Suggestions
Mark Nichols
CEO Xeros Technologies
Mark Nichols was the former Chief Executive Officer at Xeros Technology Group PLC.1 He advised the Board that he wished to leave Xeros to transition to a portfolio career.3 Currently, Mark Nichols is associated with Simomar Consulting Limited and is a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants, based in Abinger Hammer, England, United Kingdom.2 His LinkedIn username is indeed marknichols4.2
During his time at Xeros Technology Group, Mark Nichols played a significant role in the company's leadership. Xeros Technology Group is known for its innovative technologies in the field of sustainable water use and garment cleaning.4
It's worth noting that Mark Nichols has transitioned from his role at Xeros Technology Group, and his current professional focus appears to be on consulting through Simomar Consulting Limited.2
Highlights
Know what makes me laugh? Time tracking.
This is going to seem petty, but I don't think there's anywhere in your agency where there's a bigger misalignment in what you think you're getting from what you're actually getting.
You think you're getting...
Your team's exact hours logged on a project, giving you a crystal clear window into the profitability on a project.
What you're actually getting...
Your team's 'best guess', logged at the end of a busy week for work they've already forgotten about... and only because you bugged them endlessly to do it.
You go through all this so that you can proudly report that a project achieved 13.34% net profit 💅
This number isn't accurate, and probably isn't even close to accurate. But it makes you feel good and complete and like a businessperson. And you take those profitability numbers, and make big decisions based on them... even though they aren't accurate. In your heart, you know they aren't.
Think about that. Agencies everywhere are taking information they know to be inaccurate at best, and making company-altering decisions based on that data.
I guess the question is: how do we fix this?
Damn it, I love the life of leisure.
I love lying around in the middle of the day, reading books, watching movies.
Picking up my kids at 3pm and not going back to work afterwards.
Taking advantage of a clear, mild winter day and going for a long mid-day run.
Spending a Thursday afternoon cooking a big meal for my family.
Driving into the city and just spacing out in a coffee shop.
The ambitious part of me knows that my business could be bigger if I pulled myself up and pushed a little bit harder, but... leisure. We all deserve more of it.
