Last week I had the opportunity to join an afternoon packed with interesting conversations at the Cyber CMO 360 Meet-Up and Cyber Exchange 360 – ‘Talk to the board’ session, hosted at the Science Museum, London. The event provided a new invaluable chance to connect with peers, share strategies for maximising event success, and engage in meaningful discussions.
CyberCMO 360
Gathering heads of marketing, the CMO roundtable, hosted over a delicious lunch, presented the perfect opportunity to talk with other seasoned marketers and engage in a lively debate about the challenges facing sales and marketing teams, and aligning KPIs – specifically around events. The hotly contested topic of attribution continues, as does the desire for marketing not to be consider as a cost centre, but for sales and marketing to potentially report into a CRO. This approach would ensure teams are aligned, and trusted communications and good relations are at play – after all, marketing is a revenue generating part of a business.
Talk to the board
Following the roundtable, I was able to attend and hear Board Directors from Enterprise and Technology companies at ‘Talk to the Board’ session, part two, in which many questions were asked by moderator, Steve Hill, former global CISO, Credit Suisse, to the panel of experts. Forming a formidable line-up, the panel included Lorraine Heggessey, former controller of BBC1, Roger Flynn, Chairman, Cooke Optics, former CEO and Leader in Transformation Change, Virgin, British Airways, Prudential, Haydn Brooks, CEO and co-founder, Risk Ledger and Rupert Lee-Browne, Chairman and group Chief Executive Officer, Caxton.
There were so many insights to capture but here’s some sound bites from the ‘Talk to the board’ session, where they touched on the subject of mental fitness and the rise in the importance to talk more openly.
Key takeaways
Learn how to deal with stress in your own way, and in a positive way – there’s no such thing as a stress-free job
Be there for your team, they also need to be there for you – foster a culture that’s transparent, compassionate, empathetic and supportive
If you enjoy what you’re doing, stress can be viewed in a different way, we can thrive on it
Make sure you enjoy your job – we all have a choice where and how we work, empower yourself – take license over your own destiny
Leaders have a responsibility to empower their people and teams – install a culture that’s supportive. As a leader, you have to be able to lean on your team for insights, guidance and advice
The importance of executive coaching – from being a leader in your field to executive level, it’s imperative to work on your weaknesses. Learn how to lead and be a great leader, understand the bigger picture. If your organisation offers it, say yes to executive coaching
Transparency – where do we draw the line, to keep staff motivated and on board. How far do you go with it?
Company culture – If I was forced to choose one key takeaway, it is this. When growing or running a successful business, focus on your company culture, everything flows from here – it’s a foundational and core piece to your brand strategy – a subject I’m passionate about
Build your network
Thank you to Pulse Events for organising, and to Amanda Coles and Sarah Moss, founders of the Sphere network – a platform designed to bring together a community of great people to build meaningful connections in cybersecurity and data security marketing, for the invite to join and for hosting an insightful CMO round table discussion. Also, it was great to spend the afternoon with one of my clients, MD and founder, Paula Elliott from disruptive-tech PR agency C8 Consulting.
For those who don’t know me, I help forward-thinking, innovative MDs and founders build brand value by unlocking potential and creating change. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn and say “Hello”.
There’s much to be said for working in community, living in community, and connecting in community. It’s being and operating in this way that drives human connection, enables people to talk more openly, and in many cases sparks our imagination, unearthing ideas that would never have materialised and seen the light of day, if that creative practice that we’d been invited to participate in, never came about.
Tap into your imagination
You’d be forgiven for wondering what I’m going on about, so let me explain… ‘Connection in community’ was the theme for day 5 of the retreat I went on in Ireland in the first week of October, hosted along the Wild Atlantic Way, in the depths of county Donegal, Ireland. The overarching theme for the retreat was ‘From Word to World’, and each day had a specific focus, with many practices to experience and experiment with having started the day in silent meditation and set our intention.
Experiencing ceremonies influenced by traditional healing tribal practices, playing with movement inspired by QOYA known as a compass for navigating an embodied life that is wise, wild and free, sounding to experience how sound resonates in our bodies and sounds when expressed, to writing practices led by meditation and responding intuitively to a series of questions, designed to encourage us to step into our creativity and feel inspired to unleash our imagination.
Here’s some of the questions that were asked during our warm-up writes, where we have 60 seconds to write down and capture what we creatively, intuitively get, before our logical, analytical brain kicks in and says “that’s rubbish, what does that even mean?”.
