tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87709687416522174462024-03-18T19:45:39.606-07:00Daney BlogsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13977484410812562060noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770968741652217446.post-40548888910086178762016-09-05T10:33:00.002-07:002016-09-05T10:33:46.297-07:00Why can't I be happy being happy? <br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Well… hello,
hello Mr #Daneyblogs… It has been a while hasn’t it? I’m writing tonight to
give a wee nod to the fact that my blog has reached 1-year old AND not only
that… it’s had over 3,200 views! How very cool! I’m so touched!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">What a year it has been…</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I’m typing
tonight filled with a mixture of emotions. I feel proud of how far I’ve come in
1 year. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Due to my
pluckiness to create THAT PR campaign… I’m now in a job where I’m valued. My creative
‘Dane-ness’ is encouraged and nurtured in a new and professional way. I get to
wear a suit and look very dapper, and meet all kinds of really interesting and
sound people. I even get to have fun playing a ukulele...</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">But there’s a catch… </span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">When I did all
my creative initiatives last year, I thought that getting my job would solve all
my battles with self-confidence. Pushing myself out my comfort zone. Professionalising
myself and seeing things I’m working on coming to life... </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Whilst that has
happened professionally, personally, despite things going really well for the
first time in… forever, I’m constantly picking battles and fights with myself,
and it’s wearing me down if truth be told. Isn't this supposed to be my happy ending? </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><b>Why can't I be happy being happy?</b></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I’ve made the
odd flyaway comment about feeling down, but I’ve noticed it creep in more and
more of late, and I’m using my writing as way of addressing and moving forward.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Weighing in…</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I’ve noticed
more and more that my weight is creeping back up. I’m trying to get more
active, and eat better, but it seems the more I think about it, the more I want
to eat. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I’ve realised
more and more that whilst I’ve got the world and more in my life, I still have
this emptiness where I turn to food to fill it. </span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Why though?</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I’ve got the
job I love. I’m in the flat I really like and am settled. I’ve got THE best
friends anyone could have - who I truly am lucky to have. I’ve got an amazing family (Ma mum's still a wee LEGEND!). But, I still just have
this icky, sticky, heart sinking feeling of sadness. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Is this just being human?</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Humans do get
their heart broken when their close wee aunty Jean passes away, humans do feel empty and
disillusioned when the guy they thought was decent, turns out not to be. Humans do need to blog to get it all up what's going on in their head.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">This blog has
turned into a bit of a journey in its own right. But, I'm determined to climb aboard the positive train again and </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">get the smile
back behind my eyes. I’ve got too many reasons to smile to be shadowed by
a frown.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Yours, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Dane – remembering
he’s human, even in 2016 xx</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13977484410812562060noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770968741652217446.post-8820669777521844832016-03-28T08:03:00.000-07:002016-03-28T08:03:02.670-07:00Brewed & Baked: Brewing up ideas for the local Musselburgh community
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<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Brewed & Baked: Brewing up ideas for
the local Musselburgh community </span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Hello and
welcome to a very special Brewed & Baked blog edition. It’s been a while
since I’ve written I know, but I just had to share with you all the great
lunchtime experience I had at Musselburgh’s newest café in town, Brewed &
Baked today.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I had the pleasure
of visiting Brewed and Baked with CHANGES volunteer coordinator, Beth today for
a hot chocolate and catch up about my part-time, voluntary PR and Social media
work with CHANGES which I do out-with my full time work with bid specialist
organisation, AM Bid Services. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I was keen to
hear more about all the exciting fundraising activities Brewed and Baked are
doing to for CHANGES Community Health Project in the form of their exciting ‘Charity
of the week’. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">‘Charity of the
week’ is a week filled with daily initiatives to raise money for CHANGES. From naming
the bunnies, to an acoustic music night taking place this Friday 1<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup>
April. This week really has something fun for everyone. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">So, when Beth
and I got to sit down with Cheri Lynd (who co-owns Brewed and Baked with husband
Andy Lynd) we decided to do a Q&A to find out more about this exciting new café
and why you should shop local.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Brewed & Baked Quick Facts: </span></b></div>
<br />
<ul style="direction: ltr; list-style-type: disc;">
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Opened
in Musselburgh 4 months ago</span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Opened
as a one off, with the intention and hope of franchising later</span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Owners
are Cheri & Andy Lynd</span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Active
in the local Musselburgh community</span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Open
8am-6pm Monday- Saturday & 9am-5pm Sunday</span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Situated
on </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">83 High Street Musselburgh</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
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<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Q&A with Brewed & Baked Manager,
Cheri</span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">D&B: What does the Musselburgh
Community mean to you?</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">C:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"> It is the reason we’re here. Every person who walks
through the door is valued. We’re grateful and delighted they’ve chosen to
visit us. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">We pride
ourselves on creating a warm relaxed, inviting café that our local community
can come time and time again. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We want
our customers to come in, forget about their worries, enjoy our wide range of
custom made drinks (we create them how YOU like them) and a delicious snacks
selection. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">We go beyond
just selling food to the Musselburgh community, we’re actively involved in
community causes. We’re currently supporting CHANGES Community Health Project
by dedicating a ‘Charity of the week’ to raising funds for them.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">We also support
‘Reading is braw’ which is fantastic initiative designed to encourage and
inspire children to read more. </span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">As someone with
an art background, we support the local arts and are looking to expand on this
further as Brewed and Baked grows. Whether this is supporting local school
clubs or commissioning local talent to put pieces in our premises. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">D&B: What are you most proud off?</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">C:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"> Continually being able to serve the Musselburgh community.
To see the hard work, we’ve put into giving great service transpiring into
people coming back again. I was so touched when a woman (who I sat down with as
she seemed like she just need to talk) said to me “you’ve really cheered me up,
I feel so much better after chatting with you”.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">D&B: What does the future hold for
Brewed & Baked?</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">C:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"> Continuing to build on what we’ve got. Getting involved in
more community causes. Developing our presence even further on social media,
and most importantly, hearing more of our customer’s stories. Everyone has a
story and we can’t wait to hear more of them.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><b>Closing Note</b></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">When I walked
into Brewed & Baked, I was instantly blown away with the attention to detail.
From drinks being crafted exactly how you ask them for, the reading section for
kids, the great upbeat choice of music, that feeling that you could sit and
enjoy, as opposed to being rushed out. I think it’s fantastic what Cheri and
the time are doing. I’ll be paying them a visit for a hot chocolate again very
soon. If you haven’t already tried Brewed and Baked. You really must go! Support
local!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b>For more information on Brewed & Baked :</b></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Premises: 83 High Street Musselburgh</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Facebook: Brewed & baked</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Website:<span style="color: black;"> <a href="http://brewedandbaked.co.uk/"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://brewedandbaked.co.uk/</span></a></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b>For more information on CHANGES:</b></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Facebook: CHANGES Community Health Project</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Twitter: @changes_muss</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
Website: http://changeschp.com/</div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13977484410812562060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770968741652217446.post-10061229841133000982016-02-02T05:37:00.001-08:002016-02-02T05:37:23.067-08:00From Burns to the Blog | A special CHANGES Volunteers Get Together<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><strong>From Burns to the Blog | A special CHANGES Volunteers Get Together</strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Hello and welcome
to the very special CHANGES Musselburgh edition of the #Daneyblogs. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This blog
will be a fun review of the fantastic volunteer’s event held on Friday 29<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>.
It will tell you more about who CHANGES are, what my role is with them, why
they have a special place in my heart and of course…. how I introduced social
media to them through a comical <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>game of ‘Burns
& Blogs’ bingo…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">First of all….who are CHANGES?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">CHANGES
Community Health Project are a Health & Well-Being focussed charity based
in Musselburgh > </span><a href="http://changeschp.com/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: blue;">http://changeschp.com/</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">. They are celebrating their 20 year
anniversary this year and just keep getting bigger and better!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check out the following #CHANGESFacts:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">CHANGES
open their doors to over 70 dedicated volunteers year in year out (psst! they
do have room for more if you want to volunteer with a brilliant charity >
email </span><a href="mailto:info@changeschp.co.uk"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: blue;">info@changeschp.co.uk</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> )<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">CHANGES
have 7 well-respected board members who have been with the organisation for a
number of years<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">CHANGES
run <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>an exciting range of courses/
programmes from well-being walks to singing for fun- check out the list here
> </span><a href="https://changeschp.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/jan-mar-programme-sheet-20161.pdf"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: blue;">https://changeschp.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/jan-mar-programme-sheet-20161.pdf</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So Dane… what is it you do with
CHANGES?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">CHANGES Community
Health Project holds a very special place in my heart both personally and professionally.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Personally</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">, they’ve really been there for me
when I’ve been down and struggling to cope with life’s pressures. I attended
their fantastic First Steps Towards Positive Mental Health & Wellbeing
course, and found it to be positively life-changing. I was in attendance with
warm, friendly, caring people and could talk openly about what mattered with a
comforting chocolate biscuit (who doesn’t love a chocolate biscuit!). I found that
having such a positive place to go to when things were on a downward spiral at
the time, was just a real help to me.. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Professionally</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">, they’ve opened their minds, hearts and
door to me and allowed me to use my PR and Social Media skills with them to
both develop myself whilst on the job hunt as well as take charge developing
their social media presence (as their Social Media Guidance Officer). Speaking of
social media … Check out CHANGES out on Twitter > @changes_muss and keep
your eyes peeled for the fully launched Facebook page CHANGES Community Health
Project coming VERY soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So tell us more about the Volunteers
night….<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As a thank
you to us volunteers for all our hard work with CHANGES, the staff decided to
organise a fabulous Scottish themed Volunteers Get Together at the lovely wee
Inveresk Bowling Club filled with fun, food and certificates of thanks to each of us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We had the
wonderfully talented piper David Spiers who kicked off and closed the great
evening: Check out his website here for more details: <a href="http://davidspiers.com/davidspiers.html"><span style="color: blue;">http://davidspiers.com/davidspiers.html</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There was
fantastic, traditional Scottish music provided by the East Lothian Fiddles who
had us dancing all night: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There was
even delicious food provided by PIMM’s Outdoor Bar Services (from traditional
Haggis to stunning tasting Curry… we were spoiled for choice) | Check out their
website here: <a href="http://www.outdoorbarservices.co.uk/"><span style="color: blue;">www.outdoorbarservices.co.uk</span></a>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We had a Scottish
quiz (which my team the ‘Bingo Callers’ lost….but never mind…you can’t win them
all ;)) and there was even a game of ‘Burns & Blogs’ social media bingo
hosted by yours truly (with my lovely assistant Beth Ekman, CHANGES Volunteer
Co-ordinator)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">BINGO…<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So…. I thought
it would be a really fun and engaging way to introduce social media with a game
of bingo and call it ‘Burns & Blogs’ (see what we did there!). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">To keep in
with the Scottish theme, we decided (Beth and I) to mix Scottish words in with
social media words, all with basic definitions on the back of the sheet so
everyone knew what was what.. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">…the sheets
were ready to go, the crowd were ready for the bingo (with their eyes on the
chocolate prizes)… and I was armed with my slips to read out and had my puns
and laughs at the ready…. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Only one
problem I didn’t anticipate…. everyone had the EXACT same sheet…. So as I read
out…. everyone shouted BINGO at the SAME time! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We all
giggled, we all made jokes and most importantly, we all had a great time during
it. I flashed my smile, kept my cool and just laughed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">One woman (a fellow
CHANGES volunteer) approached me and said “oh son, that was honestly the best
game eh bingo I’ve ever played” which was really touching.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">CHANGES have
played a great part in helping me laugh and see the funny side of life again. They’re
a fantastic organisation and I’m eternally grateful for everything they’ve done
for me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Dane<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13977484410812562060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770968741652217446.post-75546873769339040072016-01-12T13:55:00.000-08:002016-01-12T13:55:38.871-08:00Hello 2016…. Daney will see you now!
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Hello 2016…. Daney will see you now!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Hello and
welcome to the first #Daneyblog of 2016. I can’t believe it’s been over a month
since I last blogged. In one quick month we’ve all found ourselves out with the
old 2015, and in with the new 2016… which has come with rain (well… lots of it
actually!), Adele’s album STILL being at number one (I can’t say Hello anymore
without being ready to break into song!) and of course….. the fabulous brand
new series of Birds of Feather premiering (you knew I was going to mention
it!). Birds of a Feather for me is my go to every time when I need a good laugh, and it really has did that for me so far this series!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So what’s being going on with me and
why am I writing tonight?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Can’t we talk
real here? I walked into this year absolutely terrified if I’m honest. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unemployed and staring at a blank calendar, daunted by the thought of starting a business, being
alone with my laptop, going through the process of applying for jobs again and
searching out new opportunities all with an unhelpful mental backdrop of ‘you’re
not good enough, why are you even bothering’ accompanied by a nasty cold really
hasn’t been easy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It’s lonely
when you’re job searching. Despite being up against others in the same
situation (who are more than likely feeling the same as you), you feel like you’re
the only one in the planet having to deal with the no replies, the standardised
‘no thanks’ responses which all hurt more because I genuinely care for the jobs I
apply for. I’ve felt alone. However, I’m not alone, and I’m going to tell you
why I now feel ready to say ‘BRING ON 2016’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Changes happened…<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Despite
feeling in lower spirits, I went to my voluntary shift at Changes Musselburgh
last night (I’m their social media volunteer and have loved my time with them
doing work that I really enjoy!) and caught up with their lovely Volunteer Coordinator,
Beth. We chatted all things rainy, all things social media’y (yes, I’m just inventing
words now!), all things 2016’y and most excitingly, my role in helping them
with this year’s Burns themed volunteer event. She was blown away by my ideas
(which I will keep sealed until another blog… I know! I’m being cheeky). It just
felt good to be of use and for someone to be so encouraging of my creative
ideas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">And then there was my mentor meeting….
