Martin Shervington Joins Us On The Steve Jobs Inspired Join Up Dots Podcast
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Introducing Martin Shervington
Martin Shervington is todays guest joining us on the Steve Jobs inspired Join Up Dots Podcast.
He is a man who is a bit different to what you would expect him to be.
If you think of an expert in Google +, who knows more about the product than it seems Google do themselves you would probably think of a teckie guy, mad hair, glasses…you get the idea.
You wouldn’t think of someone that loves writing comedy with a psychological twist, and likes nothing more than jumping up on stage and wowing the crowds with a few well placed rib ticklers.
Even studying at the San Francisco Comedy College for six months to fine tune his craft
Well that is the type of guy that we have on the show today.
How The Dots Joined Up For Martin
Who started his life in Wales, and now fly’s around the world supporting his clients, who in the main fail to grasp the power of Google+
He teaches the processes that make this platform potentially the most under utilised area of the web today.
He uses his studies in psychology to create a blueprint for us to follow to understand how organisations like Google use psychology and how we…the internet uses don’t, but should.
He is a man who Guy Kawasaki states is “one of the most clever and hard working people you’ll find.”
So where does he believe his true talents lie?
Being an engaging and informative public speaker, executive coach, business consultant and marketing psychologist, stand up comedian or windsurfing trainer.
Yep, you didn’t see that last one coming did you!
Well let’s bring onto the show to start joining up dots, as we discuss the words of Steve Jobs in todays free podcast, with the one and only Mr Martin Shervington.
Show Highlights
During the show we discussed such weighty topics with Martin Shervington such as:
How surfing is a great metaphor for success, as it teaches persistence, commitment, focus, skill and a myriad of other things that we need to demonstrate everyday.
How he loves to build in “play” to his work and make things a game. It is then that everything appears to come together the most and he enjoys it most.
How he didn’t understand how google works at first, until he understood that it is an ecosystem that is changing the world.
When given the chance to become either Facebook supremo Mark Zuckerberg or comedian legend Billy Connolly he chose…….you’ll have to listen to find out.
And lastly…..
How he would describe the success that he has achieved at this point of his life as “Happiness”
How To Connect With Martin Shervington
Return To The Top Of Martin Shervington
If you enjoyed this episode of Join Up Dots then why not listen to some of our favourite podcast episodes such as Stephanie Keenan, Ted Yoder, Sean Swarner or the amazing Michael Michalowicz
Or if you prefer just pop over to our podcast archive for thousands of amazing episodes to choose from.
Audio Transcription Of Martin Shervington Interview
Intro [0:00]
When we’re young, we have an amazing positive outlook about how great life is going to be. But somewhere along the line we forget to dream and end up settling join up dots features amazing people who refuse to give up and chose to go after their dreams. This is your blueprint for greatness. So here’s your host live from the back of his garden in the UK David Ralph
David Ralph [0:26]
Yes. Hello there. Well, how are we all welcome to Episode 209 of a join up dots I’m feeling particularly good today. Well, actually, I’m not I don’t like the guest. I don’t want you to sort of think anything bad about me. But I am in a very large kind of brick built shed at the back of my garden with the rain lashing down. And he’s by the side of a pole in Brazil, we probably a bevy of beauties running and jiggling around all around him. So it’s not a good start to the show, I promise you, but we will get over there. And I will just push that to the side, because he’s a guy that I’ve wanted on the show for a long time. Because if you think of an expert in Google Plus, who knows more about the product, and it seems Google do themselves, you would probably think of a techie guy or mad hair scientist glasses, you get the idea. You wouldn’t think of someone that loves writing comedy with a psychological twist and likes nothing more than jumping up on stage and wowing the crowds with a few well placed whip ticklers even studying at a San Francisco comedy college for six months to fine tune he’s crap. Well, that’s the type of guy that we have on the show today who started his life in Wales, and now flies around the world supporting these clients who in the main file to grasp the power of Google Plus, I must admit, I had no idea. He teaches the processes that make this platform, potentially the most underutilized area of the web today. He uses he studies in psychology to create a blueprint for us to follow to understand how organizations like Google use psychology and how we the internet users Well, we don’t but we should. He’s a man who died. Come on. Saki states is one of the most clever and hardworking people you’re fine. So where does he believe he’s true talents lie being engaging and informative public speaker, executive coach, business consultant, marketing psychologist, stand up comedian or windsurfing trainer yet you didn’t see that last one coming, Delia. Well, let’s find out as we’ve great did I get to bring on to the show to start join up dots the one and only Mr. Martin Shervington. How are you Martin?
Martin Shervington [2:26]
I’m great. What an intro.
David Ralph [2:28]
You deserve it, don’t you? You see, after I kind of well, bad mouth you really because of the success and the location and stuff. I felt bad about myself. So I had to pick you up.
Martin Shervington [2:40]
I’ll take it. I’ll take it. But I’ve got to say that I the mosquitoes here just in case anybody has been slightly envious. I’ve been in Brazil. They ghost on me the other night. And I’m not joking. One waddled at the door in the morning, it just it was brazenly just leave in me attacks. So that’s what that’s what I always do to level it and just say listen by the beach, but it’s not all fun.
David Ralph [3:02]
So So do you have that kind of Robert Patterson look about you at the moment discovered? Yeah, you’ve been sucked dry by the Brazilian vampires. But I’m your life is kind of fantastic. I love the fact that nowadays we can create lives for us that you literally can go wherever you want, as long as you’ve got an internet connection. And your life kind of falls into that, isn’t it? You really you are? Well, you’ve got to be a UK guy to know this. But polio, wherever you lay your hat, that’s your home. That’s your kind of summer imagine
Martin Shervington [3:35]
it is I was living in California for six months prior to coming down here. And yeah, as long as I’m connected on the web, then it works. And you you shape your life and the decisions that you make. And and this works for me. I don’t think it worked for everybody. But only I like being connected on the internet aren’t being part of a local village type feel. But I also like learning, like learning on my Portuguese David is dreadful. It’s embarrassing how bad it is. But I do try then. Yeah. So it’s all it’s all a little bit of an experiment as well. Because you mentioned about the psychology and it’s like, Yeah, what’s it like to be thrown in another place, and to connect with people, and it’s great to start to do some business down here and we’re moving.
David Ralph [4:19]
So So how have you go around the world and really do not have a Welsh accent at all because you come? And I’ll be honest with you, Martin, and this is probably a comment between you and me again, this is kind of almost UK guys connecting. You sound more like Alan Partridge when you do.
Martin Shervington [4:39]
The first time I that isn’t the first time I grew up, I’m came from I come from Newport. I come from a Welsh accent on if you want it probably more Newport than that. And I went school in Monmouth, which is just on the border. And then I went to university in Bermuda and it’s kind of rounded. I lived in Australia for a couple of years and things. So I always say that, you know, kind of, but I’m more willing when I’m backing wells, I’m sure.
