Bearhunt People
Mr Bearhunt…
There was something in the air that night….there must have been. At the turn of the Millennium, Malcolm McClean woke up in a battered old caravan in a farmer’s field and realised he had walked away from a successful business, was facing an expensive divorce and had no clear plan for the future…..
Laying out a blank sheet of paper on the caravan table, he resolved that when he knew what he was going to do with his life, he would write it down. In time the answer came and he wrote it in big letters. To see how it felt he read it aloud “Do great things with great people”. He liked it and decided that a children’s book would be a good place to look for the clues to how he should do this.
Some felt he had taken leave of his senses. He says “The idea that a business could be founded on the principles of a children’s story seemed bizarre and walking away from a successful business and the status that went with it convinced many that something was amiss”.
Yet Bearhunt continues to be a remarkable success and a breath of fresh air in a world of corporate catchphrases and management mumbo-jumbo. Of course it’s more than just a few principles from children’s story. In 2005 Malcolm set down the principles in Bear Hunt – Earn your living by doing what you love, published by Capstone, which has since been translated into Chinese; Turkish; Romanian; Korean; and a special version has been created for the Indian market. He says “You would expect me to say this, but these principles really work – whenever I get stuck or distracted I get a coffee and re-read Bear Hunt myself as a reminder to keep on doing what I’ve been doing. Ever since that momentous decision to do great things with great people, I’ve been able to do something that we all should aspire to – earn my living just by doing what I love”.
If you are thinking that this is too good to be true and there must be a catch….there isn’t one. Check out our Bearhunt Inspirationals and see what happens when courage, curiosity and creativity collide.
There was something in the air that night….there must have been. At the turn of the Millennium, Malcolm McClean woke up in a battered old caravan in a farmer’s field and realised he had walked away from a successful business, was facing an expensive divorce and had no clear plan for the future…..
Laying out a blank sheet of paper on the caravan table, he resolved that when he knew what he was going to do with his life, he would write it down. In time the answer came and he wrote it in big letters. To see how it felt he read it aloud “Do great things with great people”. He liked it and decided that a children’s book would be a good place to look for the clues to how he should do this.
Some felt he had taken leave of his senses. He says “The idea that a business could be founded on the principles of a children’s story seemed bizarre and walking away from a successful business and the status that went with it convinced many that something was amiss”.
Yet Bearhunt continues to be a remarkable success and a breath of fresh air in a world of corporate catchphrases and management mumbo-jumbo. Of course it’s more than just a few principles from children’s story. In 2005 Malcolm set down the principles in Bear Hunt – Earn your living by doing what you love, published by Capstone, which has since been translated into Chinese; Turkish; Romanian; Korean; and a special version has been created for the Indian market. He says “You would expect me to say this, but these principles really work – whenever I get stuck or distracted I get a coffee and re-read Bear Hunt myself as a reminder to keep on doing what I’ve been doing. Ever since that momentous decision to do great things with great people, I’ve been able to do something that we all should aspire to – earn my living just by doing what I love”.
If you are thinking that this is too good to be true and there must be a catch….there isn’t one. Check out our Bearhunt Inspirationals and see what happens when courage, curiosity and creativity collide.
Tom Calderbank, Director of Curiosity
It may have killed the cat, but so far Tom is alive and well and running with a remit to exercise his curiosity. Many of us find ourselves looking for new ways to solve old problems, but often we just look in the same old places for them. That’s why we have given Tom a licence to be nosy, inquisitive and to occasionally find himself going down a blind alley. We are constantly looking for a new twist which will help our clients to achieve more….and enjoy the journey.
Tom’s own journey has been based on the passion he has for his own neighbourhood. Liverpool’s Toxteth may be one Britain’s most deprived areas, but Tom was born there, still lives there and has been instrumental in saving and revitalising some of its most loved landmarks. He helped to save Toxteth Town Hall from the bulldozers and accepted the BURA Community Regeneration Award on behalf of the Trustees; worked to bring the derelict Belvedere Youth Club that he had attended as a boy, back to life; and for more than eight years has been attempting to save another Victorian treasure, The Florence Institute. Having raised £3.9 million, there is still a big job to be done.
He refuses to carry the tag ‘expert’, so let us just say that having redeveloped the Belvedere Youth Club and worked to support some 68 myplace centres, he knows quite a lot about how to run and sustain World class places to go for young people.
It may have killed the cat, but so far Tom is alive and well and running with a remit to exercise his curiosity. Many of us find ourselves looking for new ways to solve old problems, but often we just look in the same old places for them. That’s why we have given Tom a licence to be nosy, inquisitive and to occasionally find himself going down a blind alley. We are constantly looking for a new twist which will help our clients to achieve more….and enjoy the journey.
Tom’s own journey has been based on the passion he has for his own neighbourhood. Liverpool’s Toxteth may be one Britain’s most deprived areas, but Tom was born there, still lives there and has been instrumental in saving and revitalising some of its most loved landmarks. He helped to save Toxteth Town Hall from the bulldozers and accepted the BURA Community Regeneration Award on behalf of the Trustees; worked to bring the derelict Belvedere Youth Club that he had attended as a boy, back to life; and for more than eight years has been attempting to save another Victorian treasure, The Florence Institute. Having raised £3.9 million, there is still a big job to be done.
