Wayne
Forecasting for the future and tapas in the sunPlanning A Busy Second Decade
September has been about making small adjustments to operations at Twilo, which we’ll be slowly integrating into our workflows in Q4. It’s not often I’m able to think so far ahead, but thanks to the hard work everyone has put in over the past six months, we’re in a really strong position to continue to build from. Approaching work in a proactive, rather than a re-active manner, means we are able to make informed decisions with clarity.
And it’s not just Q4. I’ve recently been working on forecasts for the next three years,
Starting with what will be a busy 2026 as we continue into our second decade.
Work-wise, the month has followed August in terms of momentum. Big projects have landed, revenue targets have been met, and we’ve onboarded new clients who we’ll be working with over the coming months. A solid outcome without overcomplicating things – and I still find myself with a handful more proposals to write as I’m summarising the last month.
Ticking Off The Balearics
I also managed a short trip to Menorca in the middle of September, which is the last of the Balearics before ticking them all off. Menorca is quieter than the others, but no less impressive. It boasts white-washed buildings that could pass for Santorini, and some of the best tapas I’ve had. A few days away provided some useful headspace before Q4 kicks in, allowing me to straighten out my plans before we implement them.
Looking ahead, the next few months are about putting the new processes into practice and making sure they strengthen what we already do well. No big declarations, just consistent progress as we close out the year, ensuring the team is aligned and fully on-board with the direction Twilo is headed!
Andrew
Exciting projects & tasty new drinksGetting Ready For The Next Exciting Project
September has given us the opportunity to wrap up ongoing projects and tie loose ends. While we have been getting on top of everything, we have also been planning new and exciting projects ready to start in October. I am excited for us to start working on a new mobile app and office application which will help fire door inspectors carry out their duties. This project will allow us to utilise many different technologies. The applications will use the phone’s camera, export detailed PDF reports and send out email reminders when an inspection is due. It will also incorporate a large inspection journey that will guide an inspector through completing a fire door safety report. This will bring lots of exciting challenges to overcome and I cannot wait to see what we produce.
Adventurous New Drinks
There is a takeaway near where we live that does a mixture of different Asian foods, but they also specialise in boba drinks. We decided to treat ourselves on one Saturday to some good food. I had never had boba before, so I thought that while we were there it was worth giving it a try. I didn’t fancy milky drinks, so I didn’t go for tea or coffee. I instead ordered a pineapple frozen smoothie with strawberry popping boba. I was scared to try it at first because the idea of sipping your drink and then having something solid shoot to the back of your throat was not very appealing. I must admit though that after trying it, I really liked it. It was very sweet and also very satisfying to pop it in my mouth. It was a very fruity and deliciously refreshing drink. I’ll have to try actual tapioca in the future, but I have a feeling that popping boba is the way to go.
End of Summer Get Together and UK Adventure
Now that the summer is drawing near, we travelled down to the midlands to have a last BBQ with my friends. It was the biggest get together I have had with this social circle. It became a sleepover with twelve people in one house! While it becomes cramped at times, it was great fun, and I always appreciate the good company.
I am now preparing for my annual leave in October which I am very excited for. I will be travelling into Wales for a few days to visit some family there and enjoy the local area. After that, I will be travelling back into England and then up into Scotland. I have much sleeping to do whilst on the train rides and fingers crossed they don’t get cancelled.
Matt
Travels through Asia and a dream come true gigHitting KPIs Early Again
This month has been another strong month at Twilo. This month we’ve had our monthly meeting with clients and for some, once again we’ve exceeded our KPI goals for where we’d expect to be at this stage in our marketing campaigns.
Backed By a Great Team
This month with me having annual leave, I was able to pass some of my tasks and responsibilities to my teammates, and of course they did a great job! So, this is just to say thank you guys, you’re all the best.
Goooood Morning, Vietnam!
This month I had the absolute pleasure of travelling from the South to the North of Vietnam, visiting the stunning Saigon, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue, Phong Nha, Halong Bay and Hanoi. I saw some beautiful views and met some friends for life along the way.
I took part in everything that was offered to me, and I’ll have no regrets from my visits as I feel that I’ve seen and done as much as I could across the two weeks. I’d highly recommend a visit to Vietnam if you ever get the chance, it’s a truly amazing country.
Before going to Vietnam and from being a big history fan at school, I knew a lot about the civil war that took place from the 50s-70s and the American involvement. We learnt a lot more from the people that lived in while I was there and even got to visit the iconic Chi Chi Tunnels, which is a network of tunnels that were used for the Vietnamese to travel around and hide from the opposition. We learnt about the spike pits that they used as traps, and it was all very harrowing to imagine what was going on at the time. We got a chance to go through these tunnels, which was 100m and was very dimly lit. Me and two others were the only ones that finished the entire tunnels, with the last 10 meters being very tight and a dark, exactly how they were in the war. Our local guide and war veteran called us war hero’s for completing the entire tunnel. After the tunnels we got to fire guns on the shooting range, I’ve never done anything like this before, and I was miles away from the target every time.
