February 2012
1 post
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The unbearable stress of peeing on public...
Apart from an overnight train journey from Bangkok to Phuket where my bunk bed was next to the toilet and my cabin was infested with cockroaches, this is quickly turning into one of the most unpleasant journeys I can remember.
This bus is hotter than the sun. It’s hotter than an old people’s care home! And to make things worse I am dressed appropriately for snow. That means I am wearing thermals...
January 2012
4 posts
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Confessions of a cyclist
I have a confession to make. I never learned to ride a bike with no hands. I know, I know - but my brain just wouldn’t let me do it! Riding with no hands only works if you are going fast; and who wants to take their hands off the handlebars when you are going fast? That would mean losing all ability to brake and steer. It’s a stupid idea!
Well, now I’ve decided to learn. I realise it’s daft - a...
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Don’t work alone, even if you are on your own
Creating a company is so much more rewarding when you make it collaborative experience with the people you want as customers. Invite them to be part of the design and creation. Involve them in the story right from the beginning. Give them a stake in it and give them ways to contribute towards making it a success.
If you build a company using only your own criticism and feedback to improve it,...
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Sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel is a...
Sometimes, just when things can’t get any harder, they take a sudden turn for the worse. Doing what you’ve always done is no longer and option. Standing your ground and holding your traditional course is futile. If you fail to adapt, then this new and unexpected threat will wreck everything.
Think fast. Take decisive action. Right now survival is all that matters.
The silver lining, of course,...
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The Columbus principle
Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas. We all know that. What you might not know is that he died not knowing that he had discovered the Americas. When Columbus left Spain, he was attempting to find a quicker, safer passage to Asia knowing that great riches could be made by discovering a new link with the Silk Trail. But he failed. He failed big time.
There was, however, an upside to his...
December 2011
11 posts
Best of 2011: The art of shipping
I first came across the term “Shipping” in this context on Seth Godin’s blog. Put simply, shipping is the art of creating something, and then sharing it with others. That might mean telling your boss about that secret idea you’ve been nurturing at work; it might be posting a blog, publishing that book you’ve been writing, or recording a song and then posting it online. What it is is not what’s...
Best of 2011: It’s 11 Dollar bills, but you’ve...
In 1965 Bob Dylan recorded a song called Subterranean Homesick Blues which includes the line “The man in the coon-skin cap by the big pen, wants 11 Dollar Bills, but you’ve only got 10.”
On the surface these may not be the most profound lyrics Dylan has ever written, but these words have a hidden significance for me. I often quote them to myself when I come up against resistance, whenever I feel...
Best of 2011: Plant an orchard
If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be? I would tell myself this: start a business and don’t give up. If your success isn’t instant then keep going because growth takes time.
Can we get metaphorical for a minute? Starting a business is like planting an orchard; it takes resources – time, energy, money – to cultivate the ground, and then you have to...
Best of 2011: Process
Process can be a frustrating thing. I mean, who really wants to wait and work for their dreams to be fulfilled? Not me. I want it all and I want it now. I want to just close my eyes, click my heels and wake up in Kansas.
But success doesn’t come instantly, does it. Achieving your goals is going to involve failure, discovery, difficulty and joy, it’s going to take time and it’s going to take hard...
Best of 2011: Just because there’s someone better...
I can remember the specific moment I gave up wanting to be a graphic designer. It was late 2006 and I was standing in the Alan Fletcher exhibition at the Design Museum in London. I remember thinking to myself “I’ll never be as good as Alan Fletcher so I might as well give up now.” And so I did.
In a moment of frustration and jealousy I threw away the thing I was best at and most passionate about....
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Best of 2011: Don’t re-invent, completely...
I first discovered Urwerk a few years ago when I began developing an interest in wristwatches. I fell in love with them instantly. Urwerk create the most astonishing watches you have ever seen – seriously, they are just incredible. What I love about them is that they haven’t just taken a conventional watch design and then tweaked it; Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei have seized the opportunity to...
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Gifts that give twice
www.nomoreslaves.co.uk
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November 2011
3 posts
6 tags
No More Slaves has its own blog!
If you’ve enjoyed following the story of No More Slaves up to this point then you are definitely going to want to follow us on here. Things are about to get epic!
nomoreslaves.tumblr.com
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What makes design beautiful?
This bag has been to more countries than most people. I bought it a little over 5 years ago on a trip to San Francisco, and it’s been with me ever since. It’s been used and abused since the day I bought it, and it’s still going strong.
Clean, simple, functional, reliable. It does exactly what it is supposed to do, and does it really well. It’s the kind of object that serves its owner with...
