normal everyday’ we are looking for extraordinary and wonder why we can’t see anything different.

Take time to listen to your heart 
The quickest way to tune into purpose (the reason why you started) is to unplug from the day to day and listen to your heart. Take some time out. In fact, doing so during the day by breaking the normal routine, will be the greatest health check you’ll ever make. You’re the leader right? The main woman or man in your business… so invest in you for one moment. When you emerge you’ll have more clarity to make the right kind of choices to ensure everyone is healthier.
 
So take that time alone. Turn off your phone, lay on your bed, put your hand on your heart and listen. Breathe. Listen. Breathe, and there it is… Boom boom boom, your heartbeat. Quiet. Just you, and what lives within.
 
Now, in that place of peace, ask yourself the question… What do I really want to say yes to?
 
There… in-between the beats of your heart, in the gaps of silence, is purpose, the song of your heart. Pay attention and listen to it. It was the reason you used to get lost in the day, forgetting to eat, it fired you up and made you brave.
 
Now… give yourself permission to say yes again, do everything to guard it, and do everything to live it out, delegate everything else, staff the distractions and stay the course.
 
Purpose brings life. The extraordinary isn’t in a magical place, it’s deep within you. The trouble is, you got lost because you never stopped long enough to listen to what was in your heart.
 

Today, say yes to the answer you are confronted with. Make your actions line up with your heart. Your job is not to find extraordinary, it is to create extraordinary. We have become experts in mindset alone, focussed on moving forward without looking back to see if we are aligned. One degree of moving forward can take us miles off course. If we don’t take enough time to reflect, we’ll disconnect.

Only the Brave 
Heartset is what you need to reboot your life because your mindset has been causing you to make too many decisions that just don’t align. Heartset chooses what is right above commonly held narratives, the ones you used to question, but now they have become a stronghold against being brave.
 
Your legacy is written by making heartset choices. It’s more than just emotion, it’s the essence of our being. When all is lost, heartset whispers, come on, when things appear hard, heartset says you can, when you are lost for words, a voice within speaks – heartset is where the creator lives. 
 
When you know deep down that things don’t add up, that the circumstances in front of you don’t align, and you sense something’s off… that’s heartset. It’s where you are needing to reboot, recalibrate and restore that message written on your heart, the one that gives you your true identity.
 
Too many people are looking outside for validation, when in fact all you need is a conversation with yourself, in your heart, to bring about transformation. That clarity is the only confidence you’ll need to turn an ordinary life into an extraordinary one.

The school playground is an interesting place. Everyone remembers it (unless you hail from the home schooling fraternity) and how it was the place to find your mates. As we entered the arena, mates from other classes would be shouting loudly to pull teams together for a ‘kickaround’ or for a game. For me, the playground was the theatre of sports.

As we grew older and we became more fashion conscious, we were identified by our clothing. For me, the item of choice (over the school jumper) was my UMBRO training top. Trend setter that I was, it didn’t take long for nearly everyone else to be wearing one too. Well actually, it was more because we were all watching the same shows.
 
People wore conspicuous items of clothing like hats, trainers etc that they could be identified by because the shouts in the playground were not loud enough.
 
When I reflect back, shouting in the playground seldom worked as the crowd grew. The way we identified each other from a distance was by the image we portrayed. The ones that stood out were tuned into what was slightly different. Limited edition trainers were more sought after because they were that little bit different, even though there was a lot of peer pressure to fit in and  be ‘the same’. The savvy ones realised that they didn’t want to fit in, they wanted to stand out. Being cool was about finding ones’ identity.
 
Fast forward to the music scene of the mid 90’s, and I was being ridiculed for my Beatles haircut, but I hung on in there and it finally came into fashion. My Mum was right, it was cool. Yet, as a young boy, I wanted to change it so badly! I swept it back for the latter part of my school years, in the style of an Italian hitman. Then I heard Oasis… the hair returned (for a season) and then I looked like Liam Gallagher or whoever else I liked in the cool Britannia movement.
 
Quickly, the whole country looked the same and what I once thought was cool was now out dated. The revival of the mod had grown odd, music had changed and I felt a certain loss of identity. I rediscovered it in my quest to be the best in my field. I was less concerned about fitting in, I wanted to rediscover new styles as well as clothes that were ‘old school’.
 
You see, clothes carry with them an image and fast fashion comes and goes as we all find our fit. As we get older we become less concerned about what people think and more concerned about who we are.
 
