Little over a year after I wrote Chapter Two, I find myself at the end of another story about to embark on a new journey.

This time it’s quite a big transition I am facing and I will be heading on a whole new adventure.

A Dream

Remind yourself. Nobody built like you, you design yourself.

Not so long ago I was an enthusiastic musician with aspirations of dominating the music industry as a world renowned DJ/Producer. My DJ career however took a nose dive when I attended Music Academy and I couldn’t afford to buy a home computer, so I sold my DJ setup to fund my first mac. What I would soon realise, is that I made the wrong decision, as I was a damn good UK Garage DJ (If you remember Upfront 99.3FM you’ll smile at the good old days).

At University, I understood quickly the importance for networks. Universities are made up of hundreds of small groups of networks and generally the people who can operate in and out of multiple networks are considered the most powerful students; as they can influence the most people.

Ignorant Shit

Having opened my eyes to the possibilities in student business and then setting up my own ventures at University, I quickly changed my direction from being a creative musician to acting in the business side of the entertainment scene. It wasn’t long after finishing my higher education I realised that being just another enterprising student with ambition wasn’t gonna cut it.

I graduated from University with a 2:2 in July 2009. My tutors were proud that I had even achieved that, albeit suprised, because honestly, I never showed signs of passing the course.

Real As It Gets

I’m not afraid of dying. I’m afraid of not trying.

I don’t come from money, I live with my mum who raised three kids on benefits, two of which have their own families now and are successful in their own right. My vision is and has always been to become successful so that my mum doesn’t have to worry any more. However, money has NEVER been my motivation.

After speaking with an array of extremely successful individuals over the years, I found that they all sing from the same hymn sheet in terms of seeking fulfilment. Everyone wants to change the world in their own way, and no matter how much money they make, they generally always crave for more, because finding self fulfilment in money is not possible.

Legacy is what it’s all really about. Making an impact that you leave a positive dent that lives on long after you have vacated the scene. This is what entrepreneurs really crave. It’s the feeling that you have built something unique and there is an underlying need for it, a desire from a mass market for what you offer that gives their lives added value. That’s the art of fulfilment.

Can’t Knock The Hustle

I’m a hustler homey, you a customer crony. Got some dirt on my shoulder, could you brush it off for me?

I’ve never had to prove anything to anyone, but always felt like I had to. When the closest people in your life think you’re gonna be a fuck up like the rest of the council estate you live on, it doesn’t do much for the inner self esteem.

I have always tried to help those around me and even with the Industry Spotlight series I did. I documented the stories of 14 great individuals with an attempt to find out more about my network, my audience and myself. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be but I enjoyed seeing the engagement between those I had interviewed and others find inspiration from someone else’s journey.

I taught myself the skills that make me who I am and I am proud that I have ability in a variety of areas.

I learned my craft by staying on the edge of the latest news, researching the key influencers in the industry and surrounding myself with multiple networks of successful people.

I have excelled in what is considered to be a short period of time. I’m not one to frequently shout about achievements in the the social space, but when I do, I make sure it’s loud and clear, so everyone knows.

Onto The Next One…

Baby i’m a boss, i dunno what they do,
I don’t get dropped, I dropped the label,
World can’t hold me, too much ambition,
Always knew it’d be like this when I was in the kitchen

So here I am; climbing the layer cake of shit on my path to fulfilment and where last time I was announcing the start of a new opportunity with a global brand, this time I’m crossing paths to the other side of the fence.

I Made It

He who does not feel me is not real to me. Therefore he doesn’t exist. So poof… vamoose son of a bitch.

I leave this global Football Club to become Chief Digital Officer at a Central London marketing agency (sure you’ll all find out which soon enough). A board level position with all the trimmings and I’m sticking my middle finger up at anyone that ever doubted.

It’s a chance for me to really see what I am capable of, because honestly, I have no idea. I have developed products, hit targets and built winning strategies for the companies I have worked with and it now looks like my time has come to step up to the challenge.

If I flop, then fuck it. It’s all part of the adventure anyway but I go into each venture prepared for anything that gets thrown at me and what I don’t know, I quickly learn.

Outro

And I cant help the poor if I’m one of them
so I got rich and gave back to me thats the win/win..

No, this isn’t where I build my legacy, but I believe I am growing. I have my long term vision and I know I can’t contribute to society in the volume I would like to, but with every step up the ladder I take, I know I am that little bit closer to making a significant impact.

The world that I am changing, is my world. Once I’ve conquered that, I’ll get to the rest of you.

It seems to be the sauna at my health club where the thinking process occurs; this time when a random chap begins talking (like hello, this isn’t the place to make chit chat pal, im nearly naked).

Anyway, we were talking about what fields we are in; this guy is apparently a semi-pro Rugby player, struggling to reach the next level and not sure if this is the life he actually wants.

