Life after the Flame: The Aftermath of the 2010 Olympics!

For the past two weeks, the topic of conversation was the Vancouver Olympic Games, who was winning, losing and which country was going to walk away with the most gold medals. As of Monday, all that’s left of the 2010 Olympics is airport lines, departing athletes and getting the city of Vancouver back to its original state – The Buzz is gone!

The emotion and excitement that went through our country over the past two weeks was indescribable for most. However, the ultimate win for our country happened on Sunday afternoon, February 28th – The game that will resonate through out the ages! The Canada vs. USA hockey game was watched by more people then other sporting events, including the Daytona 500, The Masters, The last 5 World Series and the NCAA Basketball Final Four. 80% of our country’s population watched the game, now that’s what I call Canadian pride!! 

From a social media aspect bloggers, Twitter and Facebook made it very easy for fans to follow the games, even if they were away from their TV. Through Facebook and Twitter, fans had instant news, analysis, and interactions with journalists and even athletes.  Being fairly new to Twitter myself I was very excited to see just how much this really enhanced my Olympic experience.

From an event perspective, the first thought that came to my mind was the tear-down process that Vancouver would be responsible for.

The empty streets of Vancouver Monday morning
The sound of fans celebrating in the streets has been replaced by sounds of power tools as temporary venues are being dismantled and packed into moving vans. The streets have now been cleared following the aftermath of Sunday night’s gold medal win. I know that when any big event takes place there is always an abundant amount of work that needs to be done post event. I can only imagine how much work needs to be done in Vancouver now that the Olympics have come to a close.

Now that we are coming down from our Olympic highs, it is difficult to go back to our everyday schedules, without Olympic Games to look forward to and seeing Canadian pride on every street corner. It makes me so happy when I see people who are still sporting their Team Canada jerseys, Olympic shirts, and the classic red Olympic gloves (they have been sold out everywhere, and I still don’t have a pair!!). 

Patriotism can be a powerful thing. It brings people from all different walks of life together and joins them in a common goal. I have never been more proud to be a Canadian, and I hope that although we are experiencing the aftermath of the Canadian Olympic Games, we can still keep the pride for our country and acomplishments alive!!

GO CANADA!!

Until next time,

Carly the very proud Canadian( you follow me on Twitter @CarlyAshR)

The Last Minute Change

have experienced many things that have shocked me and surprised me, however today I saw something I never thought possible. For the past few weeks, I have heard Aaron and Jared making plans for this big ‘Sony’ Mardi Gras party that is set to take place TOMORROW, Friday, February 26th. I saw the design process with purple, green and gold colour palettes. Gorgeous Purple linens, green runners, gold charger plates, big white illuminated feather centerpieces, incredible white ghost chairs, eight foot illuminated ostrich feather entrance treatments and custom room lighting with chandelier gobos and LED room washes, this was going to be a site worth seeing at Toronto’s Distillery District.

Well, last night one of the most important hockey games in Canadian history took place at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Team Canada didn’t just win its first Olympic hockey game against Russia in 50 years, but they delivered an astonishing performance that will resonate through future Olympics! Canada beat Russia last night to advance to the semi-finals for a chance to win GOLD for only the second time – you can sense the passion and expectation growing!
What does this big win have to do with events? Well I am here to share that information with you!

Aaron received a phone call from the Sony event coordinator this morning to discuss the Mardi Gras event. She proceeded to tell Aaron that Sony wants to bring in a big TV screen so that guests can watch the hockey game that is starting at 9:30pm.  Most companies would agree and continue with the event as planned, however, Aaron and Jared have proved to be quite different.

In only a few minutes, the both brainstormed and decided that the DAY before the event they would pitch a NEW idea (this event was designed and signed off on in November). They wanted to create an Olympic hockey event, with all the fixings and of course the hockey game playing on a large HD projected screen.

I sat there in awe, the event is one day away and they were going to change the theme of the event. I never thought something like this was possible, however, in the short time I have been at 5th Element Events; I have learnt that in the event industry anything is possible with the right amount of creativity and drive. Not to say it is always easy, because I can say first hand that I have watched events start from scratch and there are always many challenges. Why would we want to create MORE? Excitement, entertainment, engagement, memorable and of course – Clients come back when they experience creativity at its best!

This event will prove how energized Canadians are for their hockey, but will also prove that anything can happen in this industry and the ability to adjust keeps you one step ahead of the game!