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Decisions were made…<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Today I saw
my fantastic mentor Chris, who I’ve been very lucky to have acquired through
Adopt an Intern. He brings a wealth of experience and ideas. He is so switched on
and really ‘gets’ what it’s like for a grad like me looking for a job.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">At our
meeting today, I was very open and honest. I decided that in order to move
forward, I need to focus on gaining employment, as opposed to self-employment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The harsh
reality of self-employment for me just now is, funding and money. I’ve had some
really good creative ideas spring to mind, but when I’ve investigated them
further… it comes back to ‘who will pay for this’? & when looking at the
time frames attached, it’s just too long... The harsh reality is, I have bills
to pay and I want to stand on my own two feet sooner rather than later. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I need a bit of security in an unsecure job
world, and self-employment for me at this time isn’t going to do it. In a
couple/few/ several months….? Who knows!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So we looked
at my overall strategy and I have got some real pointers and things to be
working on. Keep your eyes peeled for developments!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Let’s tie up a few loose ends from
2015…..<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
will be continuing to blog (I’m not going anywhere don’t worry!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">#IndustryChats
will carry on and I would love to hear from you if you’re interested! Drop me
an email >> <a href="mailto:daneybash88@gmail.com"><span style="color: blue;">daneybash88@gmail.com</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">#DaneyForADay
I will be looking at this initiative and making tweaks, I’m thinking a revamp in
order to support one of the charities I volunteer with. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">And that’s a wrap…. For now!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So this blog
is really a ‘here is where I’m at’ right now. I’m feeling exciting about more work
with Changes Musselburgh. I’m looking forward to more board meetings with
Support in Mind Scotland (I’m now a board member – woohoo!) and I’m just
embracing the uncertainty ,putting my seatbelt of ‘I can do this’ on for the
rollercoaster ride of finding a job. 2016 is my year. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13977484410812562060noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770968741652217446.post-46399707435824258182015-12-06T09:49:00.000-08:002015-12-06T09:49:14.786-08:00A kiss of life for ‘Daney’ <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXStLKbD91Q8UYa-qdpf19pgPWiJUhkW_Fgm0xo2Hd4AwOfb5ejx_unyQsY6zugN-3K1oe92BqX40dzlJCmEDDDRB4fjGC9kBgg7uqUzRY9VX_lf87F9SIe_OVnIVwKuApghZuvJShyrfN/s1600/IMG-20120421-00257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXStLKbD91Q8UYa-qdpf19pgPWiJUhkW_Fgm0xo2Hd4AwOfb5ejx_unyQsY6zugN-3K1oe92BqX40dzlJCmEDDDRB4fjGC9kBgg7uqUzRY9VX_lf87F9SIe_OVnIVwKuApghZuvJShyrfN/s320/IMG-20120421-00257.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A kiss of life for ‘Daney’ <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Hello and
happy Sunday #Daneyblogs readers/friends/supporters- hope you’re all wrapped up
warm today, and not being too affected by the Forth Road Bridge closure..<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Okay, so,
this blog is a real departure from my other blogs and like all the best things
which have happened recently, this blog has come about unexpectedly…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This blog has
all stemmed from a chance encounter I had today in the Edinburgh Princess Mall
Food court with a random, sweet guy who ended up kissing me on the cheek in
Sainsbury’s. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Now… let me expand on this…<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Last night, I
was treated to dinner by a friend who wanted to say congrats on all my Employ
Daney success so far..<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Being
featured in the East Lothian Courier for #ComeDaneWithMe:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifsAj1STxsA__ZXWmHjUxNBL-h5hDNn1ZLYSb8XhRPgquflv_hj-6mCTn2hGZPvQYwpMw5ADMiapP8IjeT4oV7oldLb_a60TVzMKl2QOnaroigu9rqKon8szOz0hDM_jn08NLbRB57XwqG/s1600/12074568_925985577466729_4843096694060376138_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifsAj1STxsA__ZXWmHjUxNBL-h5hDNn1ZLYSb8XhRPgquflv_hj-6mCTn2hGZPvQYwpMw5ADMiapP8IjeT4oV7oldLb_a60TVzMKl2QOnaroigu9rqKon8szOz0hDM_jn08NLbRB57XwqG/s320/12074568_925985577466729_4843096694060376138_n.jpg" width="176" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Being
featured in the Fairer Scotland Blog:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ZqWLDJ0WWFxJp04GWKNY7k8MeuHSKs8TaYAFQETqRY_oB5Mzqolfk5Ht1LSmpTyigTWoAVc3PNTB7-PtpT0Jx374r49kGFBU5e8qEX0PHV-g-NxbQ5HZBQbaDgAP1MQ0PT-bw9ixhS4s/s1600/untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ZqWLDJ0WWFxJp04GWKNY7k8MeuHSKs8TaYAFQETqRY_oB5Mzqolfk5Ht1LSmpTyigTWoAVc3PNTB7-PtpT0Jx374r49kGFBU5e8qEX0PHV-g-NxbQ5HZBQbaDgAP1MQ0PT-bw9ixhS4s/s320/untitled.png" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><a href="http://fairer.scot/2015/11/12/the-safety-net-or-the-spiders-web/">http://fairer.scot/2015/11/12/the-safety-net-or-the-spiders-web/</a></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Being called by the producers from Come Dine With Me:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Securing 5
job interviews directly on the back of Employ Daney:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> & many more:</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As it is the party
season, we had a couple of festive fizzes as part of our celebrations. As a
result, today, I just fancied some KFC comfort food...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So, off I went to KFC….<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There were no
seats available indoors at KFC so I just ate my food outside in the food court,
standing. This guy appeared from nowhere and with his broad accent said (I’m
paraphrasing here) ‘that lassie over there is stunning’ to which I replied
(trying to subtly say… I’m gay and don’t fancy girls) ‘yeah, she has a stunning
designer bag’… to which he clicked and apologised, saying “I didn’t offend you
did I” I said (chuckling away) “no, you’re fine, honest”. So first off, the fact
that he was really respectful of my sexuality, that was so cool.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I then
quietly nipped off to put my stuff in the bin, and toddled into Sainsbury’s for
some chocolate. So, here he appears again, really chuffed to see me like we’re
old friends, and said “Hey, we meet again”, and then shook my hand, hugged and
gave me a big kiss on the cheek, and then parted with (again, paraphrasing here)
“You smell really nice”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">He asked my
name, I said Dane, he thought I had said ‘Dave’, which I did correct, but don’t
know if he caught it. I asked his, and I’m sure he said “Theo” or “Leo”, I was genuinely
still taken aback (in a good way) by the whole encounter. It was just so
random, but so cool.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The reason
why it has so much significance is that it genuinely made me smile and really
lifted my spirits after a tough week emotionally and has motivated me to write another
blog again, and to do so from the heart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The ‘What If’s’ have been springing to
mind….<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’ve been
shying away from blogging just now as I’ve had a short spell of feeling lost professionally. Upon
my upcoming freelancing journey, I’ve been suffering what I can only describe
as stage fright. I’m only human and have been really worried about what lies
ahead. All the ‘What if’s’ – What if…. It doesn’t work? What if…..clients don’t
like my different, creative approach… etc. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as well as all the non-PR/Marketing things I’ve
to think about too which come part and parcel of going it alone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">And the Christmas season is here……<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’ve also been
feeling pretty overwhelmed with the upcoming festive season (like many of us). Although
I believe it’s all about our loved ones, and spending time with them is what
matters, not having as much income as I would normally to spend on people for
Christmas has got me down a bit. I like to be quite lavish, and I’ve always
worked near Christmas, so this year, with a much lower income, I’ve felt the
pinch and I really just want to give back as much and more of what all my loved
ones have gave me this year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Back to today….<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So, back to
today, despite stresses, I came away smiling from such a random act (of what I can only describe as
sweetness). The guy took a chance, to kiss a complete stranger/another guy in
public, it really mirrors what I’m doing with Employ Daney (even though I’m not
physically kissing anyone). I’m putting myself out there, and how someone is
going to react to a blog post, a social media post, I never know, just like
that guy today didn’t know how I would react today. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So with a new
week about to start, I’ll be working hard to get re-energized and face my fears
of freelancing and tackle them head on. After all, what have I got to lose? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Keep your
eyes peeled on here , </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Twitter @daneybash88</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">LinkedIn: Dane Thomson </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">.....for exciting developments as they happen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Fancy talking to me direct? Drop me a wee email: <a href="mailto:daneybash88@gmail.com">daneybash88</a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null">@gmail.com</a></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13977484410812562060noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770968741652217446.post-44217479674035031772015-11-23T15:59:00.001-08:002015-11-23T15:59:57.951-08:00#DaneyForADay… a new day for Employ Daney
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>#DaneyForADay… a new day for Employ Daney</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ZqWLDJ0WWFxJp04GWKNY7k8MeuHSKs8TaYAFQETqRY_oB5Mzqolfk5Ht1LSmpTyigTWoAVc3PNTB7-PtpT0Jx374r49kGFBU5e8qEX0PHV-g-NxbQ5HZBQbaDgAP1MQ0PT-bw9ixhS4s/s1600/untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ZqWLDJ0WWFxJp04GWKNY7k8MeuHSKs8TaYAFQETqRY_oB5Mzqolfk5Ht1LSmpTyigTWoAVc3PNTB7-PtpT0Jx374r49kGFBU5e8qEX0PHV-g-NxbQ5HZBQbaDgAP1MQ0PT-bw9ixhS4s/s320/untitled.png" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Hello….it’s
me…(okay, so I couldn’t resist the Adele reference!), I’d like to welcome you
to the brand new blog in the #Daneyblogs series. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What a
productive few weeks it has been and my upcoming weeks are showing no signs of
slowing down!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">First of all,
let me just say, I’m absolutely delighted with how well received my #IndustryChats
mini-blog series has been so far. I’d like to say thank you once again to my
fantastic guest bloggers, Stacey Dent, Dylan Macdonald and Linsay Moore for
sharing their graduate empowering tips. I’m genuinely in awe that people would
give up their time to be part of my blog. Thank you! In total these blogs have
been read by over 500+ people and counting! Amazing!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Secondly, I’ve
teased on Facebook and Twitter about the next phase in Employ Daney and I’d
like to use this blog to exclusively reveal more details about it… after all,
the blog was where this whole journey started. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So, I’ve been
having A LOT of chats with people in the industry recently. I’ve had in total 5
interviews on the back of the Employ Daney campaign starting in September. The
situation I’ve been in with interviews is that I’ve been shortlisted for the
position, but then narrowly losing out at the last gasp, or the interviewer has
left and they’ve scrapped our applications and re-advertised the post (yes,
that part is as soul destroying as it sounds!). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’ve been
wracking my brains as to why this is happening. I’m doing all the ‘right’ things
am I not? I research the company fully, I dress smartly, my CV and Linkedin are
up to date, I volunteer with a fantastic organisation called Changes,
Musselburgh. I’ve even been pro-active and created my own PR campaign to get
myself employed, showcasing my skills and passion for the industry, and got my
professional peers on board through #IndustryChats to cover relevant issues for
graduates, and to show how great my network is. Oh! And the Scottish Government
even asked me to blog for them and it’s been shared over 50 times online so
far!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’ve came to
the conclusion that I need to change the narrative on this campaign and I need
to change my approach to employment. ..The perfect job for me, is one I’ve
already created for me by myself…. by accident…. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">You’ve heard
the phrase ‘it’s a full time job looking for a job’ …well, I’ve taken this
literally… I’ve accidentally created my dream job- PR and Marketing
freelancing. With my first client being… well… me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As a
professional, my background is both PR and Marketing. However, honestly? I am
PR focussed at heart. I’m focussed on building relationships to make a difference.
