ShopFully’s Post

It has been one year since Paul Simms and I took the biggest risk of our business journey so far. Taking on LAB. Our thought process at the time bounced between… ❌ What a tough economic climate LAB had been through ✅ But wow what a team ❌ It’s still a tough economic time, a year to come with more political uncertainty ✅ But wow what fantastic clients ❌ Our two businesses never truly integrated when we were in a group together  ✅ But we knew we could change that In the end, our passion for the team, the skills they held and the fantastic clients weighed out and we went for it. One year on… ❤️ The business and the team are thriving ❤️ We will turn a profit this year - what a step change that has been! ❤️ We’ve hosted four team days where the whole team has come together ❤️ The team have reset the culture ❤️ The team has grown - adding new brilliant people ❤️ The team has delivered incredible work for our clients ❤️ The teams across the Human First Collective have created new ways of working that feel natural and the relationships are blossoming ❤️ The team have built a strategy for continued success in 2025 Could I have imagined this a year ago? Yes… it is what I hoped for Was I completely confident that we could make it happen? No, we’d never turned a business around before, but we knew we were ready to throw everything at it possible and had an amazing team ready to make it happen. A massive well done to Sylvain Lourgouilloux, Michael Steer and Steve Radjen BEM for their tireless work this year to build this business back. And to the whole team - as every single person has been a part of making this happen. And Nikki Gatenby your support and guidance has been incredible. And we must not forget our clients... especially those who were there for the transition - your trust in us is why we are still here today and getting stronger every month 💙 I could not be prouder of everyone in the team for what we have collectively achieved and I cannot wait to see what 2025 holds for us all. I can't wait to celebrate together next week at our Christmas party 🎄 #teamwork #collaboration #lovewhatyoudo

By the end of 2024 we will have run around 24 national virtual events plus specific local workshops both virtually and in person in addition. In 2024, the total number of events we will have hosted is likely to be around 35. It takes a lot of time and resources to put this many events/workshops on and we're grateful to all our guest speakers who support us and of course to everyone who takes the time out of their busy calendars to attend. Almost all our virtual events are recorded creating enduring materials of support for businesses to access and use whenever they need to and all our events/workshops are created based on the evidence based intelligence we gather through working with the marketplace and procurement/commissioner colleagues. We hope that what we're doing is useful. If the attendee registrations, access to the resources, and feedback through our post event surveys are an indication, then we think we're doing ok. We always keen to know what more we can do, and what we can do better so please do tell us if there's a topic you would like us to cover or if we can improve how we run the events etc. You can email us anytime to support@go4growth.co.uk

Prost! 🍻 Oktoberfest kicks off tomorrow, Saturday, and currently spending some time working from Bavaria, I'm feeling the excitement firsthand. Oktoberfest is also a good reminder that even in our globalised world, local cultures and traditions hold immense power — a timely reminder that global brands always also need to think local. Successful brands don't just sell products or services; they create meaningful connections by tapping 😉 into the cultural heartbeat and the specific needs and preferences of their target markets. This requires a deep understanding of each market and adapting messaging and language to resonate with its unique audience. Let's raise a glass 🍺 to cultural awareness in marketing! It's the key to crafting global strategies 🌎 that respect and resonate with local communities, fostering genuine connections that drive success. #Oktoberfest #GlobalBrands #ThinkLocal #CulturalRelevance #Glocafy A link for more information on the Oktoberfest and some of the Bavarian traditions is in the comment. And yes, Oktoberfest starts in September 😃 ! Have you thought yet about how you can best adapt your marketing strategy for international success? Feel free to reach out—I’m here to help!

Save the date 📌

🍻 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗢𝗸𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 - 𝗔𝗻 𝗨𝗻𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 📊 A few days ago as I strolled with my husband through the colorful alleys of Oktoberfest, a surprising thought struck me: How similar the world of the largest folk festival is to my daily work in Corporate Finance! Let me explain: 1. 🎡 Planning is everything: Just as Oktoberfest is planned months in advance, we in Corporate Finance strategize for the long term. Every detail counts, whether it's placing a festival tent or structuring financing. 2. 🍺 Tradition meets innovation: Oktoberfest combines centuries-old traditions with modern attractions. Similarly, we navigate the financial world between tried-and-true methods and innovative financial instruments. 3. 👥 It's all about people: Whether toasting in the beer tent or negotiating deals - relationships and networks are key to success. 4. 📈 Managing ups and downs: Just as the mood at the Wiesn can fluctuate, we experience boom phases and challenges in the financial world. The art lies in mastering both with confidence. 5. 🧮 Numbers, numbers, numbers: From visitor numbers to revenue forecasts - Oktoberfest, like our professional lives, is characterized by key figures. 6. 🌍 Global appeal: Oktoberfest attracts people from all over the world. Similarly, we operate in an international environment where cultural understanding is just as important as financial knowledge. As I raised my stein last night, I realized: Whether in the festival tent or the office, it's always about approaching work with passion, precision, and a twinkle in the eye. What do you think? Do you see any other parallels between folk festivals and the world of finance? Let me know in the comments! #ForwardThinking #CorporateFinance #Oktoberfest #Finance #Leadership #Networking

