The British economy is still struggling to recover from the pandemic, according to the latest data. The economy is 0.5% smaller than it was before the pandemic, and experts say that the main reasons for this are the lingering effects of the pandemic and the tighter post-Brexit immigration rules.

The ongoing skills shortage is a major challenge for businesses, but it is also an opportunity for those who are proactive. Here are our top tips for businesses facing labor challenges in 2023.

UK industries with skills shortages

To begin, it is important to identify the industries in the UK that are most affected by the skills shortage. A recent study found that the country’s biggest shortfalls are in a variety of sectors, including:

• Transport and logistics: This sector is facing a shortage of skilled drivers, warehouse workers, and customs agents.
• Hospitality: This sector is facing a shortage of skilled chefs, waiters, and hotel staff.
• Manufacturing and construction: These sectors are facing a shortage of skilled engineers, carpenters, and electricians.

Invest in your workforce for long-term success

Recruiting top talent is a time-sensitive process, as there is only a limited pool of qualified candidates available. A recruitment agency can help you find the right people quickly and efficiently.

Recruitment agencies have wider referral networks as a third party, allowing them to identify candidates with the necessary work experience. They also focus on different industries, so you can locate an agency that meets your specific requirements.

Recruitment agencies can help you find new talent with the core skills to help your company reach its goals.

Invest in your workforce to boost your business
Often, the skills you need are already present in your workforce, but they may not be fully utilized. By upskilling your employees, you can give them the skills they need to take on new challenges and responsibilities.

Upskilling your workforce can be a great way to improve your business and the skills of your employees. By following these tips, you can make the upskilling process a success.

Organizations with more resources may even pay for their employees to enroll in external training programs offered by universities or colleges. This personalized investment in your workforce can build loyalty and even provide a valuable public relations opportunity.

Utilise Apprenticeship to train and upskill your workforce
Apprenticeships can be a long-term solution to skills shortages. They can help employers reach a wider talent pool and offer prospective employees a strong, high-quality alternative to the traditional university degree.

A multi-pronged approach to recruitment that includes building relationships with educational institutions can help businesses find top talent at the source.

Boost your marketing reach and visibility
A strong marketing strategy can make your company more attractive to prospective employees. This is because it can help to increase brand awareness and generate interest in your company. You can partner with local educational institutions, promote your job openings on social media and in the local press, and track your results to improve your marketing strategy and attract future employees.

Sources 

GDP – data tables – Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)  

Immigration – Winckworth Sherwood LLP (wslaw.co.uk) 

UK employers struggle with worst labour shortage since 1997 | Business | The Guardian 

The post Overcoming Skills Gaps: A Guide for Businesses appeared first on CEO Medium.

Fauteux firmly believes in the responsibility of leaders to contribute to the preservation of our world. In his words, “I believe that everyone in a leadership position has the responsibility to ensure we are protecting nature and acting sustainably. Without it, little of what we do or achieve holds significance or meaning. After all, we have to ensure that we have a place where others following in our footsteps have the opportunity to achieve their own goals.”

Fauteux’s educational background includes a bachelor’s degree earned in 1995 from Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada. He also pursued further education, completing a Management Certificate from the American Management Association of International in 1999 as well as an Indigenous Studies Certificate from the University of Alberta in 2017. 

In this capacity as Senior Director of P3 at EQUANS Services, he’s responsible for managing the strategic delivery operations of multiple P3 contracts in both Canada and the United States. His areas of oversight encompass transit, healthcare, transportation, and cultural infrastructure. 

What does your day-to-day generally look like given your position?

Contract, Vendor, and Client Management are the activities that take up most of my day.  Making sure we are delivering on our commitments and serving our clients in the best, most sustainable way we can.

What initially inspired you to get into the field you’re in?

Leadership has always been the thing that I’ve gravitated to normally and environmentalism and sustainability are things that mean a lot to me personally. So being able to lead and contribute in those important areas has been great.

What do you think makes a great leader?

I generally subscribe to servant leadership so listening is where everything starts.  As a generalist, I believe strongly in putting the right people in the right places and then making sure you can support success, help them grow, and clear barriers for them. I also believe strongly that what gets measured, gets done so I am a big proponent of having accountability systems in place to track success.

What is the biggest misconception about your industry?

The biggest misconception is that environmentalism and sustainability are only for environmentalists and that simply is not true. Everything we build, operate, occupy, use, etc. can be better more sustainable, and less harmful to the environment around us.  Keeping this in mind, ALL of us are responsible for this, not just the environmentalists.

What do you believe your future career is going to look like five years from now?

I imagine that I will be leading sustainably in whatever industry needs me. 

The post Our Interview With Brad Fauteux, senior director of P3 Management at EQUANS appeared first on CEO Medium.

1. Tell us about yourself, Josh. 

Today, I’m the CEO and founder of the iuf Group. After leaving school, I worked as an estate agent for 2 years before quitting to become my own boss – I knew I wanted to start a business, but I wasn’t sure what to do so I went travelling to find ideas, funding it by selling local items through sites such as eBay. During this time, I also had to overcome my dyslexia and begin to understand the business world and how it works in order to find my way. 

2. What does the iuf Group do?

The iuf Group consists of several tech-focused brands that provide industry-leading AV technology including AV and interactive solutions, IoT solutions and LED and LCD displays, on a global scale. 

Based in London, the iuf Group incorporates the brands inurface Media, Xi UK and Xi US, Merson Digital, Bauer Digital, ADT and Hubit. Clients use all, one or a combination of the Group’s brands to ensure their goals are met. Altogether, the business supports clients in over 30 countries, employing more than 60 engineers and installing an average of 1 billion LED pixels each month. 

