Use Criticism to Improve Your Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Use Criticism to Improve Your Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career In this day and age, customers have more noteworthy control than any time in recent memory. Through audits and web based life, they can learn and leave input about your business. Numerous business visionaries dread accepting analysis; be that as it may, negative remarks can give significant insights to improving your business. Here's the manner by which to utilize negative remarks to grow your image. 1. Expel yourself from the remark. By and large, analysis isn't about you, except if you were by and by discourteous to the client, in which case you merit a negative remark. Rather, a great many people will be reproachful of your item or administration. Thus, you would prefer not to think about the remark literally or get cautious. 2. Discover the center of the analysis. Now and then customers take the long course when whining or giving criticism. You will probably filter through the grumbling to discover the meat of the issue. For instance, a purchaser may disclose to you why they required your item, why they pick your item and the entire procedure they experienced to purchase, however what you need is the center issue, for example, it broke, didn't work or was an inappropriate shading. 3. Use analysis to improve your item or administration. As a matter of fact, there are customers who will gripe and leave awful criticism that is intended to be snarky or discourteous. Some of the time they get steamed at things you have no power over. I once had somebody grumble to me and request a discount on an item I didn't make or sell. In any case, numerous individuals give criticism that can uncover zones you can improve in. Maybe they like the item, yet not your client assistance. Possibly they feel the request procedure was excessively troublesome or long. These are issues you can fix. 4. Go through analysis to hamburger your client care. I love that when I gripe about my printer or Internet administration on Twitter, the organizations react requesting more data or alluding me to an asset where I can get the issue settled. Not all organizations are responsive. At the point when individuals whine, the speed wherein you react and the nature of your reaction can have a tremendous effect on your image. In the event that you react well, not exclusively will you hold a client, yet that client may allude new business. Nonetheless, not reacting will bring about more than losing a client. It can likewise mean losing other potential clients in light of negative audits and remarks. Negative criticism and grumblings can't be kept away from. Indeed, even the best organizations get grievances. In any case, shrewd organizations perceive that productive analysis is a learning device they can use to improve. Further, by reacting expertly with the goal of being useful they can make client evangelists who will spread the organization's image.

How To Create An Optimized Linkedin Profile For Job Searching

How To Create A LinkedIn Profile (Optimized For Job Searching) by CultiVitae | Aug 29, 2019 | Career Advice, job search, linkedin, networking | 0 comments Hey there Cultivator! In this text, I’m going to be sharing three tips on tips on how to optimize your LinkedIn profile for job looking. Let’s break down really shortly why that is so necessary. A lot of job seekers believe the only way to discover a job is by submitting their resume or software right into a job description posted online. However, I need to share the alternative end of that spectrum, which is that recruiters each and every single day are actually typing in key phrases and trying to find individuals with specific ability units so that they will message them and ask, “are you by chance interested in a possibility?” So if you’re not getting inmails, likelihood is there are ways to optimize your LinkedIn profile to be able to rank greater within the search results. RELATED: FIVE LINKEDIN PROFILE PICTURE TIPS TO LEAVE A POSITIVE FIRST IMPRESSION I wish to provide the analogy of the app Yelp. On Yelp, you’re all the time typing in “best eating places” and the city that you just’re visiting, and you’re going to probably yield lots of of results. However, chances are you’re probably only clicking on web page one, possibly page two. Very not often do you transcend that, proper? You simply need to know the restaurants that are ranked the very best. The same factor is going on on LinkedIn. At the tip of the day, LinkedIn is a search engine. And if I’m typing in your skillsets like “project supervisor” and your metropolis, are you rating on the primary couple of pages? If you’re not entirely sure, or you realize that you simply’re not optimized because you haven’t been getting any emails from recruiters about these alternatives I’m speaking about, then you’re in luck! We’re going to dive into the way to optimize your LinkedIn profile on your job search. You can wat ch the video below, or proceed studying on to find out! Without additional ado, let’s bounce in. There are literally a lot of ways to optimize your Linkedin profile. I can’t undergo every single considered one of them, but I’m going to undergo three of the principle opportunities I really feel so many job seekers missing out on. And this stems from my recruiting years, looking through hundreds and hundreds of Linkedin profiles to now career coaching and helping individuals create theirs. I have seen that these three sections have been usually the ones that aren’t stuffed out as fully or as precisely as possible. The first one that we’re going to go over is the profile abstract part. Oftentimes I see this left clean, which is not actually telling LinkedIn that you’re optimizing your profile and that it’s as thorough as can be. Just so you know, LinkedIn offers you points for every single part that you examine off and if it’s left clean or it’s just