Creating anything of value takes a level of empathy and understanding that is rarely instant.

Why is that?

• It takes a presence of mind to stop, listen, and observe before taking action.
• We get caught up in the fog of what we assume we should do or what we've always done. 
• Without challenge and inquiry, our biases (conscious and unconscious) affect our judgment.

As humans (consumers), we want to feel understood. In a time when immediacy seems to come before quality, understanding and empathy feel more scarce than ever.

People recognise the care we don’t take as well as the care we do.

Lucky Dip

Click a mystery link or click all three. Try it, you might like what you see.

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They're the people whose talent and experience are difficult to find on the open market.

This progressive group allows me to inject the right talent based on each project's needs.

Specialisms within the collective include:

• Digital Strategy and Implementation
• Rapid prototyping
• UX/UI design
• Product Development
• Software Development
• Automation and Digitisation
• Data analysis
• Web and App build
• Coaching and Mentoring
• Workshop Facilitation
• Trends and Insight Research
• Tech-integration and management
• Content strategy and delivery
• Agile Project Management

If you'd like to find out more about how the CurveFinder® Collective can help accelerate your business, please get in touch.

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Jason and Yvonne are on a mission to encourage 10 families to move to the Scottish island of Tiree. The island is a beautiful but difficult place to live at times and this comes with economic challenges.

Having moved to the island themselves to start a new life and enjoy early retirement, they happened upon an opportunity to make a difference in an unexpected way.

By getting to know a crofter neighbour they found out that many lambs from flocks on the island are orphaned. They become too expensive to care for and are effectively left to die. So, they set about hatching a plan to save the orphaned lambs and use their considerable skill set and network to create a new brand. This would be a brand that had a purpose at its heart. One that is good for the animals but also good for the humans of the island.

Wind forward a few months and Jason and Yvonne have created WELAN. A sustainable fashion brand making ethical, high-end wooly hats.

During our time together business has started to boom. After loads of great coverage from the UK national press, sales have rocketed.

Future plans include a kickstarted campaign, a micro-mill, and attracting an army of makers interested in creating ethical fashion.

Jason and Yvonne have been superstars to work with. I've had the pleasure of seeing their story resonate with so many people. They're doing work that matters. Of course, there is more work to be done and I look forward to supporting them on their journey.

To find out more check out their website .

Find out more about Pathfinder.

Who Cares Wins: an ongoing study of the people who decided to make the leap and do work that matters.

These are the people who have set about building businesses, big and small, that have a purpose at their core. By innovating themselves they subsequently inspire others. For them, winning isn’t about building million-pound revenue streams (although I guess that would be nice). No, for them it's about creating something that intrinsically transcends money. Subsequently, it becomes something far more soulful.

Further reading:

The art of making more than just a product by Otter Surfboards

Maker and studio owner, Tori Gray, used her ‘creative frustration’ to launch a new venture

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"We think that gyms are a waste of energy. There are many neglected tasks and people in our communities that need that energy. We want to bring these things together."

Good Gym founder, Ivo Gormley thought up the idea for this unique social enterprise when he'd become frustrated with the gym and bored with running around the block.  Like many of us, he needed something else to motivate himself to keep going.

Through chance, he heard about an elderly man in his wider community who had no family around and who could do with some help.  Gormely extended a kind hand and the neighbour accepted.  Speaking to The Big Issue, Gormley explained that "He said it would be very helpful if I could bring the newspaper. And that’s what I started doing every Tuesday and Thursday.". The two struck up a friendship and the idea for Good Gym was formed.

Gormley went on to take part in a Social Innovation Camp and ended up winning first prize. The platform was set and through prototyping and by adopting an approach of continuous improvement Good Gym is in 47 locations in the UK and looking to expand further.

An inspiring mission

"We think that gyms are a waste of energy. There are many neglected tasks and people in our communities that need that energy. We want to bring these things together."

The team have been focusing a lot on loneliness and isolation amongst older people.  In the UK over 1 million people aged 65 and over admit to always or often feeling lonely, and 17% of those living alone see family and friends less than once a week.

