Mantra Magazine Issue #007 Q2 2017

Mantra Magazine Issue #007

Let's go Somewhere 07

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Q2 Owners Meeting

The Culture of Cohesion

Revamping Over in Russia

The Mantra Weekender

We attend the 2017

We discuss the

We discuss the importance

A weekend of good com-

Q2 Owners Meeting at

importance of personality

of establishing connections

pany, music, dancing and

Wokefield Park

and communication

through International

general frivolity

relationships

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CATEGORY OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Our contributors

CATEGORY INDEX OF MAGAZINE

In this issue

Francis Colam Chief Editor

Fran is Chief Operations Officer for Mantra Marketing working with people and companies to help the business become more efficient and profitable.

Alex Rae

Introduction 003

Festivals and Forward Thinking

Owners Meeting 005

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Catching up w/ Matt

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Festival of Ideas / Festival of Culture

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The Culture of Cohesion

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River Stage Festival

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Steph: New Horizons in Bristol

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New Challenges w/ Timur

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Revamping Over in Russia

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Plug In / Progress

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Looking Forward w/ Ike

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Books, Blogs and Podcasts

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Setting Down Roots in St. Petersburg

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Australia 033

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Art Director / Designer Alex is the Producer and DIrector of Falcon Productions. Producing films for the BBC, Channel 5, NHK Japan and more

Rose Lucas Editor / Author

Rose has a Batchelors degree in English Literature from Bristol University before moving onto persue her acting career at the Identity School of Acting in London

New Leaders w/ Rory

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The Mantra Weekender

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Expanding Horizons w/ Nina

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Competition Winners

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Photographer

Moving Forward w/ Kev

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Nic is a Bristol-based photographer specialising in

Travel 061

events, portraits and lifestyle.

Nice 065

Nic Kane

Mark: Branching Out in Barnstaple

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CATEGORY EDITOR'S LET TER

Introduction ‘You walk into the office, and there’s a real buzz in the room. Everyone is genuinely excited about their jobs, loving what they do and wanting to contribute.’

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JAMES BUCKLEY, DIRECTOR, MANTRA MARKETING -

As the days turn to weeks turn to months and we

exercising foresight and seeking out opportunities

begin to fully sink into the heat of the summer,

in new, undiscovered parts of the country.

here at Mantra we are showing no signs of slowing down. We have collected an extraordinary plethora

I would also like to take a moment to congratulate

of experiences over the last quarter, so let’s take a

Matt Nicholson on his recent achievements. Over

moment to reflect upon the recent success stories

the last quarter, Matt has worked extremely hard

of our wonderful team.

to ensure that his dream of setting up his own company was fully realised, and we are very proud

First things first, I would like to extend a very warm

to announce the establishment of ‘Monument

welcome to the new members of our company! The

Promotions’ over in Swindon, with Matt at the helm.

expansion of the Mantra stems from the point at which we welcome new recruits and grows from

International relationships are a huge part of what

there; with the addition of new team members

we are about at Mantra; we truly believe there is

comes a fresh injection of energy, passion and

a huge amount to be learned from establishing

creativity which drives the company as a whole

connections with people and places outside of our

towards bigger and better things. I cannot stress

immediate context and the expansion into Russia

enough the importance of each individual within

is a fantastic reflection of this. Since the last edition

the umbrella of Mantra; our teams are inspiring

of Mantra was published, we have opened another

great change within each sector as we continue to

2 offices abroad. We now have 3 in Moscow, 1 in St.

expand across not only the UK, but internationally

Petersburg and the team has grown from what was

as well.

just 20 people initially, to a 150-strong company in action now. On paper, things are developing

The expansion we are seeing in the UK has been

at a rapid rate; however, across the board within

instigated by members of the team that last

each sector of Mantra, there is a tangible feeling

quarter were setting themselves very specific

of positivity running through our teams. With self-

targets, ensuring that they continued to make

development and communication at the heart of

steady progress. In recent weeks, these same

our work, both inside and outside of the office we

individuals have started to establish new teams

are cultivating a powerful company culture that

in various areas of the country and over the last

traverses the boundary between work and play,

Five countries - fifty cities -

quarter we have opened another 5 offices which is

the individual and the ensemble. It truly is a team

five years

extraordinary. A huge congratulations to Steph on

effort, and this overriding feeling of momentum and

the establishment of her team in Bristol. Over at 1to1,

support from the ground-up is really what is driving

Mark and Kev have been making leaps and bounds,

us forward. There is something in the water this

hitting some fantastic goals and opening a new

quarter, and we can’t wait to power forward through

office up in Barnstaple. It is really exciting to see

the summer and welcome all that it has to offer.

2017

members of the team thinking outside of the box,

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CATEGORY MEETINGS & EVENTS

Owners Meeting Wokefield Park, Reading

This year, our meeting was held in May at Wokefield Park in Reading

E

very

quarter

hold

an

we

the office. Here at Mantra we place a huge

Owner’s

emphasis on creating a successful work/life

Meeting to update

balance, taking care to ensure that there is a

each

UK

strong sense of ‘ensemble’ both in and out of

business partners

the workplace, so we made sure to include an

on

clients,

afternoon of team-building activities into our

recruitment

schedule at at Wokefield. We kicked off the

methods we have

second part of the day with laser tag, various

implemented, and social media strategies

games and rock-climbing, whilst other mem-

we are wanting to establish. It is an informa-

bers went off to play a winning round of gold

tive but informal affair and a fantastic way to

with James - congratulations all!

new

of new

our

catch up and socialise as well as ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding the

As evening fell, we hosted some fun network-

business.

ing drinks, and laid on a BBQ spread for all to enjoy. A fantastic weekend was had by all

This year, our meeting was held in May at

and our team enjoyed a welcome break from

Wokefield Park in Reading. This is an 18th

the city. Some excellent strategies were set

century country house, situated amongst

for the coming months and we are looking

stunning grounds in the middle of the coun-

forward to seeing these in action

tryside, a wonderful way to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and take a break from

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CATEGORY MEETINGS & EVENTS

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CATEGORY MEETINGS & EVENTS

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CATEGORY MEETINGS & EVENTS

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CATEGORY MEETINGS & EVENTS

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CATEGORY INTERVIEWS

Catching up w/ Matt ‘I think the biggest mistake that people make is setting themselves ‘end goals’; they don’t really exist, it’s a far more cyclical process.’

‘It’s important to have a solid system and formula in place to replicate at each level of progression. A systematic approach keeps people on track and is what I believe will result in a huge growth for the company.’

Hey Matt, how’s it all been going? Last time we spoke you were just about to go to Australia! How have you been since then?

So last time we spoke I was about to jump on a plane! Australia was a great trip, I took a lot from that, from being around people who have been running their own companies for 20 years was really inspiring. We went and watched the best of the best, as well as meeting brand new

Yes, and I guess it’s important to be rigorous in deciding what that means for you as an individual; you’re not the same as other people, you need to focus on things that mean a lot for you as an Entrepreneur and that will motivate and drive you You’ve just started your own company, Monument Promotions, congratulations! Tell me about the process from beginning to end. How have you found the experience?

Yes, thank you! We launched 4 weeks ago. The biggest thing for me, and I’ve been making sure I tell the guys this, is not viewing anything as the finish line. I think that’s quite a dangerous mentality to adopt;

owners, so across the board it was a fantastic trip.

whereas I believe you should constantly be looking forwards, asking

There are obviously different systems in place, but I dont think it’s

deciding on the next skillset you need to develop, the next set of

worlds apart in terms of what we do here. When you’re looking at the business from a different point of view, that’s really useful; it’s not necessarily wildly alternative, but a simple shift in perspective can be really important sometimes. The scale of some of the offices out there is enough to drive you forward in opening your eyes to the potential of what you can achieve. The whole things inspiring, the whole thing’s educational; you think you’ve taken it all on board and then months later something will come to you that’s really useful. In the grand scheme of things, all of the calls you’ve made, all of the interactions you’ve had and people you’ve engaged with will all have had an impact in ways that you might not realise until later on, but you end of with a fantastic wealth of knowledge as a result of these trips.

