The July’s Post

The past couple of weeks have been incredible, filled with learning opportunities at Elevate, the National Sports Convention, university and sports facility visits, and an epic holiday! I've gained so much knowledge and experienced significant personal growth. These experiences have reinforced my belief that sport is so much more than just traditional team competition; it is a powerful tool that we can utilize for health and well-being for everyone. I have many people to thank, but special thanks go to the team at IAKS Australia & New Zealand International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities (IAKS) National Sports & Physical Activity Convention Melbourne University Sport (Joanne Massoud Cam Owen) Monash university (Brett Lavale) . I also want to express my gratitude to everyone who spent time with me and engaged in conversations during this period (to many people to name). A recurring, thought-provoking question that continuously came up was whether we spend too much time focusing on a minority of students in higher education. Should we invest more effort and resources in engaging the broader student body? At the beginning of the trip, I would have said no, but as the journey progressed, I found myself increasingly leaning towards yes. I’m keen to continue this conversation and discussion in the coming weeks! Now, it's time to start the long journey home in the coming days and recover. The task now is to capture all of the insights and start making an even greater impact! #LearningJourney #PersonalGrowth #SportsForHealth #Wellbeing #Education

Dear LinkedIn Connections, If you know of anyone who's in secondary school or JC and who's keen on promoting mental well-being amongst youths (of around the same age) via the development of an app, website or game, please let them know of our inaugural Young Lionhearts competition. Get them to form teams of 3 or maximum 4 members amongst their school or college mates and sign up. Ok, the big question: How to sign up? 1) Participants have to be studying in a secondary school or junior college or equivalent as of Q1 2025 2) Team members may be from different years of study as long as they are in the same secondary school or junior college. For those in a school/college with IP, please do not mix secondary and college members in the same team as we have prizes specifically for a) secondary schools and b) junior colleges 3) If the school/college has not received an invitation from us (because our resources are limited and we only reached out to those that we attended), please inform the school/college after forming a team and get the school/college to inform us. Each school or college could field a max of 10 teams. 4) If you need to register directly with us, please comment "Formed team_name of school/junior college" on the LinkedIn post. I would recommend to try (3) first. Other info that you may be interested to know: 1) Renowned speakers will be invited to the event launch in end Nov 2024. They would be speaking about mental health, presentation skills, crafting a pitch, AI, code and no code. 2) Lunch is provided. 3) Mentors will be assigned to help you with your pitch and give you ideas on how to develop an app, website or game. 4) Non-techies do not fret. You would be able to develop an app, website or game. And you could develop a board or card game or something that works on a phone or computer. 5) Ample time for you to craft your written pitch and develop your idea. Submission is likely in Jan or Feb 2025. So, you have the school hols to do whatever is needed. 6) Finals will be held by March 2025. Finalists will get to refine their pitch and ideas and present on stage. 7) Attractive prizes await! Certs will be issued to finalists. Leong Yoke Leng Vice-President Lions Club of Singapore Raffles City #linkedinconnections #brandbuildertalents

Let's tackle your 2025 brand goals together! When Elena and I traded stability for adventure in 2024, Beck Branding is how we made it happen. It's a formal Dutch BV and the reason we have our visas and now live in Amsterdam. Its conception was also a means to and end. A way for her to continue freelancing while realizing her dream of living abroad, and a way for me to live and work beside her with our young family. But it also has the potential to be something more down the road. A chance for us to potentially marry our skillsets into a single, holistic offering to clients. One day we might "ride tandem." The future is still unwritten after all. But for now, our focuses are on "riding solo." I can freelance for you (via Beck Branding) whether you're in the US, UK or EU, and I'm flexible on my end with the potential time difference to ensure we can properly collaborate. For those of you here in the Netherlands looking for your next Strategy Director (or Account Director), I'm just as eager to discuss a potential full-time role. No sponsorship needed – I have an unlimited right to live and work here. And if you're looking to follow a dream of your own and need brand strategy and design to get off the ground, well then, Elena and I might be riding tandem sooner than expected. So to all my friends, former colleagues and clients, and future collaborators, if you're looking for extra support with brand strategy – auditing, architecture, positioning, naming/copywriting, creative, etc. – I'd love to chat. Now, next week, three months from now – you name it. I'm around and available. And if you need design too, then WE'RE available to chat. May the new year bring good fortune to us all! Cheers 🥂 #branding #design #brandstrategy #agency #freelance #opentowork

Congratulations to Choon Wei on his graduation! Check out his story below >

For the past year, I’ve been following the amazing players from NHL Stenden’s Black Flamingos football team. Their dedication and resilience amaze me. Here’s what I’ve learned from watching them weekly: 1. Sometimes it rains, sometimes it storms, and sometimes it snows. Yet, they show up and train for over two hours a day, twice a week. 2. Every Saturday, they have a match. Sometimes they win, sometimes they lose. Yet, they take every outcome as a learning opportunity, adding new dimensions to their character. 3. Training takes years, and the results only show up at the end. Yet, they trust the process and keep their eyes on the prize. 4. There is much more to becoming an athlete than simply training. There’s diet, mindset, collaboration, personal leadership, and reflection. Yet, they master all of these and use them to their advantage. 5. It takes immense effort to succeed in both academics and sports simultaneously. Yet, they don’t quit either. 6. There are plenty of shortcuts to take in sports. Yet, they work their way up by their own means, staying humble and clean. 7. Their schedules are packed, and there’s only so much energy one has. Yet, they stay disciplined — in diet, in exercise, and in their way of living. 8. Some of them have personal struggles. Yet, they give their best on the field and help anyone who asks for guidance. 9. What they do is hard, sometimes physically and mentally painful. Yet, they make it seem easy and natural. I know myself well. I realize I could never do what they manage. That’s why I admire them so much! That’s why I look up to them and watch them for six hours a week, giving their best and shaping a future they will be proud of. Great job, Black Flamingos! And praise to your coaches, Kai Gozo and Daniel Manga!