David Ralph [5:01]
And then do you.
Martin Shervington [5:03]
Partridge thing isn’t isn’t that that comes up? I don’t every three months. I reckon. Somebody always wouldn’t mind me send me a clip.
David Ralph [5:11]
Yeah, well, it was fascinating because I watched one of your Google Plus presentations on your website. And I was working yesterday. And it was about an hour long. So it was kind of running on one screen when I was on the other screen. And I kept on thinking it was he sounded like he was he sounded like and it took me the whole hour. I had to get through the whole presentation, which was very good. And we will touch on it later because you really do know your stuff. But all the time. I think I know it. I know it and yes, Adam Partridge which which is kind of a good claim to fame, isn’t it?
Martin Shervington [5:40]
I’ll take it. Yeah, not the first time, not the last time. But Joe. So Dan here people don’t know. And so I got Hugh Grant last night. So I’m having it. That’s fine. All right.
David Ralph [5:49]
Well, did you know this is a bit of a love fest, because when I was younger, I’m 44. Now, I used to get chased around by people thinking I was wrong. Because I had kind of I was looking through your skype picture similar hair to yours. And I made a mistake once of deciding that I was going to shave it off. And so I went into I don’t know why I even did it. I think I was trying to save money, or I must have been drunk. But I bought one of these self shaving kits. And I just went over. And it never came back to its for sort of luster. So I look at your hair with with envy because yeah, I can understand that the English accent the floppy hair, what more can you want you You must have them throwing themselves at you, Marty.
Martin Shervington [6:34]
If I wasn’t working 15 hours a day, then then that beer but I’m still we’re flat out on a launch at the minute. So that’s partly why I’m Danny, I say 15 hours a day. Actually, I do go to the beach and do nice things. But if anybody listens to this from the team, I’m still working hard, you know?
David Ralph [6:49]
And if your mom’s listening to it as well. So what is your core thing if you’re in a bar, so you in Brazil and a lovely lady, or I love the chap comes up to you and starts, you know, a little bit of small talk and I say what do you do for a living? What do you actually say? Because it’s quite hard to categorize you, isn’t it? Because you’ve got so many things that you can do? And you can do very well.
Martin Shervington [7:15]
Yeah, we’re setting up the agency that Google hasn’t got. And to do that, where we’ve got a training academy, that is bringing people through five different levels of learning how to utilize Google Plus to move information into Google search engine. It’s really that wasn’t a bad summer. Actually,
David Ralph [7:33]
that was really good. But right that went back out. But what would you say what do your job title because you can do
Martin Shervington [7:40]
that. And, you know, the funny thing is David this, this then starts to open up identity.
I have an identity as a writer. And even though I don’t write an unboxing, and even though I don’t write much anymore, I know that when I reflect that’s the core identity, everything else, a business and communication that is around that. And eventually, I’m sure in 20 years time are returned to writing a lot more. And in yet What do I do? I help people learn, I help people communicate. That’s the that’s the summary.
David Ralph [8:18]
I think it’s more of a now I think you well you know yourself better than I do. But if you are a writer, obviously, it’s about words. If you are somebody who likes comedy, it’s about words, if you’re a communicator is about words, you’re kind of like a wordsmith, aren’t you Really?
Martin Shervington [8:35]
Oh, yeah, I think it’s understanding how, how we influence other people through what we say what images we put out. I mean, this is on a day to day basis, I put out pitches to serve, and I put out pitches, you know, on on Google Plus, and Twitter and other places. And I communicate with people the things that I want them to see. And that ties back into that brand identity and things. And you choose your words carefully, you know, and and people will respond based upon what you say and what you put out. And I think that is understanding that loop. So yeah, I think I think words, and we’re comedy funny thing. It’s about editing so much. And it got spontaneous comedy, and you just, you know, have a good banter. And that’s great if you’re writing and actually, dude, I prefer just being a line to play. When you’re on stage and you’re doing stand up, you’ve got a script. And the best thing is when you and this is when you turn really from sort of amateur to pro in one way, you can just throw the script away and just be them audience having that conversation and just being in the room, you know, as opposed to saying, hey, you’re about to get this monologue now. And it’s funny.
David Ralph [9:48]
Yeah, now I can accept that Toby, I was a trainer for many, many years before I started doing this. And I used to do presentations in insurance. And it was so boring, I used to sort of go off on tangents. And sometimes you would say something, and people would laugh, and you think is brilliant. And then you’d sort of go a bit more with it. And then they would laugh even more. And then other times, you would say something that wasn’t funny, but they would all laugh and you’d kind of thing Why are they laughing there? And I used to find that far more exciting, when it was just naturally kind of free falling, really, because you didn’t know what was happening more than the actual content, which is insurance, which was banking is is a bit dry. So now I take that totally, totally. So do you like also been slightly living on the edge not really knowing whether you are going to be successful or not? Because that seems a core part of you as well?
Martin Shervington [10:40]
Yes, I think
the it’s taken opportunities, and if you’re going to take opportunity, you don’t know for sure, if it’s going to work, okay, I use it, I use the metaphor of surfing all the time. And that’s it, you know, you do your best you’re in that particular situation, you paddle. If you’re at the right point on the way you get on the wave at a good time you stand up, you know, you balance your weight, you move up and down across the way face and the wave breaks base, the wave does what it does, you just make the most of it. And I like that. And what I’m doing now plays really well to the skills that I have that every day I can wake up and be excited about what I’m doing. I think that’s one thing that people it’s a shame when you’re not. Yeah. But it’s not it, there’s also a price that you paid that you don’t have certainty. So you make a decision, and mine is to keep on exploring and see what works for people, I need it that this there’s so many. And the last two and two and a half, three years. I’ve discovered that by playing. And I mean, I create little social games for people. And by people engaging in them, we discover that we can move content into Google search. Leaving aside the geeky bit, what I find is that people get together until like a little mini trying for a period of time and maybe 100 people or 200 people. And for that time, you won’t play in a game. And you decide the rules of the game. And every time it’s a different game. And I keep doing this. And it means like be creative and not get bored. And yet the framework and the sort of the the theme that runs through is always the same as always in the same sort of play for different people. So yeah, I’d like to be involved in this next thing that we tried one, you know, Jimmy Fallon. So we, yeah, well, there’s a there’s a on my YouTube channel. There’s a video that we did to try and get Jimmy Fallon on his birthday, 40th birthday. And I gotta say, This involves me wearing a wig. I wore a pink wig in order to do this. But we did the hashtag Jimmy Fallon plus, in order to get Jimmy Fallon to say goodbye. And he didn’t, I couldn’t believe it. But if the show was pre recorded, it turned out. But the game was how do we create a piece of content that engages the community enough to get it trending on Google Plus, that potentially, there’s a story that they could bring in and say, Hey, thanks to everybody on Google buzz saw. And to do that, we probably got back 250 people involved. And I love that, but you don’t know how it’s going to go. It can be an absolute disaster, we did one called plus the Zach, which another? Which is a Zuckerberg thing. And it’s all you know, Facebook, Google Plus, there’s always a bit of a little bit of tension there. And you don’t know because plus the Zach, unfortunately, is very easy for people to juggle a few letters around and end up somewhere very, very different as a hashtag. Okay, you know, and you take a roll
David Ralph [13:45]
out all those dogs getting Google, I know exactly what you’re talking about.