Right now, what do I want to say to my body?
What does my body want to say to me?
What do I want to say to my voice?
What does my voice want to say to me?
What do I want to say to my heart?
What does my heart want to say to me?
Courageous conversations
Every day on the retreat, between 5-6pm, we had a ‘Courageous Conversations’ circle. The purpose being to share what is landing for us and to share this with the group, the intention to be of service to everyone. During these vulnerable, challenging and most often extremely insightful sessions, we were invited to observe and follow some rules that enabled everyone to speak freely, with no judgement or interruption. In the Courageous Conversations session on day 5, we were invited to speak and present to the group what we had written in response to our writing practice earlier that day.
It was surprising the intrigue I felt about putting my voice to my words and sharing them openly with the group. There was also a lot of resistance as I felt vulnerable and exposed, some questions and mind games coming into play… “Would it resonate? Would it make sense? Will they think I’m odd? Perhaps it’s best not to share?”. So, in the interests authenticity, sharing and bringing the premise of the retreat ‘From Word to World” to life, here’s what I wrote…
Burn, let your spirit soar
Your voice is beautiful, it’s rich and mellow, Deep and strong, from pitch to shallow, Your voice will say what needs to be spoke, Let it burn like a fire, until it needs to be poked,
Poked with a pole, rod or piece of wood, Encouraged to talk until it’s understood, No need to hide, no need to stay quiet, In this place my voice… my voice,
My voice can be booming, mild and weak, But here I’m seeking a 10-pin bowling streak, To leave nothing unsaid, leaving nothing misunderstood, Releasing what’s worrying me from under my hood,
Like a car has an engine, our brains and bodies need juice, Petrol, diesel and mindfulness, to feel fully present where we stood, We stood at the beach, at the rocks, and the shore, With a question bubbling “Will there always be more?”
More to learn, More to seek, More to enjoy, More to peak?
To peak my interests when the day gets dark, And I begin to feel like I’m losing my spark,
Sparks come in November for fireworks galore, Guy Fawkes, now that was a man who wanted more! He set fire to London city, in a blaze, in a flame, Many people and things never to be seen again,
We’re all on a big journey, and over mountains I’ll soar, Spotting pigs, geese and chickens, and probably wild boar, I like it smoked, dried or sliced, to celebrate the flavour is stores, Completely unlike a digestive and marsh mellow smores,
I don’t like them, they’re too sweet, no flavour to savour, Where will this journey take me, what will be my next endeavour, I’ll endeavour to be strong, wise, kind and smart, Much like a baby born at the start,
All innocence and joy, a tight bundle of fun, For them life on earth has just begun.
The Heroine’s Journey
Whilst in Ireland, at the location of our Heroine’s Journey retreat, I was amongst the most amazing group of women. All from different cultures, having a range of backgrounds, a spectrum of ages, and a huge depth of life experiences – our week together has been challenging, joyful, reflective and transformational, so to my sisters who were called to join this journey together, I have the upmost respect, warmth and heartfelt thanks. Together, in our community, we created something very special.
Connection in Community This was the theme for day 5 on the Heroine’s Journey retreat in county Donegal, Ireland last month. It’s the first retreat I’ve ever been on, so lots of new experiences to explore – writing intuitively being one of them. Here’s the poem that flowed following a few questions to get our creative joices flowing! In the spirit of sharing, here’s what I wrote… a poem I’ve called ‘Burn, let your spirit soar’ 🔥 #intuition#creative#writing#poem#flow
FROM WORD TO WORLD – This is the overarching theme of a fabulous, inspiring and magical retreat I’ve just been on in Ireland, our location deep in the depth of County Donegal, a stone’s through from Horn Head along the Wild Atlantic Way. Our Heroine’s Journey was led by retreat facilitator, author, psychotherapist, Qoya and mindfulness teacher Victoria Smisek, and vocal alchemist Martha Rice.
To provide some context, each day on the retreat follows a similar structure allowing time for silence, mindfulness, movement, writing, vocal expression and free time, which is essential as some of the exercises are intense and took me to and beyond my boundaries, into discomfort and the unknown – the place of awareness, insight and growth.
After silent mindfulness practice, offerings to nature, and a delicious vegan breakfast prepared lovingly by our chef for the week Ellen-Meave, Victoria and Martha opened our morning session by having candles lit in the middle of the room. There were three circles of cards, each circle getting smaller, and the invitation was to pick a card from the outer circle, to read that card then dance QOYA into that card, then the invitation for the second, then to dance QOYA again, then the third and to dance QOYA again. The process being that we had 5 minutes to write after each card was chosen and the dance was danced – each stage and each card evoking different movement and words.