Want to see the outcome of this quick switch? Coming soon! Pictures and behind the scene details from the event!!

Carly

My once in a lifetime Oprah experience

At some point in everyone’s life you hope to have the opportunity to meet the celebrity you look up to. I’ve always been a gossip junkie, reading every trashy celebrity magazine on the shelves – I know I know! However, would I give anything to meet one of these celebrities? Probably not, but Oprah Winfrey has been a role model to women everywhere and I could only hope I’d have the chance to meet her. I recently travelled to Chicago for a few days with my mom and sisters. We’ve made a tradition of visiting Chicago once a year together as a family. Every time we go, we attempt to get tickets to see Oprah Winfrey, and every year we are let down.

This year we made it to the standby list which really means the”stand around for hours and wait to possibly not get in the show list”. After waiting in line for hours we were  told that we’re the only four people that had a chance of getting on the show. Ten minutes before Oprah was going to make her grand appearance, my family and I walked through the doors and into the audience…

This was a moment I was never going to forget! Cameras all over the room, a stage that was made for a queen and bright vibrant lights everywhere. The audience were all wearing bright colours and had smiles across their faces,  awaiting the moment when Oprah would walk through the doors.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and moments later the stage director was leading me to the front row. They needed someone in a bright shirt to fill a seat front row center and thankfully I remembered to pack the brightest shirt I owned.

As an event intern, I took a moment to examine the entire décor as I walked towards the front row. Having the opportunity to see how much effort goes in to creating a big event, I could see some of the same details that go in to creating the Oprah set. The biggest shock was when Lionel Ritchie went to perform and the entire set was transformed in a matter of minutes. The couches where Oprah conducts her interviews were removed and a piano was lowered from the ceiling. The stage was raised and a crystal chandelier was lowered. It was unbelievable; it looked like a different set entirely. This reminded me of the recent event I did for 5th Element Events, when we entered the Fermenting Celler in the Distillery District for AdBall, I watched an empty room transform in to an amazing event, much like the set of the Oprah Show.

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard the stage director counting down…

5… 4….3…2…. and there she was! I had seen her on T.V hundreds of times but this was nothing like T.V!  Oprah was standing only steps away from me –  this was a surreal moment to say the least!

The best part of being an audience member was seeing the guests she would be interviewing. The extremely talented and phenomenal Lionel Ritchie and New Orleans Saints quarterback and MVP Drew Brees.

Drew Brees was kind, humble and down to earth considering his recent Super Bowl win.

He had his wife and 13 month old son join him on the show, and discussed how after the years of struggle that New Orleans has endured since Hurricane Katrina, he could feel the energy of the country with the team”.

The most shocking part of being on the Oprah show, is how many people work on the set, during commercials there would be 20-30 people  moving things around, touching up Oprah’s hair and wardrobe and preparing her for her next segment. The speed and transformation is almost like an addrenaline rush with everyone taking a specific role to make the transformation as smooth as possible. You would never know watching from your living room, how much effort goes in to producing the one hour show.

When Lionel Ritchie walked on the stage, I sat their stunned at how close I was to this legend. He was there to discuss the remake of We Are the World with 80 talented singers like Tony Bennett, Celine Dion, Jay-Z and Jennifer Hudson who joined on to raise awareness for Haiti. It has been 25 years since Lionel Ritchie and Michael Jackson wrote “We are the World” to end hunger in Africa and now he was here sitting in front of me discussing what this song means to our world and the people of Haiti. I clearly remember a comment Lionel made “I’ve never seen so much excitement—Tony Bennett, Snoop Dog talking to each other. Lil Wayne, Barbra Streisand talking to each other,” Lionel says. “Everyone stepped up, and it’s beautiful.”

It was a great moment I would never forget. Being an inspired event designer really enabled me to experience this day with a different perspective than most and gave me a larger view of large scale production execution!

If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the “We are the World video” that premiered at the 2010 Winter Olympic games opening ceremony.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTaKQDXU81o

If you want to hear more details from the Oprah show, or just chat in general, you can find me on Facebook or Twitter @CarlyAshR.

Until next time,

Carly (the star struck Intern)

AdBall 2010: The Sexiest Event of the year! The Inside details from the 5th Element Events Intern!

The most anticipated event of the year has come and gone and now we can share all the details with you – Our loyal community! 

