Wednesday, 12th July, 2017

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Officially, this is Day One for Optimise Digital. Already it's been quite a journey.

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Above all else, what I've found is that the relationships I've built over time have been instrumental in getting me to even this point.

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I count myself incredibly fortunate that over the last 15 years, I have met so many generous and knowledgeable folk along the way. Some of them I have already leaned on heavily for advice and guidance - they've often giving up considerable chunks of time to support me in whichever way they can. Some have pointed me towards potential clients. Others I will no doubt get back in touch with in the coming months. Without exception so far, all of those I've spoken to have been totally positive about what I'm trying to achieve.

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If there's one thing this "process of starting out" has confirmed to me, it's the importance of network: in its purest form. Not in the quantity of your followers or connections, but in the quality. I didn't know it at the time - and certainly didn't expect it - but trying always to be kind, tolerant, supportive, approachable and hardworking, getting to know colleagues and building trust has brought me a crucial support network.

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It's not ground breaking to say that your "inner" business network is your richest source of knowledge, inspiration and support out there. But until very recently, I'd never fully appreciated this. The most enduring relationships are those where you don't necessarily expect anything back - but, due to the time you've invested in developing them, ultimately they pay off when you need them most. 

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David Thwaites

David is a digital professional with over 16 years' experience working for some of the UK's biggest brands.

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