For me the biggest thing is communication; if you look at our business that is and always has been the main focus. It’s simple, but it really is at the heart of this line of work. When I’m networking, I always focus on that, the people that are succeeding are those that possess incredible people skills.

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yourself what has got you to this position and then replicating that, goals to put in place. Establishing Monument holds a great sense of achievement for me and the team, but it’s really important for me that I don’t rest on my laurels, and instead view it as another stepping stone to where I want to be in the long game.

What advice would you give to someone starting their own company?

I think the biggest mistake that people make is setting themselves ‘end goals’; they don’t really exist, it’s a far more cyclical process. As soon as you’ve achieved a goal - at whatever level - you need to set another one straight away. You don’t just run a company for the accolade, and to say ‘Oh I’m running my own company’, it’s what you can get out of it, so it’s important to always be looking forwards.

forwards, would you agree?

Yeah that’s it - the biggest thing is discovering for yourself what makes you tick...but you’re setting these goals to achieve

I always talk to the guys and say that whatever level you’re at, you experience the same cycle of emotion and learning each time! The ‘comfortable’ and the ‘everyday’ was once new and initially nerve-wracking, and as an Entrepreneur you learn that any challenge you’re going to face will involve going through this cycle of learning.

How do you go about facing challenges and

the thing that makes you tick anyway, so in that sense it really

conquering obstacles during the process?

is a self-fulfilling philosophy. I was having a conversation with

My biggest ethos is, anything that makes me feel uncomfortable

my Mum the other day about how difficult she found it to set herself goals, and I just said you know, most people spend more time deciding on what they’re going to have for dinner rather than evaluating what it is that they want to achieve in the long run! I was always the same, but you really get out what you put in to this. Set yourself an intention and you’ll reap the rewards.

If you’re passionate about your job, it shouldn’t be a chore. If you love what you do you should find yourself in a natural cycle of self-development in line with moving forwards as an Enrepreneur...

You just reminded me...I was watching something last night (and this is a really cheesy quote so don’t put this in actually!?), but ‘when your vocation becomes your vacation, you never work a day in your life’.

Last time we spoke, I remember you talking about how you’re never ‘complete’ as an individual, ‘you never reach the finish line in terms of this selfprogress’ - how do you feel that you’ve changed over the last quarter?

or uneasy, I get a voice in my head that says ‘great, this is going to be a really useful learning curve’, emotionally and in terms of the business. As soon as things start to become a bit of a challenge, that’s where you experience growth and satisfaction. you’ll succeed and that really is at the heart of it all I think.

Is there anything in retrospect that you would change or have done differently?

I think that because you’re so well prepared, you’ve essentially been given the opportunity to assume the role of Owner before it happens; I’ve been working closely with Rob and taking over the office for a week or two when he’s been away, so a lot of it I was already prepared for. It’s really just about understanding that you are the head of the company, and how important you are to the business and the business is to you.

CATEGORY INTERVIEWS

I guess having the confidence is half of it; the coaching schemes that are in place, and the way in which Mantra nurture their team, they will always be ready to make that next step. It’s more about being self-motivated and pro-active. You’re not answering to anyone else, so only you can know whether you’re

looking to break comfort zones and take on a new challenge.

Yeah - the way that I wanted it to work was that I had earned

I think when you establish your own company, you automatically

my promotion. It’s not a case of whether or not you’re ready,

transpose your own values as an individual onto that; the

because you organically create that opportunity, it’s about

company culture stems from your personal core values which

understanding the transition you have made in starting to run

is important; the culture grows from a place of confidence, and

the business It sounds very simple, but is a quite a big shift in

plays to your strengths. I think it’s really important to have

terms of mentality.

a vision, to know what you want and where you want to be,

ready or not…

It really is all about communication skills. People that are interesting but also interested. You can’t expect everyone to come in with a huge level of confidence, but if they have a natural interest in the business and a drive, then they will succeed. I also look for people with a positive outlook!

and then make sure that you get there. Secondly, being very

Tell me about your team / choosing the right combination of people and how you have found taking on a managerial role?

Setting up a business isn’t that easy! You know, there’s a lot that goes with it in terms of all the paperwork involved, setting up accounts...I’ve loved it though! I’ve really enjoyed transitioning into being a business Owner, and all that that entails. Obviously Rob helps out with this process

In terms of establishing a company culture, what would you say are the defining features of Monument?

The thing I look for is people that are great students, people that are willing and open to learning and being educated,

systematic with everything. As the vision adapts and changes, a lot of the guys will be out of their comfort zones for the first couple of weeks or so - as we talked about above - it’s important to have a solid system and formula in place to replicate at each level of progression. A systematic approach keeps people on track and is what I believe will result in a huge growth for the company.

What are you looking to do next? Where do you see yourself going and then in terms of the company itself, what do you hope the trajectory to be in terms of and expansion?

Without a doubt our, regarding the business over the next few months, we’re looking to become the number one events office

CATEGORY DEVELOPMENT

THE CULTURE of COHESION Here at Mantra, we adhere to a cyclical working relationship, whereby the individual feeds the business, which in turn develops the individual, which in turn develops the business...and so on and so forth.

I

t is important to recognise the

We have an extremely strong sense of who we are

importance

communication

and for that reason Mantra stands apart from the

in this line of work; the ability to

rest; in adhering to a company-wide philosophy of

engage with, teach, learn from

‘work-hard, play-hard’ we ensure that the dynamic

and interact with another person,

of the company stays alive, stays vibrant, thereby

be that a client, or a colleague,

producing passionate and vigorous individuals and

is paramount in this industry.

cultivating a culture that is fresh, contemporary and

Ensure that your personality and

cohesive. Our company culture is one that naturally

individuality shines through, connect with others

results in hard work and success simply because

and establish a relationship whereby they care

each and every one of our team loves what they

about your offers and your work. As John Berger

do; work is not a chore, it is a learning curve that

states in his book, ‘Contagious: Why Things Catch

leads to the development of the individual in

On’, ‘when we care, we share’; establishing a human

line with the development of the company. You

connection and striking an emotional chord with

really do get out what you put in, and we ensure

your client is the crux of what makes a successful

that everyone is given an extra incentive to work

Entrepreneur.

even harder by offering holidays, events and long

of

weekends away as well-deserved rewards. We think People want to feel as if they are part of something,

it is important to be able to unwind, to engage in

that they are an important and valued member of

team-building activities and have a laugh with each

the group. Here at Mantra, we focus on nurturing

other outside of the working day. If you establish a

the company from the ground-up, investing time,

successful team dynamic outside of the office, it will

energy and support in those that are new to the

undoubtedly bleed into the working environment,

business; after all, they are the future and they will

creating

be the people who are running the offices in years

work.

a spirited and exciting approach to the

The Culture of Cohesion

to come. As a result, the rate of progression and

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promotion within the company is extremely high.

In adhering to a philosophy of ‘exchange’, we are

Over the last quarter alone, we have seen 4 people

able to ensure that the each member of our team

open new offices, the team in Russia has expanded

moves forward in line with the progression of the

by 130+people, and we are recruiting more and

company as a whole. This cyclical approach and

more new faces by the day. Our physical and

culture of cohesion ensures that we establish a real

geographical expansion and international reach is a

ensemble of team players, people that learn from

result of our expansive attitude as a company, and

each other and work extremely well as a company;

something that we are extremely proud of.

with this infrastructure in place, the world is our oyster!

“ Ensure that your personality

and individuality shines through, connect with others and establish a relationship "

CATEGORY INTERVIEWS

Steph: New Horizons in Bristol ‘Because we’ve known that we’re opening a new office, now’s the time to create culture’

Hey Steph - How have you been?

Yeah really good thanks! Finally settled in my flat which is nice - I’m in Bristol now.

That’s a winning combination really, to have such a rigorous level of organisation allows you the time and space to relax into your work.

How do you think you’ve changed since you got back and moved over to Bristol?

Last time we spoke, you were in Australia! How was the trip for you?

