• Blog

• • Onwards...
  • 31/03/2009
  • • Onwards...
    • 31/03/2009

    • What a sad day, my last ever blog for this site.  I've really enjoyed wobbling on about things, so much so that I've now established my own blog on my new website www.rebeccadaviesnlp.com  
      
      Check it out for updates on my NLP life, Ruby and the kids. Because my own blog, I shall be able to say more! Could be some interesting stuff coming up soon, so watch this space.
      
      Suffice to say, I thank everyone for reading my mutterings, finding out how our business did during some very tough times and how, in the words of the immortal "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" song, "up from the ashes come the roses of success". Never a truer word spoken.
      
      You've been through the tail end of my pregnancy, birth and development of wee Ruby. She's now 3 months old and really alert, she'll be leaving home before we know it!
      
      I have my first weight loss workshop booked too for April, where I'll be conducting a Paul McKenna style seminar for people who find it hard to control their eating habits. Should be fun. Check out my other website www.manageyoureating.com for that one.
      
      Onwards, upwards and forwards. Thanks.

• • Spurred on
  • 26/03/2009
  • • Spurred on
    • 26/03/2009

    • Arghh! I tried for two hours yesterday to e-mail my lovely video blog to the site content managers. It took me three attempts to record it correctly, and when I had, it took two hours to fail to send it! The computer I borrowed simply wouldn't let me send the compacted file and I've now run out of people's computers to borrow.
      
      Sorry folks, you've been denied the pleasure of my voice once again.
      
      On a more exciting note, I have my first meeting set up to discuss training, coaching and mentoring with a client. Ruby will have to come with me, but I've explained this to the client and they don't seem to mind. Fingers crossed.
      
      This has spurred me on to chat to a few more people and test the water. After all, if we're meeting in April, then setting up training, coaching or mentoring sessions for July is such a crazy idea. It would be fantastic to have dates booked in the diary for when I come back from maternity leave.
      
      In the meantime, Ruby is being very obliging and having a kip whilst I get on with some more work.

• • Put yourself in the picture
  • 24/03/2009
  • • Put yourself in the picture
    • 24/03/2009

    • I was treated to breakfast in bed on Sunday in honour of Mother's Day and then treated to a meal out later that day with my family and my partner's mum. It was lovely.
      
      I'm now working on the various training and mentoring packages that business currently needs. I'm also putting together a list of my target clients and focusing on how to present myself to them. There is so much to offer business using NLP techniques from customer service to sales to executive coaching. NLP gets really quick results and can be used to model excellence that already exists within a business.
      
      For example, I can help an organisation model the behaviour of their best sales person and then teach the rest of the team that pattern of behaviour. So, if their top sales person visualises making the call or the outcome of the call before they even pick up the phone, then that's what I'd teach the rest of the team.
      
      You can help the expert sales person become even better by getting them to intensify the parts of their pattern of behaviour. Top level athletes use this method. Venus Williams for example knew exactly how she would behave and what her surroundings would be when she first won Wimbledon. She had rehearsed winning so many times, that when she did win, it wasn't a surprise to her.
      
      This is what NLP can do for people and organisations. It really is amazing. So, just sit back, relax and picture yourself doing the job you do, but picture yourself doing it even better and with more confidence. Enlarge that picture, make it brighter, stronger, add more intense colours, add clearer sounds and turn those sounds up. Make the picture even bigger, brighter and give it even more clarity.  Place the picture at the top right side of your head and keep it there whenever you want inspiration throughout the day.
      
      Enjoy!

• • Dipping my toe
  • 19/03/2009
  • • Dipping my toe
    • 19/03/2009

    • It's such a beautiful sunny day, that's its quite hard to think about work.  However, I've been dipping my toe in the networking water just to test the temperature for when I return in July. It seems that one large agency in Scotland in particular is doing well. They have a large public sector department and this appears to be thriving.
      
      So, I've now started thinking about the services I can offer to the public sector. In particular, I hear on the news that the NHS is currently the UK's largest recruiter.  Great, how many people do I know in the NHS? Thinking about it, I actually know quite a few and should be able to get through to the right people and offer my Coaching, mentoring and training services to them when the time comes.
      
      I've dug over the front garden today and whilst I feel virtuous, I also feel a bit achy. I have a feeling that I will sorely regret my digging activities tomorrow morning. It was cheaper than a gym membership and more satisfying than a yoga class!

• • Part-timers
  • 18/03/2009
  • • Part-timers
    • 18/03/2009

    • I now have a collection of handy blank greetings cards in the house, for those occasions when you suddenly remember a birthday or that someone has been ill or had a baby. It's a sign that I'm not at work. I'm the person who forgets everyone's birthday and haven't had anything resembling so much as a note-let around the house since I was twelve and had pen-pals.
      
      I'm now about half way through my maternity leave. Ruby is twelve weeks old today and I'm now in the angst stage of wondering how I'm going to manage with leaving Ruby at home whilst I go out training and coaching clients combined with the desire to earn some serious cash and return to a life of nipping away for the weekend when we all feel like it.
      
      I do feel that by working for only three days per week, I can achieve both. I often found with my part-time employees that they achieved much more than my full time people. I think you tend to work harder and smarter when you know you're on a limited time scale. Full timers can do a bit of faffing and still get the job done, whereas part-timers really can't afford to faff at all. The spell check doesn't like "faff", but I feel it's supremely apt in this context.
      
      So, for all you full timers out there who get a bit narked at the part-timers, just think about how much time you actually spend working during your 40 hours per week and how much time is spent in ‘faff mode'.
      
      So, a "get well card" and a "good luck" card later and my work today is done.  Just the tea to prepare, kids to feed, Ruby to change and bath, clothes to iron and put away etc...

