The Divine Miss N

Underground books

Spotted in the Madrid subway system: a small outpost of the library. Complete with customers taking out and returning books. We should definitely get this in London too!

Consider myself snogged

I blogged about this a while ago: SNOG, the frozen yogurt people, were refurbishing a shop on Brewer Street, in Soho. Yesterday I popped in and had my very first SNOG. And it is good! I had the smallest size (which is quite big already) of natural yogurt with apple crumble and it was scrumptious (at first I thought it a bit expensive, but then you do get a lot of yogurt). Definitely will go back for more. Hey, I'm a girl, I can't help myself :-)

And of course, working in branding and design, I couldn't help but notice (and admire) the branding and design. The shop is very nicely done by Cinimod Design, who've written about it, and more info here and on the SNOG blog. The identity was done by ico design.

Springcleanin' part two: my company manifesto

As I was springcleaning stuff earlier today (taking full advantage of being unemployed, not for much longer) I found a page with notes I took last year summer as I was thinking about what I'd do if I started up/owned a company. The heading says 'back of the envelope manifesto', and it's a random list of thoughts that lay down the ethos of the company:

• we create.
• it's about two things: the story and the people.
• the aim of the story is about delight and surprise.
• the people tell the story.
• fail. often.
• everyone's an adult, and behaves that way.
• for every project, we assemble the best crew, not the most convenient crew.
• collaboration = everything
• do good. not a little less bad.
• life is short. have fun.
• tight and loose. left and right. black and white. we don't do 'or'. we do and and. but we don't do half-assed compromises.
• integrity and respect rule. no seriously, they rule.
• why is the best question in the world. never go a day without asking it. 

Reading it again today, I think that pretty much sums up what I think good companies behave like.

Springcleanin'

So for a while there this was my mood . Various personal circumstances and getting laid off whilst on my penultimate day of my probation period in the new job meant that I wasn't the happiest of campers. Something to do with feeling like I lost control there for a bit. And yes, I am a bit of a control freak. There. Now it's out there. But I am also blessed with great friends and lovely family, who've been patient and kind. And then, relatively out of the blue, another job surfaced (and my personal circumstances worked out better than I could've hoped). I'll start in 10 days time, and I'm very excited, since it ticks a lot of my boxes, but most of all it'll be working in digital. Hell yeah! So there you go. Happy weekend. Don't forget to smile.

It's not about ideas

With January come and gone, it's time for me to check in and see how I'm doing on my theme for this year: learning.

Learning to do. Doing. Making. Not just thinking. It feels like I've been doing too little thinking and definitely too little doing. Doing frightens the life out of me. And I suspect that goes for most people. Ideas are wonderful, I love them, I have lots of them, I get quite a kick out of them. But they're not real. Not until I make them real. And sometimes I do, but most of the time I don't. So I've been thinking why not. Why don't the vast majority of my ideas see the daylight outside the narrow confines of my head? Why do they float around, get written down occasionally, discussed and debated with friends, but rarely materalise?

I think there's a couple of explanations. Firstly, I'm scared. Scared of doing. Scared that it won't ever be as good in real life as it will inside my head. Scared that if an idea becomes real, people will make fun of it, or won't like it, or worse even, that I won't like it. As long as an idea is just a few atoms floating around in my brain, it doesn't really matter.

Secondly, doing and making is hard. We don't get taught to do an make in schools much beyond kindergarten stage. At least I wasn't. My education has been very verbal and written, but hardly visual and creative in the sense of creating physical objects. I think what I'm trying to say is that I don't know how to make anymore. I live in my head. Like most of us professionals do, making is what others do after I've done the thinking. Also, education doesn't stimulate failing, it stimulates success. No one gives you high marks for trying something and failing; part of making and doing is failing however. You can't do or make without occasionally failing. So I'm going through some remedial training at the moment to think more visually and to stimulate myself to fail. Better to have tried and failed, than not to have tried at all.

One of the reasons I love my MADS course is that it forces me to do. We get encouraged to think, and research, and to use a physical artefact in that research. I hadn't thought about this much in my first year, but now that I'm working on my final project, it's becoming something I think about more and more. How very clever and well thought out that we should use something physical to engage people in a conversation about our ideas. A physical thing makes conversation that much easier.

I was reminded of doing and making (the two for me are intimately linked) by listening to a video clip of Bruce Nussbaum interviewing Tim Brown of IDEO today, where Tim emphasizes the importance of getting thoughts in the physical realm. Make it real.

Some learning-to-do inspiration
99% conference: It's not about ideas. It's about making ideas happen. (and talking about making things happen :-)

'Things our friends have written on the Internet': Really Interesting Group and Ben's write up (happy to report I've got one of the 1,000 copies!)

Papercamp and a great write-up here.

I saw that Tim Whirledge also wrote on making ideas happen, seen from an agency perspective.

