Feeling stuck? Lost your mojo? Not as productive as you’d like to be?
Hoping & wishing isn’t enough. You need to think AND act positively with real focus, clarity & intention!
After making huge changes in my personal & professional life in January 2020, I ended the year feeling happier, healthier, fitter (physically, mentally & emotionally) & more creatively fulfilled by getting clear on what it is that I REALLY want in life & then pursuing it every day. Everything else is a distraction.
After launching my annual 5-day Newcastle Startup Week festival in 2017, I’ve been living my professional & personal life according to the same 5 themes every week from 1st December 2018 onwards.
- Monday = INSPIRATION
- Tuesday = GETTING STARTED
- Wednesday = FUNDING & FINANCE
- Thursday = GROWING & SCALING
- Friday = KEEP GOING OR PIVOT?
This has worked so well for me I now want to help other people see the benefits of following the same 5 themes by working directly with them on a 1-2-1 basis over 5 consecutive days. I call this my 5 Star Focus Programme.
How does this work?
Since January 2021 I’ve been working with up to 5 people (max) every month to help them get clarity & focus on whatever it is they need to take their business or idea to the next level.
Every day over 5 consecutive days (Monday-Friday) we have a 1hr 1-2-1 Zoom call during which we discuss the theme for the day, the relevant tasks that need to get done, challenges they might be facing & ways they can overcome them both on their own & with my direct help & hands-on support.
On Day 1, I create a Trello board (online To Do List tool) based on our conversation which is unique to them that we can both access & collaborate on across the week. We then use this to turn specific ideas into action.
One of the best & worst things about being self-employed is you don’t have a boss telling you what to do. However, just like the edges of a canvas help an artist do a better painting, I’ve learned that self-employed business owners, freelancers & creatives still need structure & focus in order to achieve their goals. They also need someone to hold them accountable to the things they say they want to do, otherwise they won’t get done!
Everyone who takes part in my 5 Star Focus Programme also gains access to my private online ‘Startup Week Community’ for 12 months which is usually £75 per person. (Existing Members of the Startup Week Community can do it for a discounted rate which is listed below)…
Who am I?
I’m not a life or leadership coach but am an award-winning PRACTITIONER. Someone with proven experience & expertise in building & managing communities online & offline, personal online branding, inbound marketing, content marketing, digital marketing, social media, business development, networking, PR & events for startups, micro businesses, established SMEs, scaleups & large organisations which I have been doing for the past 15yrs.
I am:
- An award-winning SuperConnector of entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs & investors
- Founder, Event Producer & Host of the physical 5-day Newcastle Startup Week festivals, 1-day Newcastle Scaleup Summit & monthly Founders’ Friday events
- Creator of the online Startup Week Community (where the 5-day Startup Week ONLINE events took place in May & September 2020 & where the monthly Founders’ Friday events now take place)
- Owner of two businesses – Plan Digital (Inbound Marketing & Community Engagement Consultancy) & TRYBES (A data-driven signposting & matchmaking platform for entrepreneurs & investors)
- Host of the ‘SuperConnector Show’ podcast (on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Spreaker, etc)
- Co-author of the ‘Small Business Marketing for Dummies’ book published by Wiley
- Winner of the ‘PROFILE’ category at the North East Times Impact Awards 2019
- Winner of the ‘Collaborator of the Year’ award at Dynamo North East’s Dynamites Awards in 2016 & 2017
- A Spiritual Stoic!
- A 44yr old skateboarder
- A former semi-pro dance music DJ/producer, label owner & club promoter
- A father to two amazing kids (my son is 12 & daughter is 9)
- An ex-husband (I separated amicably from my wife of 12yrs in February 2020)
I’ve also worked in the private, public & third sectors either as an employee or consultant for companies & organisations including Sage, British Airways, Shell, Generator, Project North East, Tech North (now part of Tech Nation), Newcastle City Council / North of Tyne CA, property developers & more.
Who are you?
You already are (or would like to become) at least one of the following:
- An existing or potential entrepreneur / new business owner
- An intrapreneur (someone in a job that wants to start their own business or just be more innovative)
- A business (or political) leader who wants to be more innovative / entrepreneurial
- A creative that needs to learn how to be more business-savvy
- A business owner who has lost their mojo & wants to feel motivated & inspired again
- A business owner who wants to get more organised with better systems & processes
- A business owner that is great at what they do but wants to get better at online marketing
- Someone who is committed to learning & personal development
- Someone who is open to new ideas & doesn’t think they already know it all
- Someone who wants to raise their profile & grow their personal online brand
- Someone who is going through a major change in their personal life & needs some friendly support
- Someone who has had enough of wishing, watching or waiting & wants to start doing!
(I limit each cohort to one person per sector / industry type to avoid competition so if you want to be the only person in your field to take part, sign up below before your competitors do)!
When does this take place?
I currently have some slots available on the following dates:
- 25-29 October 2021
- 8-12 November 2021
- 22-22 November 2021
- 13-17 December 2021
(Please note you only need to take part in one of the weeks listed above).
Interested?
My 5 Star Focus Programme is £500 per person & if you know you definitely want to do it, please secure your place now by clicking / tapping on the button below.
(If you’re already a Member of the Startup Week Community, please email paul@newcastlestartupweek.com for a different link to book for the reduced price of just £425)
If you’re not 100% sure if my 5 Star Focus Programme is right for you & would like to ask a few questions, please fill out the short form below & I’ll arrange a time for an informal chat:
+ 5 Star Thrive Programme
Once you’ve done the 5 Star Focus Programme with me over 5 days, you then have the option of continuing to get 1-2-1 coaching from me every month through my 5 Star Thrive Programme.
This comprises of a 1hr 1-2-1 coaching session with me once a month plus follow-up on agreed actions, hands-on support from me, ongoing encouragement & advice plus optional group coaching / mentoring sessions with guest speakers for just £100 per month.
Ideally, you should have done my 5 Star Focus Programme with me first but even if you haven’t you can sign up for my 5 Star Thrive Programme any time via this link or by emailing me at paul@newcastlestartupweek.com
(The £100 will be taken via Stripe every month on a recurring / subscription basis but can be cancelled any time)
Can’t afford it right now?
If you can’t afford these programmes right now but would still like some 1-2-1 business coaching from me, the quickest, easiest & least expensive way to do this is to join my online Startup Week Community for just £75.
And if you really don’t have any money right now to spend on your personal development, you can still learn by Subscribing to my weekly newsletter (enter your email in the box that should appear when you scroll to the bottom of this page), Subscribing to my YouTube Channel & Following me on Twitter, LinkedIn & Instagram.
Whatever you decide to do, let’s make this a truly epic year together!
Paul Lancaster
Founder & Director
Newcastle Startup Week | Plan Digital
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lordlancaster/
You can see all the positive LinkedIn Recommendations for me & my work here but I’ve included some example screenshots below:
