Leadership and Management Experience – In total I have over 35 years of management experience and I’ve set up around 20 businesses, some of which were very successful with amazing results and some less so, but I learned a lot from both sides of the coin.
More of that story later, though for a quick summary, I have a background in hotels; retail; insurance; other tourist accommodation; hospitality; adventure tours and charters; a vehicle dealership; vehicle servicing; hire cars; vehicle transporting; general cleaning; an employment agency; office furniture relocations; events; contract cleaning and now coaching and consulting.
- Coaching & Mentoring Experience – I have spent thousands of hours coaching, training and developing people – my own staff, then managers, then clients and their teams. I was also a mentor at Curtin University’s Centre for Entrepreneurship.
- Client’s Results -It is through dealing with my own personal and business crises and having to re-invent myself many times, plus helping other people to overcome daunting obstacles to do the same thing, that I became both a creator of change and a catalyst for change.
“Change is constantly occurring around you, so if you’re not changing and adapting on the inside, then you are setting yourself up for trouble. Hence my tagline of ‘The Change Catalyst’.”
My clients experience results such as:
- Greater clarity around your life and business goals.
- Greater awareness of what is holding you back, whether it’s what’s going on inside your head, in terms of your mindset, attitude or behaviour; or whether it’s skills and knowledge gaps.
- Strategic plans and the tools and techniques to make them work.
- Accountability through supportive coaching and mentoring to follow through and get results.
- More control of their work/life balance by being more effective and productive.
- Profitable and successful businesses that will fund their life goals – i.e. more money, more time with loved ones (Most of my clients go on more holidays and with more confidence!)
My Philosophy
“My goal with my business is to help create businesses that are built to last and to help people to enjoy memorable and meaningful lives.”
For me, I want businesses that give me that joy of helping others to achieve the above, plus give my family the lifestyle that I want for us. My partner, Jo and I love to travel the world and I get to work the hours I want, by arrangement with my clients. I even get to do the things I love doing, like scuba diving, playing volleyball and soccer, playing guitar and writing books – my list of things is quite long! As an example, in 2014, we travelled to South America, climbing the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, visiting the Iguazu falls, the Amazon jungle, Rio de Janeiro, Argentina and the Mayan temples of Mexico.
I believe that my income is limited by only my ambition or my willingness to invest time and it’s the same for you too. I have put in place a solid, happy team on whom I can depend and I strive to be a great boss.
In short, I DO work hard and conscientiously, but I also aim to work SMART. That’s one of the mantras I teach my clients. Having a great life is more important to me than dying with pots of money. Nevertheless, I aim to make enough to fund the lifestyle I want and to help my family and the causes I care about.
I always had the feeling that I was put on this Earth for some greater purpose and that I was meant to achieve something.
You could certainly argue that I’ve already done that, just by having two wonderful children and by the interactions I’ve had with so many amazing people from all over the world.
Maybe it’s not unusual to have that feeling, but in my case it has driven me to want to learn more, to become more and to contribute more. I always wanted to go into business, but for many years I had no clue what it was that I should do.
Today, as you read this, I am Managing Director of Club Red Pty Ltd, based in Perth Western Australia and founded in 1996. My company currently has two divisions a cleaning business, Club Red Strata Cleaning, where we improve people’s lives by taking care of the strata complexes where they live and work; and a Coaching/Consulting/Mentoring business, Club Red Inspiration, helping owners of small and medium businesses to grow and consolidate their livelihood and lead happier and more fulfilling lives. The company is also a registered exporter and over the years, through Club Red I have operated many small businesses. In fact it’s one of my passions to turn concepts into realities.
More Detail on My Background (For those who need more detail!)
My 35 years’ management experience comprise:
- 15 years’ retail management -supermarkets, discount stores, reject stores & toys store.
- 20 years own businesses – tourism & hospitality, transport, insurance, property cleaning & management, sales & marketing (direct & internet); business & lifestyle coaching and consulting.
My Skills Summary:
- Entrepreneurship -turning concepts into a reality, researching, assessing viability, business planning, start ups.
- Business transformations – reinventing / refreshing tired businesses.
- Leadership – developing the traits and skills necessary to engage followers.
- Analysing – assessing the performance of existing SME businesses and identifying areas for improvement.
- Strategic Planning – developing plans & highlighting training requirements to bring them to fruition.
- Brand Development – creating and establishing business and personal brands.
- Coaching – Understanding the challenges faced by business owners & working with them to remove limiting beliefs, to set goals & to coach them through change or expansion.
