Blog
Running a School: What I learned about business from travelling the world, Part 6: Brisbane
The warmest summer I ever spent was a winter in West End, Brisbane. Or so I wrote, paraphrasing Mark Twain for pretentious literary effect, on postcards back home. At the beginning of July 1993, as the days drew short, the sun didn’t rise so far and fires had begun to...
Running a School: What I learned about business from travelling the world, Part 5: Sydney
November 1992 saw me arrive in Sydney. I’d crossed the equator for the first time. Once again I pounded the pavements. The results were much the same as in New York. I had no experience working in restaurants or cafés, and because I wasn’t an attractive, young female,...
Running a School: What I learned about business from travelling the world, Part 4: Thailand
After the non-appearance of the A and R man at the Dog and Parrot and the decision not to swap one air-conditioned office for another, I saved as much money as I could from my temporary job as a data input clerk, a position also known at the time as a Man or Woman...
Running a School: What I learned about business from travelling the world, Part 3: M1, M18, A1
I ran out of money and had to curtail my trip to New York and the wider U.S. I had imagined following in the steps of my sister and going down to Mexico, then possibly into Guatemala, Honduras and further on. I didn’t make it. I still haven’t made it. Back in England,...
Running a School: What I learned about business from travelling the world, Part 2: New York, Carpe Diem
Sometimes opportunities just present themselves; sometimes we have to go and make them. Back in New York in July 1989, I had made an opportunity for myself simply by opening the Yellow Pages. However, not everything was as rosy as the impression I gave. During the...
Running a School: What I learned about business from travelling the world, Part 1: New York
In the summer of 1989, I travelled to the U.S. with BUNAC, a work and travel exchange programme that provided a working holiday, J-1 visa. There were lots of opportunities to go and work with kids on summer camps, but I didn’t fancy this. I rather fancied living and...
Running a School: How to be Idle, Part 2
The second in an occasional, irreverent series looking at the lesser-reported charms of school ownership. After struggling out of bed just before noon, you probably have a coffee. This is a good idea. Don’t even think about all those systems and history that have gone...
Running a School: How to be Idle
The first in an occasional, irreverent series looking at the lesser-reported charms of school ownership. There are lots of how-to guides, online gurus, coaches and people who claim to have a method for something. There are lots of people doing their own thing. Many of...
What I Learned About Business from Being in a Band, Part 6
We sat excitedly at a table in the Dog and Parrot on Clayton Street in Newcastle upon Tyne, a pub and live venue we’d debuted at some 10 months previously. We were waiting for the A and R man from London Records. This had come about as my guerrilla marketing skills...
Happy New Year
We hope 2020 will turn out to be a fantastic Year of the Rat for everybody; that you will all be scooting about hither and thither in prosperous endeavours. Here at Moran Towers, we’re feeling effects of lounging around doing pretty little for two weeks. From next...