Digital Hub

Imran Anwar and I sat down we talked and laughed about his journey; Imran is a Pakistani Muslim who grew up in the northeast of England in the 80’s. His family already had roots there from his grandfather’s time spent in England during the war, albeit an Asian community was non-existent at that time.
 
Imran’s working-class family worked hard, and opened the traditional corner shop, which instilled the foundations for Imran’s business acumen that he fell back on after his dream of becoming an RAF pilot fell short after a rugby injury while representing the northeast of England while at school.
Imran shared with us how he fell into design, how he came up with an innovative idea that would save the rail sector millions on product development and Alt Labs was born in 2017.
 
Alt Labs is now 10+ team and growing as a Digital Product Studio, serving tier one clientele and picking up awards along the way, however Alt Labs success was not enough to keep Imran occupied as his love for cars and vans was always there & Haus of Vans was born in 2019. Haus of vans is a business that designs & makes bespoke custom vans, Haus of Vans kicked off its journey just as Covid had about hit us, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect as staycations became the norm. Haus of vans is now a team of 3 full-time employees and have designed and to date have successfully built 26 custom bespoke premium vans.
 
These days Imran spends his time split between the two-businesses trying to keep his growing roster of clients happy, it’s a good thing there newly acquired premises is home to both businesses, not leaving as much time as he would like to spend with his wife and kids.
 
This is a great story of true grit determination and focus, and in typical Digital Hub fashion we have a laugh and a joke along the way.

Sit back and enjoy, as we keep trying to inspire listeners and viewers young & old from all ethnic backgrounds with each episode.
 
Thank you to all Digital Hub listeners and viewers for your continued support to Digital Hub.

Ian Benjamin

This an episode that really lifted me, the Digital Hub podcast has always been about Inspiration, and this episode certainly does that, it’s packed with Inspirational Energy & fun from the outset!

My guests Rejoice and Wilhemina both are up & coming Digital Marketing experts who have developed a passion for everything digital.

These two young experts niched their passion for digital marketing into the world of search engine optimization otherwise known as SEO. 

To the listeners & viewers who aren’t familiar with SEO it is a skilled technical science.  the objective of SEO is to achieve high ranking, visibility on Google or websites, essentially driving more traffic to a website. To create the right processes, keywords, content images links, knowing when to use innovative tools to increase the visibility from a Google search is no easy task. 

If focusing on upskilling in SEO their chosen areas of Digital Marketing wasn’t enough, they launched B _Digital their own networking group a couple of years ago to help likeminded young black & ethnic digital enthusiasts as a network to help develop their skills, share ideas advice and more and have seen B-Digital grow & grow across the Discord Platform.

In the is episode we discuss their journeys to date & understand more about B-Digital and as always, we have a lot of fun and laughs along the way. 

What this current landscape of BLM and George Floyd has produced is a new wave of unapologetically black thought espoused now by the proverbial water cooler a much as in the boardroom.  CNN refers to Siddum’s definition of Unapologetically Black as not expending energy on what white people think,’ .He expands in his essay it’s “A journey towards freedom and rapture, but a painful journey nonetheless.”

We are not surprised how this sentiment would raise an eyebrow and a sense of concern about how this lands in the workplace. How does that fit in the discourse around equality and diversity in the workplace where the priority is harmony? Is the unapologetic space aligned with a truly inclusive environment?  Leading some of these conversations during this potentially paradigm-shifting space has revealed a revived appetite for race based inclusion efforts that work, as well as a disdain and a fear of others being excluded. In private people tell me that they feel that things have “gone the other way”.  If that’s what some are saying directly to a Black practitioner, you can imagine what the hidden unspoken thoughts are.

In referencing the late Toni Morrison’s writing, the guardian writes – that her brand of unapologetic black thought is “Without anger, apology or explanation, she moved black life from the margins of American history to the centre of stories that excavated American truths.”   What this definition reveals is that are indeed D&I conversations that are honest, unrepentant but without shame or blame. Do we need to fear this unapologetic sentiment? This podcast is part 1 in exploring the possibilities and opportunities for real inclusive leadership and D&I efforts that inspire and the how this unapologetic narrative can be the catalyst.

Series 3 of the Digital Hub is here, ED&I is the focus, interviews with ED&I leaders and influencers will shape the backbone of this new series I hope you enjoy it! 

