Podcasts about Purplebricks

Is Purplebricks Running Out of Road? Here's What Estate Agents Need to Know! In this episode, Russell Quirk, one of the most outspoken figures in UK estate agency, offers his unfiltered take on the future of Purplebricks. After years of struggling with an unconventional business model, can the company turn things around under its new interim CEO, Stuart Bartlett, who comes from the motor trade but has no property experience? Russell dives into the challenges of running an estate agency based on “cheap” fees and why that model has yet to prove profitable for Purplebricks. He also contrasts this with Yopa's more traditional approach, charging higher fees for a more sustainable business. He explores the untapped potential Purplebricks has with its brand, data, and market share, and why it could still find success if it pivots to a more traditional, fee based model. This episode also highlights the importance of using customer data effectively, a strategy that's helping other agencies like Foxtons thrive, even when others are struggling. Estate agents, especially those navigating the shifting UK property market, should watch this insightful discussion. Let us know your thoughts, do you think Purplebricks can turn it around?

Today's guest is the owner of Harpers Property People and is a triple eXp ICON.He is now based in Northumberland, but his career has seen his work in London for some of the biggest names within the industry such as KFH, Spicerhaart, Purplebricks, and Keller Williams, before deciding to launch his own business in June 2021.Harpers have gone on to sell over 300 properties during this time from a cold start and if you want to hear how these phenomenal results have been achieved, you better not miss this episode!

Today's guest is Chief Executive Officer at Preston Baker and also a Football League Referee. He has significant experience in both a variety of Estate Agency models and PropTech since starting in the property industry at the start of 2009. In this no holds bar conversation we discuss Purple Bricks, instant gratification, the pressures of being a referee and so much more. Don't miss this episode if you're wanting to hear someone who has an incredibly infectious attitude when it comes to this amazing industry.

Join us as we delve into the world of marketing with Archana Dhankar, a seasoned leader and influencer in the global marketing landscape. From her roots in digital marketing to crafting integrated campaigns that resonate internationally, Archana shares insights on brand storytelling, leveraging data analytics, and the future of marketing trends. 00:38- About Archana Dhankar Archana is a marketing leader, influencer, and content creator.  She has formerly worked with Mimecast, Purplebricks, and EDB. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tbcy/support

When you pick an estate agent, can you be sure they give great service and when you read their reviews, are they genuine? Are you sure? Ben Marley, Commercial Director of the ESTAS Group LTD lays out what truthful and trustworthy reviews can do for anyone buying or selling a home. Charlie Lamdin unquestionably gives it both barrels on Charlie Says when it comes to the BBC investigation into Purplebricks - take cover! We find out how Alan's self build is not only stuck at a financial crossroads, but how it has a very specific issue that you might have some advice for. Selling Somerset has an encounter with some highly unusual and functional furniture and will Simmo put to bed the idea that being an estate agent in 2024 is sexy??!

BBC TV video June 2024 report on Purplebricks: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0j4xt29In response to the surge in new seller subscribers What agents actually do for you: https://bestagent.co.uk/diagram-how-lettings-and-estate-agents-move-people/Seller Advice Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKomt2RI3JYkKrT_6naN-Nol2gp98NZDJIf you only watch one selling advice video make it this one: https://youtu.be/EryPmn1BFJIThe article featured in the video: https://thenegotiator.co.uk/columns/kate-faulkner/are-agents-really-selling-only-50-of-their-listings-in-the-property-market/BestAgent House Price Data to help stop overvaluing:https://bestagent.newsActivate your BestAgent BackOffice Account: https://bestagent.co.uk/agentsJoin the BestAgent Club: https://bestagent.clubWatch this video here https://youtube.com/live/6SCq0KYp6rYSupport the Show.Follow me on X for daily updates: https://x.com/moving_charlie Talk to my hand picked conveyancing partners here: https://mhwc.co.uk/conveyancingCheck out our national property listings on bestagent.co.uk if you're looking for a new home or need an agent to sell or let your existing home. If you need a mortgage, talk to my hand picked, trusted mortgage team here: https://mhwc.co.uk/mortgageAll my other links: https://linktr.ee/movinghomewithcharlieFor my estate agency podcasts, visit https://linktr.ee/bestagentIf you're an estate agent, make sure you're getting your free telephone leads as well as viewing and vendor leads by joining https://bestagent.co.uk/agents

Send us your thoughtsIn this special episode of CFO 4.0, Mark Blackmore steps in for Hannah Munro to provide a mid-year roundup of our podcast's most impactful conversations from 2024. Join us as we revisit the wisdom, laughter, and ground-breaking ideas shared by our remarkable guests.Key Highlights:January:Scott Buchanan on the challenges and preparations for taking a company through the IPO process.Dominique Highfield from Purple Bricks on the dynamics of financial and operational leadership.Soufyan Hamid on the transformative power of storytelling in finance.Chris Ortega on generative AI and navigating business uncertainty.February:Hannah Williams, CEO of Alacrity, on effective team communication and the transition from CFO to CEO.Jamie Irwin on the dynamic world of CFO recruitment in private equity.March:Nicholas Boucher on the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence in finance.Tory Bauman on the intricacies of financial planning and analysis in telecommunications infrastructure.Christian Frantz Hansen on balancing quantitative and qualitative measures in performance management.April:Andy Burrows on developing a business-focused finance mindset.Marie Charpentier on transforming finance teams in high-growth companies.Clive Webb on the pivotal role of sustainability in mergers and acquisitions.May:Katrina Nacci on the complexities of US GAAP and proactive planning.Arjit Kumar on leading through major organisational changes.Howard Friedman and Akshay Swaminathan on leveraging data science for business success.June:Chris Lloyd Mostyn on mastering project requirements in financial transformation.David B Horne on fundraising, scaling businesses, and the challenges faced by diverse founders in venture capital.Episodes mentioned:158. The Road to IPO: A Bitcoin Depot Story with Scott Buchanan159. A Leadership Journey at Purplebricks – Insights into Cash Burn, Resilience, and Transformational Triumphs with Dominique Highfield160. Transforming Numbers into Stories: The Power of Financial Communication with Soufyan Hamid161. Navigating 2024: Agility, AI, and People-Centric Finance with Chris Ortega164. Leadership Evolution: Transforming from CFO to CEO with Hannah Williams165. PE Backed | Insider Information on the Recruitment of CFOs in Private Equity with Jamie Irwin167. AI's Role in the Future of Finance with Nicolas Boucher168. PE Backed | The Evolution of a Finance Leader: Journey Through Audit, IPO, Acquisitions to Private Equity with Tory Bauman169. Balancing Acts: Performance Management in Finance with Christian Frantz Hansen171. Beyond Numbers: Cultivating a Business-Focused Finance Mindset with Andy Burrows172. Global Expansion Tactics: Finance Strategies for Success with Marie Charpentier Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here. Subscribe to our Podcast!

It seems like Simmo's dim (ish) view of open houses as a way to sell property didn't play out especially well. Mainly in Devon. Match Property's Nic Chbat is on to tell you why they work for him and what they can give to both vendor and buyer. Not the best of news from Grafton Regis, as Alan's self build grinds to a halt ( wait, did we nick that from Kevin McCloud? ) Plus Charlie Says tackles the Rightmove price index and Charlie isn't happy about it! What could the link be between ITV and Purplebricks? This is the podcast that has the answer and there's a spooky tale from a particularly supernatural part of Somerset! Selling Somerset brings on another house selling story that you won't hear anywhere else.

Ben Carter, Global Chief Customer and Marketing Officer at Carwow, unpacks the value of cross-channel measurement, data-driven decision-making, TV advertising, content marketing, the role of social media and organic reach. Ben also shares his experience at Carwow and the opportunities presented by the digital transformation of the car market. We also cover the importance of local knowledge, the role of AI in marketing, and the attributes of the future CMO.“The changes that have been made by Google and Apple are both challenging and beneficial. They're challenging because they make it harder to understand what's happening in your marketing, but they're beneficial because they force us to get better.” Ben CarterIn this episode of Time For a Reset: The Marketing Podcast with Global Leaders, Nick King, Global Practice Lead at CvE Consultancy, connects with Ben Carter, Global Chief Customer and Marketing Officer at Carwow, a leading retailer of new and used cars.Join them as they discuss:Ben's marketing reset: The importance of cross-channel measurement in marketing in the face of the cookies' demiseScaling challenges for startups and small companies and the importance of a granular view of marketing performanceThe impact of changes made by Google and Apple on marketing strategiesData-driven decisions and understanding the full funnel effect of marketing channelsMeasuring Marketing performance with attribution models and customer surveysThe importance of content marketing and the use of social media channelsThe role of AI in marketingA look at the toolkit of tomorrow's CMOAt Carwow, Ben is tasked with revolutionising how consumers buy and sell cars. Prior to joining Carwow in October 2022, he worked in executive marketing roles for several of the UK's biggest digital businesses, including Purplebricks, Just Eat, and Betfair, to drive growth, build their brands, and accelerate their digital transformation. He is also Chair of the Lily Foundation, a charity dedicated to raising awareness and finding a cure for mitochondrial disease, and the Director of Women in Football.Support the show

In this episode of the CFO 4.0 podcast join Hannah Munro, in an engaging conversation with Dominique Highfield, Chief Operating Officer of Purplebricks, as they delve into the dynamics of financial and operational leadership. In this episode, we explore:Insights into managing cash burn and transformational challenges at Purplebricks.Strategies for leading effectively during times of corporate and personal challenges.How to foster team resilience and support during restructuring and redundancies.Navigating corporate environments in both private and public sectors.The importance of vulnerability and emotional expression in corporate leadership roles.Advice for New C-Level Executives: Practical tips for those stepping into high-level roles.Links mentioned:  Dominique's LinkedIn Learn more about Purplebricks Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here. Subscribe to our Podcast!

