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HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE
In his younger days , Mike Hewan clocked 10.6 seconds for the 100m and a low 21 for the 200m , and had hopes of making it to the Olympics , but torn knee ligaments unfortunately ended that dream . Later he moved into duathlons ( going to the World Champs twice ) and road running , and managed to get his 10km time down to 33 minutes . He was also a talented golfer , playing off a scratch handicap and winning tournaments , and for a while he played with the idea of turning pro ( which his brother actually did ). He also participated in the Land Rover G4 Challenge , making it to the Nationals , which he describes as one of the most amazing experiences of his life : “ Pulling a vehicle out of things , kayaking , sailing , rock climbing , mud , cold water , you name it up … That was fun !”
In between studying for a degree in sports communications and obtaining a certificate in personal training , he co-launched a sports promotions company and moved into the world of cycling – where he became a top-rated rider . Later he worked in bicycle retail as well , having co-founded the Complete Cyclist franchise . Next , Mike moved into marketing , co-creating the Ninja Puppy consultancy and working with various high-profile companies and brands , providing outsourced marketing solutions , sponsorship partnerships , and so on . This saw him temporarily work full-time for Technogym , then Planet Fitness , but now he is back at the helm of Ninja Puppy , and his latest co-venture , Grapevine Global Network .
PLANTING THE SEED
“ Grapevine is about bringing people together in a closed loop , subscription-based ecosystem to incubate and amplify connections , and create networkers through this ecosystem ,” says Mike . “ It ’ s a website built to function like an app on your phone , and you start by creating a profile , and then use the system to meet , network , socialise and do business . I don ’ t want people to come in , pay for one month , come to one event and hand out some business cards , and then leave again . I want people to invest in it and really see the benefits of the interconnected ecosystem and networking .”
We ’ ve already got some exciting partners , including a big hotel group and an airline , and we ’ re about to do a big joint venture with a massive women ’ s empowerment network . We ’ re also going to expand to talks and webinars , and I ’ m co-hosting a Tuesday afternoon show called GrapevineConnect on 91.9FM , with Nicole Da Silva , where we bring on a different guest every week , coming out of Grapevine Global , to talk about the business of networking and how relationships have played a role in their journey .”
PICKING THE FRUIT
Mike says he is already seeing the interconnected benefits of Grapevine Global pay off , which in turn is helping his clients . “ I ’ m often asked by people , oh , don ’ t you know the CEO of company X , can you connect me with him ? But I don ’ t just want to dish out contact details , because I believe there ’ s much more to the art and skill of connecting people . For example , I just had a meeting with a big rugby organisation , who we ’ re taking on as a new client through Ninja Puppy , and besides our marketing services , they ’ ve got a couple of things they need , including partners and service providers in certain fields that they ’ re just not getting to ,” says Mike .
“ As I drove home from the meeting , I got three of them ticked off immediately , because I thought about who in the Grapevine I can phone . I called one the next morning , and he ’ s over the moon , because he ’ s a massive rugby fan , and can ’ t wait to get his brand involved . Grapevine ’ s thinking is to bring them all together in one space , where they can get extra benefit out of being part of that rugby set-up . End of the day , I want people to think , we need this network , because we ’ ve got a business , or an event , and we need to meet more people who are playing in that space , that we can work with and collaborate with , and can benefit from being in business together .”
GRAPEVINE GLOBAL IS DEDICATED TO CONNECTING PEOPLE , COMPANIES AND BRANDS THAT WILL INCREASE THE RETURN FOR ALL INVOLVED . VISIT WWW . GRAPEVINE . GLOBAL TO SIGN UP TODAY !
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