To teach or not to teach, that is the question
Written by Paul MooneyShould You Change Your Life?
I was flying back from Aberdeen. Happily bored. They say that there’s only 2 emotions on an airplane – hours of boredom interspersed by moments of terror! The girl sitting beside me was about 25 and seemed keen to engage. Reluctantly, I took off the noise cancellation earphones and closed my book. It turned out that she was a teacher, plying her trade in a disadvantaged primary school where assaults on teachers were commonplace and student on student violence was endemic. Not a centre of learning for the faint-hearted. A very ‘middle-class’ lady, she seemed confused about the whole experience. I was definitely listening now.
99 years of achievement
Mai Tallent on her 99th Birthday with her daughter Ben
I’d like to wish a really Happy Birthday to my Aunt, Mai Tallent. Mai is in hospital in Kilkenny and is doing well. She has had a very full life over the past 99 years.
Mai was born Mai Gorey from Sheestown in County Kilkenny. She trained as a butter maker, spent two years in Ramsgate and then returned to Bennetsbridge Creamery. She married, “the Squire” of Sheestown, Jack Tallent, my uncle (my father’s older brother). Jack was one of 15 kids, a large family by any reckoning. She received many visitors yesterday and loads of cards and well wishes.
Why Branding and Sales Promotion are Not Interchangeable
Branding is the emotional response
In the world of promotion, branding has been called anything from a logo, to putting a logo on things, to a general image. If I may be so humble to speak for those of us who specialize in branding, a brand could replace the word “reputation.” How a customer perceives you, your town, your product, experience or organization etc. is your brand.
Neil Diamond, Skerries 100, Dr John Hinds, Party & Ice Cream
Skerries 100 2015Last week end was planned from a long time back. Loreto and I were going to the Neil Diamond concert (again) in the 3Arena and then off to Skerries to stay with her sister for the motorbike races. The Skerries 100 is a road racing circuit on tiny narrow roads where the bikes reach speeds in excess of 250 kph. It has been running since 1946. Tommy & Annette live on the hairpin on the course and it gives us a great vantage point. You can read another article on the 2012 racing here.
“What's your USP”?
We counted back through the years. The last time we’d been to New York for fun was 1992. Oh sure, I’d made a number of business trips since. But being a ‘business hostage’ inside some anonymous Ramada Inn basement (sorry, conference room) doesn’t count as a life memory.
When is a party not a party? When It’s an Alliance.
Written by Robert TallentThe start of a New Independent Alliance in Dublin
Today saw the start of a new Political Independent Alliance in Dublin run by Shane Ross TD. It is a mix of TDs, Senators and County Councillors. It was launched on the Plinth at Leinster House and through a miscommunication or a lack of understanding, the launch had to reconvene on the road at the gates of Leinster House.
IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2015 drops Ireland to 16th place.
Written by Robert TallentIreland ahead of UK and behind Germany, Norway and Denmark
The US, Hong Kong and Singapore are the top dogs according to the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) World Competiveness Yearbook 2015. The US has been in the number one slot for a few years and it is as a result of its strong business efficiency and financial sector, its innovation drive and the effectiveness of its infrastructure. Switzerland are in 4th slot, losing two slots from last year.
A Great Branding Read in Star Brands.
Star Brands by Carolina RogollI’m approached almost weekly to review books on branding and sales. Most don’t match my core values but Star Brands intrigued me. I told Carolina that it would take me a few weeks to read it and then I would review it.