really sparse, yo u’re not likely telling LinkedIn that you’re critical about getting found in search results. The different mistake I see so many job seekers make is that they don’t fully maximize and optimize the area that’s given to them. So on a resume, your profile summary is only a paragraph. On your resume, you’re by no means encouraged to make use of the word “I” or converse from the first particular person. However, LinkedIn is totally reverse of that. They not solely provide you with 2000 characters to fill in that house, but at the finish of the day, your LinkedIn profile is a social media platform. So you’re encouraged to put in writing from the primary particular person and share with the world who you might be, what's your mission, what’s your character, what is it that you do, what is it that you simply love? All of these things must be coming to life and this profile summary part. To give an instance, I want to share my screen with you so you can see how this appears when accomplished correctly. I’m truly alone Linkedin profile and I wanted to level out one thing actually necessary here. At first glance, the profile abstract section solely exhibits the first three traces of what you write in this 2000 character textual content space. So lots of people make the mistake of sharing their “huge what”, or function, down under â€" which may only be seen when individuals click on on “See More”. So it’s really necessary to ensure the most essential a part of the textual content is definitely in the first three lines specifically, as a result of not everyone may click on on the “See More” button here. So to learn via my example, I put within the very first line that I’m a “profession happiness coach and expert job search marketing consultant”. So right off the bat, you understand exactly what it's that I do and what I’m identified for. My mission is easy and I really speak to who I serve and who my meant audience is. RELATED: eig ht CHARACTERISTICS OF TOP JOB SEEKERS Then all through the remainder of my profile abstract, I’m going to be speaking about my backstory. How did I get there? What’s my credibility? What experiences did I actually have along the best way? A lot of people make the error of starting with that and what they do turns into buried under paragraphs, so we simply need to reverse that. Now you might be wondering, how do I know what to write down about my background? The beautiful thing is this is your profile, so there are many methods to customize this. One helpful question is, if your dream recruiter or dream hiring manager have been to land on your LinkedIn profile, what would they should know or imagine about you so as to spark some interest and curiosity to ship you a message and say, “Hey, I learn your profile. I really love what I see. Let’s jump on a name as a result of I’d really like to be taught extra about you.” That’s the whole goal here. So with that question thou ghts, you can actually begin to craft and formulate your personal amazing profile abstract that's injected together with your character, your credibility, and your mission. RELATED: HOW TO CRAFT YOUR ONE-SENTENCE VISION STATEMENT Now that we have an efficient Linkedin profile summary crafted with your individual voice and bringing your character to life, it is now time to maneuver on to the second tip I actually have for you, which is all about creating the expertise part. I feel plenty of job seekers just write out their company, their title, the dates that they’ve labored â€" and that’s it. But once more, LinkedIn really needs you to optimize the space that is given and they have a description box for every single job listed for a cause. RELATED: HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE RESUME You want to share along with your hiring supervisor or recruiter who has now landed on your profile, what it is that you have carried out specifically, what abilities you’ve gained, and most signific antly, what is most relevant to them. It’s the proper time to focus on that and in addition sprinkle and key phrases so that you simply’re optimizing your self for the search outcomes you wish to be found in. All right, so I’m going to take you thru my profile again and just share with you what I imply by all of this. So typically talking, folks have the title, their firm name, the dates that they worked, after which they leave this entire section clean. But this can be a good time to essentially spotlight all of the transferable skillsets that you've got as well as the principle accomplishments you’re really proud of as they align with the future job that you really want. So for example, if my aim right here was to be a consultant or I wished to turn out to be a recruiter for R&D positions, it makes sense that I would have written right here that I was the sole recruiter for 30 R&D requisitions. RELATED: WHICH CAME FIRST: THE JOB OR THE EXPERIENCE? HOW TO MAKE A CAREER TRAN SITION REQUIRING EXPERIENCE YOU DON’T HAVE Now let’s just think about for a second that I don’t want to be generally known as an R&D recruiter, however as an alternative, I need to be known as a recruiter who focuses on full-cycle recruitment. Then maybe I’ll take out R&D and just put, “30 requisitions through the total cycle of improvement”. So it’s really just understanding what you need to be known for in this subsequent place, after which optimizing your expertise to mirror that you've these essential abilities. Aim to sprinkle in particular key phrases and spotlight specific accomplishments that you’ve had in order that it is smart to the reader within the context of whatever job you’re making an attempt to get. By this point, your LinkedIn profile is already more optimized than most candidates on the market, so now you’re ready for the third and ultimate tip! This part is all about tips on how to leverage LinkedIn’s “Open To New Opportunities” feature . This feature privately alerts to all other corporations except the one that’s at