As one person describes it: "With aging, you lose a lot of friends. It's really sad, and it does affect your quality of life. Loneliness is difficult to cope with." - Joan Boulter, 87

The team at GoodGym and all of the runners doing good across the UK are making a magical contribution to improving the quality of life for older people.

If you want to get involved you can find them at getinvolved@goodgym.org

Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash

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In this playful interview with comedian and writer, Bob Delaney* for Vice/noisey, Rock Star Josh Homme has an interesting view on taking ownership, creating a talented team and finding weird chemistry.  The history of Queens of the Stone Age is full of examples of different people coming in and out of the band.  Each time creating a different dynamic and sound.  From the outside, it can look chaotic, especially when there are the inevitable stories of bust-ups with former members. But it's clear from Homme's words that a lot of this has been by design in order to keep things fresh and, in essence, deliver something unique each time.

Homme himself is an all-star collaborator having created the super-group Them Crooked Vultures with Dave Grohl (Nirvana/Foo Fighters) and John Paul Jones (Led Zepellin) as well as playing with Iggy Pop and producing Arctic Monkeys.  Indeed, for their most recent album Villians, Homme opted to create some "weird chemistry" by employing the production talents of non-other than Mark Ronson who is usually famed for more mainstream, groove-based work like Uptown fun with Bruno Mars.  Something that raised eyebrows given that QOTSA is famed for heavier, riff-based rock songs.

On building a band (creative team), Homme shares his view on collaborative leadership and getting out of the way of the 'thing' in order to allow it to be its best.

"It never mattered to me the size of the role that I have.  If the thing is good... who cares?"

"I would say that it's kinda like being on a ship on the ocean... If the cook fails you die.  If the rigger fails you die. If the captain fails you die.  They're all equally important.  The only problem is if the cook wants to be the captain or the captain wants to be... that role envy is a problem."

Putting the creative stuff aside for a minute.  There is also a great band-and-forth about turning 40 and becoming a father (more than once) that really made me giggle.  "When I had two kids I have maybe 20 free minutes in a day.  Like, not in a row. Now, with three, they're fucking gone!  But, then, it makes me work harder because if I have a free second I'll write a novel and a half and build a small cathedral."

Homme and Delaney also touch on the single-mindedness needed to be successful in a creative job, philosophy, trial by fire and how stories (music and comedy) help them understand a confusing world.

This here video, then, is 12 minutes of your time well spent.

*The title of Delaney's book is comedy gold...  Rob Delaney: Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage.

Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

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"Everyone in the world, one way or another has gone to bed with fear or pain or loss or disappointment.  And yet each of us has awakened arisen, somehow made our abolitions and said "morning, how are ya?... Fine, thanks, and you?".  It's amazing.  Wherever that abides in the human being, there is the nobleness of the human spirit.  Despite it all..."
- Maya Angelou

On the anniversary of Martin Luthor King's assassination, I was drawn to a commemorative interactive 'Google Doodle' that made me (and I suspect millions of others) pause on the wonderful poem by Maya Angelou called 'And Still I Rise'.

You can tell from her comment above that even though its roots lie in the Human Rights struggles of Dr King, Maya and, many others, she actually wrote it for us all.

And Still I Rise

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own backyard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

Photo by SH Lam on Unsplash

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These are the people who have set about building businesses, big and small, that have a purpose at their core. By innovating themselves they subsequently inspire others. For them, winning isn’t about building million pound revenue streams (although I guess that would be nice). No, for them it's about creating something that intrinsically transcends profit and loss. Subsequently, it becomes something far more soulful.

Tori Gray from Harbour Lane Studio

“I was turning into this grumpy person that only ever moaned about her job and I didn't like that person so I had to make a change and it had to be a big one.”

Meet Tori Gray.

Tori is an artist whose hometown is South Queensferry in Scotland. She’s an illustrator and maker and after graduating from college, like many others, she found herself working retail in order to earn a living. But she knew it wasn’t for her in the long-term. The changing point was that she knew she could do it better than some of the bigger retailers she was working for. She had a calling to create something of her own that would not only show her own work but the work of artisans and makers from all over Scotland. So, she took the leap and found premises in her hometown and set about transforming it into a working studio and shop.

