WARNING – this contains a ‘rude’ word…
Sometimes, certain phrases hit you square between the eyes – boom. “Yes, that is SPOT ON”. (Usually swiftly followed by “Dammit, wish I’d thought of that”)
LIFE RULE 101
It happened to me a few months back. I was attending a Content Marketing Association (CMA) breakfast, all about content – obviously – and its uses on different platforms. There was someone from an influencer platform, a data scientist, and a designer among the panel, and I found it really interesting, as per. Thanks team CMA.
However, I was also interested in meeting Andy Barr, MD of 10 Yetis – a PR, digital and social agency from Gloucester. We’d got chatting over Twitter years back, but this was the first time to meet in person. Or IRL as the kids say. Proper nice gent, and we had a little workflirt/chat before the presentations kicked off.
He was up last and rattled through his top ten tips for PR, last of which really caught my attention. ‘Yes’ I thought to myself, ‘that is what I’ve been trying to explain for ages’.
The phrase? Simply:
It sums up everything about… everything for me:
Treat people nicely
Be polite and kind
Listen
Ask “Are you OK?”
Don’t lie, be honest
Be patient and respectful
Understand other people’s views
And so on. It works on a professional level too. Don’t relinquish your ethics, do something you love, if you’re not happy, don’t moan – change it up, add value, help others out, surround yourself with good people, and be a good person... you get the idea.
I’m sure I‘ll find another phrase in due course but, for now, this sums up a lot of what I’m feeling right now, at this point in my life.
Might even adopt it as the official values for Authentic… Cheers Andy.
What do you think? Is it a swear word? Can you do well as a dick? Are there any phrases you’ve heard that sum things up for you? Comment below and let me know!