Phil Szomszor

Phil Szomszor

@phil.brightside.digital

Co-founder of LinkedIn strategy & training business, plus: ⚽️ U10s football coach 🐶 double doodle owner 🕹️ retro gaming podcast host 👕 extreme ironing founder

380 followers238 following116 posts

Phil Szomszor
@phil.brightside.digital

So there’s a hosepipe ban and a drought. But this leak near where we live has been going for months. Just trickling down Harmer Green Lane day after day… According to Affinity Water’s website, it has been investigated, but no leak was found. Try again.

Phil Szomszor
@phil.brightside.digital

Half way through the Nigel Farage interview on Political Thinking. Sadly, it’s the softest of interviews from Nick Robinson. Farage is left unchallenged with his obfuscation, dog whistling and lack of hard numbers to back up his points. Worryingly, I can see why people listen to him…

podcasts.apple.comNigel Farage: 'Broken Britain', national identity and lessons from TrumpPodcast Episode · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · 13/02/2026 · 53m
Phil Szomszor
@phil.brightside.digital

Spoke to the old man on the phone just now, asked what he wanted for Christmas. “Oh nothing really…. Actually, there is something. I could really do with some diabetic soft top socks.” Nothing says Christmas more than diabetic soft top socks. Who said the magic of Christmas isn’t still alive?

Phil Szomszor
@phil.brightside.digital

Finally gave in and bought the TATE grip for my @evercade.co.uk EXP. £18 for plastic handles felt daft, but it completely transforms the vertical games. Started with Toaplan 3 on Crazy Burger’s recommendation. Not a huge shmup fan but liking it so far. What’s next?

Phil Szomszor
@phil.brightside.digital

Saw the Springsteen biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere last night. Kept away from reviews before, which I'm glad I did. Well worth seeing as a lifetime fan. Jeremy Allen White pulls it off as the Boss, and Stephen Graham was brilliant, as always, as his old man. Go see it.

Phil Szomszor
@phil.brightside.digital

Just finished binging Coining It, the podcast about self-styled bitcoin Robin Hood, James Parker. @lewisgoodall.com does a brilliant job on the narration and intereviews and is pretty sensitive to all the guests, without punching down or judging. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/c...

podcasts.apple.comCoining ItTrue Crime Podcast · Series · In a damp Blackpool flat, James Parker is broke, restless, and stuck in a life going nowhere - until he discovers a glitch in a Bitcoin trading platform that begins pouri...
Phil Szomszor
@phil.brightside.digital

🔓 New free coworking space unlocked: Samsung KX. Decent coffee and plenty of room (until word gets out). Try not to get distracted by the gaming station… 🚶‍♂️ 3 minute walk from Kings Cross and St Pancras. 📍 Coals Drop Yard, London

Phil Szomszor
@phil.brightside.digital

My side-hustle / hobby podcast is conversations with people who are bringing old-school video games back. The latest interview is with two of the heads of Blaze Entertainment, the company behind cartridge-based system, @evercade.co.uk Check it out 👇

Retro Titans Podcast@retrotitans.com

Excited about the Evercade Showcase? 🙋‍♂️ Or maybe you have questions… 🧐 Either way, check out our exclusive interview with Blaze head honcho Andrew Byatt and marketing supremo Sean Cleaver. Listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon and more open.spotify.com/episode/4Jt3... #retrogaming #neogeo #taito

Phil Szomszor
@phil.brightside.digital

If I have to watch this Mother's Day ad from Open Table one more time, I might have to take a frying pan to my phone 🤯 Reckon I get served it around 10x a day on YouTube. Enough already 🍳 <<and breathe>>

Phil Szomszor
@phil.brightside.digital

The best move we made in recent years was getting to know folk in the neighbourhood. For years, I was obsessed with uni mates (who I still love) who live around the UK. Tonight was Christmas Eve drinks at our place. Easier on so many levels ❤️ The kids are… somewhere 🤷‍♂️

Phil Szomszor
@phil.brightside.digital

The last episode of my 2024 side-project, a podcast dedicated to retro gaming with an emphasis on @evercade.co.uk ⤵️

Retro Titans Podcast@retrotitans.com

🎙️ Retro Titans: episode 28, season finale Our final episode features regular guest, Evercade YouTube extraordinaire Crazy Burger. We take a tour of 2024 and discuss what we hope the next 12 months hold for Evercade. Enjoy! On Spotify and everywere else ⤵️ open.spotify.com/episode/7nNK...