Yeah! I thought I’d be really jet lagged when I got back but I was actually okay! Australia really opened everyone’s eyes; it’s so different

I’ve just tried to be a lot more organised and I’ve been dedicating more of my evenings to spending time with my guys.

You’ve set up a team in Bristol, is that right?

over there compared to back here and I think in this line of work it’s

Yeah we’re just starting to establish a team here; we’ve only been here

really important to travel. It’s a lot more developed over there in terms

since July though so it’s all quite new! I only took one guy with me

of the business model. Here, it’s very much the old fashioned way of

initially but we’ve now got 8 guys in the field which is awesome - it’s

‘you work hard or you don’t get promoted’, whereas over there it’s

all just blowing up now which is really exciting. Because we’ve known

much more accepting of the work/life balance and some time away is

that we’re opening a new office, now’s the time to create culture. So if

encouraged…it’s a lot more chilled out.

there are any habits or a specific culture that we want to cultivate in the office, now is the time to start establishing it. It’s something that

I guess the sunshine helps as well…?

Yeah! Everyone is so healthy over there, I got so inspired…who doesn’t love eating avocados and drinking smoothies all the time? I tried to continue it back in the UK but it didn’t last very long…

How have you been since then, what’s been going on?

Quite a lot’s been going on actually. When I got home I went straight back to Plymouth with quite a lot of things in mind that I wanted to implement. Appi and I sat down together and went through our plan, deciding which things we wanted to put in place and what was going to work, but I’ve really taken on a part of the laid-back attitude of Oz; the amount of organisation they have over there exceeds what we do here and therefore lends itself to a more balanced working life.

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we need to make a concerted effort to put in place now in order for it to become the norm in the future.

What sort of culture do you want to create and what specifically do you look for in your team members?

I think just a willingness to learn and a solid work ethic, plus the ability to have fun! It sounds ridiculous but I’ve just had some really good guys on my team that also possess the ability to just chill out in the office. Sometimes you get guys that come in and are like ‘I kind of want to be here, I kind of don’t’, but everyone I have on the team wants to be there and can strike a good work/life balance which is important.

How are you finding this new role?

Everyones getting on really well together, we’re spending a lot more time together and as a consequence of that we’re meeting the right sorts of people, habits are rubbing off as well as a general positivity which in turn creates a fantastic working environment.

How do you see you and your team progressing in Bristol and what goals have you set yourself for the

lost my drive and I couldn’t work out why that was, I knew there must be a reason why. James actually said to me, ‘Steph, what are your goals?’ and I didn’t know. For the first time ever, I’d tried to save money, but it just doesn’t motivate me, I’d much rather spend it! You have to be honest with yourself and it has to come from you - not everyone will have the same goals, not everyone is motivated by the same things and that can be the difficulty; finding something that will drive you forward and then using that. I remember when I was brand new, I’d just get

next quarter?

pick up a catalogue and flick through...

I’m just really looking forward to promoting my first Crew Leader

What are you looking forward to over the summer?

in Bristol; we’ve got one girl called Laura who’s staying with me and she’s literally gone from working alone, to having two new Leaders by the end of the week which means she only needs one more and she’s on track to running her own team. I really think that she could do it within the first 2 months of being here.

How do you maintain such a strong work ethic? Last time we spoke you had a very clear trajectory and very specific goals that you’d set yourself, do you think it’s important to have those in place?

Yes, definitely! I went through a phase in Plymouth where I just

It’s really strange, but students are the best to recruit. I don’t know what it is but they’re all just super motivated in terms of making money. Everyone’s self-employed, so the guys that go out themselves have to be self-motivated because it all works on commission, but what’s really exciting is that because the students that come in only have a summer, they really go for it.

I’m also really looking forward to the Mantra Festival! It’s the first year it’s happening so I’m super excited. I’m not really a festival go-er because if I’m honest I hate camping - I’m very happy that Fran bought a Glamping Pod…!

Revamping Over In Russia ‘I think that you can learn things from different cultures; part of our wider group is based in Australia (and) we’ve learned from branching out into Russia and opening new offices there.’

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NINA COLLIS, REDSEVEN / MONUMENT -

I

nternational

relationships

form an integral part of what we are about at Mantra; we truly believe there is a huge amount to be learned from establishing

connections

with people and places outside of our immediate con-

text and the expansion into Russia is a fantastic reflection of this. Since the last edition of Mantra was published, we have opened another 2 offices; we now have 3 in Moscow, 1 in St. Petersburg and the team has grown from what began as just 20 people initially, to a 150-strong company in operation. We can’t wait to see what the rest of the year holds for us as the team continues to expand and we solidify our relationships overseas.

We caught up with Veronika who has been one of the core members of Mantra over in Russia since the very beginning. After moving to Moscow almost 2 years ago, she has been building a fantastic team of representatives and has been making fast progress.

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CATEGORY INTERVIEWS

How have you been since we last spoke? What's been going on for you and the team?

Since we last spoke it has been really exciting - I promoted my first Owner, Timur. He is doing great and working on promoting his first

growth and they reestablished a fantastic working dynamic extremely quickly leading to further expansion.

What are you looking forward to over the next quarter?

Assistant Owner. Alongside welcoming Timur to the team, I recruited

Over the next quarter, I am aiming to promote another Assistant Owner

another Crew Leader and she is also getting close to assistant owner-

and prepare her for Ownership. Alongside Timur promoting his AO, our

ship...so it has been very intense!

organization will double. We already have two fantastic candidates for

How has the recruitment side of things been going? You've taken on many new team members over the last quarter how has this changed the dynamic of the company?

Recruitment is a bit like a rollercoaster! It had its ups and its downs but we have tried many approaches. The implementation of the HotDesk has really helped with regards to the recruitment process as it has ensured that the guys stay motivated; in March it helped us to grow by 10 people and that’s where our new wave of great leaders that came through. It definitely changed the dynamic of the office and now we have 40 people between our two offices, recruiting via more traditional methods such as posting adverts alongside using the HotDesk.

these roles, Jasmine and Albina, so I think that next time we speak, you will be hearing from them! In terms of personal goals, I still want to buy house for my parents and settle down in Moscow in buying a property, and all of this goes alongside building my organization and ambition to be promoted to the organizational head in the next 3 to 5 years. I obviously have small goals that help me to stay motivated in between but that is my main vision and it is that helps me to move forward.

What is it about Russia that makes for such a successful business model ? What sort of culture do you guys want to establish as a company?

I think all we are trying to do is to implement our International system here, it’s just all in its infancy. On one hand it’s more challenging be-

Has the expansion thrown up any unexpected challenges?

Definitely - every big step forward requires a new set of skills and responsibilities. The main challenge was that after experiencing such a fast growth, there was initially a greater number of inexperienced guys than those with experience in the field, so they struggled a bit at the beginning; however this only encouraged self-development and

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cause it’s all very new and unusual for people here, but at the same time we are the first to establish things here which is throws up huge potential; we have lots of space to expand to clearly and boldly realize the opportunity we have. At the same time none of it would be possible without great support of our international network and James Buckley who spends a lot of time here.

CATEGORY INTERVIEWS

Looking Forward w/ Ike: Dispatch Marketing ‘Its knowing what makes you tick; everyone’s different, so you’ve just got to find the thing that’s going to get you out of bed in the morning and puts a smile on your face.’

How did you start working at Mantra?

I started as a 'Brand Ambassador' 2 yrs ago. Now I'm taking on a lot more responsibility, such as doing the first appointments and orientations for the observation days and doing all the planning and group huddles at 9am - learning the ropes at the back end of the business - in order to prepare myself.

myself with something new. First of all, it was a trip to Budapest, secondly a weekend with my Mum at the races and buying myself a new suit. The main reward is a BMW 3 series or an Audi A5, so when I promote my sixth leader, I’m going to do a test-drive of both of them.