Wise and generous advice from Matthew: "Try to ask yourself these questions: Who do you want to be? What do you want to achieve? And what impact do you want to make in the world? The journey to getting into these top universities requires a lot of deep self-reflection and introspection. These questions really compel you to look beyond superficial motivations and really connect with your genuine passions, interests, and purpose.”

Hey Dr. Vee Kativhu, you are a special gift to humanity. Keep up the good work. Let me impress upon you an interesting question: What policies and strategies are in place to mitigate the widespread issue of stress and depression among young people across the spectrum? How are we preparing the next generation to positively navigate the socio-cultural and socio-economic challenges they will encounter throughout their lives?

A career in hospitality can offer so much to young people today, and we were so excited to welcome pupils from schools across the area to the launch of the North East Coast Fife Coastal Alliance (NEFCA) with DYW Fife. A showcase for the Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism sector in the area, the exhibition in our Hall of Champions saw over 30 local businesses give 150 young people a little taste of life in the industry and the variety of skills it can help develop. One amazing example of this is our very own Max Lindsay, an S6 pupil at Madras College, who gave a brilliant talk at the morning’s business breakfast, sharing all he’s learned on his hospitality journey, which began with a five-week Career Ready placement here at Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa and continues as part our Conference and Events team. We look forward to playing a part in the future of NEFCA, and welcoming many more inspirational young people like Max into our wonderful industry. #Careers #YouthDevelopment #FutureTalent #Fife #OldCourseHotel

In the US, many big brand companies are pulling the plug on their DEI programmes, mostly in favour of merit based inclusion. Well honestly, this makes me feel quite uncomfortable 😖 I feel incredibly fortunate to have been born into this body, this life, this part of the world……but I could have just as easy been born somewhere else, less fortunate with less opportunities. The example I used was....(you know I love an analogy): It’s school sports day and it’s the big ‘1 Mile Hurdles Race’ 🏃♂️ There are 12 people who want to take part, but only 10 racing lanes, so to make it fair for everyone, they are going to let everyone choose their racing lane on a first come first serve basis. Fair right? Everyone has the same opportunity to grab a racing lane. The participants were set off together in the direction of the lanes. The first few to arrive realise 2 lanes have an 10 extra hurdles! 10 more hurdles?!?!   They don’t want that. Not to worry, as they were the fastest they got there first so they can chose a different lane, a lane that has the normal amount of hurdles to jump. Eventually everyone arrives and the allocation is finished ✅ What happened? 🟰 The 8 fittest/able people got normal lanes 🟰 2 people with physical limitations got the 2 lanes with 10 extra hurdles 🟰 And 2 people couldn’t understand the instructions as one didn’t speak English and the other was deaf missed the chance to take part all together. Those 2 tickets which had more hurdles to jump, weren’t given to the fittest people, or those who had the best running gear, or the ones who had the best support team in place. They were randomly dished out and 8 people just happened to be luckier than the other 2. This is genuinely how I look at some areas of DEI. The disparity between opportunities is so great and so random, it wouldn’t possibly be fair or ethical to judge people solely on their merit in todays world. But what do you think? Do you personally align more with a merit based approach or do you want to see the DEI method continue in the future? #MeritVsEquity #Inclusion #DEI #Social #ESG

Challenging Assumptions This year, I committed myself to trying out new things, one of which happened to be golf. Given this, I signed up to join the Golf Club at University College Dublin. Let me tell you about one particular event that challenged my perceptions. Our club decided to switch things up and try a new location for our last event of the semester. When I looked up the address on Google Maps, I was surprised to find it was located on the third floor of a shopping plaza. My initial reaction was disbelief – I mean, a golf course on the third floor of a building? It didn't fit my preconceived notion of what a golf course should be like, as I had always associated golf with vast outdoor courses. Despite my reservations, I followed the directions to the third floor. To my surprise, I found an indoor mini-golf course. It was a different experience from what I had expected, but I enjoyed every moment. This experience got me thinking. It made me realize how often we have a fixed idea of what things should be like, which can sometimes close our eyes to exciting new opportunities. It's a reminder always to keep an open mind and be willing to challenge our assumptions. I've learned that embracing change, even when initially overwhelming, can lead to discovering new and unexpected opportunities. Stepping out of our comfort zones and being open to new experiences is where growth and learning happen. So, if there's one thing I'd like to share with all of you, it's this: don't be afraid to question your assumptions, embrace change, and explore new opportunities. You never know what exciting experiences and insights might be waiting for you on the third floor of a shopping plaza. #GolfClub #NewOpportunities #EmbracingChange