Episode 209: The Forecast (Monocle)
Whenever we watch something that's quite different from what we are doing, it always sparks imagination and creativity. In today's episode, Fiona shares a quick tip on one of the ways she stays updated with global events and inspired. Tune in!
Topics discussed in this episode:
Introduction
Monocle
The Forecast by Monocle
Conclusion
Get in touch with My Daily Business Coach
Resources and Recommendations mentioned in this episode:
Hello and welcome to episode 209 of the My Daily Business Coach podcast. Today, it is a quick tip episode, and that's really where I share a tip tool or tactic that you can implement immediately in your business. Before we get stuck into that, I just want to remind you of two things. One group coaching is officially open for you to apply that will start in July of this year. So if you have been thinking about working with me or coming onto the group and really getting into detail about how to map out your business, whether you are just starting or whether you are years in, and you never kind of took the time to go through this, or perhaps your scaling or you're transitioning to a new phase and you need some help, you can find all the information at mydailybusinesscoach.com/groupcoaching. I also of course, wanted to acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians on the beautiful, beautiful land on which I am lucky enough to live and record this podcast and work and play. That is the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. And I pay my respects to their elders, past, present, and emerging, and acknowledge that sovereignty has never been ceeded.
I also just wanna do side note. My voice is still not a hundred percent, so hopefully you can still bear with it for this quick tip episode.
So, as I said, this is a quick tip episode. These come out every single Tuesday, if you're not already subscribed to make sure you hit the subscribe button wherever you listen to this podcast. So you can hear quick little tips, like this.
So today I wanted to talk about something that I've used for years now. I think, I don't know if it first began in 2015, I probably should have looked into that, but I have been buying these every single time they come out and I find it so full of inspiration and ideas and just news and world affairs and so many great things. So what am I talking about? I'm talking about the Forecast, which is a, I mean, really it's a magazine, but it's more like a book and it is created by Monocle. So Monocle, if you don't know them, they're a huge publisher, beautiful, beautiful, everything.
They do books, they do magazines, they'd have cafes. They have all sorts of like Monocle world stuff. And Monocle is, I should actually put, disclaimer, I haven’t written for Monocle. I haven’t been a writer for Monocle. I have actually never contributed to the Forecast. So there is no like bias here.
Anyway, the Forecast is a publication that Monocle puts out and I think they put it out once a year and it really covers, you know, what you should be aware of for the year coming. So they have the usual Monocle stuff, like the most beautiful places to be really interesting things that are happening and really it's divided into various sections. So there's kind of the observation, you know, really looking at like the brightest ideas and kind of the bravest moves happening. Then you've got a whole bunch of like current affairs, like what's happening where, and I think this is really good because sometimes there'll be things in there that are not covered by say where I am, Australian press or media.
I mean, a lot of stuff in the world is not covered. Let's be real. Media could have a huge change to make it a lot better, but affairs. So it's got the affairs section. So current affairs, then it's got like the business section and I love this. Obviously I'm in small business, but just looking at what people are doing out there in the world. And it could be in Japan, it could be in Dubai. It could be in Australia. It could be, you know, in Mexico, it's just this really great way of looking at like what is happening on a global scale. And it could be, you know, where people are taking charge and like places, cities, countries, people that communities that are kind of doing these incredible businesses. And then it could be looking at like different changes that are happening. It's just awesome.
Then it goes into culture, which is really looking at like, I don't know, even stuff like in the 2021, they had sort of like Squid games. I can't remember what that TV show was called. I actually never watched it. Maybe it's something I need to watch. Let me know if you think that is the case, you can DM me at my daily business coach, but it has this whole bit on like culture and what's happening where, and just stuff that we should be looking at from popular culture, sociology, like really a great perspective of lots of different things. And then of course, design, fashion, food, travel and all the things that Monica is so, so well known for, but the way that I have utilized this is often I've bought it while traveling, which is, it's such a good read.
If you are somebody who's lucky enough to be going on a long holiday or a trip, or, you know, just getting on a plane in general or just moving out of your city in general. Oh my goodness. It's such a luxury.