Its knowing what makes you tick; everyone’s different, so you’ve just got to find the thing that’s going to get you out of bed in the morning

It seems that Mantra focuses on hitting targets and setting goals to ensure that no momentum is lost along the way; why do you think this is important, not just in terms of company progression, but also in terms of team building?

and puts a smile on your face. I told my friends that when I turned 25,

I think that because Mantra as a whole is quite a close-knit

I wanted to be able to buy a Ford Mustang, and all they did was laugh

network, knowing that the support is there across the board,

at me; that’s when I knew that that goal was big enough to put in place

whether that’s in your own office or someone else’s office,

and as an individual?

and motivate me.

everyone is always happy to help. We recently had a ski-trip

At first it was a bit nerve wracking, that sort of nervous excitement

Tell us a bit about your plans to open up your own office.

How are you finding it so far? Do you feel like you are learning a lot and developing quickly as a businessman

where you’re giving it a go but also expecting yourself to mess up at some point! Learning how to do something for the first time, you know you’re going to make mistakes, but you’ll inevitably learn from that, so it’s good to have the time and safe space to be able to work in this way.

Appi’s been nothing but incredible in making sure I’m on the right track; I think in the last 5 weeks I’ve developed a huge amount compared to the last 6 months that I was in the business before.

How do you stay motivated?

I’m hoping to set up Dispatch Marketing in August. I think that because I’m opening up in the same location as Appi, I know I’ve got that support there. We’re going to be working out a plan this week, setting goals.

Appi and I have a strong working dynamic, so I’m not too worried about taking this next step. I think the only thing is being able to juggle my time, splitting it between the office and then developing all my guys.

and then a football tournament, so having these fun but educational rewards attached to the development of the company is a fantastic incentive and establishes a really nice working environment. They choose the top 10 percent of their staff, so the expectation is set high; it creates a healthy level of competition and gets the team hungry for it.

I would imagine that setting yourself short termgoals really helps to build a sense of momentum?

Yeah and because it’s quite intense, there really is a sense of moving forwards quickly. Every day is different! I came from

To be honest I used to be the worst person at setting and hitting

a farming background. I was used to sitting on a tractor by

goals, so I had to make sure that I found something that worked for me,

myself every day, listening to a crackly radio. I was a bit of a

something that I was really inspired by. Working out how much money

recluse, I wasn’t really talking to as many people as I should

I could save over a specific period of time really helped me, so having

have been. When I realised I wasn’t developing as much as I

an A goal, a B goal and a C goal and then knowing that I didn’t want

could be - I was almost like a turtle hiding in its shell - I had to

settle for the C goal seemed to be the formula that worked. Attaching

put myself out there. I made sure that I was the person that

rewards to every single thing was useful; when I started at Leela, my

ran around getting tips and building relationships with every

focus was promoting leaders, and with each promotion I rewarded

single person in the office, and because of that I became more

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consistent and grasped the real essence of the business and how much you can get out of it.

What is it about the culture of the company that appeals to you?

We seem to be that one step ahead; we’ve introduced the hotdesking which loads of other companies are now using. We’ve hosted premier club meetings which are of a top-standard; we do everything down to a tee in terms of the activities and work development, which ensures that the opportunity side of the business shines through. We’re not just a sales company, we’re an opportunity-based company, so it’s highlighting to everyone that you are in control of your own situation. You are in charge of your own development, and you are the only one that can get in the way of that.

It seems that the individual is valued and nurtured under the umbrella of Mantra, would you agree?

Absolutely, I probably wouldn’t still be here if it wasn’t for the support network and the help I have received from the likes of James, Fran, the different owners in the organisation, as well as the admin and recruiters as well. It’s those sort of people that make it a special place; loads of the guys that we’ve had come in over the last 5 weeks have been really wowed by the fact there’s so much you can achieve in a short amount of time. You really get looked after and helped to achieve your maximum potential, whatever that means to you.

Australia Earlier this year, Matt Nicholson and Steph won a trip to Australia as a result of both receiving promotions before the end of January. Whilst there, they liaised with many successful business Owners from all over the world which was a fantastic opportunity for some networking and to learn from others in the field.

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Matt Nicholson

Monument Promotions

‘Australia was a great trip, I took a lot from that, from being around people who have been running their own

Steph Wiltshire

Leela Promotions

‘I’ve really taken on a part of the laid-back attitude of Oz; the amount of organisation they have over there

companies for 20 years was really inspiring. We went and watched the best of the best, as well as meeting

exceeds what we do here and therefore lends itself to a more balanced working life. That’s a winning

brand new owners, so across the board it was a fantastic trip. The scale of some of the offices out there is

combination really, to have such a rigorous level of organisation allows you the time and space to relax into

enough to drive you forward; the potential, what you can achieve.'

-

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MATT NICHOLSON -

your work.’

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STEPH WILTSHIRE -

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CATEGORY INTERVIEWS

New Leaders: w/ Rory ‘It’s important to immerse yourself as much as possible... In that one day alone, you can make contacts that will help you for years to come.’

Hey Rory, How are you doing? Tell us a bit about your role and the process of being promoted to a New Leader?

Hi there, I'm very well, thank you. I moved back to Bristol for the summer and decided to use the relocation as an opportunity to engage in Direct Marketing as offered by one of Mantra's offices. As an FR, my role was to prove my capability of learning and implement new skills both in the office and the field, not just through making sales but also in demonstrating leadership qualities. Once I'd met the sales criteria of becoming a leader, I needed to present all I'd learned during my relatively short time in the business. The quality of my coaching made the transition very smooth.

Do you think it’s important to keep setting your sights high

The meeting was an excellent chance to surround yourself not only with the Directors of our local offices, but also with individuals who had similarly achieved a recent leadership promotion. To see the amount of new leaders coming through gives you an assurance and therefore belief in the systems that underpin the business, the rate at which you can excel if you apply yourself. We were treated to a range of talks and seminars by office leaders from Swindon, Bristol, Reading and Plymouth, reinforcing what being a Leader meant, the responsibility that goes with that title, as well as an insight into the the speed at which progression is offered. The Directors explained how they were sat in our position just a couple of years previously, which presented

of yourself and what you want to get out of the experience. You're given a lot of responsibility, so being self-motivated and setting goals for yourself, short-term or otherwise is a prerequisite if you want to be successful.

Tell us a bit about the New Leader’s Meeting you attended recently in Cowley Manor

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meetings?

Simply because of the networking opportunities it offers.

You are surrounded by success, so it’s important to immerse

exuberance than careful experience. We're a fast-growing

top. In that one day alone, you can make contacts that will

unit that wants to capitalise on the ability of young people

help you for years to come.

to excel through immense work ethic, positive attitude and

Are the team building exercises just as useful as the strategy meetings?

business is all about. You need to be an effective team player as well as a leader, delegating and taking responsibility in equal measure. The collective experience we had in working

The venue was incredible! We did a little tour of the grounds before the meeting started which certainly helped with my motivation to succeed

What are the core values of your team?

Our

what you can achieve if you dedicate yourself to this business.

of the city?

only help the company in the long term.

the brains of those who look like they're on the way to the

Definitely, being able to work as part of a team is what this

Was it a welcome country break from the hustle and bustle

young people can bring to the table. Investing in youth can

yourself as much as possible, be everyone's friend and pick

an exciting example of the rate at which people actually progress and

and setting yourself individual goals?

Absolutely. In this business I've learned it’s all about having a measure

Why do you think it’s important to attend these

team

represents

moreso

the

values

of

youthful

that’s how we achieve results. We have a great team spirit and realise the importance of learning from failure as much as rewarding ourselves for our successes.

Where do you see yourself going over the next quarter / year? What are your ambitions?

within a team environment made the exercises significantly

I have to finish my final year of studies, starting in September,

easier.

but after that who knows? This business is so fantastic because of the autonomy it gives you. The possibility of

How is the culture of the company developing?

in the long-term! Being in such a tranquil setting meant the meeting

I think the youthful make-up of the attendees of the New

was easily received, and definitely offered a different environment to

Leaders Meeting speaks volumes. The culture of giving

the office.

youth a chance is one that not only gives the company a great image, but also utilises the energies and abilities that

being able to open up my own office one day - perhaps overseas - is something to push towards. For now, I want to be able to take as much from this experience as I feel I've given it in terms of effort... and then see how far I can go!

