plant

It’s the last Friday in October, it’s five’ o’clock on a Friday afternoon and it’s dark. I can’t stop yawning, so maybe it’s fast approaching time to go home.

Somebody asked me how I was yesterday and I answered with a really enthusiastic and genuine “I’m great”, which I am, they were completely taken aback, said “there’s not much great around at the minute”, maybe it’s that time of year.

This is the time of year when frenzy takes hold. The frenzy of hitting this years numbers. The frenzy of all the things that absolutely must be done before Christmas is upon us. Contracts to sign, renewals to win, presentations to do, conferences to conference, new things to launch, finishing this year with a bang, starting next year on the front foot, keeping the momentum going, and so on and so on…

And the world we live in doesn’t get any easier, the market is still tough, and will be for a while, and green shoots emerge and then get doused with weed killer.

And then there’s the small matter of Christmas, presents to buy, stuff to do, trying to be original, ticking things off the list, or is that just because I’m a woman?  I was in Manchester and Liverpool earlier last week, the Christmas decorations were up in the airport, and it sent me into a frenzy of Christmas shopping.

And to add to it all there’s getting up in the dark, going home in the dark, and the prospect of only shortening days for the next 4 months.

So maybe that’s why there’s “not much great around at the minute”.

Sorry I didn’t set out to depress you honest…because I am great at the minute, I love this time of year, and I LOVE CHRISTMAS…and in a funny and strange sort of way I think I love frenzy.

So why am I great at the minute…?

Well for a start sitting on my desk are 6, yes SIX, framed finalist nominations for 6 different categories in the Insurance Times Awards.

…and this week we launched our press ads to support the broker TV ads, and all the feedback say’s they’re really hitting the mark.

…and we’ve now held 6 conferences for Broker Independence Group brokers, and they are proving to be the start of something really special

…and I’ve already attended my first black tie dinner of the season, I’m trying hard to be tee-total from Monday to Friday to prepare myself for the onslaught.

…and I can see so much progress amongst all the frenzy, towards numbers, renewals, sorting stuff out.

…and I love frenzy, in a funny and strange sort of way I think I’m good at it.

And at the end of this frenzy I can see light. A strong end to this year and some green shoots that we’re nurturing and protecting, and so much potential for more.

So when the time comes at the end of it all, the last days of the old year, the first of the new, the days when nobody uses blackberrys or phones (if they did I wouldn’t answer), the days when the frenzy stops for a bit, by then I’ll be exhausted, spending whole days in my PJ’s watching old films and darts on the telly. By then don’t mention the word frenzy, I’ll be all frenzied out.

Take care

Janice xxx