Author: Robert Woolf

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Going where the energy is

By Robert Woolf

Made Open Time4Good
Being a private company in the social sector isn't easy. For a start, we're not eligible for most grants or donations; meaning we depend on revenues. To the uninitiated, there can also be an assumption that a private company has money "swishing about" (if only). That said, I’ve acknowledged over the years that constraints and perceptions like these are a blessing in disguise. They motivate us to keep pushing - carefully, responsibly and within our means - to build something of real value. In 2026, we're preparing to push harder than ever. What we’re building…

December 10, 2025

Life as the underdog

By Robert Woolf

The underdog
It became a bit of a running joke when I was younger that I only ever got a “promotion” when I left a job. The person stepping into my role would suddenly get a huge pay rise to “fill my boots” - it was annoying. But the truth is, I never spoke up. I left it until the exit interview…

November 3, 2025

Are you a creator or a consumer?

By Robert Woolf

No fate Squeezy balls
Last week, Kathryn and I invited a friend’s son over for a chat about working in the creative industry. His folks aren't familiar with this sector and are unsure how to guide him. His Dad's also read that AI might replace all creative jobs in the future and wanted our take on it. Noah, who’s doing his A-Levels, came over…

October 14, 2025

Between work and home, there’s community.

By Robert Woolf

Made Open
As someone who believes in the importance of communities, I don’t engage with my community that much. I know I will; I’m just too busy at the moment. Still, I love the small things about my community: walking to the bakery, saying hello to increasingly familiar faces and noticing little changes in village dynamics. I dip into our local Facebook…

October 4, 2025

All you need is love

By Robert Woolf

Let love rule On the road
It’s been 21 years since Kathryn and I last took a holiday together - just the two of us. Twenty-one years of devotion to our boys, of shaping their childhoods with memories, adventures and lessons that we hope will guide them well into adulthood. We’ve done our best. We’re not wealthy, nor do we have a guardian angel looking over…

October 4, 2025

I’ll be back

By Robert Woolf

Made Open Small is beautiful
As a movie lover, I should have opened with this line when I stepped down as CEO in April. Because, well, I’m back! Before I say more, I'd like to say a big public thank you to Phil. I’ve never met anyone more willing to find answers and stick with things until the job is done. He's incredibly smart, is…

August 29, 2025

Change is inevitable

By Robert Woolf

Made Open No fate
Change is the algorithm of life, keeping things moving forward. Without change, we get stuck. With it, we experience many emotions. Anxiety, excitement, jeopardy. As we get older and start to settle down, with families, mortgages and careers, change becomes more complex. One decision affects ten others. Then, when we get older again, with grown up children and more time…

July 1, 2025

Why local still matters

By Robert Woolf

Time4Good
Why local approaches still matter (and why national approaches must evolve). Over the past week or so, people have been getting animated about the new £5m national volunteering platform from RVS. It’s sparked some great conversations with our clients, team and online about whether volunteering platforms (and their funding) should be managed locally or nationally. I won’t lie: seeing that…

June 22, 2025

What the system doesn’t see

By Robert Woolf

One angry dwarf Squeezy balls
As a service designer, I often hear stories that don’t align with the brief I’ve been given. It’s not anyone’s fault, it’s often why I’ve been commissioned, but what people say they do (or think they do) often differs greatly from their actual behaviour. For some people, attitudes are more important than facts. If they believe something to be true,…

May 9, 2025

The man who planted trees

By Robert Woolf

Made Open Man who planted trees
Many years ago, 2015 to be exact, I was invited to be the keynote speaker at the BOFA Film Festival in Tasmania. For some reason - maybe because I've a face for radio or because I'm the consumate invisible man - I rarely, if ever, get asked to speak at events. In fact, aside from turning down a TEDx talk,…

April 26, 2025

Walkshops: clarity on the coast path

By Robert Woolf

Man who planted trees Small is beautiful
On foot. Along the coast. With space to breathe. Welcome to my "walkshops" - a gentle, grounded way to untangle thoughts and find clarity. I live on the north coast of Cornwall (near St Agnes) and I'm happy to walk with founders, entrepreneurs or leaders who are processing change, craving direction or simply feeling a bit stuck with a particular…

April 20, 2025

What to do with myself?