That’s what I’m about. I’m genuine, down to earth and speak without the jargon.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What and where does #DaneyForADay come
in?<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">#DaneyForADay
is brand new initiative whereby I’ll be offering my PR/Marketing support FREE
for 1 DAY to a potential, longer term client (just like you reading!) as part of my new exploratory PR/Marketing freelancing
journey. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">With my FREE for
1 DAY approach, I will work with you on things such as: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 39pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Social
media training/guidance<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 39pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Marketing
strategy discussion/guidance<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 39pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Newsletter
content ideas/discussion<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 39pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Blog
writing topic generation<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 39pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Networking
guidance<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">****The above
list is an example, and will be discussed with the client on an individual
basis.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Why the FREE for 1 DAY approach?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It’s
a quick and easy way to decide whether you’d like to work with me on a longer
term basis, and see whether professionally we gel</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">&
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It’s fantastic PR for your organisation. You’re getting involved in a brand new
initiative (led by a graduate) which has never been done in Edinburgh before!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Why me?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">With
over 4 years in the PR industry and having completed projects under my belt
with fantastic organisations such as Support in Mind Scotland, Changes
Musselburgh and Queen Margaret University, I have a lot to offer and my
person-focussed approach allows you to develop a long lasting good impression
your clients will remember<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Through
working with me, you’re empowering a graduate, opening your mind to a new approach
to working in the industry and being even more forward thinking than your peers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So…<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Are you someone
who would like to work with #DaneyForADay? Whereby you receive my knowledge,
expertise and person-focussed approach to your business for FREE for the day? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Get
in touch with me, and let’s discuss it further. I look forward to hearing from
you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">#DaneyForADay<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13977484410812562060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770968741652217446.post-69467763454551902922015-11-17T03:43:00.000-08:002015-11-17T03:43:34.668-08:00#IndustryChats......Linsay Moore, Account Manager at Muckle Media<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#IndustryChats......Linsay Moore, Account Manager at Muckle Media</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello and welcome to this very exciting, 3rd edition of #IndustryChats. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#IndustryChats is an exciting new mini blog series where I'm giving PR/Marketing professionals in employment guest spots on this blog. Their guest spots will focus on offering their expertise and advice to unemployed PR/Marketing graduates at the moment, with the aim of empowering us through tips/lessons they've learned from the industry.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, as this blog is being led by my fantastic guest blogger with so much great advice to share, without further delay, I'd like to introduce you to the lovely, Linsay Moore, Account Manager at Muckle Media. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggj1I9U-q1PwrNdpstTg_SAPiKi5YMuULRDhqvDZHEEtDIjIrImDNW17OlX7STxJaMN2twos0LWSwHA3YI-vIhHOlzwtbw5rtKOzSbiS9KxKGh77J_Dy0gxftHUOrcVCfprpEtj247yBqi/s1600/192552f+linsay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggj1I9U-q1PwrNdpstTg_SAPiKi5YMuULRDhqvDZHEEtDIjIrImDNW17OlX7STxJaMN2twos0LWSwHA3YI-vIhHOlzwtbw5rtKOzSbiS9KxKGh77J_Dy0gxftHUOrcVCfprpEtj247yBqi/s320/192552f+linsay.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linsay Moore</span></u></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;"><div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Linsay joined
Muckle Media from The BIG Partnership in April this year, where she previously
worked on a range of consumer, charity and tourism clients for over two years,
delivering PR and event management.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Since joining
Muckle Media Linsay has taken the lead on a variety of accounts across the
corporate and consumer sectors, helping to build brand awareness, manage events
and raise the profile of clients with media and key stakeholders. Linsay also
works on several social media accounts, creating content and developing
client’s social media presence to help raise their profile. A graduate from
Queen Margaret University, Linsay has a BA Hons in Public Relations and Media.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<strong>Industry Chats l Linsay Moore, Account Manager, </strong><a href="http://www.mucklemedia.co.uk/home"><strong>Muckle Media</strong></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What's the first
thing you do in the morning to set yourself up for a busy day ahead at work?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As cliché as it sounds – normally I get myself a large
coffee to wake me up! Usually I read through the emails from the previous night
on my commute to work, which means by the time I get in to the office I’ve got
a better idea of what else is going on that day. I’m also a big lover of to-do
lists, hence being called ‘LOM – Linsay Organised Moore’ in my previous role!
So I always start out the day by writing out my to-do list and trying to figure
out how much of the massive list can be squeezed in to one working day…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How long have you
worked for your organisation and what do you enjoy most about working there?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve been with Muckle Media since April of this year,
starting out as a Senior Account Executive and being promoted to Account
Manager in only a couple of months. I love the fact that I have such a diverse
job, from putting together a two day food and drink tourism event in Oban
through to setting up interviews with BBC Business and launching the world’s
most expensive whisky. Previously I worked in consumer PR, so it’s nice to have
a bit of a mix now and broaden my strengths and experience through working with
clients across a number of sectors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How would you say the
PR/Marketing industry has changed from the first day you started your job where
you are now, up until now?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think it has changed quite a lot in the past three years.
Personally I’ve seen a lot of communications change since online platforms
really took off, there’s a lot more of a focus on developing relationships with
bloggers, the introduction of vloggers like Zoella, and also the shift in how
you position news to an outlet depending on whether your client wants to see it
in print or online. I also think it’s quite interesting how social media is
changing the way companies look at setting up campaigns, not only do they have
to think about how to launch their new campaign to consumers via traditional
platforms but they also need to consider how/if they’re going to seed it
through social media. With Instagram influencers and vloggers charging
thousands of pounds now to get involved in a campaign you can see that people
are changing how they get their message across to consumers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What advice would you
give you PR/Marketing graduates out there who are looking to secure a role like
yours?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In short? Don’t turn your nose up at internships. I’ve known
a few people throughout my University course and career who say they’d rather
keep looking for full time employment than take an internship. In my opinion
this is the wrong attitude to take. If you manage to secure an internship then
you’ll learn far more during the three to six months you’re with that company
than you would spending that time searching for jobs. Coming from someone who
was only a few weeks in to a work placement when they secured a full time role
with the company, it really is worth it! Organisations are giving you a chance
to prove yourself and show that you can walk the walk as well as talk the talk,
and at the end of the day whether you come away with a job or simply more
experience, it will set you up for a more successful career in the longer term.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What recommendations
would you make for the Employ Daney Campaign?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think you’re doing a lot of things right, you’re doing
something different and standing out from the crowd, you’re engaging with the
industry over various platforms and you’re not afraid to put yourself out
there. Honestly I think you just need to keep going and continue to attend the
various networking and PR events you have been going to and keep meeting new people and getting your name
out there.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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....and that's a wrap! Thank you Linsay for kindly taking time out of your very busy schedule to answer these questions. For further information on Muckle Media:</div>
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Check out their website: http://www.mucklemedia.co.uk/Home</div>
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Like them on Facebook: Muckle Media </div>
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Follow them on Twitter: @MuckleMedia</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><u>On a closing note....</u></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As a PR/Marketing graduate looking for work/opportunities reading this, is there any questions you'd have asked alongside these? If so, comment below or email me <a href="mailto:daneybash88@gmail.com"><span style="color: #992211;">daneybash88</span></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><span style="color: #992211;">@gmail.com</span></a> so that they're incorporated into the next edition of #IndustryChats</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As a PR/Marketing professional in employment, are you reading this and would like to get involved and offer your advice and empower unemployed PR/Marketing graduates? Email me <a href="mailto:daneybash88@gmail.com"><span style="color: #992211;">daneybash88</span></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><a href="mailto:daneybash88@gmail.com"></a><a href="mailto:daneybash88@gmail.com"><a href="mailto:daneybash88@gmail.com"><span style="color: #992211;">@gmail.com</span></a>. I'd love to hear from you.</a></a></span></div>
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</span></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13977484410812562060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770968741652217446.post-52598543493727652362015-11-10T10:40:00.000-08:002015-11-10T10:40:35.017-08:00#IndustryChats... with Dylan Macdonald, Founder of Innovate Scotland<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#IndustryChats... with Dylan Macdonald, Founder of Innovate Scotland</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello and welcome to this exclusive 2nd edition of #IndustryChats.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#IndustryChats is an exciting new mini blog series where I'm giving PR/Marketing professionals in employment guest spots on this blog. Their guest spots will focus on offering their expertise and advice to unemployed PR/Marketing graduates at the moment, with the aim of empowering us through tips/lessons they've learned from the industry.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This edition of #IndustryChats takes a different approach with the questions, which focus on if you're a PR/Marketing graduate thinking of starting up your own business. If you're a PR/Marketing graduate, I'd especially recommend you read this blog. It's crammed full of useful info!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, without further delay, I'm absolutely delighted to hand you over to the dynamic, digital powerhouse, Dylan Macdonald.</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Dylan Macdonald<o:p></o:p></u></span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dylan
Macdonald is the Founder of Scotland’s entrepreneurial hub, Innovate Scotland.
Alongside this, Dylan is currently the Marketing & Social Media
Representative for Europe’s biggest tech start-up, Clear Returns.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite only
achieving his HND in Marketing in the summer of 2015 and being a BA (Hons)
student at Glasgow Caledonian University, Dylan knows the entrepreneurial and
Marketing/PR communities as well as some of our most experienced business
minds.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A regular
business volunteer for Scottish based charities, Dylan also works closely with
the world’s largest entrepreneurial accelerator, Entrepreneurial Spark.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After
watching Dane’s campaign flourish so far, Dylan decided to offer his support
for the ‘Employ Daney’ campaign by taking part in #IndustryChats.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Websites – </span></span><a href="https://innovate.scot/"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">https://innovate.scot</span></span></a><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span></span><a href="http://www.clearreturns.com/"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">www.clearreturns.com</span></span></a><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Email – </span></span><a href="mailto:dylan@innovate.scot"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">dylan@innovate.scot</span></span></a><span style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter -
@Dylan_Mac95<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">LinkedIn - </span></span><a href="https://uk.linkedin.com/in/macdonalddylan"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">https://uk.linkedin.com/in/macdonalddylan</span></span></a><span style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><u>#IndustryChats Questions</u></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Can you tell us more about how
Innovate Scot came about? When was the light-bulb moment to create such an
exciting community?<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Innovate Scotland
had been an idea myself and a small group came up with around 6 months ago. We
knew it was a good one but needed all of the right tools in place to take
things forward in order to have a better chance of success along the way,
examples of this being having the right people and organisations on board in
the planning and early launch stages. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Luckily,
I’ve managed to surround myself with a talented group of experienced and up
& coming business minds, which of course include my Co-Founder, Colin Adam.
Despite only launching 3 months ago, we have managed to attract some of
Scotland’s most exciting organisations such as MadeBrave, This Is Milk and the
Entrepreneurial Spark chiclet businesses based all over the country in their
hatchery facilities. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>What’s the first thing you do in the
morning to set yourself up for a busy day ahead with Innovate Scotland and Clear
Returns?<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every
morning is different for me, which I love.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whether it’s
getting up to head to a lecture/seminar at University, heading into Clear
Returns HQ or an early morning Innovate Scotland meeting, making sure that
passion and drive gets you up from bed is the most important thing. Without that,
you may as well stay there.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Personally,
being prepared for any situation is an early morning habit of mine. Getting up,
sitting with a cup of tea and doing reading or research in advance of my day is
a strange (so I’m told…) passion of mine.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preparation
and passion make those dull Glasgow mornings much easier for myself. However,
living in such a diverse and exciting city also helps!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>In the ever changing digital
marketing landscape of today, what skills and knowledge do you think graduates
must possess in order to succeed in digital marketing job positions/ventures?<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Experience,
enthusiasm and a mentor.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One thing I
tell my fellow students or marketing professionals seeking employment, is that
giving up your time for free IS worth it. Going through my final year of my HND
last year, I accepted the voluntary digital marketing role at Scottish charity
Cure Crohn’s & Colitis (C3), this position enhanced my CV and gave me the
opportunity to not only learn from more experienced business volunteers but
make important contacts for the future. I still volunteer with C3 to this day
and it’s something I’d highly recommend as it emphasises your passion for the
industry and social aspects to potential employers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>What advice would you give to a
PR/Marketing graduate if they were thinking about starting up their own PR/
Marketing business instead of pursuing the traditional employment route?<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Plan. Plan.
Plan.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The success
of Scottish based digital/marketing and PR agencies is something to be
celebrated and I’m lucky enough to know and work with a lot of them around the
country. However, it can be a very saturated market at times and unless you
know that you have a distinct niche that is desired by a sizeable/profitable
target market, I’d be wary of jumping in too deep at first.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However,
gaining experience in some of these workplaces can set you up for
entrepreneurial success in the future. The new found experience, contacts and
knowledge will give you a much better chance of success!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>What recommendations would you make
to the Employ Daney campaign?<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Network on a
regular basis and stay relevant to your target audience (potential employers).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Employers
want to see (through your CV and even your social media channels) that you are
the best individual for the role and through syndicating the correct content
and writing catchy blog content, this should stand you out against the rest.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A small
social media tip? Utilise live chats on Twitter. Some are fantastic for
networking on social and LinkedIn, which could potentially lead to a meeting
regarding a job post or a recommendation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>What’s next in the pipeline for you,
Dylan?<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, it’s
safe to say in my short career so far, it’s the busiest I’ve ever been and to
say I’m loving it is an understatement. I couldn’t have asked for a better and
more exciting two years in the business and I can’t wait for many more to come.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For me? I’m
hoping to achieve my BA (Hons) Marketing in 2017. Alongside this, Clear Returns
continue to go from strength to strength and it’s been the perfect job for
myself over the last 6 months after having my own start-ups towards the end of
my teenage years. Our talented team continues to grow as does our impressive
client list. It’s a great place to be (Europe’s best tech start up!) so I
consider myself a very lucky guy and hope the good times keep on coming. Innovate Scotland is going from strength to strength. Where it will be in the next 6months to a year? Looks like everyone will just need to stick with us and find out!</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13977484410812562060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770968741652217446.post-74145697814654520742015-10-31T07:32:00.000-07:002015-10-31T07:32:12.326-07:00You cannot see? Open your eyes DWP!