We're joined by Mark Joyce, CTO Transformation Advisor at Purple Bricks, who shares his remarkable journey of leadership during the acquisition of Purple Bricks.Join us for a thoughtful and sensitive discussion on leadership, resilience and adaptability.If you'd like to speak to us about the episode or being a future guest, email our editor Dan at dan.wilkinson@transition-partners.co.uk.And feel free to connect with our host Sandra on LinkedIn here, she's up for a chat any time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's guest is the founder of Isla-Alexander who has been working in the industry since 2013 and is building the next generation of estate agency built on the foundations of media and marketing He has previously worked as a director for some of the UK's largest Estate Agency firms such as Purplebricks, Countrywide, and, Keller Williams. There is so much gold in this conversation and plenty to take action on.

Episode #104. Season 6 returns with a leadership topic to support marketers to identify and develop their authentic leadership style. Abby's guest in this episode is Gareth Helm, award-winning marketer and author of the Marketing Leader's Code: unlock your potential - learn the secrets of successful marketing leadership. His previous roles include Unilever, Innocent Drinks, Bear snacks, Tails.com, Zoopla, as well as Global Chief Marketing Officer for HomeServe. Today Gareth is a NED and Board Advisor for brands such as for Purple Bricks and Higgidy. In this episode Gareth shares the principles and inspiration behind his new book, the 4 types of marketing leaders, the value of assessment and capability and why you should spend time building relationships. Plus Gareth shares his career highs and lows. Host: Abigail (Abby) Dixon FCIM/ICF | LinkedInGuest: Gareth Helm | LinkedInThe Marketing Leader's Code: Unlock your potential - Learn the secrets of successful marketing leadership: Amazon.co.uk: Helm, Gareth, Helm, Sophie: 9781908770318: BooksThis podcast is sponsored by Labyrinth Marketing www.labyrinthmarketing.co.uk The Whole Marketer podcast is here to support and empower the people behind brands and businesses with the latest technical tools, soft and leadership skills and personal understanding for a fulfilling marketing career and life as a whole. For more info go to www.thewholemarketer.com

Episode #104. Season 6 returns with a leadership topic to support marketers to identify and develop their authentic leadership style.   Abby's guest in this episode is Gareth Helm, award-winning marketer and author of the Marketing Leader's Code: unlock your potential - learn the secrets of successful marketing leadership. His previous roles include Unilever, Innocent Drinks, Bear snacks, Tails.com, Zoopla, as well as Global Chief Marketing Officer for HomeServe. Today Gareth is a NED and Board Advisor for brands such as for Purple Bricks and Higgidy.  In this episode Gareth shares the principles and inspiration behind his new book, the 4 types of marketing leaders, the value of assessment and capability and why you should spend time building relationships. Plus Gareth shares his career highs and lows.  Host: Abigail (Abby) Dixon FCIM/ICF | LinkedIn Guest: Gareth Helm | LinkedIn The Marketing Leader's Code: Unlock your potential - Learn the secrets of successful marketing leadership: Amazon.co.uk: Helm, Gareth, Helm, Sophie: 9781908770318: Books This podcast is sponsored by Labyrinth Marketing  www.labyrinthmarketing.co.uk  The Whole Marketer podcast is here to support and empower the people behind brands and businesses with the latest technical tools, soft and leadership skills and personal understanding for a fulfilling marketing career and life as a whole. For more info go to www.thewholemarketer.com 

Ladies and gentlemen of the UK Estate Agency, fasten your seatbelts for a thrilling discussion on the current state of the UK property market! Recorded on Thursday, the 6th of July 2023, myself with the ICG bring you a gathering of industry giants ready to shed light on the eye-catching and perplexing trends that are defining the estate agency landscape in Summer 2023. Amidst the ever-watchful doommongers predicting the end of the world, the UK property market is proving to be more resilient than expected. Nevertheless, it's undoubtedly a tougher game than it was six or twelve months ago. Diving into the statistics, we find a fascinating three-layered market dynamic: the bottom quarter and upper quartile appear to be performing reasonably well, but it's the sticky middle market with substantial mortgages and interest rate rises that presents challenges. As the stats reveal a gradual rise in fall-through rates, now at around 28% to 30%, it becomes crucial for estate agents to adapt their strategies. In this video, we're joined by some of the most influential figures in the UK estate agency industry to share their expertise and insights. First on our panel is the esteemed Lee Wainwright, the mastermind behind Focal Agent, known for exceptional outsourcing services. Alongside his impressive stint at Countrywide and being the former National Boss of Purplebricks, Lee's wealth of knowledge in estate agency is unmatched. Next up, we have Ed Mead, a force to be reckoned with during his time at Douglas and Gordon. Now, at the helm of Viewber, specialising in outsourcing viewing systems for numerous firms, Ed is ready to impart invaluable wisdom gained from his vast experience. And last but not least, the remarkable Iain White, once a prominent figure at Romans and now a mover and shaker in the industry, offering invaluable advice and guidance to top estate agencies. Our discussion will revolve around the challenges agents face in the current market climate. With an increasing workload and a need to staff up, all while income lags behind costs, the strategies to attract and retain buyers have never been more critical. As we explore this new buyer's market reminiscent of the 2008/2009 era, our esteemed panelists will delve into the opportunities it presents for seasoned agents to differentiate their services from competitors. The tides are changing, and estate agents must steer their ships in a new direction to thrive in this dynamic landscape. Stay tuned as we uncover the secrets to success, and learn how to navigate the property market storm with these expert insights. Don't miss out on the chance to gain a competitive edge in today's challenging estate agency world!

Jon Cooke, a giant of the UK Property Industry. Former boss of LSL (Your Move), he is the boss of the Nurtur Group (the company that runs The Guild of Property Professionals, Fine & Country, Starberry, The Property Jungle and other great firms). He is joined by his colleague Damon Bullimore, head of tech at Nurtur (and boss of Brief Your Market). In this interview, done in early Summer 2023 on the WatkinSofa, we talked about Strike's purchase of Purplebricks.

The topics, stocks and shares mentions / discussed include: TWIN PETES INVESTING CHALLENGE APRIL PORTFOLIO PRIZE WINNER Artificial Intelligence / AI Generative AI Grainger / GRI Aberdeen European Logistics Income / ASLI Tirupati Graphite / TGR Private Equity Takeovers / Profit warnings Wood Group / Apollo Asset Management THG Online Disruptors Purplebricks / PURP / Strike Rightmove / RMV ZOOPLA Carvana / CVNA Cazoo / CZOO On the Beach / OTB Restore / RST FTSE 100 AIM All-Share US Debt Ceiling MPAC Zytronic / ZYT Reach / RCH Watches of Switzerland / WOSG Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals / HEMO Insig AI / INSG Shield Therapeutics / STX Harbour Energy / HBR Dekel Agri-Vision / DKL S4 Capital / SFOR Accounting / Auditing issues Algy Hall new book & how to win a copy @algyhall | Linktree UK Investor Show on 9th June 2023 will you be attending? Profits Harriman House books Powder Monkey Brewing Co 5% discount code : TWINPETES Menphys Charity Appeal please make a donation on the TwinPetes Investing Challenge 2023 Just Giving Page Investing Trading & much more The Twin Petes Challenge 2023 / Charity fundraise for the MENPHYS Charity. Have you enjoyed one or more of these podcasts. Yes . Then please make a donation , every pound will help. JUST GIVING TWIN PETES FUNDRAISING FOR THE MENPHYS CHARITY https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/twinpeteschallenge23 Thank you. The Twin Petes Investing podcasts will be linked to and written about on the Conkers3 website and also on the WheelieDealer website . Thank you for reading this article and listening to this podcast, we hope you enjoyed it. Please share this article with others that you know will find it of interest. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THE TWIN PETES INVESTING PLATFORM THAT YOU ARE LISTENING TO THIS PODCAST ON. THANK YOU.

The latest episode of the Downtown Den Podcast hears from Purple Bricks founder and Larne F.C. chairman, Kenny Bruce. In conversation with co-founder of VSI Executive Education Andy McIntyre, Kenny discusses his success in the estate agency world with Purple Bricks and his subsequent venture into football ownership with Northern Ireland Premiership champions Larne F.C. With Larne F.C. set to compete in the upcoming Champions League qualifiers, Kenny shares his values and knowledge on how he has helped Larne F.C. achieve this increadible feat. He also shares the unique collaboration with the Steven Gerrard academy for the benefit of their young footballers. https://larnefc.com

Pretty please!! If you take away only one thing from this episode, make sure it's that. Simmo is adamant that you give the "factory conveyancers" a wide berth. Use them and it will be a whole world of hurt. Take the advice from a RICS associate member and walk away. Speaking of RICS - Charlie Lamdin calls their UK Residential Market Survey his favourite indices and backs this up by a Charlie Says that goes into the key reasons this is the most important regular examination of house buying and selling. Our guest is the fantastically knowledgeable Claire Russell Lartaud of Taylor Rose and Domus Homes - she's qualified to practice property law both here in the UK and Australia. Her opinions and anecdotes just ooze common sense and professionalism. Claire's well worth a listen. Just don't ask her about renovation! Simmo and JP also report on the ridiculous news that online estate agency Strike ( already in eye watering debt ) are still looking to acquire the equally ailing Purplebricks. Sheer madness. And The brilliant property tips and tricks we've found on the Guild of Property Professionals Facebook page.

Verona Frankish, CEO of Yopa joins Iain McKenzie on The Home Stretch Podcast this week, as he delves into the world of hybrid estate agencies and all the challenges and successes this model presents. Verona speaks about her first 12-months as CEO at Yopa, as well as discussing her time at Purplebricks and the future of the Yopa model. She also tells Holly how important it is to build a community around you in business.