To get around Vietnam, we took three overnight trains. These trains were very much the welcome to real backpacking as they weren’t the comfiest night’s sleep anyone of us have ever had. Also, we got a shout asking for anyone with tissues as the cabin next door had found a dead tiny cockroach. I had tissues so was able to remove the insect and get rid of it. I didn’t realise I was setting myself up for a new job as for the remaining two night trains, the majority of the group was asking me to check their beds and bedding for any sign of creepy crawlies. The second night train was clear thankfully, but the third was not. I removed 12 cockroaches from people’s rooms on that train with people removing others as well. If anyone who knows me from home they know that bugs are not something that I ever associate myself with, so I don’t know what came over me in Vietnam.
One of the highlights of the trip was visiting Hoi An, which is known as the lantern city and has a well-preserved ancient town with a mixture of Chinese, French, Vietnamese and Japanese culture mixed into it. It was one of the most amazing places I have ever visited and would love to have stayed there longer! While there we got to see the temples, do a cycling tour, go to rice fields and see the farmers work, a boat trip down the river, attend a cooking class, and ride in the iconic coconut boats. We also took a boat onto the river and released lanterns onto the water and make a wish. This was really important to embrace the culture, and it was a fun group activity to do together.
When in Halong Bay, we got a boat trip around the iconic islands and the opportunity to do some kayaking. I jumped at this chance, and we kayaked around the different islands and got to see so much wildlife and the fantastic views. Halong Bay is also the setting for 2017’s Kong: Skull Island, as a film buff it was so interesting to see why they picked this iconic location to set the monster movie in.
You can’t visit the capital Hanoi without visiting the iconic train street! We made our way down the stunning tracks, with cafes and bars on either side and found a perfect spot and got a drink to watch the train come. I also spotted a beer bottle cap, which I laid on the track for the train to squish, which allowed me to get a pretty cool souvenir! The train also gets so close to you, you can really feel the speed and power as it goes past you.
When in another country I think it’s important to embrace the food culture! So, when I saw there was a foodie tour around Hanoi, I signed up instantly. This tour took us to many local locations where we got to try out many different Vietnamese street food dishes, which were all stunning. The highlight for me was the coconut coffee and the egg coffee. Two types of coffee I’ve never tried or even heard of, but I’d highly recommend. From the food it’s got me keeping an eye out for Vietnamese places that are in Leeds or elsewhere locally to pay a visit to.
A big part of the night life in Southeast Asia is karaoke, and we had multiple nights on the tour where we ended up singing far too many songs on the karaoke. This was such a good bonding experience for the whole group and produced many laughs on some people’s song choices and I don’t think I’ll be able to listen to some songs for a while.
Feeling Supersonic
The month ended with a trip to Wembley to see the one and only Oasis! It was a dream come true to see them live after being too young to see them before they broke up, but being a fan of their music through my parents. Being able to say that I’ve seen such iconic songs as Wonderwall, Don’t Look Back in Anger & Champagne Supernova live by Oasis is an unreal feeling. Also hearing two of my favourite songs, Acquiesce and Morning Glory, in the opening three songs was a memory that I’ll hold onto forever.
Reece
New websites and being a best manBuilding The New Twilo Site
This month started with tying up a few ongoing projects, once those were wrapped, I moved straight onto shaping the new Twilo site. I’ve been working closely with Liam to push a cleaner, faster build that actually feels different when you land on it. The aim is simple, grab attention immediately, show off what we’ve delivered already, and make it obvious what we can do for future clients. We’ve been testing layouts in the Grilla framework, tidying the Sass, and chasing the small details that make a page feel sharp rather than busy. I’ve been wiring up components, and smoothing how everything behaves, it already feeling lighter.
What Is Next
There’s a full website revamp for an energy company coming up. The goal is a modern, fast site that’s easy to navigate so people can find what they need quickly. I’m also starting an app project that I’m genuinely excited about. It’s a good chance to go deeper into app structure and build something solid.
A Weekend To Remember
I had the pleasure of being best man at my mate’s wedding and it was class from start to finish. The night before was low key, just a few of us in the pub keeping it sensible and running through last bits. I double checked the rings, sorted a rough plan for timing, and practised the speech one more time so I didn’t drift. Morning of the day was steady. Suits on, pin the buttonholes, quick photos, then over to the venue.