- Mentoring – Passing on the benefits of my hard-earned experience and guiding people to achieve their goals.
- Training – designing, and delivering training to staff & management.
- Succession planning – helping to develop people and systems to free up the owners and managers to work on the business and cover contingencies.
- Financial analysis – funding ideas, establishing key performance indicators (KPI’s), establishing bookkeeping & reporting systems. Finding ways to cut expenses and increase revenues and profits.
- Government liaison – local to federal – seeking grants, e.g. Export Market Development Grant, Training Grant.
- Online Marketing – social media marketing & website development strategies.
- Offline Marketing – networking techniques, advertising strategies, promotional initiatives, book writing.
- Operating Systems and Administration – designing control mechanisms, policies and procedures for maximum efficiency.
- Quality Assurance – identifying key result areas, setting standards and communicating them to all concerned.
- WHS – reviewing work health and safety standards, designing and delivering training to all concerned.
- Exit Plans – preparing businesses for sale or succession – helping you achieve your biggest payout. What comes next?
- Life coaching – as ‘The Change Catalyst’, helping people to define where your business or career fits in the overall context of your life.
Having fun & encouraging mentees to have fun while achieving results in business!
Achievements / Qualifications / Results
Successfully set up 20 of my own businesses- Author of book – ‘If Life’s Worth Doing, It’s Worth Doing Well’
- Featured in numerous business publications and on radio
- Author of E-Book – ‘How to Win the Games of Business and Life’
- Author of novel – ‘The Parrot and the Lady’
- Diploma of Business (Online – Upskilled NSW)
- Diploma of Leadership and Management (Online – Upskilled NSW)
- Certified Master Coach (UpCoach Mind Science Coaching NSW)
- Master Practitioner & Certified Trainer of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) – (QC Seminars & UpCoach NSW)
- Certificate IV in Training & Assessment (CBD College, WA)
- Certificate in Transport Management (University of Sydney)
- Certificate in Motor Vehicle Dealership (Motor Trades Association of WA)
- Certificate in Distributive Management Studies (IGD UK)
- Set up and managed the first Red Dot Store WA, helped set up the first 12 stores and trained most of the original managers
- Graduated A.M.P. Insurance Agency Course
- Graduated National Mutual Insurance Agency Course
- Graduated Big W Management Training Program
- Graduated Target Management Training Program
- Promoted 3 times by Target (Australia)
- Promoted 3 times by Channel Islands Co-operative Society (UK)
Successfully set up 20 of my own businessesLicences I Have Held
Business
- WA Liquor Licence (Licensee)
- Approved Manager (WA Liquor Licensing)
- Motor Vehicle Dealers Licence (Transport WA)
- Yard Manager Licence (WA)
- Hire Car Operator Licence
- Open Tours and Charters Licence (Transport WA)
- Tour Bus Driver’s Endorsement
- Lodging House Licence (City of Vincent WA)
- Employment Agent’s Licence WA
- Truck and Tow Truck Licences WA – Heavy Goods category HR
Registered Export Licence holder with Austrade.
Registered Export Licence holder with Austrade.Aviation
- British and American Private Pilot’s Licences (CAA & FAA)
- British Night Flying Rating (CAA)
- Flight Operator’s Radio-telephony Licence
Scuba Diving
- Advanced Open Water Diver (PADI)
- Rescue Diver (PADI)
Some of My Notable Awards & Recognitions of the Results of My Work
- Winner of the John Williams Memorial Trust Award for “Best Management Thesis’ from the I.G.D. (UK) [seen here presented at the London Hilton by the President of the Confederation of British Industry, Sir James Cleminson]
- Winner of Customer Service Awards in Perth Shopping Centres
- Former Member of the British Institute of Management (Submitted a thesis to qualify to be accepted)
- Submitted a thesis to the CEO of Big W which he forwarded to and was read by both the Big W Board and parent company Board of Woolworths Australia
- Rewrote a section of Target’s training manual which was dispatched to all 79 stores
Business Associations
- Member of the International Association of Complementary Therapists
- Member of the Kalamunda Chamber of Commerce
- Affiliate Member of the Australian Institute of Management
- Former mentor at Curtin University’s Centre for Entrepreneurship
- Former Member of the Retail Management Institute of Australia
- Former Member of the MTAWA
- Former Member of WA Tourism Council
- Former Council Member of the Backpacker Association of WA
- Member of Superior Business Networks WA
What Next?
Why not contact me -see my details below for a no-obligation chat about how I might be able to help you.