𝗜 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝘁 SXSW Sydney. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 🧠🇦🇺 Wrapping up from SXSW Sydney and, WOW, what an incredible experience. My skin is red and my brain is on fire. 🔥 From mind-blowing conversations to some of the best insights on the future of storytelling, tech and creativity, the war between TimTam and UK version of that - Penguin and more. 🔥 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀: 1️⃣ 𝗔𝗜 & 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆: AI is pushing us to dig deeper, be more human. Use your taste and imagination and utilise AI as a tool to elevate your work. 2️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿: It's data it's not me. Whether you're pitching, building brands or driving innovation, neuroscience-backed storytelling is what helps businesses connect deeply with their audience. 3️⃣ 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻: you just can't beat a good in person chat. No tech will evoke the same amount of trust. attention or energy. Go to events and meet humans. 🤩 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀 to some incredible humans: Merrill Anthony MBA, LLB Zina Kaye Amy Faulkner Daniel Gronowski Tom Dawkins Kelly Willmott Harry Roth Marta Pin Juan Sebastian Ossa Moreno WPP team Malika Nikolaeva Nicole Gibson Anton Reyniers Jessie Hughes Kobi Leins (PhD, GAICD) Kavan Lui Neil O'Sullivan ☁ Steven Arnold Pierre Lonchampt, Ph.D. Veronica Mason Elizabeth Bramson-Boudreau Liam Loan-Lack Simon Dikkenberg Jenny Granger 🎤 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: My talk on 𝗡𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 had a full room of 130 people and over 300 queuing up outside. Looks like a keynote next year. This tells me people care about learning about this topic. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'You were great. Incredibly eloquent. Loved how you framed your approach.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'standout session' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'it was packed and not everyone could get in!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'one of my top SXSW talks!' 🧡 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗦 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵: our global community is coming to Sydney1 Wednesday 23rd we're launching and lots of people signed up! Harry Roth has been a legend to do this with. 💡 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴: I've been asked wether the talk is available online as a course and where else next will I give this talk. Where do you want me to speak next? DM me before calendar gets booked. ☕ 𝗖𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲?: In Oz until Saturday 26th so if around, DM me, let's catch up. 📸 Miloud Hadj Abdallah #SXSW #SXSWSydney #AI #Storytelling #Innovation #Creativity #natalkadesign #SXSWonLinkedin #Sydney #Australia #speaker #publicspeaker #publicspeaking #talk #neuroscience #storytellingprinciples #businessdevelopment #future

Here's my 2024 LinkedIn Rewind, by Coauthor: Twenty years after competing as the only female in Seattle's Lords of the Floor breaking competition, I found myself back at RedBull's revival event - (this time as an invited guest, mom of 3 and seasoned sales professional) celebrating how far both breaking and my own journey have come. 2024 showed me that bringing your whole self to work isn't just a saying – it's how real transformation happens. Whether I was leading workshops on LinkedIn's newest AI features, celebrating Filipino culture in our offices, or watching breaking make its Olympic debut, authenticity created the deepest connections. Key moments that defined 2024: • Led transformative workshops with global enterprise clients on LinkedIn's AI innovations and Talent Insights • Celebrated 2-year anniversary at LinkedIn, deepening our partnerships with major enterprises • Participated in RedBull's Lords of the Floor revival event, bridging my bgirl past with present • Expanded cultural celebration initiatives across LinkedIn offices • Completed certification in Psychological Safety to better serve our clients Three posts that resonated most with our community: "It's not everyday that you see a bgirling, mom of 3, professional on LinkedIn" On authenticity and bringing your whole self to work https://lnkd.in/g44uaSDX "Have you eaten yet?" How Filipino cultural traditions build genuine workplace connections https://lnkd.in/gaKKDihi "Such a great morning with the fantastic TA Team at GM Financial" Empowering talent teams with AI and insights https://lnkd.in/gZBrXD5m Looking ahead to 2025: As LinkedIn's AI capabilities evolve, I'm energized to help organizations transform their talent strategies while staying true to what matters most - authentic connections, cultural celebration, and the power of bringing your whole self to work. To every professional navigating their unique path: your diverse experiences aren't distractions from your success – they're the foundation of it. #LinkedInRewind #LinkedInLife #BetterTogether #2024wrapped -- Get your 2024 LinkedIn Rewind! Go to coauthor [dot] studio in your browser