Chris Millington, Director of Building and Construction Research at investment bank numis, joins Iain for this week's episode to look at the housing market from an investor and house builder perspective. Chris is optimistic about the market for the remainder of 2023, he tells Iain why he cannot see the UK facing a crash. Iain also asks about the topic-du-jour, Purplebricks... listen to Chris' view on the future of the online agency.

Someone isn't happy with Purplebricks. Actually that's probably a honking great understatement. Vendors and former staff are seething. So what happens next in this ruinous episode - will it be bought for a quid? That may sound like a joke, but Charlie Lamdin of Best Agent and Moving Home with Charlie is spitting feathers. Not a fan of "Sporting Ken" ( or Michael ), this month's Charlie Says is a no holds barred rant that lays into the whole sorry saga of the " we'll sell your home with no commission " smoke and mirrors. It won't be pretty. On a much more happy note, we catch up with Toby Greenhow of Savills aka Tik Tok Toby - he has some really interesting things to say about what's expected of an estate agent in 2023 and how we, the house buying public see green homes. Oh yes and some bright spark thinks the general public would pay £7 to swim in Bristol harbour. We'll take a raincheck.

L'essentiel des nouvelles économiques, technologiques et financières[texte ni révisé ni corrigé à des fins de publication]Les Québécois préfèrent le télétravail, confirme une vaste étudeSelon une enquête du Centre interuniversitaire de recherche en analyse des organisations (Cirano) menée auprès de 10 000 employés au Québec, 66% des répondants s'estiment plus productifs lorsqu'ils travaillent à distance. Ceux qui travaillent 3 jours ou plus à distance sont plus satisfaits de leur travail que la moyenne de tous les employés et se disent plus engagés envers leur travail.Desjardins ferme le courtier immobilier FairSquareEn juillet 2020, le Mouvement Desjardins avait acheté pour 60,5 millions $ la filiale canadienne de l'entreprise britannique Purplebricks. Elle comprenait, au Québec, les services DuProprio et RénoAssistance. Elle comprenait aussi FairSquare, un courtier immobilier fonctionnant à frais fixes plutôt qu'à commission, actif en Ontario, au Manitoba et en Alberta.Dans un courriel envoyé à plusieurs médias, Desjardins explique sa décision de fermer FairSquare par «la détérioration rapide du marché du logement».Meta lance un service payant pour avoir un compte vérifiéLa société mère de Facebook et Instagram va déployer ce nouveau service en Australie et en Nouvelle-Zélande, avant de l'étendre à d'autres pays. Il permettra aux usagers de ses plateformes de faire authentifier leur compte par Meta, et de le signaler en affichant un badge bleu.Il inclura aussi, selon Meta, une protection plus forte contre le risque de se faire voler son compte par des fraudeurs. Meta Verified coutera 11 $US par mois si acheté sur le web, ou 15 $US si acheté dans iOS ou Android.L'industrie automobile présente un véhicule électrique (et autonome) 100% canadienAppelé Project Arrow, ce projet de véhicule a été piloté par l'Association des fabricants de pièces automobiles du Canada. Il vise à démontrer que l'industrie canadienne peut développer et construire des véhicules électriques.Un prototype est exposé au Salon international de l'auto du Canada, à Toronto.Chaque lundi, InfoBref vous fait découvrir une jeune entreprise québécoise innovante.Aujourd'hui, Autonom, une jeune pousse de Montréal: elle a développé un système intelligent qui permet aux antennes de téléphonie mobile 5G de rester en fonction si les infrastructures électriques qui les alimentent font défaut, et cela sans qu'un technicien ait besoin d'aller intervenir sur place.Pour en savoir plus sur Autonome lisez le portrait de cette entreprise à InfoBref.com, ---Pour des détails sur ces nouvelles et d'autres nouvelles: https://infobref.com.Pour vous abonner aux infolettres gratuites d'InfoBref: https://infobref.com/infolettres_Pour les balados d'InfoBref et des liens pour les trouver: https://infobref.com/audio_[Découvrez Actualités InfoBref, un balado quotidien des principales nouvelles générales, parfaitement complémentaire d'InfoBref Affaires]Pour voir notre épisode hebdo «à retenir cette semaine»: https://www.youtube.com/@infobrefPour commentaires et suggestions à l'animateur Patrick Pierra, ou pour commanditer InfoBref Affaires: editeur@infobref.com Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

- Train drivers announce new January strike date - Britain's Purplebricks to cut more than 10% of jobs - UK is the leading European tech ecosystem 3 of 5 business stories featured in today's 90 second podcast

Elona Mortimer-Zhika is the inspirational CEO of IRIS Software Group and is responsible for all operations across the Group and this weeks guest on the Leadership Bites podcast.On this episode we talk about:Humble upbringingAn education in diversity"The luck winner of...." (No luck involved)"My dad's my hero"Proud to be an accountantThe role of leadershipHiring for curiousityFailing fastNo decision is worth the wrong decisionThe culture questionBeing a house of brands"You can't just laminate values"The power of celebrationBeating the drum"You can't fake passion"Elona joined IRIS in 2016 as Chief Financial Officer and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2018, and then Chief Executive Officer in 2019. In 2020, Elona was appointed as a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee at Purplebricks, the UK's leading hybrid estate agency. Before joining IRIS, Elona held several senior leadership roles in Big 4 and PE-backed businesses, including Mavenir, Acision, Arthur Andersen and Deloitte.Elona graduated with a First Class Honours Degree in Accounting and Economics and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales. Awards include Top 50 Women in Accounting 2021; UK Tech Awards Business Woman of the Year 2020; Global Banking and Finance Business Woman of the Year UK 2020 and the Venus National Finance Professional of the Year 2018.Elona is passionate about diversity and is a mentor in the F-Ten ICAEW programme supporting women in leadership positions.To find out more about Guy Bloom and his award winning work in Team Coaching, Leadership Development and Executive Coaching click below.The link to everything CLICK HEREUK: 07827 953814Email: guybloom@livingbrave.com Web: www.livingbrave.com

In this episode, Nick Searle speaks to Helena Marston, CEO of Purplebricks.Helena joined Purplebricks in May 2020 as Chief People Officer and took on the role of Chief Operating Officer at the end of 2021 before becoming Chief Executive Officer in April 2022.Prior to Purplebricks, a passion for driving significant performance improvements in leadership and organisational culture led Helena to hold several senior leadership roles at Virgin Media, Kuwait Energy, Jaguar Land Rover and Vodafone. Helena shares with Nick insights from her background, her motivation, and discusses her interest in human behaviour.Helena's book choices are Executive Intelligence: What All Great Leaders Have in Common by Justin Menkes, The Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez and the Art of War by Sun Tzu. This content is issued by Zeus Capital Limited (“Zeus”) (Incorporated in England & Wales No. 4417845), which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) for designated investment business, (Reg No. 224621) and is a member firm of the London Stock Exchange. This content is for information purposes only and neither the information contained, nor the opinions expressed within, constitute or are to be construed as an offer or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell the securities or other instruments mentioned in it. Zeus shall not be liable for any direct or indirect damages, including lost profits arising in any way from the information contained in this material. This material is for the use of intended recipients only.

Join Iain McKenzie and Holly Hibbett for a bonus episode as Anthony Codling, leading economist, breaks down published half-year results from the industry, including Purplebricks, Connells and Belvoir.

There's more than one way to look at any situation. Change can be seen as opportunity, or it can evoke fear. Failure might be viewed as the chance to learn and grow, or it can be something that defines you and holds you back. How you see any scenario depends on your perspective, says Laing+Simmons Head of Growth and Development Harriet Saunders and whether you choose to embrace it or excuse it depends on whether you operate ‘above the line' or below it. Harriet explains ‘above the line' people own their mistakes and see them as a chance to develop and improve, while those who find refuge below the line are fueled by excuses and the ‘buts' that inhibit the chance to grow. In a highly successful real estate career both here and in England, Harriet's had her share of professional and personal moments where perspective has mattered, including her experience at Purplebricks. In her 20s, she and her young family left the UK with just three suitcases and a dream of adventure. Now a single mum with a thriving career, she looks at the ways reframing the perspective has helped shape her success, along with the lessons it has helped her learn. She notes many of those key lessons came from her time working at disruptor Purplebricks when they made a foray into the Australian market. Harriet offers an insight into why she believes the model didn't work here at that time, and how her ability to change perspective allowed her to view the experience as a positive one that shaped her belief sometimes you learn more when you fail than when you succeed. In this Courageous Conversation with Leanne Pilkington, Harriet looks at what it takes to be someone who embraces ‘above the line' behaviour where each challenge presents opportunity. “An above the line mindset is somebody that takes ownership, accountability, and responsibility, which sounds really trite, but it's actually quite important. It's about looking at a scenario and saying, I understand that this may or may not be my ‘fault', but what am I learning from this? What can we do better from this? And it comes down to that - being able to evolve.” - Harriet Saunders. https://youtu.be/PIPl0AphCFM Harriet and Leanne discuss: What it is to be above the line or beneath it, and how this helps you grow in a real estate career.Why perspective of any situation is key and how it helps you appreciate another person's world view and their approach to the task at hand.How Harriet became someone who was happy to have tough conversations and the benefits this transparency offers.Why intention is the thing that matters most and how you can relay this in the conversations that count.Harriet's story of coming to Australia, including how she manages the work/life balance as a single mum with two children.Why success in leadership and any role involves taking responsibility, and how this can help open a much more positive conversation.Why where you are now is where you've chosen to be and how realising that liberates you to take ownership and accountability.What Harriet learned from working with real estate disruptor Purple Bricks and why it's something she would definitely do again.Why feedback is always about offering a different perspective and how you can take it on, without feeling under threat. And much, much more… Links and resources mentioned Laing+SimmonsPurple Bricks Connect with Harriet FacebookLinkedIn Connect with Leanne Courageous Conversations on Apple PodcastsLaing + SimmonsLinkedInTwitterRWIRE 