Martin Shervington [13:50]
Yeah. And so but this is one of the things that I’ve discovered is that you can create an experience for people and it’s not something that comes off the shelf. And this is why I teach people about it. But when I write things, and I get people, the basic process is almost, but now, you know, you know the process, but you can’t just replicate what’s being done, you have to go off and be creative, because people want that they want a new experience, not the same one delivered by somebody else. So yeah, I’m very lucky. And it pays the bills and the Academy’s working very well. And people want to do speaking gigs, and so on. So it is working. And that’s a great thing. But it’s been a lot of work to get to where it’s got to.
David Ralph [14:32]
But But if we can look back in time, then the key thing that sort of jumped out on me when you were speaking was the fact that you like to wake up excited every morning, was at a time that you didn’t band was there a time where you were, quote, unquote, like the majority of us were jobs were a job, it was hard work. And you had to go and do it because I about paid the bills.
Martin Shervington [14:53]
So kind of right. So the time that has been the most stressful, has been having a lot of staff, and having to pay the wage bills and having the pressure. So when I was well, his story begins. In my mid 20s, I studied something called neuro linguistic programming. And after three, four years, I then did a post grad in organizational psychology at University of London. So I had this kind of mix of it, this very sort of personal development, communication, skills based training, and then a more classical psych psychology training, and only run a business. I had lots of staff and my wage bill was probably around about 35. That’s quite nice. I’m speaking pains with speaking in dollars here, but by 35,000 pounds a month. And then the rest of the overheads. And I mean, you take it to one sort of 70 80,000. And when it was successful, it was great. But when there are times that it wasn’t the stress, when I used to go to bed and wake up, I used to just sit there and just go right, I need to plan so carefully. And and that I didn’t like I didn’t like that the freedom of play wasn’t there. Because you’re in a structured, it’s kind of it’s very hard to change course quickly. You know, and if you’ve got staff, you’ve got to treat people as badly as you possibly can. You can’t just say right, that’s it, everybody, you know, we’ve got to cut costs. So let’s get your act. You know, you’ve got a there’s laws David as well. And that what I’ve done now is have something which has incredibly low overheads got no Day is a reflection upon the stress that I felt at that period of time, which probably in my early 20s, or early 30s, mid 30s and 41 that, so yeah. And comparatively, I am so much happier, doing what I’m doing. And even though the business has grown, and we’ve got pretty 810, nine people doing sales at the moment, the structure is very, very low risk. And it’s essentially what I’ve done is I said 50% is mine, 50% go back to the community and whoever does the work, and they got community, core community probably have around about a minute 25 people active 14,000. So the the view is how do we create a different sort of business. And I like that it’s much more inclusive, and it’s a lot more transparent, a lot more transparent on the finances, because that’s something as well, which is, money causes stress. And if you’re taking it on board yourself, you’re going to make sure you got a good vehicle. And there’s a vehicle that’s sustainable.
David Ralph [17:42]
So it seems fascinating, really, because you are a clever guy. Yeah. And you have studied, studied study, but you have got a you’ve got a light hearted side, you can hear the way that you talk, the way that you act. I saw you on stage the other day, as I was saying, and you were loving it You were loving the interaction you like the personal aspect? Is it is it really your core essence? I know we were talking about sort of wordsmith and all that kind of stuff. But is it a kind of hybrid of being a communicator, a wordsmith, but actually liking people as well? Because you’re naturally engaging, aren’t you?
Martin Shervington [18:20]
I like people, I think you got to find the things that you like about people, if you don’t like the people that you know, you if you actually sit back and just watch, you just get you know, or anything that I don’t like is probably to do with me and my impatience at the time or wanting a different outcome or whatever it might be. But actually, when you sit back and just just allowing people to be themselves, then yeah, usually, I like him. And I’m very, very lucky. I really like the people that are around and doing what I’m doing. And I like I like it when you can play. And when people respond to that, and when you allow them to be part of your day in your life. So one of the things I’m excited do some interviews, Nan again, and it’s, it’s a way of connecting with people. And the comedy is something which I’m big, I’m big on reflect and you’ll get me to reflect them. But the comedy is something which lightens me, actually. And that’s something which is important. I can get really geeky. I can write like process notes on things and so on. And it’s okay, that’s fine for a certain set of people, but it’s dry, you know, people want is they want you to a little bit entertain sometimes. And to engage, as you say so yeah, I mean, that’s definitely part of what I do. And the comedy, I always I always say, and I’m sure it’s like I could write it better. You know, I spent six months in comedy college, and I’m sure I should have spent a year you know, in terms of standard. It’s hard, really hard. My standards. Okay. But when I take my standard into presentations, suddenly my presentations are a lot better than OpenStack.
David Ralph [19:58]
Yeah. So So would you rather be Zuckerberg or Billy Connolly? If you had come push comes to shove?
Martin Shervington [20:06]
Oh, what a choice. I’m, I’m tempted to go bill economy. I think what I’m going to be Zuckerberg, I’m impressed. He learned Chinese. Well, I’m more impressed. I’m more impressed about that. by him building Facebook from scratch. What I want to be caught, I think, I think calmly I think I go for Connelly. I think he’s there’s more fun, there’s more play. And probably just as successful. I know, you’re not talking about the money we’re talking about in a human life, because that’s really what matters.
David Ralph [20:40]
Because I think this show is about telling people that they can be happy in life. You know, we have conversations on a daily basis, not once have I really said to anybody, this is what I think you should do. All I say is a summary of how to get going really surround yourself with people becoming more of aware, have a focus, blah, blah, blah. But I do think that where the common man falls down is the fact that they can’t quite grasp what you’re saying that the real successful people are the ones that are enjoying it as well. And they had their cake and eat it. And I think most people, if you say to him, How’s work today, they were going on, it’s a job, and they kind of accept back to be the case. But I don’t think that is the case now. And I’m you don’t think it’s the case. And I’m sure if you speak to Billy Connolly and Mark Zuckerberg and Well, probably not Richard Branson at the moment I’ll be he’s probably having a bad time. But the rest of them, it is that the hybrid isn’t it is the hybrid of doing something you love, enjoying yourself. And ultimately, that brings out your authentic self. And then you will become more successful what you think about that mind.