I was fortunate enough to start working at 5th Element Events just as things were starting to come together for AdBall: A Fashion Fetish, sponsored by CTV and Wind Mobile. In the first few weeks of my internship, I had the opportunity to see a large scale corporate event put together and executed with a passionate team of individuals who worked around the clock to ensure our vision came to life.

The week of January 25th finally came, and as the many different events were taking place for Advertising Week, the 5th Element team was working hard to put the finishing touches on AdBall which was the first annual closing gala for Adweek. We had to coordinate with the entertainment, like KAJE, the burlesque dancers from Flirty Girl Fitness and male and female models, hand picked by our team, as well as confirm all deliveries from partnering vendors. Everything used for this event had to be brought in, so making sure everything was ready and organized for the event was a time consuming ordeal, not to mention making final preparations with our tech team for all audiovisual, staging and lighting.

On Thursday, January 28th, we began to move everything into Toronto’s gorgeous Distillery District and started transforming the Fermenting Cellar in to “a fashion fetish playground”. 

As soon as we arrived on site, the work began! The 5th Element crew of technicians immediately started building the runway, LED lit backdrop and two huge crystal chandeliers that sat on either side of the runway. A team of vinyl engineers began laying down pink vinyl floors in the Blo-dry  and DJ Booth waiting for the tech crew to finish the runway so they can white vinyl the entire stage! 

When all the furniture arrived mid day, we began putting the puzzle together, creating the Wind Mobile VIP lounge, the bars surrounding the runway and of course, the chic lounge within the DJ booth. The drawings and floor plans started to come to life, and as the furniture was set, the transformation was beyond words.

The VIP lounge had a large zebra carpet, pink and black tufted couches, large resin black lamps, mirrored coffee tables and black couches with hot pink pillows bearing a crystal chandelier. The DJ Booth had large baroque black chairs and couches, and a black plexi DJ table with charles bar stools for VIPs to come and hang out with KAJE. The whole décor was sexy, chic and fit the “fashion fetish” theme perfectly.

The day of the event is always the most chaotic and busy; there was no exception for AdBall. There was so much going on at once and everything was finally starting to come together in our strict timeline. The tech team did an amazing job creating a full runway with bars surrounding the stage – This is the first fashion show where guests can approach the runway to get a beverage! The incredible programmed lighting with moving fixtures and LED panels lit the entire venue in fuscha and illuminated the runway with a glow. White plexi cruisers with black charles bar stools were sporadically placed around the venue with sponsored florals and pin spot lighting. Sponsored logos were projected on the walls and the audio technicians began to patch everything together. At 5pm, we began our rehearsals with recording artist Anjulie, the models and burlesque dancers.

Once everything was in place and ready to go we opened the doors, seeing the look on people faces as the entered the room, made all the hard work worth it.

The event ran smoothly and was a great success; the entertainment was just right, including the Harry Rosen fashion show and opening by the Flirty girl dancers, performance by Anjulie and the music provided by KAJE.

This was the sexiest event of the year, and 5th Element Events was extremely proud to be part of the first annual campaign!

Let us know what you think of the AdBall décor via Twitter @5elementevents, @JaredGolberg, @CarlyAshR, @AKthe5th or join our 5th Element Events Facebook Group.

You can check out coverage from ADBall from CTV- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_VNePppeCY
 

and check out BizBash’s article here for more pictures and coverage from ADBall : http://tinyurl.com/ygnto7d

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts

Until next time

Carly (The Intern)

Aaron Kaufman is profiled on LizkingEvents.com

Aaron Kaufman is the owner and Creative Director of 5th Element Events. They are a full service event design firm specializing in creative functions for corporate clients. Being able to design and implement the lighting, staging, décor and entertainment under one roof provides the client with one creative director and one point of contact!

How long have you been in the industry?
I first entered the industry at the age of 15 and have been around in different capacities for 17 years!
 

What made you decide that you wanted to get into events? Can you tell me a little bit about your "path"?
I entered the industry as a DJ/Emcee for all types of events. I was instantly attracted to the energy and excitement that every new function provided. Seeing the look on the faces of attendees of these events as they walked in, I knew I wanted to be the one responsible for that in the future. After learning the ropes and taking courses on lighting, florals, design & event management, 5th Element Events was born!