With clients in retail as well as experiential events sectors, the iuf Group invests in forward-thinking brands and focuses on high-growth and scalable startups that can add real value. 

3. How did inurface media start?

I’ve always been fascinated by business and what makes a business successful. During my time travelling and testing business ideas, I gained experience that helped me with my longer-term goal. My aha moment happened in a pub in Australia when I saw a digital screen on the wall that made me think I could do something with this technology back in the UK – and when I returned to the UK in 2008, I launched inurface media.

Over the course of the next 12 years, I grew the business and transformed it into the iuf Group it is today. My family invested two thousand pounds into the company at the start and I was off, growing it from a couple of screens in a local Bristol coffee shop into a full digital signage company with the help of school friend Henry Boydell who supported the technical side of the business. 

We did whatever it took to get the business off the ground and it wasn’t long before we’d set up in a box room in a high-end office in order to leverage their image, and began doing deals with brands on Oxford Street from our Regent Street space. There was no looking back. 

4. What’s been your biggest lesson and the biggest challenge?

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is to trust your team – never underestimate their potential and always give them room to grow with the business. For growth to happen, you need full commitment from people and everyone has to be aiming for the same goals, rowing in the same direction, and believing in the core values of the business. 

You have to strike a balance when hiring – you want the best people but you’re a startup with a minimal budget. In the early days, I hired a few big hitters and ended up draining too many resources and not achieving my business goals as a result. I’ve learnt over the years that it’s often better to invest in good but inexperienced people who have the passion and drive to grow with the business. 

One of the biggest challenges is inspiring people to get behind your idea and vision, and not doubt yourself. You can’t always know if your pricing is spot on when you get your first deal, but you feel your way and have self-belief. If we had moments of self-doubt, we’d adopt an inurface approach, similar to offering to wash someone’s car for free and telling them if they’re happy with the results they can pay the amount they think is fair. You can end up making more money than you expect this way! 

When you have a good product and a good team, the best advice is to throw the beans at it and just go for it!

5. What do you know now that you wished you had known before starting iuf?

To surround yourself with good people, you don’t necessarily need to hire the big dogs with all the experience but rather find the right people for your business to invest in and help to grow as your business grows. The same is true for operating systems – we use EOS now and I wish I’d known about this from the off as it’s brilliant. 

I’ve learnt that it’s not the best approach to try to do it all yourself. Instead, find an expert for areas that aren’t your speciality as this saves time and boosts success. 

When it comes to success, be prepared for the fact everything takes longer than you expect, and that you fail more than you succeed. Hold on to the bigger goal and keep bouncing back – and you’ll achieve real success in the end. 

6. What are your next goals and achievements that you’d like for growth?

We will continue to focus on the global brands keen to enhance their strategies and expand their store numbers, that want to grow so that the Group can grow with them. Alongside this, we will keep investing in and mentoring talent for organic growth and scanning the business horizon for companies that fit with our core skills and values and are ripe for acquisition to enable fast growth. 

In 2022, the iuf Group is focused on global growth and becoming the biggest player in our space. During the past few years, we have slowly expanded into Europe and we launched in the US – in the coming years, we want to push our global capabilities. 

On a personal level, I want to keep waking up and doing what I love – to keep growing the business until my last day on earth. I never want to sell; I just want to keep evolving the company. 

7. What advice do you have for budding entrepreneurs?

Go for it! And go for it right now – today or as soon as you possibly can. The younger you are the more able you are to focus on business without the extra distractions and responsibilities that come when you’re older. 

The trick is to choose something you love, and work will never be boring again. Let your gut guide you but do something you’re passionate about. This is what I did, and it’s worked better than I could have imagined. Always look forward. I look forward to running my business every day, tackling new challenges, realizing new opportunities, and starting new ventures. 

The other vital thing to do is believe in your idea and yourself. Only you can get to where you want to go so you need to power through and be prepared for the tough times – know that it’s okay to take a few steps backward to enable you to go forwards, sometimes. 

The post Josh Bunce on a mission to create a new retail world using innovative, practical and sustainable technology appeared first on CEO Medium.

Can you share a little bit about yourself?

I am a 24-year-old Puerto Rican entrepreneur. I grew up in Puerto Rico and then moved to Miami when I was 16. After I graduated, I moved to California. I originally intended to pursue an acting degree, but dropped out later when I realized it wasn’t the path for me. Instead, I chose to get a business degree online.

I later started my brand using what I’d learned from the experience of having aon online print-on-demand clothing brand. I decided in January to start building my Instagram page organically, then included the use of targeted ads.

With digital marketing and entrepreneur experience, I decided to help other entrepreneurs learn to develop and grow their brands. This way they can establish their mark on social media.

How did this develop into a business for you?

I’d recommended a few carousel creators which include graphic designers, entrepreneurs, and creatives. When I realized that I could bring what I had learned from school and previous experience to help others get started, I knew I was onto something.

Not only would I lean on this experience, but I could also use the experience of acting school and running an online store. In growing my brand, it taught me how to navigate the digital landscape. I knew I could relay this to others and help them do the same.

At first, I was more focused on teaching digital marketing and content creation, but I realized that people were following me for different reasons. It was about my mindset and branding. I decided to shift my brand toward those topics since they seemed to resonate with others.

One important factor is that I didn’t want to box myself in and only discuss personal branding and mindset. It’s topics within those niches I want to go deeper into and explore. I’m currently working on a couple of projects, one of them is a newly launched podcast called The Candid Creative (@candidcreativepodcast).

