As another year passes, we're looking forward to an exciting 2022 for Team Holst. But before then, we're hoping to spend much needed time with our loved ones, and catching up on some enriching reading, listening and watching ...
Holst Office Christmas & New Year Closing Dates
Just as we hope you will take some time off, we’re closing our office at 1pm on Thursday 23rd December. We re-open at 9am on Tuesday 4th January 2021. However, we will still pick up messages on 0203 111 9292 and emails to hello@weareholst.com. Please get in touch if you need assistance.
McQuaig clients: please try to get your orders in by 5pm on Wednesday 22nd December. We will fulfill orders over the holiday period, but they may be subject to delay.
The 2021 Holst Christmas Book, Boxset and Podcast List
Last year saw our inaugural annual book list. And this year we expand into boxsets and podcasts. The reset of 2020 seemed to spark incredible growth through 2021 in how we consume information and entertainment. While the pandemic has been severely testing, it has created the conditions for innovation and creativity.
We’ve experienced that for ourselves. If 2020 was a year to survive in business, 2021 has been a year to thrive. We’re excited about the opportunities we have created, the new relationships we have made and of course the established working relationships that we truly cherish.
We hope that our reading, watching and listening favourites might give you a little inspiration over the Christmas and New Year period. Take this opportunity to rest and recharge, ready to get 2022 off to a terrific start!
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from everyone at Holst!
My go-to piece of escapism this year was the Apple TV super-hit Ted Lasso. Aside from being terrific entertainment with an amazing cast, it gave us a different take on leadership and personal growth. It was It was heart-warming to watch a diverse and cross-functional team navigate the pressures of family, friends and workplace in an environment where the boundaries blur. Something that resonates now as we seek to find a sustainable balance in our professional and personal lives.
I’ve loved reading Bob Mortimer’s memoir And Away … It’s funny as you would expect but also tinged with sadness. It’s a salutary lesson in paying proper attention to one’s own wellbeing and making good decisions. It’s a book that you won’t regret spending few hours with this Christmas.
For Leaders Global Podcast – These guys have some frank, open and honest conversations with leaders around the world. They’ve got a really good take on the difficulties modern leaders face, how to motivate their teams and keep going to get results.
I am trying to get my head around web 3.0 and the Modern Finance podcast is good to play in the background. After 6 months I am finally starting to piece together some of the structure, terminology and currencies to look out for.
As a massive F1 fan, this season has been epic and I spend an inordinate amount of my spare time listening, reading and watching the sport. F1 contains so many incredible lessons for business – teamwork, resilience, leadership through difficult periods and motivation when all looks lost. The MissedApex podcast is a must-listen.
Andre Agassi’s Open is a phenomenal story of personal grit and overcoming the odds. The story is a surprising one that talks about how natural talent isn’t enough to succeed. You need to be able to communicate and understand how others will help you to achieve your goals.
I have aurally inhaled books this year, thanks to Audible. I’m particularly fascinated by the women who were never ‘written into’ history, yet wielded great power. Move over Elizabeth, it’s your great grandmother Margaret Beaufort who deserves the title of greatest Tudor. An incredible tale of grit, resilience and self-belief, with perhaps a dash of luck in dangerous times. I also loved Catherine Ostler’s Duchess Countess. The protagonist is perhaps not exactly a heroine, but she sure was a fighter, not to be underestimated! I’m currently reading I Am Malala, which I’m rather ashamed to have only just got round to!
I’m a podcast addict, and could name many that have I have binged on this year while gardening (which I hate). The stand out though is The Dropout – Elizabeth Holmes on Trial. It follows the story of the Theranos founder from her beginnings to the current day. Will she get off? I rather think she will … Definitely a study in when leaders go too far ….
Kon-Tiki follows the story of the 1947 raft voyage by Thor Heyerdahl and his five companions across the South Pacific to prove that the Polynesians came from South America. Utterly fascinating, this is a a classic, inspiring tale of daring and courage.
Another stand-out non-fiction for me is Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. It’s the true story of a 24-hour period on Everest, when members of three separate expeditions were caught in a storm. They faced a battle against hurricane-force winds, exposure, and the effects of altitude, which ended in the worst single-season death toll in the peak’s history. In both books the teams show extreme resilience and motivation and teamwork.
This year I have discovered a love of classical music! It’s been so good for my mental wellbeing during a turbulent year and The Chief loves it too. I find it both relaxing and mentally stimulating – no adverts, no commentary… it’s awesome. Particular favourites are Prokofiev (Peter and the Wolf score), Tchaikovsky (Nutcracker) and Mendelssohn (Fingals Cave).
I’m not usually tempted by historical fiction but Cecily by Annie Garthwaite is brilliantly reimagined. Set in the 15th Century, Cecily is born high but marries a traitor’s son. She plays the political game against numerous enemies who wish her dead. With courage and cunning she strives to save her family, but with the price being the crown, she has to choose between loyalty or treason.
I have greatly enjoyed the Real Dictators podcast which delves into the real story of history’s tyrants, how they rose to power and what they did to stay there. It’s full of fascinating insights into the people behind horrific regimes.
I’ve got too many TV favourites to slim down into a short list! Succession on Sky Atlantic shows just how powerful the media is, very close to the mark! Landscapers also on Sky Atlantic is a quirky true story about murder, or is it true? Netflix’s Bloodline is a gritty story that sees a family get deeper and deeper into a world of lies and crime. Midnight Mass again Netflix, be warned, it has it’s scary moments!
This is Us from Amazon Prime is heart wrenching at times, both in a happy and sad way. Your challenge is not to cry while watching! 9 Perfect Strangers also Amazon Prime is a bit off the wall at times, but quite compelling.
And finally, Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing on BBC iPlayer – a wonderfully simple, honest, funny and easy to watch programme.
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We’re a team who practice what we preach. 2021 was a challenge but we’ve survived and thrived through perseverance, motivation and above all by supporting each other. Contact us to find out how we can help you in 2022.
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