Phil Szomszor
@phil.brightside.digital

Still get asked about extreme ironing and receive interview requests, no matter how low a profile I keep (I did it with a completely different name 20+ years ago). A while ago I wrote the story of how it all started and the weird and wonderful journey I went on. Here's what I came up with ⤵️

linkedin.comChairman of the board: starting the extreme ironing craze and how it become an epic memeIn 1997, a single moment changed my life forever when I decided to take my ironing outside and tell my housemate I was “extreme ironing”. “Wait there,” he said when he spotted me in the garden , then ...
Phil Szomszor
@phil.brightside.digital

I do like Bluesky, but finding people is a bit tricky. Found this helpful guide from talent acquisition guy jantegze.com Mostly aimed at recruitment, but useful tips for sales, marketing and researchers. newsletter.fullstackrecruiter.net/p/how-to-fin...

newsletter.fullstackrecruiter.netHow to Find People on BlueskyDiscover how to make the most of Bluesky's powerful search features and advanced Boolean tricks to find people on Bluesky, the alternative to X (Twitter).
Phil Szomszor
@phil.brightside.digital

Seen that US congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - aka AOC - is the first person to hit 1m followers on BlueSky 🔥 I remember AOC playing Among Us on Twitch a few years back to engage with younger people to vote Follow her at @aoc.bsky.social Wonder who’ll reach the million threshold next..?

Phil Szomszor
@phil.brightside.digital

“Well, we wanna be free, we wanna be free to do what we wanna do, “And we wanna get loaded and we wanna have a good time” If these lyrics epitomised your years growing up and becoming an adult in the 90s, watch this 👇 Fascinating account of Loaded and 90s culture. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

bbc.co.ukLoaded: Lads, Mags and MayhemLaunched 30 years ago, Loaded magazine epitomised the 90s in its irreverence and appetite for hedonism. But how did it stand up to pressure to put more 'sexy babes' on the cover?
Phil Szomszor
@phil.brightside.digital

So this seems like a good place for TV chat. Got the finale of ‘Bad Sisters’ tonight, which has been a delight. No spoilers please 🙉 Off the back of ‘Master of the Air’ and ‘Slow Horses’, quality levels on Apple TV remain high. What should we watch next?

Phil Szomszor
@phil.brightside.digital

“Phil, why are you trying to get an umbrella out of that vending machine?” asked Jo. “Erm, I thought this was how to get into the office,” I replied. Naturally assumed the QR code was needed to register. Tell me I’m not the first to do this…

Phil Szomszor
@phil.brightside.digital

I've been talking a lot about Bluesky on #LinkedIn. Figure there's a lot of people who might find they prefer things over here - or at least have a browse. So here's my 11 reasons for LinkedIn users to check out Bluesky - head on over to add to the list! Or connect if we haven't done that yet.

linkedin.comPhil Szomszor on LinkedIn: 11 Reasons Why LinkedIn Users Should Check Out Bluesky 🦋 So, I’ve spent… | 20 comments11 Reasons Why LinkedIn Users Should Check Out Bluesky 🦋 So, I’ve spent the past 5 years saying the LinkedIn is the way forward for professional profile… | 20 comments on LinkedIn
Phil Szomszor
@phil.brightside.digital

Coffee break intro time - here’s 5 things about me: 1️⃣ Run a LinkedIn marketing agency with my wife, based in Hertfordshire 2️⃣ Ex-tech PR agency (still love tech) 3️⃣ U8 football coach 4️⃣ Reto gamer, host of an Retro Titans podcast 5️⃣ Owner of Double Doodle who won’t grow up What are your 5 things?

Phil Szomszor
@phil.brightside.digital

The boy got a Micro:bit as one of his birthday presents. Don’t know how loves it more, me or him. The kinaesthetic learning aspect is what makes it special, from the moment you switch it on for the first time. Anyone got any Micro:bit coding tips, hacks or things to try?