After a relaxing Easter weekend, it’s back to business. Hands up those of you who ate your weight in chocolate eggs? … ME ME ME! It’s fine, I found that chocolate does actually have some nutritional value.

On to more pressing matters and it’s time for another ‘remarkable individual’ to step into the spotlight.

As part of my role at Chelsea Football Club, I look after the blog platform. Last year when I transferred from Freelance United to Chelsea FC for my record fee, I looked to blogging as one of my first projects to get stuck into. I advised that we should move to WordPress and look to re-structure Chelsea FC blogging. As part of the strategy, I wanted to look to bring in external fan bloggers to blog on a regular basis as a part of the official blog. I am happy to say, both formulas have worked out well and now there is a variety of talented international authors on the blog.

Whilst we made contact with a large quantity of fan bloggers, there was one chap that stood out from the crowd particularly. Not only does this lad have a beautiful looking website, he also writes like a professional.
One thing that differentiates bloggers and journalists is their writing caliber. By no means do I think I have an outstanding ability with words, but I do love when somebody writes effortlessly with fluid story telling aligned with facts and stats.

It must be noted that I am not a Chelsea FC fan (Newcastle United if you are wondering and don’t ask), however, bluechampions.com is one Chelsea FC fan blog that I do love to read.

I am all about transforming passion into a marketable product, and if you are looking to set up a blog or a site; read this guys story and take a leaf out of his book, because VJ aka Blue Champion definitely sets the standard…

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Vijayakrishna (VJ for the flat tongued). I’d like to call myself a writer. I’ve been a blogger for about 5 years now. I own and run this Chelsea FC blog – BlueChampions (http://www.bluechampions.com). Having singlehandedly set up, designed, maintained and grown the blog, it is now an inseparable part of my life. And yes, in order to fund my lifestyle, I work for a bank. Spending 12 hours on office/driving normally doesn’t leave anyone with lot of time for blogging. But then, ever since I started blogging, I’ve been borrowing some hours from my sleep on a daily basis.

How did you get into this industry and why did you chose this path?

I don’t know if I’ve gotten into the ‘industry’ as such. I started blogging because I love writing, I love analysing and debating. With the rise of internet and blogging, I thought that was a natural progression. People that were artists before internet could have become graphic designers now. It’s a bit like that. Plus, I strongly believe that if you have a talent and if you’re passionate enough, the ‘industry’ will find you.

What do you consider to be your biggest achievement to date?

To have brought my Chelsea blog (http://www.bluechampions.com) to where it is now. In this here-now-gone-tomorrow world of blogging, I’m quite pleased that the blog is nearing 1000 posts and has seen more than 35,000 comments. The blog has not only survived but also has grown stronger through the personal and professional ‘rain and shine’ of the last 5 years. The achievement got itself a crown when Luca contacted me to ask if I would be a blogger on the official Chelsea FC blog. Dreeeeaaaamy!

Aside: Another small scale achievement is also that I’ve managed to keep the blog ad-free all these years despite all the traffic it gets. I’m very particular on design and user experience. I’m ready to forego the revenue potential of the blog if that means the blog could look nicer for the readers. The only thing I run is a promotion for the official Chelsea FC megastore.

Was this how you had planned things to go or are you capitalising on opportunities and simply rolling with it?

I’d say it’s a mix of both. I’m generally someone who’s keen on the direction than the distance or the destination. As long as I feel that I’m in the right direction, I’ll let life take its own course and I enjoy seeing things unfold.

We’re in a new era where anyone can create opportunities for themselves. Do you agree?

Looks like it. I don’t think we quite know what all we can do with the internet and communication technology. Don’t think we know the full potential of this new era. If you have the passion, you can definitely create the opportunities for yourself.

Is who you are in reality, the same persona you represent online?

I think the answer is yes. I am what I am – offline or online. I know people tend to get more aggressive or more courageous or more courteous and nice. But I certainly don’t need the veil of internet to be the person I want to be.

What one thing can you not live without?

Family. If you give me everything I’d had ever longed for and take away my family, I won’t be happy. The things that I long for – anyways I’m living without them.

If you wasn’t in this field, what would you be doing?

Many believe that I have what it takes to be a good trainer or teacher or coach. I too like working with people to improve or develop them. That might have been my alternative career.

Name three people who have inspired you in your life.

(1) Myself: The way I have evolved as a person is a great inspiration for myself. My best teachers have been my best and worst moments and my choices and my mistakes.