The first card I picked was the ‘The Spiral Dancer – circuitous route, perception
The second card I picked was 32. Iseutt – Goddess of Perseverance
The third card I picked was the ‘Owl’
After my dance and writing with all three cards was complete, followed the invitation to write freely with what flowed when I put pen to paper. In the spirit of sharing, here’s what I wrote…
Sunrise at Horn Head, County Donegal, Ireland
The Spiritual Dancer, Perseverance and The Owl
Once upon a time I felt your heart it’s beating fast, Faster than it ever knew, I raced, I crawled, I’m sure I drooled, But was I ever really ruled?
The rules are, there are no rules, Break free with delight, let your wings take flight, The current of the wind will carry you high, Higher than a star in a glittering sky.
Gour gong, gour gong, gour gong, gour gong, This is the rhythm of my song, My voice is ready, my heart is too, To speak and express the words that are true.
No right, no wrong, the song is mine, To sing silently, sing softly, to sing loud and proud. Perseverance is key, my goddess knows the way, Feel into my movement, feel into my sway.
There’s magic in the winds, feel the whispers, feel the song, It’s time for me to ring my gong, My spirit is high, the dance is strong, Swirling, circling, perception is my song.
Perceiving a new future, Perceiving a new me, Perceiving a new way of being, Creating a new me.
A me that’s magical, a me that’s fully expressed, A me that’s most likely wearing a dress, A dress that’s flowing and moving – no static, frozen or still here, This babe has really shifted gear.
A sports car I’m not sure, but with wheels I’ll spin, Spin directly into a new ‘everything’, I don’t know what it is yet but I think it will include paint, Painting with my fingers, brushing and saint.
Saint equals spirit, a spirit a new, It’s time to put on my new golden shoe, A golden shoe, I spot a shrew, My wise eagle owl eyes, spot me like glue.
I’m now in my vision, I can no longer remain unseen, It’s time to shine, don’t be afraid to be seen, My wings are huge, there’s scope for so much more, Soaring over mountains higher than ever before.
My head rotates left, my head rotates right, Is it possible for this bird to take flight? My wings are huge, my sight is too, Will I have time to find the accompanying golden shoe?
The Heroine’s Journey
This piece, The Spiritual Dancer, Perseverance and the Owl, is the first of a series of writings that emerged on my Heroine’s Journey retreat. I’ll share a few more in the coming weeks.
There’s nothing like spending time with amazing people – especially whilst in Provence!
This August I did something I’ve not done in a very long time… I went on holiday with a group of friends and left my bike at home and it was bloody lovely! After the antics of cycling to Wales and back for the Glaudax on the Snowdonia Tour in early June and doing the Pennine Rally in mid-June my mind and body were longing for a proper break, to switch off, and to relax. And what better way to do it than in Provence in France – fabulous rose, champagne, food, beaches not too far away and a huge amount of laughter and fun.
Thoughts become things…
It was in late June I was thinking I’d like to go on a retreat, to do some yoga, eat healthy food, chill under the rays of the sun, and generally take a proper break, ideally taking in and exploring a new part of the world.
It must have been a week later that my friend Adeline chose to celebrate her 40th birthday in France and invite some of her closest friends – from all corners of the world – along from the adventure. Little did I know at the time that I’d be effectively going on a retreat and discovering some truly beautiful places in and around Provence.
Villa, Poolside
Retreat…
It’s a fabulous feeling to be able to go abroad, to mix with old and new friends, and take a break from my daily routine. Let’s face it, the last year or so has been plain weird, so after much juggling with paper work, booking of tests, checking of travel guidelines, and sourcing flights, I managed to pack my trolly dolly and get to Gatwick. I’m not going to lie, I did find the last few days leading up to going way a bit stressful – “Did I have the right paperwork?”, “Had I understood everything correctly?”, and “Was I going to actually get on the plane and land in Nice?” Thankfully the reality was a big resounding ‘yes’.
Adeline had spent weeks preparing for her big celebration. What I hadn’t appreciated until I arrived is that she was hosting the week to create a template to build future retreats in her native home country – France. There’s a beauty in being part of someone’s creation, to see them shine, being immersed in the moment, and to truly share the experience as our time together unfolded.