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">You cannot
see? Open your eyes DWP!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Hello and welcome
to the Support in Mind Scotland, Members Event edition of #Daneyblogs. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDTt3VE-TVAiSf80f0JxwIQxgpCLuYN4Pez8eM-U34jiC6HQUwUGQXiwUnE6mlY0yB_c5cGqPu41m-5sdxio3i2FJkRrVcRbssu-3B6_u44XjvbWY6fyvskqjxXjA0w37l6WijmanSOCT/s1600/untitled+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDTt3VE-TVAiSf80f0JxwIQxgpCLuYN4Pez8eM-U34jiC6HQUwUGQXiwUnE6mlY0yB_c5cGqPu41m-5sdxio3i2FJkRrVcRbssu-3B6_u44XjvbWY6fyvskqjxXjA0w37l6WijmanSOCT/s320/untitled+2.png" width="180" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">For those of
you who don’t know, Support in Mind Scotland a national charity who seek to
support and empower all those affected by mental illness, including family members,
carers and supporters, and you can find more information about them here on
their brand new, relaunched website: <a href="https://www.supportinmindscotland.org.uk/"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.supportinmindscotland.org.uk/</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’m delighted
to say that Support in Mind Scotland is a charity who have been in my life for the
past 3 years now (Can’t believe 3 years have flown in so quick!). Yesterday’s
Members Event was an uplifting reminder of just how fantastic they are, how
connected they are with the people they help and how much they’ve done for me
personally.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Support in
Mind Scotland gave me my first professional internship back in the beginning of
2013 through the Queen Margaret University, Placement Speed Networking Event- which
coincidentally took place again this week!. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I went into
Support in Mind Scotland with my big heart and genuine intentions to help
people, and they gave me their time, expertise and assistance to brush up my
skills so I could thrive as a professional. I’m forever grateful to them for
giving me a chance and for still being a key cheerleader of my work today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So, whilst I could
write all day about how fantastic they are overall, I’m excited to tell you
about the key highlights from yesterday’s event (in other words, I’ll get to
the point!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz1z04z4p6ccmY9EEqh7kwEm5j5WJdqgai7320JoEfCaQZQ7KgMVo1si8zfSRRZBvPSsMSWfOZNxP4ZrBrUKvAH7xc4dzYNao39VNM9PQciBouC5T6w8uwdJ7if48wYZEm4cBqJ4_NQswV/s1600/untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz1z04z4p6ccmY9EEqh7kwEm5j5WJdqgai7320JoEfCaQZQ7KgMVo1si8zfSRRZBvPSsMSWfOZNxP4ZrBrUKvAH7xc4dzYNao39VNM9PQciBouC5T6w8uwdJ7if48wYZEm4cBqJ4_NQswV/s320/untitled.png" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Yesterday’s
Member’s Event was just heart-warming from start to finish! We were delighted
to see the official ‘all members in the room’ premiere of the fantastic film
called – You Cannot See: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZSDDrFaO-Y"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZSDDrFaO-Y</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">You Cannot See is an innovative film by the Life Skills
Project in Dumfries, focusing on the difficulties people with mental health
issues encounter when undergoing employment and benefits assessments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">From the chuckles of hearing “Deirdre up the Day Centre”
over and over, to tears in our eyes of seeing just what a negative impact the
Employment and Benefits assessments have had on people’s lives, this film is
powerful and I highly recommend all of you watch it! It gives a real, no holds
barred account of what life is really like for those who suffer with mental
illness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">I openly admit I have struggled in the past with mental
health issues, and being in that room yesterday with people who have faced
bigger struggles than I have had in the past was humbling and a great reminder
of just how lucky I am. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Watching the You Cannot See film just cemented my views
that mental health still isn’t being taken seriously by DWP professionals and
these ‘assessments’ are a disgrace and unfit for purpose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">With the film watched and my eyes dried from the couple
tears that escaped from my emotions, next up was Karen Armstrong from The
Scottish Government who spoke about Creating a Fairer Scotland. Now, Karen’s
address really touched my heart for a couple of reasons, but most notably her
genuine enthusiasm for helping people in need and for using all her resources
to make a difference. She began telling us about mentoring, and about her
mentor- straight away I envisaged this CEO type figure mentoring her through
the mechanical aspects of her job, but, no! Her mentor is someone who is long
term unemployed and has felt the bitter bite of the DWP’s degrading tactics,
such as benefit sanctioning. She told us that she learns so much from her
mentor, and I just think it speaks volumes and puts my faith back in the
Scottish Government that they’re listening to real people who have real
experience of this issue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">From discussing the Creating Fairer Scotland with Karen
and then beginning group chats, I was very touched when Frances Simpson, CEO of
Support in Mind made reference in her address to the Place of Safety project
she and I worked very hard on last year. When I heard her say “We have Dane
here who really led on this project…” I was bursting with pride and gratitude one
year on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The report for this project we worked on which focused on
gathering the experiences of those who had been mentally unwell and had been
placed in police custody is available here > <a href="https://www.supportinmindscotland.org.uk/a-safe-place-to-be"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.supportinmindscotland.org.uk/a-safe-place-to-be</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">To still be a
member of Support in Mind Scotland fills me with pride. To have worked on such
an important project and have my name on the publication one year on fills me
with pride. To now be in discussions with them about becoming a board member
fills me with hope, the hope I can make a difference and play a part in helping
other families who have suffered or have been affected by mental health issues
get the support they need, and to live life to their fullest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13977484410812562060noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770968741652217446.post-70428472584805087182015-10-28T04:53:00.000-07:002015-10-28T04:53:31.120-07:00#IndustryChats... with Stacey Dent, Account Assistant at Niche Works Marketing & Public Relations<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#IndustryChats... with Stacey Dent, Account Assistant at Niche Works Marketing & Public Relations</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSxcGtiDd7X0tf8uzMQgstzaYpTc57MXrpTuUDNaGpQ8GC1xPoXvlDXK08NxUB0anQ-mwVWkLyXNXMhyiPJH_Dgh04313B6hHHsr-LDywVyumXmhz8an_MxL_G_MkigPfJafo14zP9TFH/s1600/2779223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello and welcome to the #IndustryChats edition of #Daneyblogs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#IndustryChats is an exciting new mini blog series where I'm giving PR/Marketing professionals in employment guest spots on this blog. Their guest spots will focus on offering their expertise and advice to unemployed PR/Marketing graduates at the moment, with the aim of empowering us through tips/lessons they've learned from the industry.<span aria-label="hashtag" class="_58cl"></span></span><br />
<span class="_58cm"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="_58cm"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSxcGtiDd7X0tf8uzMQgstzaYpTc57MXrpTuUDNaGpQ8GC1xPoXvlDXK08NxUB0anQ-mwVWkLyXNXMhyiPJH_Dgh04313B6hHHsr-LDywVyumXmhz8an_MxL_G_MkigPfJafo14zP9TFH/s1600/2779223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, as this blog is being led by a guest blogger with so much crucial advice to share, without further delay, I'd like to introduce you to the fabulous Stacey Dent, Account Assistant at Niche Works Marketing & Public Relations.</span> <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="_58cm"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSxcGtiDd7X0tf8uzMQgstzaYpTc57MXrpTuUDNaGpQ8GC1xPoXvlDXK08NxUB0anQ-mwVWkLyXNXMhyiPJH_Dgh04313B6hHHsr-LDywVyumXmhz8an_MxL_G_MkigPfJafo14zP9TFH/s1600/2779223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSxcGtiDd7X0tf8uzMQgstzaYpTc57MXrpTuUDNaGpQ8GC1xPoXvlDXK08NxUB0anQ-mwVWkLyXNXMhyiPJH_Dgh04313B6hHHsr-LDywVyumXmhz8an_MxL_G_MkigPfJafo14zP9TFH/s1600/2779223.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stacey Dent</span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stacey is a PR and media graduate from Queen Margaret University. During her time as a student she undertook multiple internships which gave her experience in both agency and in-house PR, marketing and event management.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prior to this, Stacey studied at Cardonald College in Glasgow where she worked in a team of three organising The Write Stuff Awards, the largest student journalism awards in Scotland.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stacey enjoys implementing Niche Works clients’ social media activity and is always on the lookout for the latest tips on how to maximise the benefits of social media. She also writes much of Niche Works clients’ monthly newsletters, helps the team out with copywriting and research projects, and takes care of monitoring media coverage. Recently Stacey has been involved with press release writing and securing client coverage as well as supporting the events management process for client events. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Now Stacey let's begin #Industrychats</strong></span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As you can see from the above, Stacey is a key figure in the PR industry and I'm delighted she has very kindly gave her time out of her busy schedule to answer the following questions which are on every unemployed PR/ Marketing graduates lips...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What's the first thing you do in the morning to set yourself up for a busy day ahead at work?</span></strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;"><strong><u></u><u></u></strong></span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 14.5pt; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first thing I do when I get to work is check through my emails. Then, I catch-up with online news and look through the newspapers for any client coverage or interesting articles.</span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 14.5pt; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span> </div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 14.5pt; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; word-spacing: 0px;">
<b><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How long have you worked for your organisation and what do you enjoy most about working there?<u></u><u></u></span></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 14.5pt; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve worked at Niche Works since August 2014 and enjoy the variety of the job. We have a wide range of clients, from hotels and restaurants to medical education and psychology, and every day is different. One day I can be writing copy such as press releases and newsletters, and the next day taking pictures and live tweeting at a client fashion show.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 14.5pt; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; word-spacing: 0px;">
<b><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How would you say the PR/Marketing industry has changed from the first day you started your job where you are now, up until now?<u></u><u></u></span></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 14.5pt; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think the digital market is constantly growing with social media and blogs playing a big role in the way organisations reach their audiences.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 14.5pt; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; word-spacing: 0px;">
<b><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What advice would you give you PR/Marketing graduates out there who are looking to secure a role like yours?<u></u><u></u></span></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 14.5pt; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keep trying and don’t give up! Unpaid internships are a great way to build up experience and make contacts so I’d recommend doing as many as you can. Also, attend networking events as you never know who you might meet and what opportunities there may be.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 14.5pt; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;">
<b><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What recommendations would you make for the Employ Daney Campaign?<u></u><u></u></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keep putting yourself out there over Twitter and LinkedIn, and try to make sure you’re noticed by the right people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><u>and that's a wrap......</u></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Thank you Stacey for your excellent responses. For further information on Niche Works Marketing and Public relations:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Check out the website: <a href="http://www.nicheworks.co.uk/">http://www.nicheworks.co.uk/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Follow on Twitter: @NicheWorksPR</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Like on Facebook: Niche Works PR & Marketing</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><u>On a closing note....</u></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">As a PR/Marketing graduate looking for work reading this, is there any questions you'd have asked alongside these? If so, comment below or email me <a href="mailto:daneybash88@gmail.com">daneybash88</a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null">@gmail.com</a> so that they're incorporated into the next edition of #IndustryChats</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As a PR/Marketing professional in employment, are you reading this and would like to get involved and offer your advice and empower unemployed PR/Marketing graduates? Email me <a href="mailto:daneybash88@gmail.com">daneybash88</a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><a href="mailto:daneybash88@gmail.com"></a><a href="mailto:daneybash88@gmail.com"><a href="mailto:daneybash88@gmail.com">@gmail.com</a>. I'd love to hear from you.</a></a></span></div>
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</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13977484410812562060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770968741652217446.post-81187752412223703112015-10-16T02:56:00.000-07:002015-10-16T02:56:23.990-07:00Creative Writing with Changes… As told by Daney.