When I first stumbled across jump.global, I immediately fell in love with their mission of "promoting self-worth & professional development for those working in the music business" - how powerful is that, especially in today's music job market?! I instantly became enamored with J.G's Founder Nick Maiale and made it a personal mission to connect when I knew we'd both be at Music Biz this year, and when we met I hugged Nick like we've been best friends for years - because that is how Nick makes people feel - like they have a best friend in music that they can just be themselves around, no ego, no bs - just your own glorious being. Add the full J.G team together with JJ Farrell & Garrett Lee and you get one insanely kind, warm, and impactful community! Jump.Global's annual summit is coming up and if you are able to attend, I highly recommend it. Check out the 2023 recap here: https://lnkd.in/eRCfREFU WHO: 250+ music business executives, professionals, humans who strive to be better – in life, at home, and in the workplace. Attendees come from all over – NYC, Nashville, Atlanta, London, LA, etc. Accredited coaches who specialize in the music industry are in attendance as well. WHAT: A multi-day summit focused on personal and professional development in the music business. Topics include mental health, wellness, leadership, goal setting, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, effective communication, and so much more. WHEN: November 17 - 20 at The LINE in Los Angeles WHY: Having more humans who work in the music business understand these topics, have empathy, emotional intelligence, etc. will ultimately create a better, more human environment for our business – execs, artists, and all. Jump.Global has curated everything for you – you just need to show up and be present. If you're interested in attending and would like to learn more, please check out the post under Member Perks in the B.A.K Play.Ground or message me directly for a special registration link. Nick Maiale - so proud of you friend ❣ #musicindustry #musicconference #musicbusiness

Last week I attended #SXSWSydney. Having been to #SXSW Austin several times, I was intrigued and excited to see how Sydney would bring this incredible festival of creativity and innovation to life. I was ready to soak up the latest trends, tech and topics. What I discovered was a little different 🤔 . Amidst a jam-packed week of talks and some fantastic rally cries to take action, 4️⃣ recurring themes stood out and made me feel a bit like I was on Groundhog Day! 1) Climate change - as corporates and citizens, we must do more, and our investors and governments need to stop asking for a short-mid term ROI on saving the planet! 😵💫 2) Social Media - one entertainment platform claiming to be the first to enable anyone to become a storyteller 🤦♀️ and the hot topic of 36 Months (if you haven't signed - please do it NOW) ; 3) Women in business - not enough, it's a struggle, and of course, we're great! 4) How to be creative, use creativity more and think creatively...the irony that the gap in this style of thinking has to be discussed and taught to the thousands of leaders and marketers of our top businesses and corporations at the conference should not be lost on us! 5) AI - How are we doing, and what's to come next? Over the next three days, I’ll be sharing my takeouts from SXSW Sydney on from three themes that were highlights for me: 1) 🎨 What does being creative take? 2) 🔥 The progress - or lack of it, on how our companies and as individuals can take action for climate change, 3) 🤳 Tik Tok - How brands can play, and why they should be on this channel. There was so much to take in and enjoy, and for year two, it seemed a brilliant turnout (inspite of the strange October weather patterns). The 100’s of event organisers, stewards and volunteers did a fantastic job of guiding us around the rabbit warren of rooms and locations, all with smiles on their faces, and the multiple free (and good) coffee carts were a welcome touch! Thanks #SXSWSydney team. But for me, whilst I came away with lots of interesting facts and thoughts, there weren't any big ‘wow, how did they achieve that?’ brand moments or ‘that’s wild! How could I use that thinking or tech in my work?’ moments. And I wonder, perhaps it wasn’t the curation of talks, brands and tech, but rather the rate of tech innovation and the brand activation legacy that is making us all a little numb to where we are today? And the topics we are tackling are just so big that they need more air time? Thanks to all involved in hosting, producing and talking at SXSWSydney - as a colleague said, it’s no easy task to host and participate in an event for us critical marketers! Would love to hear your views on the week? And I hope you enjoy my upcoming learnings. #SXSWSydney #DestinationNSW #Marketinginspiration

Is anyone still reading “Year Recaps”? 😅 Well, we’ve got one too—but we promise to keep it short! 🔖 Word of the year: Collaboration. 🔖New experience of the year: Hosting a series of webinars. 🔖New destination for Maramio merch: Japan 🔖Feature of the year: Our warehouse + redeem page powerful combo, making gift experiences truly personalized. 🔖Events of the year: The hackathons we proudly supported with our merch. 🔖The lesson of the year: Less is more. This year, we were turning down projects where we couldn't provide better value for the project. As a result, we shipped to fewer destinations compared to 2023, but ensured better value for each one. 🔖Fuck up of the year: Only organizing the team gathering once. Next year, more hugs, less Zoom! 😅 🔖The success of the year: doubled our revenue staying lean 🔖Team of the year: Maramio team 🤍 And of course, none of this would have been possible without the incredible support of so many amazing people, companies, and communities. A huge ’thank you’ goes to: 🌟 Our friendly communities: HR Collective, HRFull, Talent Crunch Berlin (TC), HRnuggets.io 🌟 Our webinar speakers: Rachel Wright, Daria Logvinskaia, Darya Krakaviak, Jana Krivenkaja, Chia Chan Mo, and Andreas Dimopoulos 🌟 Our clients, with whom we’ve had the pleasure of creating together: Grammarly, Criteo, New Work SE, Coinbase, Eclipse Software Defined Vehicle, RTB House, ECM Espresso Coffee Machines Manufacture GmbH, AdTech Holding, International Paralympic Committee, Wallarm: API Security Leader, ManpowerGroup and many more! Thank you for being part of our journey — let’s make 2025 even more amazing! 🚀