Martin Shervington [21:50]
I agree, I think it’s been an enthusiastic about what you do. And sometimes you’ve got to do stuff that you don’t want to do. But it’s not all the time. And that’s the difference. And if you’re you’re in it for yourself, and I’m an old mentor of mine always said, you didn’t like mowing the lawn, but he liked the way the garden looked for the week after once it was done. I was like, I get that, you know, and sometimes I’m going to do gotta do I do a lot of admin, you know, I’m probably not a full time assistant, I still do a lot of admin because I’m the best person to do that. And yet, once it’s done, the longevity of that piece of work, it makes it worthwhile. And I think that it’s a shame to wake up and go, all I gotta do. I said work for the man. I think that’s just such an Americans. I don’t think we even say that in the UK. But you know, that idea of gotta you gotta go and work for somebody else and do something either way. It’s a shame, it’s your life. So when I was after university, I went to Australia and I was living in Sydney. And I remember after about six, seven months, I was surfing because I was teaching when surfing there. But I learned to surf in Australia. And I was surfing and I son is pretty I put out some strikers one of those epiphany moments. It was beautiful day. And I sat there looked around the shore and just went, this is an incredible holiday. I was 22.
And I started on my own on a second, this is not a holiday, this is your life,
you can choose what you want to do. And that was probably the first time that I went and I would I was going to come back and be a lawyer or do something that very much centered I did Laurin business those don’t journalism. So it was going to be some sort of corporate type thing. And that freed me and said, you run your life, it’s up to you what you do. And I actually came back and wrote a lot. And I published in books were early on, as I said, and I still am very much about identity as a writer. But it shook me out of the conditioning, that it has to be a certain way. But the price you pay is that you don’t have the certainty. And that’s something you have to manage. And I think that as we move your tech, logically, things are going very quickly. And as we move into this next sort of stage, and I see pretty, pretty profound things happening as the planet starts to connect. And it means that we’re probably going to have a lot of disruption and a lot of technological disruption, a lot of companies are going to start to change jobs and structures start to change. And there’s a lot of talk about, you know, robots and how robots will take over a lot of jobs. And apart from stand up comedy for quite a while. But
David Ralph [24:28]
the dry line of robots,
Martin Shervington [24:30]
they’re just not funny. So there’s nuts and bolts sort of joke. And that sort of it just means that you’ve got to throw yourself out there. And whilst you see, it’s about, you’ve got to relinquish control, but do a good job. And you’re you’re still autonomous. But also you said about having the right people good people around, you totally agree, you’ve got to be around people that that lift you up, and that you are aspiring to be and you change to another one of my mentors or mental ones was where you’ve been five years time is the books that you read quite an old fashioned one books that you read or information that you have, and the people you spend your time with. And I think that’s the other bit is that if you spend time with people who are entrepreneurs, or creatives, and so you start to go in that direction.
David Ralph [25:17]
Because I this show is going nut balls at the moment, and then the the audience is amazing. And people keep telling me what I should be doing with the show. And I keep on saying you could be earning a squeegee and pound that if you did this and you did fat. And I keep on saying I don’t want to do that. I like doing the show. Yeah, but what if you add this on and add on any just sounds dreadful the things that people are throwing at me having a conversation with you, Marty. Now I’m loving it, absolutely loving it. And I would like it to go on for 15 hours. Brilliant. But all the other stuff that people think that I should be doing just leaves me cold. And I found that interesting. But people out there are trying to direct my success into a way. But they kind of want they don’t understand. But my show is going to operate under my terms. Do you find that as well as your business grows and grows and grows? You obviously like the play element, do sort of them? Business sort of consultants and the staff or people you speak to go on Martin, what you should be doing is bass and bass when you say well, actually, I don’t want to be doing that they sort of sit back a bit.
Martin Shervington [26:20]
The craziest thing is the not the man. Nobody is partly because they can see how quickly we’re moving on things. Because we’re creating some technology, we’re really pushing ahead, you know, every day, I can’t quite say what the actual say saying is, but in a one step forward, every day, don’t mess it up. That’s it. It’s a case of every day, just do that. And I think that because I haven’t really stopped in the last two years and eight months, nine months on that sort of process. People, people aren’t just firing advice, they can see what we’re doing is working, however. Amazing. I will when I listen to you and listen to the difference actually, because I’m in a network. I have people that I go to all the time and ask for advice off. So it’s actually almost the other way around. People don’t come to me, I’m going to them again. On my own Frank, what do you think about this? Yeah, I’m I have a small group of people, I I say, you know, tell me if you think I’m wrong, and tell and I and I test things out, I throw things at them to see the response. And I think Yeah, I, I could see that that probably was going to be a culturally sensitive thing. I need to do it differently. So I’m always checking in. Now the point again, where people will come and say, Hey, you want to look at it this way? But we are. But we’re in a very fortunate position in the got in early on something, people still don’t understand what it is. And we are convinced that it’s going to happen. So in a way, we’re almost under the radar at the minute because I think there’s a lot of people in there just go blessings going to disappear. Don’t worry about it’s like you don’t know, what is this one? So it yeah, it may change. But you’ve got to stay strong, then you got to do what it’s not just what makes you happy. I think it’s it’s what it’s where your passion is. And for some people, they don’t find that. And it’s a shame because it’s what gets you up in the morning is what gives you energy. It’s what makes you go Yeah. laughs Okay. You know, and if you’ve got that you just keep doing that.
David Ralph [28:29]
That’s what I think. And I’ll play the words of a famous comedian, it said something really inspiring and powerful. And it says so much about what we’re saying at the moment. This is Jim Carrey,
Jim Carrey [28:39]
my father could have been a great comedian, but he didn’t believe that that was possible for him. And so he made a conservative choice. Instead, he got a safe job as an accountant. And when I was 12 years old, he was let go from that safe job. And our family had to do whatever we could to survive. I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which is was that you can fail at what you don’t want. So you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.
David Ralph [29:06]
really powerful words, and I play those ships is amazing. I get that more often than not I ever people say to me afterwards, do you know, I felt like standing up and applauding, or Yes, the ship is up your arms. And I get that all the time. Now with you. Obviously, you’re doing something that you love is going really well. And we are going to talk about it. And now because so many people sort of don’t really understand what it is until I saw your presentation the other day. I didn’t grasp actually how powerful it was. It was just something to so I don’t know stick things on every now and again. But do you think that you’ve taken a risk on something you love? Just like Jim Carrey says?
