I've just lost my right arm

At about 10:30am on Thursday 28th January 2016 - It felt like my right arm had been ripped from its socket.

I was updating apps on my Macbook Air and I wasn't concentrating. I clicked 'upgrade' on the new El Captain system upgrade. Then I agreed to the T&Cs and then I realised what i'd just done.

*Deep Breath*

Firstly, no, I hadn't backed up. The upgrade was an accident.

Secondly, I thought it'll be ok, the update is happening fast and there don't seem to be any problems.

Thirdly, Crap.

At 80% complete, the laptop (which is under a year old) frozen for about an hour before completely dying on me. There was no lights, no sounds, no nothing. I called Apple and we pushed buttons for 20 minutes. I then went to an Apple 3rd Party Supplier and they asked me to turn it on so they could run diagnostics - It took every ounce of my being not to scream "If i could turn it on, I wouldn't Fing be here". They offered to send it off and have a look but I decided to take it home and speak to App again.

Thanksfully, 99.9% of my work is on the cloud and apart from one client system I could access everything from my iPad. but I basically lost a days work because I was running around and on the phone all day.

This whole day got me thinking - I don't have a back up plan for digital disasters. Thankfully at 8:45pm there was a beep from my coffee table. The computer had magically restored itself and I could finally catch up properly on some work.

Do you have a digital back up? What would happen to your business if your computer just died?
Food for thought.

Much Love
Miss Make It Happen

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Forever Learning

I'm all for learning something new. I love learning about new topics, I watch the news to see whats happening and I love to tinker with things, to find out how they work. I would love to learn a new language but I just don't seem to have the cognitive ability. But I can re-wire the house and build a wall, thanks to an electrical engineering apprenticeship at Fords and my Grandad. 

I had a trip to Wales planned so imagine my excitement when my friend emailed me to say that we have tickets to The Hay Festival! Hay Festival is a festival of Literature and the Arts. It welcomes all ages and learning abilities and is a a wonderful place to be and learn new things. My friend, as a surprise, had booked us in to see a number of talks including;

Nina Stibbe & Gary Kemp

In 1982 Nina Stibbe, a 20-year-old from Leicester, moved to London to work as a nanny for a very particular family. It was a perfect match: Nina had no idea how to cook, look after children, or who the weirdos who called round were. And the family, busy discussing such arcane subjects as how to swear in German or the merits (or otherwise) of turkey mince, were delighted by her lack of skills. Love, Nina is the collection of letters she wrote home gloriously describing her ‘domestic’ life, the unpredictable house-guests and the cat everyone loved to hate. Nina talks to the Spandau Ballet star and actor Gary Kemp, author of I Know This Much.

Steve Jones

The author of The Serpent’s Promise, Almost Like A Whale, The Language of the Genes and In the Blood conducts an evolutionist’s exploration.

Emma Bridgewater

An interview with the iconic designer and manufacturer whose cheerfully distinctive kitchen pottery – manufactured and traditionally hand-decorated in the Staffordshire Potteries, just as it would have been 200 years ago – has found its way onto the dresser shelves and kitchen tables of homes all over Britain and beyond.

Sir John Gurdon - Nobel Prize Winner

Cloning Stem Cells: A modern medicine revolution

The Nobel Prize-winning developmental biologist was among the first to challenge the idea that a cell’s fate was irreversibly determined. His demonstration that the nuclei of differentiated cells could be ‘reprogrammed’ has ultimately led to successful cloning of mammals, and has provided the basis for much of modern stem cell research.

Paul Dolan

Most of us would like to be happier. Dolan defines this as experiencing more pleasure and/or purpose for longer. He describes how being happier means allocating attention more efficiently; towards those things that bring us pleasure and purpose and away from those that generate pain and pointlessness. Easier said than done, of course, and certainly easier said than thought about. But behavioural science tells us that most of what we do is not so much thought about; rather, it simply comes about. So by clever use of priming, defaults, commitments and social norms, you can become a whole lot happier without actually having to think very hard about it. You will be happier by design.

Steven Moffat talks to Alan Yentob

The screenwriter discusses his work. He is the co-creator with Mark Gatiss of Sherlock and the lead writer on Doctor Who. He’s been Executive Producer in the David Tennant and Matt Smith eras and wrote the fiftieth birthday episode The Day of the Doctor.

I left the festival with an aching body and a mind full of new information, questions and ideas. If you are available from now until Sunday I suggest attending the event. If you cant, I suggest putting it  in your diary for next year. 

I challenge you to learn something new this week.

Until next time,

Keep smiling

Dee

Miss Make It Happen

www.MissMakeItHappen.co.uk

*descriptions of the talks are from the hayfesival.com website. 

Who Made It Happen

As I mentioned in my last blog, this company wasn't totally my idea. It came about after friends who I made through business networking gave me the nudge. I say nudge, it was closer to a baseball bat to the head.

The idea came about in 2013 but in reality the journey started on 3rd October 2011. The day I joined 4Networking. I'd never attended any networking events in the past and online forums were completely alien to me. I set my fears aside, booked in to my local group, 4N Romford, and hoped for the best.

Never in all my life have I been welcomed so warmly by so many strangers. People who wanted to know about my business, offer help, support and guidance. I stepped out of the shadows of the business world and finally felt like I belonged. I wasn't alone any more. This First Stage I was known as 'Dionne Atkins of Phoenix Personnel Consultancy Ltd'. I had been in the recruitment industry for nearly 10 years at the time, and had started Phoenix in 2010.

Over the next couple of years I would grow my business and grow as a person with the support of the 4Networking family. I started to build solid business relationships and friendships with the members, directors and associated companies of 4N. This wasn't on a local scale, these relationships built all across the UK thanks to the business shows, social events and online forum. Not to mention the fact I could network at any of the 5000+ networking events spread all across the UK.

4Networking and the people I have met changed my life. I'm scared to start mentioning names in case i miss someone!

Back to the present day and I was inspired to start Miss Make It Happen. I wanted to give back to all those people that had helped me. MMIH is a problem solving, workload reducing, helping hand to all those busy business owners. We do the things that you don't want to do, can't do, and or just don't know how to do. If we cant help you we have a wealth of recommendations of other companies that can. All tried, tested and with glowing references.

If you need a boost in life or business then I would suggest joining 4Networking.Or you could just contact me!

I said I wasn't going to mention names but I do need to mention 3 authors and a Brownie maker...

Firstly - Brad Burton author of 'Life. Business.Just got easier'. EVERYONE should own this book. If you buy the book I personally recommend page 95... You'll see why ;) Also, check him out at http://bradburton.biz 

Secondly - Stefan Thomas of 'Business Networking For Dummies'. Everyone who wants to start networking or get the most out of networking should buy this book. You can find Stef at http://www.noredbraces.co.uk

Thirdly - Dougie Brimson - BRILLIANT author and screenwriter. 'The Crew' 'Top Dog' 'The Art of Fart' 'Billys Log' amongst a few, have kept me company on many a long train journey, late nights and alone time. BUY HIS BOOKS!  Dougie is not just an author he is also a Falklands veteran... You can read his story here... http://dougiebrimson.wordpress.com/2012/04/02/falklands-war/

Finally - The brownie makers that are 'The Chock Shop' - I once tweeted that I was feeling down. To be honest I was really low, and they sent me a free box of 6 mixed brownies to cheer me up! who doesn't like brownies? They are so beautifully presented they make a great present.

So that's it for another week. 

Remember you are not alone

Until next time, Much Love

Miss Make It Happen. 

www.missmakeithappen.co.uk
twitter: @MIH_Dee
FB: Facebook.com/MIHDee