What is one piece of professional advice you would like to share with young professionals who are considering our industry?
Run away fast!! HAHA. I think the best piece of advice is that you can’t be one dimensional. People have unprecedented access to information and you need to ensure that you know what you are talking about on all levels. If you are going to profess that you are a planner (for example) but have no knowledge of event lighting, how can a client trust that you know your suppliers do a good job and charge reasonable rates? Planning an event encompasses all types of creative aspects….advertising, marketing and PR. You need to see your event from all angles because your client will want to ensure those angles are covered as well.

What are some of the ways you stay in connection with other event planners?
Of course, social media plays a huge role in today’s business environment but, honestly, I find that the event business is one of the last businesses to open their minds to collaboration….possibly because of the creative secrets of each firm? Industry events, launches and meet-ups all can give you access to likeminded people. There is no better way however then picking up the phone and saying hi!

And, of course, what would you consider to be your most hilarious "event" moment?
I’ve been fortunate that nothing terrible or embarrassing has occurred during one of my events but as a rule, when I have a new staff on site, as an initiation I create some kind of false emergency which usually throws them in to a panic. I had one new staff who just could not handle the drama of the made up emergency and became totally panicked and in tears. After calming her down and informing her it was just a rouse, she left the site and never worked with us again. I felt bad but didn’t think she was going to work out anyways!

http://tinyurl.com/ygm32zx 

Tags: #eventprofs, events

Happy New Year! 5th Element Events recaps 2009 & discusses trends for 2010!

Happy New Year everyone! I would like to formally introduce the newest member of the 5th Element Events team. Carly Ash will be interning here for the next couple of months, and she is looking forward to sharing some thoughts with you and hopefully hearing some of your own. You can find her on Twitter @CarlyAshR and she will be helping with the 5th Element Events blog providing stories and write ups each week! Let’s get the conversation going!

Social Networking in Events:

10 years since the millennium and things have changed so much! We have the first African American President – changing America for the better, 9/11 opened North America’s eyes to rethink security and we experienced the worst recession to happen since the Great Depression. Now, we enter the generation of digital! Calling, faxing, snail mail and email was once the only form of communication.  However,  Music sharing, online TV, online movies, PDA cell phones, MP3 players, laptops, app stores and Social Media have all changed the way we function within our daily lives and most importantly – in business. We’re completely connected through digital social networks. It started with ICQ and MSN messenger (IRC chats), and now? Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, LinkedIN, Bebo, Viddler, Vimeo, Youtube, the list goes on! These networks have allowed individuals and companies to market themselves on a very personal level while also generating new business. Why am I talking Social Media as an EVENT company? Well, it’s starting to change the way we design and execute live events! Events are social, and with the rise of speaker friendly events, there’s now an open ticket for everyone online! Conventions, conferences, fashion shows and galas are all customizing digital content and technology to give ‘NON’ attendees access to the show, while also providing a very unique look and feel to the actual design! Twitter lounges, Youtube channels, live blogging and Tweetchats have provided an outlet for attendees to feed content to non attendees. All in all, clients are incredibly happy for this!!

In 2009, bloggers were incredible guests at events across North America. Why? Bloggers act as journalist and provide great articles as content. Events encourage Bloggers, new media enthusiasts, and entrepreneurs to learn and discuss various aspects of the new media among themselves, while also giving non attendees information they missed. As well, companies want to include bloggers in their events as a helpful hand in promoting the event before, during and after the fact. However, in the New Year companies can expect Twitter followers and Facebook friends to become their target audience. These people are the new link to the social media world, and companies that want to embrace social media need to connect with their twitter followers and Facebook friends to continue the conversation and push content in real time at their events. Social networks are second nature to people now. Executives that were not media savvy in the previous year are currently jumping on board. They are realizing that this is the new way to stay connected and in order to stay on top of what is going on, they must embrace it.

Budgets:

The event industry was hit hard with the changes to the economy over the past year. However, budgets are going to grow again. Events are going to go back to the basics: the focus will now be on creativity, affordability and authenticity. Clients will focus on one big splash – A large lounge as an example instead of spending money to make the full event décor over the top. Clients will be embracing consumer events which are designed to promote product awareness, digital connectivity and guest experience. As budgets start to grow again, décor and style will also move towards a “less is more” feel; however, as the effects of the recession lessen, event design will nevertheless shift in the direction of sophisticated elegance – Going back to the crystal and glitter of high end gala’s and fundraisers, but still focusing on one big splash rather then a full room décor.

