There is a lot to be said for a big bottle of water when it has been so hot and muggy at Wimbledon on my reporting travels. Refreshing yes, satisfying not so. Not when you can see scores of jugs of Pimms being consumed, when you pass the Champagne Bar and see flutes of bubbly beckoning, not when you watch a cold beer being poured and then drunk by the people you are talking to. I have abstained… so far. 

But in this year of horrific events, Wimbledon has reassured me that spirits (quite literally) are up and the All England Club is one of the best places to party.

On my third day on the beat there was a British theme. The British contingent of a truly international crowd are really taking to Johanna Konta – and the number 6 seed’s tag of “betting favourite” is not weighing too heavy on her shoulders. And you can always rely on Andy Murray to thrill. Henman Hill IS Murray Mound when he plays and I was there to see every twist and turn of a thriller against the flamboyant Italian Fabio Fognini. Murray came through not long before 9pm and after a getting a few post match reflections of relief from those who wrung their hands and perspired throughout, I joined the hordes heading to Wimbledon station in the knowledge the British could yet win both singles titles.

I’ve now done 52,000 steps on the way to, from and at Wimbledon so far. The weight loss is now at 4lbs overall. And on day 3 of my journey I talked to mums of babies Eleanor and Rocco – both 7 months old – on how they were keeping cool. The umbrellas they had were, for once at Wimbledon, not for the rain, they were sun shades. The babes were both fascinating by the Wimbledon Channel microphone I’ve been using – although I’ve still to record a gurgle. It’s my mission for today.

I watched another lady – clearly a big tennis fan – pivoting from one leg to the other for at least half an hour with a baby backpack arrangement under the big oak tree at the top of the hill.

She had got in the shade but was peering through the hedge, pergola  and hanging baskets to follow Heather Watson’s battle with Victoria Azarenka – herself a new mum. The baby eventually dropped off to sleep on her back, and she’d still seen all the action.

That is dedication to motherhood and tennis rolled into one. The sacrifices we make for the event we love.

Two days into my reporting stint at the Wimbledon channel radio and the most glorious first week of the championships in recent years has yielded results.

Jumping on the scales today my 38,000 steps in soaring, humid temperatures has resulted in a 3 pound loss in weight, or as I like to put it one and a half bags of sugar. This is officially now the Wimbledon diet – pints and pints of water and walking. I could make a million on this idea!

There are potential derailments along the way of course. I am kindly offered Pimms and premium champagne on a regular basis after I’ve done interviews. The interview on Wimbledon Radio is seen as a memorable event and the people feel they want to reward you. In that vein they will offer cocktail sausages and sandwiches from their picnic stash, along with tempting sandwiches. In truth the houmous dips with chopped carrots are the best way to go if you are peckish. However I have been a picture of restraint.

My highlight on Day 2’s reporting was an interview with the King of Interviewers Sir Michael Parkinson. He was kind enough to stop for a chat in the celebrity car park before he crossed the road and headed  to the Royal Box to see one of his favourite players Roger Federer on Centre Court. How nerve wracking do you think it is interviewing the best in the business? Even at 55 I was star-struck but just about kept it together for an illuminating discussion on the greatest players he has interviewed and watched.

I also bumped into the sprightly 75 year old former British number one Roger Taylor who I grew up watching at Wimbledon in the late 60s and early 70. He was then our best chance of a champion. Taylor made 3 semi-finals – never the final. He too was a charmer!

On to my day 3 and only 28 degrees should guarantee another bag of sugar is shed.

The last Digital Awards ceremony of the year in Cambridgeshire last week again tested our understanding of what works online . We are always searching for that secret ingredient which will see our website, video or blog stand out. As host of the digital awards for a fourth year and as chair of the judges panel, I have seen standards rise, and the Cambridgeshire set inspired me.

I interviewed Tom from Cambridge Saxophone who won the online business gold and has clients in every continent including Antarctica. Online teaching is an area trainers and lecturers like myself can embrace further. What Tom does, is embraces his passion for the saxophone and it draws in a new audience.

There was the BAO Agency who took two golds for their creative flair with websites. For them simplicity was key, clean lines, do not overload on copy, quality photography and straightforward navigation. Rocket science NOT required!
We have seen an explosion in popularity for video and blogging is now the norm. Accountancy firm Aston Shaw had a brilliant offer which is responsive to smartphones and they emerged with two gold plaques.  A sometimes dry subject comes alive thanks to their digital agency partners and their vibrant collaboration.
As we bring another Digital Awards season to a close and work towards the Champion of Champions event in London in February, look for the gold winners in the mix. You will learn so much if you search www.thedigitalawards.co and check out the gold winners from our 6 counties to see some common sense digital savvy.

I am working for much of my time these days with young students aged between 17 and 21 at university and college. And there is a new word on the street for students and staff alike: Employability. The ability to become employed beyond your 2:1 or college diploma. University or college is a great education in growing up, learning to look after yourself, becoming self-sufficient, growing your confidence and the like. But studying is about getting employed – that’s what it’s all about at the end of the day. Earning money in a job that is fulfilling, enjoyable and gives you variety.

And when you go for that interview there are a few things that will mark you down as worthy of a second interview or a job offer, and most of it is around communication.

How you greet your interview panel, whether you smile, have you got a story to tell, do you volunteer information or do you have to be asked?? The way you walk, the way you dress, politeness – do you make a good first impression because if you do, you have earned the right to be heard.

All these elements of great communication are taught in Capricorn Media’s workshops and we do great discounts for colleges and universities for our 2-hour sessions. Often we will film you in action and show you how others see you.  Mistakes should be made with us, not when it matters and not when it can be so costly.