I always wanted to inspire others and help them find their passion. When it comes to the podcast, I think about how I wanted to create a podcast where I could interview people. Now, that’s a reality! Working on my podcast has primarily been about giving creatives and entrepreneurs a way to learn a wide array of topics.

What do you want your brand to represent?

I always do my best to maintain my brand as honest and personal as possible. I believe that since I am building a personal brand while creating personal branding material, mindset, and podcasting content, this is critically important.

I strongly believe that it is also my responsibility to discuss other topics whether they are social, ethical, or even political on my platform and brand. It wouldn’t be a personal brand if it doesn’t talk about the things I am passionate about and the things I believe in. More brands and especially personal brands should do this.

I always do my best to deliver my audience and connections with fresh, new, relevant topics and perspectives. It has always been a priority to inspire others to take the steps they need to create something themselves.

Is there something you would tell those just starting?

The main thing would probably be that your prior experiences can help you create something. I never thought that two years of acting school would help me develop my brand, but it has helped a lot. When I started to create video content that background began to show up. It opened me up to understanding how it was helpful.

Then of course there is running an online clothing brand for a year. While that company didn’t yield much revenue, it did teach me a few things: patience, branding, and how to define an audience. Never underestimate your prior experiences because you never know when they will become helpful.

What challenges have you come across in creating your brand?

The main challenge when working on brand creation usually comes down to differentiation. You always think you have this new and unique perspective, but there are probably others doing something similar. When I started my brand, I quickly realized that what I thought was different was quite similar.

Creating a brand is creating a persona. When it comes down to a personal brand it’s about finding who you are which is where it gets tricky. You need self-awareness and self-preservation.

What did I do? I decided to go deeper into my own experiences and explore the following: who am I? Because while there might be others doing similar content or talking about similar ideas nobody can be you as an individual.

Daily, the challenges come down to staying fresh and relevant. We live in a world where it’s constantly changing. You must always be on your feet and prepared to pivot. When something doesn’t work. quickly find a solution to make it work, otherwise, someone else will. The other challenge is related to self-awareness and self-preservation.

I’ll be honest, self-awareness is not my strong suit. For me, it means I have to constantly remind myself to be self-aware enough to be consistent in my brand. Also, to stay away from creating a persona. Comes down to being myself.

How are you handling the financial end of your business?

You know that’s a question that should be asked more. The first thing I do is identify priorities. At the moment the priorities for the business have been towards growth, meaning spending on podcast production costs. Soon, I hope to start also giving priority to paying myself more than I do now.

How do you hope to grow your business? What do you want for the future?

At the moment I want to gain traction on my podcast, The Candid Creative and hope to expand my brand through podcasting. However, a medium that I want to expand my brand into further would be video content. primarily YouTube. I do have some ideas on a YouTube channel…just working on the details.

Aside from that, I want to continue inspiring others, and for my brand to be a symbol & inspiration for others to begin their journey in business or entrepreneurship. I do think at some point I want to create something that can help people monetarily to create their first venture. A business that “scouts” potential talents and helps them grow. Sort of an incubator for entrepreneurs.

Do you have a message for our readers looking for motivation?

My message would be to start. Get started on developing a strategy, then begin doing it. I was always scared to start something. I always told myself next month I’ll do it and then one month turned into two years.

My second piece of advice would be to never underestimate yourself and have a plan. Never start something in a rush. It will not turn into something of value. My first business, the online clothing brand was one of those mistakes. I rushed into it. I didn’t establish a clear brand or audience which cost me money.

Lastly, know your purpose. Have a plan and be clear about your goals. What will you bring new to the table that others are not or cannot bring? And always be prepared to fail over and over again. That is something I have to remind myself of every single day.

Website: www.thecandidcreative.com

The post Antonio Ruiz is The Candid Creative, An Entrepreneur Looking to Inspire Others appeared first on CEO Medium.

The Bombay Lettering Company was officially launched in October 2017 — a boutique calligraphy and lettering-based design studio providing a range of products, services, and workshops.

Tell us something about yourself?

At the risk of sounding cliched, you know how they say you don’t find your passion, it finds you. Well, in my case Calligraphy found me.

Over the past 2 years, I discovered a love for Calligraphy & Lettering, in a hobby-oriented manner. I was inclined towards visual arts as a student and always hoped that I would be able to bring some form of art back into my life. Little did I know that I would fall in love with the beauty of letters! What started out as a weekend release and merely a creative outlet, ended with me finding a full-time job in lettering and that’s how I founded The Bombay Lettering Company.

In today’s digital world that we live in, calligraphy adds warmth and a personal touch and that is irreplaceable. There’s a sense of perfection among the imperfections of this wonderful art form that attracts me to it so much more!

My clientele is a varied mix ranging from corporates, brands, event and wedding planners to individuals with personal commissioned orders. My projects include handwritten ink on paper, logo designs, monograms, packaging elements, lettering on merchandise as well as on surfaces like wood, glass, mirror, acrylic, etc. Recently, I have begun to undertake painting large script murals which is soon becoming a favorite.

I’ve had the pleasure of working for clients like Michael Kors, Bottega Veneta, Vogue India, Moet Hennessy, Taj Group of hotels, Priyanka Chopra, and Nick Jonas’ wedding, The Wedding Filmer, and more and my collaborations include some well-known brands such as Fabriano, Lonchamp Paris.

I teach Pointed Pen Calligraphy across India having taught over 600 students and have recently launched an online store for Calligraphy tools, supplies, and accessories making me one of the few distributors in India for some of the best-curated supplies from all over the world.

What is your entrepreneur story? How did you come about building your business?