He spoke of not being given opportunities by his coach and the feeling like he was being neglected. He said he never had the urge to go beyond what was asked of him because he wondered why he should seeing as no-one would notice.

This got me thinking (as always).

What is it that motivates us to go that little bit further? Beyond what is being asked of us or what is the necessary and strive to make things happen that are not in front of our faces.

Motivation is a funny thing; it acts as an ever lurking energy within the spirit, cropping up in every decision we make. It creates reason, and with reason we create actions.

Getting out of bed for example, especially when you know you could fall back to sleep on the touch of the snooze button. Is that a form of motivation we can consider a positive, or is it based primarily on fear? Fear from our employers, fear of letting people down or even fear of failure.

As humans we are very different and a persons motivation will no doubt vary from the events in our past, the thoughts in our present and by the aspirations in our future.

To reach that goal, to strive for that next level and to achieve beyond what is considered the norm, we have to dig deep; understand what our motivation is, and transform the thought in our brains to an action in our lives.

It is within our journey for self fulfilment (call me Socrates) that we find the key to our minds and unlock the truth (or Sigmund Freud) behind what truly motivates us to achieve.

Call To Action

It is incredibly easy to just coast and float along, but being labelled average is far worse than being labelled a failure, in my opinion anyway.

The call to action from this post… What is your motivation? What is your tipping point and at what stage do you get up out of bed with the mentality that today is going to be the day that you make things happen?

Don’t answer the above… Just do it!

The topic of relying on people is a general discussion and it amazes me how the consensus is that you have to rely on people in life. But do you really?

To be perfectly honest, i find Bruce Wayne/Batman to be much more of a role model when it comes to proving that with determination, self belief and being proactive, you can achieve without having to rely on anyone else.

It was a quote within ‘Batman Begins’ that really made me think that dismiss the obvious fictional creation; Batman and Bruce Wayne stand for a whole lot more.

“It’s not who i am underneath, but what i do that defines me.”

With this in mind, i wrote a post about relying on people, and whether it is within yourself or others that defines what you stand for. Cos Who Can We ‘Rely On’ Really?

The Government? Please…

At the time of writing this, the General Election is the main topic taking over the minds of the general public, and while i did not vote, i won’t comment on the current situation.

But why i chose not to vote points back to the title of this post and it is simple.
I do not rely on the Government, i do not believe their sales pitches and to be honest my mum talks about it more than enough for me to spend my time watching the news or reading about it.

Should i pay more attention to the Government and their policies? Maybe. But give them one chance to let you down and you’ll be forever cursing them so i’ll leave you to decide if politics has much of a point and whether your vote/voice/opinion actually makes a difference.

Don’t Sell Yourself For Cheap

It’s the same with everything in life. Leave your fate in someone else’s hands and its like being put on eBay at a starting price of 99p. The risk is always there and you could get sold short.

Take control of your decisions and have 100% belief in yourself over anything else and you will find that you are less likely to face a problem. Simple outlook right? Kinda…

But at some point you will reach a stage where you may need to rely on someone to get you to the next step. Whether it may be a contact to introduce you to someone, looking for work and relying on either the recruiter or the employer to believe in you or even maybe just waiting for someone to arrive before you can crack on.

Bruce Wayne Gets It!

Relying on people is just a part of life and where you will always face rejection in one way or another, you overcome it by knowing where you are heading and having enough belief in yourself to just brush aside any doubts.

The message i portray on this site has always been and will continue to be that to succeed, you must rely on yourself.
You must rely on your own knowledge, power, experience and resources.

You must be self-determining like Bruce Wayne! No, I’m not saying to hibernate into a cave but i suppose if you had Bruce Wayne money things would be different. I’m saying be resourceful, be appreciative of life and be proactive.

Know that there is no absolute security in anything, and push the boundaries without relying on anyone!

That being the case, get in the thick of it and fight! Create the life you would choose to have, and whether you achieve it exactly or not, just an effort is noble. Failure is not an option!

I Am Batman

What is so significant about a comic book film that simplifies determination and discipline, is that regardless of who you are, you will be judged. It is your actions; it is my actions that will tell the final story.

With this in mind, i have put myself in the position i am in and my future relies 100% on the decisions i make and the opportunities i present myself.

For example, while i created this blog to assist and help people with easy-read articles about development, it is also my personal platform to leverage me to the next step. I rely on my determination to stay active, current and informative with articles and entertaining pieces.

Bare in mind, i am no journalist and it is not in my general skill set to write articles or stories; so ask yourself why you think that i do this and maybe you can figure out what it is that you really want to achieve and also how you will go about reaching that goal.

I am Batman and Bruce Wayne together, minus the bad ass suit and the millions, i have the discipline and the determination to overcome any hurdle that may stand in my way.

Final Thought

Rely on yourself, be proactive and don’t leave your career, your future, your life in anyone’s hands but your own!