There's more than one way to look at any situation. Change can be seen as opportunity, or it can evoke fear. Failure might be viewed as the chance to learn and grow, or it can be something that defines you and holds you back. How you see any scenario depends on your perspective, says Laing+Simmons Head of Growth and Development Harriet Saunders and whether you choose to embrace it or excuse it depends on whether you operate ‘above the line' or below it. Harriet explains ‘above the line' people own their mistakes and see them as a chance to develop and improve, while those who find refuge below the line are fueled by excuses and the ‘buts' that inhibit the chance to grow. In a highly successful real estate career both here and in England, Harriet's had her share of professional and personal moments where perspective has mattered, including her experience at Purplebricks. In her 20s, she and her young family left the UK with just three suitcases and a dream of adventure. Now a single mum with a thriving career, she looks at the ways reframing the perspective has helped shape her success, along with the lessons it has helped her learn. She notes many of those key lessons came from her time working at disruptor Purplebricks when they made a foray into the Australian market. Harriet offers an insight into why she believes the model didn't work here at that time, and how her ability to change perspective allowed her to view the experience as a positive one that shaped her belief sometimes you learn more when you fail than when you succeed. In this Courageous Conversation with Leanne Pilkington, Harriet looks at what it takes to be someone who embraces ‘above the line' behaviour where each challenge presents opportunity. “An above the line mindset is somebody that takes ownership, accountability, and responsibility, which sounds really trite, but it's actually quite important. It's about looking at a scenario and saying, I understand that this may or may not be my ‘fault', but what am I learning from this? What can we do better from this? And it comes down to that - being able to evolve.” - Harriet Saunders. https://youtu.be/PIPl0AphCFM Harriet and Leanne discuss: What it is to be above the line or beneath it, and how this helps you grow in a real estate career.Why perspective of any situation is key and how it helps you appreciate another person's world view and their approach to the task at hand.How Harriet became someone who was happy to have tough conversations and the benefits this transparency offers.Why intention is the thing that matters most and how you can relay this in the conversations that count.Harriet's story of coming to Australia, including how she manages the work/life balance as a single mum with two children.Why success in leadership and any role involves taking responsibility, and how this can help open a much more positive conversation.Why where you are now is where you've chosen to be and how realising that liberates you to take ownership and accountability.What Harriet learned from working with real estate disruptor Purple Bricks and why it's something she would definitely do again.Why feedback is always about offering a different perspective and how you can take it on, without feeling under threat. And much, much more… Links and resources mentioned Laing+SimmonsPurple Bricks Connect with Harriet FacebookLinkedIn Connect with Leanne Courageous Conversations on Apple PodcastsLaing + SimmonsLinkedInTwitterRWIRE 

In this episode, Duncan and I talk about Purplebricks' failure and prospects as well as what's going to happen now that the DIY boom appears to have ended…

Steph Walker used to be the Head of Customer Services and the Head of USA Recruitment for the national estate agency chain Purplebricks. Now she is a founder of 'The Agency', a self-employed estate agency model. In this video, she came to Grantham to sit on the WatkinSofa (in the Spring of 2022) to chat about her experience as a women working in Estate Agency.

On this week's Investabilty Podcast John and Michael look back over 4 months of company Deep Dives to see how our calls have stood up to the current market conditions. Featuring AB Dynamics, ASOS, Boohoo, Dotdigital, Hollywood Bowl, Hostelworld, Jet2, Purplebricks, Segro, Shoe Zone, Somero, Sosandar, The Gym Group, THG, Tritax Big Box, Urban Logistics, Warehouse Reit, and Watches of Switzerland

Steph Walker used to be the Head of Customer Services and the Head of USA Recruitment for the national estate agency chain Purplebricks. Now she is a founder of 'The Agency', a self-employed estate agency model. In this video, she came to Grantham to sit on the WatkinSofa (in the Spring of 2022) to chat about whether or not most self-employed agents will fail.

Steph Walker used to be the Head of Customer Services and the Head of USA Recruitment for the national estate agency chain Purplebricks. Now she is a founder of 'The Agency', a self-employed estate agency model. In this video, she came to Grantham to sit on the WatkinSofa (in the Spring of 2022) to chat about why self-employed agents should seriously consider The Agency UK.

Steph Walker used to be the Head of Customer Services and the Head of USA Recruitment for the national estate agency chain Purplebricks. Now she is a founder of 'The Agency', a self-employed estate agency model. In this video, she came to Grantham to sit on the WatkinSofa (in the Spring of 2022) to chat about why she is involved with Agents Together.

Steph Walker used to be the Head of Customer Services and the Head of USA Recruitment for the national estate agency chain Purplebricks. Now she is a founder of 'The Agency', a self-employed estate agency model. In this video, she came to Grantham to sit on the WatkinSofa (in the Spring of 2022) to chat about the cesspit of Estate Agency's social media feeds.

Steph Walker used to be the Head of Customer Services and the Head of USA Recruitment for the national estate agency chain Purplebricks. Now she is a founder of 'The Agency', a self-employed estate agency model. In this video, she came to Grantham to sit on the WatkinSofa (in the Spring of 2022) to chat about why self-employed agents are better for the client.

Steph Walker used to be the Head of Customer Services and the Head of USA Recruitment for the national estate agency chain Purplebricks. Now she is a founder of 'The Agency', a self-employed estate agency model. In this video, she came to Grantham to sit on the WatkinSofa (in the Spring of 2022) to chat about how Estate Agency bosses can ensure their employees don't leave them.

Simon has been out viewing houses - this week he's chatting to Stuart about the viewing process with Strike and Purple Bricks. Plus his verdict on the two properties themselves (as potential buy-to-let investments). The discussion this week includes: * Strike (https://strike.co.uk/). * Purple Bricks (https://www.purplebricks.co.uk/). * Viewings with "online" agents. * We previously talked about the experience of arranging viewings with Strike and Purple Bricks (https://www.thebusinessofproperty.com/127). * Visum (https://www.visum.co.uk/). * Property 1 (https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/117822953#/). * Property 2 (https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/116128394#/). * PaTMa's property research tools (https://www.patma.co.uk/property-prospector/). * The numbers just don't work! * The numbers do work, but think about the risk! * Find us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/BizOfProperty) or LinkedIn: Stuart (https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartlordan/), Simon (https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonpither/). Please leave us a rating and review if you're enjoying the show. This podcast is produced in association with PaTMa (https://www.patma.co.uk/), the leading application for self managing landlords who want to save time and stay compliant. Easily track properties, tenancies, tenants, repairs, rent, mortgage payments and safety certificates. Get your FREE account today (https://www.patma.co.uk/).

Steph Walker used to be the Head of Customer Services and the Head of USA Recruitment for the national estate agency chain Purplebricks. Now she is a founder of 'The Agency', a self-employed estate agency model. In this video, she came to Grantham to sit on the WatkinSofa (in the Spring of 2022) to chat about whether or not Purplebricks is responsible for the low fees in Estate Agency.

World Exclusive - first time that Michael and Kenny Bruce have ever been interviewed together at the same time on video In this podcast we discuss their upbringing, how Michael and Kenny's parents are shaped both of them and turn them into the people that they are today. We talk about the ups and downs of Purplebricks, Agents Together and their future with Boomin

Russell Quirk dropped by the Watkinsofa to talk about his thoughts on where Purplebricks are in early 2022 and what Vic Darvey and his senior team could consider doing to improve their situation.

In today's episode Andy Silvester goes through the headlines -- there's news about Vodafone, Purplebricks, Dolce & Gabbana ditching fur, and more. Andy also talks to City A.M.'s Economics and Markets Correspondent Jack Barnett about rate hikes this year, energy prices, cost of living, and the Bank of England's tightrope walk ahead. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode we take a little look into the world of recruitment: What are businesses looking for when hiring C-Suite executives and what are the C-Suite executives looking for when seeking new opportunities, has this changed since the global pandemic has affected the traditional working models? We asked Liz Jones and Daren Rubins, Founders of Conker, a specialist executive search company that specialises in the media and marcom industries to help us out with the answers! ABOUT CONKER Conker is an Executive Search business that finds transformational talent for senior roles in agencies, media owners, digital platforms and client brands. Our remit stretches across commercial, strategic, technical, operational and specialist areas - and often in combination. Learn more about Conker https://conkerwithus.com ABOUT LIZ JONES Liz is an experienced commercial leader who understands how talent drives better business outcomes. She is a strong networker and collaborator; passionate about contributing to positive change and business results through diversity, inclusion and well-being. Alongside her most recent role at Dentsu Aegis Network (CEO of B2B), she was also the Executive Sponsor for Diversity and Inclusion and together with HR built the first set of complete diversity metrics for business to inform 2020 goals focused on gender, agile working and ethnicity. Liz led the successful roll-out of unconscious bias training to the leadership team and she also launched the first LGBT+ resource group and gender equality network at Dentsu Aegis Network. She has always enjoyed building diverse, high performing teams. At PSI over eight years she hired over 20 individuals from different backgrounds and markets and in doing so doubled the revenue and profit of the business. A proud WACL member, she drove the recent initiative with LinkedIn using data for the first time to look at gender parity in the Media, Marketing and Communications industry. She has always mentored formally and informally via NABS, WACL, IPA and the wider industry. She is currently on the WACL Exec (Communications and Voice) and was a main committee member of the IAA for many years. Liz is also a NABs Stronger than Summer committee member and mentors for most of the initiatives in the media industry. ABOUT DAREN RUBINS Daren's entire career has been built around helping companies and people to achieve their potential. Across 30 incredibly successful years in advertising, Daren has been responsible for hiring and/or leading some of today's most successful names in the marketing industry. His belief is that motivated talent, in the right environment, can achieve anything. In his 10 years as MD and then CEO of PHD in the UK, the agency experienced unprecedented success. Highlights included; Pitching and winning Cadbury, Kraft, Expedia, Dyson, Twitter, Confused.com, Purple Bricks, Viacom, British Heart Foundation, P&O Cruises, VW Group, Magners and many more. Winning eight individual Media Agency of the Year accolades, seven Grand Prix awards and two Cannes Lions Gold awards. Achieving four consecutive top 100 Best Companies Awards, including 25th, 18th and 16th positions. Daren also co-created the industry-accreditation Advanced Media Certificate, for which he received an IPA Fellowship and has spoken on numerous platforms about talent and diversity, including the 3% Conference, WACL, Token Man, Omniwomen, Bloom and HeForShe. In 2017, Daren became CEO at The Lighthouse Company, where he placed 18 business leaders in as many months. In his spare time, Daren mentors individuals at all levels and also the runs the Marketing Advisory Group for the JW3 Community Centre.

