The most compelling reason I found for commuting in to the office

The most compelling reason I found for commuting in to the office

To say Hi to someone you don’t know in an elevator, or in the queue for coffee takes bravery, and is something I have worked on over the years because those moments can be really magical in creating new relationships.

But one interaction in the office will stay with me for a very long time. Not because it stood out.. in fact, quite the opposite - I only stopped by someone’s desk to say Hi for a few minutes before heading home a few weeks ago. We had a chat, parted ways, and that was that. Or so I thought.

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Our pale blue dot puts life into perspective

Our pale blue dot puts life into perspective

“Space, the final frontier” as the famous phrase goes. Although now that I think about it… I tend to disagree. For me.. our imagination is the final frontier. That’s the true infinite.

Carl Sagan described all of humanity as living on ‘“a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.” With this mindset, we can think of some setbacks in our lives as really not so big after all.

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SLK300: Because you only live once!

SLK300: Because you only live once!

What a Summer of fun we had… I had always wanted to own a convertible and I got the opportunity to pick up a fabulous SLK just in time for the glorious summer sunshine. And boy it was worth it.

However, with this cold Winter weather approaching, I am selling my lovely SLK300 by Mercedes Benz. So naturally it deserved a video…

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Fulfilment uncorked: why I choose sober

Fulfilment uncorked: why I choose sober

On New Year’s Day 2011, I drank one final pint before announcing that I was giving up “for a few days”. The plan was to go a few days, and then a few more. Partly to prove I could. And partly because I knew the party was over.

Days became months and in the eleven years since, I have not had a drink and somehow become ‘teetotal’ in the true sense of the word. It remains one of the best decisions I ever made.

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Why our pursuit of happiness may be flawed

Why our pursuit of happiness may be flawed

Nat Rutherford writing in BBC Future:

...Epicurean happiness is a matter of being a good accountant and minimising pain in the most efficient way possible...

But the accountant’s view of happiness is too simple to reflect reality. Friedrich Nietzsche, in The Genealogy of Morals, saw that we do not merely endure pain as a means to greater pleasure because "man…does not repudiate suffering as such; he desires it, he even seeks it out, provided he is shown a meaning for it, a purpose of suffering". In Nietzsche’s view, pain is not alleviated through pleasure, but instead through meaning...

That is why mountaineers and marathon runners - like all of us at one time or another - can rationalise the pain barriers they go through to keep going.

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After another hiatus.. an update

After another hiatus.. an update

Where did the last three years just go? Scary to think of how much water has flowed at torrential rates under that bridge.. 2 redundancies survived, 4 businesses set up and wound down, hundreds of miles run, one bout of COVID survived, 4 social networks deleted, and 983** days since my last blog post.

What a ride that has been. And I am sure it has been the same for you too. (But not ‘U2’ who seem to have forgotten what the inside of a studio looks like. Come on guys!)

So what’s next for me in terms of creative, personal and professional direction? as you might guess… I have thoughts.

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Five Key Food Trends Highlighted at the 2017 London Fresh Produce Show

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the Foodservice Forum on day one of the 2017 London Produce Show at Grosvenor House, Park Lane.

In terms of subject scope around the topic of fresh produce, each presenter brought a unique perspective that was both fascinating and thought provoking. Here were my top five 'key trend' take aways from a fun and informative day.

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London Produce Show 2018 - pencil it in.

The London Produce Show turned out to be a really worthwhile event in terms of learning and networking. Therefore I am pencilling it into my calendar for next year which is slated to be held on  5-8 June, 2018 at Grosvenor House in Park Lane, London. See you there!

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Podcasting: like talking to the wall

Finally. My first podcast is out there in the wild.

Getting it done was something that has been on my mind for months. As I listened to some podcasts while out running, I began to realise what a compelling medium it is, and one that I might enjoy working on.  

Getting together with my brother, we looked at various possibilities and started to record some bits and pieces. In planning some episodes and put together an awesome idea for a series, but life got in the way and we shelved the idea. For now, at least.

"Real Artists Ship" - Steve Jobs

"Real Artists Ship" - Steve Jobs

As weeks went by, I never let go of the idea and decided that perhaps I should just record something and get it out there - even at the risk of it being a bit shitty! Steve Jobs put it best when he said: "Real Artists Ship". What he meant by that was that ideas without shipping remain just that; ideas. I had to turn the idea into a reality.  

So here we are with Episode 1 in the wild. Recording it in one take, I felt like I was talking to the wall. My prep amounted to looking up a few stories from the last week or so and just glancing at those as I spoke. To keep the whole thing fluid and natural, I avoided any kind of script, so hopefully it's not too vague sounding. It will get better.

To be fair, radio hosts are practiced enough to sound like they are talking just to you the listener. But even they had to start somewhere. Perhaps I need these early episodes of talking to the wall to hone my style and craft my technique. In time, this will develop into what it is meant to become.

For now though, it's over to you. Give it a listen and let me know your thoughts - especially if you agree or disagree with my views; or if have any ideas for future topics.

Without further ado, I give you Kilroy, in conversation. Enjoy.

#Yeats2015: Three poems worth sharing

#Yeats2015: Three poems worth sharing

To celebrate Yeats Day on the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ireland's first Nobel Prize-winning poet, I have delved into his body of work to bring you three of my personal favourites as read by Michael Gambon, Shane MacGowan, and Richard Harris.

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When resistance leads to breakthrough.

This analogy sums up so much of my life over the past few months - both personally and professionally.

Also worth thinking about is the tremendous energy that comes with that release from whatever was holding you back.

That's the kind of energy that can ignite an idea, so make it count.

For you, and your team.

The rear view mirror is not the whole picture.

A couple of years ago a lecturer on the MBA course at Cranfield University asked me in an interview to take him backwards through my career so that he could understand the motivation of each decision I made.

Two years on, and I still think to myself; was he serious?!

Talk me backwards through your last dinner date and tell me your motivation in choosing that particular dessert. Was it the contrasting flavours from the main course choice? Texture perhaps? Or - and I'm going out on a limb here - no particular reason at all? Because maybe all you wanted to do was spend a few more minutes looking into the eyes of your significant other.

That lecturer was never going to find out what makes me tick by reversing backwards down my CV. If he really wanted to know the motivation behind each decision then let's break it down logically. There's a reason cars have lots more gears for forward than they have for reverse.



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