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, 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!
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.
DO YOU GIVE TALKS AND, IF SO, WHAT ON? As well as motivational speaking, I currently give a talks on three subjects: 1. 'Play To Win'. How thinking bigger and bolder is your edge. 2. My views on Artifical Intelligence. (I studied 'Consciousness' at university and have followed the growth and developments in AI ever since.) 3. Subjects and topics people request - as long as I feel I have insight or meaningful opinions on them. In the past talks have included 'Play To Win,' 'How To Speak In Public,' 'How Leaders Can Craft Their Story,' 'What's Stopping You?' as well as many others.
HOW DOES YOUR SPECIAL ADVISORY SERVICE WORK? Typically, we agree on a three month trial period of an hour a week then review it at the end of that. (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. Also, it's not uncommon for us to occassionally carve out time for a longer breakfast meeting - or even a boardroom session - 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.
DO YOU ONLY MEET WITH LEADERS? Typically, yes, plus people on their way to positions of leadership and many founders of start-ups. Occassionally 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 the entire leadership team of a company. (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!