Neville Gaunt
Neville Gaunt is a CEO. He tells us that, “There’s no secret to success but you do need a can-do attitude to be the best you can be. With over 40 years in international business, focused on sustainability and growth I will help you improve as an entrepreneur and leader. As a coach, together we’ll unlock you and create strategies so you’ll never be stuck again!”
What were your initial years of growing up like? Tell us about your life before starting your Entrepreneur journey/venture/initiative.
I joined the scouts at 5 years old as I started school so had an academic career matched with a life of service in the scouts. I earned a joint degree and qualified as an accountant and spent over 20 years in international business, leaving “employed” corporate life at 42 years old. So my entrepreneur journey started later than most and while I’ve created, grown and sold businesses my passion is fulfilled as a performance coach and mentor. For the past 20 years I’ve grown Mind Fit’s acclaimed international process to build and sustain can do attitudes in students, leaders, managers, employees, unemployed, homeless and refugees.
Every industry that is now a large-scale, top-notch business once started as a small idea in the minds of entrepreneurs. What was that idea or motivation that made you start your business /initiative? What motivated you within to say YES, go for it!”
When I realised the simplicity and the power of the Mind Fit Process I decided to test it and use it outside of the business context for which it was designed. We had great success across all sectors, private and public and had not had any failures! The Mind Fit Process comes from Sir John Whitmore’s leadership and executive coaching programmes so it’s of no surprise that business performance had paradigm shifts! So my go for it moment wasn’t financially motivated but driven by my desire to find a silver bullet and make a social impact. If you like it was moving from a career of success to one of significance. I’m delighted to say it worked! Although MindFit is at the core of every programme we now have Your Passport2Grow (for students), Happy Ladder Club for refugees, unemployed, homeless and poor communities, along with the Mind Fit executive and team coaching suite of programmes.
Tell us something about your initiative or current role. What is it about, and what impact are you trying to make?
“Give a man a fish and he feeds the family for a week. Teach him how to fish and he feeds for life. “This is the underlying purpose of society and hence educating everyone is an economic must do. However, education systems across the globe are failing to produce entrepreneurs or enterprising young people. So the impact I’m after is to put a dent in the education model and by providing an economic growth model in refugee camps it’s another avenue where change can be like a tsunami! So if you want to grow I can guarantee it when you grasp a few fundamentals.
Your journey and your vision are very inspiring, but are there any achievements or accomplishments you would like to mention?
In corporate life success was measured by financial and economic results. I’ve many to recall including selling a golf course concept from an abandoned oil facility, and turning $50million liability into a $150million asset. A personal achievement is helping create 000s of successful startups and starting to raise awareness of the importance of interpersonal (soft) skills in education and the launch of the book “Everything you should have learned at school but didn’t”. One latest venture is recognising we are at the lowest ebb for personal and business resilience so creating https://gira-resilience.com/ Global Institute for Resilience Awareness – the route to guaranteed success in personal and business resilience.
Would you like to share with our young budding women entrepreneurs the change you would like to see in the world if given an opportunity?
Of the 7.5 billion humans on earth, some 50% are women. I’ve experienced the added and considerable advantage that organisations with a strong complement of women in the team have over other organisations. Plus it’s true, men and women see things differently which can only be healthy! My goal is to help women entrepreneurs have the courage to take a leap of faith. And I’m not alone in that thought or goal!
Men are a growing force in the workplaces worldwide, standing shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts. What are your thoughts about women leadership today?
I’ve always said I should be the best person for the job. But I also know the conscious and unconscious bias at play when defining leadership roles. The evidence is overwhelming, gender does not dictate capability and performance. I’ve a wife and two daughters and they’ll give any man a run for the money! They know I’m there for them and it’s about time male leaders came out of the closet and supported their female counterparts.
What would you want to say to our young leaders/audience reading this?
I’d like to share a few facts :
Leaders are not born, they’re made.
Everyone is talented.
Some (50%) are born women.