It’s been just over a year since I changed a few things in my life and the experiences that I have had have positively influenced (and continue to) the person that I am today.

The physical and virtual company we keep

The company we keep is a phenomenal CN&CO blog series that highlights diverse, interesting people and topics.  In thinking about who I should profile or write about in this blog, I wanted to do something different. I racked my brain for ideas and people who may offer a different perspective, but rather than looking to share one person’s story I decided to explore how the people we surround ourselves with has an influence on you.

The company we keep both physically and virtually shapes us, providing us with different experiences and opinions. It’s been just over a year since I changed a few things in my life and the experiences that I have had have positively influenced (and continue to) the person that I am today.

Opening my eyes, ears and mindset has given me a far broader experience on my journey through life so far. Sometimes doing things differently is easier said than done though, but you should always give it a go and see what you learn along the way. Having this approach to trying new things, wasn’t something that came naturally to me and it took some getting used to.

I will be honest with you, if you had asked me 5 years ago if I thought I would be dancing around an office in a purple tutu delivering cupcakes for Valentine’s Day I would have laughed at you. But my mate Kurt Solomon can be persuasive (read an expert negotiator) and he convinced (forced) me to join in his crazy Valentines Day idea.

Purple, speedos, Valentines Day and the company we keep

We can always learn something new or approach things from a different perspective, this is just one of the experiences over the last couple of years that has taught me to broaden my thinking.

We can learn so much from the company we keep, don’t jump at every opportunity or new thing that pops up, but be willing to give things a go that are outside of your comfort zone because you never know what it may lead to or the conversations that may result from taking that step.

If you follow me on social media, you may have noticed that I enjoy listening to podcasts. I am convinced that they will play a big role in the future of marketing as they offer us a different way to engage with content while on the go. Podcasts, in a similar way to reading, allow us to learn from people that we perhaps may never have the opportunity to meet face to face. They give us the opportunity to learn from peoples knowledge, ,experiences and offer lessons on how we could potentially do things differently.

Listening to a podcast recently I heard a term that really resonated with me, they we talking about “Cognitive fuel”. Our brains like our muscles need fuel, some more than others and the type/amount of fuel that we feed it is a choice that we can influence.

Podcasts, reading, people and experiences provide me with my “cognitive fuel”. Giving me the opportunity to gain knowledge from the virtual company that I keep.

Here are three of the latest pieces and podcasts that have helped me to learn from the experience of others around me.

We can all get better at communicating and sharing. We shouldn’t be so secretive, let’s share more ideas, insights, opinions and be more open… we can all learn from one another. So next time you have a chance to do something different take it, approach it from a different perspective, and see what you can learn from the company you keep.