Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like? Did you have any particular experiences/stories that shaped your adult life?

I grew up in suburban Sydney, Australia. I had the typical 80s childhood of BMX bikes and coming home when the street lights came on. Growing up as a gay kid in the late 80s was a challenge – there wasn’t anyone to talk with, so I was taught early on that life (and people) can be tough. Making it through those tough times as best as you possibly can without breaking develops resilience like nothing else.

What is something you wish you would’ve realized earlier in your life?

That everyone has their own personal struggle in life – even those you think ‘have it all’. Everyone is on their own path on this big old rock, and you only get one chance. Keep learning, keeping being curious, and don’t worry what others are doing or saying as it’s not your journey, it’s theirs.

What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of expertise?

That motivation is all you need. People spend so much wasted time waiting and searching for motivation that they forget you need action for anything to happen. You can be motivated all you want, but if you don’t actually go and DO something, you’re just spinning in place.

Tell me about one of the darker periods you’ve experienced in life. How you came out of it and what you learned from it?

This year my relationship of 20 years ended. I hadn’t had anything like that ever happen before and it took a long while to not live with the regret that I didn’t try harder to make it work.

It was all part of me wanting to gain a sense of independence and fulfill my purpose, rather than being a passenger to someone else’s meaning. It was a tough realization and period to go through that meant giving up a lot. I came out of it by concentrating on myself – my headspace, my daily routines, my achievement, and my sense of physical and mental wellbeing. It sounds selfish, but if you don’t have a full cup, you can’t look to a relationship to fill it for you.

What is one thing that you do that you feel has been the biggest contributor to your success so far?

Role models and a support system. I look up to people that I work and collaborate with. When you surround yourself with people who are successful and you admire, it inspires better in you. It’s usually those same people who want to help you if ever things aren’t going your way.

Then there’s a sense of family, and coming to the realization, that no matter who you are or what you do, your family will always be there in support. It’s comforting and something that can be fostered by making the effort.

What is your morning routine?

I don’t do the whole ‘early morning routine’. I’m not up at 4 am because I feel productive – I’m sleeping and trying to get a good 7-8 hours every night.

I typically wake between 6:30-7:30 am and spend time filling in my gratitude journal and outlining the three things that would make my day amazing. I then switch over to my vision and action journal which helps me focus on the things I want to do to reach my goals and breaks that down into priority goals and daily wins when reflecting.

At some point in the AM, I’ll try and meditate for at least 15 mins to clear my head and stay productive throughout the afternoon.

What habit or behavior that you have pursued for a few years has most improved your life?

Learning – I’m always trying to learn something new which could come through a book or a course that gives me my army of knowledge and skills relevant to my work and interests.

What are your strategies for being productive and using your time most efficiently?

Keep an excellent diary. Knowing where you need to be and by what time helps me plan my day. I plan movements, activities, meetings, and calls meticulously which ensures I’m always on time and well prepared. It’s a measure of who you are as a person to be organized.

What book(s) have influenced your life the most? Why?

Mindset by Carol Dweck was a real life-changer. It showed me the difference between a ‘fixed’ and ‘growth’ mindset and highlighted I’d spent most of my life in a fixed mindset – one where I was constantly comparing myself to others and fearing any type of failure.

I also love the book as much of Carol’s research began in working with children, accounting for parenting and early childhood adopters shaping thinking in the young. It really shows how early patterns and neural pathways form the thinking a person carries with them throughout life. The book also addresses areas of life such as businesses and relationships, covering the whole spectrum of success through growth mindset adherence.

Do you have any quotes you live by or think of often?

“Everything is as it should be.” – Confucius

It speaks to me about the ‘now’ being the result of things I will have, or have not done in the past. For however your life is at the moment, there are lessons to be learnt in the good, the bad, and the ugly. The question is do you look at it through the lens of the lessons, or the potential problems life inevitably presents?