I am not a saintly person. Apart from having attended Saint Francis’ nursery school and shopped at the altar of Saint Michael, I must confess to a limited knowledge of any of the other patrons who bestow good luck and happiness upon us. Apart from Saint Valentine, of course; third century Roman saint of courtly love. So with his special day bearing down on us (or creeping up behind us with red roses and a huge box of Belgian truffles) I turned to thinking of other saints that impact on us – or not.
Gordon is a constant source of amusement when it comes to seeking out humour in the most unexpected of places. He made me laugh so much when he revealed his two favourite saints. Now, careful pronunciation please, especially if you’re reading this aloud: Homobonus, patron saint of businessmen and Gang Bing (eunuchs)! Yes, REALLY!! They are Google-able!
I’ve had no time for googling anything this past week. Thank you so much to those of you on my mailing list who took up my offer of a personalised LinkedIn profile review. I was delighted by the number of responses, and spent most evenings providing advice on improving those profiles and creating a more marketable presence on LinkedIn.
Despite the tube strike, I took another trip to Earls Court. It’s still not an area I’m familiar with, but I’ll certainly visit again now I know about the Jonathan Ross 286 Gallery. An eclectic selection of artwork is currently on display in the fantastic Victorian home of the gallery’s owner. He welcomed us in and showed us around his magnificent house, presenting the array of art in story-book, atmospheric rooms with a delightful kitten weaving between our ankles.
My absolute favourite artist on display
was Madeleine Marsh, an ex-TV presenter who turned her passion for creativity into a business. Her jewellery is created from rubbish washed up on the shores of the Thames and vivid images of flowers cast on glass or ceramic, I wasn’t sure. Her attractive figurines portray a sense of movement that’s hard to convey in words – they’re fashioned from some sort of wire; I’m not sure what exactly, so thought I’d google it, but her social media presence leaves much to be desired. If you’re in west London, do pop in – not only to swoon over Madeleine Marsh’s exhibits, but to experience the ambience of a gallery that’s clearly been designed with love.
Someone else I love in business is Leigh Ashton; I’ve mentioned her a couple of times in this blog. She’s one of the inspirational women who pointed me in the right direction when I set up my business, and has been super-helpful over the years ever since. Homobonus shines down on us!!
Last year, I attended a fabulous training day where Leigh shared her expertise in the psychology of selling. I always recommend her, so I’m very excited to tell you that she has generously provided her full training day, completely free, as a gift! During this comprehensive five hour DVD, you’ll learn Leigh’s strategies for getting into your customers’ individual mind-sets and closing the deal. Leigh shared this gift with me, and I’m happy to share it with you. Here it is – along with some other freebies that kind people have donated!! Very highly recommended. How’s that for a Valentine’s gift?!
If you’d like to send me anything on Friday, I’m easily pleased. My addiction this week is for ‘Thornton’s Marvellous Mint Favourites.’ Or, of course, flowers, lingerie, or a nice piece of Madeleine Marsh jewellery, it’s a real work of art.
‘Sweet comic Valentine, you make me smile with my heart. Your looks are laughable – unphotographable, yet you’re my favourite work of art.’ If I’m not wandering around a gallery this week, you’ll find me here: @WeekendWitch.
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