Thom Baker Consultancy

29/11/2025

//What if...?

Here's the second post in my new series centred around my favourite question - What if...? aiming to provoke thought and conversation.

As always there are a couple of rules:

-- if you don't like the question, ask something similar in the comments
-- be kind, lift people up - we're going for "yes, and" rather than "no, because"

So here's the question:

❓What if future generations were a shareholder of your company, how would it change how you approach your business?

17/12/2024

On Friday I talked at on the theme of "Cycle".

It was a theme I struggled to find a concrete thread to talk about so I was perhaps a bit under prepared but, we got a good discussion going so - credit to those who attended for helping me out!

The crux of my talk was, that the world we have built runs counter to the natural cycles we, as animals, evolved in.
We live in an extractive world. Whether that's resources, time or energy. That cycle creates a downward spiral. Sustainability flattens that spiral. But what if we could create a cycle that regenerates. Not just the planet but ourselves as well

Pre industrial revolution we would get up at dawn and gone to bed at dusk. Longer working hours in summer and shorter in winter.

Someone raised the point where we all have different patterns/strengths. Some are better at late nights, or early mornings etc.

We discussed how community - and a sense of connectedness can help us feel regenerated. And how alternative economies (sharing economies for example) can feed into that.

We talked about my alternative to People/Planet/Profit, which in my opinion is too disconnected:

Provide: the means to live
Solve: a problem
Perpetuate: those activities

Means to live can mean social/environmental/financial - it covers People and Planet.
We solve problems to give purpose.
Ability to perpetuate means it has to be at least sustainable, ideally regenerative - this encompasses Profit without a disconnect

This is where the quote comes in - one of the attendees talked about a client who said - "We're here to make a living, not a killing". This has stuck with me

The big question though - how do we change the system?

For me though - it starts with noticing. Whether it's your own rhythms, or how the world works. Noticing helps you recognise where there is the opportunity to make small changes to be in tune with your own cycles.

I set the challenge to "drift with purpose" to begin noticing. Take a walk, but follow a theme. It could be a colour, or smells, or places of community. Take notes, draw pictures, and reflect on what you notice. Why don't you give it a go!

10/12/2024

Join us THIS Friday 13th December from 09.30am Derby Museums Museum and Art Gallery for our final CreativeMornings/Derby of 2024.

I will be helping see out the year with my thoughts on our global theme of Cycle!

Sign up now for free 🎄

21/11/2024

Well, folk are ringing the death knells for Jaguar.

As is commonplace now with a logo launch - the commentary is quick to decry the new, lament the loss of the old and generally whine about the state of things.

This is no exception - with the added, wet flannel, hand wringing, non-argument of "wokeness" thrown in for good measure.

It's funny though, because so many people are suddenly, passionately, talking about a brand that has largely been neglected and unloved for some time.

Yes. There are issues with what has so far been presented. People I highly respect are right in pointing out the trashing of the Jaguar heritage and prestige - but aside from the Leaping Jaguar - was anyone really enthralled with the logo? Is the new one really any more lacklustre?

And when you think of Jaguar - it's all about the car. Stick an E-Type Jag in those visuals and it would fit right in. But that is where it gets tricky. Jaguar are venturing into new technology. They want to be seen as bold and futuristic.

Like every car manufacturer doing the same.

And while everyone is attempting to create futuristic visions - perhaps sticking with their heritage might have been the stronger play. Nobody is successfully transferring the prestige and heritage from their infernal* combustion engine past to their electric offering.

The speculation and analysis could go on. And probably will. I'll leave mine there.

To conclude my two-penn'orth - Jaguar has served a bold statement of intent - and one that was much needed. What comes next? As always - we need to see more of what comes before passing judgement - for me - the success will rest on the one thing.

I reserve judgement until I see a car.

*spelling intentional

07/11/2024

It's great to be part of .work expert directory.

Coming back to this after so long means getting found - and by the *right* people is super important. The WIP fits perfectly with that current goal - connect with like minded people.

