It was July 21^st 1969, I was six years old and I remember being woken up from a deep sleep by my parents, stumbling downstairs in my dressing gown and pyjamas, stepping over a rolled up carpet in the hallway onto the cold floorboard and into the lounge. Feeling sleepy and somewhat dazed I remember snuggling onto the sofa, the gas fire radiating heat and staring at our black and white television as Neil Armstrong stepped out of the lunar module and stepped onto the surface of the moon, saying “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”. It was so exciting. The truth was that I liked watching TV at the best of times and I loved going to the cinema to see films on the big screen too.

“Deciding to become the author of my own life story and director of my own life movie” 

At some point in my childhood I remember thinking that I wanted to have the sort of exciting, adventurous, fun and rewarding life that I saw people in TV programmes and movies having. It was clear even at that early age that it was unlikely that the sort of life I wanted to live would be laid on for me, so I decided I was going to take charge of my own life as best I could, I wanted to become the author of my own life story, writer and director of my own life movie.

That early choice, set my life on a unique trajectory. I had a completely different outlook to most of my school friends, with one exception, my best friend Simon. We were typically, bold, daring and audacious, we didn’t particularly like rules, particularly if we thought they were pointless and we had a habit of testing the limits of many situations.

By the age of 13, I’d embarked on my first major adventure, walking over 100 miles with Simon, across virtually the width of Wales on our own. By the age of 14 I’d established my first serious business, buying watches from the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham on sale or return basis and selling them. At 15, I’d set up a skateboard club with some friends which grew to over 1500 members.

“Hybrid Life Experiencing the Ordinary and the Extraordinary”

To short cut a very long life story, I lived a hybrid life, living in the same ordinary world as everyone else for most of the time, them jumping into a parallel extraordinary world of excitement. adventure, fun and challenge. The net effect is that I’ve acquired a vast number of different experiences and real life stories, many of which would probably make interesting TV programmes or films. I’ve discovered that real life can sometimes be stranger than fiction. Amongst these stories are many potentially life threatening situations like being at sea in a Hurricane, with steady 120mph winds and mountainous seas, being shipwrecked during the two handed trans-Atlantic yacht race, resulting in a record breaking air sea rescue. My career has had three main parts. I started full time employment as a Royal Naval Officer, becoming the youngest compliment officer in the fleet. I then spent 10 years with the Mobil Oil Corporation, which was then the world’s fourth largest corporation, after which I became an entrepreneur, business owner and self-employed in a whole raft of different sectors. I floated my company achieving a record breaking IPO, spending nearly 5 years as CEO of a Quoted Company, entered into a joint venture business with a UK Top 100 / FTSE 100 business prior to which I'd been working from my home office, becoming a best-selling author of 13 books with over $3.8m sales on technology, business / entrepreneurship, sales and marketing, careers and personal development / growth. My work has been endorsed by many top leaders including nine heads of UK top 1000 companies including: Apple, Sony, Carphone Warehouse, St James’s Place, Swiss Re, The Director General of the Institute of Directors and the First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy and even an ex President of the country of Luxembourg.

“Huge Highs and Lows – Created Massive Learning Experience”

It has been a life, career and business journey characterised by immense highs and lows, I made and lost millions, I’ve triumphed, I’ve experienced countless struggles, setbacks, challenges and hurdles, bounced back, learnt valuable lessons, fought back, grown, developed and become stronger and wiser. I developed an insatiable curiosity, and a desire to achieve a deeper understanding about anything I became interested in, which led me on a succession of journeys of exploration and discovery. I discovered that to move from an ordinary existence to an extraordinary one, it not just about what you do in the outer world; to move to another level, you need to go on an inner journey of discovery and growth.

“Becoming An Extreme Game Changer and a Servant For Humanity”

I discovered fairly early on in life, that I am the opposite of a status quo person, I am a pioneer, most comfortable looking for better ways; questioning why?, why not? and what if?, developing an inexhaustible well of creativity, that means I am most comfortable at the leading edge of progress, human endeavour and enterprise.

It came as little surprise when I did some personal assessment to discover that I am an extreme game changer, innovator, mould breaker, disrupter and pioneer.

