I can safely say that there has been no stagnation and a lot of ripples in 2012 - most of which were positive. But I don't want to tell my life story as though this was a diary, instead I would prefer to pass on any lessons I have learnt while illustrating them with life events.
The first would be: 'If at first you don't succeed, try, try again'. Now I understand this is not a unique piece of wisdom to impart but I do have a unique example to support this - my experience at the Kiss Chosen One competition. In 2011, the competition by Kiss FM was launched in an effort to find the next big radio presenter. In 2011 I didn't get past the audition stage, neither as part of a duo nor as an individual. However in 2012, the competition was relaunched and I had a pretty smooth path to the Final 25 of the competition as I qualified at the first audition. While I didn't win the competition I was able to make this demo...
It should be noted that it wasn't just determination that allowed me to succeed but also a year's worth of presenting development including experience interviewing Alyssa Reid for FAME TV...
It should be noted that it wasn't just determination that allowed me to succeed but also a year's worth of presenting development including experience interviewing Alyssa Reid for FAME TV...
While this was a lesson learnt in a professional context it was also one learnt in a personal context - specifically relationships. This year I came to realise that you should never give up trying to find the perfect partner in your life because after what may be many unsuccessful attempts you eventually will - as I have with Miss Vivian Kelly.
These personal and professional successes are owed partly to a man that meant a lot to me in both a personal and professional way. The founder of FAME, "the other half of the pantomime horse" (as Terry Mansfield CBE has described us) and the brother/mentor/friend that inspired me and changed the way I think forever - Deji Osobukola. He passed suddenly in April from a brain aneurysm and his funeral was held on my 22nd Birthday, something that I felt was deeply symbolic in a strange way.
He is also the catalyst for another lesson I have learnt: "Nothing is impossible". Something we illustrated together in a metaphor of doors; if there are three doors in front of you, leading to where you want to go, and they are all locked then blow a hole in the wall and create a fourth door. We often reminded each other of the Fourth Door when necessary and this is something I will continue to remind myself of in his absence.
Most recently, this 'nothing is impossible' way of thinking benefited me in the mammoth task I had been given to do at the Grapevine (askGrapevine HR since January). This was to co-author the UK Retained Executive Search Industry Report, an annual publication that is distributed around FTSE boardrooms across the country. Myself (Deputy Editor since March 2012) and the new Editor, Ben Ashwell, shared the 30,000-word burden equally and had to write our halves in just over a week. Something that was achieved with all nighters, weekend trips to the office and early morning starts - but achieved nonetheless. My HR writing was also recognised for quality, not just quantity, by Towers Watson who awarded me Highly Commended Best HR Journalist Newcomer earlier this year.
Finally, my most important lesson of 2012 so far has been that life is too short. If a 30 year old with the potential to be the next Richard Branson can suddenly be taken then we should all not only avoid procrastination within our careers but also try and enjoy life and do the things we enjoy socially, seeing and experiencing everything we can. Because of this I have tried to travel and enjoy life as much as I can this year; I experienced Edinburgh with Vivian (http://fameonline.co.uk/2012/06/edinburgh-the-castle-the-cathedral-and-the-koalas/), visited my family in Ireland (for the first time in over a decade) and have plans to party in Zante, Greece, (next week) and holiday with ten of my closest friends at the end of September in my Dad's villa in Calpe, Spain. All in all I wish to enjoy life and recommend that everyone adopt a #HalfFullThinking mindset as there is no point wasting your breath being negative, when it could be one of the last breaths you take.
My proudest achievement over the last six months has been successfully publishing the May issue of FAME magazine - a celebration of Deji, the talent behind the talent magazine - with the help of the rest of the team, each of whom all showed incredible dedication.
(to read the magazine go to: http://fameonline.co.uk/2012/05/fame-magazine-issue-6/)
