From Unemployed in Zimbabwe to International Trainer

When I was 22, I had a plan. I was going to be a journalist. I paid for and attended University and went out into the world, ready to make my way.

I graduated, got freelance work as a reporter in Zimbabwe and then 3 weeks later…

I quit.

I learned in less than a month that journalism was not the career for me.

Then, with no backup plan, I needed something to hold me over while I figured out what was next. So, I created a workbook to teach local children public speaking.

This wasn’t a long-term play or a grand scheme… it was a way for me to pass the time while I “figured out my life”

So you can imagine my surprise when a few weeks in, the phone rang and I heard: “My son’s been telling me what you’ve gone through and he showed me the little manual that you’ve put together. Will you come in and teach my board?”

That was shocking… but what really floored me was that this was the CEO of Johnson and Johnson!

What could I do but agree? I had no idea this would be the very start of 20 years of corporate training.

All I did was change the title on my workbook for presentation skills and off I went. I treated these fancy, successful gentlemen in the boardroom exactly the same as I would have taught my little kids. I knew NO different! I set to getting them in ship-shape immediately and had them presenting at the front of the room and I gave them feedback—and they loved it!

I loved it, too. I realized that if one company found value in this, then many others would too.

So I did it.

 

The Undignified Days of Bar Room Marketing

I’ll be honest with you, I had A LOT of things working against me.

• I didn’t know the logistics of running a class — I had no idea how to set up a classroom, what materials to bring, and how to communicate with the company before the day of training.
• My marketing was a little… primitive — To get clients, I frequented high-end bars, persuaded drunk businessmen to give me their cards, and then followed up with them on Monday. They, of course, didn’t remember, so agreed to hire me!
• I had only tested my approach in one country — I was working in Zimbabwe and had no idea if my system would work in first-world countries.
• I was young, white, and female — in Zimbabwe at the time, these three facts worked against me and I fought hard to be taken seriously.

It all worked out ok because I focused on 2 things:

• Delivering great content
• Creating great experiences

I consistently provided the best training and the best experience for my students. And every training I ran, I learned more about how to make this successful. I learned marketing, I learned logistics, and I learned how to present myself so that my gender, my age, and my race became irrelevant.

As for how this worked out in other countries… I soon got the chance to try it out. I moved with my husband to the UK and was very successful there. The bottom line is – people are people are people! Human beings tend to like the same things, enjoy humour, and want a relaxed and friendly environment. Those things don’t change — no matter where you live or work. If trainers respect individuals, cater to differing learning styles and encourage interaction, it is very hard to get it wrong!

By the time my husband and I had an impromptu move to Sydney, I had perfected the system. Setting up Upfront Communications Pty Ltd has been the easiest of them all. I knew no one in the business in Australia and was still able to secure my first training sessions within six weeks of being here.

 

How Training Transformed My Lifestyle

My experience now opens many exciting doors for me. Not only do I get to train people in some wonderfully exotic places but I get asked to speak at conferences and do keynote addresses all over the world and be on judging panels. How does it get any better than this?

I am proud of the training courses that I have put together over the years and now I’m taking my business to the next level. I’ve seen just how many businesses are out there and need training so now I’m not afraid to share my system with you in The Trainer’s Ultimate Toolkit.

The men and women I get to work with are all so keen to help others. They love the idea of giving employees skills that are going to make a difference in the way they go about doing their jobs.

I have seen it, over and over again, when a person makes the decision to change their lives – to create the life they really want – getting out of the “rat race” of being employed by someone else – and starts to take control of their future and to live the life that they choose.

 

What True Success Looks Like For Me

I love being able to see people succeed.

Lots of people talk about wanting to “give back” and it can start to sound like a cliché but I honestly am tremendously happy when I know that I have been able to help someone develop their talents and give them the ability to earn really good money when they had previously been financially scraping through each month.

I’ve been successful three times in three different countries. I know the system works because I’m living it. Now I get to see others live it too! And to me, that is true success.