Discover…
Over the last 20 years I’ve been to France many times. Paris initially as a proper tourist, and in more recent years heading to the mountains – both the Alps and the Pyrenees. The latter tips have included me arriving with a bike and doing a variety of multi day rides such as The Raid Alpine which goes across the Alps from Nice to Geneva, the Raid Pyrenean that goes from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, and cycling in Provence up Mont Ventoux and through the Verdon Gorge (or Gorge du Verdon as the locals say). Whilst I do love being in the mountains and the sense of adventure, it was brilliant to discover some new places in France and see a completely different perspective.
Pedalo fun at the Gorge du Verdon
Our first evening brought together Adeline’s friends from around the world – England, France, Sardinia, Mexico, South Africa, Italy, America… all to celebrate a beautiful souls milestone birthday. We ate (fabulous BBQ), we drank (rose – lots of it), played games (Uno – if you’ve not got it, get it, it’s hilarious but be warned it does bring out people’s competitive side), we laughed (about anything and everything), and talked until the early hours (no subject was off the table). I always find it fascinating how wherever I am geographically in the world, within a matter of hours it becomes ‘home’.
Throughout the week I discovered and experienced many new things…
Plage de Pampelonne – We visited Pampelonne beach near Ramatuelle and ended up on the nudist section – if you’ve not done it before I’d highly recommend a nude swim in the sea, it’s fun and really liberating.
Catching some rays… Plage de Pampelonne, France
Group Heart Meditation – Embracing the theme of water… at the gorgeous villa we jumped in the pool, formed a circle and did a ‘group heart meditation’ – this is something some of us experienced for the first time on Soul Safari in Africa a few years ago, but it was the first time we’d done this in water lead by the lovely Enrico.
Hugs and laughter after our Group Heart Meditation
Abbaye du Thoronet – We visited the Abbaye du Thoronet, a former Cistercian abbey built in the late twelth and early thirteenth century, now restored as a museum. Some-how we managed to get invited into a group sounding in the main chapel and the architectural acoustics were incredible. After you’ve finished making the sound it continues and echos around the chambers for quite a few seconds – it was really quite grounding and magical as you can feel the sound vibrating through your body.
Abbaye de Thoronet
Sillans de Cascade – Invited by the forest, we took the opportunity to walk to one of the most beautiful waterfalls in France, the Sillans de Cascade. Nestled in a magnificent vibrant green setting, the village of Sillans de Cascade is located on the edge of the Verdon National Park, 20 minutes south of Lake Sainte-Croix. On arrival we were greeted by another wonder of Mother nature… for anyone who’s into yoga, Chakras and making the appropriate sound for each chakra as they relate to an area in your body – the waterfall was an idylicc location to make the ’heart’ sound, amplified literally by the energy and vibe of our group, and the chamber created by nature.
Cascade de Sillans after our Heart and Root Chakra Sounding
There were so many other beautiful experiences I’ve not mentioned… watching Adeline as she landed from her paraglide, taking pedalos down the Gorge do Verdon, exploring St. Tropez and enjoying delicious food, singing Kareoke like we were centre stage at The O2 Arena (that was hilarious and will make me smile for years to come), and many meals together… I could go on.
Refuel…
I’m sure the word ‘refuel’ means many different things to different people. This summer, for me it was the opportunity to spend time with amazing friends and to make some new ones. It really, really was lovely to be in a group, to share conversations, food, laughter, games, and some downtime chilling poolside and on the sand.
Over the last 18 months I’ve had a strong, growing desire to spend more time in nature. It has the swift ability to light up all of my sense… smelling the fresh sea air, feeling the bouyant salty sea as it enables me to float and feeling the warmth of the sun, the taste of cold crisp dry Provence rose, seeing the tale end of the vast south alps mountain range in the distance as I drove into Nice, and touching the sand as it slips through my fingers on the beach. It felt like I’d been away for weeks – not days – and it felt great to return home ‘full’ in every sense of the word.
Birthday dinner after a day at the beach and walking around St. Tropez
It’s time to party!
Now a 40th birthday party is not complete without the obligatory fancy-dress request. However, in the lead up to our adventure I managed to miss the memo of ‘80s Miami Vice’ for the big party night! How? I don’t know… What matters is I managed to pull a rabbit out of the hat and make a pretty funky outfit from what we had available to me. Helped by Jayne for bringing a sensational eye shadow set – the order of the evening was ‘go big, or go home’. Needless to say, another memorable evening of giggles and fun followed.
