Comments for Will McInnes

Comment on Contents by Culture Shock: the future of business is social - NixonMcInnes

Culture Shock: the future of business is social - NixonMcInnes — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:28:14 +0000

[...] here’s the pictures of what I talked about – my first attempt at shaping a talk around Culture Shock Culture Shock: the future of business is social View more presentations from will mcinnes. [...]

Comment on Draft author bio by will mcinnes

will mcinnes — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:31:55 +0000

Thank you all – all of the comments have been really really helpful.

Vic – love Dave’s bio, but unfortunately can’t think of anyone credible who has recently described me in such favourable terms

I’ve added more creds to the previous approach and this is what it looks like:

Will McInnes is Managing Director of NixonMcInnes, co-organiser of XXX event [we haven't named it yet!] and a passionate voice on 21st century business at events and institutions around the world.

After dropping out of university and a brief stint in a conventional job Will started a different kind of company with fellow young entrepreneur Tom Nixon.

NixonMcInnes is now a pioneering social business consultancy working with large organisations that need to change their culture, structure and skills to meet the demands of business in the 21st century. The company has been recognised by WorldBlu as one of the most democratic workplaces in the world for three years running.

Clients have included BBC, Barclays, Channel 4, Cisco, O2, The Foreign & Commonwealth Office and WWF.

Will lives in the creative city of Brighton, UK with his wife and two energetic young sons. He is a mountain biking geek, loves camping in the great outdoors and eating far too much curry.

Thank you for all the help peeps

Comment on Draft author bio by Victoria Richardson (@victoriajane)

Victoria Richardson (@victoriajane) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 02:46:12 +0000

One of my favourite clippings from a professional biog is this:
“Described by The Independent newspaper as a “grade-A geek”, by the Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation as “one of the most user-friendly of the UK’s uber-techies” and by Financial World as “mad”

It gives credibility but also shows personality because the comment sources are picked to reflect Dave Birch’s (http://www.dgwbirch.com/bio.html)character.
It’s a bit like Guy’s idea – but the comment sources lend weight and give people new to you an easy hook.

Comment on Draft author bio by Lisa Riemers

Lisa Riemers — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:12:20 +0000

I agree with rah_rah and Pat. The first time I read this, I saw “making it up as you’re going along dropout that does social media in between eating too much curry and pottering about by bike”.

This currently sounds like it’s selling Nixon McInnes itself, rather than the people. While you might still be incredulous that it’s gotten to where it is today, you don’t need to announce it to everyone in your biog!

I think be a bit less humble. Take a bit more credit, put in some credentials… I like Pat’s comment about big-thinking and democracy loving… you’ve got a lot to answer for (having pretty much single-handedly shamed me into specialising in social media after meeting you at a conference a few years ago amongst other things).

Comment on Draft author bio by rah_rah (@rah_rah)

rah_rah (@rah_rah) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 18:53:19 +0000

I completely agree with Divydovy’s comment. I have some people in mind that I want to give this book to and I want them to give it a chance to speak to them, I’m not confident they will take it seriously (read it even!) without your credentials. I also think you need adapt the bit about making it up as you went along – do you mean life in general or the way you developed your business? I think this statement is at risk of undermining that you take your business decisions seriously.

Comment on Draft author bio by Pat

Pat — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 18:14:07 +0000

Will, seriously there are a lot of ways I / the people you know would describe you but ‘reasonably normal’ isn’t one of them…

Your a big idea thinking, democracy loving bike riding nutter from Puerto-sladé.

Comment on Draft author bio by divydovy

divydovy — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:28:35 +0000

Hi Will, you can probably guess my answer. You’re looking for a simple ‘this or that’, whereas the solutions is probably a sumptuous blend of the two. To include achievements won’t detract from your humanity and the reason to include a bio is to establish your authority to those who don’t yet know it. Now all you need to do is find the right balance and keep it short

Comment on Draft author bio by tomnixon

tomnixon — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:28:06 +0000

Agree with the keep it real comments but deffo add in more creds stuff. also wonder if it could be bit shorter – less is more if someone’s quickly scanning it. Very flattered to have a namecheck but don’t feel you have to – it’s not like you started a biz with Steve Jobs haha

Comment on Draft author bio by cath

cath — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:55:27 +0000

Hey Will

A detail really, but you’ve got 2 instances of ‘enjoyable and exhausting’ – I’d recommend getting rid of one or changing it to something else.

Comment on Draft author bio by Matt Matheson

Matt Matheson — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:15:03 +0000

I’m with Phil H above. Defo keep it personal and human to cut through the crap you normally read on the back of books, but I think your OK to include a couple of credentials as long as it compliments your bio, as opposed to overake it. After – this is what your target audience is used to reading/seeing.