In the year 2001, I stopped bothering so much about what other people thought. I realised that the loudest voice was actually calling from within. I had shut it down, choosing to live a superficial life instead. That year, for the first time in many years, I stopped and listened to what the inner voice had to say. It was speaking about purpose, which beat any brand, footwear, tops, jackets (I love jackets). I realised that who we really are is not so much shaped by what is going on outside and we are not heard by a lot of noisy shouting to gain attention. We can move through the crowd with quiet assurance, knowing that we are fulfilling purpose during our short time on earth.
 
Being loud in a crowd isn’t about shouting, it’s about having the confidence to raise your voice and speak with authority. The voices that hold our attention have gravitas and self assurance. Voices like that create movements. They have gone beyond shouting because they are busy ‘doing’. Their actions speak more loudly than their words. Doing the right thing means you don’t have to shout to get found because the right things do get noticed. It’s about the long game and the long game brings with it legacy. When you invest more in your message you don’t have to shout, sometimes a whisper is enough.
 
When I’m out at networking events, representing our brand marketing agency it grates a little when I encounter a lot of ‘shouting’ (metaphorically speaking). I don’t mean yelling in other people’s faces, it’s more about handing out loads of business cards and going for the sale and trying to close before even opening a conversation. People who have the most to say are not always the ones speaking the most! The people with the most connections are the most self-assured and they’ll engage you in conversation because they known that sharing life is the surest route to conversion.
 
Our Purpose People group will help you develop that self-assured voice. We have a team of ‘greats’ who can help you with tips, ideas and innovations to help you share your story with your people. That’s right, there are people out there who need you to share what you have within to help them win.
 
The world has shifted, and while there is seemingly unending negative noise, there is also a voice of hope. A hope that we can still create something from nothing and dream as big as a previous generation who made it to the moon. We need to transition away from the voice of compliance and reliance into the voice of purpose and positivity.
 
The truth be told, I’m done with lying and I’m much more concerned with telling the truth. Truth starts with aligning yourself with purpose. Every single one of us has a cause to fight, a people to champion, a position to be declared and a power to push. What matters is not what people are saying on the outside, it’s how you respond to the voice on the inside. If these last two years have given us anything positive, it’s that we have had some space to listen to that voice. Now, we are faced with doing something about it. There will always be excuses as to why we didn’t listen, but Purpose People is asking the question, What if? What if you followed the voice, and what if you did succeed? It’s time to heed the call, to stop trying to ‘fit in’ in the playground. It’s time to lead a movement of change, and while I can’t tell you what exactly what that is for you, even as you read you know exactly what I’m talking about. Alignment begins when our words and actions line up (also known as integrity). Integrity is attractive in itself and it speaks and inspires others to follow.
 
Purpose people is for the world changers, the innovators and the dreamers, but it’s also for the brave, the uninitiated, the curious and the kind. Big always starts small.

The interesting thing is that people that think they can change the world, usually do…

In a discussion with our brand marketing team (whilst looking at another hack job/money grab/swindle or whatever you want to call it) it dawned on me there is a pandemic of really bad websites built by people who have no intention of fixing them.

Now, I’m not referring to someone who is brave enough to start a company in their bedroom or their kitchen or even on their sofa because that’s the most viable starting place. No. What I’m hitting on is unskilled website builders charging a huge amount of money (5K) for a bespoke website when in reality it is a template purchased off the internet for $69.

The trouble with templates is that as you scale the developer ‘breaks’ the site to accommodate changes that a proper build would cope with and the ‘developer’ has no idea how to fix it. At this point the developer AKA the bedroom bandit disappears from view to comb social media networks, on the lookout for their next victim. 

So, what exactly should you expect when you approach a new website build? Please note – I have nothing against templates! For certain seasons and in certain reasons they can make sense! But if you’re looking to avoid being fleeced by bandits, read on…

A website is ONE tool in the marketing toolbox, not ALL:

A common misconception is that without a website a company is doomed. For small businesses a Facebook page is often the best place to start. Why? Investing in a website takes belief, and if obtaining more customers helps increase your belief then start gathering them through a Facebook page. Now, if you really want to go BIG and already have the confidence or the existing client base, investing in a website makes a lot of sense, especially when you lead with message. The best way to look at your website investment budget is to ask yourself this question: “Does your budget meet your belief?” 