This post is dedicated to my partner in learning-to-do crime: Farhan

About this vision thing again

Dear Dean Likierman,
It's another January, and another set of MBA rankings. I wrote about this to your predecessor too (see here) on the occasion of last year's rankings come out. Congratulations! We rock. We're co-number 1, that's quite the feat. And I'm very happy as I think everyone in the LBS community is.

But, and I hate to bring this up again, what are we going to do about our vision? We're there. We're the world's pre-eminent global business school. Can't go higher than this. So what's next? Like I said last year, I think we should think a bit bigger than being number 1. What are we going to do with being number 1? This year, this question is even more important than last year. There's some things, partially caused by MBAs (not just from LBS mind you, but we can't wash our hands from this completely) that need fixing. And whilst we're at it, it would be good if we can make the world a fairer and better and healthier place to live. So how about we aim for something like that? Let's aspire to be bigger than ourselves, to do things greater and better than just be number 1.

I'm glad you're our dean. You shook my hand at graduation and made me feel like I was the one and only person that day that was graduating, which was an amazing feeling. Let me know how I can help,
warmest regards,
Natasja
London Business School MBA2007

All aboard

So there we go. Like billions (billion is the new million, isn't it?) of others, I watched president Obama's inauguration today. I suspect this might be one of those moments in history that I'll tell my grandchildren about. And yes, one of those moments that calls for a blogpost. I'm excited. I have high hopes for Obama and his administration, but even higher hopes for America as a nation. For someone to inspire a nation in this way, and hopefully inspire the change that the US and the world need a bit of, that's amazing. Go Obama. Go US. Go world. Let's go out and make this world a better place.

So about this learning thing

Most people I tell about doing a part-time MA are surprised and slightly bewildered. Why on earth would I want another degree? And why design school of all places? And why such a vague and weird degree? And am I addicted to learning / degrees / university (probably is the answer to that I reckon)? All these questions in turn bewilder me slightly. Partially because since it's my life, I consider this to be normal so it's weird when I'm considered a bit odd (although you'd think that by now I'd be used to it), and partially because don't you read everywhere that you need to keep on learning all throughout your career and life, no more of this career-or-job-for-life hoopla. So that's what I'm doing. Learning for life. And about life. From life. Something like that. And I like my learning when it comes served up with a formal schedule and classmates. So there you go. I am Natasja, and I'm a learn-a-holic.

[written on the occasion of my first class of the second, and final, year of my MA at Central St Martin's]

I fancy a snog

No really. A snog*. One of the things I'm learning about this year is Soho. My new company (I should really stop calling them new, I've been here for almost two months now) is based in Soho, right behind Piccadilly Circus, which means all of central London is right on my doorstep. And I love exploring Soho in more depth, it's such a treasure-trove of shops and alleys and more shops. And restaurants. So far I'm loving Papaya on St Anne's Court for Thai food for lunch, and Taro on Brewer Street, being able to pop down to Liberty, and I haven't had lunch from Fernandez and Wells yet, but I will soon.

And then today I saw this:

Opening March 2009 apparently, I can't wait!

* for those not British, a snog is slang for a kiss.

And the motto is

Sometimes I feel like I'm sounding like a broken record. And this record is titled 'Resolutions'. So I don't do resolutions at New Year's. I sometimes do at my birthday. But what I do do, or at least started last year and have done this year, is set a theme for the calendar year ahead. A theme, a motto, something that is a one-word guiding principle for the rest of the year. I don't think about that word/idea the whole time, but it pops up every now and again. And for this year, the motto is 'learn'.

Every day in 2009 will be about learning for me. Learning at Central St Martin's doing my final project for my MA, learning at my new job, from my new colleagues and new boss, from friends and family, listening to podcasts and watching videos (how I love the BBC iPlayer!), going to lectures and exhibitions, traveling. Every single day I am making a conscious effort this year to learn. Excited and scared, since learning comes with potential, maybe even imperative, for failure. And I'm not very good at failure. So there you go, another thing to learn: how to be better at failure.

[edit a few days later: friends rock. Especially friends like mr F, who's written a great post on mottos and themes here.]

I've found it

I've spent all my life looking for this. Everywhere I go, I try and see them out. Bookstores. They are temples for my soul, soothing and exciting at the same time. I love being surrounded by books and browse and yes, occasionally buy some books (for which sadly I don't and won't have enough time ever to read all of them). So when we were in Bath a couple of days ago, I was over the moon when we stumbled upon this: Mr B's Emporium of Reading Delights. And it is exactly what it says on the tin: a delight. In fact, and this is quite the statement and I realise that, it is THE best bookshop I've ever been to. And I've been to quite a few in my life already.