And what happens on tour, stays on tour.
Until next time…
I don’t think it will be the last time this group of rather fabulous people get together – in fact we caught up virtually this weekend to have a chat and share what we’ve been up to since returning to our respective homes. In the months and years to come I’m sure Adeline will be hosting some more retreats… I’m keeping my fingers crossed I get to join a few more.
If you fancy connecting with Adeline and reading more about our trip do feel free to follow her on Instagram, I’m sure she’ll be posting more info about potential up and coming retreats in France during 2022 and beyond.
I can’t wait until we’re having breakfast once again at this table!
Header image – Source: Pexels, photo by David Bartus
‘Rough with the smooth’ means you have to accept the bad or unpleasant things in a situation as well as the good things.
Who knew that June would be such an epic adventure into the unknown: With a love for nature, mountains and the great outdoors… when I was asked by Alison Dex to take a last-minute place in the inaugural Pennine Rally organised by Rapha – a self-supported adventurous pedal that goes mostly off-road from Edinburgh to Manchester, 15th to 19th June 2021 – I naturally said “yes” then promptly thought about the logistics of making it happen! But happen it did…
Our adventure begins
Generally speaking, I’m more creative than a numbers or stats person, but when it comes to long distance cycling the numbers stack up. For all the stats lovers out there, this will give you an idea of what The Pennine Rally equates to when it comes to digits, from the start in the Gamma Transport Division café in Edinburgh, to the finish at the Rapha store in Manchester.
For me personally The Pennine Rally translates to:
• 523.84 kms ridden • 9,566 metres climbed • 39 hours, 17 minutes time in the saddle • 41 hours, 41 minutes including commuting and registration rides • View the full route from Edinburgh to Manchester on Ride with GPS here
An introduction to hike a bike
I was intrigued by the coincidence and repetition of the number 4141 so googled their meaning: • Number 1 – Helps you discover yourself. It represents personal growth., personal strength, success, goals and ambitions. It also represents new opportunities, a fresh start, a new phase, and a positive attitude.
• Number 4 – Carries the vibrations that symbolise spirituality and balance in life. It helps you understand and appreciate the importance of inner peace. It emphasises that these two concepts, spirituality, and balance, are very significant in your life. Helps you turn goals into reality – through hard work and determination you have an opportunity to make your life better.
• Number 41 – Live a genuine and authentic life.
I was a bit blown away at how these numbers and their meanings resonated with my feelings and thoughts towards the challenge completed. I do strongly believe in balance in life and for me, spending time in nature creates that. Moreover, participating in these rides really does take me outside my comfort zone, they do require a positive attitude and a high degree of resilience – without these attributes I’d not make the finish line.
A sneaky peak inside each day
Me and my pedal partner in crime agreed that photo stops were an essential part of capturing our journey so throughout the ride we took lots of photos – I’ll do my best to share a couple from each day in the hope that they convey some of the experience we shared together.
Day 1: Edinburgh to Selkirk
• 86.33 km and 1,706 metres climbed
Today in five words… excited, smiles, rocks, headwind, laughter.
I’m now beginning to understand the description given on the Rapha website when they said “Only the hardy need apply”…
The rough with the smooth… bike hike into a headwind
In five words the day has been incredible, adventurous, hilly, windy, brutal. The hills are relentless… everyone walking (I’m not the only one) and the headwind is something else.
The scenery is utterly breath-taking… endless rolling green hills that keep on giving, steadily rolling into the distance. The people are super friendly. The vibe set this morning in Edinburgh was one of friendly, informative, helpful and fun. All encouraging each other as we reach the top of the climbs and chatting along the way.
This evening we enjoyed a fish and chip supper – local Eyemouth catch – followed by homemade apple pie and custard. My tummy needed a feed!
Today in five words… forest, moss, remote, breath-taking, fun.
In just under 12 hours we’ve ridden from Selkirk to Hadrian’s Wall… it’s been a rather mental day on two wheels! A complete mix of terrain from logging trails, mud paths, cuttings through the trees, forests with millions of pine needles and beds of spongy moss, and lots and lots of hills.
Heading deep into the woods
One tumble for me coming through a 4-inch gully and thankfully a soft landing in the grassy peat where I met a few black squidgy slugs. No damage done.
This evening we stayed at YHA The Sill. A very welcome lasagne with garlic bread followed by sponge pudding and custard… delicious. Clothes washed and having a spin in the tumble dryer.