We are recording 10 – 12 episodes will complete this series; however, I hope this series inspires at least one person, or a member of a community or one organisation after these episodes are published aired & shared.  

18 months have passed since George Floyd was killed; the uprising of BLM & the spotlight has been firmly shone on the ED&I since then. 

So, Rob Neil OBE & I unravel & discuss where we are at on this epic journey. 

“Rob Neil” EDI - why, what & how with Rob Neil OBE 

Rob is a founding member of the (Ministry of Justice) MoJ’s BAME Staff network in 2001 

In April 2016 Rob was included in the ‘New View 50’ which recognises influential Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) professionals in the public sector 

Rob was awarded an OBE in the 2018 New Year’s Honours list for ‘Services to Race Equality in the workplace and the community’ and received his gong from the Queen at Buckingham Palace in May 2018. 

Together we lift the cover off and discuss the topics below, we also get to know Rob as a person, his likes & what makes him tick. 

• 18 months on from George Floyd, what’s working in ED&I”
• Krystal Alliance Rob’s ED&I consultancy work, helping businesses 
• Uncomfortable but positive conversations in the board room”
• Are employers ED&I strategies REAL or NOT Real? 
• Positivity coming from forming alliances 
• Introducing Sandra Kerr’s “BITC” & Karl George’s “Race at work” 
• ED&I What has worked & what hasn’t worked over the last 18 months” 

Digital Hub podcast, focuses on sharing inspiring stores, journeys from Digital Leaders, influencers and Sharon’s episode “Mindset and achieving the (im)possible dream” is no exception, truly remarkable story that will resonate with many of us & deeper with anyone who had self-doubt or imposter syndrome” 

If you like stories of success against the odds then this is a podcast you’ll cherish. 

Sharon was born & raised in Tottenham in the 70’s & 80’s along with her 6 siblings, her parents are from Barbados. 

Sharon left school with minimal qualifications and took a job in the typing pool with The Midland Bank now known to us all as HSBC, this role quickly became a dull and mundane.  

However, the fire in Sharon’s belly was lit when she took it upon herself to solve a repetitive IT networking bug that was bottlenecking operations in her division at The Midland Bank, taking on and resolving this issue was a light bulb moment shaping Sharon’s career from there on in, the self-doubt took a 180-degree turn. 

Sharon’s career starting swiftly rose upwards & she met Marc Elbet while at GSK, Marc also played a pivotal role in shaping Sharon’s journey, he became her mentor & from there on in the rest is history!

Sharon performed at the highest level in IT & Digital Leadership roles for The Post Office, Thomson Reuters, Bank of England, Ann Summers, GSK and is currently the Divisional Director of Digital for IMI Critical Engineering. 

Academic achievements after starting work include a Computer Science Degree, a Law Degree, Honours in Law & and an MBA. 

P.O.E.M (POST OFFICE ETHNIC MINORITY” an organisation that Sharon became the Chair of while at the Post Office & had deepened her commitment to equality diversity & inclusion and is a focal point of her row at IMI Critical Engineering.  

Paul Sesay, born in the 70’s in Yorkshire, to a white Mother & black father, essentially the creation of a one-night stand! 

Paul spent his early life through to his late teens in and out of Care Homes and Foster Homes.

Paul was naturally staring down the barrel of a life of crime whilst inside there was a strong feeling & sense of knowing he was destined for so much more, this ambition was recognised by James Klass, the late BBC radio presenter & DJ from Liverpool who brought Paul under his wing, and the rest is history! 

Over the last decade Paul has ignited the Equality Diversity & Inclusion sector, paved the way for many careers and employers through creating Equality Diversity & Inclusion events, awards & solutions that are paving the way in solving Equality Diversity & Inclusion issues that have existed for too long, Pau says it’s not just about race but also about tackling disability, gender biases in the workplace too. 

One of Paul’s creations is the Diversity Awards, they have grown year on year and in 2021 has exceeded 62,000 nominations and involvement & partnerships with ITV, Microsoft and many other tier one brands, another creation of Paul and his team is the Diversity TOP 50 companies, the success has many UK companies knocking the door down for recognition of the steps they have taken in equality and diversity. 

His latest project the Precedent Group, a recruitment agency focused on Equality, Diversity & Inclusion has a UK focus with global road map. 

Have a listen to hear Paul’s story a real inspiration for many not only to see what he has achieved but also to be moved on Paul’s commitment to change, which is what Paul Sesay is all about. 

