This morning myself and two colleagues went to a Seminar; Vikas Shah - a journey of success, failure & reality.
Vikas seemed really lovely and so down to earth. He told us about his story of being involved in a series of businesses, and the ups and downs of them all.
I was really inspired by firstly, the fact that he started a business at the age of 14! Managed to continue it through school (Jumping in a taxi straight from school and going to the office!) and also the way Vikas faced every challenge he came up against with confidence.
He spoke so much truth and didn't sugar coat everything. His humor was also a plus!
He also spoke about how important it is to have a work/play balance, and how getting in the office earliest and staying latest is a competition these days, to show how 'hard' you work.
When in reality it affects your health and isn't a good balance for your life, family and friends.
Personally i completely agree with this, and cannot stress enough how unhealthy it is when work takes over your life.
Its just a job, you can get another one.
Family and friends are not as replaceable.
Yes. Enjoy it. Work hard at it, (or as Vikas said 'work smart!') but don't make it the be all and end all of your life.
Vikas came up with all sorts of wise words, and im still trying to decide which one is my new motto!
1. 'How hard can it be?'
2."The good thing about being in a peer network; you're surrounded by people just as ambitious, and just as crazy as you!"
3. "Your business is only as good as your best people"
4. "You're human and need people around you. Build a good social network"
5. "You've got to stay engaged. Don't forget there's a community around you"
But i think my favorite has to be...
"Don't define yourself by your business/your job: Define yourself as a person"
A thought for the day, whats your view?
Also Berg now has a Google + page, follow us here; +Berg Solicitors
Until next time;
Laura xo
Thursday 27 February 2014
Monday 24 February 2014
Legally Blonde
This is literally my twin, pink fluffy pen down to a tee!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaQbC5bgh2s
Passion Pledge.
Ok so i realise that while i've been blogging, ive wrote about Berg and what life is like here, but i haven't actually told you about myself. So I've thought about five things that I'm passionate about and here i'll list and tell you about them.
You never know, we could be more similar than you thought!
1. People - People are great, think of what life would be like without people, we wouldn't be here for sure! Every person that you and i meet has a different story, a different background, different beliefs, family and friends, likes and dislikes; the list is endless! People have the capacity to do amazing and wonderful things, or on the other hand they can do destructive and evil things. I find human psychology an interest too, why do we do things we do? Friends and family are usually the most important thing to most people; showing that human relationships with people are usually the most important thing to people.
2. Faith - My faith is so important to me, I am (and I'm proud to say) a Christian, i was 'saved' (christian terminology; meaning you accepted Jesus and became a christian) in November 2012, and i attend an evangelical church in Bolton twice a week with the name of 'Kings Church.' Its a great environment, where people champion you and encourage you to be all you can be. We don't take things too seriously, and enjoy having a laugh, (just listen to some of the podcasts!) Its a home from home, and the people there are second family. I used to think church was boring and dull, and mainly for old people, but then i went to Kings!
www.kingschurchlife.com
3. Children - I love children, not only are they the next generation but they also teach us so much. Many people are ignorant and think that we (as adults) are the ones to teach children to behave etc. And yes that is true, children should be taught manners and how to behave, but they can also teach us so much with the way they think about things. Have you ever noticed how a child faced with a problem gives a simple answer? They don't think about finance or any of the other 'important' factors that adults think about before tackling a problem. They see something and they want to change it. The beauty of being a child is the innocence and the naivety towards how the world works, if only everyone could be like that! Children don't think about the negatives in life and simply just want to have fun. I work with children at church every few weeks and they have challenged me to think out of the box so much, and i find myself in awe at how they think and the questions they form.
4. Compassion - Compassion.. You might think compassion is a strange passion to have. But in todays society compassion is being hugely underplayed. With homeless people sitting on sidewalks, the media highlighting any and every tragedy, and more deaths, suicides, homicides every day. Compassion is a much needed tool to communicate with other people. Without compassion and empathy society would be a cruel and sad place. It would wipe out the few people who still feel a pang of guilt every time they see a homeless person on the street. It literally costs a few pounds to buy someone a coffee, but its a gesture that will make their day.
5. Hard Work! - Hard work is often underplayed now, with school grades dropping and students being too bored to complete work or even concentrate in class, (i know, i was one of them.) People are hoping to go to school, college and uni, and then get out and get a good job that pays amazingly. But just a thought, if you reach 21/25 and you have never worked in your life (i mean a real job, not homework) then employers are going to wonder why. Hard work has always been a passion of mine, and i've been working since i was 13 years old to earn my own money and get along in life. Work teaches you so much and gives you a sense of fulfillment that your working to earn your own money. I worked through all my exams in school and college and it never did me any harm, in fact it probably made me study more due to the pressure of not having the hours to study that everyone else did! You have to learn to get along with people, and listen to instructions and do as your told. Otherwise it wont just be a detention you receive, the consequences are much more serious.