There is a quote by Rumi that resonates with me and my journey which says “Let the beauty of what you love, be what you do”. I consider myself lucky to have found my passion. My journey with Calligraphy from passion to the profession was a very organic one. It wasn’t planned, and I never imagined that I would be a full-time Calligrapher and Lettering Artist! What started as a stress buster and a creative outlet slowly began to become my form of meditative therapy. I started Pointed Pen calligraphy in 2017, a world within the calligraphy universe that was an untapped art form in our country. I began to follow some incredible artists on Instagram whom I then went to learn from in California. But of course, after a couple of weeks of learning, I came back to reality, to my full-time job in Luxury Brand Management at Moet Hennessy India.

Whilst my corporate job was very engaging and dynamic, my interest in Calligraphy kept growing eventually leading me to find a market opportunity worth pursuing. It was then that I decided to start an Instagram handle by the name of The Bombay Lettering Company, excited to see where it would take me.

Over time, I realized that my weekend passion project had garnered considerable attention and I discovered a demand for my hand-crafted work. I started with Copperplate Calligraphy, Modern brush lettering and slowly moved into working on different surfaces such as wood, mirror, and glass. I began to experiment with more modern pointed pen techniques to which eventually lead me to develop my individual style, which is actually still developing. By taking on small projects for friends and family gratis, I began to get more inquiries from people I didn’t know and then realized the potential there was. Meanwhile, as I approached my three-year benchmark with Moet Hennessy, I began to question myself on where I saw The Bombay Lettering Company going. It could either remain as a ‘passion project’ or become something bigger, which I believed it could. The work increased, I was getting more orders for weddings, corporates, personal commissions, and more than anything else, I was absolutely loving every minute of it!

Curiosity for Calligraphy led me to a retreat in Italy where I learned from Master Penman Barbara Calzolari who really opened up my soul, and showed me the beauty and potential of this art form. Soon after, workshops with the famous Penman Paul Antonio, followed by Penwoman Nina Tran ended up enhancing and polishing my skill.

Calligraphy is all about discipline, patience, and attention to detail and I wanted to dive deeper, learn more, and hopefully someday be able to offer the best my country has.

It was July 2018 that I quit my job to go full time with The Bombay Lettering Company and there has been no looking back!

What is your business model — how were you able to grow so fast?

Today, I’m building The Bombay Lettering Company to be a one-stop shop for all things hand-lettered. It’s exciting because I’m always working on interesting projects, with amazing clients who give me the freedom and liberty to use my creativity the way I want to.

My work is divided into a few verticals:

a) Commissioned work — This is completely the service of calligraphy and lettering that I offer. It is hand done, customized, and by order. It can range from envelope addressing for 500 wedding invites to painting a large mural in an office or designing a hand-scripted logo for a brand, or even designing a tattoo for someone!

b) Education — I conduct in-person workshops on Pointed Pen calligraphy across the country and have taught over 600 students across Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kolkata. To connect and engage with my global audience, I’m now in the process of creating an online class.

c) E-commerce platform — My online stores consist of hand-picked and thoughtfully curated calligraphy supplies and accessories from brands across the world. This makes Bombay Lettering one of the few distributors in the country for curated calligraphy supplies. I am also working on a signature line of products that are made in-house.

d) Collaborations — It’s always exciting when two heads come together to create magic. My most recent collaboration is with a 3D printing company where we’ve combined my art of calligraphy and the technology of 3D printing to create jewelry in the form of pendants. I’m now working with a fashion label on their newest collection with my calligraphy incorporated in their prints.

e) Calligraphy as Therapy — I’m working with autistic children to explore how we can use Calligraphy as a form of therapy. It’s been wonderful so far and can’t wait to see where it goes!

People would always tell me that what I do is very niche, but honestly, words are all around us! It’s just how creatively we use them to communicate what we have at hand. Through this, I guess I’m trying to really bring back the appreciation of handmade art, and bring people’s words to life!

About growing fast — Whilst I may have had a bit of a first mover’s advantage in the Indian Calligraphy and Lettering space, I believe my network built through my years in the Corporate world has helped spread the word. While there are several typographers and maybe even letterers, I was one of the first to start with Calligraphy and create a business model around it.

Can you give me an overview of who you are, what is your educational or overall background? What are some of your achievements?

I was born and brought up in Mumbai, India. I’ve studied and worked here all my life too. After completing the Indian ICSE board of exams I went on to do the IB diploma program at BD Somani International School, followed by my undergraduate degree from Mumbai University In Media and Communication. My first job (and only) out of college was with Moet Hennessy, the wines and spirits division of LVMH where I was doing marketing and brand management.

I’ve always been a traveler, a foodie, an extrovert, an absolute dog lover, extremely family-oriented, and now, a creativepreneur J I play tennis, love to volunteer, I hope to add a CSR project into my business model soon.

I’ve done a few incredible volunteer programs across the world that have truly grown me as a person. I lived with a local Tibetan family in Dharamsala and taught little monks in a Monastery for 2 months. The summer after that I lived with a local Hungarian family in Budapest and taught middle school children English. I can and most definitely see myself volunteering and giving back to the community all my life.

Achievements –

1. While working at Moet Hennessy India, I received an award for being the most ‘Creative and Innovative’ employee of the year.
2. Been featured as a ‘Woman of Faith’ in a campaign by famous Indian Jewellery Brand AS Motiwala
3. Featured in People Magazine USA covering my work for Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’ wedding
4. Featured in Australian Magazine Penultimate
5. Featured in and chosen to be on the cover of Longchamp Paris’ magazine in India — The Zine
6. Featured in various local magazines and newspapers on creating a profession out of a passion.

What have you learned through your experiences as an entrepreneur that can be used by aspiring business individuals?