If you were a superhero, who would you be and why?

Krishna – the superhero from the Indian mythology (wiki him now!). As with any superhero, he fights for the good against the evil. Krishna was said to have lived the perfect life – he had a very mischievous and adventurous childhood, he spent his adolescence as the darling of the opposite sex, he was a great ruler of his nation, he was a master of tactics and strategies and he was a great philosopher too – keep in mind that he was fighting the ‘evil’ all through these phases of life. A very colourful personality who lived his life to the fullest. I’d be him.

The world is coming to an end and you have to take one celebrity into the safe bunker to live with forever. Who do you take?

I’d pick Katrina Kaif, only because I heard she’s a good cook.

Do you have any regrets about anything?

That I’ve still not made the ‘plunge’. I want to be able to say ‘this is what I do for my living and I just love it to bits’. I’d love to reach this harmony between ‘what I enjoy’ and ‘what I do’. Until I achieve this, I might continue with that bit of regret.

What cool projects are you currently working on?

Ooh! This makes me look for some ‘cool projects’ to work on. Actually, I’ve got a few things – (a) to take BlueChampions to ‘another level’ (don’t know what that is). (b) to connect more and better with the football bloggers – to leverage on the football blogging community (c) to write the ‘autobiography’ of my blog (d) to create an iphone/android app for BlueChampions.

What does the future have in store for you?

Carlo Ancelotti on the phone with me:

Fast Forward by about 5 years. I could be in the media industry proper. I could be a column writer. I could be an armchair analyst. I could be a copy editor. I could be a publisher. Definitely more than a blogger. Surely not a banker.

Finally, if you could give one piece of advice to young creative minds, what would it be?

Here’s my ‘one’ piece of advice: “Recognise that you’re unique. Keep doing what you enjoy. Be original.”

To stay in touch with VJ you can follow him on twitter and even if you are not a Chelsea fan, I urge you to join the huge International community VJ has built up on his site.

This week’s Spotlight is with a chap that I met using Twitter (no surprise there) and then got to know further in the real world (no Matrix reference). Just over a year ago, I was in the world of freelance, networking, trying to climb the ladder and attending as many events as I could drag my body to.

I bumped into this fellow at a geeky event at the Gumtree Headquarters in Richmond. We got chatting about various things, but it was his answers to my queries on personal development in the digital space that made me realise he may not be full of gas like the majority of London’s so called guru’s.

I’ve never been afraid of confronting anyone for their opinion and if I do ask for your opinion to a question about my personal progress, it means I value who you are… and I value this gents opinion to quite a high regard.

On that one occasion, his advice was insightful, his knowledge came in abundance and he backed up his speech with experience. As the last year has passed I have monitored his progress closely, his blog posts and his panel discussions and I honestly feel he provides real value to the digital marketing/social media/tech scene in London.

It is because of all this that I asked James Whatley if he would like to be featured in my Industry Spotlight series… and what do you know; he agreed.

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is James Whatley and I am, amongst other things, Marketing Director at the world’s leading word of mouth agency, 1000heads.

How did you get into this industry and why did you chose this path?

Two part question – cheeky. OK, first – how did I get here? Six years ago, I was an over-weight accountant working in [old] media; a dead end job with no prospects, I was stuck. I’ve been a geek for as long as I can remember [First Pratchett, Kubert and Miyamato then later, OPK and co] and was always tinkering with tech. I reached out to a mobile startup in west London and asked for an interview. They gave me one… and turned me down — “we don’t need any accountants right now.”

A few months later (and after a couple of fairly huge life-changing experiences), I reached out to them again, this time just saying hello, checking in so to speak and letting them know that although I wasn’t about to come in and be their tea boy, I was looking for a change of career and was hoping I could come and see them again. “Sure” they said “Come see us tomorrow” – two days later I had a new job, a new career and a whole new outlook on life.

What do you consider to be your biggest achievement to date?

It’s funny, someone else asked me this quite recently and before I could answer another member of our party piped up with ‘Surviving SpinVox!‘ – for those that don’t know, the middle of 2009 was a fairly difficult time for the now defunct voice-to-text start up [http://whatleydude.com/2010/03/strange-days/], and my role meant that I was front and centre of the day-to-day communication blasts [both inwards and out].

