Memento Mori is a Latin phrase meaning 'remember you must die'...The Stoics used Memento Mori, not in a morbid way, but to create priority and meaning in life. It served as a reminder to treat each day as a special gift and not to waste time or procrastinate! I founded Armour Wills & Estate Planning after seeing a close relative struggle following the sudden death of her husband. As well as coping with the grief of losing a life partner, she had to deal with probate and getting her own Will drafted. Each process lasted months and took an enormous emotional and financial toll. There had to be another way.So, I rummaged under the bed, dusted off my law degree and started a journey to become a Will Writer and Estate Planning Consultant. Now, I help clients protect the things they care about most.Looking to put your own affairs in order?I offer a free, no-obligation consultation. We could find ourselves discussing Wills, Trusts, Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA), protecting your business, or anything else concerning 'later life planning'. I'm happy to meet online or in person if you're not a million miles away from North Wales.Are you an IFA (wealth manager), mortgage or protection broker?Due to the nature of Will Writing and Estate Planning, clients provide personal introductions to friends and family. There is always a genuine need for advice and services regulated by the FCA. If you'd like to discuss forming a strategic alliance, please get in touch.Contact details:e: simon@armourwills.co.ukm: 07845 019999o: 01352 860 360

Hold the front page! Quest Media is the custodian of the Tameside Reporter newspaper, which has served the people of Tameside in Greater Manchester for the last 165 years.It’s a traditional community paper for local people, by local people…On the face of it, I must have been stark raving mad to accept a job in newspaper advertising. Why? Because people say print is dead and everything is ‘going online’. Well, things have been going online since the launch of Google in 1997. The floodgates were flung open and there was no time machine to take us Back to the Future. Yes, many newspaper titles have vanished, and circulation has dropped. But millions of people still read things written in print every single day. In fact, I’m one of those folks who love to pick up a book, magazine or newspaper. So, it’s an honour to be part of the small band of people who are safeguarding the heritage of our local paper.My role at Quest Media is to sell ad space by identifying potential advertisers and making contact via email, social media and telephone. Cold calling prospects flies in the face of what I preach to businesses when talking about B2B sales and how it’s now about building relationships using social media (social selling).However, when you need to sell small-value B2B products or services you can’t beat the good old telephone.I’m also responsible for re-launching the property section of the paper, Your Best Move. This will be a resource for those who aren’t glued to social media and all things online. And will give property professionals the chance to reach a fresh audience, build brand awareness and attract new clients.

I finally saw the ‘light’ after reading Social Selling: Techniques to Influence Buyers and Changemakers, written by Tim Hughes and Matt Reynolds.You see, up to that point, my default paradigm for sales prospecting and lead generation was to pick up the phone. Cold calling had been my Excalibur for more than 20-years. But in recent times it had been losing its edge to the point where it wasn’t efficient or effective! I also understood reading a book wouldn’t embed the mindset and behaviours necessary to be successful with social selling.So I reached out to Tim and Adam from Digital Leadership Associates (www.social-experts.net) and told them about my epiphany.They told me about their mission to take social selling and wider digital transformation to sales-led organisations around the globe… Now, I’m part of the UK team. And I get the opportunity to work with business leaders who also recognise the need to embrace modern selling methodologies.

At [nah-rahn-hah] we free our clients from the chains of social media management and help embed social selling as a standard operating procedure.  Isn’t all social the same? No.
Social media marketing is marketing one-to-many. Social selling is marketing one-to-one. It’s the difference between a shotgun and sniper’s rifle!
Why social selling? B2B buyers are now harder to reach using old school methods such as cold calling… But more importantly, it’s the power of social selling to influence decisions at all levels of an organisation. Selling socially puts the salesperson back in the sales arena at an earlier stage of the buying process. One where it's easier to control and influence the outcome. You don't do this using every trick in the Sales Bible. But by a shift in mindset, positioning yourself as an authority (or valuable resource) and being seen as a trusted advisor. At Naranja Social, I’m the Chief Relationship Officer which means being responsible for building business relationships. The ambition for Naranja is to become a virtual team with social media talent from across the UK and beyond.   
Here’s exactly who we work with:RECRUITMENT AGENCY FOUNDERS & LEADERS - Social media is continuing to open up a stream of growth opportunities for B2B businesses. We offer transformational social selling training. And outsourced social media management at a fraction of the cost of hiring a social media manager or executive.
RECRUITMENT MARKETING MANAGERS - Are you in need of a cost-effective resource (a spare pair of hands) to help manage your social channels whilst you still maintain control?
TOP GUN RECRUITMENT CONSULTANTS - You know social media is important but you’re too busy recruiting to give it the attention it deserves. In a nutshell, you're leaving fees on the table. We will put together a game-changing social media plan and work with you to execute it.

