Benjy P.’s Post

I used to be scared of posting on TikTok until I finally bit the bullet and racked up 1.7million views on one video. I'd been putting off talking about my Come Dine With Me experience on social because I'd need to plan the videos and spend time making them good. Basically I was being lazy. But I knew that if I did make these videos, I could start to build a solid following and learn a lot about the app in the process. After all, the more I know about TikTok, the better I am at my job. So I bit the bullet and posted my first video about Come Dine With Me. That video turned into a nine part series with total views of 3million. Here's what I learnt in the process: 1) If people like it, make it a series. If one video does well then don't pass up the opportunity to make more parts. What seems obvious to you will be intriguing to someone else. Don't let your own bias get in the way of making good content. 2) Don't sleep on TikTok Shop. Once I built up a decent following through my original content I tried out selling on TikTok Shop. I made one video and have sold 55 units. I didn't want to sell protein bars. I wanted to sell something I'd buy. So I chose underwear. 3) Reply to comments with videos. I recently recorded a video from Lidl in Germany. The video did about 3k but the video reply I made to a comment about my pronunciation of "Lidl" did 16k. The gold is in the comments. Comment with your TikTok gems.

In 2022 my mortgage bounced after I was laid off from the job of my dreams. (btw if you want the takeaways and none of the story - scroll down to the bottom, there's three) Here's what happened: Three years ago I was given the job of my dreams. A 10-month contract to be a TV presenter on a new UK channel. I was so excited. It was everything I'd dreamed of and worked hard to do. I'd be on a nightly panel show discussing showbiz stories. I started the contract but straight away things seemed off. There was no launch date. We were kept in the dark. And I started to question whether we would ever launch. Well, eventually we did. Actually, that's not quite right. The channel launched. But our show didn't. Our show was axed and 10 months after accepting the job of my dreams, I was let go. I felt relief because the environment had become so toxic. But I also felt deep sadness as my dream floated away from me. I couldn't see how things would ever improve. I lacked motivation, I felt low and the horizon seemed foggy and cloudy. Basically, I couldn't see my next step. And a few months later my mortgage bounced. I was running out of cash. That was my lowest moment. But slowly I started to regain my motivation. I came up with the idea to start my own business offering talent booking. I approached production companies about seminars and webinars for guest booking. They were interested. They booked me. And I started to network at events like the London Podcast Show. I hit up old contacts and was given the contract for lead talent booker on The Sun's Who Cares Wins awards. My mojo slowly started to return. Then just as my business was starting to ramp up, a friend from the US reached out to me out of the blue about a contract role at Meta. I put absolutely everything into the interview and I got the job. I worked at Meta for a year and now I'm starting a permanent role at GetYourGuide heading up PR and Influencer for UK. If you'd have asked me in January 2022 after I'd been let go whether I predicted this? The answer: "HELL TO THE NO". You never know what's round the corner, so keep believing the next best thing is just round the corner. Those unpredictable years taught me three lessons: 1. Contribute to the community when you're in feast, cause you'll need them during famine. 2. Don't box yourself into the "ladder career", things are so much more interesting and available in a Squiggly Career. (cc: Amazing If, Lauren Spearman for fighting the good fight) 3. Play, play, play. Run experiments. Try things. That's how I've stayed excited and engaged in my career. It was almost impossible to see what I'd learn from those tough times while I was knee deep in them, but now I'm out the other end I can see I learnt so much. Right? PIC: 2022 me during the contract, smiling and desperately hoping for some clarity.

I start a new job next week. Here's my four biggest worries: 1. I'm no good at my role, I get "found out". 2. I get laid off within the first six months. 3. The workload is too much and I burn out. 4. I take too much action, too early. My worries around work could easily derail me, right? Sharing how I feel helps me normalise them. Here's what I'm doing to manage them: 1. Read and apply First 90 Days book. 2. Commit to "listen and learn" as primary strategy on arrival. 3. Keep a daily diary to track thoughts/ideas/worries. 4. Share worries/fears and name them. Your worries around work are completely normal. Pretending like they don't exist, isn't. What's your top tip for managing work worries?