Others have told me that my work on Lucozade [http://whatleydude.com/2009/06/plans-for-the-summer/] wasn’t pretty bad either…

However, for me personally, getting out of my dead end job and actually doing something with my life; something that I love and adore and still do to this day – *that’s* my biggest achievement. I get to work on of the most exciting projects in the world and all the while, I get to help educate, train and inspire those around me to do more themselves. It’s ultimately so fulfilling and is a key driver to what gets me out of bed in the morning.

Author’s note: If you didn’t click either of the links above I encourage you to do so. The Lucozade story alone needs some serious attention.

Was this how you had planned things to go or are you capitalising on opportunities and simply rolling with it?

I would say a mixture of both. Since my break as it were I’ve approached each role with a very specific plan and prospective timeline. When I left Refresh Mobile for SpinVox, I had a very clear set of goals mapped out and I hit every single one of them, almost to the day. The same for Lucozade before that and once again for 1000heads. Obviously you cannot plan for everything that happens so having a certain amount of give on those goals helps too. I am intensely loyal to the people that I work for and with; when I sign on that contract, I’m committed. For rich for poor, through rough and through smooth. Having that working ethical backbone has helped guide my decision making process on a number of occasions and it will continue to do so in the future.

We’re in a new era where anyone can create opportunities for themselves. Do you agree?
Half and half. I believe that anyone can create opportunities for themselves, certainly. But I don’t buy into this being anything new. It may be more visible [thank you very much internet] than it used to be, but a new era it is not.

Would you rather have 100,000 twitter followers to market to or an extra £10,000?

It depends. If those 100,000 followers are all engaged and loyal customers, then I’ll take 100,000 individual sales over the £10k any day. However if they’re just farmed with no research or profiling, then forget it. £10,000 can go a very long way in word of mouth marketing. I’ll take that, thanks… Product depending, of course.

Is who you are in reality, the same persona you represent online?

I would like to think so, yes. My good friend Toby Moore [aka @sleepydog] has always said that ‘social media is the great amplifier’ and I believe him.

Maybe. I don’t know Luca, you know me both online and off – you tell me!

Author’s note: I do know James and although he has over 7000 twitter followers I don’t think he has that many real life friends. Hmm..

What one thing can you not live without?

My friends.

If you wasn’t in this field, what would you be doing?

I studied directing and dance at drama school in my youth and have always felt that I’d find my way back to it eventually.

Author’s note: Would anyone else like to see Whatley dance?

With so many talkers and gamers out there claiming to be experts and influencers. Do you consider yourself a smooth talker, a real talker or a don’t talk to me i’m not a talker?

I wouldn’t call myself an expert, nor would I label myself an influencer. I don’t think I’d ever say ‘I’m not a talker’ however – in fact, on this whole labelling oneself thing; it’s not for me.

Name three people who have inspired you in your life.

If you were a superhero, who would you be and why?

Superman. It’s the flying. It’s always about the flying.

The world is coming to an end and you have to take one celebrity into the safe bunker to live with forever. Who do you take?

Forever? Are we being gifted eternal life in there? Amazing… For the sake of the human race then it would have to be someone smart, young and female. Cameron Diaz? Is that too much of a cliche?

Do you have any regrets about anything?

Hard question. There’s the standard ‘I have no regrets – for I would not be the man that I am without all that has happened within my life’ answer that I could roll out – and I believe that. However there are some things I look back on and wonder what would’ve happened had I approached them differently. I don’t know. It’s not something I dwell on.

What cool projects are you currently working on?

Like you genuinely expect me to answer that
[answer: a bunch, but none I can talk about]

Author’s note: Pffffft

What does the future have in store for you?

Today, more than ever before in my entire life – I genuinely don’t know [http://whatleydude.com/2010/12/so-long-2010/].

If you could give one piece of advice to young creative minds, what would it be?

Defend ideas. Be smarter. Take risks. Fail. Do over.

And above all, seek out at least one mentor who you can talk to, confide in and ultimately, seek guidance from.

To follow James Whatley on Twitter, click here and to read more about his personal life, you can navigate directly to his blog here.
Also, make sure you check out the world famous word of mouth company, 1000heads where James creates his corporate magic.

Damn it’s good to finally have my server sorted and the site running smooth again. Felt paralysed lately, not being able to post at all. But fingers crossed; it’s all working now.

Anyway, enough jibba jabba, cut the waffle and it’s time for another inspirational spotlight interview.