Martin Shervington [29:47]
No, I
I think that means think about taking a risk on now i
is a slightly different process. I
became obsessed with it when I started to understand what it was. And that took about three days on Google Plus. And then I realized that I didn’t really get Google. I didn’t I was still thinking you’ve got this Google Search thing. And you’ve got this bit over there, which is maps. And then you’ve got this Gmail that I didn’t really understand how Google was this ecosystem, an enormous ecosystem. And and when I started to put the pieces together, that’s when the risk reduced, because it’s funny this week, Price Waterhouse Cooper Cooper’s have just gone. Gone. Google was close to the button, the whole company that 50,000 people on the Google system, they’re a consultancy. So that’s not going to cascade down. So there’s gonna be lots more businesses that go Google, which is the plan that Google wants. And as I start to see this own where this company is exceptional. So I’m I, I always wanted my the entrepreneurs dream was to sell a company to Google. I didn’t and I think many people and I never the company that they’d want to buy. So in a way, I didn’t start out good all I’m going to start a company, it wasn’t like that. It was just that I saw that they were doing something cool. And really what they’ve done. And this rank Google Plus is they’ve connected the world in new ways. They’re connected individuals in new ways. And until people get into it, and there’s different levels of it, you know, people, like you said, you can post your pictures on Google Plus, but actually, the Google Hangouts are like virtual meeting rooms, virtual spaces. And in the early days, it was like the 60s, people were running around, you know, flyers and internet of Hangouts, you couldn’t meet anybody. But into this I, from a quality point of view. Recently, I met sir Ben Kingsley, and our Hangout On Air and chat comedy with him, Jane leaves, who was from Frazier definitely Frazier, and comedy with her all of it, you’ve got, you’ve got the potential to connect with people that you wouldn’t necessarily connect with. So that was that’s one aspect of it. But the I forgot what the question was. Now, you get to talk about Google Plus, I’m all
David Ralph [32:15]
about taking new risk and something you love.
Martin Shervington [32:17]
Yeah. So So I, the passion was there. And I started then to delve into understanding the psychology behind that. It’s like, Why do people like that thing, but not like that thing? And what happens after initial behavior, what events then cascade, and I started to observe how things start, and then how relationships form how relationships fall apart, and all of this going, and I went, Wow, this is fascinating. If I sit back and what I did, somebody gave me some great advice early on, they said, make notes on everything. And that’s what I did. So I wrote it all up. It’s all on my blog, of what is happening on the on the personal individual level, what’s happening on the community level, what’s happening as the technology changes, and I kind of created my, my mini and I was allowed to play is allowed to be vaguely amusing, which is pretty much the level. I think if you go beyond that, it’s I think that’s probably probably like, you know, that would have been extra six months in comedy school. But I really just did what I want to do. And the wasn’t a risk, because I don’t think that at that point, there was an alternative because so far down the rabbit hole. Because I went This is incredible. I felt I walked into Wonderland, and suddenly understood what Google was doing on this planet. And you know, you see the self driving cars, and certainly they are they’re moving towards. Can we get all philosophical for a second?
David Ralph [33:47]
You can do anything you want, sir. But with a hairstyle like that. I’ll let you go.
Martin Shervington [33:51]
There what what’s going on? Is they employ a chap called
rakers, well, records for a book called the singularity. And the idea is that we get to a point where we really interfere, we become part of the technology, you know, we got it in our pockets already. in there, we can see with with the mobile revolution, that we are connected to it, we it’s not just this external thing anymore. Well, eventually, we start to have the computers inside us. And then we start to have all mental aspects to ourselves, and so on. And we enter into a very different virtual world and Facebook have just bought Oculus Rift, which is a virtual reality settings all over the board at a while ago. And what will happen is we’ll end up with this techno technological singularity, which will advance our evolution, that’s where Google are going. And they’re very open. That’s where they’re going. I had no idea. And I’m Kurzweil now works on this project of AI, artificial intelligence for Google.
David Ralph [34:58]
Anybody else would have better idea would die. Everyone pretty much thinks it’s a white page with some funny videos, and you type in what’s the football scores? I know.
Martin Shervington [35:08]
But the first thing is that that’s that’s where Google Plus starts to break that down is because suddenly, you’ve got literally hundreds of thousands of communities of people. And some of these communities got hundreds of thousands of people in that are talking about their passions. So you got ones on Star Wars, you got ones on Bry brownies, you got what you got one, everything, the world is starting to organize itself increasingly using this and the difference with Google Plus. And Facebook, for instance, is Google Plus is Google. It’s actually the future Google, all of this information goes into Google search, but for people if they are, if it’s appropriate for them to see it. So it you know, that’s one of the big pieces is that the Google a change in how we access information and who we connect with. And the opportunities. I mean, I love the people I’m working with virtually every day, I think these are just amazing ones for people. I’m just very fortunate. I started late, really, I started after Google Plus it launched. And they allowed me just to put my slightly weird, baby amusing psychology observations out and people responded said, Hey, this is this is different. You’re being yourself, which is a unique thing, which is what everybody really has to look at to do is just throw yourself at the world and people go, you know, what I quite like, what you’re doing, it’s exactly what you’re doing. It’s exactly the same process or, and if people respond, you know, from the feedback, because people download the podcast, people send you positive things, and the platform because it’s freely, and there are people there to help everybody already. And there’s a culture, very different sort of culture, which is not that you’re going to get instantly sold to. It’s like you You can access so much information for free. That’s the culture want to support is how can we help? And and then how do we connect people? And how do we help people achieve what they want to do? How do we make them successful?
That’s where, yeah,
David Ralph [37:03]
yeah, did you think that is a key thing to life generally about, we should all be supporting each other. Because certainly, before I got into this game, I think I was in a world of you, you took it, if you could get it, and you kept it to yourself. And now I’m in this kind of virtual online world, I see it more often than not, but people are creating businesses, just so that they can put back I’ve got a gentleman coming on, on Monday called Adam Braun of Pencils of Promise, when he is setting up an organization or a set up, where he’s going around creating 250 schools worldwide. And it seems to me, life has changed somewhat in my perception of it, where it used to be the case of the rich got rich and kept it all for themselves. I don’t see that now, it seems to be that the rich, get rich, but I give back more than they actually keep. Did you see that in your sort of way of thinking
Martin Shervington [37:58]
is transform how I see the role of community. That’s really it. I didn’t get it before, I didn’t understand what community was really like there’s in terms of business community, you got, I perceive that was a lot more transactional, as you say. And now my success is determined by the success of the people that I’m supporting, and helping on it on a daily basis. And one of the things one of the principles I have somebody asked me a question, I’ll answer as long as I can, if I’ve got to go and sit and spend time with somebody, then I would start to say, look, you know, it’s likely that we’re gonna have to have a paid relationship. But I never hold back. And I have I’ve probably written I don’t know, but 250 blog posts, probably more than that now, maybe 300 350. And I point people in direction to say, look, everything’s there. And the aim is to structure and organize it. So if somebody asked me a question that I haven’t answered, I’ll answer it, and then I’ll take that on certain, I’ll turn it into a blog post, and then other people in the future will be able to access that. The thing is, with Google it, many people don’t, but if they if people type in a question, and then the right content for them is likely to surface. So even though people come and ask me a question, it’s like, if they googled it in a particular way, then they would have got the answer there. But it’s, how do you help? You know, what, how do you is how can I when people ask, and that is transformed my view within a community context. Because if you’re just doing it on your own, you’re still isolated. You need other people around. And as I like, I go to some of my, my friends, my mentors who are online now and get a check in on a regular basis. You know, we need that, you know, we’re not lone creatures, you know, we aren’t we exist within that cultural framework and communities. And for me, Google Plus has grounded me, and alive me to feel much more connected with people, which is I’m wrong, considering its online in some ways. And yet so many people, my online offline life has no blurred now it’s gone. Because I’ve met so many people that I’m connected with online offline, that there is really no difference. But for a period of time that was,
but it’s all it.