CATEGORY MEETINGS & EVENTS

Mantra Weekender Cotswolds Over a sunny weekend in July, our team left the bright lights of the city behind and journeyed to the Cotswolds to see in the launch of one of the best events to date... the Mantra Weekender!

A

weekend of good

a station set-up with more glitter than you

company,

mu-

could possibly imagine; eyes, faces, beards

sic,

and

and bodies were covered in the stuff, ensur-

frivolity,

ing that everybody was suitably sparkled-up

dancing

general the a

festival

fantastic

ing

was

for the evening’s festivities.

com-

together

of

Moving forwards into the main grounds, our

that

team were introduced to the Super Pirates

makes our company so special; a chance to

who offered up some fantastic activities and

celebrate of the community spirit that lies at

entertainment for children and adults alike.

the heart of Mantra. The rapid rate at which

We were greeted with giant bubbles, uni-

we have progressed over the course of this

cycles, stilt-walking and a whole plethora of

year has been astonishing, so this was really

circus delights which encouraged an atmo-

a chance to say thank you and to salute the

sphere of play and helped us work up an ap-

efforts of every single one of our team as we

petite for the feast ahead. A delicious spread

move forwards into the next part of the year;

was put on with fresh salads, homemade piz-

a spring in our step and (an extraordinary

zas from the woodfired oven and a BBQ of

amount of) glitter on our faces.

organic meat sourced from the local farm.

The winding road to the festival was lined

After bellies had been suitably filled and

with colourful, billowing flags to lead the way

glasses topped up, we made our way to the

towards the main site, The Holford Arms in

music tent and danced our way through the

the Cotswolds. The entire grounds had been

evening to three fantastic live bands. First

hired and decorated in true festival fashion,

up were True Strays - ‘rock and roll revival-

and as members of the team drew nearer,

ists’ born and bred in Bristol - followed by

they caught a glimpse of the glamping area

Normanton St., a four-piece hip-hop troupe

where pods had been set-up. Situated in the

from Brighton who really got the crowd go-

heart of the countryside, the site was sur-

ing for the headline set. Last up, we had Cut

rounded by trees and greenery, colourful

Capers, an 8-piece ska/swing band that filled

tents, flags and bunting; a breath of fresh air

the skies with the rich sound of their brass-

and a welcome departure from the bustle of

roots and ‘head-nod-ska-hop’ beats. As night

city life.

fell, we were treated to a fire-show that lit up

everything

the night skies with fire-breathing, dancing Upon arrival, guests were encouraged to take

and tricks. A full-festival bonanza, the Mantra

a trip to the Wardrobe of Infinite Possibilities

Weekend was a roaring success, the tents

where they were dolled up and adorned with

full to the brim with laughter and team-spirit

wigs and costumes to propel them into the

as we danced into the night; here’s to next

night... and let’s not forget the glitter! We had

year!

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CATEGORY INTERVIEWS

Expanding Horizons w/ Nina ‘We provide transparent marketing that actually works. Why? Because by using our Human Commercials we are able to communicate to real people’ RedSeven

‘It’s good to refresh yourself and encourage a shift in perspective; even when I’ve just been down the road to London, I’ve come back with a new sense of drive and lots of new ideas.’

For you personally, how do you ensure that your work ethic stays strong and you consistently make good progress?

Tell us a bit about your role within the company? How long have you been at RedSeven?

So I work really closely with Rob at RedSeven. It’s been quite an intense quarter because we’ve opened up Monument, and are expanding both offices, which is exciting, but it’s been very busy! I definitely don’t feel as if I’ve had much time to myself, but it’s all paid off.

How has your role specifically changed?

Something that Fran has always taught me, is that you make sure as an individual you focus on the things that are going to progress the company as a whole; initially, I was focussing on recruitment, but there were also so many systems in place that weren’t really conducive to our growth. Over this last quarter, we’ve really been trying to streamline the company, focussing on the online content and social media as a new tool for communication. It’s easy to fall into old habits, but it’s really important to adapt with the times.

Communication skills and a genuine interest in people seem to be at the heart of RedSeven, appealing to the general public and finding specific things that engage your target audience. How do you ensure that this is a

We’re trying to use technology in a more productive way, so we’ve scrapped all manual methods of working - ie paper and pen - and have moved on to ipads. My role in particular involves looking at how we can use technology in a more logical manner, so all the guys now have the tools to be able to track their progress, statistically. It means that there is concrete evidence and data to analyse which is far more useful to work from, instead of just going off instinct. We’re trying to encourage people to use apps and things on their phones - people don’t really use desktops anymore - and they’re often on-the-go, so this means that they have a portable means of tracking progress.

Tell us a bit about your recent trip to Hand & Flower as a reward for hitting your goal:

Things that will motivate me won’t motivate other people. One of my goals for Q1 was that I wanted to go to the Hand and Flower michelin star restaurant in Marlow, Surrey. I’d much rather reward myself with experiences rather than things. Memories last a lot longer than objects. We set a growth goal in the office which I hit, so my partner and I went to the restaurant over this weekend just gone! It’s the only pub in the UK with two michelin stars. The chef there is Tom Kerridge, and he’s there Mon-Fri and still very involved in the restaurant even as

company-wide ethos?

he’s become more and more successful, which is nice. It’s very intimate

Yes, social media is great and we advertise all the time on facebook

wine with each course. They gave us some appetizers as well so we

etc.; however, whilst this is a useful platform, people don’t really engage with this type of content. If you were to quiz someone on the adverts they’d scrolled across in the last hour, would they be able to tell you very much about them in depth? Probably not. It’s quite a surface level engagement.

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- maybe around 20 tables max - and we had a sommelier suggesting had some delicious whitebait which was seasoned to perfection with a marie-rose sauce. The food was great. My favourite was probably the scallops...if it was acceptable for me to have licked the plate, I probably would have done, they were that good!

I started off as a Brand Ambassador years ago, and even on a

out, you end up all thinking in the same way.

What is your work pattern like? How do you cope with the irregularity of the working day?

daily basis I would set myself little goals to ensure that my work

It peaks and troughs. Because we were opening a new office

ethic stayed consistently strong. I would hit a goal and then

last quarter, my routine went out the window and I definitely

go and have sushi after work for example, but it’s important

felt as though I wasn’t doing as much fitness as I’d like. Now

to choose things that motivate you personally. For me that is

we’ve put all the hard work in and thankfully it’s been quite

travel and food, so our next goal will be holiday-based. Either

a smooth transition, branching into two offices as opposed

a weekend away or a week in the sun. I’m doing a world-tour

to just one, I’m back to a routine. I’m now going to the gym

on food, so finding a location with a nice restaurant is what

first thing in the morning, and hitting gym classes at around

works for me. I’m so jealous of these food-critics, that would

6am which is great because it means that when I get home

be the dream...

for the evening, I can just chill. Saying that, you’ve got to kind

What are the benefits of branching out geographically and in terms of self-learning - with regards to being an Entrepreneur?

I think that you can learn things from different cultures; part of our wider group is based in Australia. One of James’s mentors is in Oz, so a few years ago I travelled to Sydney and Melbourne and you just sort of notice that they’ve got a different way of

of roll with it, the schedule won’t be the same day in day out, meetings can crop up out of the blue, but I’m not necessarily a creature of habit, so I’m quite enjoying this variety and fluidity in terms of my work schedule.

What are you looking forward to over the summer?

