We Can Be Heroes...Just For One Day

That is the opening line to one of my favourite ever songs. You will quickly learn that I have a very mature music taste for my age. Anyway before I get onto my blog about how wonderful/rubbish art is (I hate most art, especially modern art... a red dot on a page is not art... its a red dot on a page). I wanted to take the time to talk briefly about a few of my influences/inspirations and hero's (I'm not going to cheat and include these two posts are part of my weekly tally....)

If you click any of these peoples names, it'll direct you to a profile of them, which will most likely be his or her wikipedia page....

1. Warren Buffett

His wikipedia says "considered to be the most successful investor of the 20th century, as well as being a Philanthropist.

Ive always been brought up where money was discussed and this gave me a great financial education. I think every child ,via the national curriculum, should recieve a similar education.
We never wanted for anything. The only ever wanted that I didn't get was a tweenie playset (If you're reading this Dad... I hope that African orphan child it went to enjoyed it more than me!). Technically there was a second thing I never got. The other being a quad bike... but apparently that was a waste of my savings, I can see why now. The point of all this is due to this financial education (and because I didn't spend £999.99 on a blue argos quad bike) I used the money to make a investment like MC Buffet at a youngish age.

Now I don't expect for one minute that I will be successful as him... I cant see my profits jumping up to 120k in the next two years, (unless I answer the emails I received from the ex-King Nigeria...) But I would like to be able to be in a position where I can own a llama called Rupert and buy my local football club develop my own company to help NGO's/Charities/Good Causes get their message out their. So whilst I cant donate 30 million at the drop of the hat, I could make them that and gain vital support through branding/advertising.

2.  Geldof, Bob

Bob had an idea... a big idea... but despite being told no, that his Live Aid couldn't be done, it happened and is now cemented in history. I think if you a message or something you want doing, then its not impossible... unless you want to stand on the sun...but that's a pretty silly idea (even for me). He's hugely passionate about helping change the world.

3. IRIS and Zappos
Been a fan of Zappos as a company for a while now, especially the culture which centres on the old school philosophy that happy workers are productive workers. They don't see work as work despite working in what is effectively a call centre, because the founders and CEO's spend the majority of the early years working on the culture of the company. Iris are an agency using similar strategies including a group known as the Smile Police and another called the Lash Squad.

4. Brian Clough
If you haven't watched the film The Dammed United then do it. Do it now. I'm serious. Brian Clough is to be considered one of the best managers in Football League history. One of my favourite quotes by him is "I'm not the greatest manager in the country, but I'm certainly in the top one". This to me is what being in a creative industry is about.  You need confidence in yourself and your work to succeed.

5. Todd Kozel

Very few people will have had of heard of this guy, and to be perfectly honest neither had I until my dad introducedme to this willy wonker style character who exists in his own little world. He is control of one of the companies I invested in, which has potential to be sold off for big amounts of wonderful cash yet he isn't interested in cashing in his gold mine. He is far more interested in using this as a
tool to achieve mass publicity and get himself in to the history books by having a FTSE100 company. But hes not scared of many people, and oozes a sense of whimsical that leaves people willing to back his decisions.

Right... I promise I'll mention art in my next blog...