What is it exactly that you do?

I work with organisations from concept through to final delivery on all areas of their business, where effective change is needed. The key principle at the heart of all change is innovation.  To that end, much of my work with clients is creating safe and dynamic innovation workshops were a roadmap for the future could be created.

My work is all about engaging clients, winning more business, rebranding the internal culture and developing authentic leaders.

I don’t have all the answers, but after a fashion I act as a catalyst to help organisations find the answer they need, identify it and action it. I do this through a variety of initiatives – the delivery is by way of executive retreats, master classes and speaking at conferences. Additionally, I coach both corporate executives and professional sportsmen and women.

How did you become a motivational speaker?

I went to university to study Human Biology. But in reality I wanted to be a comedian/comedy writer so when I left university that is what I did. My working life has been in and around creativity and problem solving. I ran a theatre company for five years before going into television for fifteen years. Originally I worked in TV as a writer and then ended up Head of Entertainment Development at the BBC. Then I set up my own training company, which specialised in team building and leadership development.

I was then asked to speak at a conference in 1997, and because of my background as a comedy writer it just made sense to me to make the talk as entertaining as it was informative.

People would describe the talk as very motivational.  As a consequence, I became best known as a motivational speaker.  Although if I am meeting people socially I tend to say I work in business education, because whenever you say ‘motivational speaker’, there is a puzzled look on the face and they start listening very intently, waiting for you to motivate them

So how would you see yourself?

As a person who is passionate about helping individuals break through limiting beliefs; giving them the tools and support to make huge step-changes in their lives both professionally and personally. In sport and in business the biggest challenge we face is not the ever-changing world in which we live and work, but our ability to (at a personal level) manage this change with the confidence that we not simply adapt and survive, but that we will grow and do great things.

What is your biggest frustration in the world of work?

How long you got?! 25 years ago I came across this adage “When all is said and done, there is too much said and not enough done”.   Two and a half decades later nothing has changed. There’s way too much talk and not enough action, which I believe is based on our fear of failure. Consequently we end up seeing companies imitating each other and not being innovative thought leaders.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing businesses today?

There is never just the one, however in reality the challenges have not really changed as dramatically as some may believe. It is the increased speed of business, the constant need to somehow ‘do more with less’ and the relentless uncertainty of the future. These challenges have always been a part of business life.  In the current commercial landscape the biggest challenge I believe is increased competition and price wars. It is not sustainable, so every company needs to create their own ‘irresistible offering’. Creating a brand of such perceived value that it becomes the supplier/partner of choice.

What advice would you give someone about to start his or her own business?

Learn from your failures but don’t identify with them. If you fail, learn the lesson and move forward.  Don’t embrace the ‘I’m a failure’ mindset. Secondly be willing to be unconventional in your approach to marketing, delivery and offering. Stand out from the pack!

What is your approach to conference speaking?

I always have a thorough briefing with a client, to ascertain what are their current challenges, and then ask them what they would wish to be the major takeaway from my presentation. I know when I have sat in an audience myself, I don’t want to anyone to preach to me or to tell me what to do. What I want – and I believe almost every delegate in the audience wants – is to be informed (to be given information they did not have or have forgotten they knew), to be inspired (to be emotionally engaged and inspired to take action on the information) and finally to be entertained, to enjoy the presentation to feel wholly engaged and pleased to have attended, with a positive memory of the event afterwards.

What are your plans for the future?

To continue helping organisations and individuals be their best version of themselves. By helping them effect dramatic, achievable and continuous successful change.

To keep Informing, Inspiring and Entertaining audiences worldwide.