11 things you probably don’t know about me
I loved school and was always excited to go — though mostly for the people. I never understood why schoolwork mattered, so I just did enough to get by. I wish I’d realised sooner why learning, focus, and skilful communication were important.
I went to church every Sunday from age 4 to 16. It embarrassed me at the time, yet I loved the people, the conversations, and the laughter. Looking back, we were all just trying to figure out life. I never understood everyone’s absolute certainty and often felt like an outsider.
I was football obsessed from about age 10. I played for hours every day, read books on skills and drills, asked for autobiographies, and bought every magazine I could. Connecting the dots backwards, I can see obsession is the most effective way to learn. The same intensity later showed up in table tennis, business, pain, performance, coaching, and understanding humans.
At 12 I started making money. Car washing, two paper rounds, carol singing, then a “soccer school” with friends. We grew it to 80 kids paying £5 each. A PE teacher scared me into shutting it down — but all we really needed was insurance. I learned a lot about communication from that experience.
On nights out, my friends dared me to approach groups (often girls) and alter the course of the night. They thought it was bravery. For me, it never felt nerve-racking. I discovered early on that if you tell the absolute truth with a cheeky smile, people are open and interested.
I studied Sports Science at college and learned nothing. Ten years later I found my notes and realised it had taught useful things — I just hadn’t applied them. That’s when I learned the difference between information, knowledge, and wisdom. If you don’t use it, your brain doesn’t keep it.
I did a BSc in sports conditioning, rehab, and coaching. Hands-on practice taught my brain and body things that science didn’t yet have words for. Science often follows practice — it explains what we’ve already discovered.
I polished floors at Staples at night while at university. Me and a couple of mates made £600 a week (about £1,000 today). We wasted most of it on beer but had an amazing time.
After university, I started my real education. I worked in a chiropractic clinic, as a health advisor in a GP surgery, pitch-side for Bristol Rovers youth and academy teams, visited homes for PT and rehab, trained Olympians, cricketers, rugby players, tennis players, lawyers, CEOs, consultants — and eventually owned a private health centre.
I opened Absolute Health gym and healthcare. Six weeks earlier, I’d never once paused to think about my future. It only happened because my father-in-law casually suggested it. My perspective shifted instantly. Since then I’ve been careful to check when I’m thinking too small — and also to make sure my version of “big” actually excites me.
I moved my family to Denmark 🇩🇰 on a whim, sitting on a beach in Hellerup. I rarely think about the future. That helps me follow my curiosity and live happily in the moment. But it’s also meant failing to set up today in ways that pay off long-term. These days I’m more deliberate about strategy — though it still doesn’t come naturally.
I loved writing this. I could easily have written hundreds — because reflecting always teaches me something new about myself.
👉 What’s something people probably don’t know about you?
