I’ve built businesses from scratch, lost one in circumstances that taught me more about people than any MBA could, and started again. Twice.
This is where I write about entrepreneurship, leadership, and working life — without the LinkedIn polish.
My Airbnb host in Nuremberg just cancelled my booking for Toy Fair 2027. Booked a year out, gone, no explanation. Try finding anything similar for the same price now. You can’t. Old town, two minutes from the U-Bahn straight to…
Took a little time off last week and went to Hua Hin. Lots of beach walks early morning with Sarra, chasing seabirds and not catching a single one. But participating is just as fun. Seabirds chased: 34. Seabirds caught: 0.…
Prague International Toy Fair has been postponed to 2027. Again. I’ve lost count of how many times this show has been rescheduled. At some point a postponement isn’t news, it’s just confirmation of what everyone already suspected. Toy Sourcing International…
A magpie built her nest from twigs she’d gathered everywhere: a jay’s discarded ribbon, a squirrel’s forgotten thread, a sparrow’s clever weave copied stitch for stitch. She never invented a single pattern. She simply watched the forest, took what worked,…
The numbers say the toy industry is having a strong year. Circana’s data shows 13% dollar growth in the US through April. Triple-digit growth in sensory toys. The kidult market expanding. All good. I’ll be honest with you. I’m not…
Because of the recent press releases about my career change, I have received quite a few requests for contacts on LinkedIn. My rule so far has been that unless I have met somebody in person or we are part of…
I was flabbergasted to read in this week’s Maidenhead Advertiser that £400k worse of public money was going to be spent on changing the paving in the night street. Why? What for? So utilities came come and dig it up…
Why I am quitting LinkedIn groups that are not moderated.
I had to go to a meeting in London yesterday; the meeting was about trade fairs and gave me the opportunity to meet with the person in charge of the fair. I was not going to miss this! I set…
They all are poor excuses we have all heard before. Do you actually believe them? Probably not, so why do people still use them?