What I Wanted to Be When I Grew Up

This is me at BT Sport's studios in 2013. Sitting at the desk in front of the camera. Living the dream for about five minutes before heading back to my actual job in HR!

When I was younger, what I really wanted to be was a TV presenter.

I was studying drama at university, and although I knew acting wasn't for me, I still had this hankering to be in front of the camera. I wanted to be the talent. The one with the desk, the microphone, and the interesting questions.

Skip forward three decades and I spend most of my days now behind the talent. Helping individuals and teams fulfil their potential. Yes, sometimes that means being in front of an audience, especially when I'm running leadership development workshops. But mostly? I'm the guy next-to, or in the background.

And I like it there.

But back then, I was serious about the presenting thing. I used to subscribe to the BBC's in-house magazine, Ariel, scanning for entry-level roles. I'd circle opportunities. I'd imagine myself doing it.

But my intent and my actions didn't really match. I guess deep down, I didn't see myself actually doing it. Some of my peers did – I was at uni with more than one UK household name - but I never had the drive they did.

So, I drifted. A few years trying to sell accounts temps and IT contractors to people who just wanted me off the phone. Years where it would be fair to say I didn't feel special.

Then I found a home. Or maybe it found me?

Feeling lost, but knowing I wanted to work with people, I got myself onto an HR grad scheme at Cable & Wireless (RIP). And so, in my mid-20s, I finally started my career and over the next five years worked with some of my most formative influences. And guess what? Now I was doing something I felt I was good at. Intent and actions finally matched.

I worked at it. I networked. I focused on learning new things. And slowly, over the next 20-odd years, I built up a suite of skills that led me here. To today.

A founder. A coach. A consultant. A happy man.

What does this have to do with you?

Many of us don't go straight into the right thing. And that's completely OK. Are you doing the job you thought you would be, when you were 18?

If you're struggling right now, if you're stuck, if you're in the wrong role or feeling like you've lost the plot... it's never too late to make a change. I'm working with senior leaders at exactly this crossroads. People who are doing something their 18-year-old self would have hated. And we're exploring together: what gives them joy? What do they want to spend their days doing? What do they want to be remembered for? What can they carry forward?

Sometimes the gap between who we thought we'd be and who we are feels overwhelming – and we feel stuck. But what if that gap isn't failure? What if it's just information you can use?

The question isn't whether you took the "right" path. It's whether the path you're on still fits.

If you're feeling stuck, if you're quietly wondering if this is really it... let's talk. Not to fix you. Not to tell you what to do. But to walk shoulder-to-shoulder and help you connect to what comes next.