The traditional media agency format is outdated – and journalists, editors, and producers see right through it. Most agencies send impersonal press releases or bland pitches that are quickly deleted, blacklisted, and ignored. As a result, publicists come to hoard their precious rolodexes, as it becomes their most important tool of survival. But at Super Connector Media, Angela Bonnici and team know the strength of the pack is greater than the strength of the lone wolf. In this conversation, she shares tips to getting the media to take notice of your brand, dial in to your message, and how to stop holding back on sharing your most powerful tool....YOU! Bio: As the Chief Publicity Officer at Super Connector Media, Angela oversees our SCM PR services division, creating impactful media strategies for each client to ensure optimum media results and satisfaction. Angela brings to SCM 15 years years of professional experience, providing public relations, strategic communications, brand awareness and crisis communications support to a broad range of companies in a wide array of industry sectors. Throughout her career, Angela has worked for several top-tier public relations agencies and has represented multiple organizations ranging from startups to global entities, including Toshiba, American Express, American Cancer Society, General Electric, Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Orbitz.com. She has also represented authors, product launches and startups including Tonya Lewis Lee, PokerStars, Yonanas, BodyGlide, SmartyPants, Wallaroo Hats, PurpleBricks and more, helping them develop branding, PR and social media campaigns to garner national awareness through strategic media placements and other integrated communications solutions. In This Episode We Discuss: Gems on actionable brand awareness Where to get started What makes you stand apart Building a consistent brand voice How to create your personal focus group The importance of your Niche How to promote yourself by being a great resource How the injection of virtual has broadened media opportunities Why a “no” is actually an opportunity Resources: Website: http://superconnectormedia.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelabonnicipr/  , https://www.instagram.com/superconnectormedia/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angela.bonnici.7 Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelabonnici/ Apply for an invite to the 3 day Unfair Advantage Live entrepreneur event: https://www.unfairadvantagelive.com/ual-special-2021  Connect with Jayne: Website: https://www.jaynewilliams.com/ Instagram: @jayne_williamswellness https://www.instagram.com/jayne_williamswellness/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaynewilliamswellness/ 

The latest member of Nick Helm and Nathaniel Metcalfe's Fan Club is mouth artist Henry Fraser who has been commissioned to create a piece of art for Purplebricks' Home Support campaign to uplift Team GB in the Tokyo Olympics. For more information please click here: https://www.purplebricks.co.uk/blog/post/purplebricks-launches-home-support

