FAQs
WHO TYPICALLY REACHES OUT TO YOU?
There are various reasons people reach out. One is founder-owners of companies. That is a lonely job and mightily difficult without a supportive critic at the end of a phone/video. The second is when a company has lost its way or its 'mojo'. An experienced outsider without a proverbial dog-in-the-fight can bring a perspective that can reboot the toughest of situations. The third reason is leaders elevated to the top job having come from other C-level positions and who might have skills they want improved away from the glare of the office - emotional intelligence, leadership itself, strategic thinking with a creative mindset, story-telling, giving speeches, etc. A fourth reason is companies who think they could do better and suspect a fresh take on their goals and strategies might be in order. There are other reasons. One CEO had me as his 'Creative Thinker' amongst a team of advisors and support staff. Whatever works!
WHAT IS A CREATIVE STRATEGIST?
It's somebody who's industry and sector agnostic. It's not about bringing my connections and expertise in, say, banking, to bear. It's about looking at problems, challenges and opportunities in the round and seeing ways forward that perhaps had been missed. Plus, in truth, if you have the right conversations with leaders and/or their teams, they always know the answers, but the sheer weight of day to day events crowds their thinking. Also, strategic problems are not as specialised as they might first seem. I've had mornings where I've spoken to the owner of a Care company, then the director of an eCommerce company, then the MD of an exercise start-up and they have all had the same problem - albeit needing different solutions. It's about thinking differently and helping others to do the same with their challenges.
ARE YOU A COACH?
I have coached many executives and business owners. My coaching is based on my business and life experience and learning applied on a - typically - weekly basis. As one client put it, "You read books so that I don't have to." Yeah... something like that.
ARE YOU A MENTOR?
I have many individuals climbing up the ladder behind me in numerous walks of life and it is my privilege to help them up it.
HOW DOES THE MOTIVATING WORK?
My clients are incredibly talented and incredibly hardworking but - as I've said elsewhere - they are, at the end of the day, human. Some days they have meetings that they want to feel fired up for, some days they have meetings where they doubt themselves or their strategy and want to be reminded not to, and some days they just have nothing left in the tank. I've been there, I know what it means to receive a few words of encouragement and support during the tougher times. Also, who doesn't want a positive person in their life, someone who is always in their corner?
DO YOU GIVE TALKS AND, IF SO, WHAT ON?
As well as motivational speaking, I give talks on a variety of related subjects. In the past talks have included 'Play To Win,' 'How Leaders Can Craft Their Story,' 'What's Stopping You?' 'How To Speak In Public,' as well as many others. (CONTACT ME if you would like to talk more about that.)
HOW DOES YOUR SPECIAL ADVISORY SERVICE WORK?
Typically, we agree on a three month trial period of something like an hour a week meeting then review it. (My longest client relationship is a decade and counting.) Importantly, it's not just the hour a week. My customers can contact me on an ad hoc basis if they need to think out loud or run an issue by me. In addition, it's not uncommon for us to carve out time for longer meetings to thrash out a particularly large challenge facing the client.
SO, ARE YOU AVAILABLE 24/7?
Sleep aside, yes. It's a rare morning or evening that I don't get a call from a client wanting to mull something over. My clients are busy and - aside from trying to carve out time to stop and think with them each week - I aim to be here when they need me. I've run companies, I know the value of that 'second brain' when you need it. As I say on the Home page - I aim to be the person I wish I had had in my life when I was running my businesses.
DO YOU ONLY MEET WITH LEADERS?
Typically, yes, plus people on their way to positions of leadership and many founders of start-ups. Occasionally, I am brought into specific meetings. Sometimes this is to observe and to talk about it with the leader afterwards, but sometimes it is to interact with those present in the meeting itself. One of my clients is an entire leadership team. (I had one client who was worried about their interpersonal skills and had me sit in on a meeting with their executive team and give them my thoughts afterwards. Not the nicest experience for either of us - but it was brave of that client to put themselves out there like that, and the subsequent work we did was some of the most rewarding ever.)
CAN I SEE VIDEOS OF YOU IN ACTION?
They're coming - they're coming!