If you are into your Urban music whether it be Hip Hop, R&B or Grime, then I expect you will spend a lot of time on music blogs getting your fix for the latest news and free downloads. In late 2008 when I first started my quest for internet domination, I created an Urban Music blog. (Yep it’s still alive, but very much dormant; like a volcano I guess, who knows if it will erupt again).

Urban Music bloggers; like other journalists, compete for exclusives, rush to post headlines and love a free pair of VIP concert tickets. There are plenty of music bloggers; yet few are able to capture the essence of blogging and create a reputation that spans worldwide. Enter www.teamsuprememusic.com, in my opinion the most authentic and dedicated of the independent UK Urban blogs.

Founded by Lee Partridge, a young lad from just outside London; Lee says:

Team Supreme is all about the music; sharing the latest news, reviews and downloads and nurturing the local talent to give them a platform to grow.

On that note, I’ll let Lee fill you in on how he got into blogging and where he hopes it will take him.

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Lee, 20 years old, and I co-own and run the UK urban blog music site www.teamsuprememusic.com alongside 3 other like-minded people.

How did you get into this industry?

Music has always been a big love of mine, but I never had any musical talent at all. With my friends from school, we always listened to indie music (which I still love to this day), but I always had that love for the more urban side. By starting the site along with Louis Gibzen, it was just a place for me to write about hip-hop, something I couldn’t do before. In all honestly the website started out as a hobby for me, and still is, but in the not too distant future I plan to expand and capitilize in it, bringing me more into the industry.

Was this how you had planned things to go or are you capitalising on opportunities and simply rolling with it?

A mixture really. Don’t be fooled into thinking blogging is easy, it takes a lot of time and hard work. With the way the internet moves these days, it’s like a 24 hour, 7 days a week job. So with that in mind, I’m impressed on how quickly we rised into being a pretty successful and well known blog. Things are at a bit of a standstill at the moment however due to many reasons. We have lots of plans to expand on our site, but lack the money/ability to do so right now.

Aside from that, we need to expand more into the actual music industry. The labels are slowly starting to recognize us. A lot of things are kept in a tight circle with industry the folks/DJ’s/journalists. Even many of the UK bloggers (with no disrespect to them) started either in the industry or as a journalist, whereas someone like me started out with blogging. I’m not prepared for the UK industry to remain in this state of mind; simply rolling with it is not an option for me.

We’re in a new era where anyone can create opportunities for themselves. Do you agree?

Yes, all you have to do is look at the internet and us guys at TS for an example. One day we decided to start a blog, went on wordpress and the rest is history. I’d definitely say it’s created many opportunites for me, chances to meet people I wouldn’t of otherwise, see artists perform etc. It opened my eyes to a different world really. However, sometimes it doesn’t matter what you do, others need to help create these opporunities if you’ve put the ground work in.

Go to America and their panel would be nothing but bloggers. Although I agree that you should never give up, keep working hard constantly, make your own luck and all of that, sometimes you need that extra push from someone else. Another great example is Lil’ B. As an artist he is awful, but he utilizes the internet so well, he’s quickly becoming a huge artist, and the opportunities he creates for himself are incredible.

Would you rather have 100,000 twitter followers to market to or an extra £10,000?

I’d normally answer twitter followers, however at this current time I’d take the £10,000 so that I can bring all my plans for TeamSupreme to life. Part of the money would also be used to market, bringing the extra twitter followers anyway.

What one thing can you not live without?

West Ham United. I’ll say no more and await an editor’s note for this bit!

Author’s note: Slightly regretting doing this spotlight on Lee after that comment.

If you wasn’t in this field, what would you be doing?

Probably something to do with sports science and exercise, as that’s what I studied at college. Got bored of it though.

With so many talkers and gamers out there claiming to be experts and influencers. Do you consider yourself a smooth talker, a real talker or a don’t talk to me i’m not a talker?

I like to think I talk a lot of sense. Although I won’t randomly start critising someone or something for no reason, if something needs to be said, you damn right I’ll say it. I don’t expect to be at the top of the music game, but I won’t let anyone stand in my way of me or our site progressing. The answers above might show this a bit!

Name three people who have inspired you in your life.

Special mention: Luca! And not just because I’ve read the previous installements of this series lol. He’s always been very helpful since I first started talking to him whether it be plans for TS, plans for me personally or whatever.

If you were a superhero, who would you be?

Hancock? Is there anything he can’t do? To be honest I just wanted to say something other people are unlikely to, ha.

Author’s note: Good answer son!

What does the future have in store for you?