I I think that if people haven’t experienced it was talking, it’s always slightly abstract David and people if they’re not using video conferencing, and they’re not really seeing how you can build relationships online, it all pretty fast. It’s a bit chilly and fluffy. And, you know, like I said, like hippie, hippie stuff in a way where the worlds come together, man, it’s kind of like, you know, but it feels like it’s happening. You know, when he said, he
David Ralph [40:49]
feels like it’s happening for me, honestly, I used to be, no man is an island, except for the island demand, as we say, over here, which nobody else seems to understand that joke. But um, yeah, I used to be very much if I was going to do something, it was my way of doing it. If I was going to create a training course, it was my way of doing it. But now doing this, I just see that that is its narrow minded, and the fact that I can have a conversation with you, and you’re by this, this pool with all these ladies waiting for you in Brazil, and I’m over here. And the next minute, I’ll be talking to somebody in San Diego, it really does make the world small. But I think the the man out there who’s listening to this on the way to work, thinking, this sounds exciting, will probably find it too hard to grasp at the start. But once you start connecting you realize I How easy is be how cost effective it is, and see how so many people are willing to give up their time to help somebody get going. And I think that is the thing that surprised me more than anything you agree with it.
Martin Shervington [41:49]
Totally. And I think that that to get going, we all have to start on Google Plus, I started with 20 people in my admin circles just like most people do. And I couldn’t believe it’s almost like, I turned that as I Wow. really friendly here. and supportive. And people spent days teaching me thing. This is different. And you said it when when people start connecting, which we can say joining the dots, it’s it’s a different world that’s starting to emerge. And I live in California. And when you in San Francisco, you can see how fast and Silicon Valley you can see how fast things are starting to happen with startups and, and the investment. But when you get involved yourself on a personal level, and you just you will live people, you people just seem to be it’s bringing out the best in people. I think that certainly certainly brought out the best of me. And I think that it makes you more patient, you realize that. I mean, it’s stages. I mean, I’m I’m very fortunate because I’m now established in the good community center. And it means that every day I know what I’m doing. But in the early days, it people are new, and they come in and you just you’ve just got to support them where they’re at, because they don’t know they don’t understand how all of the technology works. They don’t understand the culture. And they don’t understand what’s appropriate and not appropriate. And all of those things and you just got to kind of go with it. And it goes back to the surfing. It’s what’s there. You know, and it’s helping people where they’re at
David Ralph [43:29]
Jerry Seinfeld he he said this statement. He’s good. And he’s got this program comedians in cars getting coffee. Have you seen that?
Martin Shervington [43:38]
I’ve seen clips, I’ve got to say everybody gets me into why don’t you just sit down and watch a whole lot? Because I know I love it. Because he’s fantastic.
David Ralph [43:44]
Yeah. And certainly if you do sit and watch one of them watch the one with Kramer, which is a is a brilliant one really, really
Martin Shervington [43:53]
nicely. In my book,
David Ralph [43:54]
you write that join up dots a waste your life watching this. But one of the things he said he’s when he sees skater boys, and they’re doing their tricks, he always looks at them and things. They’re going to do a white in life, they must have fallen off that 1000 times maybe a million times. And it’s the same metaphor with the surfboard, the fact that anyone can surf must mean they’ve got persistence. They’ve got commitment. They’ve got focus, I’ve got all these things. And he always says, Yeah, anyone who does that stand up comedians, I suppose is another thing as well. You die, you die, you die, you get slightly better, you die, you die, and you keep on going forward. And yeah. And he says it’s a sort of metaphor for life. And I think it works. Every time when you’re on a surfboard, and you’re catching that wave, and doing whatever you have to do on a surfboard. You must well you probably don’t think of it at the time, but you must think to yourself, yeah, really? How many times did I fall off before I could actually do this?
Martin Shervington [44:49]
I never thought of that before. But you’re spot on. It’s an event. I don’t know where to go with the surfing metaphor to go with with with other things david i think the the tumbles that you take, if you don’t take risks, to some extent, then you don’t push yourself further. And if you’re always five foot waves, then that’s what you’ve got. And that’s great. And you can be great. But as it happens with the surfer dudes here, you know, just chatting with the some of the the pros when I was having lunch? And they were they’re saying, Oh, no, you know, I’m not that good. And the one guy was his number 10 in the world, and from Hawaii and the waves is every decade plus and you can see on the site, I’m actually instead is that you learn not to make too many mistakes when you’re doing that size away. But how did you get to the point of being able to serve, that’s what we need, because you start you learn to do the other ones. And I think that’s something which I look at what’s going on in business. Now. you minimize the risk by becoming better. And I think that’s the bit which I’m looking at. And I there’s you will not have 100% success rate and all the projects and I think I listened to Elon Musk. Richard Branson doesn’t people, it’s like, you want to fail quickly. And what I find is some of the things that I do won’t work in the way I want. But as long as they’re not catastrophic, and you put your hands at the lovely thing about being part of a network is that you put something out and say, Hey, you know what, that thing that I did that you were involved in? It didn’t work? And this is what I learned from it. Okay, okay. That’s great. Thanks for letting us know, and they feel complete. Not to do it. Because you’re worried that it’s not going to work means that you can’t learn whatever you learned. So I’m constantly going, right? Well, how do I play and this is where the play comes in. Because if it’s play, then people have an enjoyable experience anyway, they don’t feel something’s been done to them. And so often, what we’re looking at is how do we move information into Google search? Why? Because then it’s free market in the center delivers the answers for those those people. And you’ve got to be totally transparent and open what you’re doing within the community. But it won’t always work. So you take a tumble, get back, or actually, don’t you take it tell me something as you sit on the shore, and you look at it go, Oh, that was rough. I know I’m doing that again. And then when you’re ready, you probably back out. And it’s just, I can’t explain it. I get excited talking about it. Because I look at the things that we’ve done over the time we had, we did things like William Shatner, Wednesday and again. And then you got the we got the Shatner team to come and start going, Oh, what’s this about me trending down, okay, it says social tech, but we’re playing with how people connect to what’s being done on the platform. And I just like, I mean, that’s not all that we do. But those are the ones very much that they’re the spikes that people see and go, all that bunch over there are doing something today. And I like that, and whoever wants to be part of it. And it nice people, good people are involved.
