"What could you do with a day of my time, to help you get to your one matchstick office?" posed Alan to me, generously.

"Trade it?" I replied, and started smiling, gratefully.

And so Alan Hilburg has offered me a day of consulting with him, that I can trade on for the Key to the one matchstick office (well, that’s our aim with this trade!).

The thing is, Alan doesn't need the Mobile Lifestyle Makeover item which is my current item to trade. He’s very mobile, living between Washington DC and Johannesburg as he expands his company, Hilburg Associates, into Africa.

Thus a tricky trading traverse has presented itself: I've said I was burning the matchstick from both ends, and now maybe it’s got lit in the middle too?

• On the left side of the matchstick is my current item, the Lifestyle Makeover.
• On the right side I have a possible Landlord who has space he is willing to trade for.
• And now, in the middle somewhere, is a day with Alan Hilburg – the world’s foremost Crisis Management guru.

A day with Alan Hilburg

“Alan Hilburg is an American communications and branding consultant. Hilburg specializes in crisis management, litigation and organizational brand alignment.
Hilburg has worked on 107 trials and over 200 global crisis cases and branding campaigns beginning in 1982 for companies like Tylenol and more recently with the U.S. Veterans Administration.
He has also worked in various industries including the tobacco industry (in which he created the Under 18—No Tobacco strategy), transportation, hospitality, environmental industries, chemical, healthcare and education sectors.
Hilburg has over 30 years of experience as a communications strategist consultant, and has also written two New York Times best selling books and produced several documentaries.
He has been described by the London Times as being a "leading corporate brand architect," and the New York Times has referred to him as the "Red Adair of corporate crisis management.”

• Businesses
• Major corporations
• High profile individuals
• Celebrities

• You get 8 face-to-face hours of Alan’s time – additional time spent learning your business, market conditions etc. will be for Alan’s own additional investment.
• These 8 hours can be used in one go, or broken into 2 x 4 hours, or an initial 4 hour and then 2 x 2 hour sessions.
• Alan will require as much “stuff” as possible in advance to make the time most valuable, and he will do independent due diligence. He will also follow up to see the progress.
• As many people as you like can be part of the session with Alan. Though, if there are more than ten people then everyone will have less time to contribute.
• Participants can be at any level, however if strategy is a key focus, then it should be those who set the strategy who attend.
• When the session will be held will be dependent on participants diaries, and would be set for sometime in the first three months of 2015 (and remember, everything is negotiable ;-) )
• The session can be held anywhere. If in South Africa, travel will be for Alan’s account. If outside of South Africa, expenses would be expected to be covered by you.