Update

It's been a great few weeks.  I've been having a lot of fun naming and positioning a spin off from a county council.  The positioning work evolved into giving the various teams a collective purpose, something they all felt represented them and they could all believe in, but which also had commercial value.  We've been crowdsourcing the naming, which has been fun and involved a variety of physical and virtual workshops  It's reminded me that people can be amazingly creative if you create the right conditions and give the right stimulus.

I've been working for a big multinational on messaging.  It's just been me on this project, but it's been really challenging to try and unite the various parts of the business around a common framework.  It hasn't been fast, but I think we're nearing the finish line.

I had the great honour last month of being the 'continuity host' at the WEA's membership conference (think Dermott O'Leary on X Factor, but without the dress sense, looks and banter).  This was quite something.  We had various speakers and workshops and the conference was streamed from Leeds into 6 remote locations around the country.  The WEA does amazing work in adult education.  At a point where we can see a future with various jobs becoming redundant (industries changing, dying, relocating, jobs replaced by machines, etc) it's essential we all keep learning, especiaily those in low skilled roles.  It fills you with hope to hear the stories of people who were at rock bottom but, through the transformative power of education, regained their confidence and self-repsect and pulled themselves upwards.  Ruth Spellman, the CEO, said some very kind words about me at the end to everyone who attended.  There's some lovely video work Ive done with the talented tea at Short Form that I'll share as soon as it's made public.

And I've had two former clients come back and ask for some extra help which is always pleasing.  

Olix will be two years at the end of August.  Where has the time gone?