So there we have it, a little about me.
Until next time;
Laura xo
You never know, we could be more similar than you thought!
1. People - People are great, think of what life would be like without people, we wouldn't be here for sure! Every person that you and i meet has a different story, a different background, different beliefs, family and friends, likes and dislikes; the list is endless! People have the capacity to do amazing and wonderful things, or on the other hand they can do destructive and evil things. I find human psychology an interest too, why do we do things we do? Friends and family are usually the most important thing to most people; showing that human relationships with people are usually the most important thing to people.
2. Faith - My faith is so important to me, I am (and I'm proud to say) a Christian, i was 'saved' (christian terminology; meaning you accepted Jesus and became a christian) in November 2012, and i attend an evangelical church in Bolton twice a week with the name of 'Kings Church.' Its a great environment, where people champion you and encourage you to be all you can be. We don't take things too seriously, and enjoy having a laugh, (just listen to some of the podcasts!) Its a home from home, and the people there are second family. I used to think church was boring and dull, and mainly for old people, but then i went to Kings!
www.kingschurchlife.com
3. Children - I love children, not only are they the next generation but they also teach us so much. Many people are ignorant and think that we (as adults) are the ones to teach children to behave etc. And yes that is true, children should be taught manners and how to behave, but they can also teach us so much with the way they think about things. Have you ever noticed how a child faced with a problem gives a simple answer? They don't think about finance or any of the other 'important' factors that adults think about before tackling a problem. They see something and they want to change it. The beauty of being a child is the innocence and the naivety towards how the world works, if only everyone could be like that! Children don't think about the negatives in life and simply just want to have fun. I work with children at church every few weeks and they have challenged me to think out of the box so much, and i find myself in awe at how they think and the questions they form.
4. Compassion - Compassion.. You might think compassion is a strange passion to have. But in todays society compassion is being hugely underplayed. With homeless people sitting on sidewalks, the media highlighting any and every tragedy, and more deaths, suicides, homicides every day. Compassion is a much needed tool to communicate with other people. Without compassion and empathy society would be a cruel and sad place. It would wipe out the few people who still feel a pang of guilt every time they see a homeless person on the street. It literally costs a few pounds to buy someone a coffee, but its a gesture that will make their day.
5. Hard Work! - Hard work is often underplayed now, with school grades dropping and students being too bored to complete work or even concentrate in class, (i know, i was one of them.) People are hoping to go to school, college and uni, and then get out and get a good job that pays amazingly. But just a thought, if you reach 21/25 and you have never worked in your life (i mean a real job, not homework) then employers are going to wonder why. Hard work has always been a passion of mine, and i've been working since i was 13 years old to earn my own money and get along in life. Work teaches you so much and gives you a sense of fulfillment that your working to earn your own money. I worked through all my exams in school and college and it never did me any harm, in fact it probably made me study more due to the pressure of not having the hours to study that everyone else did! You have to learn to get along with people, and listen to instructions and do as your told. Otherwise it wont just be a detention you receive, the consequences are much more serious.
So there we have it, a little about me.
Until next time;
Laura xo
Friday 21 February 2014
Pros and Cons of Using Social Media In Business.
So many businesses have social media networks, but how many of them actually work?
I've compiled my list of what I think the pros and cons of social media are, and what I think actually works when using social media in a business.
Feel free to comment if you agree/disagree or think some things should be added!
The Good;
1. Social media is a way to interact with your clients/customers on a one to one basis, its quick and effective. You can also get clients/customers to join pages and recommend you to friends and family (depending on what network you're using) which in the long run can benefit your company massively!
2. Social media gives you the chance to show your companies personality to your customers, and tell them all about your amazing products and services.This in turn brings customer loyalty to your brand/company, meaning customers will feel your brand has personality, interacts with them and cares, and so will come back to you.
3. You can learn more about your target audience, by interacting with customers and asking for opinions and feedback. With social media also comes analytics, which you can use to see who is logging onto your pages, what age/sex they are and where they're from. Analytic can be as detailed or as simple as you like, and tell you so much about your audience, they really are an incredible value to your brand.
