Member Article

Motivational Business Speaker & Founder of 4Networking Asks Business Leaders NOW WHAT? at Online Lockdown Level Up Event

Brad Burton is the Founder of 4Networking, 4x best selling Author and Britain’s leading #1 Motivational Business Speaker. For the past few years, he’s also been the guy behind the popular Now What Live events for entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals across the UK. He has been running these events 2-4 times each year, with over 200 in attendance. However, when lockdown was announced, these events needed to transfer online… and quick!

Brad said: “Wow what a year! We’ve all really had to fight to keep our heads above water, financially, mentally, emotionally and even spiritually. It’s been a draining few months. But listen, that’s the past. We survived. The future - that’s where all our focus needs to be. Crisis creates breakthroughs.”

Brad Burton founded 4Networking in 2006 he revolutionised the networking scene with his 50% social, 50% work concept. Functioning at running over 5000 events ever year, Covid threatened his livelihood overnight. Working all hours with his team, Brad revamped his 14 year old offering, launching online networking meetings through 4nonline and blasted on through. Brad said: “I’ve loved taking our events online and I’m loving it because it’s actually got a startup vibe to it that I almost missed with 4Networking the first time round because I was so busy trying to get it off the ground driving 1000 miles a week. With Covid it’s been a fresh start. A lot of other networks are still in the discussion stages of whether or not they should go online and we’ve already got 100 groups running. We started it all within four days of me making the decision.”

At the start of the month, Brad hosted his first Now What Live events online –‘Lockdown Level UP’ - this was intended to motivate and blow any Covid cobwebs away. Brad was joined on stage by a collective of six other business owners who have used the last few months to successfully reinvent themselves, pivot their business and change and adapt for the foreseeable, a new and socially distanced future. All have overcome personal and business challenges and on the day they shared what they faced, how they dealt with it, and top tips on what you can do to ensure a positive and profitable future - based not on theory, but on proven path. Brad said: “The best way through a minefield is by following someone who has been through one and made it out the other side.”

“Lock down Level UP, was watched by hundreds from across the globe. The day was aimed at smashing lockdown malaise, apathy and once again giving people hope in this new world we are waking up to. We inspired, motivated and entertained in equal measure, and enthralled the audience with 30 minute snappy motivational talks aimed at getting attendees through any lockdown malaise and it worked. Big Time!”

**Brad’s 5 Top tips to Level Up after Lockdown: **

1. This is not how the story ends - Imagine that you’re reading a book and you’re halfway through the book and the lead character is where you’re at right now. I want you to write: this is not how this story ends … Then, I want you to think about your final chapter and what you want to happen. What do you want the hero of this book to achieve? And then work out how the heck you get there. Don’t waste time thinking about how life was pre-covid, it’s here and it’s done. Crack on with your future. Start again with a blank piece of paper.

**2. In any tough situation ask: what does this make possible? **Answer that question and that’s your new business plan.

**3. Move Fast and Adapt - **There were a lot of people at the start of the pandemic waiting to see what was going to happen, sitting it out, seeing how long it was going to last…. once this is all over, there will be two columns ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ - I believe the winners column will be full of people who moved fast and adapted.

4. Network and Connect with others - There is a power in online networking and connection now more than ever! Don’t sit there aggressively waiting for the phone to ring or Covid restrictions to be lifted - get networking. However, recognise that these things take time and just because you need some clients, don’t treat your networking as a filling station or garage - don’t turn up to top up your client base - it’s important that you build up relationships and relationships take time. Remember, every big opportunity started as a small conversation.

**5. Believe in your business 100% **- If you don’t 100% believe in your business you can’t get upset when you talk to people and they don’t 100% believe in it either. If all you’ve got is hope and determination, it’s going to be enough.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Chocolate PR .