To quote them they "empower small business founders and purpose-driven entrepreneurs to tap into their potential and build successful businesses that are a force for good. Because real change won’t come from big corporations or those in power. It will come from small business founders like you. But, you can’t do it alone, you need collaboration, the knowledge of industry experts and an inspiring community of like-minded people to support you along the way."

That's fits nicely with my aim - to empower businesses that want to work for a greener, brighter (let's throw in fairer, more equal, tolerant, and inclusive after the results of yesterday) future by helping them lever the power of their brand.

Hit me up, in the links in the in the bio or in the comments below if you'd like to get to know each other.

29/10/2024

Yesterday I had the pleasure of chatting to the wonderful .norman 🇨🇦 - we covered everything from life, business, sustainability and, thanks to my daughter dropping in on the call - the air dry clay models we've made as a family 😂

The big takeaway, the superpower we discovered – what if?

A large part of what I *do* is talking about the "what if's" and encourage people to imagine the sort of future they want – for their organisation, and also the wider impact they want to have.

"What if" is the gateway to thinking about problems in a new way. Sometimes a single "what if" sparks 2 or 3 ideas that can take a company to new heights or different directions that set them apart and help them achieve greater, or even new kinds, of success.

I've seen a simple "what if" I've given to a company become more (with potential for even greater things!).

⚡Daniel Kahneman, author of "Thinking, Fast and Slow" talks about Nassim Taleb's notion of a "narrative fallacy" – how flawed memories of the past shape our views and ability to imagine the future. Having someone come in and challenge those narrative fallacies with a "what if" can help decision makers break through those limits. It's how we can unlock new ideas, brand strategies, futures.

"What if" is my superpower.

03/10/2024

You're now wondering what does "on the fediverse" mean. That's understandable. Simply put - it means content published here is now plugged into the next version of the social web. Let's go through it in a bit more detail.

You’re now wondering what does “on the fediverse” mean. That’s understandable. Simply put – it means content published here is now plugged into the next version of the…

30/09/2024

"Remember my mantra: distinct... Or extinct." - Tom Peters, Author

I'm a big fan of Tom Peters' work - "In Search of Excellence" remains one of my favourite books on business, and despite being 33 years old I think it still holds a lot of insight for business today. It's also a joy to read unlike some other books on similar topics!

When it comes to "distinct... Or extinct" - we often talk about difference and distinction when we're looking at branding. Strategists will argue the nuances but, I would tend to go with the following meanings:

Distinct: noticeable differences - for example popular colour psychology would have you believe blue is the best colour for a bank's visual identity, a pink visual identity would be visually distinctive.

Different: unrecognisable differences - these are differences that break molds, or are known as "disruptive brands" that flip business models upside down.

It might be a case of choosing between different or distinct for your brand - or it could be a case of going for both.

Powerful questions you can ask yourself are:

❓How can we be more distinct?

❓How can we be more different?

Once you have an answer - go even further with it.

17/09/2024

"Your culture is your brand" - Tony Hsieh, former CEO of Zappos

Brand permeates every fibre of your company. Every interaction imbues meaning and an association with your company. Who are your number one customers? Your employees!

If you're a solar installer - do all your staff have panels installed?

If you operate in eco- tourism, do you have an unbeatable holiday allowance?

If you retrofit building to make them energy efficient, do you have a reward program that upgrades your employees homes?

Your employees should live the brand, and by giving them real benefits from what you do, they become your brand ambassadors.

Fill your company with the culture that communicates what you want your company to be known for.

11/09/2024

⚡There's a few changes coming over the next few weeks - one of them is I'm bringing back the ongoing Q&A!

If you have any brand questions just submit them over on my website and I'll answer them through the Ask Thom mailing list. By sharing the answers within the list the hopefully the wider community can learn more about how to get the most out of their brand.

If you know someone who has branding questions, tag them in the comments below!