4. Social media helps you to reach a much wider audience than you would using using just a website or email. People from all over the world can view your brand's page over Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus etc. Giving you one foot over the competition. However this only works if what you post is compelling. Don't advertise 24/7, interact with clients and customers, post general comments, ask questions. Make your page something that you would want to read.
The Cons;
1. Social media can also be the downfall of your brand, customers and clients can leave bad feedback, so all potential customers can see it. Which in turn will put them off using your brand. However if you're a great brand who have fabulous customer service, you have nothing to worry about. This backfired when Mcdonald's used the #Mcdstories hashtag, and everyone started to post about their bad experiences at Mcdonalds. #Whoops.
2. Whatever you do, do not try and use national disasters to promote your brand, this has been done a few times and it DOES NOT work. Just please, dont do it. As you can see below it doesnt work and will make your brand well known for being 'the hated brand who have no feelings.' Also if something like this does happen, do not send the same reply to all your customers who complain, this will just annoy them more.
3. Drunk tweets. This is an extreamly easy one to do, if your trying to tweet to a personal account and accidently log on to a company account.. You can guess what happens. Even if you realise and delete the tweet/post, chances are someone has seen it. If you're going to drink, id suggest not using social media, or trusting your friends to make sure you tweet from the right account.
This happened to JCPenny at the superbowl, and it went viral within hours.
Luckily, they had a super creative team to come up with an awesome save in under an hour! #phew
Thanks for reading, hope this gives you some ideas about what to do and what not to do when using social media in a business, it can make or break your brand!
#GoodLuck!
Until next time,
Laura xo
I've compiled my list of what I think the pros and cons of social media are, and what I think actually works when using social media in a business.
Feel free to comment if you agree/disagree or think some things should be added!
The Good;
1. Social media is a way to interact with your clients/customers on a one to one basis, its quick and effective. You can also get clients/customers to join pages and recommend you to friends and family (depending on what network you're using) which in the long run can benefit your company massively!
2. Social media gives you the chance to show your companies personality to your customers, and tell them all about your amazing products and services.This in turn brings customer loyalty to your brand/company, meaning customers will feel your brand has personality, interacts with them and cares, and so will come back to you.
3. You can learn more about your target audience, by interacting with customers and asking for opinions and feedback. With social media also comes analytics, which you can use to see who is logging onto your pages, what age/sex they are and where they're from. Analytic can be as detailed or as simple as you like, and tell you so much about your audience, they really are an incredible value to your brand.
4. Social media helps you to reach a much wider audience than you would using using just a website or email. People from all over the world can view your brand's page over Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus etc. Giving you one foot over the competition. However this only works if what you post is compelling. Don't advertise 24/7, interact with clients and customers, post general comments, ask questions. Make your page something that you would want to read.
The Cons;
1. Social media can also be the downfall of your brand, customers and clients can leave bad feedback, so all potential customers can see it. Which in turn will put them off using your brand. However if you're a great brand who have fabulous customer service, you have nothing to worry about. This backfired when Mcdonald's used the #Mcdstories hashtag, and everyone started to post about their bad experiences at Mcdonalds. #Whoops.
2. Whatever you do, do not try and use national disasters to promote your brand, this has been done a few times and it DOES NOT work. Just please, dont do it. As you can see below it doesnt work and will make your brand well known for being 'the hated brand who have no feelings.' Also if something like this does happen, do not send the same reply to all your customers who complain, this will just annoy them more.
3. Drunk tweets. This is an extreamly easy one to do, if your trying to tweet to a personal account and accidently log on to a company account.. You can guess what happens. Even if you realise and delete the tweet/post, chances are someone has seen it. If you're going to drink, id suggest not using social media, or trusting your friends to make sure you tweet from the right account.
This happened to JCPenny at the superbowl, and it went viral within hours.
Luckily, they had a super creative team to come up with an awesome save in under an hour! #phew
Thanks for reading, hope this gives you some ideas about what to do and what not to do when using social media in a business, it can make or break your brand!
#GoodLuck!
Until next time,
Laura xo
Thursday 20 February 2014
A day in life at Berg.
Since this blog is called 'life in a law firm' i probably should be writing about what life actually is like in a law firm... So here goes!
When i first started, i got my own little desk (now covered in pink fluffy things,) and i was introduced to everyone in the firm. The next day, when the work started. It was (i think!) deadline day for some of the solicitors in the firm. They were on the floor filing paperwork, organising files, printing, photocopying, scanning- It was utter madness!
It calmed down a little after that.