Corporate Social Responsibility:

Another big focus that was prominent in 2009 and will continue for 2010 is social responsibility. Going green will no longer be seen as an option or trend, but a duty. Event décor will be more eco-friendly, such as reusable or decomposing centerpieces, garbage free décor and left over food will be decomposed or donated to local safe houses to ensure nothing is wasted. Using Social media for social good causes will continue to prosper in the New Year as a promotional and marketing tool. Events such as Twestival, Tweetathon and Tweetsgiving are examples of social media friendly events that support a good cause and help raise money for the needy and charitable foundations.

This is the generation of ‘Digital’ Media and the only recourse is to embrace it. However, it is of great importance to continue building strong relationships with clients and partners on a more personal level. We should be using technology to leverage new relationships, but continue to develop them in person.

We are looking forward to being a part of what seems to be a very exciting and fast paced new decade. As we continue to grow and design technological friendly events, we urge you all to re-think your marketing and promotional initiatives to ensure you’re not left behind. Embrace the change and use your creativity to get the most out of your event needs!

Happy New Year from everyone here at 5th Element Events!

Written by @CarlyRashR & @JaredGolberg

January 12, 2010 Posted by 5thelementevents | Event Design, Marketing, advertising, corporate events, entertainment, foundations, fundraisers, lighitng, new media, public relations, social media, special events, staging, technology | Event Design, social media, corporate events, conferences, trade shows, Events, special events, Tenchnology, New Technology, Lighting, staging, Decor, entertainment, Social Trends, Conventions, Galas, fundraisers, Fashion Shows, Social Good, Charity, Charities, 2010, Business, Corporation | No Comments Yet

Corporate Social Responsibility! Jared talks Social Good.

Despite tough economic times, companies are finding creative ways to reflect their corporate social responsibility strategies. By Angela Kryhul

The holidays are a time for giving, and despite the tough times companies are finding creative ways to reflect their corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies. It can be as simple as asking for donations of non-perishable food for the local food bank, suggests 5th Element’s Golberg.

Environmental responsibility is still top-of-mind and is being reflected in gifts like BPA-free reusable water bottles and recycled paper and packaging.

One creative team-building idea for the holidays is to give each staff member an afternoon off and $50 to perform a good deed, says Planche, of Paradigm Events. In the evening, everyone would gather to share stories over dinner.

Another idea is to have staff teams build bicycles that can be donated to a local children’s charity.

Liz Lant, director of client service for Parcel Design, says one way to combine gifting and CSR is to give inexpensive, but high-quality keepsakes – like leather key fobs (set on a custom card backer) – with a note saying a donation is being made to a local charity.

Social Media
The proliferation of BlackBerrys and smart phones means companies are already halfway to incorporating social media in their holiday events.

It’s all about making the festivities more engaging and interactive, and it can be as simple as setting up a hash tag on Twitter, so that party guests can tweet song requests to the DJ, interact with their peers and also view live pictures through Twitpic, says 5th Element’s Golberg.

Another idea is to set up pages on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr and many others, where people can post comments, video and photos both during and after the function. This tends to work best for corporate fundraising events, where social media are part of the marketing and public awareness strategy, Golberg says.

Read article online here.

Aaron Kaufman is featured on LOKBP

Our very own Aaron Kaufman was interviewed by 'The League of Kickass Business People!' An online community helping to network some of the best business minds. visit www.theleagueofkickassbusinesspeople.ning.com to see what the buzz is about and to join the fun!

1. Who are you and what do you do?

Some would consider me a serial entrepreneur. Ultimately, I am built to be a sales guy. I’m a born sales guy. Right now, I have a couple different businesses. I own a company called 5th Element Events. We design and produce corporate events, product launches, specializing in events for marketing, fashion, and PR – anything that involves a more creative design than what a regular design/decor company can offer. We handle everything in-house so we handle the lighting, the staging, the décor, the design and then, for example, roll out your product or design your fashion show. It’s cool because our team can put together the entire function from start to finish. When the client comes to me, all I really have to know is what the product is, what is trying to be accomplished and what the budget is. I can go from there and create an entire live event.