By Robert Woolf

No fate Squeezy balls
Since my last post, life has shifted. I’ve stepped down as CEO of Made Open and moved into a part-time strategic role. In some ways, a lot has changed and nothing at all. I’m still waking up at 5am, getting up at 6. I'm still working hard for the company I care about. But, other than that, everything feels different.…

February 28, 2025

The 5Ps

By Robert Woolf

Made Open Man who planted trees
In 2009, Kathryn and I were tasked by the Design Council to be the voice of a troubled community that wasn’t being heard. Our task was to explore whether a new community centre could bring about meaningful change. We took this brief on at face value. We were warned this community was "hard to reach". They weren't. People showed up…

February 20, 2025

Rise of the machine

By Robert Woolf

No fate Squeezy balls
I love writing. More than that, I love the process of writing - putting pen to paper, coffee in hand, often most thoughtful when lounging at home or musing in my van. It’s a bit of a cliché but few things in life bring me as much simple pleasure. That said, I’ve become something of a ChatGPT convert when it…

February 11, 2025

Proof of the pudding

By Robert Woolf

Time4Good
I’ve really enjoyed being part of the Time4Good (T4G) 'Proof of Concept', even though I wish I had more time to focus on it. We launched in Oct 2024, and we end later this month (Feb 2025), with a hypothesis that T4G is more effective than social networks for recruiting, retaining and rewarding micro-volunteers. Our goal has been to prove…

January 3, 2025

Be like Audrey

By Robert Woolf

Let love rule
"Nothing is more important than empathy for another human being's suffering. Not a career. Not wealth. Not intelligence. Certainly not status. We have to feel for one another if we're going to survive with dignity." - Audrey Hepburn - I had no idea, but Audrey Hepburn often spoke about compassion, kindness and empathy for others. The above words strikes me…

December 2, 2024

A reflection on positivity

By Robert Woolf

Let love rule No fate
Today, I encountered many people who sigh. The most striking of all was an elderly lady sat opposite me on the train, she let out a deep sigh every few minutes. I felt a bit sorry for her at first but, after a while, she just got on my nerves. I was curious though - what was her story? Was…

November 22, 2024

Savour the wins

By Robert Woolf

No fate On the road Squeezy balls
A good friend of mine has a motto he swears by: “Celebrate early, celebrate often”. He believes in taking every little win and making the most of it. Mind you, he also enjoys a drink and doesn't need much of an excuse to open a bottle of red! Celebration doesn't come as naturally to me because my life seems to…

November 2, 2024

A good exhaustion

By Robert Woolf

I am the greatest No fate On the road Squeezy balls
The excitement of visiting again, Seeing how far we've come in 25 years. Strangers lending a hand, with nothing to gain, Sharing chocolate, as way of thanks. Plunging into icy waters, cold and clear, Feeling awake, feeling alive. Reminiscing with laughter and silence, Exceeding already beautiful memories. Reaching the top, aching bodies and empty minds, A sense of connection, once…

September 20, 2024

The opportunity with timebanking

By Robert Woolf

Made Open Time4Good
Imagine depositing a large sum of money into a bank - would it grow into a fortune? Probably not, but it would earn some interest. Now, consider timebanking. The core idea of timebanking is to give an hour of service, earn a time credit, and receive an hour of service in return. Because time credits have no monetary value, earning…

September 17, 2024

The grumpy wasp

By Robert Woolf

Mother do you think
A few weeks ago, I had a vivid dream about my Dad who passed away in 2022. I stayed awake for hours afterwards, questioning what it all meant. In the dream, Dad refused to help me in a life-or-death situation. This would have been completely out of character for him, obviously. The dream made me question though whether Dad truly…

August 1, 2024

The sky’s the limit

By Robert Woolf

Let love rule Man who planted trees On the road
Back in 1993, I clocked a bloke from across the room wearing a ridiculous Mexican top, similar to the one I was wearing myself. We introduced ourselves and immediately struck up a friendship, week one at university. He had an “everything is possible” vibe which appealed to my “I’m not sure what is possible” demeanour. He saw the world as…