present listed in your profile that you are open to new opportunities. If there’s a match on the recruiter’s finish, they can truly message you about new opportunities! So let me go forward and drive you thru what this part looks like so you possibly can make sure that yours is as optimized as may be. To navigate to this characteristic, go to the “Jobs” tab at the prime of the page. From there, click on “Career Interests”. When you click on on this, it'll have this section the place it says, “let recruiters know you’re open”. LinkedIn takes steps not to show your present company that you just’re open, however can’t assure full privateness. That’s okay â€" so long as your current employer is listed as “Present” in your experience part, they won’t be able to see this. So you can turn this on and write a note to recruiters. In this area, you could have 300 characters to wr ite no matter you suppose is necessary. So in my example above, I said I’m open to new opportunities in the Boston area, and I wrote what my strengths are. It’s a perfect time to reveal special parameters about what you’re on the lookout for, as well as give a high-stage overview of what your expertise seems like. When it comes to this next section below, You have a couple of choices. If you need to choose “Actively applying”, likelihood is you’re going to get notified of temp positions and contract positions, which is basically good. Otherwise, you possibly can simply mark any certainly one of these (apart from “Not open to provides”) and it doesn’t actually matter. From there, go forward and fill out the remainder of the section according to your wants. And there you've it! You now have an optimized LinkedIn profile for job searching. Not only will this let you be discovered in a search, but it'll additionally let you reach your dream employers. I really consider that Linkedin is among the most underrated social media platforms. It just blows my mind that you just’re able to attain out to a whole stranger, not to mention the CEO of a company, to allow them to know that you’re interested in opportunities. So should you really want to discover your dream job, it requires you to be more proactive and take control of your scenario. If you need more help and support, I extremely advocate you try the instruments in my free useful resource library, linked within the image below. And when you have any questions about Linkedin, drop a comment and let me know what kind of tutorials you’d prefer to see more of! Success! Now verify your email to substantiate your subscription. There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again. Your email handle will not be printed. Required fields are marked * Comment Name * Email * Website Hi, I’m Emily! I assist profession transitioners place themselves as dream candidates so they can land the ir dream jobs. I consider life is too brief to not get up pleased on Mondays!

The 11 tools you should use to create your personal brand

The 11 instruments you should use to make your own image The 11 apparatuses you should use to make your own image At the point when you begin wandering into an expert field, it promptly hits you there are 5 to 10 experts that you follow intently. You presumably trust all their words, you accept their recommendation, test procedures they are proposing and utilize the devices they suggest. The inquiry is: How would you be able to be that driving figure for others in your field? Welcome to the energizing, requesting and regularly an unreasonable universe of individual branding!I have been building my own notoriety for being an advanced specialized authority for approximately 10 years now and I can let you know: It's a daunting struggle and you must be in it for the long stretch. In any case, it most likely is justified, despite all the trouble and the open doors you can open are tremendous.The beneficial thing is that these days we have a wide range of tech arrangements on our side, so fabricating your own image can be vastly improved sorted out. Here are a portion of my most loved tools.Tools for making your own brandNamechkShakespeare broadly asks What's in a name? I truly don't have a clue, however I realize what's in a Twitter handle. It looks bad to be johnnysmith on one system and smithj on another, so ensure you save a steady naming show for all your top channels. Test out your ideal individual brand name with Namechk to perceive what online life it's accessible on.GrammarlyYou got an extraordinary Twitter handle? Great, presently compose something there! That is the place Grammarly comes in. It's an extraordinary device to run your open correspondence through, so as to ensure you dispense with any bothersome slip-ups in your writings. It's exceptionally helpful, particularly (however not just) in case you're not a local English speaker. Join it with Hemingway to improve both your sentence structure and expressing skills.CanvaBeing an individual managing words implies I'm not a whiz with regards to plan. Canva encourages me a great deal with building the visual side of my image. My top recommendation here is to concentrate on 2-3 formats you like, make them yours by including your mark shading, text style or logo and be predictable with visual messaging.The second best thing to having your very own site is having an extraordinary resume. This isn't only an apparatus for work chasing it tends to be an incredible security material you can send to media you need to compose for, occasions you need to talk at or introductions before potential clients.Related articles:Self-revelation through me datesNurture your character to upgrade your own brandWhy I chose to go all alone for a monthTools for checking your own brandGoogle AlertsGoogling yourself every now and then is an extraordinary propensity you have to grow, yet it's not adaptable enough. Set up Google Alerts for your name and any news you show up in will come directly to your inbox. Ensure you additionally incorporate any