David Ralph [47:49]
It’s fun, isn’t it, I listened to you. And I just think not only would I like to be having a pint with you, and your your that kind of engaging conversation, if I could sort of go anywhere at all, you can just hear the passion that comes out of you. And the fact that what you’re telling me goes away from boring, because generally anything sort of techie, I just switch off from it. If it’s anything, people send me these things, and I say read it, and I read the first sentence of last day, I just move on, you know, oldest Jerry salvo to go and watch him instead. But the fact that I’m listening to you and your presentation yesterday, and we want to really get into the nuts and bolts of it. But there was one bit that jumped out to me. And I thought, bloody hell, he’s right. And it was when you were saying, people don’t understand that Google Plus is Google. I kind of thought Google Plus was like a kind of Google Facebook kind of thing that sat separate. And you said, yeah, if you put something in there, and you do it, right, it will go into the search results. And I tested it. And second, next day, my show about this bloke was like, second, if I googled his name, it was second, whoa, oh, my God, this opens my eyes to a new way of thinking. But I wouldn’t have gone back if you wasn’t kind of engaging and fun. I would have just, you know, I would just closed off and gone off and done something else. So I love everything you’re doing because you have got that ability to go. Come on, come on, let’s screw somebody’s life up by getting them trending and all that kind of stuff. And that plays totally up to me. I would I’d love to be doing that sitting there doing we love it.
Martin Shervington [49:26]
By the way. I loved it. I’m sure Zuckerberg loved it as well. But it Yeah, it’s it Google is Google, it goes into everything. I know, we’re not going to get into it now, too. But this is what people need to really eat in Gmail, it’s in Google drive’s YouTube is all at Google Plus going straight everything it is Google, it’s a future Google. So if people aren’t making the most of it, then I just kind of go come on for businesses awesome. But for the audience listening now, what matters is there’s a bunch of people on there that will like you, and that will help you just going to find the ones for you, you. And that’s where and it says it if somebody into it, that maybe the time has come to be doing something else. But I just think it’s a great way to explore. But like with anything, it takes time. You know, it takes time, and you got to put in and build the relationships because the probably not people you already know. So you know, and I’m spent a lot of hours building ratio, but its life. That’s what you do you move to a new place. And that’s what it’s like, it’s not new online place and you make friends. That’s the first thing.
David Ralph [50:30]
Well, I would say if I could go back in time, which we’re going to do with you later because I have created time travel. But if I could go back in, I think I would spend more time on Google Plus been messing around with Facebook, that that that one presentation you gave really was a mindset shift for me.
Martin Shervington [50:48]
Yes, well, maybe welcome.
David Ralph [50:51]
It sounds like it’s just you remain there. I go in there, sitting on your own and oh, there’s somebody here.
Martin Shervington [50:59]
There’s this, there’s quite a few of us there. You know, there’s quite a few. But people, particularly the UK, they don’t see what’s going on. You know it. The I and I’ve given up trying to the early days, it’s Come on, everyone should join. So now what I’m just going to do what I do do it really well. And if you want to talk about as great, but I’m not going to try and drag people over, you know, people have been on Facebook, that’s cool. But people are faced with your friends and family and people used to date but you’ve kept them on there. Because even though it’s a bit awkward, you feel that, you know, they feel rejected if you take them off. Yeah, that’s what’s going on over there. And then you got on Google Plus, and people don’t have that historic connection. You go and go, what do I like? So one of the things in the early days, and I still still man keen on this. I love Star Wars. So I set up a trending day, which is Star Wars Tuesday, which lots of BS doctrines most weeks. So I’m loads of people just sharing stuff, man, Star Wars, and people barely on Facebook haven’t got a clue that that was the first movie that so I love the metaphors in it. And I’m just incredibly passionate about it. And that’s that’s what you just go and watch what I do here. And that’s the difference. And I think that there’s a, there’s a need of a fresh mindset. When people arrive and go oh, and and that was actually a huge thing. Instead of going, Hey, I’ve got this thing and I want to sell it is Hey, I’m here, I’d love to meet you. Let’s see what’s going on. And then bit by bit that you start to change and be shaped by the network.
David Ralph [52:29]
brilliant, brilliant. Well, let’s play the words of the theme of the show. Because you have been on a journey, you’ve been a journey from Wales to Brazil to America. And it’s not just sort of geographically you you have grown, you’ve tried different things, you pulled it all together, you’re playing. These are the words of Steve Jobs and they are the theme of the show. And I’d be very fascinated to see whether they have any resonance with you. This is Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs [52:52]
Of course, it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards 10 years later. Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something, your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leaves you off the well worn path. And that will make all the difference.
David Ralph [53:27]
Has it made all the difference to you those words?
Martin Shervington [53:32]
I think I agree. I think you’re looking forward, you can’t see I think looking back the you construct a story. And I think that that’s the that the connecting of the dots, the story that you tell. And the story that you write for the next stage is is really based on your perception. Because the dots you connect, it’s not every door, it’s different points in time, I think that it’s creating a
is creating a stronger, I’m just trying to think ahead why you get me thinking again, and again.
I think
we have opportunities. And looking back, I know you’re going to going to ask me to do some traveling in a bit. And so there’s a lot of time, but looking back, I can see very clearly where I could have made better decisions, where I could have been kinda where I could have been more focused, where I could have not listened to certain people. And I feel now because of the situation as it is that I’ve made good decisions. And that makes a lot of sense. And I think that it, we, if we do evolve, we do change. And the dots and the other. The other side that I really resonate with, with Steve Jobs in terms of joining the dots is when we it was it creativity is intelligence, having fun. And joining the dots is in that sort of process when you can take two things and go, what if we did that with that. And that’s something which I find increasingly the creativity aspect. That’s actually that’s what I relate. This is the, this is an interest. I don’t know if I want to say that I know, I’m gonna say that when I go back. Alright, so I’ll say that when I go back, I’ve got it. I’ve got it now because I didn’t know, right? Well, I would say on this
David Ralph [55:46]
is you had a whole conversation with yourself in that was.
