Blog - Miranda Birch Media

Vision and values are good things. The stories behind them are even better.

Many companies list their values on their websites. That’s great. It gives me a benchmark to measure them by. But when I read these lists I want to know the stories behind the vision and values. Why do things like ‘quality’ and ‘integrity’ and ‘creativity’ matter to you? If you tell me why, I’m more… Read more

Get those clients – but get your thoughts together first. Pick My Brain.

We live in a world where, if you run your own business, you are expected to be out there. A website and LinkedIn profile are bare minimums. After that, there’s your blog/vlog/YouTube channel/Twitter feed… I could go on, but I won’t. For any of these things to work, you have to be clear in your… Read more

How does a city’s brand affect your business? The 2017 Great Debate.

Wherever you base your business – town or country – its reputation will rub off on you in some way. At the University of Brighton’s Great Debate, more than 200 businesses discussed whether the city’s brand of fun helps or hinders its economy. For better or worse, it’s down to the sea. I’m going to… Read more

Change your mind about micro-businesses. They must get more credit.

I like working with people who turn my thinking on its head. And when I heard about this for the first time, I felt like kicking myself. It was so obvious. The idea comes from Darren Fell, Entrepreneur-from-Birth and award-winning CEO of Crunch Accounting. (Centre.) It’s simple. Micro-businesses are small and they make an enormous… Read more

Call the doctor. Your business IS special – but you need a second opinion.

So, tell me again. How is your business better than all the rest? Why should I, as a picky client, choose you over anyone else? You’ve spent hours building your business. You probably think you’re the best person to work out, and explain, why it’s special. You’re well qualified to have an opinion on it…. Read more

When you stop short, I’ve done a good job.

I’m a hunter gatherer. I interview business owners about why they do what they do, finding angles from their story that show why they’re special in the eyes of their clients. I have a secret rule. When I’m interviewing clients, I challenge myself to make them stop talking. It sounds weird and it’s not a… Read more

Stuck for ideas? Get a move on!

It’s a cliché, isn’t it? All the best ideas come to you when you’re walking the dog or unloading the dishwasher or in the shower. Anywhere but where you’re meant to be – sitting in front of your computer, being eyeballed by Google. Why is it that when people leave their desks and take a… Read more

Do the stories you tell yourself set you back at work?

It’s not fair. However senior or successful you are, a version of that phrase has probably flitted through your mind at some point. How did you react to that feeling of being thwarted or overlooked? Perhaps it sapped your enthusiasm. Or, as Ishreen puts it, you might have had an “I’ll show them” moment and… Read more

When you stop speaking, how much will your audience remember?

Even in the age of cyber marketing, doing the occasional event – a presentation, speech, workshop – in front of an audience of real human beings, is a good way to promote you and your work. But it has to be worth all the effort – the thinking time, the rehearsal and the nerves. You… Read more

Be a knock-out success with your audience. (When being weak is a strength.)

Does anyone have a question? It’s a question speakers routinely ask at the end of any session. In my experience, it kills the conversation. An irony, because it’s designed to do the opposite. And I understand that. When I go to conferences, I never want to speak up first. It takes me back to the… Read more