basic incorrect spellings of your name or type it in various dialects (a m isfortune Cyrillic letter set clients over the world would be natural with).MentionThis instrument does likewise Google Alerts does, yet for internet based life makes reference to, too. Getting everything in your email is exceptionally convenient! The instrument has an incredible free arrangement and in case you're still right off the bat in building your own image, it'll be totally enough to follow all mentions.TweetDeckIf you're dynamic on Twitter and let's be honest, that is as yet where suspected pioneers assemble you can keep everything in one spot with TweetDeck. I depend vigorously on Twitter records to associate with various gatherings and I thought that it was' an incredible method to concentrate on explicit themes and accomplish more in less time.KloutMany advanced specialists have blended sentiments about Klout the approach they use for figuring their score is talked about a ton. Be that as it may, it's as yet a decent method to evaluate execution after some time. Try not to take a gander at the supreme score that much simply notice in case you're improving or more regrettable and act accordingly.Tools for broadening your own brandBufferLet's face it you can't be dynamic on constantly. Cradle permits you to plan messages for various internet based life and post refreshes at your crowd's most dynamic time of day. Only a tip there: don't simply post the title of the article and the connection, include some an incentive by sharing what you discovered intriguing in the piece. That is the manner by which you assemble genuine idea leadership.IFTTTThe instrument's name is the shortened form of in the event that this, at that point that and this is basically how it functions. You can make an assortment of plans to mechanize your online channels simply pick a trigger occasion and the activity that is performed after, on a similar system or not. The uses of IFTTT are really various you can begin by looking at their top plans for social media.MeetupA late disc losure of mine, Meetup records fascinating occasions with regards to your zone. It's an incredible method to proceed with brand building disconnected a less adaptable, however successful method of getting things done. You will meet new individuals, find new specialty networks. Hello, you can considerably assemble the fortitude of talking at one (and remember to show your speaker profile!)Did I miss anything?Are you previously taking a shot at your own image? What devices do you go to for help? Offer your top picks in the remarks underneath!

The Honest to Goodness Truth on Resume Examples 2018

The Honest to Goodness Truth on Resume Examples 2018 Resume Samples can permit you to introduce your business and instruction data the ideal way. In the event that you wish to stick out, the resume should be perfect. You can likewise find various references for the no cost Resume that your need here. An expert person to person communication profile is as of now referenced as an individual from the applicant's contact data moreover. You're ready to make new segments, include uncommon information, or create inventive strategies to introduce your capabilities. You should simply include your subtleties. Beneath, you will find a rundown of resume models that may help you with your work search. The most effective method to Choose Resume Examples 2018 There are many free imaginative resume layouts you can utilize, permitting you to concentrate your vitality on everything else you ought to do. There are in like manner a great deal of gathering of formats promptly accessible on the web. Picki ng the most appropriate textual styles for your resume is basic so pick shrewdly. The following proficient resume format is suitable for proficient brokers, and it's decisively what you will require. The Basic Facts of Resume Examples 2018 The layout isn't hard to alter and alter alongside print-prepared. It is allowed to download. It is good with Microsoft Word just as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. It incorporates two resume pages just as an introductory letter format and can without much of a stretch be altered and redone with your selection of textual styles and hues. You might be the individual who might state it's not exactly as simple as you expound on doing it. It's cool that you're scanning for an occupation to have some cash, however you need a few issues with continue. Besides, you can search for bank employee occupations on Monster. Most competitors don't comprehend and don't have faith in the capacity of linkedIn organize. It's somewhat easy to drop an eye on the best way to create a modern resume in the most cutting-edge position on the off chance that you've been buckling down in 1 employment for a long time. You ought to comprehend, that resume position is basic, as it can help your chances to get welcomed for a meeting. Each resume position was delivered to improve your chances to secure the position in 2018. You're made to incorporate everything, and the result is normally a resume that doesn't catch enthusiasm since it isn't engaged. Two even segments for the remainder of the page give you heaps of space to charm the organization by methods for your experience, aptitudes, and training. Guarantee you didn't miss whatever could cost you the activity that you long for! At the point when you've checked on resumes in your field, scrutinize continues across fields to figure out how to change the use of activity action words and get a vibe for what makes a compelling achievement explanation. The recruiting chief will attempt to discover the compe titors with the center aptitudes essential for the specific employment. Pertinent relational abilities would be advantageous. Basically in light of the fact that you have zero understanding or it's your absolute first activity. You need an elegantly composed resume in case you're not kidding about finding a drug store specialist work.