Mantra seems to have a very strong work hard play hard philosophy, do you think this is important?

living out there, it’s a bit more chilled out, they’re very much

Fran and I went to Lovebox in June which was a brilliant warm-

about health and looking after yourself. Some people think that

up for the Mantra Weekend. I always forget how much I love live

to do well in business you have to be hardcore and not sleep,

music, so that was great. In terms of the rest of the summer, I

but you do need to look after yourself! We’ve also learned from

haven’t booked any holidays yet, but as an organisation we are

branching out into Russia and opening new offices there.

planning on setting ourselves a goal and rewarding ourselves with a trip to the seaside with an old fashioned sports day. I

It’s good to refresh yourself and encourage a shift in

think it’ll be good for the guys to get out of Swindon as well -

perspective; even when I’ve just been down the road to

we are landlocked here - so a trip to the beach and some fresh

London, I’ve come back with a new sense of drive and lots

air will do us all good! Having things to look forward to make a

of new ideas. Being around new people sparks new ideas,

big difference.

whereas if you’re just mixing with the same people day in day

Competition Winners Padstow, Cornwall

Dave Hebblethwaite Fairview Advertising

Kevin Nash

1to1 Advertising

Kev, Dave and Felicity have been on a roll this year, hitting goals left, right and centre they will be continuing their travels and heading down

to Padstow in Cornwall for a luxury weekend away in September. They

Felicity Van Der Westhuizen Leela Promotions

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are planning on making a visit to one of Rick Stein’s restaurants to en-

joy a seafood dinner overlooking the ocean. Well done to all and keep up the fantastic work!

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CATEGORY INTERVIEWS

Moving Forward w/ Kev ‘Because we’ve known that we’re opening a new office, now’s the time to create culture’

Hi Kev, how is everything going? 1to1 have recently expanded into Barnstaple, how did this come about?

So Mark’s my Owner here, and we opened our satellite office in Barnstaple in April. It’s the first time that we’ve expanded like this, so it’s exciting to be in a different area. We’ve never worked in North Devon before so to be situated in a different part of the country is very exciting in that it’s a new area in which to recruit.

We recruit through Bristol and we had a candidate join the team here that was originally from North Devon, he ended up moving back to Barnstaple and establishing himself very well there in terms of Sales.

He was then looking to progress further and develop a team there, so we thought, why not? Let’s do things a little differently. We’re now recruiting out of the office in Barnstaple and continuing to build the

this expansion in place from our experience in Barnstaple, it will be easier to copy this onto further developments all over the UK. Also, these smaller areas are cheaper to manage, but still have a lot to offer so it’s a winning combination really.

How do you recruit new team members? What traits do

programme that we offer, so that’s not a problem, it’s more important that our recruits are excited about the work that they’ll be doing, willing to work hard and throw themselves in at the deep end. Attitude is the key to success, rather than experience. The things that we teach our recruits are transferable skills; we are working with lots of communication skills which will be useful in all areas of life, whatever

exciting stuff.

I think those communication skills are really key to this line of work.

It seems that at Mantra there is a real emphasis on branching out geographically. Do you think it’s important

lie in one’s ability to communicate and engage on a direct, human

difficult to get to. It seemed daft to miss out on exploring these smaller areas and discovering new pockets of talent there.

Looking forward, we’re also looking at possibly doing the same in Ayrs in Scotland by the end of this quarter. Once we have the formula for

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have taught them; they are starting to develop their own

months later, they are running their own sector within the

not necessarily looking for experience; we have a fantastic coaching

they go on to do.

means we haven’t tapped into the smaller locations that are more

that are now starting to pick up and implement the skills we

We’re looking for people that possess a willingness to learn. We’re

Our plan is for by the end of this quarter to have maybe ten guys or

Traditionally we’ve concentrated on larger towns or cities, which

leaders. We’ve had some great new people join the business

teams within the company which is really exciting. You have

great students over the summer and they’re really developing their

to keep expanding in this way?

We’ve really been focussing on developing some new core

you look for?

team.

so working over in Barnstaple and doubling our size so it’s all really

What have you been focusing on this quarter?

Particularly with 1to1 - as the name suggests - the success really does level. A lot of it is about breaking those comfort zones and I think if you can learn the skills and interact with people on a face-to-face basis,

individuals that come in for a meeting and then two or three company. Working to develop and nurture our individuals is something that we love to do and it’s extremely rewarding to

time and spend time away from the business. It’s important to relax. We had beautiful weather over the three days that we were there and we stayed just off the Promenade des Anglais by the seafront in Nice, sampling some of the delights of the South of France!

What advice would you give to someone starting out in the Marketing Industry? What do you love about it and what do you find difficult?

I joined the business 6 years ago, working as a Brand

be a part of that development.

Ambassador for the first 2 years and then joined the

How many people to you have working for 1to1 at the

this industry is the range of new people coming through.

moment?

Here in Bristol, we’ve got about 15 people. We’re really looking to get up to 25-30 people by the end of the summer. This is a busy time of year as far as recruitment is concerned, and as I said, we’ve had an influx of students who are wanting to work over their summer break.

You recently hit your goal and went on a trip to Nice? How was that?

Recruitment and Admin team back in 2013. What I love about The fact that I can make a phone call and arrange an initial appointment with an individual, and then within a few weeks develop their skill set and confidence so quickly, it’s really lovely to see. Within a couple of weeks, our new recruits are then coaching the next lot of people to come through and I find that really rewarding - seeing people’s progress. The team is continually evolving and growing which keeps it alive, and it’s really the new people coming through that keeps it fresh and exciting for me.

We work quite closely to goals within the business. Myself

This line of work really does feed a positive mental attitude in

and Mark, my Owner, we both like to travel. We decided to set

life, and has changed my perspective on things. You’ve just

Consumers are exposed to over 3,000 advertising messages every

ourselves a goal in terms of office growth for the last quarter,

got to enjoy what you are doing, and that’s really the answer

day! A more direct, person-to-person approach is required. That’s why

we hit the goal and rewarded ourselves with a weekend

to everything really, to coming to work every day and genuinely

1to1 Marketing exists. We get out there to homes, businesses, shopping

in the South of France sampling some good food and good

be excited to start your day. After 6 years, still being able to

centres and events; real people engaging directly with consumers -

wine! We work closely together and it’s good to build up team

say that is really important to me. If you love what you do, then

face to face. We call it ‘The Human Commercial’

relationships outside of the work place, to have some down

you’ll succeed and that really is at the heart of it all I think.

things become easier across the board..

Travel ‘It’s good to refresh yourself and encourage a shift in perspective (which in turn enforces) a new sense of drive and lots of new ideas.’

At Mantra we understand the importance of travel, both

for Business and for Pleasure. There is so much to learn from our peers across the globe, both in terms of the in-

frastructure of the business and regarding the success of a company in terms of its culture.

So...we ensure that travel makes up a substantial part of our our year. On a human level, the simple act of engag-

ing with new people, learning new communication skills and absorbing knowledge from the best-of-the-best encourages a fantastic level of self-development. On an

Entrepreneurial level, this self-development is hugely

important for the expansion of the company as a whole.

Communication and people-skills are at the core of our business, therefore we encourage and facilitate members of our team to travel as much as possible.

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Nice France

With mini-breaks and luxury weekends away a regular occurrence

each quarter due to Mantra holding frequent competitions, there has never been more of an incentive to work hard and smash your goals

over the summer. Kev and Mark at 1to1 Marketing recently hit their target and rewarded themselves with a long weekend in the French countryside. They headed out to Nice, where they relaxed in the sunshine and sampled the delicacies of the region (focussing particularly

on the cheese and vin rouge); a gorgeous dose of vitamin C and a welldeserved break from the office. - Congratulations guys!

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CATEGORY INTERVIEWS

Mark: Branching out in Barnstaple Nobody can hold you back except yourself”

Hi Mark, so 1to1 have recently expanded into Barnstaple, how did this come about? What is your involvement in getting this office off the ground?

Yes, that’s correct. So I was working for a bank in London and moved down to Devon. I saw the advert at 1to1 in Bristol and went to meet Mark Twitchin. We had a discussion and I loved the sound of the company and what they were doing; however, my only concern was that I didn’t want to move back to a city again. So I suggested maybe we could come to an arrangement where Mark sent me some maps on a daily basis, we’d meet in a cafe, talk through the areas that needed

it a shot?’. I’d already worked out some numbers and given him my break-even which I knew I could achieve in the first couple of days of each week, so there was no risk involved. And that was that, we gave it a whirl! Where I used to work, it would have taken 15 committees and endless meetings before anything was given the go-ahead, whereas with James, we sorted it out in 10 minutes and just went for it which was brilliant.

Congratulations! What an achievement. So when did you officially open?