<strong>Creative Writing with Changes… As told by Daney.</strong><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE6Sn9QFH34bGxAveSoJHpdSWHhrLO-b9oKDkv4oHjy_xJheLOFipISwANih1dzyW5pMyGJ_upnWt0vY3lAE8Nkke84Gv1Fvi8efq_6SP9-YVA-WvQDvsFDc4NhGDqwfYZUS1UH3lAoqWn/s1600/20151015_143511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE6Sn9QFH34bGxAveSoJHpdSWHhrLO-b9oKDkv4oHjy_xJheLOFipISwANih1dzyW5pMyGJ_upnWt0vY3lAE8Nkke84Gv1Fvi8efq_6SP9-YVA-WvQDvsFDc4NhGDqwfYZUS1UH3lAoqWn/s320/20151015_143511.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Hello and
welcome to the Creative Writing edition of #Daneyblogs. I’m going to turn this
blank blog page into a creative space for sharing with you what I learned from
the inspiring, ideas-stirring, ‘I didn’t want it to end’ creative writing
course. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The Creative
Changes course was hosted by the lovely Joanna Tindall, an experienced English
teacher, on behalf of health & well-being focussed organisation, Changes
Musselburgh. It was an absolute gem and I’m so glad I attended.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So, just what did I get out of attending
Creative Changes?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Firstly and foremost, I faced one of my
biggest fears…. Seeing a blank piece of white paper…and a question attached..<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In the past
I’ve been prone to panic at the sight of blank paper, I’ve been left with that
knot in my stomach and watched the perfectionist side of me running wild with a
million thoughts at once on what I can creatively do for the task at hand, then
discounting all of the ideas, thinking ‘this isn’t good enough’ and then
leaving myself feeling deflated. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Thankfully,
as the years have gone on, I’ve got much better at taking control of this
perfectionist side in me and the course helped me realise that my approach of
not thinking, and just freestyling at first to get my thoughts flowing, really
works. I also took comfort in the fact that I’m not the only one intimidated by
a blank piece of paper, and that we, once we’re kinder to ourselves and get
going, we can create magic!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Secondly, there is no right or wrong
way to be creative in writing, however, you CAN get really creative with words<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A lot of us
get intimated, and put off creative writing as we think 1) ‘I don’t know what
to write’ and 2) ‘What I write won’t be good enough’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Firstly, you
(like me) need to sit down, stop thinking and write down all the thoughts that
come to mind, then from there, pull out the really good points and develop from
there. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Secondly, you
(like me) need to be kinder to yourself and tell yourself that you’ve done
great work before and you can do it again! I find now more than ever that every
piece I write, whether for myself or an organisation, I learn something each
time I do it. So, this course really taught me that I should just keep going
for it, keep writing and see what exciting things come out from it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So the course then had us look at
words themselves…<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Jo walked us
through the words which are ‘go-to’, safe, overused words such as;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Got/get<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Said<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Bad<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Good<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Nice<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">And then
encouraged us to pro-actively create a word bank, other words we could use to
replace these words, and make our pieces more imaginative and interesting. The
examples we conjured up collaboratively were excellent. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Thirdly, (and back to my 3 key points)
I was challenged to show, not tell. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Instead of factually reporting an
event, I had a go at showing my reader how the event unfolds instead of just
telling it…<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I had a go at doing this in the
following piece:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“It stares at me from
afar, its shiny, bright, ribbed wrapper. It feels cold, and firm and I stop
myself from ripping it open. I can no longer wait… the anticipation is too
much.. so I grab it and tear the packaging off… it smells so sugary and its
sweet scent lingers under my nose. I take a bite… it’s like an explosion of
sugary, sweet, sticky caramel and the roof of my mouth is covered. I feel no
guilt for putting two pieces of the delicious, caramel, old friend of mine
chocolate in my mouth at once. Caramel chocolate fills me with joy and puts a
smile firmly on my face.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I also created a haiku about a
snowman…. See below:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A snowman is there<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">With the buttons neatly
placed<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">His hat also is white<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Now, yes,
this haiku looks pretty basic, however, I was following the style of it which is
words with 5 beats on the first line, 7 on the second and 5 on the third and
last.. so it’s:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">|A |snow|man|is|there<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">|with|the|but|tons|neat|ly|placed<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">|his|hat|al|so|white<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Another great
part of the course, involved me being re-acquainted with key writing terms I
hadn’t come across in years! (well, since the English exams at school days)
such as simile, hyperbole etc. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We actively looked out for examples of them
being used through reading an excellent piece called ‘The Trick is keep
breathing’ written by the fabulous Janice Galloway. What I really enjoyed most
is discussing our interpretation of what the writer was getting at. It was
almost like a mini-book club. It was really enjoyable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So, I’m
bringing this blog to a close, and I’m going to end it on the 6 words I was
asked to summarise my day, today 15/10/15 (at the time of writing) …. COME DANE
WITH ME GOT PUBLISHED </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3cNIsC5cy2SDP8XVRoF2A0LXA1wHBFUU3WMobkRigG5Pjunrx-h42IXRtjq_dpfwon6B9BxouobEF_pn4lyYVEgFlF30OlraimKhfKpYO1voYDUcYQ9wIrRuyiqxyfRghIMbh7K0nrS6h/s1600/12074568_925985577466729_4843096694060376138_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3cNIsC5cy2SDP8XVRoF2A0LXA1wHBFUU3WMobkRigG5Pjunrx-h42IXRtjq_dpfwon6B9BxouobEF_pn4lyYVEgFlF30OlraimKhfKpYO1voYDUcYQ9wIrRuyiqxyfRghIMbh7K0nrS6h/s320/12074568_925985577466729_4843096694060376138_n.jpg" width="176" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’m so happy
to see that the East Lothian Courier published an article on my #ComeDaneWithMe
event and that they mentioned Changes Musselburgh too. I think Changes are a
fantastic organisation and I’m really looking forward to further volunteering
with them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Over and out
for now,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Daney <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13977484410812562060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770968741652217446.post-38708226705775251842015-10-08T08:34:00.001-07:002015-10-08T08:34:40.162-07:00#ComeDaneWithMe…. It happened! All eyes were on me…
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">#ComeDaneWithMe…. It happened! All
eyes were on me…<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHA9smyzFWb0bfmWQyZMrhq02qnMboHFPjtUzgn84Gq0w9S5ehSTHoG6qRIMeLMh0BIsFzFI9twHtMUrGO7f7HG0OI19yu188zwsf3TMdTh4VWEvPHZi_KE4F2gX0KQLh-GX7bfhMMwph/s1600/20151006_191545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHA9smyzFWb0bfmWQyZMrhq02qnMboHFPjtUzgn84Gq0w9S5ehSTHoG6qRIMeLMh0BIsFzFI9twHtMUrGO7f7HG0OI19yu188zwsf3TMdTh4VWEvPHZi_KE4F2gX0KQLh-GX7bfhMMwph/s320/20151006_191545.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Hello and
welcome to the #ComeDaneWithMe edition in the #Daneyblogs series. I want to
start this blog by firstly<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>saying how
overwhelmed I am by the support and great response I’ve had from my family, my
closest friends, my peers in the PR, Marketing world for #ComeDaneWithMe and of
course, my Employ Daney campaign overall. Thank you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Secondly, I
would like to give a huge shout out to my fabulous #ComeDaneWithMe guests; Kay,
Rachel and Yvonne, who came with an open mind, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a genuine interest in my campaign, the
encouragement and feedback I need to succeed in achieving what I want from the
Employ Daney campaign…. finding a PR/Marketing job. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9CxxgB1TwN1gplJSUAyKjNSbvQUD6Mn13d0vsZgfqDc1SzGAHo-RszzNgx-ESRAJeAw5XNKkbfV8deis9bihkfRpCzDyLy8_YJNGkARtEphhkDS-p_uPA3ubBabQst-p6z8X6thzm7qev/s1600/20151006_221308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9CxxgB1TwN1gplJSUAyKjNSbvQUD6Mn13d0vsZgfqDc1SzGAHo-RszzNgx-ESRAJeAw5XNKkbfV8deis9bihkfRpCzDyLy8_YJNGkARtEphhkDS-p_uPA3ubBabQst-p6z8X6thzm7qev/s320/20151006_221308.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Now, that my
thank you are done…..let’s talk about how #ComeDaneWithMe went and what the
highlights and key learning points for me were..<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I made #ComeDaneWithMe happen… <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’m so proud
of myself for making #ComeDaneWithMe happen and I’m genuinely sad it’s been and
gone now! It was such a rich learning experience and it saw me adopt so many
different roles. From Daney with the idea >> to Daney the PR person
building relationships with the right people to make sure I had the fabulous
guests I did and it could go ahead >> to Daney the marketing person,
coming up with exciting and eye catching ways to keep interest in the event and
using social media to my advantage >> to Daney the event organiser-
sorting out the logistics of the event, how many people, drafting up a budget,
selecting the venue, date and time etc. >> to Daney the chef and baker
which saw me whip up a 3 course menu from scratch! >> And, of course,
Daney the host…PHEW!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I was as busy
as you can imagine! But do you know what? I loved every minute of it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">And #ComeDaneWithMe the ladies did…<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The night
started with the arrival of the lovely Kay. She had managed to find my place
with the help of my personalised signage directing the ladies to the flat. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a side note, I think it’s so important to
clearly mark where your event is. Nothing frustrates people more than being
lost! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Anyway, back
to Kay, she came bearing Margarita, which was an ode to how we met. Kay and I
had met a couple weeks previously at the snazzy El Toro Loco launch night where
we chatted for like 3 minutes, blethered about blogging, and how tasty the
burritos were. From there, and as a blogger myself, I knew she’d be ace to have
at #ComeDaneWithMe and she came! Result!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67Nvd60KLGGpPpnSgYJL8V2oXs7dkpxlMhxeyRxm9paKunvDCHql3ibud-TBmxIFaPHRq4QyHFSY-FiTTRRdpVMwzph-3AADxghWhcr24tldzmHWrwVp_BdZDsNBvy3WrekMe0qJt2hDq/s1600/20151006_190338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67Nvd60KLGGpPpnSgYJL8V2oXs7dkpxlMhxeyRxm9paKunvDCHql3ibud-TBmxIFaPHRq4QyHFSY-FiTTRRdpVMwzph-3AADxghWhcr24tldzmHWrwVp_BdZDsNBvy3WrekMe0qJt2hDq/s320/20151006_190338.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Next up, came
the fabulous Rachel, and Yvonne who came bearing prosecco as a gift to open
when I do finally get a job, which I thought was such a thoughtful, lovely
thing to do. Rachel and I studied at Queen Margaret University together. Having
not had the pleasure of seeing her in ages, and with her digital marketing
background, and general all round awesomeness, I decided she’d be a fantastic guest
for #ComeDaneWithMe. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Yvonne, I’m
very lucky to have known for a couple of years now. We worked together back in
2011 at Next Retail. She’s been a constant shoulder of support for the Employ
Daney campaign, offering me tips, advice and information on sources of support
I can tap into for help on the graduate job hunt. She has a strong digital
marketing background too, she’s an all-round lovely person and I was delighted
to have her as a guest for #ComeDaneWithMe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So what did I have up my sleeve for
#ComeDaneWithMe? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">For
#ComeDaneWithMe I wanted it to be fun, and very different, but engaging. So,
instead of having placements at the table, we designed our own table mascots. I
wanted the ladies to personalise their own space at the dinner table, so they
could feel that the event was there’s too. I also had the #Daneysguestfact
raffle (an ice-breaker), where each guest would pick three pieces of paper and
answer the wide ranging questions which ranged from ‘who’s your favourite viral
star online, to what’s your thoughts on the Facebook Dislike button, to what’s
your least favourite destiny’s child song etc. I also had the golden ‘question
time’ box which covered more questions related to the PR and Marketing
industry. We needed no ice breakers, we chatted away the whole night with ease.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVc8c-hgmG4InBb3yWsBMjlGDOVt0wMPsMfAGCDWO6roEObpzAs8Vq0QWDMFX0qbUVUt30TzLI1we0EUrJxn3xKVwdSvsYl6-MJ5KWiZ45eWGniGU95GiIszlmPHzyWz7scengr989TWt_/s1600/20151006_235720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVc8c-hgmG4InBb3yWsBMjlGDOVt0wMPsMfAGCDWO6roEObpzAs8Vq0QWDMFX0qbUVUt30TzLI1we0EUrJxn3xKVwdSvsYl6-MJ5KWiZ45eWGniGU95GiIszlmPHzyWz7scengr989TWt_/s320/20151006_235720.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The hot topics for the evening were…..<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">>Digital marketing:
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the importance of being clued up on
google analytics and utilising google ad words effectively. There was just so
much to chat about on this, it blew my mind! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">>>Great
networking events worth going to and where to find them<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">>>>>>
Great places to volunteer which really facilitate finding a job and making best
use of your time you’re giving for free<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">>>Employ
Daney (of course) and what aspects have worked really well so far, and what I could
do to make it even better. I was asked the golden questions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">‘What have you gained directly from
your Employ Daney campaign?’ </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">and
I answered as following:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 39pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">1
interview with a social enterprise supporting agency – was shortlisted but
narrowly missed out on the job unfortunately<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 39pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">2
PR agencies requesting I submit my CV to them<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 39pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Finding
2 networking events (El Toro Loco event & Opportunity Knocks event) to
attend that I’d have not known about had I not did this campaign <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 39pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">An
interesting topic to discuss in the other interviews I’ve had. Employers are
always keen to know what I’ve been doing whilst job hunting. Being pro-active
like this gives me the competitive edge<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">‘How have you been promoting your
Employ Daney Campaign and #ComeDaneWithMe event and what 3 key things have you
learned through doing this?’<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’ve been
promoting both Employ Daney and #ComeDaneWithMe through:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Facebook
(Posting regular photos and updates on how the event is shaping up)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Twitter
(getting involved in key Twitter initiatives such as #EastLothianHour;
#ScotlandHour)</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Linkedin
(both as statuses and ‘publish post’)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Blogging
(blogging regularly and covering other topics other than #ComeDaneWithMe so my audience
doesn’t tune out)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Website
(regularly updating my website to incorporate all the things I’ve been doing in
terms of networking events, initiatives (I turned £4 Iceland gave me as a
gesture for some spoiled chicken into £4 worth of food for the East Lothian
Foodbank last Friday)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Attending
Networking Events (working on the elevator pitch to sell myself and my campaign
succinctly in 60 seconds… I’m still working on this!) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What’s worked well promotion wise for
#ComeDaneWithMe?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">>Not revealing
my guests until the last minute built up suspense and excitement for my event. I
revealed on Facebook and Twitter the night before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">>>I’ve
found publishing the posts on Linkedin instead of posting as a status has
worked really well as all my connections see it, with statuses, I’m never sure
who’s seeing them and when!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">>>>Blogging
regularly and about different topics has worked really well as people seem to
like my blogs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What were my 3 key pieces of advice
from my #ComeDaneWithMe guests?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">>Keep
blogging, it’s a fantastic way to keep raising my profile to PR and Marketing
employers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">>>Keep
networking and just keep putting myself out there! I never know who I may meet!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaVL1kJw08uJMpqwJZCMAwkrinRCKQa-XPbtp1GpFHr4W5lb_0W8HspxuZlOhS2Wi3I5x3FfyZwo6LAWlR_2msPV3skLAEWNKyUmic63r-TbQHZ6SpBZ6ZtQCv1gK_u8O2tU5lNbpEhb8J/s1600/20151006_213624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">>>>
Keep making chocolate brownies, after all, mine are “even better than a
restaurant” </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaVL1kJw08uJMpqwJZCMAwkrinRCKQa-XPbtp1GpFHr4W5lb_0W8HspxuZlOhS2Wi3I5x3FfyZwo6LAWlR_2msPV3skLAEWNKyUmic63r-TbQHZ6SpBZ6ZtQCv1gK_u8O2tU5lNbpEhb8J/s1600/20151006_213624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaVL1kJw08uJMpqwJZCMAwkrinRCKQa-XPbtp1GpFHr4W5lb_0W8HspxuZlOhS2Wi3I5x3FfyZwo6LAWlR_2msPV3skLAEWNKyUmic63r-TbQHZ6SpBZ6ZtQCv1gK_u8O2tU5lNbpEhb8J/s320/20151006_213624.jpg" width="180" /></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What’s next for Employ Daney?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Well you’ll
just have to keep your eyes peeled </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Daney over
and out for now! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">P.S. How GOOD was the Great British Bake Off last night! So
happy Nadiya won!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13977484410812562060noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770968741652217446.post-70136436961839021382015-10-01T14:43:00.001-07:002015-10-01T14:43:49.382-07:00Live each day like it’s your last..
