After reading Richard Branson and Yvon Chouinard’s autobiographies I was inspired to start a youth magazine, which later sold to a listed media company. I launched a global HR and Marketing consulting business and started helping companies attract, develop and retain bright young minds. Our initial success was halted by the 2008 market crash. I was idealistic and optimistic but a little naive. Some days I still am. Somewhere there’s a kid who is going to change the world if we let her pursue her dreams. I want her to usher in a society that values science more than selfies.
Big companies like Google, Nike, Toyota and Deloitte have hired me to help them solve problems. I specialise in bringing new ideas and valuable solutions to market. This has taken the form of product development, strategy, marketing, and revenue growth. I love authentic media, marketing, company culture, and sales processes that build raving customers, and employees. These days I prefer working with entrepreneurs or small and medium-size businesses who want to change their industry for the better. I’m interested in best-in-class products and triple-bottom-line business models.
I’ve been a professional speaker for over a decade. Companies, universities & conference organizers hire me to present awesome customised keynotes and workshops. I was the youngest finalist at the World Championships of Public Speaking in Washington DC and have presented at hundreds of conferences and industry events globally on topics including; marketing, product development, branding, culture, high-performance, innovation, strategy and communication.
My greatest experience while raising capital and launching a sports media startup in Silicon Valley was meeting all the phenomenal minds working with/in tech. As remote work flourishes startup hubs are not limited by geography, and the entrepreneurs who believe in open source and ethical business models will transform education, healthcare, engineering, and many other industries. Companies like Automattic, Stripe, and Salesforce have shown how a good idea with great leadership can transform lives. Even traditional industries like manufacturing can evolve to a ‘planet and people first’ model as demonstrated by companies like Patagonia and Vivobarefoot.
Golf is the greatest game ever played. I play on some minor tours in the summer and will continue to work on getting into some Majors. The pursuit of mastery forces me to grow and evolve as a person. As a member of the PGA I coach players who want to play their best, especially competitive amateurs, and juniors with College Golf intentions. When I’m not working, you’ll find me surfing, at concerts, doing standup comedy, hiking, flyfishing, travelling, watching movies, reading, playing with your dog, or dancing. I love spending time with amazing friends, mentors & family – ideally we’re also drinking good red wine.
I make mistakes and fail often. In prehistoric times I would have been killed by my tribe or eaten by a reptile by now. If we’re only here once we should probably try some stuff that scares us. I’m learning more from my failures than my successes. I’ve probably cursed while in the company of your kids, sorry. I have kids now, karma. There’s a long list of friends, mentors, books, podcasts and blogs that help guide me in my quest of becoming a better man. My family and friends make life a joy. South Africa owns my soul but travelling the world has always felt like ‘home’. I’m currently based in Victoria BC.
Any questions, send me a message on Twitter or let’s go surf.