Often, when we ask what a potential client’s budget is, and they say ‘low’, it actually means that they have a low belief in their project – when you build a website you’ve got to see it in terms of the number of sales it will generate. For instance, if you charge 5K for a coaching programme and a technical teaching site costs close on 20k along with funnels etc., you need to know you can sell more than 4 coaching programmes! If you don’t believe you can, then adjust your investment and requirements.

In a similar vein, if you want a BMW, and you don’t have the belief for one, then you might need to adjust your aspirations and drive a mid level Ford for  a season. It serves you, but the experience is limited.

While websites are not the be ALL and end all, they demonstrate credibility and that can make ALL the difference.

A website should have a story, not just be a directory of your services: 

A lot of people want a website straight away but what they actually need is a brand first. Brand is more than a logo, a logo doesn’t make you unique. What makes you unique isn’t always the services you offer either, it’s more about your story. Sharing your story creates empathy and that provides an entrance point to talk about how you can help the potential client. Testimonies and case studies show who you are working for, while regularly sharing mini stories with insights, via a blog, enhances your authority.

When people know your story, they are more interested in how you can help them craft theirs. If you tell your story enough you might even get asked to write a book. Speaking of which, why not check out The Crisis Catalyst?

A website should give something of value away for FREE:

On that whole information piece, a website should collect data. Why? To keep you in contact with your people. Not everyone will do business with you, but the value you offer will help your sector to flourish. It creates confidence. This is why I’m addressing ‘bedroom bandits’(!) It’s because when we give away value and insights, it builds trust. One of the first barriers to doing business in marketing is when people have been stung by ‘marketing’ and the trust issues that follow

In the early days, when we used to add value and someone ran away with our ideas without spending a penny with us we’d get a bit sad. Now, older and a bit wiser, we know that we’re here to serve and not to sell. I give away far more than I charge for but that is, I believe, why many of our clients have worked with us for years. Those that continue to simply take get found out. Do good, great happens, do bad, stuff happens!
 
When you are value led, you become valuable. Aside from building brands and websites we are well networked and we have opened many doors for our clients, answered many questions without invoicing for it and widened our circles of influence.
 
A website should work and be invested in monthly:
Your website is a living, breathing thing. Plug-ins need updating, content needs writing regularly and the behaviour of users should dictate the evolution of the site as it scales. If you are not investing in your website regularly then people won’t come back, you won’t be collecting email addresses and your business will lose hundreds of opportunities.
 
The return of investment starts with data and getting ‘dates’ rather than immediate transactions. The website is part of the journey, but if you don’t follow up on the leads, answer the chat or call someone back, you’re missing the point. Websites create traction and should involve more than one transaction. While people will check you out on LinkedIn to see who you are, your website should reveal more depth – why you exist and how you make a difference. Investing monthly means you are committed to marketing. Learn to play the long game. Consistency fuels visibility.
 
A website should be scalable:
We often get caught up in the now rather than in the journey to Wow! Businesses change and size up. Cre8ion has changed and scaled since we launched out in 2016. Five years on, we are creating some amazing new things that take brand and build community. Belief is amazing, but ‘a sense of belonging’ means traction. That is why we are getting closer to launching our Purpose People platform. The focus is on helping thousands of people double down on purpose and tell their story the right way. We want to influence a landscape, not just a back garden. We exist to help people build purposeful brands.
 
Our Purpose People platform is not far off, in the meantime sign up to our Facebook group here!
 
Lastly…
‘Bedroom bandits’ chase the money to feed their habits. Cre8ion focus on adding value to an industry and whilst doing so we get paid for dedicated projects, we help businesses scale and celebrate the success of others. We exist to make impact first and we’ll help you maximise your time, talent and treasure for the greater good.
 
So, don’t get hung up on the method, first address your message to give your website momentum. Avoiding ‘bedroom bandits’ means you can instil strong marketing habits!

Picture the scene. You have been invited to an event, so you’ve dressed up and are feeling excited about the 500 new people you are due to meet. You arrive at the event, (which has been booked for 500 people) and yet the host says you can only speak with 50 of them. Then, just before you move from the reception to the main room, someone else stops you and tells you that you can only use certain words at the event and hands you a piece of paper. Now, feeling very uncomfortable about the whole thing, you are told that the way you are dressed means you can only speak to 30 people. You decide that this event isn’t what you signed up for, screw the paper up, do up your coat and decide to go and be social elsewhere.

