Live & Linking with Ashley Leeds

A Visit from St. Nicholas

BY CLEMENT CLARKE MOORE

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds;
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer,
With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the housetop the coursers they flew
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too—
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.
His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

Do you like a bit of friendly competition in the marketplace? I do.

Having worked for Digita, the Tax Software company, I was used to coming up against the competition so it’s fitting that this week I’ll be interviewing one of my former competitors.

Every Wednesday at 12:30 pm Live on my LinkedIn page I talk to the wonderful people who help Accountants & Bookkeepers to get where they want to be. For just 15 minutes chat with a guest to find out more about what challenges our profession is facing and how they manage.

This is 64th show, and my guest is Phil Hobden, Head of Sales (Digital Products) from Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting UK.

Wolters Kluwer is doing great work in this space with its suite of tools to help our Accountants & Bookkeepers manage all the work, from Tax to accounts and workflows. I’m sure many other things too so I am looking forward to finding out more. Because Phil has been in this space since 2017 I am sure we have quite a few things to chat about too.

If you want to know more about Phil, he has a background of over 15 years in financial services & the Fintech accountancy sectors, He has worked for some of the largest and most innovative businesses in these industries, including Intuit, Natwest Banking Group, HSBC (as a consultant) and now Wolters Kluwer.

Phil is also a contributor for Elite Business Magazine online, a serial podcast host, judge for UK Business Tech awards 2021/22 & the Global Tech awards 2022 , a public speaker (having spoken at Elite Business Live x3, Accountex x3, QuickBooks Get Connected, Customer Engagement Transformation Conference and more) and guested on numerous industry podcasts (Accounting Influencers, Humanise The Numbers, Advance Track) and webinars including with industry bodies such as the ACCA.

Reach out to Phil on email [email protected]

www.wolterskluwer.com/en-gb/tax-and-accounting

https://www.linkedin.com/in/philhobden

https://twitter.com/phil_hobden

You can also call him on 07977 357974

You can view the full LinkedIn episode HERE

Connect with me on LinkedIn

If you want to get more from LinkedIn why not try my free week-long Challenge?

It's a free five-day program to introduce you to some of the daily habits that you need to create a routine to help you grow your business online.

Sign up HERE

Here’s Episode 28 of my podcast series taken from my LinkedIn Live Show Number 90.

Do you like Ice in your Gin? What is ​​your favourite cocktail?

I had a great chat with Giles Stagg from Sip ‘n’ Swig the people who provide corporate bars, wedding bars, event bars, cocktail classes, gin/rum tasting events, dinner party service and contract cellar and line cleaning services.

But he doesn’t just do this. He has also got a gin company.

Or should I say

Award-winning gin company.

Giles is a 51-year-old man who is married to Jodie and has two children named Dalton and Jaxon, as well as a dog named Bramble. They are a busy and often chaotic household as they work from home, as evidenced by the course he once took while holding a baby and with the dog jumping on the sofa with him. He enjoys playing hockey and squash, listening to music, and indulging in a nice glass of red, port, gin, rum, IPA, or cocktail, in moderation with a preference for quality over quantity.

Giles met Jodie six years ago while running a bar in Stratford upon Avon. They have been running Sip 'n' Swig for six years, and for the last two years, they have been doing it full-time.

They provide event bars of any kind but specialize in cocktails, having trained with the Savoy group at Simpson's in the Strand. Weddings, cocktail masterclasses, and party cocktail bars used to be their biggest draws, but they now do a lot of corporate event work as well.

In 2021, they launched their own gin brand called Stag, with two London drys, one of which (Stag Smooth) won a silver award at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in 2022, while the latest one (Stag Spiced) won a gold in 2023. They have won various awards over the past few years with their bar company. Since launching the gin brand, they have diversified into corporate gifting with gift boxes of their miniature bottles branded with clients' logos.

Giles’s Website https://sipnswig.co.uk

Giles’s Email [email protected]

Connect with Giles on LinkedIn http://linkedin.com/in/Giles-Stagg-sipnswig

Their Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/sipnswig

And Instagram http://www.instagram.com/sipnswigmobilebar

Giles’s Phone Number 07581015916

You can view the full LinkedIn episode HERE

Connect with Ashley on LinkedIn

My Website https://15mins.day/WHY

If you want to get more from LinkedIn why not try my free week-long Challenge?

