Graham Allcott has left the Think Productive Headquarters by the sea in Brighton, UK, and flown over to Canada to see the productivity ninjas out there. For those of you who are new to Think Productive, we’ve had a base in Canada for over two years, run by Dawn O’Connor – who had been training for 12 years prior to hearing about Graham and his productivity ninjas.
We, the digital ninjas, had a chat with Dawn as she awaits Graham’s arrival, to give you all an even bigger insight to who she is, why she decided to set up Think Productive Canada, and how the last two and a half years have been for her.
How did you develop an interest in productivity?
It came from feeling personally disorganized and needing to get my own home in order. I watched an Oprah show and saw Julie Morgenstern talk about her book ‘Organizing from the Inside Out’. I bought it and applied all the ideas. This inspired me to start an Organizing business, which became very successful, and was eventually sold to one of my staff. After that, I began consulting on Productivity in offices to build on my training background from 10 years in corporate Learning and Development. I did that for a total of 12 years before Think Productive.
How did you first hear about Graham and Think Productive?
I was researching productivity training companies who were looking for expansion to Canada, and came across Think Productive. I started to keep an eye on them because the workshops and brand really appealed to me and seemed like something I could introduce to the Calgary market. I followed Think Productive for about two years – finding all the ninjas on Linked In and Facebook – before reaching out to Graham and asking if I could help grow the company in Canada.
Why did you decide to set up Think Productive in Canada?
I was looking for workshop material to meet the demands of my clients and I didn’t feel I had the time or skill to develop a full suite of workshops. I had fallen in love with the Ninjas (secret obsession with office supplies), and so began the journey to Ninjafy Canada.
What makes Think Productive different to other productivity companies in Canada?
We really focus on our niche, specializing in sharing skills and in-depth knowledge related to productivity. The Ninja theme. We’re hands on and practical – ninjas rather than trainers
What have been your greatest highlights of the last few years?
Tough question! There have been so many, but there are four that particularly stand out.
1. Working at Gates foundation and supporting an organization who makes so much good happen in the world.
2. Taking trips to the UK to play with other Ninjas where I learn that client pain points are universal and our solutions apply equally in Russia as in Calgary.
3. Recruiting Tracy to run the US and having someone close by to collaborate with.
4. Hosting the first International Ninja Bootcamp in Calgary – attended by 3 Ozzies, 2 US, 4 Canadians and 2 Brits. So much fun.
If you’re based in Canada and would like to enquire about workshops, email hello@thinkproductive.ca. You can also follow TP Canada on twitter, @ThinkProdCanada