Mount's Bay Labs

Good morning from Shrewsbury, a gorgeous town in Shropshire, UK. It’s a spectacular, sunny morning and likely the beginning of a heatwave. I woke up with a real sense of drive this morning and took myself out for a 10 kilometre run up and down the banks of the River Severn. I run when I can, and when I need to – and in recent months, I’ve needed to run more than I’ve ever ran before.

You see, in April 2024, I had an acute mental health crisis. The signs were there for a year or so prior – but for some reason, I hadn’t joined the dots. So when the crisis struck, I was unprepared. My world caved in. I’ll never be the same again. So I hope…

This past year has seen a lot of change. I took on a role as a part-time hydrographer, in an echo of my professional past, before moving on 12 months later. After slim pickings for a year or so, I at last won some lucrative work as Mount’s Bay Labs – and promptly lost it. Geospatial analysis and mental health battles aren’t great partners.

I still do socials for the International Journal of Remote Sensing, and still love sharing cutting-edge science with the wider world.

As I write this, I’m in what could best be described as my recovery phase. No plans, no goals and absolutely zero interest in a ‘career’. In fact, my LinkedIn bio (Ha! Why so serious?) now says:

Earth fascinates me and I have mapped 3D change professionally since 2011. I’ve worked with various types of remote sensing technology (optical, lidar, radar, sonar) to map, measure and model the world around us.

I’m taking a break from traditional notions of ‘a career’. Instead, I’m focussing on helping like minded folk develop great new products and services which have a positive impact on life on Earth.

As you’re reading this, you’ve probably long since decided I might be someone you’d like to take on. Well, let me assure you: I am!

Are you looking to develop a product?
Perhaps you’re starting to consider a new service and wish to increase your technological readiness level?
Do your plans perhaps lead to positive change?

You’re exactly who I want to work with, and I suspect you’ll “get it”.

There’s no time like the present…

2023 has been a challenge for many of us. I’m no exception, and as the UK has tackled a sequence of economic headwinds, so too have I.

I don’t have access to capital or external expertise so I’m navigating these challenges alone. There are days when I think about chucking it all in and doing something more fruitful.

However, I’m an optimist at heart. I have hope.

In the meantime, I’m evaluating my operations here at Mount’s Bay Labs with a view to tweaking my business plan, goals and direction.

If you’ve considered working with me but not yet got in touch, now would be the ideal time… Hope to hear from you soon!

As Mount’s Bay Labs I draw on a dozen years of experience mapping wildfire ignition risk, surveying forest structure, and detecting coastal and submarine dynamism.

What connects the three? In a word: geospatial.

More fully: measuring dynamism in the world around us using remote sensing, LiDAR, SONAR and GIS.

To illustrate this, I gave Jake at Frisson Films a call to see if he could animate my logo. Twenty minutes later, he sent me this:

A job well done. Cheers, Jake!

I’ve never advertised Mount’s Bay Labs. In fact you could probably contend that I’ve been a bit too reluctant to push my business ‘out there’. It’s therefore a great source of pride that I’ve been vaguely successful despite this.

I’ve managed to keep a roof over my head during a cost of living crisis – without compromising my strategy. This feels like a positive.

As my first full financial year as a sole trader draws to a close, I can’t help but reflect. I’ve learned lots. The biggest lesson, though, is probably just how lonely this journey can be.

So I just want to thank you, once again, for your time and support.

If you’re reading this, come and say hello. Let’s catch up!

Cheers,
Tom.

Dear diary,

March 2023 has been intense!

I’ve been talking agritech at Space Park Leicester. I provided technical support for a significant UAV LiDAR survey of the wetlands of Loch Lomond. I’ve even been to York to scrutinise RIEGL’s latest terrestrial laser scanning system.

I’m also seeing record levels of engagement in my work for the International Journal of Remote Sensing. I get a huge sense of satisfaction seeing our articles get traction and sow seeds for some intriguing conversations across social media.

What I hadn’t done was plan sufficient rest and recuperation, so I took a few days out – to run a half marathon overseas. After all, I never did learn how to “switch off”! I managed to complete the race in under 99 minutes. It’s fair to say I’m stoked.