Hopefully a lot of success, and eventually a job more within the music industry rather than just blogging.

And finally, if you could give one piece of advice to young creative minds, what would it be?

Just be yourself, remain humble and don’t let anyone tell you what to do. And the most important thing; music is meant to be fun… SO HAVE SOME DAMN FUN!

Team Supreme are also on Twitter where you can get instant updates on the latest Urban Music and of course that link again to the Team Supreme blog.

Get to know Lee further by following him on Twitter (expect mood swings dependent on West Ham’s latest result) and you can check out his personal blog entitled ’9am in London’ also.

In historical terms, a legacy is something that is handed down from one period of time to another period of time.

I have a huge fear of failure. I am afraid that I could go through this one life we have, achieve very little and die without leaving anything behind for anyone to remember me. Hence why I have the following quote locked to my blog page:

“The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but living without a purpose.”

Having a platform to begin

Legacy for the majority of the world will be based on reproduction. Raising a family and passing on your knowledge, experience and wisdom onto your children. Leaving behind teachings and memories to your kids of what you achieved, how you achieved it and what it meant to them that you made something of your life.

But is having a family and raising them, enough to count as a legacy? In a world where success is defined by the amount of money we earn, the cars we drive and the property we own; how can those who aren’t so fortunate feel like they have achieved and left behind a strong legacy after they have passed?

This all comes as a very relevant situation to me as I watch both my parents get older and notice that neither are happy at all with how their lives turned out. My parents made mistakes throughout their lives, and while we can’t turn the clocks back, I wish both of them were able to look back, acknowledge they made mistakes, move on and try to live out the rest of their lives feeling a significant level of accomplishment.

I still have two parents (separated), who raised me and my brothers well, however I can’t help but wonder if my goals, understandings and outlook on life would be different if my parents hadn’t shown such negativity as if the world was out to make their lives harder. I can understand why my parents are bitter about life and it is based upon the feeling that they are now in their sixties and the dreams and aspirations they had some years ago, have now faded, yet is this what they consider to be their legacy?

With my Brother and My Dad

I sit here knowing that I have grown up and learned from the mistakes that they made and from the decisions my older brothers made in their lives. Although my brothers are happy with how things have panned out for them as they both have beautiful children; I believe, had they been guided by a positive outlook that derived from a feeling of achievement set before them by our parents; they would have been able to make better judgement of the situations they were placed in and the decisions they ended up making.

Is it our parents’ responsibility to provide an example of strong leadership and guidance to their children as they are growing up?

At 26 years old, I am in the early stages of my career journey, striving for the next level of success with every opportunity that presents itself. Anyone that has read my blog over the last year, will know what projects I have been involved in and should have a good understanding of the type of character I present, the moral values I represent and the energy I have to move forward. But where do we get these characteristics from?

In the current economic climate, the evolution of modern technology and social media and the lack of job openings upon leaving education, the formula for casting out your success appears to have shifted.
Is education through to University the way to go or are we encouraged to teach leadership, management and interpersonal communication skills from grassroots so our children are able to create opportunities for themselves and not have to rely on the system?

With my Mum at my Graduation

I wasn’t taught any of the above skills from my parents. As a child I was timid, bullied and would always look to my older brothers for support. You know the line ‘I’ll get my older brothers on to you?’ Well yeah, that was me on a regular basis. My Dad was strict as his Dad was to him and my Mum spent the majority of mine and my brothers’ childhood overprotective. Living in fear I believe.

What legacy did my parents leave behind?

My parents’ legacy appears to be a set of lessons to be learned. Yep, no house, Maserati or safety deposit box of riches unfortunately.

It is within our childhood that we learn our fundamental traits that mould our behaviour for our adult life and it is to my childhood that I have looked for answers as to who I am today.

I am old enough to know that my parents’ decisions were their’s and are not my responsibility even though I have spent a lot of time trying to help them and find solutions to their unhappiness.

I believe that I cannot dwell on this any further, and in writing this for public viewing I am opening a door that I have yet to walk through and a down a path that is unknown.

I know it is my time to make my own decisions without any influence and continue on my journey to create my own legacy; for myself and for my family. I have taken the knowledge and wisdom that was installed in me from my childhood, having watched my parents and my brothers ahead of me and will strive to make a success where those around me may have not.

I know I will make mistakes; that is a part of life. However, I will try to learn from them, putting behind any sour moments and not living in regret because life is too short, and I have a legacy to leave behind.