My Personal Story – Part 2
After some 20 years working primarily in large corporate environments, I finally realized – with a bit of help from some psychometric tests – that I was not really suited to it.
Breaking Free
It took an occupational psychologist asking me “What are you doing working in a company like this?” for me to finally take action.
So I decided to set off on my own doing marketing and communication consulting and training.
One of my first tasks was helping to launch a financial services marketing publication, including being editor for the launch issue. This was a fun and challenging task made a little easier by securing a brief ‘interview’ with Bill Gates on a visit to London.
In hindsight, however, I realize I was not well-prepared for what was involved in setting up my own business. Despite many years working in marketing, I didn’t fully appreciate the importance of finding out what people want before developing an offer.
It took me longer than I thought to get the business operating the way I wanted it but the benefit of that experience is that I’ve been able to help many others avoid the same mistakes.
At this time, the expansion of the availability of broadband and the spread of the Internet made it possible to consider working just about anywhere. So my vision was to be able to choose where I worked, to travel a lot and to spend as much time as possible in the beautiful Costa del Sol in Spain.
I added to my skills by becoming licensed and certified to teach NLP, hypnosis and the Psychology of Persuasion as well as becoming certified as a Guerrilla Marketing coach. This has given me the fun and privilege of working with people in great places, including conducting training in London, Los Angeles and Sydney.
I’ve learned a lot in that time about how to develop the mindset for running your own coaching and consultancy business successfully – especially when you’re used to working in larger businesses. And I’ve discovered how to harness the full developing power of the Internet to promote and package a business.
My passion now is to help others develop the mindset and marketing strategies they need to make maximum profits from their own expertise.
At the same time, I love continuing to build my expertise in the psychology of effective communication, persuasion and influence.
Outside the Business
Away from work, I love to travel, read good books, watch a great movie and enjoy good food with a glass of Rioja in the company of friends anywhere in the world. A bit of walking and cycling in between times helps me enjoy the others more.