Being a serial entrepreneur, another project on the go is a website called TourSavant.com. Working with a couple other people and my business partner, we are trying to capitalize on the 9 million un-signed bands on MySpace. The goal for every band is to get on the road and do their thing. But many don’t know how to start or can’t afford a tour manager. We have literally built an online tour manager for them. Working with the web-designer responsible for the backend of MySpace music, we have created something really revolutionary. Bands can enter their preferred start location, desired end location, how long the band would like to be on the road and our online tour manager will plot out what cities to go to and specifically what places the band should play at.

2. Who/What are you inspired by?

Anything inspires me. Inspiration can be found from any number of resources and from any number of people. Right now I have been following the career of Sam Nazarian. He’s from Iran and comes from a wealthier family. He has developed his business and now owns a lot of clubs in L.A, with many of his businesses being featured on the TV show The Hills. He is an entrepreneur that I admire.

As a second-generation Canadian my personal inspirations are my grandparents. I think it is important to know that your family came from somewhere, most likely with nothing. I think that was the inspiration needed to ensure I had a good upbringing and learn valuable life lessons. Being a born sales person, there are many other people who claim they are really good at sales. But I think I’m also inspired by people that grew up with the old school techniques and old school mentality. I am active in social media but it’s the people that can sit and have a conversation about how they made a deal from nothing into something is what truly inspires me. There is nothing I love more than making a cold call and turning it into money. I have no shame. I do what it takes to make the deal happen. And that’s what those two inspirations have taught me to conquer. The common ties are the hard work and dedication it takes to be successful. Those principals really inspire me.

3. What is the big idea in your world happening now?

I’m still fairly young and am really working on broadening myself. I think my big idea for right now is to be the best I can be. I meet a lot of people. I do a lot of things. I talk about all sorts of business ideas and I am an idea guy. I have pages upon pages worth of ideas and business plans. My BIG idea for down the road would be to eventually write a book. I think that if I really had some time to sit down, it’s a project I would love to complete. 

4. Most interesting thing going on in your professional life/world?

I think watching the landscape of business change is really interesting. In the event industry especially, what people don’t realize is that when things are great, everyone is being creative and having fun, eventually there will be a time when things aren’t so great. Whether a recession or depression, the tide will change at one point. What’s interesting for me is that people are learning that I know how to run a business. Running an event company and running a business are two things that should go hand-in-hand. But in my industry they are not. It’s just creative people in a business.

The other thing that’s happening is that I am learning the true value of networking. I have met a ton of amazing people lately all who are extremely good at what they do. In my professional world, I am learning more as I mature that no matter how good I am or how creative I am, who you know is as important as much as what you know. I know I am good at designing and producing events or I couldn’t be in business doing it. But if I don’t know people who I can collaborate with, work with and run ideas by, how do I ever know if my ideas are any good? So I think the networking aspect of my life right now is really interesting and I am getting to know a ton of great people. You’re nobody to somebody until you reach out to them.

5. What are you excited about for the future?

I think I am excited to see what the future has in store. I have ventures I am working on and things I am excited about. But in general, I look back on the last five years and think, “Wow, I had a pretty good five years. I’m not going to complain.” So I am just excited to see what happens good or bad. The future is going to happen you can’t avoid it. I am just excited to see.

6. What is your professional motto?

I’d like to think work hard play hard is a good motto. But professionally, it’s a much more long winded motto: “There are people who are smarter than I am. There are people who are wealthier than I am. And there are people that are more gifted at certain things than I am. But there is nobody, absolutely nobody, on the planet that can out-work me if I don’t want them to. That’s the only thing that I have that no one else can take away from me. If I had a billion dollars someone will have a billion and one dollars. I will never be the richest person on the planet. I will never be the smartest person on the planet. But I can actually be the hardest working person on the planet if I want to be and no one can tell me otherwise.”

7. What has been your biggest lesson learned

Trust is something you have to earn. Don’t just give your trust for free. I think if you just hand out trust left right and centre, you’re asking to be burned. You have to have thick skin. Ask the hard questions and be prepared for the hard answers. If I am going to give you my trust, and tell you what I am up to then that’s open for scrutiny. You have to be prepared for that. If someone tells you your idea sucks it probably does. If ten people tell you it sucks, then you should stop.

8. Advice for others

In the famous words of the band, Journey, “Don’t stop believing.” If you don’t believe in yourself no one else will. Keep plugging away. Keep working hard. And don’t ever stop thinking, wherever you want to get to you can get there. It’s always a possibility. Rags to riches every day!

You can follow Aaron on Twitter via @AKthe5th or @5ElementEvents