As an entrepreneur, every day is an adventure full of new challenges. While I find it extremely exciting, it can also get quite overwhelming at times. I’ve learned a lot in the past 2 years that will only help me get better.

Master your skill: If we were to look at calligraphy in particular — it’s a 100% skill-based business and for this, there are no shortcuts! Like any art form. So obviously, getting the skill right is key. Everything else is secondary.

Be a student for life (continuously traveling to learn): If I were to attribute this growth to something — it would definitely be the that I invest back into learning. Learning from some of the best masters in the world has added to my credibility, my skill, and expertise. And as time goes by I have to continuously innovate, which means I must keep learning and seeking inspiration from other lettering styles from all around the world, to stay innovative, fresh, and unique.

Work really hard: There have been times where I have questioned myself as to what drives me, but over time I realized that hard work really does pay off. I have received recognition and achievement because I was determined and worked very very hard towards It.

Strong Network: I have tried to maintain my network of people over the years through my corporate job, my travels, and my family/friends. People tend to underestimate the power of good networking but I have learned that maintaining relationships and networking is very important, and especially so for young entrepreneurs and start-ups. I give myself at 2 (at least :p) work-related trips in a year — one is to go learn, to enhance my skills, and really garner the knowledge I need to grow. The other has nothing to do with Calligraphy — It has to be a conference, a start-up summit, an entrepreneurs meet, someplace excellent to network with like-minded people from across the world. I feel that a second trip is so crucial in growing as a person and expanding your base.

Be realistic: I think it’s really great to have a passion. But it’s very important to be realistic about converting that passion into a profession. Apart from being very good at it (!!), you have to be able to see yourself doing it every single day. This will not be just a hobby anymore, which means you have deadlines, tough clients, projects you may not always love but you got to do it anyway. I quit my full-time job 9 months into juggling it with my Calligraphy Business. It was only then that I was confident of the fact that I was making as much or more of an income through The Bombay Lettering Company than my corporate job. So if there’s one piece of advice, I’d say, be realistic, set a business plan and make sure it’s feasible and sustainable before taking the plunge.

Money, money, money! : This can be a make or break for any start-up, and managing your finances well from day 1 is crucial! You have to be closely accountable for your expenses. To start off with — keep overheads low, invest everything back in the business and spend wisely.

Be honest and true to yourself and your business: I strongly believe honest work speaks for itself and that hard work never goes to waste. Trust and Respect are by-products of good work.

What makes your business so unique and successful?

I’d like to believe that what makes what I do unique is the fact that it was a passion project much before the intention of becoming a business. Hence, the growth and culmination into what it is today have been so pure and organic for me. Every decision has been made from the heart over the mind.

My project of ‘Calligraphy as Therapy’ which entails using this beautiful art form as therapy for children and adults with autism adds more meaning and purpose to my work.

I strongly feel that Calligraphy has made me a more calm and patient person over the years and this has had a direct impact on the way I handle day-to-day business situations and decisions as well. The calmness, patience, and genuineness with which I work have definitely added to the micro-successes which eventually leads to a more macro sense of success.

Lastly, I do feel that unlike most calligraphers in India, I have tried to explore working on a lot more surfaces, like wood, acrylic, mirror, glass, and so on and have collaborated with experts from completely different spaces to make beautiful products and have incorporated lettering in them like never before.

What have you learned through your journey as an entrepreneur?

I feel like I’m discovering myself a little bit more through this wonderful journey of entrepreneurship! I’m learning a lot about myself, my potential, and my capabilities. What I have also learned is the importance of my support system, my cheerleaders, and people who believe in me, they are the ones who are constantly encouraging me to do better. And of course, I’ve learned that I will be a student for life.

What skills and attributes make you as successful as you are?

If we look at calligraphy in particular — it’s a 100% skill-based business and for this, there are no shortcuts! Like any art form — so obviously, getting the skill right is key. Calligraphy requires patience, lots of practice, attention to detail, and a great sense of aesthetics, amongst others! My goal every day is to become a better calligrapher, a better artist — but also to improve as a businesswoman. Yes, I am an artist, but I’m also trying to build a company that requires me to have a lot of skills that any entrepreneur needs!

I think my personality too has definitely made the journey a lot more fun, exciting, and smooth! I’m a very positive person, always eager to explore and push myself. It’s important to be open-minded, nimble, and open to learn, unlearn and relearn. And that is what I live by — being adaptable to change and embracing change. Also, I’ve realized the importance of pushing myself to a level of discomfort, because it’s only when we are really really uncomfortable, and way out of our comfort zones, that we achieve something great!

Why is online business, marketing, etc important?

Funny Story — I was sitting at the Micheal Angelo Peak last summer and happened to begin conversing with a family from New York. A few minutes into our conversation, the daughter discovers that I am a face behind The Bombay Lettering Company and she squealed “OMG you’re Bombay Lettering”. Apart from being touched that she follows me, it made me realize how powerful the digital space is.

With the way the world is moving today, having an online presence is crucial for the recognition and success of any business. With my online presence and online store, I have been able to reach a global audience. E-commerce is a great channel for a young company like mine to reach such a large base as overheads are also lower.

What I love about the online business space is that I can use data analytics to tweak and play around with my offerings to give my audience and consumers what they want. It’s all real-time.

Apart from maintaining a strong social media presence, I believe it is even more important to maintain your own database, lists, and contacts. Email Marketing has worked to be a very powerful tool for me.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bombaylettering/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bombaylettering/

Business Website: https://www.bombaylettering.com/

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Yes, questions are important.  But, so are answers, and they have been underappreciated in the academic and applied press.  My recent book, Answer Intelligence: Raise Your AQ shines a light upon the topic of answers in business and life.  I studied expert communicators, published an academic article, and expanded upon the article in my book.  The result is a new science of answers that you can use in your next important conversation as a CEO.

