(Part of the Building Brand You series) Someone once told me that success in life is determined by the people you meet and the books you read. Your network really is your nett worth ’they’ say and for that to be true, it’s got to be about more than collecting contacts. The value lies in how people remember us and that requires making a connection. Being a great connector allows you to develop strong and sustained relationships that can unlock success for you well into your future. Here are 4 habits to help you become a powerhouse connector. HABIT 1. BE OPEN⠀ First things first. Put aside your ..read more

(Part of the Building Brand You series) Developing your visibility in line with your brand, reputation or profile is essential. It's not just because it's good to be remembered. It's also good to have people remember how/where to find you so that opportunities, partners, customers can wing their way to you versus trying to hunt them down yourself.⠀ ⠀ It's time for you to step forward and be seen. Here are 4 simple ways to increase your visibility. 1. Stand up Think about a time you were at an event and the audience was invited to ask questions. What did you do?⠀ A. Slide down in your seat - yo ..read more

How do you reduce the amount of fire-fighting and build long term success for your business? Here I chat with Storywand's Nate Chai about how talent mobility can help you serve much more of your customer base and how building a sound three year roadmap can equip business leaders with the tools & techniques to navigate disruption and uncertainty. For further information on how we can help you navigate uncertainty & bulletproof your 3-year plan, please get in touch with KymHamer@artemisfutures.co.uk ..read more

I bought a painting recently. It was something of a celebratory purchase - my business has grown exponentially in the last few months, I’ve launched a second business in the Middle East with a couple of business partners and my loved ones are well. It was also a congratulatory purchase – a ‘well done me’ for riding the waves of uncertainty, sticking with my vision and continuing to believe in what I’m doing. But that’s not really why I bought it. I bought because when I saw it on Instagram, I knew I had to have it. That’s right – I bought it on Instagram. I bought a moment Leonid Afremov was ..read more

By Kym Hamer & Kit Jackson Recently we were asked to offer some thoughts about the role of women in leadership across the world. With Kit having been involved in Homeward Bound and Hearts in the Ice – two programmes committed to empowering and equipping women in STEMM to lead the change that will be necessary to address climate change on the planet – and Kym being an influencer, entrepreneur and speaker on women in B2B and leadership - we were both surprised when the question gave us pause. Kit began her career in strategy in an industry dominated by men. Not just in the consultancies she ..read more

Have you seen the movie It’s about the American Civil Rights Movement’s defining march from Selma, Alabama to the state’s capital, Montgomery in 1965. I found it hard to watch in places – the barbarity of humankind is a confronting thing to see – but at the same time, I also learned a thing or two. I was particularly inspired by Did you know that he did this – this thing that made a difference to so many people and changed the fabric of society - during his time as President of the United States (1963 to 1969)? No? Me neither. What does this have to do with butterflies? A few years ago, I lea ..read more

Image source: Will Porada via Unsplash In 1985 Michael Porter published his book Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance and 35 years later, his premise still lies at the beating heart of many organisations. But the deluge of modern customer needs, wants, opinions and desires that is faced by organisations means that when a new and entirely unforeseen challenger sweeps in, what was your differentiating proposition i.e. your competitive advantage, could be dead in the water. Is competitive advantage still a relevant model for today’s blurred-at-the-edges, fast-movin ..read more

Image Source: Pexels Did you know that 84% of CEOs in Europe and 94% in the US use social media? Did you also know that 80% of senior decision makers prefer to make decisions based on a range of articles, information and sources? People buy from people they know, like and trust. But in today's digital world having access to so much information on-line means that we can do a lot of our initial investigation and due diligence before we meet, let alone commit, to anybody. The ability to tell your story powerfully on social media is critical but how can we create trust when we've never met people ..read more

Just like walking to the next tee, starting over can really help you up your game. Recently I was at an event where we were comparing the number of jobs we'd had and companies we'd worked for since leaving University. Mine came out much higher than everyone else (19 jobs at 10 companies) and it made me realise how unusual my career is. But what I also realised was that starting has actually become my forte. Starting somewhere new, getting to grips with things quickly, asking the 'dumb' questions and being able to build connections is just what I do. It's been at the heart of my biggest succes ..read more

Two weeks ago I climbed Now I can add mountain-climber to my list of lofty achievements. But saying that does not really encapsulate what I went through. It was tough, in ways I expected and many that I didn't. I was so far out of my comfort zone. But being uncomfortable is where learning and growth happens. So here are 5 key lessons for climbing a mountain in business, in your career or any part of your life. 1. Build your power team I climbed with thirteen other amazing women, eleven of whom I'd never met before. Experience ranged from one regular climber, several 2-3 timers right through t ..read more