But if you were somebody like that, I used to always pick it up at the airport and there's so much in it that even if I was taking like a long plane ride, there would be enough to like, keep me satiated the whole trip, but also just looking at like trends or things that are just very different. And I think whenever we watch something that's quite different to what we are doing, it always sparks imagination. It always sparks creativity, even if you didn't think were that curious about it, and then you get into it and you're like, “Oh my goodness, that is so interesting.”
And so I love reading through it. I love looking at the writers perspectives. I love looking at what's happening over, you know, around the world. And I think for me, it has really helped. So since I started my business, because I predominantly work by myself and I am more than happy to do that. But previously, when I worked in my career, I always had teams that I was managing and teams of, you know, anywhere from like five or six people through to kind of 19 people. And so there was always like a buzz and different people saying different things. And even in like my last employed role, I had a, I looked after the content team and the creative team, the PR team, and then the digital team. So we would have these weekly meetings. And what I would get people to do is to come up with like creativity that they'd seen that week.
And so it could have been somebody sharing, like, I don't know a video that some major brand had done. That was really, really interesting. It could be somebody sharing, like some, you know, Italian publication that they've come across. That's really interesting. And so you were always having these kind of conversations and things like that. And you were, you were kind of getting to understand different perspectives and what was happening and what other people found interesting. And it was such a great way to connect as a team as well.
Now, obviously I do have my own little team shout out Yricka, and also Scott who edits this. And, you know, we have a graphic designer that we work with every so often, but I'm not in an office like chatting to people. And I think obviously now with the pandemic and so many people working from home, lots of people are not having that kind of correspondence anymore.
And so I'm not saying that the Forecast magazine can like, you know, take the place of actually having real conversations with people. But I think sometimes in small business, we don't, we don't sort of spend time on the researching and the filling our cup up with creative ideas and interesting concepts. We're so busy sometimes just working that we forget to do that. And I think the Forecast is a great publication that you can have on your shelf. You can flick through it. I've got all of them. And I often go back and just have a look at like stuff, even if it's way out of date, just have a look at it, cuz it's like, oh my gosh, that's a super cool, I don't know idea that was in that little, I don't know, Japanese skincare company that did it in 2015. Like there's always something interesting in there and something to get you thinking about the world, your place in it, your place that your business has in it.
And I just think it's an overall great tool to have, especially in creative, small business. So we'll link to the Forecast in our show notes. Again, we are not an affiliate. We don't get some sort of kickback if you pay for it or if you, you know, choose to, I don't know, pay for anything else for Monocle for that matter. But yeah, you can definitely check it out. I hope that it is still happening. I thinking that it will be happening. I bought the 2 22, I have not seen any news around 2023, but hopefully that one will be in the making as well, but that is it for today's quick tip episode. Just a tool from the Forecast by Monocle. If you have a great, you know, small business that you support with magazines and books and buying that stuff from them, maybe ask them if they can order it in for you in that way you're also supporting a small business owner or if you are, you know, like I said, going on a trip, check out the airport, bookshops, oh my God, I miss them so much. That is one of my favorite parts about actually traveling. Especially if you're alone traveling and getting into the airport bookshop. “Oh my God. I could be there for hours.”
My husband often jokes that I take. Like I take us to the airport so early. I am definitely one of those people that does not like to be late, but I also take us so early so we can have a good squeeze around the bookshops there because it is just a wealth of information, excitement and ideas. And that is something that I really, really missed about my book coming out in the middle of the pandemic. All I wanted to do was to see it in an airport bookshop. Maybe one day I will see that happen anyway, that is it.
For today's tip episode, you can find the full show notes, including a link to the Forecast over at mydailybusinesscoach.com/podcast/ep209. This is episode 209. Thanks so much for listening. I'll see you next time. Bye.
Thanks for listening to the, my daily business coach podcast. If you wanna get in touch, you can do that@mydailybusinesscoach.com or hit me up on Instagram at my daily business coach.