I’m having this wee design printed onto tote bags for the shop! Like a Harbour Lane bag for life that lets everyone know they shop handmade!

A post shared by Harbour lane (@harbour.lane) on Feb 27, 2018 at 9:42am PST

Harbour Lane Studio is, you guessed it, an atmospheric little lane leading to South Queensferry Harbour with all its stunning views. The pictures don’t do it justice. Harbour Lane is a magical space that crackles with creative energy.

Championing Scottish Makers

Tori hand selects every product, taking care to curate work by talented Scottish makers. She also shows a lot of her own work including an ever-changing array of limited edition prints and bespoke lampshades. As it’s also a working studio there are weekly workshops where folks can learn how to make their own work using techniques like screen printing and lino cutting. With all this going on, Harbour Lane has become a real creative hub for the town and the surrounding area. Tori also has regular requests to run workshops in larger venues around Scotland.

A post shared by Harbour lane (@harbour.lane) on Feb 7, 2018 at 4:17am PST

Creating something remarkable

I met Tori as part of the mentoring scheme run by Creative Edinburgh and I was blown away by her drive and talent. Aside from her amazing creative skills, Tori shows a combination of two key ingredients for ‘success’: She is action orientated and unflinchingly focused on getting sh*t done and at the same time she has a deeply rooted purpose to create something remarkable.

Her purpose isn’t just about creating another gallery selling other people’s work. She could probably have chosen another place to set up in nearby Edinburgh rather than her sleepy hometown. But I sense that wouldn’t have worked in the same way for Tori. Instead, she has set about transforming a run-down space into something utterly unique. By championing other artists work she has created something authentic that people immediately want to support. And by using the space to invite others in to learn new creative skills she has formed a bustling creative hub.

I recently asked Tori a few questions about her journey. Her answers will surely inspire others.

What made you take the leap to do your own thing?
Complete creative frustration! I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do but I knew I hated what I was doing and needed to get out if I wanted to stay sane. I was turning into this grumpy person that only ever moaned about her job and I didn't like that person so I had to make a change and it had to be a big one.

What has been the toughest part so far?
I constantly battle with the worry that I don't know what I'm doing. That at any point, someone is going to walk through the door and take it all away. It can also feel like I am giving it my all and it's still not quite enough. It's definitely been a learning curve to accept that I'm not superwoman and that sometimes I have to make sacrifices. I have really high expectations of myself and what the studio should be but I'm slowly realising that if I don't meet them, it's only me that notices.

How would you describe how you've adapted and grown your skills by doing what you do?
One benefit of having the open plan studio means the barrier between customer and artist is broken down. People can see my work and are more likely to engage with that and feel more comfortable to ask questions. It's taught me to trust my skills and judgment more and that all this knowledge I have collected can be shared with people. That and now I am an epic multi-tasker and to-do list writer!

What keeps you going in tough times?
Running your own business can feel really lonely sometimes. I'm the only one in here day to day, the only one making decisions and the only one to fix things if something goes wrong. That can be really hard and sometimes I do want to run away and hide from it all. Luckily, because I stock work by lots of artists who run their own business too, I have a whole network of people who understand exactly how I feel and can offer support in the form of an ear to moan to or a catch-up and a coffee. The creative industry is hugely supportive of each other and it's amazing to be part of something like that.

Where do you gain inspiration from?
I get a lot of commissions now so my inspiration comes from my customer. Maybe that's very 'commercial' of me which was always seen as a dirty word at art college but it's really rewarding to take a customer's rough idea and turn it into something physical that they can treasure forever as special to just them. I occasionally wish I was a bit cooler and edgier with my work but people like what I do so don't fix it if it ain't broke right?

You can find Tori on Instagram or at harbourlane.com

For more examples of Who Cares Wins check out:

How Otter Surfboards take sourcing materials to a new level.

Outdoor clothing complany Patagonia prove that caring about the environment is very good for business.

