A unique partnership between Knaresborough-based entrepreneur, Tina Catling and Malham-based blacksmith, Annabelle Bradley is being launched today, with the first of 100 exclusive gold keys being created on behalf of the global innovation consultancy, think.
Think is an innovation management consultancy that runs on a unique license model which has already attracted some of the world’s most pioneering professionals. Working with leading companies including Nestle, Arup, Cadbury’s Schweppes, Time Warner, Save the Children and CNN, the think team unlock valuable potential and works to create an innovative ethos that’s imbedded throughout these organisations helping them to become more successful.
As co-founder of think, Tina Catling commissioned Annabelle Bradley, who runs Malham Smithy Blacksmiths in North Yorkshire, to design and produce limited edition gold ‘thinkeys’ to celebrate the work of the team. Think’s ethos is ‘Innovation for Good’ and the thinkers aim to use their skills to ‘unlock’ valuable potential by working with good people in good organisations that are doing good work across the globe.
Only 100 of these special keys have been created and they will be presented to each team member at the end of their training. Each key is numbered, as only 100 members will be invited to join this exclusive and highly trained global network of innovation management specialists.
Tina Catling said:
When we were looking for someone to produce these keys, we came across Annabelle.
She had a wonderful story to tell and seemed like a perfect fit for us as, after working for years as an accountant in multinational engineering organisation, she decided to take the bull by the horns and totally change her career path, following her dreams to do something creative, training as a blacksmith and taking on the legendry Malham Smithy in 2007.
Annabelle added:
I was totally inspired by this project as there was a genuine meaning behind the idea of the golden key. We designed the key so that the shaft is a heart – leading to one of my signature ‘Annabelle Bradley Hearts’ at the end.
At the key’s head, we have recreated the think logo. Each one is made in polished brass, and to create a really high quality finish we have gold-plated each one, which gives a fantastic effect.
The keys will be presented in a hand-made box which has been covered in leather and tooled by a Touareg tribesman from Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, where think has one of its clients.
Tina concluded:
We are thrilled to be working with the world’s leading innovators, supporting really interesting businesses to discover how thinking differently will have a big impact on personal and organisational success.
We wanted to find something special that would represent the golden opportunity our ‘thinkers’ have in helping people to be more creative, to have fun at work and to become more successful.
As a team we work to unlock potential and this key symbolises that and will hopefully remind our members of what we do every day and just how precious it is.
Over the last 10 years we have created a system that allows people and organisations to explore potential and make a real difference, but we take our work very seriously.
We are curious about how people think and how creative thinking works and we honestly believe that everyone is creative – sometimes it just gets locked away through the processes of school and university and even through work. We use the best thinking from corporate and cognitive psychology and blend that with commercial rigour to ensure our work really does achieve results for our clients and these keys will symbolise that we will always do our work with good hearts.
The first keys which have been will be awarded to the existing thinkers. Tina Catling will hold key number 1, her co-founder, Mark Davies will hold number two and then the nine existing thinkers, located in the UK, Spain, Canada, USA and South Africa, will be presented with theirs.
