In January 2023, I joined a 90 day group coaching programme run by the American “supercoach” Michael Neill.

I enjoyed the programme so much and was riding such a wave of inspiration that, once the programme was done, I decided to see what other programmes Michael offered. 

That’s when I came across his 7 month Genius Catalyst Certification programme.

At the heart of this programme was a simple idea:

How do you “light a spark” in other people?

And as I scrolled through the website's description I felt something fire up inside me.  The programme sounded awesome.

That’s when I saw the price:

$5,495.

A good ol’ chunk of change whichever way you slice your carrot cake.

I shilly-shallied for a while, contorting myself in various mental knots about whether or not to join.

But ultimately I came to the conclusion that the programme was exactly what I wanted & needed at that moment and I couldn't let the opportunity pass.

So I signed up.

And I’m so glad I did. It was one of the best investments I’ve ever made.

Over 7 months I learnt about the mind’s capacity for insight & creativity, I discovered where happiness, peace & calm come from, I saw how anyone can move from surviving to thriving and I learnt how to ignite, inspire & energise other people.

Once the 7 months were over, I peered back over my shoulder and asked myself:

What had I taken away from the programme?  What exactly had I invested my hard-earnt wonga in?

Well, clearly I was investing in my happiness, my wellbeing, my business and my future.

But if I had to sum up my investment in a sentence, I’d put it like this:

I was investing in myself.  

I can clearly see how this investment has played out in the office.

Without Michael Neill, I’ve no doubt I’d still be gripping my work with an iron-clad fist, treating it with a seriousness & heaviness well beyond anything it deserves and thus worrying, fretting & letting work control my mind.  Not just in the office but also when I’m hanging out with friends, hitting the gym, taking a weekend trip with Lauren or even sitting on the sofa with a tub of Ben & Jerry’s watching House of the Dragon.

Plus I wouldn’t have the energy & mental bandwidth to write these daily emails (which would be a darn shame - I love writing them!).

I also don’t think I would’ve had the cajónes to run 10 weeks of Mindset Workshops earlier this year for my department at work without taking this certification programme.  Not just because of what I learnt about mindset, but also because of what I learnt about handling pressure & stress.

I never realised that situations I used to find stressful could actually be fun!

Anyway, these are just a few examples.

And while it might sound cheesy, I really don’t think I can put a price on ROIs like these. 

The energy, peace, happiness and calm I’ve found in the last 18 months is worth all the tea in China – and then some.  

So that's that.

On a not unrelated note:

I’ve been promoting my new group coaching programme Thrive at Work for the last few days and this is the penultimate day.

The programme takes what I’ve learnt about finding more ease & flow in the office and shows you how to find this too.

If that’s what you’re looking for, here’s where to sign up

 - Tom