October 2011
4 posts
2 tags
It’s 11 Dollar bills, but you’ve only got 10
In 1965 Bob Dylan recorded a song called Subterranean Homesick Blues which includes the line “The man in the coon-skin cap by the big pen, wants 11 Dollar Bills, but you’ve only got 10.”
On the surface these may not be the most profound lyrics Dylan has ever written, but these words have a hidden significance for me. I often quote them to myself when I come up against resistance, whenever I feel...
2 tags
Something worth celebrating
Today No More Slaves made it’s first financial donation to an anti-human trafficking charity.
I feel slightly overwhelmed right now, because this is a day I’ve dreamed about and worked towards for a long time. I’ve always believed our model would work; but I’m still astonished to see it actually happening. It feels INCREDIBLE.
We’ve passed a milestone today...
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Why No More Slaves isn’t a charity
No More Slaves is our response to the global epidemic of human trafficking. We are a small, fun, creative start-up company. Our core purpose is to raise awareness about human trafficking, while at the same time creating a strong, sustainable, dynamic company that can invest financially into proactive solutions to trafficking.
We are not a charity, we are a company that is committed to ending...
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Run
I went for a run the other Sunday morning. I took a new route round the park and somehow got caught up in the Cardiff Race For Life. It’s always nice to be applauded.
I’m always amazed at the people who turn out to cheer on the runners at marathons and races like that. They stand by the side of the road all day long and clap enthusiastically for hours until the last runner makes it home. But...
September 2011
9 posts
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Three days, three new garments.
Over the past three days No More Slaves have added three new garments to our range.
You can buy them all here nomoreslaves.co.uk
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What's tougher than running a start-up company?
Running a start-up company and working a full time job, that’s what.
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Innovators, thank you.
I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has bought a No More Slaves T-Shirt since the start, or joined us on Facebook, found us on Twitter, re-posted a link or told a friend about us. We couldn’t have made it this far without you.
You have seen the potential in an idea before it is fully formed and now you are helping to shape it. You are innovators, and you’re helping to create...
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August 2011
4 posts
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Momentum
I booked a stall for No More Slaves at Momentum last weekend. It was a gamble. I was exposing the company to its biggest financial risk yet with no guarantee of success. It’s the closest we’ve come to sink or swim so far - and we swam.
I am humbled by the response that we had, and the enthusiasm people had about No More Slaves. At the start of the week about 5 out of 5000 delegates...
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July 2011
13 posts
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We're doing ourselves out of a job
No More Slaves must be the only company in the world that can’t wait for the day when we no longer need to exist.
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Just because there’s someone better than you...
I can remember the specific moment I gave up wanting to be a graphic designer. It was late 2006 and I was standing in the Alan Fletcher exhibition at the Design Museum in London. I remember thinking to myself “I’ll never be as good as Alan Fletcher so I might as well give up now.” And so I did.
In a moment of frustration and jealousy I threw away the thing I was best at and most passionate about....
New No More Slaves T-shirts released today
NoMoreSlaves.co.uk
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Just because you don’t know how it ends, doesn’t...
When I launched No More Slaves you could see it was a work in progress. To be perfectly honest, I felt like I was showing you a jigsaw puzzle with most of the pieces missing. What really makes me nervous is that I’m not even sure what the finished picture is going to look like! I’ve just started with a few of the edge pieces and now I’m working my way in.
In the past, one of my greatest...
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An idea might not make sense when you first have...
When I was a teenager I had a thought, “I want to create a company so good, that when you buy from us it’s like giving your money to charity.”
At the time I don’t think I had any understanding what that really meant; but I think I’m starting to.
seeing-ghosts asked: hi, i've just come across your blog by searching the tag 'hope for justice', your clothing brand is a great idea1 have you made any progress? i would love to do something similar when i finish uni! i've always been really into art and fashion as well so you've really inspired me to possibly use that later on to help make a difference. have you thought about t shirts with...
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Do men hate going to Church?
This is a question I’ve been wrestling with a lot lately. At Freedom Cardiff we have seen an influx of awesome women who are finding faith in Christ for the first time, along with others who are re-discovering their faith and having their passion for God re-ignited. But when it comes to men, it’s a different story. On the whole, the men that I’ve met and invited to Church have been very resistant...
June 2011
7 posts
5 tags
The art of shipping
I first came across the term “Shipping” in this context on Seth Godin’s blog. Put simply, shipping is the art of creating something, and then sharing it with others. That might mean telling your boss about that secret idea you’ve been nurturing at work; it might be posting a blog, publishing that book you’ve been writing, or recording a song and then posting it online. What it is is not...