We’ve burned through so many calories it’s impossible to consume. A few cokes, one coffee, two Snickers, one bar, one gel, two sandwiches… porridge and a full English for breakie… so I’ve had a good go!
Painkillers and a big sleep, in preparation for tomorrow.
Discovering the thick of the forest
Day 3: Bardon Mill to Keld
• 107.72 km with 1,552 metres climbed
Today in five words… beautiful, scenic, pine needles, cuckoo, wild garlic.
It’s been another rather epic day in the saddle… more variety of terrain, country lanes, disused railways tracks, gravel, rocks, headwind, tailwind, hills and a few more hills.
Viaducts and valleys
Being able to see so many remote parts of our wonderful country is something quite special. The expanse of the views, epic viaducts, the sense of space, the smell of wild garlic, everything is so green, the birdsong is so varied too – cuckoo, warblers, I’m turning into a twitcher! Yesterday we enjoyed the smell of pine needles, the forest floor and fresh cut wood – every day is different.
This evening we dined and stay in a lovely place called the Bunkbarn – a very welcome sight it was too! We’ve been warmly welcomed and served a delicious dinner with a glass of red.
Big shout out to my co-pilot @alisondex – we’re still smiling and we’re rocking this!!
Two days to go until we celebrate in Manchester.
Kevin & Pixie rest while we are having our second breakfast
Day 4: Keld to Gisburn
• 109.98 km with 2,302 metres climbed
Today in five words… brutal, epic, fatigue, hills, wept.
Another monster day, lots of 25% climbs, lots of walking, epic views, feeling privileged to see so many beautiful remote spots and hidden gems.
This morning brings some bridge climbing too
Brilliant seeing the @rapha_uk van out on the road… great for coffee, coke, Tunnock cakes, pretzels and chat with other riders – helps to keep the spirits up and to exchange lots of lost and found flip flops en route.
“Is she OK? We don’t want any dead people in here.”
Waiter
Arriving and having a warm welcome at the Foxhill Barn B&B was fabulous, just what we needed, now for sleep.
There was a sneaky flat route under the viaduct… we obviously opted for climbing the steps and whizzing down through a field!
Day 5: Gisburn to Manchester
• 83.49 km with 1,557 metres climbed
Today in five words… cobbles, smiles, hills, memories, happy.
I was slightly hesitant starting our fifth and final day, and also somewhat relieved as my body was feeling a little beaten up. However, once riding it didn’t too long to warm up as the 25% plus hills came thick and fast. To keep myself going I often focus on four pedal revolutions then have a little celebration to myself – then hit repeat. Four is an achievable number that’s totally replicable. Alison adopted my crazy method for keeping our legs going – it really does work!
As we climbed and pushed our bikes up the hills, clambered over rocks and navigated a gazillion gate ways, we slowly reached an old cobbled roman road along the ridge as we approached Manchester. It was magnificent seeing the city get closer and closer. Having completed all of the climbing for the day in the first 50 km, the final 30km rewarded us with the gentle, flat canal path as we meandered into town. A rather fitting end to complete the rally along the canal as it mirrored the start in Edinburgh.
The end has arrived… our epic off-road adventure from Edinburgh to Manchester is complete. The sun has shone, the sky is blue, the cheers on arrival at the Rapha store were just brilliant and to see so many smiling welcoming faces. The beer and arancini were delicious too – followed by rose and pizza to celebrate our pretty special achievement.
A quick bite and a beer were very welcome
@outdoorprovisions – you mapped out a truly fantastic route… twists and turns, full range of every terrain going – cobbles, canal paths, rocky ascents and descents, grass verges, and everything in between.
Thank you!
A few more rocks and gravel to navigate!
A team effort – “Thank you”
A massive thank you to Alice Fowles for letting me have your place. I know you’d much rather have ridden with Alison as planned, but your help in transferring your place to me and your continued support throughout the event was incredible and much needed to keep our morale high – you were with us in spirit for the entire journey and adventure.
Getting to the start line was took some serious plate spinning and help, particularly by my friend and super star mechanic Rohan Dubash – without you pulling out all the stops to service and practically rebuild my bike (a Pearson gravel bike called Rough with the Smooth) there’s no way I’d have made it from start to finish. The hills were punishing, the off-road was utterly mental, and throughout the entire ride I had no punctures or mechanicals!
To my pedal partner in crime Alison Dex, you are a total legend! And together we have achieved something quite extraordinary! Before we started you shared with me some priorities, passed to you by our friend and fellow rider Helen Sharp, they were…
Have fun and remain friends
Get to the finish
Finish within the timeframe set
We scored 100% and with beaming smiles too!