To illustrate the importance of a systematic and thoughtful approach toward answers for a CEO, I will examine Town Hall and Board Presentation Answer Intelligence (AQ)™.

Town Hall AQ

Imagine you are a CEO at a Town Hall, and are asked, “What is the biggest challenge your company will face this year?”  The main finding from the AQ research is that there are six answer types (story, metaphor, theory, concept, procedure, action) that correspond to three question types (why, what, how).  Given a what-question, the most appropriate answers are a concept or a metaphor.  For example, perhaps the CEO believes the biggest challenge is employee engagement, complicated by the lingering pandemic and a hybrid work environment. 

A CEO that provides a High AQ response might define the concept of employee engagement as emotional engagement (when the company is praised in the press, employees are happy, and they are sad when the company is covered in a negative light), physical engagement (employees have the stamina to work and stay until the job is done), and cognitive engagement (e.g., they have a positive preoccupation with their work).  This three-pronged definition provides depth to the understanding of engagement. 

Additionally, a metaphor for employee engagement can be provided to create an emotional connection.  For example, a CEO may describe the company’s role in employee engagement as a magnet (a force), and the employee’s response as iron filings that are drawn to the company or away from it.  Perhaps the situation is serious, and the polarity of the magnet has been reversed, and the company is pushing its employees away, not attracting them.  In which case, the direction of the magnetic field needs to be reversed fast before employees are lost for good.

In a similar manner, if the question is, “How will we cut the budget to survive the pandemic?” A direct response to this question would require outlining procedures and actions (two answer types). Although a CEO is not focused on the details of the implementation, without a high-level plan and critical actions, credibility will go down. 

Finally, perhaps a cautious question is submitted by an anonymous attendee: “Why should we believe you?”  This question would require a compelling story and theory (often called strategy in the context of a business meeting).


Board Presentation AQ

In a Town Hall, questions and answers can unfold like a dynamic chain where questions and answers are linked together to form a dialogue.  AQ can also help prepare the CEO for the next Board presentation.  Although interactive, many Board presentations feature a one-way delivery of information.  During these monologue presentations, answers are important, perhaps more important than questions.  Specifically, the board members still have questions, but they are not immediately voiced, requiring the presenter to anticipate questions in advance and prepare a presentation full of answers to the varied why-, what-, and how-questions.

One tip to make the preparation for the presentation more manageable and to give a coherent and singular focus to your presentation is to prepare three similar what-, why-, and how- questions using this simple approach: “What is the big idea?”  For example, employee engagement discussed in the prior Town Hall scenario.  Why is the big idea important?  In this case, an illustrative employee engagement story can be shared, and theory can be discussed (how it predicts important business outcomes such as job performance or employee turnover).  Finally, “How to implement?” the big idea can be discussed.  For example, implementation of employee engagement in terms of key procedures and actions can be presented.

An advantage of the six-answer presentation is that it does not waste time, (only six answers, no more) as board members’ time is very valuable.  It also places priority on all key questions (what, why, how) and answers, which gives the Board a full perspective to consider the proposal and to ask subsequent why-, what-, and how-questions as desired.


To learn more about Answer Intelligence (AQ)™ and 5 High AQ practices associated with expert communicators, read the book and visit www.RaiseYourAQ.com

Dr Brian Glibkowski is an Associate Professor of Management at North Central College, CEO of Semplar Science Corp and author of Answer Intelligence: Raise your AQ. Find out more: www.RaiseYourAQ.com

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Tracy knows the value of time management and resources, and her coaching company, Tracy Lynn Coaching, is built around teaching entrepreneurs valuable automation lessons and business savvy that can help develop your company into a six-figure success while still allowing you to pursue your passions.

Tracy started her photography business years ago, but by 2019 she had streamlined it almost to the point of it running automatically. She was working less than 30 hours a month and still raking in the cash thanks to her automation of administrative tasks, marketing, and even shooting and outsourcing tasks. Tracy had her business set up so that it could almost run entirely without her, but she wanted more. Realizing from personal experience how quickly work tasks can pile up and overwhelm already overburdened business owners, Tracy began crafting a business coaching plan that would give other creative entrepreneurs the same toolkit she had used to carve out her success. 

Tracy’s goal is to help business owners turn their side hustles into profitable, automated machines that help them work less, make more, and spend more time doing the things they love. The freedom of defining your schedule and work conditions is something that Tracy believes every business owner should have, and her Dream Biz framework helps her clients build that success for themselves and truly do it all. Her efficient and profitable business strategies focus on developing a dream lifestyle and business for every client and then providing them with the practical and material skills to make it happen. 

Tracy Lynn Coaching provides a personal touch to coaching clients, scheduling one on one sessions and accountability check-ins to help ensure business owners are reaching the milestones and benchmarks they need to succeed. With care and precision, Tracy helps clients build a solid business foundation that eventually runs on its own, creating the opportunity for you to pursue personal interests, a family, and your professional growth while being supported by a six-figure income. Tracy Lynn knows how nice it is to be able to do it all, and she’s ready to help you do it too.

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I entered the industry as an illustrator for an indie publishing house. While working there I illustrated many successful titles that are currently being sold around the world. During my time there, I gained knowledge and experience about how to create a marketable book from start to finish. Lastly, I recently self-published and illustrated my book titled Arty the Alien, which was written by Emily Cutler. 