He refuses to carry the tag ‘expert’, so let us just say that having redeveloped the Belvedere Youth Club and worked to support some 68 myplace centres, he knows quite a lot about how to run and sustain World class places to go for young people.
John Macaulay, Animateur
Animateur....he who breathes life into something, so that what was still, now moves....
I suppose we should start by telling you about John’s career managing teams of over 200 people in the food manufacturing industry, or perhaps his extra curricular interest in property development, or maybe him returning to full time education at the age of 32 to achieve an MBA with merit at Manchester Business School…..
But what we would rather talk about is his recent rock’n’roll adventure in China. Prior to embarking on a four-month exchange placement at Asia’s top business school based in Shanghai, John met Kevin Matthews, bassist from the indie band Puressence at a concert in Manchester. “There are over 1.3 billion people in China, see if you can get us a gig over there” were Kevin’s exact words.
Fast forward 8 months and Puressence were embarking on an unprecedented tour of China’s two largest cities, Shanghai and Beijing. Over 1500 people enjoyed the live events, with the band receiving national media exposure and offers from Chinese record labels.
Whether it is organising unique cultural exchanges in China, running the New York marathon or bankrupting his family as a 7 year old by swimming 2 miles in a
sponsored swim, John likes to complete tasks that others consider unrealistic. He is passionate about travel, sport, music and entrepreneurship.
John has amassed a significant amount of business experience in diverse sectors and made global connections in his career to date. His previous clients include Marks & Spencer plc whom he advised in relation to their environmental sustainability initiative: – Plan A.
Animateur....he who breathes life into something, so that what was still, now moves....
I suppose we should start by telling you about John’s career managing teams of over 200 people in the food manufacturing industry, or perhaps his extra curricular interest in property development, or maybe him returning to full time education at the age of 32 to achieve an MBA with merit at Manchester Business School…..
But what we would rather talk about is his recent rock’n’roll adventure in China. Prior to embarking on a four-month exchange placement at Asia’s top business school based in Shanghai, John met Kevin Matthews, bassist from the indie band Puressence at a concert in Manchester. “There are over 1.3 billion people in China, see if you can get us a gig over there” were Kevin’s exact words.
Fast forward 8 months and Puressence were embarking on an unprecedented tour of China’s two largest cities, Shanghai and Beijing. Over 1500 people enjoyed the live events, with the band receiving national media exposure and offers from Chinese record labels.
Whether it is organising unique cultural exchanges in China, running the New York marathon or bankrupting his family as a 7 year old by swimming 2 miles in a
sponsored swim, John likes to complete tasks that others consider unrealistic. He is passionate about travel, sport, music and entrepreneurship.
John has amassed a significant amount of business experience in diverse sectors and made global connections in his career to date. His previous clients include Marks & Spencer plc whom he advised in relation to their environmental sustainability initiative: – Plan A.
Sandra Deeble, Wordsmith & Guerilla Marketeer
Sandra is a natural connector which is probably why she likes cafes with communal tables. If you find yourself sharing a table, it's only a matter of time before you start finding connections with other people. Making unexpected connections can lead you to all kinds of different situations.
Sandra has worked as freelance journalist, has taught English in Spain, has spread the word about how to Change the World for a Fiver, and is currently writing about some of the myplace projects up and down the country. She loves hearing other people's stories and sharing their stories to inspire others.She brings to life management mumbo-jumbo by finding the passionate story that lies behind it; attracting people, including funders and customers, towards big ideas.
Sandra has an unusual way of looking at the world, which is how she comes up with her guerilla marketing techniques - ways to sell a product or idea for virtually no cost. it's how a giant statue of Freddie Mercury above The Dominion Theatre in London, came to be carrying a 'bag for life' over his shoulder. They've become pretty popular since then.
She had a regular column in The Guardian and has written for too many quality publications to mention. Yet we should mention that she has authored five books, including A Girl's Guide to Glamour and A Passion for Stilettos. If you want to get your message across or find some unusal ways to get your product or service noticed, don't wait for that lucky break when you might be sharing a table with Sandra...just give us a call.
Sandra is a natural connector which is probably why she likes cafes with communal tables. If you find yourself sharing a table, it's only a matter of time before you start finding connections with other people. Making unexpected connections can lead you to all kinds of different situations.
Sandra has worked as freelance journalist, has taught English in Spain, has spread the word about how to Change the World for a Fiver, and is currently writing about some of the myplace projects up and down the country. She loves hearing other people's stories and sharing their stories to inspire others.She brings to life management mumbo-jumbo by finding the passionate story that lies behind it; attracting people, including funders and customers, towards big ideas.
Sandra has an unusual way of looking at the world, which is how she comes up with her guerilla marketing techniques - ways to sell a product or idea for virtually no cost. it's how a giant statue of Freddie Mercury above The Dominion Theatre in London, came to be carrying a 'bag for life' over his shoulder. They've become pretty popular since then.
She had a regular column in The Guardian and has written for too many quality publications to mention. Yet we should mention that she has authored five books, including A Girl's Guide to Glamour and A Passion for Stilettos. If you want to get your message across or find some unusal ways to get your product or service noticed, don't wait for that lucky break when you might be sharing a table with Sandra...just give us a call.