We’re on the Roman cobbled road… exhausted, happy and smiling.
At the moment I’m struggling to find the words that convey what we’ve just achieved – perhaps it’ll sink in over the coming days. One thing I am sure of is how proud I am of you, of me, the Bella Velo riding crew, and everyone else we shared the experience and the adventure with along the way.
Right from the outset, the vibe set by organiser and UK activation manager Louis Van Kleeff, Rapha, for The Pennine Rally was chilled, friendly, collaborative and fun. It’s a tough balance to strike yet he struck it perfectly. Of the 80 rider places available it was fantastic to have parity with 40 places being allocated to women and 40 for men – it’s not often you see this in cycling events so a great example for rides to come, I hope.
There’s a whisper in the air
Usually, when I finish a multiday ride, I say to myself “never again”, yet thoughts and ideas for the new adventures are already beginning to form, particularly something of the off-road self-supported variety. I did have plans to ride the King Alfred Way this summer so perhaps that’ll be next to share with friends who share my love of nature, cycling and the great outdoors.
Let’s see where the next chapter takes me. Who fancies coming along for the ride?
Six bikes… Five days… four nights… three great friends… two flights… one boat – and much laughter, amazing adventures enjoyed, and many fantastic memories made.
In the last few years there’s been a host of press about the ‘digital detox’ – meaning a period of time during which a person refrains from using electrical devices such as smartphones, regarded as an opportunity to reduce stress or focus on social interaction in the physical world’. Spanning ‘Digital Minimalism’ books that advocate a 30-day plan to take your life back, the introduction of voice recognition and virtual assistants that have been reported to discretely push technology into the background of our lives, to some tech platforms and their bosses acknowledging the potential negative impact of tech on mental well-being – to the point that some have built in features to track over use – I’d say it’s a good time to experiment with what taking a digital detox means for you.
So, in a world that’s ‘always on’, there’s never been a better time to switch off your WiFi, switch to ‘airplane mode’, or simply to switch your phone and other digital devices ‘off’ completely, and be present with where you are, the environment you are in, the people you are with, and to bathe in nature. For me, this meant meeting up with some cycling friends and exploring the Channel Islands.
Guernsey 2019
Going native in the Channel Islands
I’ve travelled fairly extensively over the past 27 years or so, but nothing prepared me for the stunning beauty of the Channel Islands. Not only it is extremely accessible and easy to get to from the UK, a 50-minute flight from Gatwick to be precise, once you get there everything is on your doorstep. From WWII history of Nazi capture, and tunnels and battlements to protect the coastline, to great places to eat locally caught crabs, moules and other seafood, stunning coastal paths to roam, white sandy beaches to walk on, azure seas to swim in – the islander community has a lot to offer people of all ages.
For me it was real solitude peace and quiet; proper dark nights where you see the stars glow and shine; rosy red sunsets that light up the sky and go on for ever; and the opportunity to spend some quality time with some great friends as they showed me around their native Island of Guernsey and surrounds.
In five days and four nights we truly packed in some epic adventures, giggle fuelled fun and relaxing down time from work – this included climbing down the 200 plus steps to swim in St. Martin’s Bay in Guernsey before dining on scallops for dinner; mountain biking around Alderney, stopping to explore Fort Clonque and several other battlements, the light house and other sights en route before sleeping on the boat moored to a buoy in Braye harbour (that was slightly wobbly); mountain biking around Sark having scooted the bikes to shore on the dingy; cycling on our road bikes in France having moored the boat in Guilette to pedal around Lower Normandy and through a gorgeous town called Bricquebec; then boating back to Guernsey via Herm, a tiny yet beautiful island that we walked around whilst eating ice-cream and admiring the sandy, shell covered beaches. Whilst on the open water, with the waves and swell swirling up around, you truly get a feel for how tiny we are in the world, it sets a new perspective.
Creating communities through cycling and sport
At its core, cycling, a keen interest in adventures by bike (and now boat), and a love of nature, it what formed the foundation of my friendship with Jo and Dan. In the past few years we’ve been on four cycling trips together – we’ve pedalled through the French Alps from Gevena to Nice on the Raid Alpine, ridden the Classic Cols of Gran Canaria, cycled up and down Mont Ventoux a couple of times and around the Verdon Gorge in Provence, and enjoyed the 6 ways in 6 days Tenerife Teide Challenge – all with Marmot Tours. This summer we thought we would mix it up a little, introducing boats, walking and swimming with mountain and road bikes.