Martin Shervington [55:51]
Alright, so the the bit which I look back, and we’re joining the dots, the missing doc for me, was being in a community of people around a community of people who I love and that love me and that I was passionate about the thing as a totality of my life. And really, that’s where I’m at now, pretty much. Google Plus is what I do. So okay, I’m down in Brazil. But what am I doing here, I’m actually doing a project to put the whole village that I’m in on the map on Google. So I’ve met with all the owners, and we’re working on this over a four month period. So whatever the restaurant owners and hoteliers, and they love this idea, and we want to create, I want to create a giant case study down here. So everything I’m doing is very much focused on this. And that’s why it’s working. It’s I’m embedded in it, the community of people know, and there’s a transparency what’s what’s going on. And I think that I can look back and see where you send them out, you know, the take aspect I know. But that can kick in. And that one can start to feel that you’re always trying to cash out in a way. Whereas what I see myself doing now is looking at how do I add value to everybody? And that’s a mind shift. You know, there’s no doubt, but I wish I’d had that earlier. And wish I’d seen that earlier from a business point of view. But I don’t think the technology was around to enable that to happen. Certainly not, you know, not not to the extent it is now. And I haven’t connected with the people that that have allowed me to see the world in that way. Until now.
David Ralph [57:29]
So just before we do send you back in time, what would be your sort of point of success at the moment? If you go home to Wales, and your mum sits you down? And she says to you, what have you been doing at the moment? Martin? What’s the successful thing that you’re doing at the moment? Would you be happy to sort of give her a definitive answer? Or are you more focused on the future and the possibilities?
Martin Shervington [57:52]
I’d say right now, and I know it’s one of those is going to be a cheesy answer. I think it Are you happy Martin? Do you Are you happy? I’d say yeah, I’m happy. And I think that’s that for me, is good. I wake up every day and I do a good job. And I appreciate the people around me and I’m appreciated. And the the feeling the money is coming. And it’s coming through on a on a weekly monthly basis. And that’s great. What I’m happy with it, and what I’ve said I mentioned earlier the deal 50% to me 50% to the community and whoever does the work that has brought a lot of people in and a lot of people we would there’s many things. What what makes me happy is creativity, which is where I was going to go on my little talk with myself. I love being creative. It’s just it makes me it means I can play and that on a daily basis. But if I’ve got some aspect of that, and I’ve created a little robots character called plus Oh, l us with Google Plus toe to and he’s got about 20 different characters. So last week, we had a Halloween. So we’ve got plus tequila, which is a regular version of them. And we got the plus Dunkin, which is the pumpkin and all it and I’m talking about I’m just reading, but then I go Okay, well, how do I bring a group of people together and we want to be a super g plus dough tribe. So let’s get some t shirts done. So I get in touch with g t shirt designer on Google Plus, he then creates the site gets everything moving. And we’ve got around about 70 people that are buying plastic t shirts. Then the next thing Well, what about we said okay, well, I’ll give something for free a free training session or whatever it might be for people who take pictures of Placido who was on the BBC website cuz I managed to get him in a picture one time when a bomb was in Wales, and go, Okay, well, what do I do with that aspect of story, get more people involved, amplify it and have fun and play and tell the story. That’s what makes me happy. And if I sit down, my mum, who if she ever hears this, I actually asked her to listen to it. You know, she’s amazing woman. She’s She’s absolutely incredible. And she’s gone through a lot in her life, and just sit there and all she goes, I just want you to be happy. As long as you’re happy. That’s great. Anyone got pay the bills, but you’ve got to be happy.
David Ralph [1:00:11]
Well, Mrs. Shervington, I hope you do listen to this. And I hope you are proud of your son because he
Martin Shervington [1:00:16]
is Edwards one that
he got divorced 3737 years ago. So I always correct I do
David Ralph [1:00:25]
apologize, Mrs. Edwards. He is lighting the way for people to live their life as by should, I totally believe and I believe everything that he said in the last hour is really a blueprint for how we should do it. wherever we’re doing it in the way that he’s doing it or whatever, we should ultimately be happy. So he is the poster boy for happiness in business. There you go. So I hope hope he was proud of him as we are, well, we’re going to send him back in time Now don’t worry about it, he will be safe. And this is the part of the show called the Sermon on the mic when we send him back as a young Marty McFly to have a one on one with us younger self. And if he could go back in time and speak to his younger self, what age would he choose? And what advice would you give? Well, we’re gonna find out because I’m gonna play the two. And when it fades Martin Europe, this is the Sermon on the mic.
Unknown Speaker [1:01:19]
The best bit of the show.
Martin Shervington [1:01:35]
Okay, this is young Martin, age 13 got a message being you are creative. And you don’t realize how creative you are. And unfortunately at school, you’re going to be told that creativity is about art and about doing art. And I gotta tell you this, you are rubbish art, terrible art. And it’s a good movie, don’t take the GCSE because you’re that bad. But you are incredibly creative. And people have confused that in the school that you’re in. And what you need to do is play and enjoy everything that gets you passionate. So it doesn’t matter if it’s I don’t know what you’re doing at age 1314. But you’ve got to find an expression for that creativity. That’s the thing, which will make you stand out. That’s the thing that you’re looking for is being able to display your uniqueness through being creative, because it’s what somebody else can’t do. That’s what everybody wants to do is find ways to show that you think differently, that you feel differently that you are different, and that’s creative expression. And it will come it will happen at certain points in time. But at this moment in time, you don’t realize that so have faith continue to to love your mom and keep doing what you do that’s that’s doing doing well and answers as it science says and not good at that stuff. But actually find the things that allow you to be creative and play and enjoy and relax and chill out a little bit. There we go.
David Ralph [1:03:11]
So Martine, how can our audience connect with you sir?
Martin Shervington [1:03:17]
If they go to plus your business.com they’ll find me there. If they want to send me a personal message. Then they all come if you go to info at plus your business.com they will come to me so you connect with me there. I’m on Twitter. Martin Shervington. I’m a fan everywhere either Martin Sharif or Martin Shervington. You can connect with me on facebook, google plus plus Martin Shervington. I am there.
David Ralph [1:03:45]
Martin, thank you so much for spending time with us today. joining up those dots and please come back again when you have more dots to join up because I do believe that by joining up the dots and connecting our past is the best way to build our futures. Martin Shervington. Thank you so much.
Martin Shervington [1:04:00]
Thank you, David.
Outro [1:04:03]
David doesn’t want you to become a faded version of the brilliant self you are wants to become. So he’s put together an amazing guide for you called the eight pieces of advice that every successful entrepreneur practices, including the two that changed his life. Head over to join up dots.com to download this amazing guide for free and we’ll see you tomorrow on join up dots.
