Acorn in Pixels: BBC Micro games

I did a degree in Business Studies at Leeds Polytechnic from 1979-1983 and wrote a 26,000-word project on the computer games market. I interviewed Bob Simpson, MD of Micro Power /Program Power and he offered me a job, handling the marketing. After 18 months I left and worked for Richard Hanson at Superior Software.

I was interviewed for the book Acorn in Pixels by idesine publishing, and now it’s out, I was asked for a photo of me with the book and some of the projects I worked on…

The above photo shows me with the Can You Write Games ad and poster plus booklet I wrote with Richard Hanson called Top Tips for Games Authors; J-cards for games like Gauntlet written by a dear friend at the time, Chris Terran, plus Mr Ee and Felix in the Factory and Felix and the Fruit Monsters; Citadel; Repton; and Time and Magik and Lancelot when I was MD of Mandarin Software and Europress Software.

On this site you’ll find more detailed info on my time in the computer games industry: the author stumbled across these pages via Google searches which led to him reaching out to me.

Links: Working at Micro Power / Program Power, Leeds

Links: Working at Superior Software

More: Working at Europress / Database Software / Mandarin Software 

You can contact me about this page here.

Buy the awesome Acorn in Pixels book here.

Delving into The Check-In Strategy Journal with Adam Harris

Adam Harris is the co-author with Robert Craven of The Check-In Strategy Journal, published by Wiley. I interviewed Robert here.

In the short videos below you hear some terrific words of wisdom from Adam about how to move from struggling in a business to thriving, using a very simple strategy…

Adam talks about the different parts and the context of the book and how it enables its users to reflect and plan…

Adam talks about how the questions inside the book are formulated as well as its importance towards daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly planning…

Adam shares his own experience as a coach. He also talks about the 3 main areas affecting businesses and business owners, and how he communicates through people similarly to how the book communicates to its users…

Adam talks about how he instills the importance of growth to his clients as their coach and how crucial it is for him to be working with people he trusts…

Adam talks about the purpose of the exercises in the book and how it helps a user’s accountability with regards to their business, relationship, and personal life…

Adam talks about how the book benefits organisations…

Adam talks about how he uses the book personally and for his business. He also explains how the book helps by providing clarity towards each goal, relationship and sharing…

Adam talks about how the book helps transform its users, and lets them keep track of where they are at and where they are going…

Get your copy of Robert and Adam’s book here.

Supercharge your business with The Check-In Strategy Journal by Robert Craven and Adam Harris

The Check-In Strategy Journal is a book by Robert Craven and Adam Harris, published by Wiley. Robert sent me an advanced copy, I have looked through it, and I think it’s awesome.

I got on a video call to interview Robert about the book. I split the interview into several short videos.

Robert talks about the power of book to create change in business and personal life…

Robert talks about the changes clients have experienced using the material in the book…

More success stories…

Robert talks about how 3 different types of business person will use the book…

Robert talks about some of the smart questions he and Adam have included in the book so you think more deeply about what your business is all about and what it is trying to accomplish…

Robert talks about working with Adam and how their different perspectives has been helped make the book better…

Robert summarises what the book can do for any business facing challenges that wishes to overcome them and grow to the next level…

You can watch my interview with Robert’s co-author, Adam, which looks at different aspects of this super book, here.

Get your copy of The Check-In Strategy Journal: Your Daily Tracker for Business & Personal Development here.

The key to getting projects launched

I take time out most days, if I’m not spending it with a client, to go for a walk round a local lake at Goldsworth Park in Woking, followed by a latte in the nearby Costa.

Here’s me reading a book called Going Solo by my client Trevor Greenfield which I helped him put together and publish…

I’ve got to know the terrific team at my local Costa. One of them is Heidi. She works long hours but is always happy and full of energy.

She shared with me over the last few weeks that she has been working on creating her own business designing and selling hampers – and yesterday she told me it was now launched.

Here’s me with Heidi…

…and here’s a screenshot from a website she created…

If Heidi can create a new business like this from a standing start while also having a full-time job, what can you create? What would be a compelling reason for you to get started today? 🙂

Learning to be spontaneous at an improv weekend

A few years ago I attended an improv weekend with my mate Adam Harris who is in the same business mastermind group. If you have seen Whose Line Is It Anyway? on TV in the 1990s in the UK, you’ll know what to expect. Fifty of us attended workshops to learn how to do improv, or do it better. We had a lot of fun.

On the Saturday night we all had a go at performing in front of everyone else. I was invited up with a lovely guy called Alex. We got a suggestion from the audience, Alex knelt down and started polishing, and then I said the first thing that came into my head, and we went on from there. I recorded the audio on my iPhone and dropped in some photos…

Tom played the keyboards all weekend. He is amazingly skilled. He added emotion to a scene we were making up, or coming up with a reggae, operatic, rap, disco, pop, etc tune for us to make up lyrics to on the spot!…

For one exercise I was paired with a guy called Owen. He was to perform a simple mime, then I had to say “I ____ you” and he was to respond with “I know”. We’d repeat this then develop the scene from there. Watching what Owen was doing, I said, “I forgive you.”…

I recognised one of the other participants, Neil Ben, a TV producer, who I got to know many years ago, but had seen in a long time…

Lunchtime…

The Saturday night party…

The singing workshop…

Jim Shields, far right, the guy who took most of the photos on this page, takes a selfie as Matt, Kirsty and I make up a song on the spot…

Dancing in Kayleigh’s workshop…

Tom pointed to each person in turn for them to sing the next line of the tune Tom played on his keyboard – without missing a beat! 🙂 …

I hope the above photos inspire you to find an improv group in your town and pop along, or to search for some great improv on YouTube. 🙂

Interrupt 2 Profit offer with bonuses

My friend Rob Cornish has launched a product called Interrupt 2 Profit and it’s superb. It teaches how to use “Pattern Interrupts” in sales letters, videos, presentation, squeeze pages, etc to capture your audience’s attention.

I have created this video to explain what it is and why I think you should buy it.

I explain that I have created 4 videos as a bonus if you buy through my link below. Rob makes a low-price One Time Offer as an upsell after you invest in Interrupt 2 Profit, and I explain what that is in my video…

Visit Rob’s sales letter here.

Then email me your receipt at hello chris payne @ gmail.com (no spaces of course) and I’ll link you to the hidden page I’ve created with all the videos I’ve created for you. 🙂