Last week was definitely a week of two halves for me. The first part of the week was, in a word, ‘horrific’. Most of my pipeline appeared to be ‘playing up’, especially my big cases and by Wednesday afternoon I decided that I needed some time out away from the pressures of business. I decided to go and watch my son play football at his school. Within five minutes of my arrival I had been found by one of the Dads who wanted to talk about a potential £1.5 million bridge on three development sites; proof enough that this job is a 24/7 one and ‘there is no rest for the wicked.’ I’m away a week after next for a few days at Disneyland Paris; I wonder whether Mickey and Minnie require short term financing to fund an extension to ‘The Magic Kingdom?’

The back end of my working week was much more civilised and back to business as usual.  I do often think that our job is like solving one giant Rubik’s cube; at times you could happily launch it at the wall, but something inside (not the voices in my head) tells you to keep going and to work harder to try and solve things.

Last week we welcomed another Brightstar consultant when Brian Leppard joined us. I worked with Brian 18 years ago when we were both Mortgage Consultants starting out in our careers. A chance meeting in Brentwood Station’s ticket hall and four months later he is working for me. With Neale Duck joining us last month the business has got a definite ‘animal feel’ about it.

In a few weeks we launch our next edition of ‘The Brightstar Hub’, our digital edition company newsletter. The first edition came out in November ’11 and we have spent a bit more time on this one; thanks to the fine folks at The Blemain Group for your generous endorsement. On Friday we had a professional photographer in taking some corporate photos, some of which you will see shortly on the next edition of ‘The Brightstar Hub’ and our new website. The result will be that I won’t be able to hide behind my stock of photographs taken in 2006, pre credit crunch, or the photo that The AOBP have used for their latest literature with half a picture behind my head. With some airbrushing the result should hopefully look nothing like me and more like Kriss Akabusi!

Have a good week all; I’m sure like me you’ll be enjoying this balmy early spring sunshine from inside an office; never mind, it’s good for the daffodils!