Busy month of birthdays and parties, communities of practice, hacking for sustainable fashion, concluding Make Life Work S07, another House Finesse mix compilation and celebrating Black History Month with DJ Programma guest mix and some recommended short stories.

Work

  • Started capturing a personal weekly retro, rating key factors out of 10 (e.g. productivity, stress, learning), noting top 3-5 highlights, frustrations and lessons learnt
  • Went to the London office twice and Birmingham twice
  • Started work on an in-house tech podcast with the first pilot hybrid recording and creating a community of practice to support
  • Created mini COPs across the EM community based on joint initiatives including Diversity, Equity & Inclusivity (DEI), Emerging Talent, Tech Brand and Vibe Survey Feedback
  • Co-hosted a multi-team platform day in London to discuss roadmaps and ways of working for the coming quarters
  • Only the one Lightning Talk this month from Alastair on making web apps with Blaze
  • Enjoyed Rudimental, Horse Meat Disco and plenty impromptu friendly chats at the big Reassembles party at Alexandra Palace
  • Participated in (and won!) a “Fashion With Integrity” sustainability hackathon with Kim, Millie, Tia and Sashi

Life

  • Weekend in Preston & Blackpool for Mrs J ‘s birthday, visiting Madame Tussaud’s, the Dungeons and Tower
  • Met up with old uni chums Lisa, Phil (and kids) for some Sunday lunch in Chester
  • Impressed with The Boy signing up to local RAF Air Cadets and taekwondo club – trained ninja in the making
  • Trapp’d panic room and Jurassic Grill in Kettering for The Boy’s birthday
  • 9 workouts over 4h26m

Sides

  • Concluded Make Life Work S07 with Silvia & Ely and Mubashar Iqbal
  • Released the quarterly House Finesse Halloween ‘21 mix compilation
  • Featured 2 guests on House Finesse; Anna C and DJ Programma
  • Analysed On The Side engagement following some quiet months that, thankfully, picked up over recent weeks
  • Extended my Personal Dashboard with financial analysis (spend breakdown, pension and shares tracking), podcast downloads and social account engagement metrics
Weekly & Daily Trello charts, annual Strava splits, Goodreads month & year, #ArchiveCollection and tweet count

Watched 📺

  • Squid Game on Netflix (with the rest of the world)
  • Pose on BBC iPlayer
  • Brassic S03 on NowTV
  • Stath Lets Flats S03 on All4
  • No Time To Die at Cineworld

Read 📚

Listened 🎧

  1. #FinesseFriday – Featuring… Amy Lauren on House Finesse
  2. #FinesseFriday – Featuring… Anna Cee on House Finesse
  3. Glitterbox Radio Show 235: Presented by Melvo Baptiste on Defected Radio
  4. S03 EP24: Lucy Beaumont (The Return) on Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe’s Parenting Hell
  5. Ep 122: Meera Syal on Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster
  6. Making candles with Silvia and Ely on Make Life Work
  7. #226 – How to Be Your Own VC with James Layfield of Clearfind on Indie Hackers
  8. Defected Radio 24.09.21 with Monki on Defected Radio
  9. S12, Ep 5 How to Fail: Ruby Tandoh on How To Fail With Elizabeth Day
  10. #HKR39/21Hedkandi Radio on Hed Kandi Radio
  11. Drenching Drizzle Disco Day on The Disco, Funky and Soulful House Sessions
  12. Defected Radio 17.09.21 with Rimarkable on Defected Radio
  13. EP.163 – LAUREN PATTISON AND SAM LEE on THE ADAM BUXTON PODCAST
  14. S03 EP25: We’re getting a dog, Josh! on Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe’s Parenting Hell
  15. S03 EP26: Charlotte Church on Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe’s Parenting Hell
  16. Ep 123: Jeff Rosenstock on Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster
  17. Ep 117: Ainsley Harriott on Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster
  18. #HKR40/21Hedkandi Radio on Hed Kandi Radio
  19. Making Founderpath with Mubs on Make Life Work
  20. RHLSTP 349 – Tim Key on RHLSTP with Richard Herring
  21. Ep.45 Playstation Ready on I Don’t Have Time To Game Anymore
  22. Glitterbox Radio Show 237: Presented by Melvo Baptiste on Defected Radio
  23. Ep 137. Oh Crumbs on Sh**ged Married Annoyed
  24. Ep 136. Elephant Dolphin on Sh**ged Married Annoyed
  25. #230 – Grit, Timing, and Building Businesses You Love with Andrew Gazdecki of MicroAcquire on Indie Hackers
  26. Ep 135. Turbo time on Sh**ged Married Annoyed
  27. EP.164 – COLSON WHITEHEAD on THE ADAM BUXTON PODCAST
  28. S03 EP27: I hate my life… on Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe’s Parenting Hell
  29. Ep 124: Michelle Keegan on Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster
  30. 4 To The Floor Show Ep 25 presented by Seamus Haji on Defected Radio
  31. S03 EP28: Michael McIntyre on Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe’s Parenting Hell
  32. Ep 138. Party at the drive thru on Sh**ged Married Annoyed
  33. The Art of Growing Up: Using the Challenges of Leadership to Attain Radical Self-Inquiry (with Jerry Colonna, CEO of Reboot.io) on Supermanagers
  34. S03 EP29: Faking a hamster’s death… on Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe’s Parenting Hell
  35. #HKR42/21Hedkandi Radio on Hed Kandi Radio
  36. Kim Scott (Author of Radical Candor) on How to Get Sh*t Done Fast and Fair in the Workplace on Supermanagers
  37. EP.165 – DAVID SEDARIS on THE ADAM BUXTON PODCAST
  38. #FinesseFriday – Gweilo ADE16 on House Finesse
  39. Glitterbox Radio Show 238: Presented by Melvo Baptiste on Defected Radio
  40. Retro RHLSTP 25 – Brett Goldstein on RHLSTP with Richard Herring
  41. S03 EP30: Jessie Ware on Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe’s Parenting Hell
  42. The October House Session 2021 on The Disco, Funky and Soulful House Sessions
  43. S03 EP31: Have you taken magic mushrooms?… on Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe’s Parenting Hell
  44. #FinesseFriday – Featuring… DJ Programma on House Finesse
  45. #HKR43/21Hedkandi Radio on Hed Kandi Radio
  46. S03 EP32: Jimmy Carr on Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe’s Parenting Hell
  47. House Finesse 99 – Halloween ’21 on House Finesse