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This is Caroline McHugh and she has something important to say about authenticity and doing work that matters.  Jonathan Mildenhall the CMO of AIRBNB describes her as the love child of Ellen Degeneres, Anita Roddick and Buddha.  High praise indeed.

According to her bio, Caroline is founder and CEO of IDOLOGY, a movement dedicated to helping individuals and organisations be fully deployed, original versions of themselves. IDOLOGY is her word for putting your self to work, and it has gone from being a fanciful idea to a bit of a lapel-grabber, to qualification criteria for anyone determined to perform to their potential.

“If Ellen Degeneres, Anita Roddick and the Buddha had a love child, it would be Caroline.” -  JONATHAN MILDENHALL, CMO, AIRBNB

For more than two decades, Caroline has been inspiring captains of industry, politicians, global economists, and internationally renowned artists, all with the intention of helping them discharge their talents more fully. She and her small team of IDologists have swept through organisations from Mastercard to MTV, proving that when personal engagement rises, productivity and profits do too – turns out putting yourself to work is not just good for you – it’s good for business, because it’s the only place in your life you have no competition.

Her TEDx talk is worth 26 minutes of your time if you can find it.

Main image by Paul Dufour on Unsplash

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Lawrence also shows a deep knowledge of one of our default traits as humans; we are all, from time to time, trapped by our ego's, fueled by the reptilian part of our brains. In other words, the fear of failure (FOF) or fear of missing out (FOMO) or not being good enough can consume us. It's also this part of the brain that has been programmed over the ages to guard against predators and to see survival as a competition.  More below on the three parts of our brain that work together to make up who we are.  The good news is that, through practice, there is no limitation to what we can learn.  We can all "get into the forests again" and "stamp our feet with new power".

We shall laugh and institutions will curl up like burnt paper

"When we get out of the glass bottles of our ego,
and when we escape like squirrels turning in the
cages of our personality
and get into the forests again,
we shall shiver with cold and fright
but things will happen to us
so that we don't know ourselves.

Cool, unlying life will rush in,
and passion will make our bodies taut with power,
we shall stamp our feet with new power
and old things will fall down,
we shall laugh, and institutions will curl up like
burnt paper." - D.H. Lawrence

The three parts of the human brain

1. The reptilian brain, the oldest of the three, controls the body's vital functions such as heart rate, breathing, body temperature and balance. Our reptilian brain includes the main structures found in a reptile's brain: the brain-stem and the cerebellum. The reptilian brain is reliable but tends to be somewhat rigid and compulsive.
2. The limbic brain emerged in the first mammals. It can record memories of behaviours that produced agreeable and disagreeable experiences, so it is responsible for what are called emotions in human beings. The main structures of the limbic brain are the hippo-campus, the amygdala, and the hypothalamus. The limbic brain is the seat of the value judgments that we make, often unconsciously, that exert such a strong influence on our behaviour.
3. The neocortex first assumed importance in primates and culminated in the human brain with its two large cerebral hemispheres that play such a dominant role. These hemispheres have been responsible for the development of human language, abstract thought, imagination, and consciousness. The neocortex is flexible and has almost infinite learning abilities. The neocortex is also what has enabled human cultures to develop.

Main image by Joshua Sortino on Unsplash

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Some people/businesses completely embody what they do.  So much so that they take their association with their product (whatever it may be) to another level. Often, it's a combination of lots of little creative elements.  Elements that have a certain, well,  je ne sais quoi.  When we see them, we know they just fit.  Like Pantone and Prince.

"The Prince Estate, alongside Pantone Color Institute™, the global color authority, announced today the creation of a standardized custom color to represent and honor international icon, Prince. The (naturally) purple hue, represented by his “Love Symbol #2” was inspired by his custom-made Yamaha purple piano, which was originally scheduled to go on tour with the performer before his untimely passing at the age of 57. The color pays tribute to Prince’s indelible mark on music, art, fashion and culture."

NB: Thanks to Ross Perth for this share.

And just for the hell of it...

Main image by Scott Webb on Unsplash

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