Bio: Darren has a background in commercial management, being an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers following sixteen years in Retail Banking. This culminated as a Senior Personal Banking Manager within the Guildford Group of Branches, which was comprised of 9 branches and 140 staff. A career change into IT in the late 1990s has led to a number of roles within IT including three Head of Department positions covering the complete spectrum of IT. Also, as an accomplished Project Manager and a Prince2 Practitioner he has a phenomenal record in delivering complex programmes and business transformations and an impressive record of negotiating and implementing multi-million pound contracts including Outsourcing, Off-shoring and ERP systems. He is also a Chartered IT Professional. Darren is now a Director of Radtac, a Global Agile Consultancy Business based in London. In addition, he is DSDM Atern Agile PM Practitioner, APMG Facilitation Practitioner, PRINCE2 Agile Practitioner, Certified Scrum Master, Kanban Practitioner. Darren is an active agile practitioner and coach and delivers training courses in Leading SAFe and more recently, Darren is now a SAFe Fellow, one of about 30 worldwide. He is also a SAFe Program Consultant Trainer (SPCT), contributor to the SAFe Reference Guide 4.5 and founder of the London SAFe Meet-up Group. Finally, he is the Treasurer of BCS Kent Branch and co-founder of the Kent Scrum User Group. Also a co-author of the BCS Book “Agile Foundations – Principles Practices and Frameworks”, a reviewer of "Valuing Agile; the financial management of agile projects".    Books/ Resources:  Tribal Unity by Em Campbell-Pretty  Leading Change by John P. Kotter  The DevOps Handbook: How to Create World-Class Agility, Reliability, and Security in Technology Organisations by Gene Kim et al  Agile Foundations – Principles, Practices and Frameworks y Peter Measey, Darren Wilmshurst and Radtac  SAFe Reference Guide 4.5 by Dean Leffingwell SAFe 5.0 Distilled; Achieving Business Agility with the Scaled Agile Framework by Richard Knaster and Dean Leffingwell *  NOTE: * As of the time of publishing this episode, the most-current version of SAFe is 5.0 and so I would recommend getting this version.   Websites:  The Agile Manifesto: https://agilemanifesto.org/  SAFe Principles: https://www.scaledagileframework.com/safe-lean-agile-principles/   Darren's social media profiles: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darren-wilmshurst-89b0931/  Twitter handle (for fellow Arsenal fans!): @dazzawilmshurst   Interview Transcript: Ula Ojiaku: [00:27] My guest for this episode is Darren Wilmshurst. He is the director and head of consulting at Radtac. Darren is a Scaled Agile Framework Fellow, an achievement realized by less than 30 people globally. He's also an SPCT - that is, a SAFe Program Consultant Trainer. Darren trained me as an SPC, and I am honored to call him my mentor as well. This episode, be aware, was recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic so parts of our conversation about travel around the world, conducting a big room planning with all team members physically in the same space might not reflect the current pandemic situation as people aren't traveling as much. And of course, there's social distancing in place, and people are working more remotely than ever. The release of this episode coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Agile Manifesto. Darren and I talked about the Agile Manifesto. And in my opinion, the pearls of wisdom that he shared about applying the values and principles are as valid as ever. Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, my conversation with Darren Wilmshurst. Enjoy!   Main Interview Ula Ojiaku: [01:51] Thank you so much, Darren, for making the time for this conversation. Darren: [01:55] Real pleasure to join you today. Thank you for inviting me. Ula Ojiaku: [01:58] Darren, why don't you start off by telling us a bit about yourself? Darren: [02:02] Oh, yeah that will be good, I have a probably interesting background. Because I spent 16 years in retail banking, I was a bank manager. And banking was all good until the first week of November 1997. Not that I remember the (exact) date. But that was the date that the bank decided to automate my job. So, some bank managers were really good at lending. Some bank managers are really bad at lending. And they wanted to manage the credit risk to 1% of the portfolio. And they can't do that with individual discretion. So, on that date, everything was credit scored. If you wanted an overdraft, (a) personal loan or mortgage, everything was credit scored. I went from being a bank manager of nine branches and 140 staff to being a sales manager, selling financial products, and not something I really wanted to do. So, I made the entirely logical leap from being a bank manager into IT, because that's where my job got (absorbed). I started off as a business analyst, I did some testing, test management, did project management, and then I joined an outfit called, P&O Ferries. And I did a number of ‘Head of …' roles: Head of Programme Management, Head of Development, Head of Delivery as well as Head of Operations, Infrastructure Networks and that sort of stuff. As well, I was just really fortunate to work with some really inspired CIOs during that time, who introduced me to agile probably back in 2003, 2004. And I was just given the environment to experiment with lots of adoption to patterns and practices as well, some that went well, some didn't, we learnt loads as well. But I found it was really hard initially. I think we did our first sort of agile project about 2004. And I'd gone away and read a book and gone to a conference and got inspired by this new way of working. But I came back to the office and (it appeared) my colleagues had read a different book! And we ended up in almost like these ‘agile wars', you know, where we're arguing about whether we all call it a sprint and iteration increments a time box, and I got really fed up with that. So, I got an outfit called Radtac to help me; a guy called Peter Measey. I just need to help us to get to a common foundation. And the first thing we did was just an education event where we got all the guys in the rooms, ‘look, this is the way we're going to work, this is what we're gonna call stuff, we're gonna at least get a common taxonomy in terms of what we mean by these things.' And that made a difference as well, then, you know, implementing it was still hard. So again, got Radtac to help with some of the practices and help them refine those as well. And then I got to a point, I don't know, about seven years ago, where I'd spent almost 30 years in the corporate world and just wanted to do something a bit different, wanted to go and explore my passion a bit more, not about agile, but more about trying to make organizations more effective. And funnily enough, I spoke to Peter Measey again at Radtac, and joined them back in 2012, as a director, and to grow their consultancy practice. So, I went from the corporate role to the dark side of consulting, and that was quite a change. For me, personally, I'd lived, about 25 minutes from my work. And that was right from the time I left my house to when I had coffee on my desk in my office. And now suddenly, I was traveling around the country and around the world. And my children were quite young that time (11 & 13) and that was quite hard in the first six months. I wasn't quite sure this was for me, but I just wanted to explore that passion for that change was hard for me. And then I think I was working with a client down in Bristol, and they started talking about this thing called SAFe. And this guy called Dean Leffingwell. And I hadn't really heard much about it and what it was as well. And then almost coincidentally, I heard that Dean was running an SPC course in London in October 2013. And I thought, okay, I want to go to that. So, I went to that course - I was not convinced. I always remember Dean talking about this two-day PI planning event and he'd said, ‘we can get everybody in the room together.' And I said, ‘what, everybody?' And he looked at me quizzically ‘Yes, everybody, that's everybody that wants to know; not just the developers - Scrum Master, Product Owners…'  ‘All of them coordinating live - the planning  was with everyone in the room together?' ‘Yes.' So, two days, I think you'll never get that, you know, the conversations that you will need to have, in order to get two days to where people get together for planning out will never happen. So, I sort of remained skeptical. I started running some training courses in 2014. But the interest in the UK was quite low, to be honest. 2015 first off, much the same. And I think towards the end of 2015 people started saying ‘Actually, I'm really interested in the SAFe stuff.' So, we did more training courses. And then I did my first (SAFe ART) launch and that's where my skepticism turned into ‘Oh my - this is an amazing event!' because you know, getting all those people in the room together, when you create those social bonds, that networking, that alignment and where you resolve difficult problems together is huge. I became an advocate so much so I got asked to join the SAFe Program Consultant Trainer program. Ula Ojiaku: [07:07] You said that you were skeptical about bringing everybody in the room for two days. How did you get to convince your first clients to do that? Well, how was it for you? Darren: [07:20] I think I was lucky because my first client was coming, over to my public courses. I think it was like April, this delegation of about four of them. They said ‘we love this. We want to do it'. And they said, ‘we're going to start small, we're not going to start with no massive teams.' I think we started with four teams. And just on the tipping point, really just say, we want to prove it out. So, I need to start with four teams. And two teams were in India and two teams were in the UK. So, my first one was distributed, which was fine, but yes, I think for them, it was like they were sold on it. And they wanted to start small. I think it was easier for me in terms of they were already bought into it. And they wanted to run it and have smaller teams make it an interesting first planning event. But, you know, we had some issues running it distributed. I think it should have taken two and a half days. And it ended up taking three and a half days. Ula Ojiaku: [08:08] Oh, okay. Well, it was a first wasn't it? Darren: [08:13] Yeah. I think the issues with that one there was a couple of things was, first of all with, because it was my first PI planning, I think that's a real red line for me when we try to do asynchronous planning. Number one, you need to have a co facilitator in each location. I didn't, I was in the UK. I wasn't in India, and it was all new to them. And they really struggled as well. Secondly, we tried to do what I call asynchronous planning. So, in the morning, we did all the briefings. And we got to lunchtime. And then we started out in the UK, we started off draft plan in the afternoon, by which time they (the teams in India) had gone home. So, they came back in the morning, and they did their draft plans. And then we tried to bring them together. It just didn't work. I mean, the whole point of the planning is to understand the tensions and the dependencies between the teams. Of course, we're doing that asynchronously. So not only did they weren't sure what they were doing, when we tried to bring the draft plan together, they didn't work. So effectively, we lost that first round of planning. So, we said, okay, we need to find a way of overlapping. So, on day three, the UK guys came in a lot earlier. And we asked the guys in India to stay a little bit later to share the pain. And then we've got an overlap. And we've got our plans together. But we effectively lost that first round of panning because there was no support. And it wasn't synchronous. Ula Ojiaku: [09:26] So, on the third day, did you manage to find someone who would facilitate on your behalf in India or you still had to do that yourself? Darren: [09:35] Yeah, I did it myself. We had video links and stuff like that (to connect with the people in India). But I recognised that they were struggling. The second time around, we made sure that we had facilitators in both locations - really important. Ula Ojiaku: [09:58] That's quite interesting. If you don't mind, I'm just going to go back a bit to the point where you said your tipping point was after about 30 years in industry. You wanted a change, which was when you made the leap into consulting. There might be some people listening who are considering making that same leap. So, what made you decide to go for it? And what was the last straw that broke the camel's back (if there was any such thing)? Darren: [10:27] I don't think it was a midlife crisis. I wanted a new challenge. And it was at that time, I'm like, well, if I didn't do it now, it would never happen. I think I'd gone through, you know, so many organizational reorganizations and restructuring. I just, I couldn't face another one of those. (I thought to myself) ‘well, if I'm going to make the break, this is the time to do it as well.' And I had the opportunity with Radtac to join them and help grow that particular organization as well. So, I think it was an alignment of moons - I needed to change. I'd spent 30 years and in the corporate world and didn't really want to go through another reorganization. And this opportunity presents itself as ‘Okay, well, let's give it a go and see how it goes.' Ula Ojiaku: [11:04] Would you say there was an element of you know, wanting to be a bit more in control of your destiny and not just being at the whim of maybe reorganizations that tend to happen in larger organizations more having some sort of direct say in the direction of things with your career? Darren: [11:20] Probably not, I think because again, I was very senior manager at P&O Ferries. I reported the Board Director. I helped shape a lot the restructuring that happened within P&O Ferries as well. I had a lot of influence and with that organization, I just think it was just about really just exploring my passion and just trying to do something different. I always thought there's just something there's one more thing left in me and I thought this was it. Ula Ojiaku: [11:43] Okay. You said your children were young and the first six months you weren't sure in consulting whether it was for you. So, what made you change your mind? It's definitely evident that you're doing something you're passionate about. What made you decide, ‘Right! It is for me'? Darren: [12:00] Again, my children were like 11 and 13. Both of them are serious swimmers. My son was a national swimmer, he was