The Weird Zone
I'm glad you're here. It means you have great instincts.
Here's the lowdown: good strategists are all a bit weird. Instead of hiding it, we should celebrate that weirdness – after all, it's where good ideas come from. So here's a collection of odd, esoteric things I've done in my time. These are obviously far more interesting than anything else about me, so I hope you'll ask me about them when we work together.
Pinned all my socks to my t-shirt
I've been performing stand-up comedy and improvised comedy since 2013. This was one of the more bizarre gigs I've signed up for.
Shaved off half my hair and beard
An unwise fashion choice, a lucrative fundraiser for Shelter UK during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown. You can read the full story in the Oxford Mail.
Edited a toilet-themed workplace newsletter
During which time I won a company award, never repeated the same bathroom pun in a headline for 40+ editions, ignored several censorship requests by senior management, and was ultimately foiled by work-from-home requirements.
Headlines pictured were celebrating the opening of an Australian office, and the WFH requirements of 2020.
Can find a spreadsheet opportunity in any hobby
I keep an unnecessarily detailed spreadsheet cataloguing every book I've ever read. At the end of 2025, there were 1,079 books on the list.
A few years ago, I made a similar spreadsheet for my then-girlfriend in lieu of a Christmas present. Have you ever received a QR code to a Google Sheet on Christmas morning? Well if not, take note: she's now my fiancé.
I also once recreated the floor plan of an English stately home in a Google Sheet just to play a digital game of Sardines with some friends. You can find the footprint here.