I hopped on a plane to Spain with intention of travelling and immersing myself in Spanish culture. But it didn’t happen. Instead, I tinkered with Coffee Caboodle (my affiliate marketing website), did a shedload of online arbitrage on Amazon Europe, and built an online store using Shopify (sold drop shipped items).I also enrolled in several online courses to learn professional social media management, and how to run Facebook advertising campaigns.

The Dutch company Randstad, is one of the world’s largest staffing and HR service providers.Following a whirlwind 12-months as a 360 recruiter, I decided that transforming lives on a daily basis was a worthy cause and something I wanted to be part of. Student Support was a division within Randstad that provided specialist support workers to learners at college or university who had Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND).My role was Business Development Manager, with a territory covering Wales and sections of northern England. The objective was to sell the features and benefits of our flexible recruitment model (temporary workers) to the senior leadership team. A model that would help fill gaps in their provision whilst improving efficiencies. And potentially saving a significant amount of money. If the solution proved to be a good fit for the college and its SEND students, then we would look to switch the bulk of their student support to Randstad.My responsibilities included sales strategy development, marketing activities, sales - prospecting to closing, and relationship management.It was difficult getting college CEOs or Principals on the end of a telephone. And although I had not yet heard of the term “social selling” I was applying some of its core principles, such as making personalised approaches via social media. However, the biggest personal challenge was the sales cycle length. It could be up to a year before college budgets were being discussed and this was often the key window of opportunity.Having come from the dynamic world of contingency and retained recruitment the public sector moved too slowly.Despite the fact I was forecasting a substantial gross profit margin. And had a healthy sales pipeline, I realised this was not a role for the long term. So when I was invited down to HQ to be briefed about a company restructure and possible redundancies, I took this as a sign to jump ship.Next stop Spain!

Adam is a boutique marketing and digital marketing recruitment agency based in the heart of Manchester.It felt like I’d been transported back 25-years to basic training in the army. My job title was Trainee Recruitment Consultant and I had a bucket load of new stuff to learn about how to become a 360 recruitment consultant.
I had 3-months to pass muster…Thankfully, I was guided by the CEO and my team manager who were both veterans of the mighty Michael Page recruitment company. 
It took just over 12-weeks to place my first candidate. Although my KPIs had been headed in the right direction it was a relief to get a deal on the board. And to be offered a permanent position as a fully-fledged Recruitment Consultant. My primary responsibilities included revenue generation, new business development, meeting candidates, sending CVs and booking interviews.At first, I found the background music and colleagues chatting on the telephone distracting. I was used to working in silence. But I learned to zone out from my environment and focus completely on the task at hand.Through sheer hard work, long hours and help from senior team members I got into the groove. And started making placements on a consistent basis.In fact, within a year I was promoted to Senior Recruitment Consultant. And won the monthly Top Biller Award 3 times.I thrived on the competition against other consultants to be top dog. But I also loved helping candidates find a new role, especially when it moved the needle in terms of their personal life or career.However, it wasn’t just about winning briefs and placing candidates. I found the general attitude in recruitment to be work hard, play hard. And an all-expenses-paid trip to the Lake District was the BEST job-related jolly I’d ever had.I also rediscovered Soreen malt loaf, otherwise known as recruitment fuel!