training about 17 hours a week. So that's four mornings at five in the morning (and evenings as well). My wife was working full time as well. So, it's just it was just again, with me being away traveling and not knowing what time I'll be home. That was the bit that was difficult because at least at P&O Ferries, I know what time I left for work and what time I got home. I could be quite predictable, (but in the consulting situation) I was less predictable. So, we had a long conversation, and my wife decided to temporarily give up her job. And she's a teacher, in order to support me and the children as well. That was a life changing decision that we had to make as a family. So, I'm really grateful for my wife saying, ‘Okay, I'll take a little sabbatical to get us through this.' And we tried to get some normality back to our lives as well. Ula Ojiaku: [12:50] It's really refreshing to hear this because it almost seems like - looking outwardly - everyone has it all, you know. You have to make some sacrifices, compromises to be able to achieve a goal. Darren: [13:03]  It's a good question. Because a lot of people say to me, I'd love to become a consultant. And I talk to them about that. ‘Well, you need to recognize that, you know, you could be anywhere now - what's your flexibility?' I could be in the UK, I could be overseas, if it's (my client appointment is) on a Monday, I'm probably flying on a Saturday or Sunday to get to locations. So, I'm there on Monday morning as well, it sounds so glamorous that you know, I travel the world and people see you know that you travel all the time. But funny story was I was due to go to Dubai. And my wife was teaching at the time. And it was the last week of the school term. And my wife was going to finish on the 13th. I was going to Dubai the following Monday. So, I texted her at work and said, ‘Look, you know, I'm going to Dubai next week, do you fancy coming with me?' And she texts back to me saying ‘No, I want a new kitchen!' Okay. About 15 minutes later, she gets back saying ‘No, no, no, no, no, I'm coming!' She came home and said ‘I was in the staff room when I got your text. And I laughed. And when my colleagues asked why, I told them you'd asked if I wanted to go to Dubai next week, and they said, ‘what did you say?' She said, ‘I'd said I wanted a new kitchen?' Yeah. (Long story short) She came with me (to Dubai). We flew out on the Monday -arrived in the afternoon for a two-day training event. I went into the office that Monday afternoon, just to check the office. And then I got up at seven. I was in the office at eight again, I forget how many hours I had three or four hours behind. So, it's like quite early in the morning - training from eight to six before going back to the hotel. And Jo goes, ‘wow, is that what you do?' Yeah, yeah (I say). ‘So, you got really early in the office training all day. So, what do you do now?' I'll have a meal for one in a restaurant, then I'll come back to my room. I do my emails. And I go to bed. Yeah. And I get up the following morning, exactly the same - finish at six, got home, pack my bag, have a meal, go to the airport, fly home ... And that's what you do. I said that's exactly what I did. It looks glamorous, but it's literally planes, hotels, offices. I hate eating on my own. If I'm on my own, I'm not a great explorer either. So, I know some of my colleagues are really good at going out and seeing the sights. So, if you're training all day, you've still got other responsibilities that you need to catch up with as well. So… Ula Ojiaku: [15:17] I can imagine as a head of consulting, it's not just the training, you still have to attend to other official type things. Yeah. Darren: [15:25] Good work for the company that I have to do stuff like that. Ula Ojiaku: [15:28] Oh, wow, I get the impression you are someone who's always out to learn to improve yourself. So, you're not resting on your oars even though you are at this level. Have you at any point in time felt like ‘I think I've learnt enough'? Darren: [15:41] It's also the reverse. I was never a reader. I've always been a numbers person. So, I went to university to study maths. I was one of those kids at primary school where you'd be given a book at the beginning of the week to go away and read it. I get to the end of the week; I'd hand back my book to Miss (his teacher) who'd ask ‘have you read the book Darren?' And I'd go, ‘Yes, Miss…' - I hadn't. And I've never been a great reader. I just wasn't. What I do is probably over the last six years now I've read more than I've ever read. And even so, when I go on holiday, my daughter teases me because, you know, I don't take fiction books on holiday or biography books. I take business books on holiday. Ula Ojiaku: [16:21] I do that as well (laughs) Darren: [16:22] I have a picture my daughter took of me lying in a pool reading a business book. And every time I go on a course, someone will always recommend a new book I haven't read; so I have a backlog of books that I still need to buy and read as well. And there's a couple of books I'm rereading at the moment because… Some of my colleagues are good at the audiobooks; I need to see it. I'm a real visual reader. Ula Ojiaku: [16:46] Okay, okay. Darren: [16:47] …(still on his preference for physical books) …I'm getting down. I'm just highlighting, you know, the bits that character. This is a nugget as well. So, I can flick through that book and, and use those quotes as anecdotes during the trainings that I do as well, so. Ula Ojiaku: [16:58] Okay, so when you mean the visual, would an Amazon Kindle do for you or not? It has to be like a physical book, right? I like physical books; I mean and given that I tend to commute a bit, as well listening to audiobooks. But yeah, I've learned to blend all of them in depending on where I find myself. If you were to gift a book to someone who's aspiring to develop as a lean agile professional, which one would you, one or two, would you gift to the person or recommend to the person? Darren: [17:40] There's essentially a part of them beyond the roadblock is you sometimes just don't get chance to take time out and reflect and write. And I'm a bit frustrated at the moment that I haven't written a blog for a while and stuff like that. So, at the end of April, I'm going to do like a little mini retreat, I'm going off to Finland with Virpi, a fellow SPCT. And we're gonna have a little SAFe retreat, and we want to go away and write a couple of blogs and stuff like that as well. And one of the blogs I want to write is my top three books, top three videos, top three white papers. I think I'm almost there. One (of my top books) is the Tribal Unity by Em Pretty-Campbell. It's about how to get to how to go about forming teams and get them self-organizing. It's a short book. So, it's a really good brief read. Leading Change by Kotter, I think is another book that's just so critical. I think he wrote the book in 1995. I may have got that wrong. But he's rewritten the preface, because he's saying although this book was written over 20 years ago, it's still relevant. Now I find it amazing that the same challenge is still appearing now, even though they haven't learned from 20 years ago. And I think my favorite book of last year was The DevOps Handbook by Jez Humble and that was interesting for me, because for, two reasons. One, it's quite a thick book. Not, it's not small, but it's quite daunting to look at it. And also, you think, oh, I'm not particularly technical, but someone really encouraged me to say, ‘no, read it and actually read it in small batches, reach 25 pages a day.' What a good idea! And what I found was that it was just there was so much goodness in there in terms of there's some technical stuff that you can, you can skim over. But in terms of how to adopt it, some real stories about organizations that have done this as well. And for me understanding that actually, it's not just about automation, there's so much other stuff that you need to do in terms of re architecting and telemetry and stuff like that. Well, for me, that was my book next year. And if we're going to get to this organization where there needs to be more responsive, and they need to get their products to market quicker, they need to find a way to be able to do that without being on very slow, manual downstream processes and practices. Ula Ojiaku: [19:43] We're going to put the links to them (the books mentioned) in the show notes. And it's worth mentioning as well: I mean, you're a co-author of the BCS Agile Foundations book. Darren: [19:51] I think it was them BCS (who) approached us to run an effectively agnostic agile foundations course. We created the course and the exam materials for that. And then they said, ‘well, can you create a companion book for it as well?'  As Radtac, a small group of three to nine people that we were at a time, we wrote a book together. And again, we tried to follow our agile principles. So, we had a Trello board. And we agreed and we broke it down into chapters, and then and into sections and who wrote each of those sections. And it was an enlightening experience to do that. I was quite privileged to be one of the co-authors of that as well, I reviewed a book on Agile financial management which was quite cool as well, again, that was in an agile way, you can check it out every two weeks, we were spending every two weeks to do that, as well. And also, I was one of the accredited contributors to the SAFe Reference guide as well, of which I'm really proud of as well. Ula Ojiaku: [20:36] Your last response actually nicely segues into the second part of this conversation, which is to talk about one or two lean agile related topics. You said (something about) the importance of applying agile ways to businesses to make sure that they are delivering value to customers in the shortest possible time; you know, on a consistent and predictable basis. Could you elaborate on that? Why is it important in this day and age for businesses to be agile? Darren: [21:07] I think for me now we're seeing a lot of digital disruption. The one I want to talk about is Blockbuster. That's an old story now, I think Netflix came knocking on their door over 10 years ago and said ‘look, you know, you've got a great high street presence. We've got this idea about streaming videos online. Do you fancy buying us for some silly amount of money? Really small amount of money', and Blockbuster said ‘No, no, we're okay. We're doing great in the high street.' ‘The broadband speeds won't be big enough to stream videos that will never work. We're fine.' ‘Netflix came back a year later and (made the same offer to Blockbuster who refused). And Netflix well… amazing; Blockbuster is not around anymore. I've probably had two or three more recent examples of different digital disruption: HMV - they got placed out of bankruptcy five years ago, someone bailed them out. It looks like they're gonna fold again, and they went on to the high street and said, well, why don't you go into HMV and buy videos and CDs? And the answer was, ‘well, we stream it, we download it. We don't need to do this (buy physical CDs and DVDs) anymore.' My daughter's just doing a level a moment and she's gonna go off with some friends to Magaluf with her girlfriends - much to my horror. Oh, well. Ula Ojiaku: [22:13] Oh well, ‘bank of daddy' (laughing). Darren: [22:15] No, no she's paying for herself. So, traveling, she went on to a well-known high street travel agent and said, we want to go here, this is what we're gonna do and stuff like that. And they said that that's going to be about 750 pounds per person. ‘Thank you very much.' She came home, good girl, went online, got exactly the same deal same hotel, same flights, all inclusive. Plus, airport transfers, which wasn't included, plus some club tickets for 350 pounds per person. Ula Ojiaku: [22:42] Wow! Darren: [22:43] Wow. And then the final one is that we were thinking about selling our house. And we moved about nine years ago – it was the last time we had moved. So, we got a guy around to evaluate our house. So, we asked him ‘what's your fees?' expecting him to say, you know, it's about 2% plus VAT, and then we'll get into that haggling situation where I try and beat him down so we're at 1.75%. And he said to me, it's 1% Darren. That was it. Why is it 1%? He said, ‘Purple Bricks'. So, you know, I think you know, what we get into a situation where, you know, there's a lot of disruption. And these guys are firing up stuff much, much quicker, we need to be able to get out our products and our services to market faster. And also, to get that feedback. And we don't want to create, you know, work on a ‘great' product for three or four years, get the market and find out that it's not required.  that people won't buy or sell isn't already limited as well. And we need to find a way of having a hypothesis about our product or services and testing and getting feedback on it as quickly as possible. And potentially as well getting the value as soon as possible before someone else does. So, for me it's about that improvement process of making our work transparent getting inspected, if it's okay, we carry on if not we pivot without mercy or guilt. And having that short feedback cycle, as well try to shorten that feedback cycle as much as we can. Ula Ojiaku: [24:02] Am I right in the understanding that the feedback cycle would include the customer as early as possible in the process? Darren: [24:11] Most of the time that might be a proxy for the customer. But if we get to the real customer, then that's so much the better because that's the real acid test of ‘would you use this? Would you buy this? What would you pay for it? Oh, am I doing the right thing?' Ula Ojiaku: [24:24] Very interesting! The International Consortium for Agile maintain that there's a difference between being agile, and doing agile. In your view, which one should come first? Darren: [24:36]  I think there is difference. I go into organization and say there are no we're using JIRA. So, we must be agile.  