I was recently at the Business Growth Hub Festival of Enterprise in Manchester at the Royal Exchange Theatre. An amazing opportunity to connect with people from other businesses and catch up with some of the uber networkers I know for the Manchester scene.
One of my favourite aspects of the event was 'Speakers Corner' where anyone could get up and deliver a 60-second pitch. A queue quickly formed for this, and you could see the anticipation in the eyes of those in the queue.
Some were jumping at the chance to be heard, while others were steering well clear. There were some great pitches and some not-so-great, but all the better for those who did it. For me, a networking opportunity to address a room of a couple of hundred people shouldn't be missed.
Delivering a 60-second pitch shouldn't be a chore or something to be fearful about. At this event it was a quick way for many people who understand what you do. A fast way to generate interest and make it easier to start conversations.
Many kinds to the Business Growth Hub in Manchester for putting this event on.
John Cooper is a comedian and presenting skills trainer based in Manchester
Crikey, eh?
They were some dark times, crazy times, and some might argue the changes that happened then are still being felt today. To mark the occasion, my graphic novel, DISTANCE, is now available on Amazon for the first time.
Did you run out of toilet roll? Did you social distance in a group of more than 6 people? Did we ever find out if was a scotch egg a substantial meal?
I drew this social commentary in comic book form at the time, as it happened from March 2020 to Jan 2022 and this is the first time the complete version has been available in print.
The title is a play on words about social distance and running, but as time went on it was about perspective too, getting distance from those extraordinary events. May you live in interesting times. Indeed.
Previously, Distance has only been available via Kickstarter, where it was successfully funded over 2 volumes, and from me directly at conventions and art fairs. This 'UK Lockdown Anniversary' edition contains the entire run, including additional material.
A couple of pages were also shown at the HOME open exhibition in 2022.
Back 2020, I started drawing a comic strip diary. I had no real plan, just creating it one page at a time documenting the ups and downs of life during the pandemic. As time went on it became about how to stay positive, exploring the weird, dark, crazy world we've all experienced dealing with living through such bizarre times. Like most people it made me reflect on life, be super vigilant and make new decisions about the future - whatever that might look like.
Comics are a great way to share experiences, and it was a great way to connect with people at a time when I couldn't touch, hug or meet up with friends.
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