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Hello and welcome
to blog number 6 in the #Daneyblogs series. What a week it has been! I’m
dedicating this blog to 2 key characters from my working life who have sadly
passed away this week and I want to share what I’ve learned from this. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’d like to
firstly say how saddened I am to hear that the fabulous, Helen Morton (an
awesome Acorn I worked with in my Acorn Enterprise role) has passed away. She was
a wonderful, inspirational woman full of fun and drive for her business Akelas Den.
I feel privileged to have known and worked with her and offer my sincere
condolences to her amazing other half, Darrian, her family and closer friends. Fly high,
Helen. You’re gone, but you certainly won’t be forgotten. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’d secondly
like to say how sad I am to hear that ‘Willie’ an absolutely gentleman I was
lucky to work with in my first proper job at Asda has sadly passed away today. I
remember ‘Willie’ fondly from a time when I was 17, working as a bakery
cleaner, finding my way around life and trying to earn a bit of money when I had
first started college. ‘Willie’ was a gem. He was a perfectionist and even
though I was only cleaning tiled walls and a big mixing bowls, he made sure I did
it right and in turn I had pride in my work and developed good attention to detail
– which is crucial in any job! He was a character, a hard-worker and a
gentleman. I offer my sincere condolences to his family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So what has
the passing of these two true characters taught me?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It’s simple
really. It’s taught me and reaffirmed three things:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Live
each day to the full, as tomorrow is not promised. Two fantastic characters I’ve
known have sadly left us. They are not here to wake up tomorrow. They’re not
here to see the sun or have a blether with, and they’ve left their nearest and
dearest with heavy hearts, but have left a trail of fantastic memories which
will give us comfort in their passing<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Appreciate
the people you have in your life: It sounds clichéd, but I genuinely have the
best people in my life. I’m a lucky guy and feel over-whelmed at times just how
loved, and cared for I am. In times I’ve been really down and feeling out, I’m
always pushed right back up again, and I fight on, fight to leave my mark and
make a difference in my world. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can
too! And if you’re reading this, I’m more than likely cheering you on right now
to do it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Money
isn’t everything: I’ve had the ongoing worry (like the rest of us) about money,
and about making ends meet, and have dreamed about making it big and had the same
fantasies as the rest of us- <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>big ‘hoose’
fancy cars (well….. learning to drive first would be a start!!) but do you know
what….. my health and my happiness is worth more to me than any sum of money
could ever mean.... <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Fly high
Helen. Fly high Willie.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">S</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">orely missed you will be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Daney over
and out for now! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13977484410812562060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770968741652217446.post-2481337219396089942015-09-23T14:17:00.002-07:002015-09-23T14:17:57.857-07:00When opportunity knocks, you get change for the bus and go!
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When opportunity knocks, you get
change for the bus and go!</span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxFaiG8cUGRqRy7nZDP9Ribt-ID0H04EhOYLTf1n-8XkFQi8FZ4HnLTQ7W52wRICo-G0-WF7PR9JOMe-Emq5ehL3TpDTS2Y-oUHPKLbxs6n4dp9NZxDQgw0p3eYNKJFCLtXRy7U5iu_SQ/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxFaiG8cUGRqRy7nZDP9Ribt-ID0H04EhOYLTf1n-8XkFQi8FZ4HnLTQ7W52wRICo-G0-WF7PR9JOMe-Emq5ehL3TpDTS2Y-oUHPKLbxs6n4dp9NZxDQgw0p3eYNKJFCLtXRy7U5iu_SQ/s320/unnamed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</o:p></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Hello and welcome
to blog number 5 in the #daneyblogs series. Since blog number 4 (Why the Employ
Daney campaign is not a joke), it’s been all go go go here. I’ve been busy
applying for more jobs, I’ve set the menu and date for my #ComeDaneWithMe event
(6<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> October by the way!). Oh! And most excitingly, my Employ Daney
campaign got a Retweet and support from my Birds of a Feather idol (I know! So exciting!),
Linda Robson (aka. Tracey Stubbs!). </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZ1GrNkTFSFfXxGZDcznlV06KmlqjvKXH1F5thnww7TUrGXLW3MeptI4sBsayClv5ZByirMkNOsx5BSe3AenxtCPofg3YdWvXo5K3t2fB6VLvkqlAoCGBmRuAuCzSzYOSW1hVafIi-dgf/s1600/Screenshot_2015-09-23-22-13-48.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZ1GrNkTFSFfXxGZDcznlV06KmlqjvKXH1F5thnww7TUrGXLW3MeptI4sBsayClv5ZByirMkNOsx5BSe3AenxtCPofg3YdWvXo5K3t2fB6VLvkqlAoCGBmRuAuCzSzYOSW1hVafIi-dgf/s320/Screenshot_2015-09-23-22-13-48.png" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Ok, before I go
off on another Birds of a Feather…. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why am
I writing this blog? Simple! today saw me pluck up the courage and attend a big
entrepreneur and business focussed event called Opportunity Knocks in order to
get myself out there networking again! I’ve made a vow to myself to network
regularly to meet more people in my industry, and continue to build on my
confidence again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Coming across
this year’s Opportunity Knocks event was purely by chance! I was putting my own
event #ComeDaneWithMe on Eventbrite, and it showed up and it made me smile.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Why did it make me smile?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Looking at
the Opportunity Knocks details, I smiled as I remembered attending it last year.
I proudly networked and represented an organisation, I had my fellow team
members in tow for support and to cheer-lead each other on, and life was pretty
settled for me then. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This year
attending, I attended today currently in-between jobs, I represented no-one but
myself…. Now that scared and scares me! But, it got me thinking…. That’s what
my entrepreneur friends/ acquaintances are doing every-day! And very well I may
add! I was amongst people today who are so inspiring, so dynamic, so ‘get up
and go’ that it put me at ease, and once I stopped the self-nagging ‘they’ll be
thinking why is he here… he doesn’t own his own business, Employ Daney… what’s
that like!’, I really enjoyed it and my dash late at night to Tesco to get
change for the bus today was well worth it. Oh and Yazoo Milkshake was the
change breaker! You could say that Yazoo got me on that bus? No? Ok then…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Daney highlights <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So with the
event being all day, and with so many cool people interacted with, I’d like to
share with you the best parts of the day for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Chatting
with the stall hosts- they were very welcoming and inspiring! Although I took
the time to speak to many, the one who really shone, who was a delight to speak
to was Fiona, the owner of BitzBags. She was lovely, approachable, nailed her
summary of her business. Absolutely shone with professionalism, passion for her
business and I wish her all the best!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
guys of ‘Flavourly’ on the main stage. Those two were fantastic. I really enjoyed
and felt privileged to have been in the audience to hear their story. The water
bottles though! Very nice touch! I wish I had thought about that back when I had
taken my exams!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Bumping
into familiar faces (which is always great and put me right at ease!), I got to
bump into an old employer of mine who I really admire and respect. Our quick
chat revealed that all is going very well with his business, which is
fantastic! And he loves my campaign and said to keep going. Win-Win!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
also bumped into a fab uni friend of mine, she’s an account manager for a PR agency.
I loved hearing about the great work she’s doing and I’m so grateful for her
support for my Employ Daney campaign <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Key things I learned from today<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It’s
okay to have my ideas challenged – don’t be so defensive – it’s not personal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’ve
been working very hard to find a new job, and have really worked hard on my
Employ Daney campaign, and at times have found criticism of it quite hard and
hurtful. However, I’m getting more comfortable with hearing constructive
criticism of the campaign. If people don’t tell me, how will I learn and
develop it? I’m working on the mind-set that people will challenge my thinking,
my approach and this will develop me as a person and a professional. It’s not a
personal attack, it’s constructive pointers in order to move forward, and I’m
open to this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What
is it you do? Emm…. I’m working on a PR campaign just now… emm… -----------…....>
to get over this emmm… I’m going to work on a 60 seconds pitch to sum up
exactly what it is in a succinct way what I’m doing right now- being more succinct
isn’t a bad thing is it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">On the succinct
note, I’ve purposely made this blog a wee bit shorter (as it’s later at night
at the time of writing and we’re all a bit knackered after a fun filled day!),
as I’m working on getting my points across quicker </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">My Linkedin
and Twitter are still abuzz from today, and I’m going to bed feeling good, and
that I’ve achieved something today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Daney over
and out for now!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZ1GrNkTFSFfXxGZDcznlV06KmlqjvKXH1F5thnww7TUrGXLW3MeptI4sBsayClv5ZByirMkNOsx5BSe3AenxtCPofg3YdWvXo5K3t2fB6VLvkqlAoCGBmRuAuCzSzYOSW1hVafIi-dgf/s1600/Screenshot_2015-09-23-22-13-48.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13977484410812562060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770968741652217446.post-24165290913768813182015-09-17T06:19:00.000-07:002015-09-17T06:19:14.846-07:00Why the ‘Employ Daney’ campaign is not a joke.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOE4WuW-WhbQ4-cBWiJyELxvqaBNQdH0LK_lkC6Pe7_klaQ-SvrF6AFggVhcy8_CH_pzNohNe3v-04qMNh3p9c_qK6cHkFsm4DKcLNJW0V-V5Gl49DuycS1h35JWULF9H3knqjGeRsjG0p/s1600/IMG-20120421-00257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOE4WuW-WhbQ4-cBWiJyELxvqaBNQdH0LK_lkC6Pe7_klaQ-SvrF6AFggVhcy8_CH_pzNohNe3v-04qMNh3p9c_qK6cHkFsm4DKcLNJW0V-V5Gl49DuycS1h35JWULF9H3knqjGeRsjG0p/s320/IMG-20120421-00257.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Why the ‘Employ Daney’ campaign is not
a joke.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Hello and
welcome to blog number 4 in the Daney blogs series. Can’t believe it’s been a
week already since I last posted! The past couple days have saw me very busy
working on the Employ Daney press release, website, building a Twitter and Linkedin
following, putting bits and pieces on Facebook, all with the aim of raising my
profile to future social enterprise employers with PR/Marketing/Communications
roles and/or dynamic, client-focussed PR agencies in Edinburgh area or
thereabouts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7V108Z9ueW4iorjmsn0qaxiHKxrxzkSf6pjOwm1aPIype6HUIZSZm-t4OWgU3jGkY3EDlKlzPhYWZQWOgX0I9zPrIHQwAGLm9yA-xJ3HSSHxHd806l-5AQfjmOyd3EiIKdCekA2izZkuz/s1600/Screenshot_2015-09-17-13-39-58.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Oh! And I’ve
also been busy sampling tasty burritos and margaritas at the fabulous El Toro
Loco- a great wee Mexican place on the Edinburgh Grassmarket! Absolutely recommend
you go! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their wee restaurant is top
notch!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7V108Z9ueW4iorjmsn0qaxiHKxrxzkSf6pjOwm1aPIype6HUIZSZm-t4OWgU3jGkY3EDlKlzPhYWZQWOgX0I9zPrIHQwAGLm9yA-xJ3HSSHxHd806l-5AQfjmOyd3EiIKdCekA2izZkuz/s1600/Screenshot_2015-09-17-13-39-58.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7V108Z9ueW4iorjmsn0qaxiHKxrxzkSf6pjOwm1aPIype6HUIZSZm-t4OWgU3jGkY3EDlKlzPhYWZQWOgX0I9zPrIHQwAGLm9yA-xJ3HSSHxHd806l-5AQfjmOyd3EiIKdCekA2izZkuz/s320/Screenshot_2015-09-17-13-39-58.png" width="180" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So, tasty
burritos aside, I’m writing this blog as I feel I need to clarify a couple
things regarding the Employ Daney campaign. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Personally on
the back of the Employ Daney campaign, I’ve had an overwhelming positive
response from my close pals, my PR and Marketing acquaintances (or in Fife
terms, folk I ken!) my mum (of course, everyone wants their mum to love what
work they do!), and I’ve had a couple of members of the press email back with
the thumbs up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Professionally,
on the back of Employ Daney (bearing in mind I’ve only been running the
campaign just over a week!), I’ve secured an interview with a reputable social
enterprise supporting organisation, where I was told “you have to be the most
positive person I’ve ever met”, I’ve been asked for my CV by 2 different PR
agencies, my campaign has been shared on the QMU PR Programme Facebook and
Twitter, the East Lothian press seem very keen to share my campaign in their
business section next month (which is brilliant!), my numbers of retweets are
increasing, the likes on Linkedin are increasing and overall, my morale to keep
going on the job search is good, and I’m thoroughly enjoying working on the
campaign. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">However, I want
to write this blog because I want to clarify a couple things which have been
raised to me (in a constructive and friendly way of course- I’m very grateful
and respectful of my PR peers) regarding my campaign and I would like to
address them moving forward. The last thing I want is a miscommunication to
hinder the overall goal of the campaign- being employed in a PR/Marketing
position in a social enterprise, or in a dynamic, fun, client focussed PR
agency.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Let me start
by saying my campaign is not a joke…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The whole
point of me starting this campaign and these blogs is so that I could free myself,
show my skills, my personality to employers without feeling like there’s red
tape. What I’ve came to realise is that my campaign won’t be for everyone
(which I’m absolutely fine with), people will want to give me advice on how to
improve it. I’m all for this. I welcome it. However, I feel I need to
reiterate, I, Dane Thomson, am a PR Professional. I’m not making a parody of
myself, or punting myself out for the sake of a RT. I’m taking a fun, creative,
unconventional approach to grabbing the attention of employers, and showing
that I can write, write, write and write to different target audiences, using
different software with a creative flair they’ve not seen before. That’s what’s
going to make me stand out, right? Yes! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So, I’m going
to refer to some feedback I’ve received in the form of a Q+A and clear up any misunderstandings
on the Employ Daney campaign:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Feedback I’ve
received Q+A<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Why Employ Daney and not Employ Dane? <o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The campaign
is called Employ Daney because this title is more eye catching (I’ve generated
more likes on Linkedin with this than any other content I’ve posted in the
past), it’s fun and it reflects my client (my) personality. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Dane Thomson,
the PR professional (that’s me!) is doing all the hard work behind the scenes
for ‘Employ Daney’. I’m the one sitting for hours researching companies,
applying for jobs, writing blogs, press releases, website updates, social media
posts and looking for networking events to attend to chat to people in my
industry. I’ve also been working on getting my #ComeDaneWithMe event happening.