It’s been quite the uphill journey to get my company to where it is today. For a long time, I was unsure about how I could apply my insight and skills to the publishing industry in an impactful way. I explored many ventures before the stars aligned, such as working in editorial as a freelance illustrator and selling my watercolor paintings as nursery décor. I loved these ventures, but I always knew there was a different calling that aligned more with my passion for books. That calling and realization have led me to where I am today, working with authors and publishing books. 

I want to empower others to explore their creativity and share their stories. I believe that the art of sharing both liberates and connects us. When an author uses their platform to communicate their story creatively, they are sharing their unique view of the world. I want to empower authors to share their stories, perspectives, and characters so that readers can continue to learn about our differences and similarities. This ties into one of my goals with Inkling Publishing, to diversify the book industry and encourage inclusivity. 

I work very closely with my clients and become invested in their projects because I know from my own experience that publishing a book is meaningful work. Through my passion and engagement, I  encourage authors to share their stories and equip them with the tools to do so. I strongly believe that an author can make a positive impact on this world through the art of storytelling. 

I strive to not only meet but exceed my client’s expectations, which stems from a place of open communication and trust with everyone I work with. I have learned so much about myself through the relationships I have with my clients, that not only am I capable of owning and operating my own business but that I can be a source of motivation for others. 

In the future, I see Inkling Publishing as not only a book publishing service but a platform to bring authors together. I am also in the process of turning my online site into an indie bookstore that my local community can engage in. I see so much potential in the self-publishing community and I am so grateful that I can play a part in its growth. 

Get in touch with Erin on

Website: www.inklingpublishing.ca

Instagram:  www.instagram.com/inklingpublishing

Twitter: twitter.com/inklingpub

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/erin-cutler-00319b155

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Inspired Creative Hub is an agency that helps small businesses find their place in the market and thrive. It’s also a publishing agency that gives Black and other minority authors a platform to tell their stories. And it’s finally, but not least an agency that helps entrepreneurs and creatives create unique brands that help them stand out.

Tell us about who you are and what you do.

I’m a mum of 3 boys. A children’s book author, a certified confidence coach, a motivational speaker, and most recently founder of a creative digital agency. I bet you are probably wondering how on earth could I possibly be all the above right? Well, it’s simple, being a mum made me a superhuman, and now I feel like there’s nothing I can’t do if I put my mind to it.

No, on a serious note, I honestly believe that we are such complex and creative beings that we can be many things at a time if we figure out how to manage it all. I believe we are living at a time in history were to survive, we have to be/do more than just one thing. We millennials and Gen z’s have learned that it’s crucial for our survival.

Tell us how you created this brand and what was the sole idea behind it.

Many people dream of having their businesses and right from when I was a young girl that had been one of my biggest dreams. My background is in management.

Along the way, I realized I had a strong passion to encourage and motivate others so I went on to qualify as a life coach. I still run my coaching practice because it’ll always be one of my biggest passions.

Necessity, as they say, breeds innovation, and Inspired Creative Hub is a birth child of necessity. I could sense there was a demand for all my passions so decided to merge them into one. So, ICH is a branding, publishing, and social media agency.

I’m passionate about helping small businesses with small marketing budgets find their space and thrive & that’s where the branding comes in.

I’m passionate about helping Black and other minority authors tell their story and that’s the publishing side of the business.

I love the power social media wields in helping nobodies to become somebodies and I want to use it for exactly that especially for small businesses. So yup inspired creative hub is our baby and we are watching her grow.

One of the growing trends of the pandemic was seeing businesses move away from the office working, to working remotely. I must say in foresight that deciding to start a creative digital agency was genius on our part #timingiseverything

Explain the challenges you went through while you were working on brand creation. What are the challenges you go through on an everyday basis?

The number one challenge I faced in the beginning and still face daily is being a mum and running a business at the same time. It’s meant I’ve had to put in lots of late nights and early mornings. I always say being a mumpreneur is not for the faint-hearted.

Another challenge, in the beginning, was finding good people to work with…so glad that no longer is the case. We work with some amazing young men & women from whom I’m learning so much.

How do you manage your finances through the services you offer. Any fundings etc received?

Yeah, this. All 100% self-funded and because we are still at the early stages of our growth, I’m happy to say so far so good.

Tell us your future vision about the brand. How far do you want to take it? What is your dream about taking it to the next level?

The vision from day one was to create a global presence and help as many small businesses and creatives as possible. It is also important to us that we empower our fellow brothers and sisters on the continent and we are so humbled to be doing this already, we know we can do more so we will continue to push.

What message would you like to give to anybody who has a plan of creating something of their own and making a living through it?

It all starts with self-belief! Believe so much in yourself that others will have no choice but to believe in you. If you do, you will find a way to push through your doubts and fears and get started on your idea. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, no one will guess your needs simply by looking at you. Promote your business like your livelihood depends on it because it does. 

If you are in the process of starting, then I wish you all the success you deserve. Come over on IG and connect with me @kamapala_c 

Get in touch with Inspired Creative Hub on

Website: www.inspiredcreativehub.com

Instagram: @inspiredcreative.hub

The post Kamapala Chukwuka: Believe in Yourself & Go After Your Dreams Boldly appeared first on CEO Medium.

Who you are and what you do?

My name is Amanda McNaughton, though today most know me as Amanda Mary. I am a 32-year-old photographer and entrepreneur based out of Nelson, BC. My greatest passion in life is helping people to be, and feel, seen. So, after a decade working as a freelance photographer, I founded Amanda Mary Creative for fellow creatives, makers, designers, side-hustlers, start-ups, entrepreneurs, and businesses who are ready to build a business that loves them back! My business is about so much more than creating gorgeous photos. Each session is carefully crafted to help my clients elevate their message, spark a connection with the right people, and help them uncover the confidence they need to reach that next level. Think of me as your very own, and incredible tenacious, brand cheerleader. 

