About
If you ever find yourself interviewing a head hunter in a small bamboo hut in the depths of the Borneo jungle, I strongly recommend that you don’t stare at the rafters.
It’s not that the head-hunter is likely to object, well not much.
But it's because what you see there may well make conversation a little difficult.
The thing is, that’s where any self-respecting head-hunter keeps his trophies, and having a lot of shiny, grinning faces looking down at you, can seriously put you off your stride.
Not that they were his trophies, exactly.
No, he reassured me. They had been collected by his ancestors. Possibly also his grandfather.
Perhaps his father.
But definitely not him.
The trick is to behave as if you’ve seen it all before and make sure you know where the nearest exit is.
It’s what attracted me to journalism in the first place. The unexpected. Never being sure what each day would bring.
It was at a point after college when I really didn’t know what I wanted to do.
So, when someone suggested journalism – “it’s mostly indoor work with no heavy lifting,” they said – I decided that was for me.
And I’m glad because I loved doing it. Getting to know real people with real stories and sometimes even being able to have an impact.
I’ve been a senior crime reporter and head of a regional online news desk, covering everything from legal issues, crime, business, politics and economics, to security and even sport and lifestyle, — not always in the same story.
I’ve spoken with people from all walks of life, including the well-known Arctic (and Antarctic actually) explorer, who was happy to talk about his expeditions and various body parts lost to frostbite and said he would go on an expedition with anyone, except the French. I’m sure he had his reasons.
And I’ve had the great opportunity to go on exercise with the Gurkhas, some of the finest soldiers in the world and some of the most hospitable people I have ever met. They also make what is, for my money anyway, the best curry anywhere.
Online, I’ve worked on developing content and digital strategies, helped build brand recognition, studied the psychology of user experience and tried to unravel the ongoing mysteries of SEO. I even dabbled in XML programming, a great way to bore people at parties.
It’s been a heck of a ride, during which I’ve picked up all kinds of skills, learnt from some of the best in the business, had a chance to travel and glimpsed so many different aspects of the human condition. Some good, some bad, a few extraordinary, but all very human.
When not writing, I’ve walked across Australia and run around New Zealand’s North Island for charity and joined a 50-mile mountain marathon by mistake.
Oh yes, I’ve also adopted a Snow Leopard family with the Snow Leopard Trust … I bet they never phone home.
So contact me now and together let’s start creating the kind of high-value digital and content strategy you need