The ceremony was amazing. After that it turned into a small festival vibe with lights, bunting, and a playlist that actually kept people on the dancefloor. I did the usual best man jobs, herding people into the right places and keeping the groom calm. The speech landed well, which was a big relief after all the kitchen rehearsals. A few laughs, a few smiles, nothing too long, exactly how I wanted it.
Another mini festival I made it over to was Kirkstall Beer Festival. Tried a bunch of new beers, with Lost Cause and Five Points standing out. I had to grab an espresso martini halfway through to keep going or I would have nodded off. Solid weekend.
Football Is Back
Football kicked off again and the first match arrived with a full storm. The rain was torrential and the ball started sticking to the pitch, which made for a scrappy game and a proper workout. Good to be back out there.
Closing Thought
Next month is about pace and focus. Weekly goals. Clear the backlog early. Firm up sitemaps and wireframes. Sort content and images. Keep performance and accessibility checks in the loop. Make decisions quickly. Scrums regularly, keep the quality high.
Vadym
Refreshed and ready to goA Fresh Start At Home
This month began with a small but satisfying win. We bought a new bed and put it together ourselves. There were a few moments of “which bolt goes where,” yet we figured it out and the frame now sits perfectly square. The bedroom already feels calmer, and sleeping better has made the whole month run more smoothly.
Back From Holidays and Buzzing
Time away really helped reset my brain. I came back from the holidays feeling lighter, clearer, and ready to get moving again. That first week back was all about clearing the decks, deleting old to do notes, and choosing a few simple priorities. It felt good to rebuild momentum without rushing. One small routine at a time. One task finished before starting the next.
Lining Up a Cool Project For Next Month
Our team is preparing a really cool project for October. It will be an iOS app. No spoilers yet. We will share more when it is ready
Liam
Shiny new website and some big life milestones
September has been mostly focussed on internal projects, including brand development and website redesigns, alongside some annual leave and ticking off a few life milestones.
Twilo Focus
My main project this month has been reworking the Twilo website. A lot of work has been happening in the background on the branding and socials for Twilo, and it only felt right that we apply that thought to the new website. It’s been a busy month with a lot of trial and error but this week I’ve handed my designs over to Reece who has started the build of the new website, we’re all really excited to see the new site go live after having our current site for around eight years.
BNI Subbing
Mid-month Wayne was away on annual leave which meant I had the opportunity to stand in on his weekly BNI meeting. I’d never really been to an organised networking event like this before so I didn’t really know what to expect, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The meeting was made up of around 25 people, each representing a company from a different industry, and the energy in the room was great. I had a lot of really productive conversations and everyone was incredibly welcoming and accommodating. I was really impressed with the flow of the meeting and the energy and humour from everyone involved – it wasn’t a boring meeting by any means. I was also really surprised at how invested everyone was in each other’s success, the people there felt like they really wanted to help each other, which is something you don’t experience often.
Personal Highlights From September
The month started off with a week of annual leave to celebrate my 1st anniversary with my wife, it’s crazy how quickly a year has gone but it was lovely to take some time to reminisce, visit our favourite places and eat at our favourite restaurants.
The end of the month saw me and my friends tackle the 3rd and final mountain in our 3 peaks challenge, Ben Nevis. We decided to take the CMD route which is supposed to be a bit more challenging than the tourist route and that turned out to be a huge understatement. Sideways rain, freezing winds and almost vertical scrambles led to 4 very wet and tired boys. But we managed it, 7 hours total moving time and 7 pints of beer to celebrate.
Looking Ahead
I’m really looking forward to seeing the new Twilo site go live, although there’s a bit more work to do yet. It’ll be nice to have a modern site that’s easier to keep up to date and is something that I’ve had a hand in creating.
Laura
Team wins and life milestones
Shouting About Our Work
This month I’ve been looking more closely at how Twilo shows up online — making sure we’re shouting about the great work we do for our clients and the results we’re helping them achieve. It’s been good to step back and take stock, and to think about how we can tell more of those stories in the months ahead. We’ve got plenty of exciting bits lined up, so watch this space!
Working With The Team
I’ve also been spending time refining the way we work together as a team. Everyone at Twilo brings so much talent and energy, and by streamlining things a little we’re making it easier to keep the momentum going while leaving room for creativity. It’s been great to see how small changes can make a big difference.
Life Outside Twilo
On a personal note, September has been a big one for our family as my daughter, Amalie, started school! We’re getting used to the new routine of school runs, timings, and finding our rhythm – but it already feels like a new chapter. On top of that, our weekends have been full on: two trips down to Hereford to see family (including a try-out in a motorhome!) and a brilliant (but wet) weekend in Whitby with the kids’ best friends. Safe to say we’ve packed a lot in!