I have a massive curiosity and love exploring, seeking out and discovering the truth, making connections and changing the game. I have travelled and at times worked in different places and with people from different parts of the world, and I made a powerful discovery that all of us, see the world, not at it really is, but as we are; in other words from our own perspective. By experiencing so many different perspectives, I believe I gained wisdom, that challenged the certainties that I previously had and changed the outlook of my own life. Those early thoughts of what I wanted as a young child, felt like they came from a “self-centred” position, a position driven by ego that means you look at yourself and think: “I am what I have, my possessions define me”, I am what other people think of me, my reputation defines me”, “I am my successes and achievements, my status defines me”. The modern world seems to me to be about achieving success and getting on in your life, which is easily translated into money, wealth and all those ego identification things. Being rich and famous is often seen as the epitome of success, yet often people who achieve these things are miserable, depressed and many end up deliberately taking their own lives or accidentally killing themselves. I believe there are higher levels of consciousness that we can live at when the meaning and purpose of life does not conform with the majority. There is nothing inherently wrong with wealth or the career success I have discussed, I just believe it is not the end goal, happiness, fulfilment and making a difference should be the end goal. I don’t believe our lives should all about us as individuals, being self-centered doesn’t bring you the happiness and fulfilment you think it will.

If you seek out the happiest people in the world, I believe you will discover that they are the ones who make the biggest difference to others, and those who recognise they are who they really are at the deepest level and are that person in the real world, their true authentic selves, rather than trying to be a person who they are not.

I came to these conclusions via personal experience, research, exploration and study. I learnt you have to be who you really are, why do you think we are called human beings and not human doings?

I got a very strong feeling that everything I had done, experienced, learnt and achieved, both good and bad was a part of a lifetime apprenticeship to help me to help others on their life journeys. My arrogance was replaced by humility and I discovered my life purpose was to embrace the fact that I am an extreme game changer, with an enormous well of creativity, a powerful imagination and a deep desire to make a difference, to change landscapes, move the human race forwards and be a servant to humanity, to help others to live better lives, have better careers, run better businesses and organisations and make the world a better place. I recognised that our lives are intrinsically linked to our careers, and our lives and careers are linked to organisations and that as members of the human race, we individually have the potential to impact others and the wider world in a positive negative or neutral way. I am most comfortable at the leading edge of progress, human endeavour and enterprise. Nothing makes me happier than helping others to: achieve more, be more, do more, know more, have more and make a bigger difference.

I help people to see differently, think differently and act differently to create a better, brighter for themselves, for others and for the wider world.  I offer solutions that are typically, new different and better than mainstream ones; that push into the space in front of what is considered “best practice”, that have the potential to disrupt and change the game, to gain advantage and improvement over the status quo and the best of today. I enjoy taking any problem, issue, challenge or opportunity to the highest level to achieve the best results and outcomes.

I am driven by the three tenets of the new enlightenment that I am leading: Wisdom, Love and Imagination.

With the world finely balanced between great opportunities on one side, and huge threats, economically, politically, socially, environmentally and individually on the other, I believe we need new thinking, new ideas and new solutions urgently. There is no point following the herd if the herd are going in the wrong direction, but it takes real courage to dare to be different, to take a different path to the majority.

A thought leader with world-class expertise in pioneering / fourth industrial revolution leadership. A visionary, game changer 10/10 GC Index & Purple Squirrel, with inexhaustible well of creativity & director / implementer skills.

Bestselling Author 14 Books Published / $3.8m+ sales, on Leadership, Technology, Business, Entrepreneurship, Personal Development, Selling, Careers, Life Management etc., A Thought Leader, Philosopher, Speaker, Problem Solver, Improvement Specialist. Versatile Interim / Consultant / Leader / NED / Entrepreneur / Intrapreneur. Ex Royal Navy Officer, CEO of Quoted Plc + MD of FTSE 100 Subsidiary.

In everything, he looks to make a difference, challenge the status quo, push for progress, make things better, create & exploit opportunities, & achieve extraordinary things.

Catalyst & driver of change, transforms the future; open to new ideas, at vanguard / leading edge of progress, human endeavour & enterprise; an innovator, pioneer & visionary, offering: Inspiring New / Lateral Thinking, Ideas, Solutions, & Paradigms, helping people / organisations:

1. Achieve Better Careers
2. Live better lives
3. Run better & more successful businesses & organisations
4. Make the world a better place

Hits ground running, making an almost immediate impact; intuitively understands people & situations; quickly & accurately sizes up situations. Sees big picture, gains intuitive perceptions, applies rational, logical & insightful thinking, joins dots, creates vision, strategies & solutions, translating them into plans, action / results. 

Enjoys working on complex problems; unceasing in pursuit of wisdom. Inventive & independent, can be extremely perceptive of the potential contained in the views of others. Finds problems stimulating, ingenious in tackling complex situations. Inspires & encourages others, exhibits excellent interpersonal skills. Has imagination & foresight seeing possibilities; open minded, curious & observant; has excellent long range vision. Makes things happen. Original thinking generates a constant stream of ideas. Has high standards, infectious enthusiasm, positivity & vitality.