It's a free five-day program to introduce you to some of the daily habits that you need to create a routine to help you grow your business online.

Sign up HERE

And my Monday Nudge will send you an email every Monday with 5 Ideas for creating content on LinkedIn. Sign up Here

Here’s Episode 26 of my podcast series taken from my LinkedIn Live Show Number 89.

How are you getting on with your content creation? Do you use your mobile phone for photos or videos or are you waiting until you get a ‘proper phone’?

My guest this week will make you think again when looking at posh cameras as she advocates the phone instead!!

Introducing the marvellous Becky Craven - Photography Teacher and Instagram Specialist

Never be stuck again for photos or videos to use on your favourite social media platform. Learn to use your smartphone for video and photos.

You might not know where to start with creating videos or maybe you need a new Linkedin Profile picture.

We explore social media platforms that work well for video and photography, we will discuss the use of SEO, keywords and sizing which will amplify your overall marketing offer.

You don’t have to be a professional photographer to take great photos let’s talk about creating content and using all 3 types of photography In business

Becky’s Website http://www.beckycraven.co.uk

Becky’s Email [email protected]

Connect with Becky on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/becky-craven-photographer100/

Becky’s Phone Number 07719319989

You can view the full LinkedIn episode HERE

Connect with Ashley on LinkedIn

My Website https://15mins.day/WHY

If you want to get more from LinkedIn why not try my free week-long Challenge?

It's a free five-day program to introduce you to some of the daily habits that you need to create a routine to help you grow your business online.

Sign up HERE

And my Monday Nudge will send you an email every Monday with 5 Ideas for creating content on LinkedIn. Sign up Here

Episode Title: Overcoming Adversity with Optimism: A Conversation with Richard McCann

Host: Ashley Leeds

Guest: Richard McCann, Motivational Speaker and Author

Episode Overview:

In this inspiring episode of our podcast, host Ashley Leeds sits down with the remarkable Richard McCann, a motivational speaker whose life story is a testament to the power of resilience and optimism. Richard shares his journey from experiencing profound loss and challenges, including the loss of his mother to the infamous serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, to becoming a successful keynote speaker, author, and coach who helps others navigate through adversity.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Richard's Early Life: The impact of losing his mother at a young age and the challenges he faced growing up.
• The Power of Forgiveness: Richard's journey to forgiving his mother's killer and how it transformed his outlook on life.
• Public Speaking and Overcoming Fear: How Richard transitioned from a fear of public speaking to delivering over 3,000 keynotes worldwide, including his strategies for engaging with international audiences.
• The Importance of Reframing: Richard and Ashley discuss the significance of reframing perspectives to overcome obstacles and maintain a positive mindset.
• Social Media's Impact on Youth: A candid conversation on the challenges today's youth face with social media and the importance of resilience.
• Looking Forward to 'a context': Richard shares his excitement about speaking at the upcoming 'a context' event and what attendees can expect from his keynote.
• Advice for Listeners: Practical tips on resilience, goal setting, and harnessing one's potential for personal and professional growth.

Name: Richard McCann

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.theicanacdemy.co.uk

LinkedIn: Richard McCann

Description: Times No 1 Bestselling author, award-winning motivational speaker, and snappiest keynote speaker in the UK 2024.

Don't miss out on the World's largest accounting and finance expo. Book your free ticket today at ⁠www.accountex.co.uk/london⁠

Want to meet 10,000+ accountancy & finance professionals? Contact Simon today to find out more information about booking a stand.

Email Simon Watkins ⁠[email protected]⁠

Simon' LinkedInTM️ ⁠HERE⁠

Accountex LinkedInTM️ Page ⁠HERE

You can view the full YouTube episode HERE

Connect with Ashley on LinkedIn

My Website ⁠https://just.15mins.day

Connect with the show The Live & Linking Hub

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On the first Monday of each month (second if it's a Bank Holiday) I open a Zoom to enable you to drop in and ask me anything about LinkedInTM️. I also Theme these sessions. BOOK HERE

My next workshop and other courses https://15mins.day/courses