The positive reaction I’ve had to this so far has been fantastic. People seem
to love this idea! Have you received your invite? If not, email me at <a href="mailto:daneybash88@gmail.com"><span style="color: blue;">daneybash88@gmail.com</span></a> if you’d like to
come! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Why does your website have the ‘strikingly’
on it?<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Due to
financial restraints I’m under whilst job searching, I genuinely can’t afford
payments for domains for my blog, website etc. so I have to do things strictly
for free or for even less! Once I get together some money I will get the
domains purchased to bolster my personal brand’s credibility.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Also on that
note, personal brand: another valid piece of great advice I received this week…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Be careful with your personal brand…..<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This is
excellent advice I received this week. Having looked at my Daney brand (if you
like), it represents what I want it represent. I’m communicating my brand to
represent a fun, hard-working, warm, approachable, original and not afraid to
take a chance and try new things out PR/Marketing graduate genuinely looking
for employers interest and buy in. I’m building and shaping my brand as I go
along and I would love to share with you the 3 key messages/takeaways of my
campaign.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">3 key messages of the Employ Daney
Campaign/ 3 things I want you to take-away from it:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’m
a self-starting PR/Marketing graduate who pro-actively makes things happen. I don’t
sit around and wait for people to come to me, or for good things to happen. I go
out and make them happen! I’ll go to networking events, I’ll approach senior
people of an organisation, respect their position, treat them like a valued
friend, thank them for their time, and take heed of any advice they offer<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’m
learning by doing. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘You don’t learn by doing everything right, you learn by doing and
falling over’</i></b> I’m not just giving rhetoric on my CV telling you how
fabulous I am. My CV is detailed with examples of HOW I’m using my skills, and
through this campaign you, employers, can visibly see me using my skills and
see how I overcome challenges I face pre, during, and after and turn them into
opportunities. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’m
employable. I’ve got a strong communications background, a warm personality
with a down to earth attitude, and the skills in digital, writing and networking
that you need for your social enterprise/ or PR agency organisation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">For
more information on the Employ Daney campaign- please see the website- <a href="http://employdaney.strikingly.com/"><span style="color: blue;">http://employdaney.strikingly.com/</span></a>
or alternatively, drop me an email – <a href="mailto:daneybash88@gmail.com"><span style="color: blue;">daneybash88@gmail.com</span></a>
I’d love to hear from you!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Daney
over and out for now!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13977484410812562060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770968741652217446.post-51117140023713400032015-09-10T05:49:00.000-07:002015-09-10T05:49:42.022-07:00So…. #comedanewithme, aye? #employdaney, aye?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h2>
So…. #comedanewithme, aye? #employdaney, aye?</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4LiN7T_mSvAGXecaN3Xp2smr9vkOp-vbmd7dgMnqheA5og2CVuch4bbKsphXLnMHH6gGnh8b5f0Mer2S9My8tr76HX8Mt0mSiJVasNFZzPv84CObKUK7hgz_TnT-lBiRnmL8i9aEiQzhw/s1600/20150906_125405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4LiN7T_mSvAGXecaN3Xp2smr9vkOp-vbmd7dgMnqheA5og2CVuch4bbKsphXLnMHH6gGnh8b5f0Mer2S9My8tr76HX8Mt0mSiJVasNFZzPv84CObKUK7hgz_TnT-lBiRnmL8i9aEiQzhw/s320/20150906_125405.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aye!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Hello and
welcome to my third blog (wow, 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup> blog already!) in the
daneyblogs88 series, which follows on nicely from my: Would you give me your
last 99p cashback voucher if you saw me selling the big issue? Blog. Again, I’d
like to add, that I put these random titles to intrigue you…. I’m not really
selling the big issue at the moment. I do, however, have a lot of respect for
those who do, standing in all weathers trying to make some money, make a living
like the rest of us. Anyway, I digress… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So, today, I’ve
woken up feeling very drained, very flat, and very ‘things will never get
better’ on the job search front. Screeds and screeds of ‘no experience
necessary’ marketing, commission based only door to door ‘sales! (not marketing
at all!) positions are clogging my feed, roles that I’m too qualified for- ‘marketing
apprentice’ where the only requirements are for standard grades and an ‘enthusiasm’
for marketing are what they’re looking for. I’m sorry ‘enthusiasm’, I’d like to
think have passion for what I do, not just ‘enthusiasm’ for it. So, I then
thought how can I make this job search more interesting? How can I make it
actually a lot more fun? How can I use my #daney personality to own my search
and to get into the job I actually want?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It’s simple
really. I’m going to start by inviting you, my professional peers to
#comedanewithme.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBsEY69-w3f___bYvqsjifKtzZ5qe1xms5CAl7qV3yvjIj3NazVs_j71PgfkYgI8vNxQyppSisr3xCIyzLWuUBAE8ZXgzi-JR0zYHWrQDc5dsJ4pwy9yLFMe2UvdYaRkjAvIi-LIBkMHQh/s1600/IMG-20120421-00257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBsEY69-w3f___bYvqsjifKtzZ5qe1xms5CAl7qV3yvjIj3NazVs_j71PgfkYgI8vNxQyppSisr3xCIyzLWuUBAE8ZXgzi-JR0zYHWrQDc5dsJ4pwy9yLFMe2UvdYaRkjAvIi-LIBkMHQh/s320/IMG-20120421-00257.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still my favourite professional style photo!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It switched
on for me like a lightbulb. I realised that I have the drive, the connections I’ve
built up through the years, my daney personality- which has been going strong
since 1988 (okay…. Maybe my eyebrow game isn’t ‘on fleek’ but my personality is
at the top of my game since then!), and both the interpersonal skills to host
such an event, and cooking skills (I make a brilliant homemade chicken and
chorizo homemade lasagne) to host a fun wee #comedanewithme get together, and
ultimately I thought ‘why not’? What is stopping me? Nothing at all!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What is #comedanewithme?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">#comedanewithme
is a fun, play on words for Come Dine With Me, it’s where I, Daney am going to
invite 5 professionals I both know, am keen to get to know over for dinner at
the flat, serve dinner, catch up, get to know you and use it as a platform to
raise my profile and awareness of my #employdaney campaign, which I’m working
on to find myself a job as<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>PR/Marketing
Assistant in a socially conscious organisation as soon as possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Why do I think
getting you round for #comedanewithme is a good idea?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It’s
a great chance for you to see me in my relaxed environment, see my attentive
side (no one who comes for dinner with me gets to touch any of the washing up
afters!), and how I make sure food ingredients are always tweaked to suit
taste, for e.g. a close friend of mine loves onions, so I always make sure that
I put extra in for him. This is crucial in the PR field, being attentive to our
work clients<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It’s
a great chance for networking, not only am I meeting, getting to know you, you’re
catching up with other likeminded professionals- your fellow<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>table guests. I still believe that networking
is absolutely crucial and why not network over some fresh, homemade food?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span><ul><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
<li><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
It’ll
be FUN! When it gets to about Wednesday and you’re just looking for the weekend
to hurry so you can get together with closest people, this will be a nice wee
mid-week pit stop to get you excited for the weekend, and break up your wee<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">k!</span></div>
</li>
</span></ul>
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</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc9n48yoyBeTT5VQGnXI04eGkmrAiEJ4Az8gYdvfEJrv2_-tg9Om9mldP-zuqCwO9vd6oFiQrc-Uxv-XLwMj9_Sl7qrDM9VDfuE5ckeo3PxzlktvMNS_T1kcj336dvEra_aMLVfVuoIvtc/s1600/20150908_120026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc9n48yoyBeTT5VQGnXI04eGkmrAiEJ4Az8gYdvfEJrv2_-tg9Om9mldP-zuqCwO9vd6oFiQrc-Uxv-XLwMj9_Sl7qrDM9VDfuE5ckeo3PxzlktvMNS_T1kcj336dvEra_aMLVfVuoIvtc/s320/20150908_120026.jpg" width="180" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homemade tomato and rice soup- perfect out the freezer for mid-week night tea!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Also,
ultimately, hosting #comedanewithme is a cracking, inventive way of using and
developing new digital skills. Revisiting handy software such as Bitly (the one
stop shop for shortening links for twitter to increase the amount of words you
can say!), Canva (the simple guide to creating amazing graphics on the quick
and on the cheap!). It’s also a great excuse to try new software. I’m dying to
try Periscope, see what it’s all about! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">#comedanewithme
is also a great way of developing my writing skills even further. I’ll be drafting
a press release for this, in the hope it’ll be shared by my professional peers
on social media, and of course, drafting and scheduling social media posts too,
which on 1 hand is second nature to me, however, on the other, as I’ve never
fronted my own event before, it’s a new challenge, it’s exciting!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So…. What’s
next? Well, I’m going to select who to invite, make sure I have all your
dietary requirements and work on a date which suits of course! <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOG8b0CwtX8O-Mk2U-r7cRAbg0Xbz7ehrEocx2cNHaKDL6xI1PY18iEChX5p1fFNJCyIlaO99Dp8uPJ1Dp8wwHFoa_xAEwImEqrWOAfk0OSh6uUO61UPpTDeCb1SyLDw5GFZvQF5oeeSQG/s1600/pic+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOG8b0CwtX8O-Mk2U-r7cRAbg0Xbz7ehrEocx2cNHaKDL6xI1PY18iEChX5p1fFNJCyIlaO99Dp8uPJ1Dp8wwHFoa_xAEwImEqrWOAfk0OSh6uUO61UPpTDeCb1SyLDw5GFZvQF5oeeSQG/s320/pic+5.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homemade Chicken Carbonara & homemade sticky toffee pud :) Yay or nay for the menu?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Before I leave
you, the blogosphere for now, check out below my 3 #daneypositives<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">3
#daneypositives<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">You
can do anything you can put your mind to- 1 month ago, I’d have laughed if you
told me I’d start a baking craze for myself (you remember my #daneybakes of
course!), and blogging? I wouldn’t have dared typing a single word of my own
blog, instead preferring to blog professionally under an organisation<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Be
creative, be inventive, the old way of applying, finding jobs, making contacts
is dying, it needs spruced up and I’m just the guy to do it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Be
true to yourself, in my job pursuit I’ve had to admit to myself ‘no, I would
not like to spend all day every day data inputting for minimum wage’ whilst that’s
all fine, well and good- it’s a job, I haven’t spent months getting my mental
health and self-esteem back on track for to place myself in such an unsuitable
position for me<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’d
love to hear your thoughts on this blog below!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Daney
over and out for now!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13977484410812562060noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770968741652217446.post-49311413530869884112015-09-09T09:25:00.000-07:002015-09-09T09:37:14.356-07:00Would you give me your 99p moneyback voucher if you saw me selling the big issue?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Would you give me your 99p moneyback
voucher if you saw me selling the big issue?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Hello all,
and welcome to blog 2 in the #daneyblogs series. Firstly, I just want to say
how thrilled and touched I am by the overwhelming positive response I’ve had to
the first blog! What’s your favourite sitcom? I picked that random title for
the blog as I wanted to intrigue people, make their nose bother them so they’d
read, and then once in they saw I was actually talking about a recent episode
in my life, not about my favourite birds of a feather episode! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Although, speaking
of feathers though, I’ve had my feathers ruffled today. I’ve been nervously
awaiting my new job to start with a large banking organisation X <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which I applied, was interviewed and
*congrats, you’ve received the job* praised through a well-known recruitment
agency, for me to be told coldly today that the job is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>no-longer going ahead</u></b> Okay, I’m going to take a deep breath
before I go any further…..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">**************breathes********************<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Still with me yeah? Great!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Ok, so, you’re
telling me that an organisation can just coldly say ‘nut, there’s no work for
you guys’ to you, after you on their behalf having put me through every loop
(and Christ I’m finding it hard to fit through them- I’m not as thin as I used
to be!), from hours’ worth of forms to fill out (and you still get my name
wrong!), to having to chase up my own references myself (which is costing me
money on my phone contract as it’s out-with my tariff), to having to keep
phoning to check progress, to the person who interviewed me, mysteriously
leaving having all my sent documents to them, resulting in the documents
processing being held up? and getting attitude on the phone when I asked about
this. I’m sorry… WHAT? Am I understanding this correctly? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’m all for
any help available in order to find a job (it’s fiercely competitive and tough
on that job market) and I genuinely respect that recruitment agencies have and
do play a massive role in the job market, but, this kind of service, (from just
one recruitment agency- I’m not demonising all! And I won’t be revealing who it
is on here) which to me takes a sales target driven approach over a personal,
client centred approach, just astounds me! Do you know why? This astounds me
because as a person, I’m person centred. I’m about helping others when they’re
in their time of need. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Personally I’m
about:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Handing
that Tesco difference voucher worth 99p to the homeless person selling the big
issue instead of keeping it (trust me, in my current financial situation, that
99p goes a long way)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Running
to get a struggling elderly lady a basket in the supermarket so she can carry
her shopping (she was trying to balance things which were too heavy for her,
and I couldn’t just walk past and let her struggle!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Helping
the person I saw struggling to find the street they were looking to find by
looking it up on google maps for them!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Professionally
