Annelies James

Entrepreneur, Explorer, Filmmaker, Idea generator

A creative digital content company that brings data, brand personalisation and psychology together!

PEOPLE. I am a massive fan of giving back and helping people develop. I host a give-back business channel called Colleagues Getting Coffee which can be found here, www.colleaguesgettingcoffee.co.uk. I also collaborated to create a co-authored book around female entrepreneurs to support the Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship, commissioned by the Government. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B085CFG946/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=annelies+james&qid=1583157788&sr=8-2

We live in an increasingly technological world. It feels like the advancement of technology is progressing at such a rate that us, mere biological creatures, cannot keep up. Considering social media as an example; we developed a communication tool so powerful to connect the world, offer instant feedback and inform us, but little did we predict the weapon we had simultaneously created. A tool for the sharing and coordination of hatred, a device to create and spread fake news, a data collector for corruption, not to mention the destructive psychological impact the tool can incite from loneliness to jealousy and bullying. In a recent Vanity Fair edition (August 2018), the creator of the internet Berners-Lee documented his “pain” that his “creation” has been so “distorted”. How could something designed for such good morph into something so damaging? We live in strange times, on the cusp, at the edge. Our world is fast automating, becoming more digital, less emotional but simultaneously more hostile. At its centre is us. Humans. The flawed, sensitive creatures who are highly emotive and highly corruptible but also incredible in their making. The only creatures who are proven to experience full consciousness, can imagine their future and make complex decisions weighing up logic and love. Being human and the common ancestral trends and psychological, emotional motivators that still bind us, are something we should not forget especially now. It is this part of us that we should still speak to, even when encased in technology. The Power of Being Personal is the title of many of my talks, and this is both abstract and literal; being a person and being personal. It really all comes down to being emotive. There have been considerable studies into the emotional drivers that influence and inform our decision making, and from my perspective, the consequential buying process. Dr Herbert Simon, American Nobel Laureate scientist featured in Forbes, discusses the impact of external stimuli on our emotional bias and how this translates into actionable feelings. We act on two circles of influence; one inner and one outer. The subconscious (inner) moving and informing the conscious (outer). Simply put, we “feel” first. Then we “do”. Similarly, Mary Lamia, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and contributor to Psychology Today offers an interesting contribution as she talks about the power of our emotional evolution and our reaction to triggers which we simply cannot suppress. She comments that while “emotions are not particularly sophisticated or precise, their speed and utility make up for what they lack in sophistication and precision” (tapping into that speed of decision making by offering something that people connect with emotionally). Something slightly intangible, so much so that people don’t really “think” about why you, your brand, your products or services resonate with them, they just feel compelled to follow, like, comment, engage, interact and buy. According to Harvard professor Gerald Zaltman, a huge 95% of purchasing decisions are subconscious (inc.com). This research and opinion is just a drop in the ocean of what has been investigated but safe to say it is worth investing time and energy considering how personal you are in your business, and how you can capture people’s attention for more engagement, opportunities and revenue. But how do we keep it human? Start with your values. Values are the core drivers and motivators we all have. Values are part of your fabric, your make up, those things that motivate you to get out of bed in the morning, make a difference, spread optimism, change the world. Companies spend billions curating their own brand values and trying to instil these in their staff, or else to find talent who represent their specific values. The hardest part of defining your values comes down to self-awareness. How often do we look in the mirror and really reflect? How often do we have the time to consider and actualise our real motivators? (This unfortunately comes back to the technological world we live in, that seeks to constantly distract us). Another challenge to this process is conditioning. It is easier to follow the programming of society, aligning yourself to existing ideologies rather than spend resource defining the parameters of your own belief systems. The reason I believe this to be true is the bamboozled look I get from many clients when I ask them what drives them, what they are passionate about, what their values might be. So, an easier start for this is maybe what don’t you like, what do you stand against? If you stand against division, arrogance and corruption, maybe your values are collaboration, humility and integrity. No one can tell you what your values are. You need to find the time, without distraction to consider these. Read more... https://www.anneliesjames.uk/the-future-is-human/

Branding, Editing, Hosting, Marketing, MC, Personal Brand, Personal Development, Videography