Delight in a digital detox and tune in with nature
Our world, and our lives – personal, work and social – are increasingly busy and demanding. In that world, we are constantly ‘on-demand’ by bosses, colleagues, partners, children, family, and often times, if we are not ‘on-demand’ ourselves, we want someone else, or something else (think Netflix, on-demand T.V.) to be ‘on-demand’ for us. There is rarely a time when our phones and other digital devices are out of reach, as they buzz with notifications to grab our attention.
Sometimes I feel guilty for wanting to take a ‘digital detox’ to ‘tune in’ – notice I’m saying ‘tune-in not tune-out’ – to what’s really going on around me. To be present with the environment I’m in and the people I am with, so I enjoy every moment, remaining curious and consciously engrossed in captivating conversation. For me tuning in and being in nature is restorative, it enlightens my spirit and is a must have in my life, as is spending quality time with family and friends – they are all fuel for a happier, healthier, motivated mindset.
When was the last time you gave yourself the opportunity to tune in and delight in a digital detox?
Technology and social media have become an integral part of society over the last decade. No longer a pastime of millennial’s – Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, Strava and others, are social media channels utilised by all ages and demographics. As a lady who values her private time and family life, back in the day, I was a bit hesitant about social media and whether it would really be ‘for me’. However, when Facebook and Twitter came to market I was intrigued… not only from a person perspective, but I also wanted to understand how these channels could be utilised for business.
The good – Social connection
There are many things I love about social media – keeping in touch with friends and family who have moved away, sharing moments and memories with wider groups of friends or colleagues, being able to share opinions far and wide, being able to connect and engage with the world at large (news, business, sport), and of course being able to converse with people in multiple countries in real-time. For an enquiring mind, social media is not only amplification tool, but it has opened up a gateway of information to educate and learn. So what’s not to like?
The bad – Society is not set up to be patient anymore
Social media has driven a culture of ‘instant gratification’ and encouraged a mindset of ‘I want it now’. It’s in our human psychology to want to be liked and all social media channels are set up to play on these natural human tendencies – to facilitate that instant hit of dopamine to our brain when content you’ve shared is liked, shared and commented on.
The ugly – Is social media ripping apart society and exploiting psychology?
It’s strange to think that some people in our society are now more obsessed with their ‘social media’ life than they are about their real one. Social media has so many positives but it’s interesting to hear the thoughts from former Facebook Execs on the need to disconnect.
Chamath Palihapitaiya, formerly the longest original member of Facebook’s Exec team, in charge of audience growth says…
“People are confusing truth with popularity, what is popular is not truthful’
‘Social media exploits our natural human tendencies to want and need feedback”
“Facebook is designed to drip feed dopamine, you share some content, you get some likes, some comments, you get a dopamine hit, and that leads you to share more content.”
He goes on to say there’s a real danger this ‘mindset of a short-term fix’ will impact on other areas of our lives – our work life, our personal life – and it’s not healthy. In my view, it’s creating a world where, ironically, we’re less connected; where we run the risk of becoming desensitised to those around us – you know, the real people in our lives – the ones we can see face to face and truly engage with, at home, at work, and socially over a cup of tea, pint or a glass of wine.
Digital detox – take a hard break, embrace it
Turn it off for a week – would you be able to do this? Some people would freak at this idea as they’re physically and mentally attached to their device, and feel naked without them. Personally I love embracing a digital detox – and not just when I go on holiday. Logging off has become a daily habit – meaning no access to the internet, no access to WhatsApp, no access to social – it’s liberating.
I want to live in a world that’s super conscious, connected and aware. People are not predictable and that’s one of the many beautiful things about human nature – sometimes you just can’t predict what people will do or say – there’s great pleasure and excitement in not knowing what’s coming next. I value real interactions with real people, I value presence, and I value being around people who are conscious and aware.
‘Turn it off for a week’ – didn’t it get quiet in here? It got quiet in here didn’t it!
What is the short and long-term effect of too much information? Does it serve us well or is it creating an overloaded, congested mind? After years of intense, surface, information overload, there’s a reason why a wave of people are seeking a higher level of consciousness, to be aware of their actions, and the impact of their interactions on society.
Don’t get swamped by the downside of technological innovations in our society – embrace what serves you and remain connected to the real world.
Brand Strategist | MarComms | Coach 