There has been a bit of gap between posts to this blog lately. This isn’t due to a lack of things to say or write about, but due to being busy with work – a problem I have been very grateful to have.
Yesterday marked 15 months since I moved to London. Its now also roughly a year since I started this blog. My first post on this blog referenced Simon Sinek’s ‘Start With Why.’ This and subsequent posts were me being reflective of where I was and how I got there – and why. From there the blog posts explored my background, including my first campaign at school, and my involvement in politics. Then later my involvement in the Students’ Association and election to leadership roles there.
I’ve also written about current events and topics of the day. These include President Trump, US gun control, the housing crisis in NZ and the UK, and the English council election in May.
Its not all been politics and social comment on this blog. I’ve done a series of walks through London using my 1980s AA guide book – of which I have now done 11/12 (the last one is coming soon.
In the New Year I will continue the series of self reflective posts. Specifically I will be writing about my time in the Trade Union movement. Those who know me will realise I will have plenty to say on this – and what I think the future holds for organised labour.
Talking about the past is important, and I think reflecting on where you have come from helps you understand where you are and where you are going. Increasingly though, I see this blog focussing more on talking about the future – both mine and society as a whole.
The past 15 months have for me been about establishing myself and my business in London. When I started this blog I’d been in the country a few weeks and much of my time was focused on setting up the basics (bank accounts etc). I was still setting up a UK company heavily based on the model used by the NZ parent company Piko NZ. Piko in NZ is primarily a campaigns and government relations business. My colleagues in NZ have complimentary and in many cases overlapping skill sets and this worked well there. Coming to London, where there is a larger pool of talent, a greater degree of specialisation (something I have already commented on here) and a different market with different needs. The last 15 months have been a journey of me digging deep to see what my strengths and skills really are, and how I use these best to my advantage in London. I haven’t written much about this on my blog, as I feel it best to reflect upon things first then write later. Needless to say 2018 has been a year of significant pivoting and change for me – and I look forward to sharing my reflections in 2019.
As I write this the UK political establishment is in turmoil, trying to manage the Brexit negotiations. It is far from clear what will happen as of today – in fact it feels like anything could happen. I have plenty to say about this and plan to write my thoughts over the next few days. For now I will just say that its an interesting, nervous, exciting and unpredictable time – and I am very glad to be here.
More soon….
Nick Kelly 