Speaker Insight Series - Nabil McNaughton

• January 07, 2019
• Ciaran Walshe

Nabil has kindly shared his thoughts for part 2 of our 2019 Speaker Insight Series. We’ve borrowed the format from Tim Ferriss’s book ‘Tribe of Mentors’. You can read about the book here and buy it directly here.

Throughout the book, Tim poses 11 questions to his interviewees with the request to respond to 3 to 5 questions.. or more, if the spirit moves them. See Nabil's answers below:

What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your life in the last six months (or in recent memory)? My readers love specifics like brand and model, where you found it, etc.

Fitbit €90. The focus on making sure you at least hit the daily 10,000 steps is great and its surprising how much it spurs you on to get that bit of exercise done each day!

If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere with anything on it — metaphorically speaking, getting a message out to millions or billions — what would it say and why? It could be a few words or a paragraph. (If helpful, it can be someone else’s quote: Are there any quotes you think of often or live your life by?)

There are lots of great motivational quotes out there but I'll go with one my mam said to me when I was very young. As basic as it is, I think its a great mantra and has served me well. "It costs nothing to be nice".

In the last five years, what new belief, behaviour, or habit has most improved your life?

The focus to make sure that I get outside of my comfort zone as much as possible. Some of the best successes I've had in recent years has been as a result of pushing myself to do something that I hadn't done before or felt uncomfortable doing. Once you get over that first hurdle it becomes a lot easier.

What advice would you give to a smart, driven college student about to enter the “real world”? What advice should they ignore?

Unless you're fully focused on being a doctor, teacher, nurse or other profession then often times your initial roles after college may not be the right long term career option for you and it can be trial and error. But be patient, gain experience, learn lessons and if you ultimately try to focus your career around what you are passionate about then you are very likely to be successful. I think Confucius said it best "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."

What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of expertise?

For Hiring Companies to use a lot of recruitment firms to help them cover the market. In my experience, this only helps to ensure an inferior, rushed service is provided and it can dilute the companies appeal in the market. When looking to hire talent, It is best to partner with one or two specialist recruitment firms who commit fully to the process and who know the market and understand your business and culture. This nearly always ensures a smoother process, that you attract the highest calibre talent and that your brand is enhanced and promoted in the marketplace.

When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, or have lost your focus temporarily, what do you do? (If helpful: What questions do you ask yourself?)

Take a break and have a chat with a colleague or get a bit of fresh air. I love to do a quick lap around Trinity or Merrion square. It helps you to clear the mind, focus on the most important deliverable or the best way to approach a particular scenario.