I'm saddened to tell you that lawyers are not your stereotypical hard-faced, always-serious business men and women. They are actually pretty normal (most of them anyway!) They have a laugh, and work extremely hard, and so far; i haven't seen any fangs.
A typical day in the life; I usually get here for 8.45am, then make some porridge and a brew and read the news stories for the day. I check my emails then organise tweets, using news articles, and relevant information about the day/week to schedule some tweets in for the whole day. After that I'll check LinkedIn, Google plus, and the website. I usually have some work to do, blogging, tweeting, researching etc. Then i pick up any more work I'm given, putting news on the website, making graphs of followings on social media, LinkedIn profiles, that sort of thing. By then its usually dinner time and after making 25 brews all morning I'm usually starving! After dinner i usually get back to what i was doing previously, or find that more work has been emailed to me to complete. Shortly after that its home time and I'm in for a fun 40 minute journey of pushing and shoving on an overheated train. (Thats the worst bit, dont be disheartened!)
Once a week I go to the Juice Academy, where i get to learn about everything social media, its a nice break from the working week and its fun to meet my friends there and learn more about what I'm doing and how i can benefit the company.
Overall i love working here at Berg. The people are amazing and so so funny! And though i've only been here (almost) 3 weeks, i've been welcomed in amazingly. It's like a little family here.
Until next time;
Laura xo
When i first started, i got my own little desk (now covered in pink fluffy things,) and i was introduced to everyone in the firm. The next day, when the work started. It was (i think!) deadline day for some of the solicitors in the firm. They were on the floor filing paperwork, organising files, printing, photocopying, scanning- It was utter madness!
It calmed down a little after that.
I'm saddened to tell you that lawyers are not your stereotypical hard-faced, always-serious business men and women. They are actually pretty normal (most of them anyway!) They have a laugh, and work extremely hard, and so far; i haven't seen any fangs.
A typical day in the life; I usually get here for 8.45am, then make some porridge and a brew and read the news stories for the day. I check my emails then organise tweets, using news articles, and relevant information about the day/week to schedule some tweets in for the whole day. After that I'll check LinkedIn, Google plus, and the website. I usually have some work to do, blogging, tweeting, researching etc. Then i pick up any more work I'm given, putting news on the website, making graphs of followings on social media, LinkedIn profiles, that sort of thing. By then its usually dinner time and after making 25 brews all morning I'm usually starving! After dinner i usually get back to what i was doing previously, or find that more work has been emailed to me to complete. Shortly after that its home time and I'm in for a fun 40 minute journey of pushing and shoving on an overheated train. (Thats the worst bit, dont be disheartened!)
Once a week I go to the Juice Academy, where i get to learn about everything social media, its a nice break from the working week and its fun to meet my friends there and learn more about what I'm doing and how i can benefit the company.
Overall i love working here at Berg. The people are amazing and so so funny! And though i've only been here (almost) 3 weeks, i've been welcomed in amazingly. It's like a little family here.
Until next time;
Laura xo
Friday 14 February 2014
Berg Winter Olympics.
Yesterday for a few hours Berg hosted the 'Winter Olympics!' (Our own version, not the official one.) We had the Wii out and played tennis, baseball, table tennis, and golf, i admit not very wintery sports but we only had the summer sports disk! We created our own sack race (VERY entertaining) played twister and had dodge-ball (even more entertaining!) We also had a snowball shack, and wintery snacks (snowball marshmallows!) We also had some beautiful handmade decorations; snowflakes, posters, and snowballs hanging from the ceiling.
I have to say it was HUGELY entertertaning watching lawyers running across the room to get the first ball in dodgeball, man they are a competitive bunch! No wonder they make such good lawyers, they REALLY dont like to loose! Playing tennis on the Wii is where everyone generally got carried away, and started actually doing tennis grunts! And im so upset to say that i came last in the sack race...
Overall it was a fun few hours, with people making new friendships and catching up with eachother, not to mention having some fun while they're at it!
Until next time,
Laura xo
I have to say it was HUGELY entertertaning watching lawyers running across the room to get the first ball in dodgeball, man they are a competitive bunch! No wonder they make such good lawyers, they REALLY dont like to loose! Playing tennis on the Wii is where everyone generally got carried away, and started actually doing tennis grunts! And im so upset to say that i came last in the sack race...
Overall it was a fun few hours, with people making new friendships and catching up with eachother, not to mention having some fun while they're at it!
Until next time,
Laura xo
Happy Valentines Day!
