The Divine Miss N

Happy 2010!

From a nice and chilly winter-y London (though no snow, sadly) I wish you a very happy, loving and health 2010!

Delight and money: the story of a panda USB stick

... also known as the USB stick I paid a premium for. Why did I pay a premium for something that is a prime example of a commodity? You can pick up USB sticks on every street corner. There is only one thing that you think about when you buy one: what's the storage capacity and how much does it cost. Or I should say 'how little does it cost?' since you want the most storage for the lowest price.

So why did I pay a premium for this panda USB stick? Because it delighted me. It made me feel like something that is by definition a commodity doesn't have to be dull. That I have a choice to bring a smile to my face with something as humdrum as a USB stick. I felt I was choosing a utility based on something other than most storage for the lowest price, instead I was making it on how much delight and joy this would add to my life. There is beauty and joy everywhere, if you choose to see it and seek it out. Even in USB sticks. Let this be a lesson for all commodities. Seek delight, surprise and beauty. Find it and you will find people willing to pay a premium for it.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Do you matter?

Saw the above in a Borders whilst on holiday in TX, couldn't resist buying it. Will let you know what I think of the book when I've read it. And more on the holiday later on as well.