• • All in a good cause
  • 12/03/2009
  • • All in a good cause
    • 12/03/2009

    • Ruby is now up twice a night feeding so I'm back to be a zombie. I can't actually remember what day it is. My older kids are gearing up for red nose day. I went to get my porridge this morning, only to find that the oats had been used for flap jacks to sell for red nose day. I'm sure I can forgo porridge one morning for the sake of small, hungry children.
      
      I was contacted by a lawyer I know yesterday who wanted to know what the chances of finding a job in corporate law were at the moment. Pretty much zero, I explained. What are all these professional people going to do with themselves and their experience. I know the Law Society of Scotland has suggested that they take on pro bono work for charities. I think this is an excellent idea as it will help the charities and keep their skills up to date. You never know, some of them might have an epiphany and decide to help those less fortunate than themselves.
      
      Lots of people are going into teaching. The holidays are great, but the pay isn't. Mind you, you are guaranteed a good pension at the end of it. I thought about it briefly and then decided I'm not very good at following rules so it would be pointless.
      
      No, I shall continue with the NLP and helping others find their entrepreneurial spirit!

       

• • My return
  • 12/03/2009
  • • My return
    • 12/03/2009

    • I've been working away on setting things up for my return from maternity leave in July. I've bought a new domain name www.rebeccadaviesnlp.com and have written the copy. It's aimed at a corporate market and compliments the work I already do with private individuals using NLP techniques. It'll be launched in a few weeks time.
      
      My brother and I are also putting our day-long workshop together called "I want to run my own business". He's written the copy for the advert (he's a superb copy-writer) and we're looking at Saturday 9^th May in Glasgow. The places will be limited to 20 initially, then we'll get feedback and see where we go from there.
      
      We both think that people out there now realise that there is no such thing as a secure job and that there are many people who have skills, talents or products that they'd like to sell and earn a living from, but aren't quite sure how to go about doing it.
      
      This is where Nick's very strong training skills and my organisational and NLP skills come in. Not only, can we help people get things off the ground, but we can also motivate them and help them plan so it happens when they want in a way they planned.
      
      Maybe I'll see you on the day? Looking forward to getting back to work...

• • The mother of invention
  • 05/03/2009
  • • The mother of invention
    • 05/03/2009

    • It's all change. After many years of working together, Jenny, my earstwhile director is moving onto pastures new. She's been commuting to Edinburgh from York for three years now and the time has come for her to stay in York all week.  Jenny married John last November and she spoke to me about finding a new job out the Cuthbert family a few months ago. She of course had my blessing and we've been seeking someone to buy her shares.
      
      That someone has come up and it looks as though we'll have a new Director by the end of March (all things being equal). Jenny, will of course keep in touch with her clients and candidates as we believe it's more important for them to have a continuous service, than to lose their goodwill. Cuthbert will keep its contact with the legal profession in Scotland via the Legal Awards which will be re-launched over the summer. And, no doubt, once the market picks up, we'll recruit once again for the wonderful Scottish legal profession, this time via a franchise.
      
      I have an apology to make to the lovely people at Honda who sent me the ice-scraper. I used it this week!  Well done them.
      
      So, we ride out this rotten old recession with very low costs, a steely determination to do the best we can and a willingness to work on other things whilst recruitment and franchising picks up.
      
      In conjunction with The Really Great Training Company, I'll personally be running workshops on How to Set Up Your Own Business. I'm also going to be advertising my coaching, mentoring and training using NLP techniques more widely and of course, getting the Legal Awards going again. Necessity, is afterall, the mother of invention...  

• • White Rabbits
  • 02/03/2009
  • • White Rabbits
    • 02/03/2009

    • It is March now and I completely forgot to say "white rabbits" on Sunday morning. Apparently, there is more snow due this evening, which gives us all something to look forward to here in Edinburgh. As if the closure of Princes Street for the long-awaited trams wasn't enough to create havoc on the roads, we'll be getting more snow!
      
      Today's blog doesn't feature much work I'm afraid as nothing has happened yet this week. It's only 11am on Monday morning and I'm getting my blog in quick as my mother arrives this afternoon for a three day visit. Hoovers will have to be used, polish will have to be applied and a general tidiness will descend upon the house.
      
      In my new role as a domestic goddess, I may even make soup. Although Sainsbury's have thwarted my plans somewhat as their website was down over the weekend and my weekly delivery won't arrive until Wednesday which leaves the household bereft of Crunch Nut Cornflakes and cartons of organic orange juice.
      
      I'm off to change my spring sweater for a woolly jumper and bring my winter coat back out from the wardrobe in preparation for the snow.
      
      For what it's worth, I think Sir Fred Goodwin should live off a pension of £250,000 per year and give his knighthood back. That way, he's got something to live off, but he's been seen to be told off and put in the naughty corner by the nation. 

• • How to be a seasoned pro
  • 27/02/2009
  • • How to be a seasoned pro
    • 27/02/2009

    • It's nearly March. My newest daughter is two months old and the crocuses are out in the Meadows in Edinburgh. Spring has sprung and I don't have to scrape the frost off my car.
      
      How's this for getting your marketing all wrong: I own a car of a certain brand and the nice people at the car company sent me a special present in the post as a nice surprise. I received it this week - an ice scraper!  It only arrived about three months too late. So, rather than feeling delighted with my surprise gift, I was slightly miffed. If you're going to do fancy marketing, make sure you get it right.
      
      When we place someone in a job, we send them a little box of goodies which include one of our mugs, a Cuthbert pen and a mini Kit Kat. We like to think that this makes their first day in their new job a bit more pleasant. It's one of the little touches that we like to think sets us apart from the competition.
      
      I'm off now to update our website.

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