How do you recruit new team members? What traits

out in the Marketing Industry? What do you love

up. From a sales point of view, we’re killing it. I’ve had a representative

Personally, I don’t think there should be any barriers in terms

What I love about it is the lack of red tape. Obviously there are

from Scotland ring me up and congratulate me on our Alzheimer’s

of age, experience, gender, race. I don’t really even look at the

boundaries from a regularity point of view and the charities

campaign...for a 3-man team, we’re doing really well, I’m really proud.

CV that much. For me, it’s about the communication skills and

and clients, but from a internal perspective you can go and talk

the engagement of the individual on the day. We hold open

to everyone. No-one hoards information. What I love about this

days to inform potential recruits of how the company works,

is that it’s extremely inclusive which is really refreshing. It’s all

and then from that interaction I might then ask a few people in

about building a network, building a team. If someone was to go

for 1to1 interviews. All I’m really looking for is people with great

into this industry the way that I’ve done it, from scratch, I would

customer service skills, the ability to chat! I’ve only been doing

say get yourself an admin from day one, and don't have any

this for 7 months, but what’s made me successful is the ability

preconceptions about anyone that you interview. I’m a slightly

to talk to people on a human level. To really engage with the

older chap let’s say, but I’m 25 at heart, and looking for that

public and win them over. I tell my guys, when you’re dealing

next challenge! You tend to see a lot of young people in this

with charities for example, most people already know what

industry, but give other people a go! You might be surprised

that’s about, you don’t need to repeat information, it’s more

at what they have to offer if you think outside the box. The

about them buying into you as the intermediary between the

other thing is the fact that nobody can hold you back except

charity and the public.

yourself! If you go into an office and you’re working harder than

approaching and I’d go off and do just that! We had our own little

So we opened at the tail end of April. I’ve since hired a part time admin,

system in place.

2 field reps, and we’re in the phase now where we’re building the office

So the impetus for the satellite office in Barnstaple was your reluctance to be drawn back to the hectic city, and instead tap into an undiscovered market elsewhere? How did you go from working out of a cafe, so establishing a proper office there?

It started off as a part time thing which was great for me because I could do the hours I wanted. It was very flexible so I could fit the rest of my life around it. And then as I got to understand it more and more, I knew I wanted to grow my own team, but I also knew that that I couldn’t do that in a cafe; however entrepreneurial I might think I am, it wasn't really practical to establish an office in a public cafe!

I then went on to speak to James Buckley who heads Mantra, and who had just opened a series of offices in Russia. I said to him, ‘Look, if I fund some cheap premises and I hire some people and we start to build an office in the more traditional sense, if I fund it all, can we give

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It seems that at Mantra there is a real emphasis on branching out geographically, do you think it’s important to keep expanding in this way?

We’ve really tapped into an undiscovered market in Barnstaple - it’s too far for a lot of people to commute to on a regular basis. Roddy in the Bristol office is originally from Ayrs in Scotland, and he’s looked at what I’ve down here in North Devon and has been inspired to do the same himself but up in Ayre. He’s going to open an office there, following on from the success of our satellite office in Barnstaple. Its another model for Mantra to work with. It’s really exciting to look at the map and start thinking outside the box in terms of geographical and entrepreneurial expansion.

do you look for?

What advice would you give to someone starting

about it and what do you find difficult?

the next person, you will reap the rewards directly and that’s not always how it works in a lot of businesses.

CATEGORY FESTIVALS

CATEGORY FESTIVALS

Festivals & Forward Thinking As we well and truly sink into summertime, spirits are soaring alongside the surprisingly sunny days we’ve been lucky enough to have enjoyed over the last quarter. With so many ways to spend your summer days, it can be slightly overwhelming choosing how to utilise your weekends off, so we’ve compiled a list of some of the best outdoor activities for you to engage in; mind, body & soul.

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Festivals are a fantastic way to let off steam and can pro-

and the community around you. First up we have Sham-

vide a welcome break from the hectic hubbub of the city,

bala Festival held over the last weekend of August in

but they don’t simply have to be a hedonistic expulsion

Northamptonshire.

of energy as you let loose amongst the greenery; in fact, there are many weekend retreats out there full of culture, talks, workshops and new ways to engage with learning,

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Shambala Festival Northhamptonshire 24 - 27 August 2017

Shambala happens right at the end of August and is a wonderful way to see out the summer, replenishing your levels of ‘play’ with a huge array of workshops, talks, music and games to get involved with. Here are just a few of the fantastic pieces programmed on the ‘Big Ideas’ stage: A DIY GUIDE TO GETTING PUBLISHED DAVID BRAMWELL ON MONEY, MAGIC AND MOUSTACHES BUILDING LAND-BASED ENTERPRISES AND COMMUNITY HUBS PINT OF SCIENCE PRESENTS: BIG DATA OR BIG STALKER JOHN BIRD: POVERTY TO PURPOSE Lots of food-for-thought to break up your weekend and get you thinking for the future; here at Mantra we operate a forward-thinking philosophy that ensures that we are constantly one step ahead of the game. Get involved and start exercising your autodidacticism outside of your working hours!

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WWW.SHAMBALAFESTIVAL.ORG

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Festival of Ideas / Festival of Cultrue Bristol

An ongoing festival with a fantastic programme of thought-provoking talks from some of the finest cultural figures of this time, Bristol Festival of Ideas is definitely one to keep on your radar. Running at just under 2 hours for the most part, these slots provide the perfect opportunity for a little dose of inspiration and motivation, a window of expansion for your mind, as you sit back, relax and indulge in the privilege of listening to some of the greats.

Sometimes, actively choosing to engage with an area of expertise or a subject matter that you wouldn’t normally seek out is a fantastic method of unlocking something new in you - whether this be in terms of self-development, motivation, or with regards to your sense of entrepreneurialism - and is a brilliant opportunity to expand your sense of perspective. It can be extremely easy to get locked into your ‘day-to-day’ routine, thereby getting caught up in the stresses of the ‘everyday’; however, choosing to escape your work bubble can be just the shift in perspective that you need to shake things up a bit.

Keep your sense of momentum, not simply in terms of numbers and figures, but through the active cultivation of your spirit as an Entrepreneur.

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River Stage Festival London

Over in the capital we have the River Stage Festival, a glorious mix of music, workshops and river-side revelry to keep you entertained over the long, summer evenings. If you find yourself having to pop to the big smoke for a meeting, why not combine business with pleasure and check out what this cultural hot-spot has to offer. Set yourself up on the Southbank this August whilst the River Stage presents the best of live music, outdoor cinema, theatre and dance for you to enjoy. With performances from Rambert and the National Theatre, this is a fantastic excuse to visit London and soak up the talent of the Thames.

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CATEGORY INTERVIEWS

New Challenges w/ Timur ‘I have learned a lot during my time here, learning about abilities and strengths that I never knew I had. All of this was possible thanks to the systematic training I was given, but mainly thanks to my great team.’

Timur joined Mantra back in 2015 after working as a project coordinator in handset retail over in Voronezh. He was eager to try something new, so travelled to Moscow for a week to stay with a friend for a week, ended up joining the VIO Organisation and things started to develop from there. He is now a core member of the Mantra organisation and has recently opened up his own office in Moscow - Congratulations!

Congratulations Timur! When did you open?

I opened in June 2017

Why Moscow?

Well I have chosen Moscow as it is a city that holds great potential and there are only 2 offices in the charity sector here at the moment . It is the biggest city and in order for me to build an organization I wanted to establish a strong base in the Capital.

What challenges have you faced, or has it been a smooth process?

It hasn’t been a particularly smooth process as we were building almost everything from scratch but this meant that it was exciting journey! At every stage of my career I have faced challenges that I have had to overcome. First it was Sales, which I didn’t immediately warm to, but after the initial period of difficulty, I started to observe others and learn

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from them; things quickly fell into place and I promoted my first leader in just 7 months. I have changed a lot over this period in terms of selfdevelopment and it’s important to learn not just from your success, but the challenges you face as well.

How has recruitment been?

It was initially quite a challenge recruiting new people from scratch, but much easier to retain people once they got to know team and understood the whole process.We tried many things but the a key part of our success regarding recruitment and promotions has been the HotDesk System that we copied from the UK.

