There’s something unique about riding through the winter… the ice can make riding the motorbike foolhardy and riding the road bike risky. Mountain biking is where it’s at, though winter tyres are a must along with some decent gloves and a warm headgear!    Pedalling through the mud is the ultimate slog – it’s a constant search for traction and whether up or down, it’s all about slipping and sliding… Read More »Hard miles

One of my Sunday evening rituals is to bake a couple of loaves – usually in time for supper, and ready for Monday. Usually sourdough though variations on the theme are welcome, especially ciabatta! When things are in balance, breadmaking happens every other day, and the smell of a freshly baked loaf puts a smile on our faces! I guess it’s a kind of therapy, and 4 years down the… Read More »Sunday’s sourdough

Crawling back on the train to London I’m reflecting on the Cycle Show – a fun day inspecting and admiring brilliantly innovative and classic kit, experiencing and appreciating cutting edge technology and nutrition, and so much more. Thinking about it… I’ve been cycling for more than 40 years, so I guess that does make me a cyclist. On the road, in the mud, on trails and tracks, over sand, on gravel, on… Read More »Cycling

A long time ago – before the technological advances of the late 20th century and when England and Wales relied on coal for much of their energy – coal miners working deep underground would always take a yellow canary with them down the mine…  Why?  Apparently canaries, being very small and having a very high heart rate, would succumb to a lack of oxygen or poisonous fumes (methane or carbon… Read More »The partnership broker as a ‘yellow canary’

During my level 1 partnership broker training (provided by the excellent Partnership Brokers Association) I coined the phrase the ‘partnership vortex’ as a way of describing the early stages of a ‘forced’ or ‘unequal’ partnership where the rhetoric of partnership (often used to mask what is essentially a contract or transaction), the urgency of delivery, peer pressure and the fear of missing out combine to create a dangerous whirlpool which can… Read More »WARNING: Partnership vortex ahead!

So we’re into our second year running the ‘Conscious Project‘ and by most measures, it’s fair to say we are thriving. Sure it’s incredibly hard work being an entrepreneur, and there is the constant ebb and flow of workload and client demands, but overall, our start-up year has far exceeded our expectations.  I have learnt plenty, but three things are particularly significant, and as it’s been a very long time… Read More »Three things I have learnt!

Six months is a long time – half a year in fact. The end of April marks a major milestone for me – the conscious project has been running for six months. And while this may be so clichéd, I really have learned a huge amount. Setting up our new business has been a lot of fun! Sure, there’s something deeply challenging about leaving a regular salary and putting your (and your… Read More »Six months!