Kieran Curran Biotech Startup Success is Ready for the Next Round

Kieran Curran Biotech Startup Success is Ready for the Next Round Kieran Curran: Biotech Startup Success is Ready for the Next Round All Images Supplied by Kieran CurranALONG the scenic hill trails in the mid-west of Ireland, there is a man frequently to be found these days, pedalling along on a  mountain bike, with a golden retriever bounding happily along behind him.As a man in his mid-30s, he’s of many in his age group who traverse these trails, and you probably wouldn’t look twice. But this man is a multi-millionaire who has helped play a key role in the advancement of biochemistry and genetic research worldwide.“It’s not a terribly glamorous formula for enjoyment, but it’s what I enjoy,” laughs Dr Kieran Curran, founder and CEO of Irish firm GenCell Biosystems, which was acquired in 2014 by the multi-billion dollar US medical tech giant Becton Dickinson Co in 2014 for a reported €150m ($170m/ £121m).To say Kieran Curran is modest is an understatement. Throughout his interview with AGENT, he recurrently stressed that he was just one part of the equation in the GenCell success story.“The core t eam, John Daly, Brian Barrett, Noel Sirr and David McGuire, were absolutely vital in getting us off the ground and acquiring customers early on. I put the formula for success and the rapid pace of development of GenCell down to a collectively ambitious desire to attract high calibre customers and provide technologies that ‘moved the needle’ for what those customers wanted to do in terms of ambitions and  technological capability.”Kieran still meets up socially with his original team, and  is looking  forward to some  biking expeditions they’ve planned for  the summer, but with BD-GenCell now firmly established in Raheen in Limerick City, and the handover phase complete (with one of the original crew, John Daly, now in place as Director of Genomics, Ireland), Kieran is looking to the future.He audibly shudders at his being featured on the rich list compiled by Irish national weekend newspaper the Sunday Independent for the past two years, with his estimated worth of €78m.†œThat kind of attention is not the most welcome thing in the world. What I actually get a kick out of doing is building things; building technologies and hopefully turning them into companies that can provide something interesting and useful. Of course, the positive side is that you improve your own wealth, but that wasnt the sole motivation or at the heart of what I wanted to do with GenCell.” (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Technological RiskAS LONG ago as the mid-2000s when he launched his first startup, Curran Scientific, Kieran and his team were developing revenue streams from specialist solutions for multinational medical device companies, but “what this  didn’t have was any great technological risk; so that was the impetus for forming GenCell Biosystems in 2011”.GenCell developed technology that rapidly accelerated and slashed costs for DNA researchers working to “unravel the code of life” for plants, animals and humans.“DNA sequencing gives you the most detailed window into understanding the structure of DNAâ€"the blueprint for every cell in an organism, which controls how your body grows and reacts to threats like infection. The structure of this long chain of molecules matters an awful lot in terms of how you differ from me, or how a productive corn plant might differ from a less productive corn plant. By understanding the blueprint, you get a real window into how organisms should perform, and how susceptible they are to disease.”“This code, in terms of the human genome or the human DNA sequence, is over three-billion letters long. Many years ago, when people were trying to understand the sequence, it cost over £3bn and took over 10 years. The pace of technology change has been such that you could now do it for just over $2,000, and it might take you two or three days. This remarkable shift in technology happened quietly, on the side from the big silicon revolution in computersâ€"the biology revolution has been one that was quietly burning away.”Although sensitivity to the GenCell customer base prevents him from being too specific on illustrations of the technology at work, Kieran explains  that in crop research, the GenCell technology enabled scientists to take naturally occurring commodity crops such as corn, soy, cotton, quinoa, and “establish what DNA structures were advantageous for productivity and resistance to disease and pesticides: that has helped to really move the needle for those engaged in crop breeding, and ratchet up productivity per acre of land without requiring more water, more pesticides or more labour”.True Grit“It takes a certain mentality to stick with it in the lab…”KIERAN only half-mockingly describes himself as “a mechanical engineer who spent too much time in college”.This description would be to entirely overlook the dogged, practical streak that Kieran inherited from his mother who took over the family business Curran Aluminium after Kieran’s father died, and ran it successfully for over 30 years.