Okay, you know, it's a tool. There are lots of tools out there that can help, but I'm not sure in terms of agile, okay, well, then we're doing this practice of doing a stand up every day, just as a practice. And as some of those practices will certainly help you in terms of ways of working. But for me, and I think those things, though, about doing agile, you know, the tooling and the practices, I think they're starting points, they're very visible, because you can see those things, you see that tooling to see those practices. But in terms of being agile, or adopting agile, they're less powerful. For me the values, the principles, and the mindsets, which are less visible, are more powerful in terms of the overall adoption as well. I've seen too many people that just use the tooling and feel like they're just cranking the handle with the practices, really understanding why they're doing it, that they're doing it not being it, I think it's not a case of one or the other, I think the two need go hand in hand. But you need to explain, okay, these are great ways of helping you in your ways of working. But you need to understand some of the other things that need to go without the values and principles and the mindset changes as well. Ula Ojiaku: [25:50] Okay. And when you talk about the values of principles, are you referring back to the one that originated from the Agile Manifesto in 2001, or is there any other…? Darren: [26:00] Yeah, I think you're right when I started out, they were the ones I used to reference the most. And they were written in 2001. They're still relevant today. I wish they would just turn off some of the software language a bit more. And I think it's much more applicable to the wider organization, not just software development, I recognize that these guys came from the software industry as well -so, I get that but it'd be nice to do that (tone down the software language of the Agile Manifesto). I'm a big fan of the SAFe principles. And when I go in now (to client meetings) to be exact, I don't really talk about agile, because a lot of them will have a preconception of what they think it is and what they've heard. So, I talk about the principles that we need to base our decisions on economics. And they go ‘Yeah, we do'. So now what are the best positioned to be able to evaluate lead, we think about the whole system end-to-end; system thinking rather than optimizing individual teams or departments, because that can sub optimize the whole system. When you think about systems as well, we're working in a very complex environment. So, we can't assume that we know everything upfront. So, we need to assume variability and some way to preserve options. But there's a cost of doing that as well. And we don't want to have too much work in our system, we need to make sure that you know that we've got good flow for our system, by putting too much work into our system, it clogs it all up. So, we do that as well. And then we'll talk about, you know, we still need to plan. So, we know, we need an arrangement as a working at scale, and how we do that. So, we need a, sort of, big planning event. We need to make sure that we invest a huge amount of money and time and to help people. And we need to make sure that we find a way that they are sufficiently motivated. They have enough purpose, autonomy and mastery in their job that they go, ‘this is a great place to work, I don't want to go anywhere else as well.' And part of that comes with, you know, empowering them and decentralizing control so that people have the freedom to make decisions. So that's this little narrative that I have, and that's very much aligned to those same principles that you and I did last December. (Darren was referring to the SPC course he'd taught in Dec 2018 which I, Ula had attended).   Ula Ojiaku: [27:57] Yes. This segues nicely into my next question. So, you said when you speak to executives, and I would assume large scale enterprises, about SAFe,  you talk about the value and the principles. Now, even in the name SAFe, which is Scaled Agile Framework, it's more about applying agile principles and methodologies and tools at scale. Darren: [28:20] Yeah. Ula Ojiaku: [28:21] Question now is, ‘can a small enterprise apply SAFe?' Darren: [28:27] Can you describe it? What do you mean by small enterprise? Ula Ojiaku: [28:30] An organization that has up to maybe 10s, or a 100s of employees and wouldn't have as large a scale of operations as multinationals? Darren: [28:39] I think the key thing is, what we need to consider is that we're, we're moving away from a project-based organization to a value stream-based organization. So, in the old world, again, again, my heritage was project/ programme management. But those are temporary organizations, so and we fund them accordingly as well. And that's a bit of a nightmare for me as well, because trying to understand how much money we need for a project is difficult to work out. Most projects of that traditional era, tend to be over budget, by almost 200%, I think, standard report, last one was about 188%, over budget over time, as well. So that's always difficult as well. And then you've tried to merge in multiple projects at the same time. And if a project is late, once you finally start this project over here, but you've got people over there that need to be over here. So, you end up with this, this constant trying to align your people to the right project all the time. So all I found I was doing with project was that I was cosntantly trying to move the people to the work and doing that all the time - just shuffling around all the time and the amount of task switching and the amount of overhead trying to do that as well was difficult. The project would be late, trying to get the funding was always difficult. So, we moved to a much more value stream-based approach where we said actually, what we're going to do is  create stable teams, and we're going to align our teams to a product or service. So, there will be long lived teams. And effectively what we do is fund that team, which is actually the capital cost of those people. And all that we have to do is we bring the work to the people rather than the other way around. And all I have to do or I have to coach is how to prioritize that work. And it's much easier to prioritize that work than anything else… That was a long prelude to the answer. (Laughs). Ula Ojiaku: [30:17] So useful; it is useful. Darren: [30:19] So, first of all, though, we're going to align teams to our products. Now, if we got a product that only requires another three to nine people, then we don't need a scaling framework. Actually, if you've got two or three teams all working on the same product, and probably we don't need a scaling framework. There are probably tools and techniques that we can take from SAFe but they can probably find a way to collaborate and align without a formal framework. The Tipping Point is once you get to 4-5 teams all working on the same thing, how do we make sure that they can collaborate and align (are going) in the same direction? And I think for me, that's the tipping point, it's not so much the size of the organization, have we got at least five teams all working on the same thing, a product or service that requires alignment? That's the tipping point for SAFe as well. So, it doesn't have to be in a large organization or small. That's the tipping point. And what I sometimes see is that okay, well, we've got 10 teams, we're going to use SAFe to help coordinate them. But they're all working on different things. If they're all working on different things, have different teams. Just have individual teams working on those individual projects. You don't need to coordinate them (if) there's no coupling or no dependencies, then why would you want to do that? And I sometimes see organizations using SAFe as a framework for organizational design. It's not (an organizational design framework). It's a framework to get alignment across multiple teams all working on the same value stream. Ula Ojiaku: [31:40] That's nicely put, and I believe it would clarify the false notion for some people in terms of using SAFe for uses that it wasn't intended for. It's more about delivering value and creating alignment across all levels in an enterprise. Radtac is a lean company from what I could see of the organization. However, for the size of your company, you are making a lot of impact in this sector. What would you say is your secret? Darren: [32:10] That's a great question! I suppose it's, ‘you're only as good as your last engagement.' I'd like to think that actually it's our reputation precedes us as well. A lot of work comes to us, we don't go to it. We don't have a business development function, because most of the work will come to us through our reputation. So, I think if we try to live by our own values, and both as, in terms of how we run our company, and how we work with our engagements; we try to deliver agile in an agile way. And if we're not adding value to an organization, then we don't need to be there anymore, as well. And also, the fact that we have a really odd business model in terms of my role in organizations to make myself redundant in the organisation because I need to make sure that I transfer the capability and knowledge to organization. The last thing I want to be is their ‘agile crutch' where you know, if I walk away, everything falls over.  So, I think that's probably an unusual for organizations. That said, I have a business model to make myself redundant; I have a business model to work in small batches; I have a business model to try and create value. If I'm not adding value, then I won't be here anymore. And I think that really resonates with organizations, and most of our business comes through referrals and direct recommendations as well. So yes, that's the secret. It doesn't seem like much but it feels like it's working! Ula Ojiaku: [33:31] No, it does say a lot, because I have worked in consulting as well – a while ago. And it's not what I, the impression I have of the consulting industry, which is more about you know, find more work, make yourself indispensable, weave yourself into, you know, the client's organization such that they can't do without you. So, it's liberating to see a different approach where your aim is to empower the organization so they can get on and continue without you. Darren: [34:01] And I think you're right, yeah, it's almost the opposite. I don't want to make myself indispensable. I want to be able to walk, well, allow them to grow and explore themselves as well. Yeah. But I find it that clients that I started working out with around September 2012 – they still come back and say, look Darren, we tried, it didn't work. So, I go back down and do some little check or audit check, or health check. And, say Okay, we'll try this and try that. So, I'm really privileged that over the last seven years, not only have I worked with some great companies, but I've worked with some really great people that I know.  Even though I would say that they are clients, they are friends, as well. Ula Ojiaku: [34:36] So now that's fantastic. And which brings me to… in terms of delivering client work, what I'm getting from you is that it's also important to cultivate good working relationships with them. Because it's not just about the work, it's about, you know, the people are trying to understand them, and making sure you're adapting yourself to them and making the whole engagement work for them on their terms. Darren: [34:59] You and I were both on the other side of the fence, you know, we worked in the corporate world. You know, I worked with lots of third parties and stuff like that, as well. And yeah, you know, you bought that capability. But you ‘bought' the people. People buy people and for me that that relationship with my client is really important as well. It needs to be open; it needs to be transparent, and be honest. And sometimes you can have difficult conversations as well. But for me, it's ‘people buy people' at the end of the day. Ula Ojiaku: [35:22] Thank you. That's something I definitely take to heart. So, a few more things than just to wrap up. Do you have any ask of the audience? You know, how? How can they get in touch with you if they want to say hello? Darren: [35:37] And I will say that the easiest way to get hold of me is on LinkedIn. I always used to say there's only one Darren Wilmshurst on LinkedIn. I'm not entirely sure that's true anymore. But there's only two or three of us anyway. So, Darren Wilmshurst, LinkedIn, just connect with me. That'd be really good to getting feedback on this today. That'd be great. Any questions do that as well just ping me in the links as well. If it gets too complicated, I might revert to email that might be easier sometimes. But yeah, just find me on LinkedIn. That's where I tend to be most active. So that's where I publish my blogs and stuff like that as well. Ula Ojiaku: [36:09] Fantastic. So, you're not on Twitter or any other social media? Darren: [36:13] I am on Twitter. I'm gonna ask others my age. I don't tweet as much. But eh, @dazzawilmshurst (is my Twitter handle) but generally speaking, LinkedIn, is your best bet to probably get through to  me. I think you've got an option to publish right through to Twitter as well. So, I tend to use Twitter to follow my other passion, which is Arsenal. Ula Ojiaku: [36:38] So, while there might be other Arsenal fans listening, you will never know, we wouldn't know until we do that. So, we will put the links in the show notes. So, thank you for that. It's really been a pleasure speaking with you and you know, learning from you, as usual. And thank you so much for making the time. Darren: [37:03] And thanks for inviting me. It's been great chatting to you, this morning as well. Thanks for coming on my course last year as well. It's great to have you on the course as well. Ula Ojiaku: [37:11] That (attending Darren's SAFe Program Consultant (SPC) course) was one of the best decisions I made last year. So, thank you!

In today's episode we talk about some under the radar jackassery. We talk about voicemail pro-tips; Purple Bricks and their fake reviews; why lawyers often have drinking problems; and how Taco Bell is leading the way in managerial retention. All this and more!

I recently attended Modern Healthcare's Strategic Marketing Conference in Chicago. This episode looks at a summary of that conference as well as the disruption of the week - real estate disruptor @PurpleBricks which is slashing commissions on home sales to $3,600.  #Disruption # Healthcare #PurpleBricks #ModernHealthcare www.purplebricks.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/paulwoodshow/message

Entrepreneurialism and technology are part of the career and lifestyle goals for so many of us. But what is it actually like to invest in tech start ups?? To find out, we interviewed Michael Dent, a serial tech start up investor and entrepreneur. His experience ranges from co-investing with the Founder of Purple Bricks in Lavanda, to founding hot ‘proptech' business, PropertyData. In this interview, you'll find out: – What it’s really like to invest in tech start ups – a rollercoaster ride from the huge returns to ‘total loss of capital’ (on 6/10 investments!) – What you really need to know, before you invest in tech start ups – Top tips on what to look for, and what to avoid if you're looking at a start up investment – from fancy offices to big name advisers Find out more: http://michaeldent.com/ www.PropertyData.co.uk