The Festival has been running for 8 years and brings researchers into local pubs all over the UK to get people interested in science, in this case machine thinking, extreme engineering and big data. Now I'm no scientist and a comedian as opposed to presenter -the nearest I get to science is Doctor Who or reading Douglas Adams novel. However my geek credentials and curiosity served me well, even if the audience preferred hard research over warm up jokes, I was just the messenger.
Social media was big and #pintofscience trended on Twitter during the live events (there were 21 in Manchester alone!) When organiser Becky took a photo of myself and the other professors, we all put our drinks down out of shot - until she reminded us that it was the pint of Science Festival and drinks in hand were preferred!
Highlights for me were Professor Steve Furber's Spinnaker Project. He had worked on the BBC Micro and Archimedes computers which filled my with nostalgia. Dr Mostafa Nabawy and his bio-inspired micro robots. Making tiny spiders that jump and flies that fly sounded like a Sci-fi disaster movie waiting to happen. Dr Katie Druce's talk on 'what people mean when they say they don’t sleep' and how it can be monitored was as clever as it was easy to understand, using fitbits to monitor activity at night in the bedroom (SLEEPING!). Also I particularly enjoyed ProfessorDavid Berezan's Sounds of the sea, which uses real time data from sea buoys to create a dynamic soundscape. The combination of data, process and improvisation to create a hypnotic nautical composition pressed all of my buttons, and it was no surprise when we chatted that we are both fans of Delia Derbyshire and the BBC radiophonic workshop.
Big thanks to Becky Dodd and all the organisers at the University of Manchester for letting me share the stage, and for keeping me watered with some very good cider courtesy of the Beer Nouveau venue.
Micro Drones are here to take over the world!
A timely kick in the pants.
Naturally, being self employed means I have to be proactive, and speculative. With all the goodwill in the world, bad habits can creep into work patterns over time, my work patterns. The very nature of opting to go on a course to grow my business, creating a new 'business model canvas' is healthy. Being asked questions that poke at the corners of where I want to go with my niche ' stand up comedy techniques for presenting and public speaking' training is a very welcome and invited kick in the pants.
Better networking.
Delivering training on presenting and public speaking skills using techniques from my experience in stand up comedy, is a bit niche and a bit of a mouthful to explain concisely. I've always found networking a challenge not because of a lack of confidence, actually the opposite. I'm happy to talk and listen, but always found follow ups quite low. Learning that potential clients are more likely to look online for the kind of training I provide took the impetus off attending live events where I wasn't speaking.
The advantage of the focused nature of the Spark 2 Scale programme is, I find, that I'm in the room with other business minds eager to grow. That common goal really helps. Like me they're looking to pick up skills, and of course the best business offers are made when you're not looking for them.
Thinking big.
The anticipation of having a growth strategist look over my new business plan with a fine tooth comb and a big red pen was a bit daunting. Despite recent successes, it was outside of my comfort zone, and some of my hidden worries (impostor syndrome or feeling like an amateur) were threatening t show themselves.
Wonderful then to sit down and have all that negative thinking evaporate as my adviser shared my enthusiasm for what I was doing and it's growth potential. Helping open doors, look at big goals and point out flaws in a way that was practical and constructive.
Prep for the next step.
I've three new projects lined up, and as I'm writing this blog. Both leads came from the preparation I put in before starting the programme. I don't want it to sound like bragging. ( I'm currently reading the book 'How to toot your own horn without blowing it' - Peggy Klaus). However once I'd signed up to the course I wanted to have clarity about my outcomes. Updating the website, re-writing marketing content and polishing my elevator pitch, the little jobs that get pushed back received the extra attention they deserved and got results.
Supportive and sharing.
I'm aware through the many books I've read that business is people. Whatever the size. I'm influenced by my environment and the people I choose to work with. I shouldn't have been surprised when the second masterclass was on personal effectiveness. Clapping my hands under the table when the handouts touched on the 'the map is not the territory' one of my favourite phrases about planning and adapting to change.
Spark 2 Scale has provided an inspiring environment for my business goals and I'm glad to be part of it.
Links:
The Business Growth Hub
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