June 22, 2024

The bee in the jar

By Robert Woolf

Mother do you think
The poor bee has become trapped in her jar. Bouncing off invisible walls, the flowers outside are still visible but she can no longer smell them. Poor bee is safe in her surroundings. The poor bee struggles to empathise with the busy bees fraternizing and gallivanting from flower to flower. But her achievements outweigh theirs. Poor bee has lived a…

June 13, 2024

Spread kindness like confetti

By Robert Woolf

Man who planted trees Time4Good
For me, the dark side of the internet is not some far away terrorist or cybersecurity threat, it’s the fostering of negativity and toxic interactions that have increasingly pervaded our everyday online experiences. These days, when I scroll through Twitter/X, it’s mostly just a stream of angry rants. Facebook is bloated with memes and ads. I like WhatsApp for arranging…

June 7, 2024

Embrace the setbacks

By Robert Woolf

I am the greatest No fate The underdog
As a small business owner, I make countless decisions every day. Most are minor, but collectively, they shape our business's success and how I feel about myself. The same is true in life - our choices, big or small, shape our experiences and the way we see or feel about ourselves. But decision-making isn’t just about logic; it’s also about…

May 17, 2024

An ode to Elaine Hudson

By Robert Woolf

Let love rule
I’ve had many highs and lows in my career. The lowest point was being made redundant just hours after my youngest son Sammy was born back in 2007. I’m not kidding. Kathryn and I left the hospital at around 7am and, by 10am, I received an email from my employers making me redundant. But life has a funny way of…

April 19, 2024

What did Covid teach us about ourselves?

By Robert Woolf

Made Open Squeezy balls Time4Good
In moments of crisis, we often instinctively turn to those closest to us: friends, family, a trusted mentor perhaps. It’s a natural response, seeking comfort and guidance from those who know us best. In 2015, for example, I hit rock bottom. Made Open was struggling and my knee pain was so bad I could barely walk the boys to school.…

April 1, 2024

The tricky thing about making things.

By Robert Woolf

Jackanory Small is beautiful
This is a story about Aiden's Mum... Once upon a time, in a cozy little town, there lived a happy boy named Aiden. With a heart full of joy, Aiden invited his best friends to his 7th birthday party. Aiden couldn’t wait! He still remembered how much fun he had on his 6th birthday when his friends gave him lots…

February 23, 2024

I eat bullies for breakfast

By Robert Woolf

One angry dwarf
“You’ll be hearing from our lawyers.” This was the threat made to me last year (2023) by a 'third-party' chancer who, rather than take accountability for his own bad advice to one of our favourite clients, chose to lash out instead. His advice ultimately led to a breach of trust and our resigning an account we had loved working on.…

February 5, 2024

Actions express priorities

By Robert Woolf

Made Open
There’s a story in Better Call Saul (sequel to Breaking Bad) where Kim Wexler, a top attorney disillusioned with corporate life, turns to providing free 5-star legal support to those who cannot afford it. The catch? Her philanthropy is financed through corruption (as if!). This got me thinking about what it truly means to be authentic in business. Can companies…

January 28, 2024

The old lady and me

By Robert Woolf

Time4Good
This is a story about destiny, The story begins in search of a key. “It’s lost”, she said. “I don't know who to phone”, “Please help me”, she sobbed. “I live all alone”. I was 19, a student at the time, Cycling in the dark it was well past 9, She stepped into my path and made her plea, I…

January 27, 2024

How to hug

By Robert Woolf

On the road
The heat in Delhi and Jaipur was relentless, but it soon gave way to a refreshing breeze as the sleeper train chugged its way up the Himalayan foothills. The long journey offered little to do other than listen to music and play cards. Every now and then, we'd dangle our feet over the train's edge. It was wonderful. A few…

January 25, 2024

If not now, when?

By Robert Woolf

No fate
“I want to write a book”, I said. “Oh yeah, what about?”. Aegir didn’t look up from his plate, giving the impression that my lofty ideas were a well-worn topic in our friendship. “Oh I don’t know”, I mused, “changing the world?” Aegir lowered his fork, took a moment, and cleared his throat. It was October 2002, autumn half-term. Being…