What’s next for you?

Next, I am looking forward to promoting my AO and seeing how things develop from there.

CATEGORY DEVELOPMENT

CATEGORY DEVELOPMENT

Plug-in and Pick Up The Pace of Your Progress

W

ith such an irregular

maximise your learning wherever possible! Consumption

work schedule, and lots

of knowledge does not begin and end at the door to the

of time spent flitting

office by any means, so expand upon your methods of

between clients, travel-

self-development and soak up advice, words of inspiration

ling around the country

and advice from the best-of-the-best at every opportunity.

and spent in cars or on

With developments in technology and new apps for your

public

why

ipad or phone coming out by the day, tracking your prog-

not plug-in and make

ress has never been easier; you have a wealth of knowl-

transport,

the most of your commute? Put your ears to good use,

edge at your very fingertips, so use it.

sit back and enjoy some of the fantastic podcasts on of-

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fer to help spur you on in your journey to being the best

Of course, the internet is so vast that it can be slightly

Entrepreneur you can possibly be. The only person that

overwhelming knowing where to search for the best ar-

can hold you back or move you forwards is yourself, so

ticles / programmes / podcasts, so we’ve compiled a list of

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CATEGORY BOOKS, BLOGS & PODCASTS

CATEGORY BOOKS, BLOGS & PODCASTS

Books, Blogs & Podcasts Content Inc

Creativity Inc

Successful NLP For the Results You Want

The Definitive Book Of Body Language

Blogs

Sales & Marketing

01

Social Selling By: Tim Hughes

Podcasts Lifestyle

01

The Unconventional Life Show By: Jules Schroeder

02

Morning Rituals By: Brian Scudamore

02

03

The Art of Charm By: John Lee Dumas

This is Your Life By: Bryant / Illman

Keep learning, keep improving and keep moving forward.

A new, modernised formula for Entre-

Overcoming the Unseen Forces that

This book delves into the theory behind

This international best-seller delves into

preneurial success, Joe Pulizzi talks us

Stand in the Way of True Inspiration’, this

Neuro-linguistic programming as an al-

the body-language of success; with peo-

through marketing strategies and busi-

best-seller in an inspiring insight into the

ternative method of tuning into your self,

ple skills and communication at the heart

ness start-up plans to help pave the way

creative side of the industry. Help clear

your brain, and achieving your goals.

of this industry, reading other people

for the success stories of the future.

your path to achieving your maximum po-

Looking at fear of failure and human psy-

through their gestures and learning how

tential with this great little read.

chology as a method of cracking the key

to present your best-self has never been

to success, Lazarus guides us through

more important.

an alternative approach to achieving our dreams.

By: Joe Pullizzi

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By: Ed Catmull

By: Jeremy Lazarus

By: Allan Pease

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CATEGORY INTERVIEWS

Setting Down Roots in St. Petersburg We caught up with Radik, who, after successfully passing his manager’s exam back in April, went on to establish his own office in St. Petersburg…

Congratulations! Tell us a bit about your journey so far…

I actually joined the company by chance, but am so glad that I did!

I was invited for an observation day and it went really well, and so I decided to carry on. I also decided to stay because of the team; I was so impressed by the way in which all the guys were ready to help me in achieving my goals. Despite being the new one, I had maximum support in my work from everybody. Here I’ve learned how to successfully communicate with different types of people, how to cast

says: “Everything happens for a reason”. All of these challenges have made me stronger and in the end we found a brilliant office space right in the heart of Saint-Petersburg. I should say a big thank you to my administrator – Veronica - who supported me every step of the way, I couldn’t do it without her. And of course, special thanks to my great team for their patience and assiduity.

How has recruitment been?

myself in the industry, and how to break through my comfort-zone. I

Recruiting is great! We have conducted

had worked in different types of business before, but had never seen

observation days, bringing in 4-7 new stars every week. People are

such teamwork; it is this quality of cohesion that has motivated me to

very specific here, so initially we were trying to get on with them, to

continue working with this group in this sector.

get used to them for about a week...it was a rather clunky expansion.

Why St Petersburg? What is it about the culture of the city that you love?

There’s a good story behind it actually. I have a close friend, Alec,

a lot of interviews and

Now I think we have the formula down, and the team is growing very naturally.

What are you working on this quarter?

and we were working in the field together. We had always dreamed

This whole quarter we are going to be working on recruiting - we want

of moving to Saint-Petersburg and setting up one of the best offices

more people! The main goal is to fill up the teams with newbies and

in Russia, but Alex ended up leaving the company early. I decided

create the atmosphere of comradery. And of course, we will have

to make our dream come true anyway and now I’m sure that I made

raised our sales to 70/weekly by September.

the right decision! Saint-Petersburg is amazing and has proven to be a beautiful city with kind and sincere people, it’s like a separate

As we are currently only running one office, I see big opportunities for

country to Russia. I had already worked in Kazan and succeeded over

expansion in this division. I look forward to opening an additional office

in Moscow, so it would have been foolish not to jump on the chance to

by the end of this year, and from there the possibilities are endless!

open over in St-Petersburg.

There are lots of inspiring people around, such as my manager Aidar

What challenges have you faced, or has it been a smooth process?

Actually, the whole process wasn’t that easy. We almost signed the rent contract three times, but every time something went wrong, so we had to search for a new office over and over again. But as James Buckley

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for example; his assiduity and character have led him to opening four offices already, and I’m looking forward to following in his footsteps.

With tutors like James and Aidar, my success is guaranteed. Currently, there is no fundraising in Russia so my goal is to teach people how to do charity work in a professional way. This is the beginning of something really exciting, so watch this space...

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Email fran@mantramarketinggroup.com

Tel 0117 920 9291

Website www.mantramarketinggroup.com

M A NT RA M A RKET I NG G ROU P

Starting in 2000, Mantra Marketing is an inter-

ents and partners, Mantra Marketing provides

national group of direct sales and marketing

a professional sales solution to any business

companies.

wanting to increase their customer base.

Spreading throughout the UK, Spain and Rus-

Consumers are exposed to over 3,000 adver-

sia. Mantra provides bespoke sales solutions

tising messages every day! A more direct, per-

to some of the world’s most respected brands

son-to-person approach is required. That’s

including NGO’s, Telecommunications, Energy

why the Mantra Marketing Group exists. We

Providers & Financial Services sectors. With

engage directly with consumers - face to face.

over £30 million generated per year for our cli-

We call it ‘The Human Commercial’.

Email info@falconproductions.co.uk

Tel 0117 989 8213

Website www.falconproductions.co.uk

Social instagram: @falconproductions

FA LCO N P R O D U CT I O N S

twitter: @falconprofilm

Q2

CATEGORY OFFICE LIST

Our UK, Spanish and Russian office list. Please be sure to check out the websites accessible through the links provided. Also please be sure to visit our social media channels for future developments

Office List Mantra Marketing Group 2017

Mantra Marketing Group James Buckley / Francis Colam

Fairview Advertising David Hebblethwaite

www.mantramarketinggroup.com

Ipswich www.fairviewadvertising.co.uk

Leela Promotions Aparna Rakesh Plymouth www.leelapromotions.com

Dispatch Marketing Ike Daeche Plymouth website coming soon

Black Stag Promotions Steph Wiltshire Bristol website coming soon

Monument Promotions Matt Nicholson Swindon website coming soon

RedSeven Marketing Robert Cotterell Swindon www.redsevenmarketing.co.uk

1 to 1 Advertising Mark Twitchin Bristol www.1to1advertising.co.uk

Force Marketing Rebeca Perez Madrid www.force-sp.com

EMDI Marketing Nelson Pereira Reus www.emdimarketing.com

Z Marketing Aidar Zamaletdinov Moscow website coming soon

Vio Organisation Veronica Ovechkina Moscow www.vioorg.com

Yuppie Timur Konovalov Moscow www.yuppie.city

World Marketing Radik Kamalov St Petersburg website coming soon

1 to 1 Advertising #2 Mark Widnel Barnstaple website coming soon

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“I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list