“That interest in business comes from the influence of my mother… and the influence there of true grit and perseverance; it was clear that that was what was needed to get something up and running,” he recalled.Having graduated from the University of Limerick in 2002, Kieran  undertook a PhD at the university’s Stokes Institute, researching the development of micro devices for use in medical diagnostics.Moving to the university’s start-up firm, Stokes Bio, he invented the Liquid Bridge Technology that was central to the company’s innovative approach to genetic testing.“Not to sound ostentatious, I suppose it was when I was at postgraduate stage, that I realised I had a flair for experimentation. Some people can do it in theory, but it takes a certain mentality to stick with it in the lab, and actually get it working in a practical senseâ€"I suppose that’s maybe a product of being hands-on in the building trade dur ing the summersâ€"you know, the practical things that just help you pull it together,” he says. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); One More Round…“There comes a time when you feel youd like to explore other opportunities…”ENJOYING the luxury of family life and taking a breather after the gruelling lead-up to GenCell’s acquisition, Kieran is now thinking of his next venture.“It might come as a surprise to people that I would like to establish a new technological venture… but, you know, for the sake of my sanity, having taken out the bins on a Tuesday afternoon, that’s what I hope to build in 2016 and onwards,” he laughs.“There was a good interchange of trust between BD and Gencell, and I have no concerns about the entity and its future in Limerickâ€"I think it looks more than promisingâ€"but there comes a time when you feel youd like to explore other opportunities and thats really the place I am at this year,” Kieran reveals.As MD of Curran Sc ientific, Kieran is interested in technology development  and strategic development. He has a passion for seeing technology companies in his native land, declares that he is actively seeking technological investment and strategic development, and emphasises his wish to to bring to the table “something more than investment”.“While my role in GenCell has now been passed on to one of the faithful, John Daly, in plain speech I’d like to think there was one more round left in me,” he laughs.“I’m a little wiser now…”“The kids are only young for a certain period of time…”ITS clear that Kieran Curran regards this period in his life as an opportunity to make up for valuable lost time and resetting his personal values.Kieran and his wife Julie have a very young familyâ€"Caoimhe (4), Sean (3), and four-month-old Grace)â€"and during the pre-acquisition phase, work-life balance was tough.“To be very frank, there wasnt balance. There was one thing you did, and that’s w hat you tried to deliver on. And what’s maybe the luxury of my existence at the moment is I have a lot more time around home to make amends, as it were. I certainly wouldnt approach it in the same way the second time round. The kids are only young for a certain period of time, and to put the phone to one side and enjoy their full attention is a luxury. Im a little wiser now than I was a couple of years ago,” he admits. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Spirit of adventure“There are great lessons to be learned from Shackleton’s story.”IN JANUARY 2015, shortly after stepping back from BD-GenCell, Kieran took a trip to Antarctica on the centenary of the explorer Ernest Shackleton’s famous expedition, which has long been an interest of Kieran’s.“Shackleton made decisions in trying to achieve goals which were not easy calls to make, and which preseverd the safety of his team, rather than the glory of achievement of the expedition.“I just find that real ly coolâ€"that Shackleton emphasised morale, and that he never let anybody down; and most importantly that he didnt lose one person on that expedition. “That shouts to me of a stand-up guy, who also had a spirit of adventure and who would go for it. There are great lessons to be learned from that, Kieran says.Prove your worth“You can start a business at the weekend, with five-hundred quid in your back pocket, and work your ass off.”FOR a man who prizes life away from the spotlight, it’s unsurprising that Kieran advises young start-ups to take a “one step at a time” approach to setting up a new business.As someone who still marvels about the amazing but quiet advances made in biotechnology during the much higher profile and parallel leaps of the silicon revolution, it’s clear that while Kieran is a Shackleton-inspired adventurous explorer of opportunities, he prizes demonstrable achievement over vaulting  ambition every time.While he says he would “offer nothing but e ncouragement”, Kieran stresses that this support would come “with the proviso that they emphasise their own personal development  en route.”“Im not a big subscriber to the Silicon Valley mentality of, let’s all make 25 million dollars and hope for a billion-dollar exit,” he admits. “You can start a business at the weekends with five hundred quid in your back pocket and work your ass off!”