Do Lectures 2010: Steve Edge

{Preface}

Steve Edge "stands out", I will say no more. Not only is he a great inspiration, but he is a true expression of something that is often missing in today's world - authenticity.



Source: http://www.thedolectures.co.uk/speakers/speakers-2010/steve-edge

Do Lectures 2010: Alice Holden

{Preface}
Alice Holden, the young innovative farmer, is forging new ideas of what it means to be on the land.

I really enjoyed Alice's can do attitude and determination to create something new, in an environment where doing new things is definitely not the norm. She is re-writing the rule book on how farming should be done and who should be doing it.



Source: http://www.thedolectures.co.uk/speakers/speakers-2010/alice-holden

Do Lectures 2010: Craig Mod

{Preface}
Craig Mod, a writer, designer, publisher and developer, constructed the case for the book artefact re-investing itself and providing purpose to the digital world.

I came away from Craig's book not only inspired to write my own book, but also encouraged that following the digital publishing path had longevity, so long as you printed a few copies as well.




Source: http://www.thedolectures.co.uk/speakers/speakers-2010/craig-mod

Do Lectures 2010: Maggie Doyne

{Preface}
Maggie Doyne, the 23 year old American who has created a new future for poor children in Nepal, shifted the focus of the weekend.

Coming away from Maggie Doyne's talk, I felt both inadequate and inspired. It was a truly strange and unusual feeling.

Source: http://www.thedolectures.co.uk/speakers/speakers-2010/maggie-doyne

PREFACE: Do Lectures 2010 - my blogging

My focus is to help high performing individuals, teams and organisations get that extra edge through more effective adoption of process and technology.

I joined the gathering of 160 people in a luxury camping resort in Wales at the Do Lectures 2010 to listen to talks over a four day weekend. My aim was to widen my knowledge base and learn a little more about the world beyond the borders of my current environment.

What I found was a wealth of experiences, not only in the lectures, but in the environment and in meeting loads of other "Doers", i.e. people like me.

I've shifting the focus momentarily of my blog to presents my views on what I took from the talks. The Do lectures are all about getting a handful of speakers together in one place, in the hope that they may inspire you to go Do something. To give you the tools and the desire to change the things you care about.

Please enjoy the talks as I did.

The scene was set, the crowd was seated, the clocks were stopped...

The scene was set, the crowd was seated, the clocks were stopped, the “purpose and perspective” shifting haze crept across the Welsh fields and beckoned at the tent doors.

David Hieatt and Andy Middleton stood before us, the crowd went quiet, the Do Lectures for 2010 had begun...

A week later the haze has lifted, clarity returns but there is something new and exciting - a shift in perspective and an evolved purpose.

When I think about life changing moments, I generally focus on aspects like finding my life partner, having children and learning GTD. I was completely taken by surprise by the perspective shifting and purpose altering experience that was the Do Lectures.

I heard about "Do" via a tweet by David Allen. I followed the link and read about the gathering of 100 people in a luxury camping resort in Wales to listen to talks over a four day weekend. I watched the previous year’s lectures on the web and decided I would go to widen my knowledge base and learn a little more about the world beyond the borders of my current environment.

What I found was a wealth of experiences, not only in the lectures, but in the environment and in meeting loads of other "Doers", i.e. people like me.

Then there was the "Maggie Effect", which truly shifted the focus of the weekend. Coming away from Maggie Doyne's talk, I felt both inadequate and inspired. It was a truly strange and unusual feeling.

Trying to summarise and pick the best part of the weekend is really hard, so I've provided a splattering of notes to help understand what transpired.

In terms of lectures: we had the sheer entertainment value of Steve Edge, Bill Drummond and also Darina Allen; we had the mind shifting ideas from Alex Haw, Mark Earls, Matt Webb, Jay Rogers, Craig Mod, Markus Brehler, Steve Glenn and Phil Parker; we had the sobering realities from Peter Segger, Alasdair Harris, David Spiegelhalter, David Lloyd-Owen, Paula Le Dieu and Gerd Leonhard; we had pure inspiration from James Lynch, David Allen, Ed Stafford, Daniel Seddiqui, Alice Holden, Euan Semple, Brian John and Tim Berners-Lee; and then there was Maggie Doyne.

In terms of the audience: I meet people from all over the globe. I met designers, architects, psychologists, teachers, programmers, doctors, entrepreneurs, farmers, chefs, consultants, military people, and many more.

In terms of the environment: we heard the talks, slept and socialised in ridged tents on the Welsh hill side; we wore wellies and beanies; we ate locally produced and prepared organic food; we queued for showers; we helped make our food; we learnt about growing vegetables, baking bread, wild swimming, and biomimicry; we drank locally produced beer in the private pub, we sang, we laughed, we even danced in a mobile disco bus. There were no walls - well apart from the shower/toilet block and the pub! No walls meant no agendas, no preconceptions and no prejudice; we were all as one.

Over the coming weeks, the folks at the Do Lectures will be making the lectures available online. I really encourage everyone to visit their site and enjoy the wealth of experiences provided with-in: http://www.dolectures.com/.