Speaking

Victoria, Canada

My journey continued in Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. I finished my education and discovered figure skating. Over many years of long, arduous days of training, injuries, skating politics, sacrifice, and emotional upsets, I reached a goal: Canadian Junior Ice Dance Champion. I was pegged as Canada’s future in ice dance. My future was bright … until my father passed away. A voice inside me then said, “MoveON.” So, I moved to Australia to teach skating.

Australia

Here, I began my coaching journey. While I earned a university degree, I coached figure skaters to put myself through school. But then, fate threw a curve ball, just as life does. I found an interest in dance. Again, that voice inside me said, “MoveON.” So, on I moved to New York City.

New York City

My intuition was right. I found a new passion in dance. I knew if I wanted to train and be the best, I needed to surround myself with the best and absorb their mindset. I needed new knowledge and a new perspective. A year later, my inner voice spoke again. It said, “If you want to be a professional dancer, you need to perform every night. You need to MoveON.” So, to Paris I went.

Paris

In Paris, the heart of cabaret and the world famous Le Bal du Moulin Rouge, I danced the cancan twice a night. Doing two shows a night, kicking my legs up past my ears from 10 p.m to 2 a.m., resulted in injuries and fatigue. Yet enjoying the night life and mingling with intellectuals, transsexuals, artists, politicians, and wealthy magnates just to arrive home as fresh-baked croissants were coming out of the ovens of the patisseries was a mad, mad life. But again, something inside me said, “MoveON.” So, back home I went.

Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver

I returned to Canada and to the world of figure skating as a professional figure skating choreographer. My life blossomed as an elite choreographer for national, world, and Olympic champions working with top athletes from around the world, sometimes working 7 days/week, 12 hours/day. On some days, I worked with 10 elite athletes/day with just as many routines to remember.

And it was here I reached an even greater pinnacle in my figure skating life: I directed and choreographed the 1988 Calgary Olympic Games Closing Ceremonies, with an audience of 2 billion TV viewers, a 60,000 strong live audience, and a multimillion dollar budget. International touring skating shows hired me to direct and choreograph multimillion dollar extravaganzas and opening and closing ceremonies for world sporting events. I had a glorious life, but not, of course, without some real-life events and relationships that took me into some downward spirals, actually a big crash. This crash led me to say and continues to be my mantra, What is your heart telling you?

My voice spoke up again. It reminded me to MoveON—and I did. I chose to MoveON to living and working in London, Barcelona, Utrecht, Bern, and more … in fact, I continue to MoveON to this day.

You might be saying, “Why does this guy keep reaching the top and then moving on? Why doesn’t he stick to one track, one path, one direction? I’ve had people ask, “Are you running away from responsibilities or relationships?” “Are you confused?” I too wondered why I would continually reach the top, achieve my goals, and then MoveON. I had to ask myself, “Why isn’t this enough?” What do I want?” and “What is important to me?”

Brussels

Here, I discovered speaking, coaching, and training. This was my missing piece. It was an enriching and stimulating life. Organisations wanted to listen to me because of my out-of-the-box thinking, creativity, and history in elite sport and entertainment.

I brought something different, a new perspective to their lives. I helped executives expand and Evolve and bring their winning edge out in them as I had done with athletes and entertainers. I began to realize my talents are observation, intuition, and connecting with the people I work with. I thrive in helping them get unstuck from their narrow place so they can see, sense, and feel how truly abundant they are. This brings great confidence to everyone.

But yet again, that voice inside me said MoveON. So, I followed my gut.

Singapore

I found myself based myself in Singapore and traveling constantly back and forth to Canada, Europe, the Middle East, APAC, and India then, speaking, coaching, and training. I spoke and coached in 15 different countries on 3 continents. It was a busy but fulfilling life. Yet, like many people, I lost my way. My dear mother passed away, and my life lost a strong purpose.

The Big Change

Then everything changed. Within one hour of meeting with my mentor, The Creativity Explorer Fredrik Haren, came the birth of The Nomadic Mindset. It has transformed my coaching process, though I still integrate traditional coaching methods. My leadership book, The Nomadic Mindset: Never Settle … for Too Long came from my journey to Evolve with the semi-nomadic cultures in Mongolia, Kenya, and the Southern Sahara in Morocco and over 100 executives. It became the beginning of a new road, a new path, a new purpose. It is the mindset that executives and the majority of leaders say is needed more today than ever before. I see now that this is where life has always been leading me.

Eureka: Connecting the Dots

Whilst I was sitting in a yurt in Mongolia, I asked my host, Ravdan, “Why do you migrate at different times of the year?” He said, “To make a better life for our animals and ourselves.” Suddenly, I realized I had had a Nomadic Mindset all along. I had not been running away from responsibility, relationships, or success, rather I had been running towards learning, expanding, and Evolving. Finally, I had an answer for why I had a voice that always said, “MoveON.”

On my nomadic journey, Batgeral Bat in Mongolia taught me that the meaning of nomad is “the movement of the mind.” It is not essentially about physical travel. It is the travel and the journey in the pathways of the mind.

What I Bring to You

So, this is now what I speak about with my audiences: The Nomadic Mindset and moving from a narrow, blocked, congested state of mind to a more expansive and full-of-possibilities-and-opportunities mindset. This is the next Evolution. If you wish to change your current culture, look at mindset as a valuable asset for hiring talent because this mindset is about resilience made easier.

Let’s go Nomading Together to let loose your full potential and to get unstuck from your narrow thinking patterns. The destination is to Evolve and Evolve over and over again.