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Chris Jones guest blog about his portfolio career part 2

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This is a 2-part guest blog by Chris Jones for Energise – The Talent Liberation Company about his portfolio career. This is part 2. 

Biog

Chris Jones is a multiple business owner based in Oxford. His current businesses are:

  • Glooo: digital analytics
  • Boys and Girls Promotions: events staffing business
  • Boys and Girls Events: events management business
  • Oxford Influencers: Oxford Instagram solution

His events business, both Corporate and Private events, provide event design and staff in #Oxfordshire and #London. Clients include: The University of Oxford, Blenheim Palace, Soho Farmhouse, Oxford City Council, The Westgate Shopping Centre and many colleges and venues.

Chris is husband to Julie, father of 2 young adults finishing University, and a social butterfly.

Read part 1:https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/chris-jones-guest-blog-about-his-portfolio-career-part-1/

The rest of this guest blog is in Chris’ own words.

What do you most love about having a portfolio career?

My portfolio career and the whole digital world growth happened at the same time.

I.T. developed off the back of IBM and Microsoft delivering personal computing solutions and from 1983 web sites developed at a rapid rate.

It was very interesting being at the forefront of PC / website delivery in the UK.

What are the challenges of having a portfolio career?

The continued changes and improvements to the digital world, so it is always been a learning curve of new technologies and solutions. 

My ‘skill’ for want of a better word is that I’m very good at understanding technology and seeing where it can be implemented. 

Who or what helps you to manage your portfolio career?

I think it’s a ‘self-improvement’ journey, either in a broad format for your whole industry or specialisation in specific areas.

How do you approach marketing your portfolio career?

It always will be for me working in the digital world (although a marketing mix is important) first and foremost and then backed up with networking. I network 2 3 evenings per week. LinkedIn is our key social media platform for my businesses.

Image below: Boys and Girls Promotions doing the ticketing for Countryfile Live at Blenheim – one of our greatest achievements in winning the work and delivering on the 3 days of the event.  

What if any, is the personal brand used for your portfolio career?

Have fun, be professional, and deliver on promises. That’s it!

I won’t work with people who are going to be difficult (don’t tell the bank manager!)  and I need to enjoy and be inspired by my work.

What advice would you give to someone considering a portfolio career?

“The journey is long, don’t worry about things you can’t control.“

What 5 tips can you share for people considering a portfolio career?

1 Gain in-depth knowledge of your sector

2 Have an individual career plan a), b) and c)

3 Work with likeminded people, and be easy to work with

4 Always trust your ‘gut’

5 Value yourself and don’t compromise

More

View Chris Jones LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-jones-8a88b05a/

Browse the Boys and girls promotions web site: https://www.boysandgirlspromotions.co.uk/

Want to discuss a future face to face event? E mail Chris Jones: chris@boysandgirlspromotions.co.uk

Interested in a portfolio career yourself? Contact us for your free report ‘Discover Portfolio Careers’: https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/portfolio/connect/

Thanks to Chris Jones for making the time to write a guest blog about his portfolio career for Energise. We are looking forward to his future original events, when the world returns to normal socialising and networking, post lock-down!

Chris Jones guest blog about his portfolio career part 1

By //  by 

This is a 2-part guest blog by Chris Jones for Energise – The Talent Liberation Company about his portfolio career. This is part 1

Biog

Chris Jones is a multiple business owner based in Oxford. His current businesses are:

·       Glooo: digital analytics – new web site being created at present in this fast moving dynamic business area

·       Boys and Girls Promotions: events staffing business

·       Boys and Girls Events: events management business

·       Oxford Influencers: Oxford Instagram solution

His events business, both corporate and private events, provide event design and staff in #Oxfordshire and #London.

Clients include: The University of Oxford, Blenheim Palace, Soho Farmhouse, Oxford City Council, The Westgate Shopping Centre and many colleges and venues.

Image below: Event managing the opening of the Westgate shopping centre in central #Oxford. “It was wonderful to win the business, as a local business owner and deliver on a venue of importance to the City of Oxford.” Chris Jones.

Chris is husband to Julie, father of 2 young adults finishing University, and a social butterfly.

The rest of this guest blog is in Chris’ own words.

What are the components of your portfolio career e.g. study, paid freelance work, part time job, volunteering etc.?

This is such a massive question!

First and foremost, my career journey hasn’t and isn’t a planned/classic career path. It had no planning, direction, or reasoning, after School, O levels /College ONC. My list of jobs has included:

·       I.T.

·       Accountants

·       I.T.

·       Web Developer

·       I.T.

·       Then self-employment

The accountants’ role was pure desperation for a job and lasted for 3 months and ended after I suffered bullying. (I didn’t realise it was at the time, and only realised when told 20 years later by a colleague).

The I.T. companies were a range of distribution, channel, reseller and manufacturer, all roles in ‘business development’ and ‘account management’ roles. The web developer role was again business development – this rounded off my digital/I.T. journey.

I have been sacked, made redundant and chosen to leave companies, but I always felt I maintained relationships with the businesses, which is weird and good in equal measure.

How did your portfolio career come about?

As stated above, my career bumped from pillar to post sometimes by necessity, and sometimes by choice. The phrase I use now is that “at 53, I’m totally unemployable!“. With hindsight, I think I was unemployable at 20! Due to that fact that a) I always did a lot of research and training for jobs so put myself in a strong position but b) I didn’t suffer fools and found a good percentage of my bosses stuck in archaic ways of doing business.

How has your portfolio career changed over time?

It has changed with experience and knowledge, but I still had a clear vision of what I wanted to achieve based on the job requirements, but this didn’t always align again with line managers/owners.

When people ask you ‘what do you do?’ – what do you reply?

“I have a digital business, an events staffing/management business and an online Influencer website.”

Depending on the environment/network, I might only mention one of the businesses as I don’t really want the entrepreneur ‘label’. I’m an operational business owner not a visionary.

To what extent did your portfolio career happen by chance/luck and to what extent was it planned?

My journey has weaved!

I was always very good at getting jobs, being quite personable and strong in my knowledge base.

The second part of Chris’ portfolio career will include his tips for aspiring portfolio careerists.

More 

View Chris Jones LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-jones-8a88b05a/

Browse the Boys and girls events web site: https://www.boysandgirlspromotions.co.uk/

Want to discuss a future face to face event post lockdown? E mail Chris Jones: chris@boysandgirlspromotions.co.uk

Interested in a portfolio career yourself? Contact us: https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/portfolio/connect/