Enjoy, be inspired & perhaps get involved! 

Another great Digital Hub episode, with my guest Andrew Lewis, a true Social Justice advocate. 

At the start of 2021 Andrew was offered and accepted his new role of Global Head of Digital Operations at Cisco an opportunity few would pass up on. Leaving behind the D&I work that was bearing fruit at The Post Office didn’t sit right with him and Inner City Truth was born. 

Inner City Truth is Andrew’s very own movement, created in 2020 after Andrew left his Head of Content Management & Digital Operations at The Post Office. While employed at The Post office Andrew took on the internal Diversity & Inclusion role of Chairman role that addressed their own Diversity & Inclusion transformation journey. 

Andrew has amassed so much experience and passion for digital that has excelled his career, knowing & trusting what & where he wanted to take his career and it has gone for strength to strength and now has landed one of the biggest digital operations gigs on the planet, yes indeed at Cisco boom! …what a gig. 

Maybe Andrew is the Digital Unicorn that every VP & CEO is looking for, have a listen as he explains how he landed the role and what this humongous role global digital looks like. 

And to top it off he’s a top bloke that used to live in my own town of Luton, and he loves vinyl and drinks rum…wicked! 

Enjoy, I have no doubt you will! 

He needs no introduction is how I introduce this podcast, as its with Scott Saunders, Scott is a kind of a celebrity in his own right, a candidate of series 11 of the BBC’s The Apprentice with Lord Sugar. 

Scott and I have known each other for some time, a few years, we have done business together through my recruitment firm Digital Execs and Scott’s digital marketing business Skye Inc that he successfully runs with is brother Kye. 

To everyone’s amazement shook up the Apprentice series 11 by leaving the process at midpoint, it was crystal clear that Lord Sugar did not give Scott the acknowledgement, recognition that he deserved and Scott refused to bow to the peer pressure and left on his own accord, we touch on this during the podcast. 

However, time waits for no man and we fast forward 6 years and Scott and I deep dive into his entrepreneurial spirit, his drive, his upbringing. Scott explains what it was like growing up as a mix raced lad in the 80’s in Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire and we are able to give our listeners and viewers a look at what he has achieved after the show and the Digital project, products & services he is bringing to the fore. 

Be ready for a very brutally honest but inspirational interview, sit back and enjoy this episode of the Digital Hub. 

I’m in the company of SEO & Digital Mktg royalty David Sayce & Jason Barnard!

The essential podcast and webinar for the microbusiness, start-up to understand what’s critical to know, the must have’s.

In this episode we demystify and clarify SEO fundamentals and lucky for me and you the listeners and viewers we will be understanding SERPS - Search Engine Results Pages also known as SERPS, this your backlinks.

This means you will also find out about
•“My business listings” 
•What metrics to focus on at first” 
•Keywords and testing 

Jason’s own Consultancy is Kalicube everything SERPS and more about Jason & his Consultancy can be found at  www.Kalicube.pro

David’s consultancy is PaperGecko find out more above David and his Consultancy at www.papergecko.com 

Happy New Year to you all, and a big Thank you to the support and encouragement received in 2021!  

Lukas and I will be publishing more Digital Hub episodes in 2021 with some interesting guests from in and around the digital sector. 

The first 2021 episode is with the glamorous & driven Karen Levett, Founding & Managing Partner of The Live Chat Factory. Karen demystifies the Live Chat sector for us. www.LiveChatFactory.live 

Karen is a veteran of the Live chat sector, previously spending 15 years at which/ running live chat teams it was a natural progression for her to launch.
  
With Customer Service & Customer Experience at the highest level of priority for all businesses to reduce churn having a live chat solution.
 
Would you believe that as much as 21% of live chat questions go unanswered a waste a potential sale, enquiry and a waste of marketing spend that drove that traffic to your website.
  
Launching any business is a big decision at any time, let alone through a pandemic sound like a crazy idea for many but not for Karen, she dived in and is swimming and making a success of her business landing some juicy clients and now rolling out a manual “How to Guide” in 2021 on how to implement and achieve the Best of Class with live chat for a business & website. 

In typical Digital Hub fashion, Karen opens up about her business, her life, love for live music and much more, sit back and listen or check it out and watch it on our YouTube channel. 

Enjoy, Ian Benjamin