Our Guest: Ben Aston, Founder of Black + White Zebra & The Digital Project Manager

In this episode, Ben Aston discusses all things project management, from how to hire and train a successful project manager to what he learned from building The Digital Project Manager.

Although project management is not sexy, it’s essential for any business to grow. Listen in to learn why from an expert!

Conversation Highlights

  • What it’s like to study abroad in Hong Kong, China
  • The qualities of a successful project manager
  • How to evaluate, hire, and train a great project manager
  • Lessons learned from creating The Digital Project Manager
  • Why project management is so critical
  • Two effective ways to interview a project manager candidate

Key Podcast Moments

  • [0:59] Roundtable Discussion: Studying abroad in Hong Kong
  • [2:33] Roundtable Discussion: Surprising differences between the UK and China
  • [4:43] Roundtable Discussion: No partying for Ben!
  • [6:02] Roundtable Discussion: How has covid-19 impacted your friends still in Hong Kong?
  • [7:17] How Ben got started in agencies
  • [10:01] What makes a great project manager?
  • [12:15] What tools are helpful in evaluating a project manager you want to hire?
  • [13:48] Best ways to train a project manager + Why it’s hard to hire the best project manager for your company
  • [16:16] What have you learned from building out The Digital Project Manager?
  • [19:38] What are your most popular courses or products?
  • [21:34] What does the future look like for you? + The importance of project management
  • [25:08] What’s your favorite interview question to ask a project manager candidate?
  • [27:11] How to connect with Ben + The perfect person to reach out to him today

Magic Marketing Quotes from our Guest

  • “There’s no substitute for experience… and varied experience as well.”
  • “From my experience of rolling out a membership product and a learning product… I would say that the easiest one to launch would be a membership product because you can slowly iterate on it over time and people expect it to change and they’re not expecting this polished thing right from the get-go.”
  • “If we’re talking about profitability… having project management in place is going to help you create better estimates so that you can actually deliver on those estimates, more accurate timelines and thinking about resources so you’re not stretched and stressed all the time, it’s going to help you manage and control your projects betters.”

Resources Mentioned

About Our Guest

Ben Aston brings over 15 years of experience in both strategic thinking and tactical implementation from a career at top digital agencies including TAG, FCV, Dare, Wunderman, DLKW Lowe, and DDB. He’s been fortunate enough to work across verticals including transit, utilities, FMCG, consumer electronics, eCommerce, automotive, financial services, public sector, and retail brands. He is the Founder of The Digital Project Manager, one of the most credible platforms for project management information and thought leadership, as well as Black + White Zebra, an indie digital media publishing company based in Vancouver, BC. He’s also the Co-Founder of Aston Baby, a high quality baby shoe retailer.

Get in contact with Ben Aston

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