“So why not take that approach? Sure, go for it, but raise your big money when you’re worth itâ€"but lets try to keep the hyperbole to a minimum until you’ve proven your worth,” he  concluded. Kieran Curran Biotech Startup Success is Ready for the Next Round Kieran Curran: Biotech Startup Success is Ready for the Next Round All Images Supplied by Kieran CurranALONG the scenic hill trails in the mid-west of Ireland, there is a man frequently to be found these days, pedalling along on a  mountain bike, with a golden retriever bounding happily along behind him.As a man in his mid-30s, he’s of many in his age group who traverse these trails, and you probably wouldn’t look twice. But this man is a multi-millionaire who has helped play a key role in the advancement of biochemistry and genetic research worldwide.“It’s not a terribly glamorous formula for enjoyment, but it’s what I enjoy,” laughs Dr Kieran Curran, founder and CEO of Irish firm GenCell Biosystems, which was acquired in 2014 by the multi-billion dollar US medical tech giant Becton Dickinson Co in 2014 for a reported €150m ($170m/ £121m).To say Kieran Curran is modest is an understatement. Throughout his interview with AGENT, he recurrently stressed that he was just one part of the equation in the GenCell success story.“The core t eam, John Daly, Brian Barrett, Noel Sirr and David McGuire, were absolutely vital in getting us off the ground and acquiring customers early on. I put the formula for success and the rapid pace of development of GenCell down to a collectively ambitious desire to attract high calibre customers and provide technologies that ‘moved the needle’ for what those customers wanted to do in terms of ambitions and  technological capability.”Kieran still meets up socially with his original team, and  is looking  forward to some  biking expeditions they’ve planned for  the summer, but with BD-GenCell now firmly established in Raheen in Limerick City, and the handover phase complete (with one of the original crew, John Daly, now in place as Director of Genomics, Ireland), Kieran is looking to the future.He audibly shudders at his being featured on the rich list compiled by Irish national weekend newspaper the Sunday Independent for the past two years, with his estimated worth of €78m.†œThat kind of attention is not the most welcome thing in the world. What I actually get a kick out of doing is building things; building technologies and hopefully turning them into companies that can provide something interesting and useful. Of course, the positive side is that you improve your own wealth, but that wasnt the sole motivation or at the heart of what I wanted to do with GenCell.” (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Technological RiskAS LONG ago as the mid-2000s when he launched his first startup, Curran Scientific, Kieran and his team were developing revenue streams from specialist solutions for multinational medical device companies, but “what this  didn’t have was any great technological risk; so that was the impetus for forming GenCell Biosystems in 2011”.GenCell developed technology that rapidly accelerated and slashed costs for DNA researchers working to “unravel the code of life” for plants, animals and humans.“DNA sequencing gives you the most detailed window into understanding the structure of DNAâ€"the blueprint for every cell in an organism, which controls how your body grows and reacts to threats like infection. The structure of this long chain of molecules matters an awful lot in terms of how you differ from me, or how a productive corn plant might differ from a less productive corn plant. By understanding the blueprint, you get a real window into how organisms should perform, and how susceptible they are to disease.”“This code, in terms of the human genome or the human DNA sequence, is over three-billion letters long. Many years ago, when people were trying to understand the sequence, it cost over £3bn and took over 10 years. The pace of technology change has been such that you could now do it for just over $2,000, and it might take you two or three days. This remarkable shift in technology happened quietly, on the side from the big silicon revolution in computersâ€"the biology revolution has been one that was quietly burning away.”Although sensitivity to the GenCell customer base prevents him from being too specific on illustrations of the technology at work, Kieran explains  that in crop research, the GenCell technology enabled scientists to take naturally occurring commodity crops such as corn, soy, cotton, quinoa, and “establish what DNA structures were advantageous for productivity and resistance to disease and pesticides: that has helped to really move the needle for those engaged in crop breeding, and ratchet up productivity per acre of land without requiring more water, more pesticides or more labour”.True Grit“It takes a certain mentality to stick with it in the lab…”KIERAN only half-mockingly describes himself as “a mechanical engineer who spent too much time in college”.This description would be to entirely overlook the dogged, practical streak that Kieran inherited from his mother who took over the family business Curran Aluminium after Kieran’s father died, and ran it successfully for over 30 years.