Para was set-up to deliver digital marketing services to law firms across England and Wales.I’d recently finished a law degree at university (studied whilst working). But decided not to pursue a career in the legal profession. However, I saw an opportunity to build a digital agency targeting solicitors’ practices and barristers’ chambers. I figured having the letters LLB after my name would add credibility and help get my foot in the door. My responsibilities included business development, the creation of digital marketing strategies, search engine optimisation, and social media training. Web design projects were outsourced to trusted digital agencies on a ‘white label’ basis.
Within weeks of launch, I landed a web design contract from a commercial law firm. The project was delivered on time and the client was delighted with the result. But there had been a few communication problems during the project.Rather than learn from my mistakes and continue helping law firms make sense of digital marketing I changed direction. Para became a generalist digital marketing consultancy. In hindsight, it was an error in judgement. To be honest, Para marked a dark period in my life and career for several reasons. Having said that, it certainly wasn’t all doom and gloom.
I worked with some brilliant local businesses and by the end, I'd learnt how to build WordPress websites.

Fluid Creativity was an award-winning digital marketing agency that operated from a Googleplex-style warehouse conversion on the outskirts of Manchester City Centre.I was responsible for winning brand new search engine optimisation and social media marketing contracts.It was a classic business development role, where I first had to create a documented sales strategy. And then generate my own leads and sales through cold calling, networking, and social media engagement (now known as “social selling”).In 2012, it was still relatively easy to get through to a decision-maker providing you were persistent and altered your angle of attack. In fact, I realised one of my key selling skills was the ability to ghost through closed doors and get in front of buyers. I also discovered I was pretty good at spotting business opportunities in unusual places. Like the time I was on a train coming back from an exhibition and overheard three guys opposite talking about holiday parks. They didn’t look like Joe Public, so I guessed they must manage or own a caravan business. As I glanced across I noticed one was wearing Jeffery West shoes (my favourite brand). That gave me the perfect excuse to join the conversation without sounding salesy.It turned out the guys were brothers and owned several caravan park websites. By the end of the train journey, they’d entered my sales pipeline. After several calls and a face-to-face meeting to discuss our proposal with their leadership team, they became a client.
What I did find hard was having to let go of a client once they’d been on-boarded. Not being able to get involved in the strategy and tactics of implementation was frustrating. 
Yes, this was a sales role but I missed rolling my sleeves up and helping clients achieve their digital marketing objectives.

Glossop Caravans is a leisure vehicle and accessories dealership based in Derbyshire.My role was selling new and used caravans to families. Not the static caravans I used to stay in as a youngster at Butlin’s, but the type you hitch up and tow behind a car. I was responsible for writing advertising copy, handling telephone and email enquiries, arranging appointments, demonstrating caravans, attending trade shows and exhibitions, carrying out financial assessments with potential buyers, and hitting monthly sales targets.
Working in caravan sales honed my rapport building and questioning skills. And sharpened my ability to negotiate with people from all walks of life. One day you could be selling to a traveller and the next a barrister.
But I did find it challenging at first.
Maybe because I’m the type of guy who prefers to be left alone when shopping. I let customers browse without fully engaging in conversation. However, with three other colleagues hungry for a sale and the possibility of only speaking to one qualified buyer, I quickly learned it paid to dive straight in. 
The Sales Director’s mantra still rings in my ears, “you have to expose yourself to the risk of a sale.” Wise words.
Apart from doing a deal, what I enjoyed most was seeing how happy customers were when collecting their caravans. I imagined caravanning helped bring families closer together and create lasting memories. 
I wasn’t selling lumps of metal with wheels. I was selling flexibility, fun and freedom!Highlights? Selling five caravans on the same day (a modern-day company record at the time).Helping re-launch a very successful profit centre within the dealership by coordinating with the construction team to remodel the site. And later creating online advertising to sell clearance stock and generate sales enquiries.I also had the pleasure of meeting Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash who bought a caravan that featured in the Royle Family Christmas Special, 2009.