I’m about:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Apologising
when I’m at fault, and using phrases for clients such as “I’m going to make
this really easy for you, don’t worry”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Treating
people with respect and sticking to commitments- if I’ve said I’m calling you
back, I’m calling you back, and if I’m late in doing so, I will apologise, and
then make sure you get all the information you need when you’re off the phone
to me<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Putting
myself in the customer, clients shoes, have they understood what I’ve just said
to them? If they look/sound puzzled or bewildered, how can I help them? I don’t
want to give them extra, unnecessary work!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What’s this specific
agency about? What are they giving me? Apart from:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Emails
misspelling my name<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Failed
call backs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Job
non-starts<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’ll tell you
what….they’re giving me, aggravation! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Now, I’m not
dissing recruitment agencies overall, I think they’re fantastic when things go
right! I would like to note, that they’re in a very, very difficult position
when clients cancel on them, which is life, and it happens. However, how they
deal with it, is ultimately telling on what their approach to their clients is.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I loathe
being a ‘job seeker’ just now, it’s genuinely dragging me down. For someone to
make me feel like a number, like they have no genuine interest in helping me
get in and succeed in the job, when I’m doing everything I can and looking into
more effective ways to do it, is actually more soul destroying than just
getting the blank ‘dear candidate’ rejection emails. And also, as much as
offering me to apply for something else I’ve done previously is all well and
good, but that propped up with even more forms to fill in and having to re-take
a test for the THIRD time for the role (when I've reported glitches with it), is just unacceptable.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I want a
recruitment agency to work with me to help me find a job just now until I find
or create my dream marketing job in the third sector. Is that so hard to find? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is anybody out there? Or, are you that agency
that can help me get my dream job?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">How am I going to be pro-active and deal
with this job cancellation?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’m
going to get more creative with my job search. Watch out on social media for
#employdaney ‘comin atcha’ where I’m going to experiment with some eye catching
ways to get noticed by employers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’m
going to re-visit my CV and make sure it’s saying exactly what I want it to
say!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’m
going to sign up for more networking events and get myself out there!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">For when the
job search hasn’t worked out, or I’ve been knocked down, I keep in mind the
following <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">3
#daneypositives to take away!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 39pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Everything
happens for a reason- I’m a firm believer in this, and it’s obvious that this
job being called off is putting me in the direction for something better. Why
not be my new direction?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 39pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’m
not always right, I do get things wrong, I do misunderstand things, but I do
apologise and take ownership for what I’ve done right and wrong and put in the
work to rectify it! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 39pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
will get back into work soon! I’m all about working hard and I want to prove
this again! Why not give me the chance?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">If you’re a
person centred recruitment agency who is client as opposed to target centred
and wants to help #employdaney, then get in touch. I’d love to hear from you! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I bake and everything,
I can whip you up some freshly made chocolate brownies whilst you take a swatch
of my CV! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">On a closing
note, make me feel like you want to help me, don’t make me feel like you just
want to give me paperwork and hassle. I will go more than the extra mile for
you, just take a wee extra step for me and call me by the correct name!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Daney, over
and out for now!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13977484410812562060noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770968741652217446.post-61061532088796177892015-09-06T05:01:00.000-07:002015-09-06T05:01:46.489-07:00What’s your favourite sitcom?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcsd0NTwwpM1VhPLGPy-DSWlvJQRUx8CJY_KXUnVWw8tHbhfzyK7kQxfd7nYgGqPcVTh3Evx80gPIgLu84wZ5igLCxMbaFT-VUzYRAow3fGlmU0iDneTQzqMWnv0C1It3sWq7JC6MakTM/s1600/pic+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcsd0NTwwpM1VhPLGPy-DSWlvJQRUx8CJY_KXUnVWw8tHbhfzyK7kQxfd7nYgGqPcVTh3Evx80gPIgLu84wZ5igLCxMbaFT-VUzYRAow3fGlmU0iDneTQzqMWnv0C1It3sWq7JC6MakTM/s320/pic+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk, Walk, Walk!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What’s your favourite sitcom?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Hello
blogosphere, it’s been a long time coming. My name’s Daney and this is my first
blog I’m writing today. I’m feeling good this sunny Sunday (6/9/15) and decided
to be a bit plucky and make a start on finding my blogging voice covering
topics which are relevant, which affect us daily, but people just don’t want to
talk about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’ve spoken
openly and honestly about suffering from depression with my close friends and
family, I’ve volunteered and worked with charities who exist to help those in
need get help for their mental health issues, and I’ve have been there for my
close relationship circle when they’ve had a really tough, tough time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In my first
blog, I want to talk about what I’ve been through recently, and want to speak
from my heart. Due to a recent, heavy, lingering bout of depression, my whole
life turned upside down, I call it a ‘bout’ of depression, as I seem to go
through blocks of it. I go through points where I’m *fine* and can take on the
whole world, then sometimes, I feel like the world’s a heavy rucksack on my
shoulders and I just want to cower away in my room away from just human beings
in general. Unless you’re chocolate, you’re not getting past my door. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Okay, so my
title ‘What’s your favourite sitcom?’ was a bit misleading... I’m not going to
talk about sitcoms (well, not until the end!)… I’m more going to talk about an
episode in my life…. Still happy to read on?.... Are you with me? Great! Follow
me </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Whilst I
could talk more in depth about depression, I want talk about the other side of
it which affects suffers, every day suffers like you, like me who due to not
being able to work or continue working have to experience. That is making the pride
shattering transition from working (for me it’s been all of my teen and young
adult life) to having to rely on the government through the ESA (Employment
Support Allowance) (which I am now official off now, I no longer receive this
27/8/15) or Job Seekers Allowance in other cases to help get you feel well
again and get back to work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Whilst, on
one hand, I’m eternally grateful that we have a system which exists to help us
in a time of need, on the other hand, I’ve felt its hard bite. The heaps of
forms asking probing questions, the ‘mandatory’ appointments and being spoken
to as though you’re scrounging (even though I’m a tax and NI payer and never
had to rely on the ‘system’ up until now!) and being expected to live on a
very, very tight budget- tighter than usual!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Having
experienced it/ ‘the system’ first hand, knowing what I know now, I now want to
use this blog as a tool to empower you by giving you practical #daneytips on
what I’ve learned and how to survive this brief transition (or some people’s
cases, sadly, a longer transition) both emotionally and financially. I’ll also
offer tips to cope when you’re feeling stressed, tips to help make your money
go further on the tight budget you have.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">ESA
(Employment Support Allowance), How can I get by on it? What can I do to live?
Real tips<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Budgeting
Tips <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHMU76q4VjoQZ7fmWNGJEVL3cMo6FNbg4IerWFIT8IO8N2Enk8s1MFBVjzY9_LkBO7skGoafFVtRppqBWjfHLiRmMqZtYhQSJJHMxDEmQTKaDaonZeD0v79O0pLm4zUDsklevrpbeQqLO/s1600/pic+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHMU76q4VjoQZ7fmWNGJEVL3cMo6FNbg4IerWFIT8IO8N2Enk8s1MFBVjzY9_LkBO7skGoafFVtRppqBWjfHLiRmMqZtYhQSJJHMxDEmQTKaDaonZeD0v79O0pLm4zUDsklevrpbeQqLO/s320/pic+2.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Get
online and look up recipes before you shop (I love all recipes UK and Delicious
Magazine- online of course!) and budget to suit your financial situation that
week. If you need to go from Chicken to Smoked sausage for the pasta bake due
to the money being tight, that’s OK. It’ll still be as tasty, I promise (look
around and they’re only £1 and they can do up 3 meals if you split them
correctly</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">***BAKE
YOUR OWN*** <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been going through a
wee faze of baking non-stop. If you budget properly (use own brand chocolate, check
the supermarket websites or use search engines like money supermarket &
find the best deal for them), you make/whip a range of tasty treats on the
cheap. Always go for supermarket own brand, they’re just as good in most cases!
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHMU76q4VjoQZ7fmWNGJEVL3cMo6FNbg4IerWFIT8IO8N2Enk8s1MFBVjzY9_LkBO7skGoafFVtRppqBWjfHLiRmMqZtYhQSJJHMxDEmQTKaDaonZeD0v79O0pLm4zUDsklevrpbeQqLO/s1600/pic+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_PRXw7rTbG6HeWApVr268sng7-SzH6KTcHY45OHozthU5-T4S1BLNkwRMElKnAp8Zq4enoWYfWP9r_Ak6lFBVGYV6WnCfHoMTBwzv9N12gx8vu9axRLWPjj-ijpISnjGVG699sp3LvVS/s1600/pic+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_PRXw7rTbG6HeWApVr268sng7-SzH6KTcHY45OHozthU5-T4S1BLNkwRMElKnAp8Zq4enoWYfWP9r_Ak6lFBVGYV6WnCfHoMTBwzv9N12gx8vu9axRLWPjj-ijpISnjGVG699sp3LvVS/s320/pic+4.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Shop
around. If it wasn’t for ALDI & LIDL (okay, so I wasn’t so keen on them
years ago, I’ll admit!) I genuinely wouldn’t have been able to eaten so many
fresh meals. If it was just a side of fresh carrots to go with my £1 chicken Kiev
from Iceland!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Visit
supermarkets at night and keep an eye on reduced items. My favourite is finding
reduced ‘tawties’ (wee fife reference there!) – potatoes for like 10p a bag is
such help! They’re easy to store, and you can most of all, make a nice, cheap
and nutritious soup!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">If
something’s not right, complain. On a couple of occasions, I’ve had mince that
went a bit funny, I emailed customer services and received a gesture voucher
for a couple quid. This couple quid went towards baking ingredients, and in
return I thanked them on social media. I only complain if I really have to
though. I respect companies who put good customer service at the forefront of
what they do. In other words, don’t abuse their gestures! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’m
feeling low, how can I help myself?<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Emotional
well-being tips<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Don’t
avoid social media. Your friends are there, and although they want to share
with you all the good times – (that time one of your best pals scored you free
tickets for a cool festival) they also want to make sure you’re okay. What I
would say is, although it’s absolutely fine in my opinion to talk about
depression, and whatever you wish, I would recommend the private messenger for
a lot of your chats too, it’s never nice for close friends to read big
announcements/ big deep things on Facebook when you’ve not spoke/confided in
them first.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Talk
to your friends. They will feel absolutely thrilled that you’re turning to them
and you need them. At the same time understand that whilst you’re off work just
now, they’re unfortunately not. So if they’ll text back, get back in touch when
they can. Life is busy for us all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Walk.
Walk…..and walk some more! Walking for me is so freeing. I know there are days
where you have no desire to get out of bed, let alone walk, but I promise you,
you feel much better, most of you feel something!. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 54pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">If
you’ve walked even 5mins, congratulate yourself and if you feel tired, that’s
fine. Depression is not only emotionally draining, but it makes you feel like
your body is physically heavier<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 54pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Bake,
Bake, Bake! Baking for me really helped redevelop my concentration. I would
follow some recipes and read them in my own time with no pressure. I’d also get
creative by improvising with food. For example, instead of a standard chocolate
brownie, I used supermarket own brand chocolate to me triple chocolate brownie
(white choc, dark choc and milk choc.. less than £1 for all three bars!!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0yG79mHcq6VnlYfUQRfRg8jdiIgh_TjmmTCvSxxuQcO91q_yi3Vl8j1jewd6kyWewc_jGEYO2_z_9AaIOV1uVlniG_FU97ZS7D8ogPd8nOKFzlRkJFZYLMJxko4H3EUvhJ7RgbSsiSRs/s1600/pic+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0yG79mHcq6VnlYfUQRfRg8jdiIgh_TjmmTCvSxxuQcO91q_yi3Vl8j1jewd6kyWewc_jGEYO2_z_9AaIOV1uVlniG_FU97ZS7D8ogPd8nOKFzlRkJFZYLMJxko4H3EUvhJ7RgbSsiSRs/s320/pic+6.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Revisit
your old favourites- whether this is an album you used to absolutely loved! A
show you used to watch! (I’m a bit of a 90s sitcom fanatic!, anything that will
make you smile. Not going to lie, revisiting sitcoms like ‘Keeping up
appearances’, Sister, Sister and of course, birds of a feather old and new,
makes me smile on a gloomy, not so great day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So my first
blog has now came to a close. I would like to say thanks for reading, I hope
there’s some real, practical useable tips on here to help you if you are having
a tough day, a tough spell financially and emotionally. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Three
#daneypositives to take away:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Congratulate
yourself on every achievement, however small. This could easily be waking up an
hour earlier in the morning than usual. When you’re depressed, getting up in
the morning is the hard bit<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Be
your own best friend. Listen to the thoughts in your head, would speak to your
best friend like that? Would you tell them that they’re lazy, worthless and
cant achieve anything? No! so stop being so mean to yourself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Have
a thoughts diary and write in it before you go to bed, that way you’re
literally unloading, and clearing your mind in order to help you sleep<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Daney over
and out for nowwww!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13977484410812562060noreply@blogger.com3