Running on full

The conference is over. Returning back to the hotel, without the other delegates, I have that end of summer twilight feeling in my heart, when you are missing the fun and learning you’ve had.  YFoundations is like a family you want to be part of.  But lots more to come – the tour heads to Melbourne on Sunday! 

I spent my morning chatting with the lovely Jaime Alden, from Sydney Rotaract club, a group of young people wanting to ‘empower people to help themselves’.  I think clubs like these, and the people who make them happen like Jaime, are where the ‘democracy of talent’ will be forged. It’s not all about trying to work with big business. The generational tribe to open talent is all around us.  Let’s make the campaign start here.

Over lunch, I talked with the passionate staff team from Pathfinders in Armidale. This is a rural area with limited access to housing opportunities, so they are trying to explore the concept of developing a Foyer approach by applying it to the resources they have – such as converting a caravan park into a learning community, and running an exchange programme for young people from care to support their peers in Ghana.  If I didn’t have a job to return to, I think I’d be flying to Armidale to help them.  This is why Foyer is exciting - it's an approach to be expressed without boundaries, as long as you have the ethos right.

This afternoon, I was picked up by George, a driver used by Virgin Unite, who took me to and from the Sydney office while explaining the wonders of Beirut nightlife, the philosophy of taxis, Richard Branson’s books, and Sydney society.  A taxi that makes you feel better for the journey because of the conversation. It’s a dying art – and George is an art in himself.

At the Virgin office, with a magical view of the Opera House, I sat in with Anton and the Managing Director from People Development group (with the best business card I’ve seen this year), before getting ‘miked up’ to be filmed presenting to a mixed group of staff from Virgin Mobile, Money, Active, and Atlantic.  This was a trimmed down version of yesterday’s presentation - the expresso version, if you like. We had a great conversation afterwards. Every time I meet staff from Virgin I’m impressed by their drive and creativity.  The world needs more businesses you can think with like Virgin.  Thank you Anton )

A little time left to prepare for tomorrow’s Youth Housing Expert Panel.   I’m over my jetlag – now I’m just plain tired.  But Open Talent is the ultimate battery, I'm always running on full.