Sound weird? Well, in the world of social media, this is fast becoming the norm. Social groups are getting restricted and the reach is increasingly becoming managed in a way that means the only people that benefit are the people who own the venue.
 
At our brand marketing agency, Cre8ion, we are firm believers in community and what it means to BELONG. Sadly, the online world is increasingly dominated by the art of writing for an algorithm in order to become known, rather than becoming known by being a part of something. Your voice only gains attention if you pay for it. We aim to disrupt this way of operating because we know that there is a better way, namely, building a following and establishing a community. Our unique insights are first going to be demonstrated by our Purpose People group and, by using a great new platform, with no restriction on reach, we are going to be able to better help you to fulfill your purpose, with or without our services.
 
We have been considering the situation with algorithms over recent weeks and the frustrations people are having with some social media platforms and groups and we are doing something about it. We’ve done our research and we will begin migrating followers from all across our social networks into our Purpose People community. Social will signpost you to the right ‘venue’, but once at the venue your invitation will open the doors to some brand new, exciting content.
 
So, our NEW Purpose People group will allow you to join our exclusive and inclusive community for FREE until the end of November. There will be some content just for you, and by the end of November 2021 the doors will be closed as a paid membership group. For the early adopters (that’s you), you will get FREE access until November 2022 and be first on the list for any exclusive events!
 
The purpose of the group is simply that – purpose. Helping those on a mission with a big vision to share. It’s about a community of people from all over the globe who are committed to living life on purpose. Behind the group is a team that has launched thousands of people into their purpose, using tools that are unique to our brand agency Cre8ion, tools to give you the confidence to turn your dreams into reality.
 
Purpose not Politics:
No matter what your political standpoint, social media has become a political minefield. Whether you are right or left, blue or red, you won’t catch us discussing it in Purpose People. For us, purpose transcends political persuasion.
 
Action not Algorithms:
What you see often isn’t what you want to see, and nowadays, sharing great content won’t always get the reach you once got. When groups have a thousand members and shared content is only seen by hundreds, you know it’s time to look elsewhere. We want everyone to be able to see the conversation and have a voice that can be heard. We want to inspire everyone to action and not get swamped by algorithms.
 
Serving not selling:
We want our Purpose People group to be a safe space. One of the things people hate about certain networks is being bombarded by selling. The ads, the DM’s, the constant cries to do business now… it all makes you feel like a number rather than a human. Our focus is not on selling, it’s on serving. Any opportunity is just that, an opportunity to serve you better.
 
Conversations not conversions:
The Purpose People group aims to get people talking about what it means to step out ‘on purpose’ and choose to live it. While there will be the opportunity to sign up for courses, events and more added value content, it’s there to help you succeed. We can honestly say the insights and clarity you will gain from being part of this group are worth thousands, and that’s just the FREE stuff.
 
So why sign up now…
Our FREE group will allow you to explore and enjoy regular posts and exclusive videos on Purpose designed to inspire and fire you up to commit to your dream.
 
>Daily motivational posts
>A community of like minded people
>Regular videos on building ‘purpose driven’ businesses
>Guest speakers into the room
>Weekly Blog content
>Monthly Zoom into the room
 
If you want to sign up for our paid group from today, here’s what you’ll get…

Lobby (Entry Level) £49.99 pm

>Access to Purpose People and its community 
>A monthly community event
>Active conversation with community admins
>Daily Posts / Insights
>Access ALL videos
>2 x free books: Crisis Catalyst / Play the Game

VIP (Mid Level) £199 pm

>Access to Purpose People and its community 
>A monthly community event
>Active conversation with community admins
>Daily Posts / Insights
>Access ALL videos
>2 x free books: Crisis Catalyst / Play the Game

Extra VIP Benefits:
>A monthly Zoom 2hr webinar
>A monthly Zoom Master Class with 1 hr Q&A

Elite (High Level) £997 pm

>Access to Purpose People and its community 
>A monthly community event
>Active conversation with community admins
>Daily Posts / Insights
>Access ALL videos
>2 x free books: Crisis Catalyst / Play the Game
>A monthly Zoom 2hr webinar
>A monthly Zoom Master Class with 1 hr Q&A

Extra Elite Benefits: 12 Person Master Class with Guest Speakers

Additional Paid Content
>Retreat away days
>1:1 Mentoring
>Guest Speaker Webinar Tickets
 
Until the end of November 2021 we are inviting people to hop on over to our exclusive and inclusive Purpose People group which you can sign up for right here.
 

