Hello, I'm Nick, the owner and Managing Director of Semantic.
Previously with IBM's New Media Lab, I worked with clients including American Express, Lever Brothers and Virgin Megastores, before leaving to become an independent consultant in 1997… and not long thereafter, Semantic was born.
For more about Semantic you may want to read our Blog.
Stuff I am proud of…
Here are some of the things I've done… what about you?
- owned and developed my business for for more than 11 years. Go me!
- directed TV ad for an International Airline in 1990.
- sailed across the Atlantic on a 30' yacht in 1992.
- shipwrecked in the Caribbean in 1993.
- hit by a hurricane in 1995.
- wrote speeches for the head of the IBM PC (EMEA) in 1996.
- married lovely and talented wildlife artist Wendy Warren in 1999.
- became a dad in 2000, and again in 2003 (brilliant).
- started mentoring other businesses in 2007.
Stuff I believe (or have had kicked into me)…
When I've felt like life was kicking me around, it's usually been because I wasn't listening. Here are some of the things I've learned… maybe you can avoid my bruises.
- I am what I do (no running away from that).
- Action always beats inaction in the long run, often sooner.
- Being brave always works out for me
(thanks to Stefan Sagmeister). - What I lack in talent or timing I can make up with hard work and luck ( I am a very lucky boy).
- I can't do it on my own (and if I could, I wouldn't want to).
- Fun beats money.
- Making stuff up (stories, pictures, Lego castles… anything) makes me feel good out of all proportion to the effort required to do it.
… and that most of the fun to be had in life is to do with finishing this list.
Who is Max Loaf?
A few years ago I wrote a picture book about a kid called Max Loaf, and now I am in the process of trying to draw it. (I'm fairly rubbish at drawing but I try not to let my lack of talent impede things that are fun or interesting… plus I've been very influenced by Hugh MacLeod's How to Be Creative manifesto. If you haven't read it… read it.
If you have very little of interest going on in your life at the moment you can download the Max Loaf Pitch, though I fear for you.
What's Next?
I'm now 39 and am vaguely surprised to find I've been running my own business for almost twelve years. Semantic is a fun company to be involved with. We build great web sites for theme parks, publishers, zoos, ad agencies, financial services businesses and others.
Call me for a chat on 02380 111 542 and find out why.
The Jump
Just over ten years ago I jumped off the cliff and started to work for myself. At the time lots of people I talked to about it said it was a dangerous thing to do. They loved me and they wanted to keep me safe. They said it was a long way down, and that I would drown, or fall onto the jagged rocks, or get eaten by the sharks. I was afraid.
But fortunately I was also young and self-important, so I jumped.
Only to find that actually, and there were no sharks… and the rocks were smaller than I'd feared. But there was an island. I swam there, and made base camp.
Since then life has gotten much easier, although there are still huge mountains and great dark caves we've never visited… sometimes when I think about them I get scared (I'm much older now).
But then I remember that first jump, and I wonder if there are beautiful lost cities at the top of those mountains, or piles of treasure hidden in those caves… and how I will never know unless I am prepared to jump again.
Note: Jumping off cliffs generally a pretty stupid idea… obviously… there really are rocks and sharks out there. But risk is a part of being alive. I jumped ten years ago… and I don't mind saying that to survive we've had to jump a couple of times since. Sometimes, to get what we want, you need to jump. But you know this already… right?