“That interest in business comes from the influence of my mother… and the influence there of true grit and perseverance; it was clear that that was what was needed to get something up and running,” he recalled.Having graduated from the University of Limerick in 2002, Kieran  undertook a PhD at the university’s Stokes Institute, researching the development of micro devices for use in medical diagnostics.Moving to the university’s start-up firm, Stokes Bio, he invented the Liquid Bridge Technology that was central to the company’s innovative approach to genetic testing.“Not to sound ostentatious, I suppose it was when I was at postgraduate stage, that I realised I had a flair for experimentation. Some people can do it in theory, but it takes a certain mentality to stick with it in the lab, and actually get it working in a practical senseâ€"I suppose that’s maybe a product of being hands-on in the building trade dur ing the summersâ€"you know, the practical things that just help you pull it together,” he says. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); One More Round…“There comes a time when you feel youd like to explore other opportunities…”ENJOYING the luxury of family life and taking a breather after the gruelling lead-up to GenCell’s acquisition, Kieran is now thinking of his next venture.“It might come as a surprise to people that I would like to establish a new technological venture… but, you know, for the sake of my sanity, having taken out the bins on a Tuesday afternoon, that’s what I hope to build in 2016 and onwards,” he laughs.“There was a good interchange of trust between BD and Gencell, and I have no concerns about the entity and its future in Limerickâ€"I think it looks more than promisingâ€"but there comes a time when you feel youd like to explore other opportunities and thats really the place I am at this year,” Kieran reveals.As MD of Curran Sc ientific, Kieran is interested in technology development  and strategic development. He has a passion for seeing technology companies in his native land, declares that he is actively seeking technological investment and strategic development, and emphasises his wish to to bring to the table “something more than investment”.“While my role in GenCell has now been passed on to one of the faithful, John Daly, in plain speech I’d like to think there was one more round left in me,” he laughs.“I’m a little wiser now…”“The kids are only young for a certain period of time…”ITS clear that Kieran Curran regards this period in his life as an opportunity to make up for valuable lost time and resetting his personal values.Kieran and his wife Julie have a very young familyâ€"Caoimhe (4), Sean (3), and four-month-old Grace)â€"and during the pre-acquisition phase, work-life balance was tough.“To be very frank, there wasnt balance. There was one thing you did, and that’s w hat you tried to deliver on. And what’s maybe the luxury of my existence at the moment is I have a lot more time around home to make amends, as it were. I certainly wouldnt approach it in the same way the second time round. The kids are only young for a certain period of time, and to put the phone to one side and enjoy their full attention is a luxury. Im a little wiser now than I was a couple of years ago,” he admits. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Spirit of adventure“There are great lessons to be learned from Shackleton’s story.”IN JANUARY 2015, shortly after stepping back from BD-GenCell, Kieran took a trip to Antarctica on the centenary of the explorer Ernest Shackleton’s famous expedition, which has long been an interest of Kieran’s.“Shackleton made decisions in trying to achieve goals which were not easy calls to make, and which preseverd the safety of his team, rather than the glory of achievement of the expedition.“I just find that real ly coolâ€"that Shackleton emphasised morale, and that he never let anybody down; and most importantly that he didnt lose one person on that expedition. “That shouts to me of a stand-up guy, who also had a spirit of adventure and who would go for it. There are great lessons to be learned from that, Kieran says.Prove your worth“You can start a business at the weekend, with five-hundred quid in your back pocket, and work your ass off.”FOR a man who prizes life away from the spotlight, it’s unsurprising that Kieran advises young start-ups to take a “one step at a time” approach to setting up a new business.As someone who still marvels about the amazing but quiet advances made in biotechnology during the much higher profile and parallel leaps of the silicon revolution, it’s clear that while Kieran is a Shackleton-inspired adventurous explorer of opportunities, he prizes demonstrable achievement over vaulting  ambition every time.While he says he would “offer nothing but e ncouragement”, Kieran stresses that this support would come “with the proviso that they emphasise their own personal development  en route.”“Im not a big subscriber to the Silicon Valley mentality of, let’s all make 25 million dollars and hope for a billion-dollar exit,” he admits. “You can start a business at the weekends with five hundred quid in your back pocket and work your ass off!”“So why not take that approach? Sure, go for it, but raise your big money when you’re worth itâ€"but lets try to keep the hyperbole to a minimum until you’ve proven your worth,” he  concluded.