Happy Talk

The single best thing about my freelance role is the range of fascinating and interesting people I get to meet.

I'm aware that I'm doing a lot of ideas and concept building at the moment, which is always much more romantic than keeping the supporting pillars steady - but it's damn exciting.

Today, after lunch, I met with Mick Taylor. A Geordie mathematician, educator and businessman who is involved in setting up Goodmoney, a social enterprise concerned with the radical re-invention of how money works. A gift voucher that supports local businesses, a credit union that offers fair loans and a structured time bank that offers Sussex volunteers the chance to trade time/services for tickets/goods/services. I'll be hopefully playing around with them as an advisor, consultant and volunteer for the foreseeable and will see what happens; the connectivity and values-led experimenting of it all is appealing.

Then I moved straight, from hipster coffeehouse to a Costa 50 yards away, into a meeting with an account manger from JISC - the agency that supports the development of education technology in FE and HE. A great discussion that circumnavigated challenges and opportunities in the sector and how I might be able to facilitate the greatest impact with providers to test and analyse the impact of products on the market. The change of coffee shop tone is no accident.

For night-time connectivity, I took always possible associate James Turbull to London, meeting with with the great and good of charity/non-profit fundraising at a drinks reception in Farringdon. Hosted by the great James Newell of Kingston Smith, it was a good opportunity to discuss ideas of leadership, values and business with some intriguing and dynamic people; key players I enjoyed  boring with my whims were Mandy Johnson, Director of Partnerships at change.org; Paul Nott, Charity Recruitment Specialist; a freelance fundraiser called Sarah (who had kept her Minneapolis accent despite 10 years in Birmingham); Leanne from KS who partied with us near the samosas and many other warm and interesting people. 

It was quirky to have a summer party on a hot day in a windowless basement boardroom, but the beer was cool and the smiles were big.

More people, more connections, more joining up thoughts. I like this bit.