One of the perks of my job as editor, aside from the researching and writing, is the opportunity to visit showcase events.
As you can imagine, during lockdown no preview events were on, but they have since reopened and Nicky and I recently enjoyed a trip to Lidl’s Christmas showcase in London. They’ve got some great food in store and it’s nice to get a sneak peek at what’s to come.
What’s also been great is getting out there and seeing people face-to-face. In-person networking events have also resumed and this month I enjoyed my first visit to the Beckenham Business Day. It was a really well organised event and I was fortunate enough to be able to deliver a keynote presentation on productivity – and some great tech tools for small businesses. Just one of the highlights of the last 30 days!
And yes, I did remove my shoes to deliver my presentation in my socks! It kept me grounded (I’d been in heels for the day!) and maybe it even meant that I’d be more memorable!
This month’s highlights
Other highlights over the last month have included the opportunity to work at Devonshire House in Elmfield Rd in Bromley. There’s a nice little story behind this – when I got my first job after university it was working for a tour operator, based in Devonshire House. The operator has since dissolved, but I recently discovered that Devonshire House is now being used as Office Letting.
So, thinking long term, I decided to set myself a goal to one day be based in an office in Bromley – and where better than the place it all started over 25 years ago? I even saved a picture of the building on my iPhone screensaver to give me a bit of inspiration. I was explaining this to a friend, Chandra Sharma of Tangent Office Supplies in Orpington, and lo and behold I couldn’t believe it when he told me that his daughter, Jaya, was deputy manager for Devonshire House!
Within a day or two Jaya had contacted me to ask if I wanted a tour of the building and if I fancied working there for a couple of weeks to see what it was like – this was music to my ears! I really enjoyed working there; it brought back a lot of memories and has made me even more determined to one day be based away from home.
Other highlights, from a personal perspective, included a visit to 221b Baker Street in London (my daughter and I are huge Sherlock fans) and a few days away in the beautiful city of Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital. On one of the days, we enjoyed a visit to Lake Bled – and, as you can see from the picture I took, it was stunning. It was great to get away for a change of scenery and some downtime – I always find if I have a few days away from work it recharges me when I return – and this trip was no exception.
The Big News
The big news this month is that we are launching Life In…Bromley magazine early next year. We’re hoping that the first issue will make a BIG impact; we’re planning on delivering via Royal Mail to no fewer than 10,000 households in and around Bromley.
It’s also going to be a bumper issue with over 50 pages – I’ve got plenty to chat about! So, what’s the first thing that one has to do when launching a new magazine in a new area? Before I even start contemplating the editorial, I need to ascertain the distribution points, so that when people receive the magazine through their letterboxes they know where to pick it up from the following month!
So my tasks this month have been to reach out to potential distributors. The next task is to come up with a flat plan, which I’m delighted to say I’ve already done. And of course, I need to fill the magazine with some great editorial and of course advertisers which is always a work-in-progress!
So on that note, if you’re a business based in the Bromley borough (small or large) and you’re interested in being in the very first issue, which is guaranteed to create a real buzz In Bromley, feel free to get in touch with me by emailing hello@lifeinmagazines.co.uk
And on that note, we’ll leave you with our usual inspirational quote!
“Most people fail in life not because they aim too high and miss, but because they aim too low and hit.”
– Les Brown –