My side hustle gives me ENERGY. Being in a voiceover booth is truly my happy place, it doesn’t really feel like work. I’m going to start sharing more about life as a voiceover artist — my side hustle. What does your side hustle give you?

I went to Cannes Lions last year for £300 (flight, food and festival) all in and you can too. Here’s how I did it (everything booked two weeks before the festival): Flights — £130. EasyJet London to Nice and return via Bordeaux. Hotels — £80. I booked Banana’s Camp hostel for 2 nights which is a really nice hostel, very clean. I was too last minute for the hotels and I wanted stay in a sociable hostel over a really downmarket hotel. Oh and the guy in the bunk opposite was a TikTok employee. Food — £15 A delicious three course meal at Pappa Ninno Pizza, three mins walk from hostel. Despite the name they do great French food. All other food was free at beach clubs. SRMG Beach did the best food and ice cream. Followed by Mastercard Villa winning second prize with their three different mozerellas. Festival pass — £0 They cost thousands of pounds and I was advised against buying one. There are LOADS of free talks and workshops in the many beach clubs and hotel suites. Just do a “Cannes Lions Beach” Google ahead of time and sign up for everything. One of my faves was Curating Creativity at GroupM Rooftop. All in all a brilliant three days (two nights) coming away with loads of insight and some new friends too. I was even networking at the airport lounge on my way back Bryce Adams! (Pic of me at a stop off during my trip on Le Petit Train, a vital tourist attraction to tick off in Cannes and hands down the best £12 I spent!)

I made a TikTok about my refusal to spend my free Costa drink under pressure and it seems to have hit a nerve with the great British public. I've had 300 comments and learnt 300 different ways people choose to spend their free Costa Club drink. And there's passion in their comments: "I cannot use it on a whim like some kind of animal, it has to be PLANNED." "I save it for when I'm having a really bad day." "I thought I was the only one. It needs to be thought through and its own moment." From an awareness and consideration POV, qualitative data in the comments would suggest people are now considering Costa because they've learnt about the loyalty card from the video. I'm going to shoot my shot and say Costa Coffee if you're reading this, "How do you spend yours?" might be an avenue for your next creative on social. Cecile Angrand I'm happy to chat. CC: Greggs there's a tonne of love for your loyalty card in the comments too. Link: https://lnkd.in/eivqdYSd

What you see on LinkedIn: I'm delighted to share that I'm starting as PR and Influencer Lead at GetYourGuide in Berlin on 1st July. I'll be moving my London life to Berlin and I'm so excited. What you don’t: 66 — the number of jobs I applied for. 10 — the number of Coffee + Marketing Jobs virtual sessions where I facilitated and connected with fellow marketeers on their job search. 9 — the amount of months of brutal job searching. Crippling highs, "ghostly" lows and everything in-between. 8 — the hours a day of doom scrolling LinkedIn. Tbh I actually found Indeed to be much better for finding roles. 6 — the amount of interviews I had for one role. 4 — the number interview tasks I completed during this job hunt. Each one took about 3-4 full-time days of work. 3 — the amount of weeks I spent on holiday in India to take a break from the job hunt. 2 — the number of roles where I got to the final round then was told the positions were indefinitely on hold due to restructure. 1 — the number of Marketing Week Mini MBA with Mark Ritson I completed. Doing this course kept me buoyant, motivated and most of all SANE. This job hunt has been one of the most trying times of my career. If you’re out there hustling, you’re doing a great job.

Netflix have won the “Add Yours” competition. It’s rare that brands can show up on trends in a truly authentic way. But this simply works. - It puts the user at the heart of the content. - It’s native to the platform. TT can’t really get involved. - It offers a chance for users to reflect and share memories. Already 9.8million Instagram users have taken part and I predict that to 10x in the next 24 hours. Comment below with brands that are nailing trends. #brands #trends #instagram