Chris Payne
Email: chris@brand-doctors.com
A bit about me
A Sociologist and social psycholgist, working as a Qualitative researcher. I have worked on lots of famous brands, commercial and ethical. I have traveled too. I still love much of what I do – talking to ‘consumers’, ethnography (actually immersing myself within sub cultures etc), analysing and helping to move things on. My job allows me to get close to ‘why people do stuff’.
The great bit is witnessing and supporting the triumph of ideas and belief over shortsightedness. Supporting uncommon sense if you like.
I am also training to be a chef as well I’ve been working double shifts in a restaurant to get experience as a commie chef – and loved it despite its grueling and adrenalin roller coaster nature. It fuels my belief in focused commitment and it tells me it can be done. I expect to see it too in some of the folk who attended the event. I was not disappointed.
Anecdotally and possibly idiosyncratically, when I saw Elizabeth David’s ‘Yeast Cookery’ mentioned in Howies copy I knew it was a metaphor for Howies values. What Elizabeth David strove for was worthy of great admiration. Her book, big and impossible to skim is brilliantly and pedantically worked on – now you know why Howies products are valued.
My thoughts on the weekend
'Nothing means anything unless you are prepared to do something about it.'
This event was not vanity publishing. We all turned up and joined in. It was full of really interesting people living lives with so much fluidity and so inspiring by example. The fact that most had multiple lives was in itself great - and somehow I felt the 32 chosen were of the same tribe.
The 32. Howies had more than 200 'applicants' for 40 places in tents and teepees. They selected less and felt they had the right ones. We felt so too I think.
Sentimentally this event is unrepeatabale. I genuinely felt proud to be chosen.
The speakers - spoke with warmth and a desire to pass it on. Styles of delivery ranged from Dickie Attenborough, David Bellamy to Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld with a few footballers thown in. All the while David, Claire, Ade, 'Anja and the angels' watched, worked and organised. We were filmed, fed, fete'd sometimes and finally fotographed.....the most important thing in life is turning up, Howies did and I'd like to do it again. (The week before I'd been at the Market Research Society Conference in Brighton....next year if you want a tip - write to Howies and get inspired in West Wales).
Postscript
When I first arrived I went in search of coffe. A really nice woman helped me find a coffee, she was washing up and prep'ing some stuff - it was Claire. Humility is not caring less for yourself but valuing others equally.
Bloom and grow Howies.
Next listener: David Campbell