A question we are often asked as a brand marketing agency is “How do I secure the legacy of my company and remain relevant in the marketplace?” Or put more simply, “How do I future proof my business?”

Our four step branding process, (Belief, Belong, Best and Beyond) provides a marketing strategy for your current and future business. Beyond concerns your future.

So, let’s talk about Beyond… but before we do, let’s talk about Bond. James Bond.

The new Bond movie, “No Time to Die” is on general release in Britain on Thursday and thanks to Covid 19 it is hitting our screens a year and a half behind schedule. “No Time to Die” was directed by Emmy-winning US filmmaker Cary Joji Fukunaga who said in a promotional video that his Bond is “like a wounded animal”, struggling because “the world has changed, the rules of engagement aren’t what they used to be: the rules of espionage (are) darker in this era of asymmetric warfare”. 

It would seem that for Bond, as for all of us, the goal posts have moved. Hopefully, his hi-tech gadgets will help him to regain his footing.

Do you feel a bit like Bond today? Are there any hi-tech gadgets you need to give you that edge and keep your business out in front? Maybe you have already had an idea for a tech product related to your services but no idea how to bring it to market.

We advise our clients to invest in R&D as a future-proofing strategy, no matter the size of the business. If you have an innovative idea for a new product or service R&D can help you bring it to life and give you the edge you are looking for. The advantages of R&D give you a James Bond-like armoury to serve your audience, surprise your competition and become a market leader.

I’d like to introduce you to the benefits of five top Bond gadgets and of their R&D counterparts.

5. Remote controlled BMW

The 1997 film ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ featured a full-sized BMW 750iL that could be summoned and even controlled by a mobile phone. Bond would summon the car to help him succeed in any number of difficult situations.

The remote controlled BMW works a bit like the tax relief that R&D enables you to call in and help you succeed even when the going gets tough. If you are running an R&D project you can claim R&D tax relief to reduce your company’s tax bill or, alternatively, choose to receive a tax credit instead by way of a cash sum paid by HM Revenue and Customs.

4. X Ray glasses

‘The World is not Enough’ (1999) saw 007 sporting a pair of polarising sunglasses which gave him the power of X-Ray vision and a certain competitive edge.

Similarly,  through R&D your business can gain the competitive edge with your target market and your new products and services will generate new intellectual property which could bring in further financial benefit.

3. Grenade pen

The explosive pen was a fictional miniature grenade disguised as a ballpoint pen, first seen in the 1995 James Bond film ‘Goldeneye’.  The explosive pen was so successful it was used in several later Bond films.

The funding that R&D can bring in is the explosive pen of this list. Investing in R&D creates not one but many opportunities for businesses to seek public-sector innovation, research and development. Grants or even global funding and support for innovation. 

2. Jet pack

1965’s Thunderball saw Sean Connery using a jet pack to escape from some nasty villains.

The extra income that R&D generates for your business will enable you to soar upwards, jet-pack style. The unique products and services resulting from successful R&D projects can generate new or enhanced income streams and R&D can also attract potential new investors to your business, as well as JVs and partnerships.

1.The submarine Lotus

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) introduced one of the most memorable Bond cars of all time: a white, wedge-shaped, 1976 Lotus Esprit sports car whose U.S.P. was that it doubled up as a submarine. In fact, two different Esprits were used during production, one of which was the modified underwater model. Much later, at auction in 2013, it sold for nearly $1 million.

R&D works in the same way for your business, helping you to develop unique products and services. Your unique product or service doesn’t even have to be entirely new either. R&D can drive product improvement or innovation within the existing business offering.

Investing in R&D brings so many long term financial benefits to your business that it can give you the exit strategy you need to step into your well-deserved retirement. In a similar vein, No Time to Die signals the end of an era as Daniel Craig’s last Bond film giving rise to a tide of speculation over who will fill Bond’s Crockett and Jones slip-ons…

If you need any advice on how to best market your brand or how to formulate a ‘Beyond’ strategy for your business, why not sign up for a Cre8ion workshop today? Alternatively, if you have an innovative idea for a tech product we can put you in touch with our sister company, Digital, who can create it for you.

From Bristol, with love….