DATE OF BIRTH: 23-05-1954. I am 54 and proud of it!
HOME TOWN: Born in London. Live in Auckland
HOBBIES: Competitive swimming
GOAL: An interview with any Olympic Swimming Gold Medallist
My Favourite Time of the day is first thing in the morning - 5:30 am! It's when I go swim training or if I'm not training I can get so much work done.
I first knew I was different from everyone else when I was at school and my friends were consumed with 'looking cool'
I really enjoy getting people to stop making excuses and take more responsibility for their results in life.
List a few of your recent accomplishments that you are proud of:
- Completing my book, 'Life is for Living', and pre-selling enough copies to make it a 'best seller' before it was even printed.
- Obtaining my CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) designation from National Speakers Association Australia and joining that elite group of speakers.
- Being awarded 2007 Speaker of the Year by NSANZ
- Having a vasectomy without crying!
Did you celebrate them? How? We celebrated # 3 by having too many drinks and then I had to do a presentation at 7am the next morning.
I am busy at the moment potty training my two year old.
My big hairy audacious goal this year is to get back to my fitness levels of four years ago when I achieved my lifetime best times in the pool.
I knew I was onto something when people laughed at my jokes when I was on stage.
My secret for getting things done is (as Walt Disney suggests) to observe the masses and do the opposite.
My darkest hour was when I nearly went bankrupt about 20 years ago.
I came through it by not getting any sympathy from my wife. She just told me, 'You can do it, just get on with it'.
Who or what has influenced your career choice? Dr Denis Waitley, a leading authority on self esteem and one of the worlds best inspirational speakers.
How old were you when you ....... I was 50 years old when I swam my personal best time for 100m butterfly.
What do you do to cope with stress? Exercise
How many hours do you work each week? Probably about 20, although my wife would say 60.
What do you do when things aren't going your way? Ask for help and then work harder.
What is the most important piece of advice you'd give to people who are struggling to create a positive change in their lives? You tell your kids that they can achieve anything they want to in life so why don't you tell yourself the same message?
What is the hardest lesson you've had to learn in life/sport? If it is to be, it is up to me.
What separates successful people from unsuccessful people? Self-belief
Do you have any daily rituals that help you keep focused and in the right mental state to succeed? Be grateful for all the blessings I have in my life.
What was your background before you became a speaker? Failed competitive swimmer (didn't make international), Sports coach with sports psychology background, Management trainer.
Do you have any school/study qualifications? I have two university degrees but I don't think they have any relevance to any success I've achieved.
Do you have any other interests at the moment? My children
What are the three most important personal qualities you've had to develop to become SUCCESSFUL
1. Good self-esteem
2. Determination
3. Independence
Who inspires you the most and why? Paralympians. They consider that we are the ones that are handicapped.
Do you have a formal goal setting process? Yes, be extremely specific with the goal and always attach both reward and consequence motivation with any goal.
Have you ever been scared? What did you do about it? I'm scared on a regular basis. Get used to fear because if you aren't feeling scared then you are taking things too easy.
What comes first...success or confidence? Confidence, always.
How do you build confidence if you're not a confident person? Study it. Read everything you can find on it and apply it to your own life. Be prepared to fail as much as you can and take no notice of what other people might think.
The Parting Shot: When I feel frustrated that things are not coming together as I wish, I proceed to: Consider myself a winner for not quitting when things got tough.