What makes it so great? Well, the name to start off with. The building, which is a lovely converted Georgian building, lovingly decorated. The character that oozes through in every single thing they do: the selection of books, the way they recommend books, the bathtub with books on the ground floor, the Tin-Tin wallpaper in the staircase, bibliotherapy room inviting you to sit and read to your heart's delight, the free coffee and tea, the delightful and friendly staff. It is in everything the perfect bookshop. This is book-heaven. If I think of the perfect bookshop, this would be so close to it, it's almost perfection. The one big downside: it's far away, in Bath. Although on second thought, maybe that's a good thing. I'd spend all my time and money at mr B's otherwise!

What a year it's been

Most people who read this blog know that I don't normally make New Year's resolutions at New Year's, I make mine on my birthday, which is my way to reflect on the year that's been, and the year that is to come (see here for the most recent installment). However, even though that was only 3 months or so ago, much has happened since which means with a few days to New Year's my thoughts are turning towards looking back, and forwards into 2009.

Since my birthday in September I've traveled to Texas which was a great experience (especially since it meant hanging out with my good friends mr and mrs M), driving around in a convertible, visiting museums, bookshops and more bookshops, and eating wonderful food.

After that I changed jobs in the middle of November, which I mentioned on here a little while ago. Mum asked me over Christmas what is it that I do, and the best answer I have is 'think, read, write and talk about that, with a focus on brands'. Officially I'm a brand strategist or brand consultant, at least that's what the new business card says. So far, so good. I love the job, and the company and am excited every day I go into work. And as far as I'm concerned, jobs don't get better than that: being excited going into work every day.

Another first for me this year: I traveled to India! A good friend from b-school got married and I was lucky enough to be able to attend. And it was amazing. Absolutely wonderful. No adjectives I can use can really describe it, even though I'm scrambling to find the right ones. The hospitality of the groom's family, the warmth with which they adopted me into their family for the week was enough to make me cry on the way back to LON, and the wedding was something straight out of 1,001 nights. And I wore a sari for the first time, which was so comfortable that I'm now looking for excuses to wear it more often.

And lastly, but definitely not the least important, there's been some changes in my personal life which mean I walk around with an almost perma-smile on my face. Sorry to be so cryptic about this one, but I'm sticking with my self-imposed rule of not involving others in much detail unless they specifically ask/beg/pay.

Looking back, 2008 has been quite the year. The first full calendar year of being in the working world again after two years of b-school. The first time that I've been able to travel a bit again. The first job-change post b-school. The first ever time I even considered calling myself a designer. New friends, new experiences, new loves and addictions. But also a year of constants: friends and family, the city I love and live in.

I have no idea what 2009 will bring. No doubt it'll be an interesting year on a macro-political-economical level, which I'm looking forward to. Lots of change. I hope for the better, because this world could do with a bit of positive change. And for me? Who knows. I couldn't have predicted a year ago what would happen in 2008 and it's turned out to be an amazing year. So here's to 2009. May all your hopes and dreams come true.

Wishing you all

Professional goals, or why I don't have them

" I've never been someone who sets professional goals or ambitions for myself for the future. I think it'd be a dull waste of my lifetime to end up somewhere I expected to. " (Jim Prior from The Partners in Campaign, 31st Oct 2008)

Yesterday was my last day at my old job, next Monday I'll be starting to get used to a new commute into a new place, with new people to call boss. Still in branding and design, different focus this time, more thinking based, less running around like a headless chicken. Well, that's the aim anyway.

Grateful to my old company for taking a chance with me. They (nor I) really didn't know what they were getting themselves into, taking on someone who'd never worked in design and branding before. Steep and sometimes seemingly unsurmountable learning curve, both exhilerating and scary. Now it's time to move on, take the next step and throw out some cliches about that.
So let's see what happens on Monday. I'm excited and nervous and excited and scared but mostly excited. New job, new people, new tea-mugs. And to top it all off: new phone. The old boss decided to make my leaving day and give me an iPhone as a leaving gift, making this gadget-geekette very happy. Life is good indeed.

This sucks

Posts like this suck. The 'I haven't written in a while, please forgive me, I'll do better' kind. And I have been guilty in the past of indulging in these posts. Heck, I'm even doing it now. It's interesting, right? I feel there's some kind of relationship between me, your faithful writer, and you, my sometimes transactional sometimes faithful audience. And I feel I let you down in not writing. There's expectations and I feel I'm not doing very well. Allow me, to explain why it's been a tad quiet. As per my usual pattern, life has taken over somewhat again, leaving little or no room for things such as reading and writing the blog. After coming back from hols straight into a busy project which is keeping me plenty occupied, my MADS degree starting again, and with people to see and places to go, I'm yet again struggling to keep myself afloat. I haven't got this whole balance thing down yet and I sometimes wonder how other people manage. And then two major changes happened in the last month or so, both of which I want to keep under wraps for now, but which I suspect will both have a big impact on my professional and personal life. Exciting stuff, it's all good and manic. So I just wanted to tell you. I'm still here. And I'll yet again try and make a bit more effort to write if you want to read it. Thanks.

[edited to add: so yes, there are plants that blog more than I do. How embarrassing is that?]