I really must invest in a colleague one of these days so I don’t have to pat my own back on LinkedIn 😉

I can scarcely believe it’s 2023 already. So much changed in 2022 that it feels more like a decade than a year had elapsed, yet 2023 always felt like the far future.

I hope those of you who celebrate Christmas had a great break. I didn’t celebrate myself but I did do some reflection on my first year in business. I found myself burning a jar of midnight oil and drafted a bit of text that I think makes a nice, honest little bio:

Earth fascinates me and I’ve mapped 3D change professionally for a dozen years. I work with remote sensing technology to map, measure and model the world around us. It’s my passion.

It’s the dynamism of the world around us I love. Atlantic storms pounding prehistoric granite cliffs into submission and building beaches around the next headland. Glaciers carving valleys from stubborn geological formations. Forests breathing in carbon dioxide and modifying the microclimate in their midst. 

I get a real kick from sharing my passion for the ever-changing great outdoors with anyone who will listen. It’s not a job or even a project. It’s my purpose. 

Tom, 3rd January 2023

I’m intrigued to hear from anyone with whom this resonates, especially as I seem to slowly pivot from ‘jobbing field surveyor’ to something much more meaningful.

I’m building something behind the scenes much more aligned with my passion, experience and vision. Feel free to reach out, in confidence, if you can relate as there’s always room for some collaboration!

As I informally celebrate the first anniversary of Mount’s Bay Labs, one phrase I’ve heard a few times rings true:

“It’s feast or famine.”

Spot on.

In my first six months, I was inundated with work. In fact I had more work than bandwidth and had to shuffle commitments to fit in what I could.

Unfortunately, the summer was a lot less lucrative. In hindsight, I probably spent too much time tinkering at the expense of marketing.

It’s been hard to stay motivated. When I’ve found my voice, it’s often felt like I’ve been shouting into the void.

This week, though, things are looking up. I’m closing in on extra revenue and there are a couple of projects on the horizon which seem promising.

If you’re reading this, thank you. Your support means the world to me.

I’m in Cornwall, the weather is chaotic and I’m not sure whether to go out in shorts or an anorak. To call it ‘unpredictable’ still feels like an understatement.

Thankfully, there is a constant while I’m here in the westcountry: the desire to tinker, refine and build on what I’ve started with this little business.

Here’s what I offer at the moment:

If you didn’t know I also specialise in training and education, egg on my face. I’ve been teaching PhD, MSc and BSc classes in GIS and remote sensing for about eight years. It’s actually a lot of fun.

It’s also something I now offer to the wider world. I’ve got so much data, a great many maps and (still) a lot of enthusiasm for all things geo.

I’ve been talking ‘coastal change’, ‘reservoir levels’ and ‘keeping the lights on’ since I got here a week ago. An endless conveyor belt of storms won’t do anything to help at least two of this trio, but it makes for some nice and inoffensive background imagery.

Save my family from my lectures on environmental change and hire me to teach your employees and students!

More info: mountsbaylabs.com/services

Setting up a business isn’t easy. Nobody said it would be, and I’d have been a fool for thinking otherwise. However, I’ve found that challenges lie in unexpected areas.

My biggest challenge has been in refining ‘my offer’ and communicating the services I offer to clients. The first edition of this website wasn’t entirely clear, with a few especially helpful critics asking:

“What exactly is it that you do?”
“I can’t work out what you’re selling. What is it?”
“It’s a lot of words saying very little.”

All very helpful, constructive feedback but questions that took a little while to answer. I spent much of July and early August pondering this sort of question before arriving at what I think are coherent, concise answers.

So, what do I offer?

1. Consultancy and project support. I can help you plan and deliver projects, especially where mobile LiDAR and mapping is involved.
2. Geospatial support: data capture, processing, analysis and GIS. That sort of thing.
3. Scientific and technical communication: words and visuals, tailored to an audience.
4. Research and development. It’s what I’ve done the most since leaving the offshore world. I love trying to find answers and develop new services.