FX was a full-service digital marketing agency before the term ‘digital marketing’ was popular. I got into the sector because whilst working at BT they started selling web design services. And I thought the web might be the next big thing, so I decided to give it go.
The only problem was I didn’t know how to design websites.Simple solution, I bought a book from WH Smith. But after a week I realised it was going to take ages to learn HTML and be good enough to charge clients.Rather than investing time to learn web design (bad mistake), I employed two guys who had just finished university. Duncan had a graphic design background and Gary web technologies. Perfect.
I also leased an office in the town centre. And had custom PCs built connected to ISDN lines, so the Internet was fast.My primary role was sales, but I also did search engine optimisation because SEO was an area I found interesting. The biggest challenge was convincing businesses the web was here to stay and having a website would bring in new customers.But, by cold calling and walking unannounced into the reception of local firms, we built a solid client portfolio. We won business from companies such as Holiday Hypermarket (Co-Op Travel brand). And Glossop Caravans, who were Europe’s largest caravan dealership. We also created online shops using the desktop ecommerce software Actinic Catalog. 
All this despite the fact FX was around when the Dot Com bubble burst, high-profile companies like Boo.com collapsed, and web marketing was seen by many business leaders as a fad.
Things were looking good, but I didn’t keep a close eye on cash flow and bought ‘assets’ I shouldn’t have. Before long I was running out of money and my team were running out of patience. This is part of the story where I tell you my creativity, entrepreneurial spirit and grit enabled me to turn things around. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case and the business ceased trading. Several lasting lessons were learned.

BT is one of the world’s largest telecommunications companies.I was totally unqualified for a corporate office job. But I got in through the back door because I was dating a young lady who worked there and she wangled an interview with her boss. Who also happened to be a friend of the family.My first job title was Clerical Assistant, which meant keeping the photocopier and dot matrix printer topped up with paper. I also did tons of filing and data entry.Thankfully it was the early '90s and the start of a rapid shift in the telecoms sector. BT found itself fighting for business against real competitors for the first time. That meant the company needed people who could sell efficiently and effectively using the telephone. Inbound and outbound.Yes, I 'backdoored it' into BT but the interview process for a Telesales Executive position was challenging. Obviously, I was no sales guru but my enthusiasm and shiny shoes won the day. I was now responsible for selling telecommunications products/services to small and medium enterprises. To be honest, I didn’t feel like a natural salesperson and found asking for business (closing the sale) difficult at first. But after a while, I got into my stride and started racking up sales. It also helped that no expense was spared by the company on telesales training and coaching.After a few years, I was asked to take on a secondary role as Product Champion. This meant learning about new products and services. Then I had to deliver training to colleagues on the features and benefits. Standing up in front of a room of peers wasn't easy. But I enjoyed teaching and working with people one-to-one. Plus, I discovered something about myself - leadership potential.The next step was management, but my feet were itchy. Luckily, BT was offering juicy voluntary redundancy packages. So I did the only thing any self-respecting former airborne soldier would do, I jumped into the unknown.

The Paras are an airborne rapid reaction force, trained and ready to be inserted into any trouble spots around the world.
I joined the military because I enjoyed the crack as a boy soldier in the Army Cadet Force. Surely a good enough reason?
I remember walking into the recruiting office on Fountain Street, Manchester and telling the recruitment sergeant I wanted to join the Parachute Regiment. He just stared at me and laughed.A few months later I got off the train at Aldershot for what was to be the start of months of mental and physical hell. I should’ve finished basic training in 22-weeks, but I failed Pre-Parachute Selection (known as P Company). The failure was a big blow and I nearly quit as many others did. But my determination to wear the maroon beret and parachute wings kept me focused. It meant being back squadded to retraining platoon and then joining a later intake of ‘crows’. And of course, I had to endure P Company build-up training and selection for a second time.
My passing out parade was the proudest day of my young life. But little did I know the real hard work was just about to start in one of the toughest units in the British Armed Forces...
I left the army a Private soldier without any applause, medals or battle scars. However, the experience shaped the person I am today - Ready for Anything. Decades later I still look back at how I dealt with failure to pass P Coy as a pivotal moment in my personal development.Airborne isn’t a job title or description it’s a mindset. It’s about pushing yourself beyond what you think you can do in order to complete the mission (achieve your goal). To go for it, even when the odds are stacked against you. And it’s for that reason, I’ll Be Airborne 'Til I Die!