How did you create your brand? What was the idea, or inspiration behind it?

Amanda Mary Creative was conceived during a moment of blunt honesty. 

I started my photography journey in 2004, under the red, muted lights of my high school’s darkroom with the dream of becoming a wildlife photographer. After obtaining a BFA in Photographic Study from Toronto’s acclaimed Ryerson University, an internship with Canadian Geographic, and countless freelance assignments over the course of a decade, I realized that I wasn’t actively chasing the dream I so adamantly proclaimed I wanted. It wasn’t the steep competition that was holding me back… it was me. Determined, dedicated, “I can make anything happen if I work hard enough” me. So I decided to “find my why” Simon Sinek style, to uncover what my true passion was. And goodness did I! From the moment I discovered my “why”  I let my aspiration of becoming a wildlife photographer go (happily might I add!) in favor of something even greater. I turned my focus to others and started to build a brand dedicated to helping them succeed.

How does your brand work?

I truly believe that if you want to be it, you need to see it. Photography offers creatives, makers, entrepreneurs, and businesses an incredible opportunity to build confidence in their brand. Confidence in both their right people and confidence in themselves! I offer a variety of services, each tailored to the unique needs of my clients. While the exact process may differ between brand, interior, and my new Ship & Shoot sessions, my approach is always the same: to deliver outstanding results, cultivate a culture of confidence, create wildly successful clients, support a community mindset (community over the competition every dang day!), to operate with transparency, and be bold. These core values shape how Amanda Mary Creative exists in the world, and how I, as it’s founder, approach every opportunity. 

What advice would you like to share with our readers?

I love hats, and a good wool one is certainly a wardrobe staple. But that doesn’t mean you have to wear all of them! The expectations we put on today’s ‘preneurs to envision, create, manage, market, and sustain a business is unbearable. Instead of trying to DIY every damn thing, remember that your time has incredible value. Every moment spent outside your zone of genius (aka. your unique intersection of passion and talent) is one less moment (or likely more!) you get to spend refining your skills and doing what you love. I learnt this the hard way in building my own website. After months of hard work, I was left with something passable. If I had outsourced that work I would have a website that works for me, and the weeks I spend trying to learn complex back-end-coding could have been much better invested. If coding, brand design, photography, marketing, social media, or bookkeeping aren’t “your thing,” do yourself a favour and outsource it! It’s so damn worth it. Trust me.

What are some of the challenges you went through while building your business? What are the challenges you go through on an everyday basis?

Ironically, confidence. I’m an enneagram one, which makes me a critical perfectionist. So I completely understand how hard it is to leap out on your own! The truth is, you will never feel 100% “ready” to chase those goals. And even when you do manage to take that leap, thoughts of self-doubt will always creep in. The good news is, we all feel it, so at least we are in good company!

On a day-to-day basis, I spend a lot of time educating others about the value of professional photography. There are a lot of misconceptions out there and misguided opinions often feel disheartening. Photography is a thriving industry without any real regulation. With the influx of digital, photography has become a complex world with a wide range of skills and experience. By building honest dialogue around fair credit, market value, copyright law, and the incredible advantage an established expert bring to the table, I hope to help build a strong and supportive community that is empowered to make the right choice when it comes to the needs of their unique brand and business. 

How do you manage your finances through the services you offer? Did you receive any funding?

Until recently, whenever finances came up I would run the other way. “I’m a creative,” I would say, “I don’t do numbers.” Cue constant anxiety! But when I decided to take Amanda Mary Creative full-time last year, I knew I’d have to tackle my fear of spreadsheets. Through a local community program, I drafted a business plan, budget, and made cash-flow predictions for the next two years. It wasn’t easy, but knowing the numbers is a key aspect of building a sustainable (not-to-mention profitable) business. Today, I know how many clients I need to take on to meet my financial needs on both a personal and business level. Knowing this enables me to book the right number of sessions and ensures I don’t overcommit my time and energy. If I want wildly successful clients, I need to be 100% there for each and every one of them! As an added bonus, this community program also provided start-up funding to help take the weight off of my shoulders for my first 48 weeks. 

What is your vision for the future? 

Some big plans are already in place for 2021!  An exciting brand and website refresh with the talented ladies at The Coast Kit are heading your way this spring. (If you are looking to create a strong brand, website, or social presence check them out! And if you want to DIY with one of their templates, be sure to use my code “AMANDAMARY15” for a little bonus) With it, I’ll also be launching my new Ship & Shoot product photography service. This means you don’t need to be a Kootenay local to work with me! Now, more than ever, it’s critical for businesses to have a strong online presence. Ship & Shoot will allow me to work with brands across the globe so that I can help them communicate with confidence and create the right impact.

I’m on a mission to help others thrive. In the next five years, I hope to stand as an example of what is possible when you toss fear, competition, and perfectionism to the wind, choosing instead to believe in yourself and the unique zone of genius you offer.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about creating something of their own, and making a living at it?

Do it! Failure isn’t something to be afraid of, never trying to become the person you dream of becoming is. So give yourself permission to try, permission to grow, and permission to fall (just get back up!). And if fear is taking up too much brain space, remember the words of the ever-iconic Moira Rose, “worry, is but undernourished enthusiasm.”

Company name: Amanda Mary Creative

Email Address: hello@amandamarycreative.com

Website: amandamarycreative.com

Instagram: @amandamarycreative 

The post See It, Be It. An Interview with Amanda Mary Creative appeared first on CEO Medium.