neilmartin.me
Beats, Business & Life
Proud Dad and family man. A lifelong obsession with music. 3 decades in business and technology. Stuff about this thing called life that I’m still figuring out.
Latest
Fresh off the press
Can’t Stand Losing You, and the DJ who gave me the record
The first record I ever owned, I didn’t buy. A DJ at a family party gave it to me. Why that white 7-inch is still on my shelf, and what it taught a four-year-old about asking.
Your friend didn’t check your backlinks
When AI recommends a business, it now judges like a friend giving advice. Why your reputation is what gets you recommended.
Show People Your Scars, Once They’ve Healed
Being honest about your flaws builds more trust than polish ever will, as long as you share the stories you’ve already made peace with.
Don’t use AI to make the ad
Oddbox used AI to work out why an ad flopped, then a human found the fix. A better use of AI for anyone running ads.
Track by TrackThis week’s track
Can’t Stand Losing You, and the DJ who gave me the record
The first record I ever owned, I didn’t buy. A DJ at a family party gave it to me. Why that white 7-inch is still on my shelf, and what it taught a four-year-old about asking.
Previous tracks
Track by Track: Morning
My own song this time. The story behind Morning, a Dust and Data love song about two cups and the start of a day, and why I think the little things matter most.
Run-DMC, Here We Go (live on Yo! MTV Raps)
Run-DMC on Yo! MTV Raps, a VHS tape I’ve kept for 33 years, and why they were hip hop to me.
Beats
From the Decks
A lifetime of following music down the rabbit hole. The beats, the lyrics, the samples… but more than anything, how it makes you feel.
Sunday Selector
Sunday Selector: Run This
This is the playlist I run to. Forty-four tracks, just over three hours, and most of it is classic hip hop with a bit of drum and bass thrown in.
Most of it sits around 90 BPM, or double-timed off that, which for me is the perfect rhythm for a run or a gym session. Your feet just fall into it. But it’s more than the tempo. These records have energy and lyrics with something to say, and they put a smile on my face because they take me straight back to other times in my life.
read more…Can’t Stand Losing You, and the DJ who gave me the record
The first record I ever owned, I didn’t buy. A DJ at a family party gave it to me. Why that white 7-inch is still on my shelf, and what it taught a four-year-old about asking.
Track by Track: Morning
My own song this time. The story behind Morning, a Dust and Data love song about two cups and the start of a day, and why I think the little things matter most.
Business
Business In Plain English
Some of it’s about tech. Some of it’s about teams. All of it’s about the conversation that changes everything.
Your friend didn’t check your backlinks
When AI recommends a business, it now judges like a friend giving advice. Why your reputation is what gets you recommended.
Show People Your Scars, Once They’ve Healed
Being honest about your flaws builds more trust than polish ever will, as long as you share the stories you’ve already made peace with.
Don’t use AI to make the ad
Oddbox used AI to work out why an ad flopped, then a human found the fix. A better use of AI for anyone running ads.
Life
Everything Else
The stuff off the clock. Good food, fresh threads, and trying to be a bit better than yesterday.
The Day I Jumped Out of a Plane
Saying yes to a charity skydive was the easy bit. What the jump itself taught me about change, and why the scary middle bit has the best view.
The year I ran my Dad’s race
At 12 I watched my dad run the Southampton Half. In 2015, years after losing him, I ran it for him. What that race taught me about making peace with the past.
Would you talk to a friend like that?
Years after I asked someone one question, she told me it changed her life, and I didn’t even remember asking. The question, and how to ask it of yourself.
About
Hi, I’m Neil
I got my first turntables in 1987, when I was 12, and I’ve been playing records to people ever since. I’ve been in business for three decades and I wrote a book called Done Beats Perfect. This is where I write it all down.
By day I’m Director of Marketing & Edutainment at ActionCOACH UK.
DJing since 1987Three decades in businessAuthor, Done Beats Perfect
The book
Done Beats Perfect
A short, honest book about putting things off, and how to stop. Paperback, Kindle, or the audiobook read by me.
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