Train to become employable. Invest in your students so they can say what a great place your college or university was to learn and how you prepared them for the workplace.

Contact Robin now on 07966 256724 to find out about our £250 workshops for up to 20 people.

Business leadership skills are brought into sharp focus every week in football management. Already we have lost one Premier League boss and the fact that Swansea sacked Francesco Guidolin wasn’t just down to results. It is demeanour, image and presentation that fans and players alike respond to. Guidolin just did not cut it in that department, although there were signs his team was improving amid a horrid fixture list and a clutch of injuries.

A good way of thinking about leadership is: “Who would I like to play for?”. While Jose Mourinho used to be someone I liked because he was always winning and very often smiling and wooing the media, he’s changed into a sulky, brooding type – tactically brilliant perhaps, but with something missing. By contrast, Jurgen Klopp has that x-factor which draws in his audience. Much of that is because of the cameraderie he has with his Liverpool players and fans but it is largely because of his interviews which are a study in great communication. He is thoughtful but playful too, entertaining and very watchable. I would like to play for Klopp!

Some managers could learn from the German. Mark Hughes at Stoke is sullen, David Moyes at Sunderland never looks comfortable on camera.

Sacking rumours surrounded Antonio Conte at Chelsea before his team’s weekend whopping of champions Leicester. He laughed off those questions of pressure giving the impression that he was comfortable with his relationship with Roman Abramovic but also comfortable in his own skin. Confidence in his own ability oozed from his reaction to those questions and he met the challenge head on.

Managers like Sean Dyche at Burnley and Bournemouth’s Eddie Howe get it right in the public gaze. They are honest, show integrity and play the club ambassador well. I would happily play my heart out for them and Conte too.

For all the criticism around Arsene Wenger, the Frenchman is dignified in the public arena and never ducks a question in media conferences. Mauricio Pochettino is another who has now mastered the English language and exudes an air of authority.

So which managers do you like? More importantly why do you like them? Analyse what impresses you about a football manager and you will learn the skills YOU need as a leader. In a nutshell, who would inspire you to play your best.

Contrary to what my mum and my teachers used to say to me all the time – watching football is not a waste of time – it is an education for one of the key business skills of leadership.

So my advice is: look into radio… not radio in the way we listen to Radio 4, Radio 2, TalkSport, LBC, your station of choice. But audio podcasts are a massive growth area for business and it’s a great way of getting your message out there.

Accountants can talk about the latest pension rules, the latest budget for instance.

Lawyers can talk about a specific, topical case which highlights a reason you should use some legal help.

Banks could promote their latest offers, supermarkets could advise shoppers about a new club card scheme’s added benefits –  and so it goes on.

Being a trainer myself there is a lot of free advice I give in these blogs to help people.

Rather than a long, drawn out statement about what you do and how, I would advocate an interview set up, or a discussion between two or three people. Proper debates of the kind you hear on Thisismoney.co.uk. They will be highly effective and shouldn’t be longer than 15 minutes ideally, so they need to be specific on one or two topics and topical.

Recording these podcasts is easy… an iPhone or most smartphones have this facility. A quiet office can host a discussion with no background noise to distract. It’s easy for these to be embedded on your website or attached to a social media account.

You can listen to 2 interviews I have done to promote my media training through playsmart.co – an organisation giving benefits to footballers. I talk here to ex England and West Ham player Dean Ashton and Huw Jennings – the former Southampton Academy Director – who brought through talents like Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott and Adam Lallana. This is the link which will give you ideas on how it might work for you: http://www.playsmart.co/media-training.html

Having hosted the Hertfordshire Digital Awards last Thursday it was again interesting to see which websites took the judges’ eyes.

Among the 9 website categories we saw again a hike in standards from Herts’ inaugural year, but the visual impact was key for the gold winners, just as much as content and effectiveness.

Quality photography proved virtually important. Judges seemed to like the minimalistic approach, avoiding those big blocks of text, so often overwritten and unnecessary.

Clear navigation routes were vital so a search was pleasurable rather than frustrating.

And these websites nowadays are all responsive. The majority of them will have been viewed on a mobile first and foremost. And if the websites don’t work for smartphones they’ll rarely register.

So 3 tips for your website – get a good photographer to help you; get a good website designer to make navigation of your site a joy; and make sure they create a responsive site that can be viewed via smartphone.

The next Digital Awards take place in Milton Keynes next month.

But the M part of my SIMPLE First Impressions training stands for Media. It embeds the idea in my clients that watching TV is a great way of seeing what works…. and what doesn’t work when people are speaking publicly.

Remember how frustrated you get when the politician on the TV refuses to answer a direct question. You never get the truth. Recognising who communicates well – and badly – on TV and radio is key to understanding how YOU can make an impact in your own way.

You may have a 60 second presentation to make at a networking meeting. It may be an important speech on behalf of your company. It could be a presentation or a pitch for business. Or perhaps just a briefing of your department staff or sub-team.

Watching TV shows you how these things can be done effectively. Copy the techniques of those TV personalities you admire. You will then understand how to explain and communicate clearly to give your audience what they want. It will teach you to emphasise key phrases, not to rush, and to use a topical, relevant story about yourself to resonate with the people watching.

What you learn most of all from watching TV is how your opinion of people is shaped by that first impression of them. What they wear, whether they smile or not, how they stand or sit, what they wear, how they have their hair.

Watching TV should not be seen as the act of a couch potato. If you are willing to learn, you  will get all the ingredients you need to be a dynamic, passionate communicator.