Music Makes the Blogs Go Round

“My life is deep, everyday’s like constant grief, And all I wanna do is breathe, so I choose to rely on me, I’ll never let me down.” @TinchyStryder

Tinchy Stryder – Rely On Me
Tinchy Stryder – Rely On Me (Prod. By Dirty Danger)

I have thought about the quote above for years and have repeated it many times when speaking in discussions about power, respect and success.

This got me thinking about what it is that we actually strive for…

Here is my analogy of Striving To Achieve in reference to The Layer Cake.

Why Am I Doing This?

“The art of good business is being a good middleman.”

On my About Page it says“I have come to realize that my desire to achieve is linked hand in hand with wanting to help others achieve.” That may sound pathetic and cheesy, but my last blog post had over 30 Twitter retweets, meaning it helped some of you enough or was a good enough of a read for you to share with your friends.

Anthony Robbins states in this video that there are six human needs to help us to find self-fulfilment on our journey:

• We need Certainty
• We need Uncertainty
• We need Significance
• We need to feel Connection & Love
• We need to Grow
• We need to Contribute Beyond Ourselves

Am I Getting Anywhere?

“I mean, it’s like selling anything: washing machines, handmade shoes, blow jobs. As long as you don’t take the piss, people will always come back for more.”

The feedback i have begun to receive from writing, has given me the motivation to continue to share the knowledge i have collated in the industry with the hope that it will help you on your journey. This is in fact my chance to ‘Contribute Beyond Myself’… and it is this that gives me the reason to continue trying to help others.

Bear in mind, i am no way an expert or a specialist (although thanks to those who have said i am lately).
I created this with an understanding that i wanted to lay the basic foundations so that:

• I understand myself the journey i am taking.
• I can share my knowledge with those that may find it useful… Sharing is caring and all that.
• I am creating a personal archive to look back on.
• I am striving for personal success.

Am I Heading In The Right Direction?

“Everyone wants to walk through a door marked “private.” Therefore, have a good reason to be affluent.”

Take a moment to think for a second about your plan. Have you laid your foundations or are you just going all guns blazing with no armour? Seriously… think about it.

Am I Willing To Do Anything To Reach My Goal?

” If you have to kill a person, never ever tell a living soul.”

The ladder to achievement is always based on taking a hefty amount of shit.
Remember Andy Dufresne swam through a tunnel of shit to come out clean on the other side. Confused who he is? Shame on you… Click here!

Am I Becoming Someone I Don’t Wanna Be?

“You know why people like you can’t leave this business? Because you make too much money for people like me.”

Some of you don’t mind taking shit all day (Pause), not like it’s a bad thing, as contentment is your own level of self-fulfilment. Others will take no shit and will spend their lives either hustling, bumming around or pretending to themselves that they are a success.
Well, whose gonna tell you differently eh?

Playing Your Part In The System

“It is vital that we work to a few golden rules. Always work in a small team. Keep a very low profile. Only deal with people who come recommended.”

So where do we find common ground for those that are on their way up trying to reach the next level?

I’ll give you my example. I work full time; i understand that for me to touch the sky, i have to be able to afford to fly. Money doesn’t grow on trees remember…

I answer to a series of people who can rain a storm of shit on me if they want, and regardless of how many people i know in the industry, how many followers i have on Twitter or how many projects i work on; i do need to be employed.

I know that success is a slow climb and by playing my part in the chain of command i am able to slowly piece together my journey to the top of the ladder.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

“But as some roman general once said: If you seek peace, plan for war.”

If you have an idea of what it is you want to become, make sure you have a plan of how you are going to reach it.

Make today become the first day of the rest of your life…

Be Proud of Yourself

“I’ve checked you out, son. You’re a smart lad. But you keep very, very bad company.”

There is no shame in working to raise collateral, it is down to you how you manage your finances and your time so that you can progress.
It is the weak that get locked in to an establishment so long that their dreams become non-existant and they become part of the office furniture.

Have a Plan… and Stick To It

Everyone knows those graduates that spend years at University pushing for that top end degree, then when they graduate they can’t find work.
They finally manage to get a job in an industry irrelevant to their field and BAM… five years passes and what’s happend?

They have become a Customer Services Supervisor!

WAHEY………. SCORE! Enjoy paying that student loan back!

If you stick to a basic plan and are passionate about your dream, you will never get complacent with a dead end job as you will always know what you are capable of.

Note down where you see yourself in 3 months, 6 months, 12 months and 24 months.
Then break that down even further…

• How are you going to get to your 3 month goal?
• Who do you need to contact?
• What do you need to set things up?
• Do you need to raise any finances?

Well I’m honored. But for me this is all over. I’m getting out. What was true then is true now. Have a plan. Stick to it. So I’m sure you must have lots to discuss… but I have no business being here. I’ve got someone to meet. Adios, amigos.