Chocolates were shared this morning in the office with post it notes 'Happy Valentines Day' and 'Happy Friday!' with people talking about what they're doing later or planning getaways for the weekend. But the history of Valentines day - and that of the saint that represented it, is actually still shrouded in mystery.
Its still a mystery as to which Saint 'Valentine' was the correct one, and what he actually did to become a 'saint of love.' Its speculated that Saint Valentine was a 'Romeo and Juliet' kinda guy.
It is said that he was imprisoned for helping Christians escape harsh roman prisons. The imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl–possibly his jailor’s daughter–who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today.
In the 5th Century Pope Gelasius declared February 14th St. Valentine’s Day. It was not until much later, however, that the day became associated with love.
So much mystery, and yet its one of our biggest festivals, like Easter, Halloween and Christmas. But have you bought into the marketing madness?
Roses, chocolates, a collection of pink and red miscellaneous dotted EVERYWHERE. You cant even go into a pasty shop without being asked if you'd like to buy a pink cake with a heart on the top. Sometimes it just gets too much!
Though it is a fabulous and romantic day, with people all over the world proposing to their selected one, and some even getting wed on Valentines day! Sometimes the prices and pressure of it all just get ridiculously overwhelming.
But if like me, your going to be sitting home with a tub of ice-cream watching 'Friends,' (I'm actually going to an 80's roller disco with my best friend, if the weather stays okay!) That's fabulous too! And your not going to be the only one i can guarantee that!
Sometimes the singles are worse than the couples, with 'single on Valentines' written all over Facebook like a life long promise.
Look at it as an opportunity to see friends or family, go out for a meal or a drink, see a film, catch up with colleagues, maybe even buy a cat! ;)
Heres a happy cat to make your day.
Have a wonderful day,
Laura xo
Thursday 13 February 2014
Today at Berg we are hosting our own winter Olympics! (After all the work's done of course.) At 3pm those of us who are free from work, are heading upstairs to socialise, play games, and have some drinks and snacks! Already lined up we have.. (Drumroll please)... The sack race, the three legged race, caption contest, dodge ball, and the wii sports collection! (Don't worry I'll keep you updated on who wins!)
Every so often at Berg we have a social, so we can catch up with other colleagues and introduce new people; like myself!
I started here on the 3rd of February as a social media apprentice following (a unique and fun) boot camp at the Juice Academy, after applying for the role through the apprenticeships website. On my first day, I was shown my desk and how to use the phone, I was talked through health and safety, fire drills and emails. Then the work really started! Ever since I've been tweeting from our Berg account (where our followers are growing each day!) Making graphs, doing research, uploading information to the website, educating myself on banking, finance and current affairs and my new venture is now blogging!
I was made to feel right at home in the office where my desk is, and I'm surrounded by lovely people who aren't afraid to put some laughter in the day. Already my desk has been decorated with pink fairy lights, photos and post it notes; I even have a fluffy pen!
I'm exited for what the future holds within Bergs life on social media! And I'll keep you updated.
Until next time
Laura xo
Crazy Commuting.
From buses that are stuck in 3 hour traffic jams, to packed trains where you’re jammed into the most uncomfortable positions possible, precariously holding onto something stable, and occasionally falling into the people behind you.
I've only experienced the ‘Big City Commute’ for the past week, and no wonder people look so miserable in the morning! Ive already experienced arguments, frustration and a little bit of claustrophobia!
No matter how much you love your job, commuting is not enjoyable. And recent studies have shown that commuters feel less satisfied and happy. See here for more on this; http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/feb/12/commuting-unhappy-anxious-ons
ALTHOUGH
If you look on the bright side, commuting is a great opportunity to have some ‘you’ time (even if you are squashed in so close to the person next to you that you could possibly be conjoined.) Read a book, play a game on your phone or tablet, procrastinate on life, people watch, learn a language, teach yourself the times tables again, whatever floats your boat right?
And look at the little things;
Last week i was on the train home when i saw a women telling her friend about her new light shade, which was a shade of ‘midnight plum.’ He (being a man) then asked what colour it was. She said it was the colour of an aubergine. He said ‘Green?’ They than had a half hour debate on what colour an aubergine was, purple or green. After witnessing the whole thing and laughing (quietly) the whole way through. I realized that commuting CAN be hugely entertaining.
I just CANT WAIT for summer, when it wont be freezing and so windy that you have to chase your shoes across Manchester (Yes i had to do that yesterday in gale force winds!) And when i can enjoy the walk to the train station without holding an umbrella above my head while trying to put gloves on and control my scarf!
Thanks for reading, feel free to message me any ideas or questions you have!
Laura xo
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