How do you stay consistent, focused and always in control” or at least look like you are?

I was asked recently “James, what drives you, how do you stay consistent, focused and always in control” or at least look like you are?

Wow, I had to think for a second, then I blurted out: “I practice what I preach”.

I have a very clear and specific vision of where I am, where I am going and how I want to get there.

I set goals and I understand the importance they have in our lives. I write yearly, monthly, weekly & daily action plans (High Payoff Activities), I plan for things that could go wrong (my contingency) and above all else, I believe with all my heart and soul I will achieve everything I set out to achieve.

I take action, even when the last thing I want to do is the thing right in front of me, I do it anyway. I know this feeling is me growing and I push myself to grow every single day.

Without questioning the road, I have created for myself, my business and my family has not been an easy one, setting a new business are bloody hard, full of peaks and troughs, ups and downs. There are times when I question the path I have chosen, but it does not last long, merely minutes, WHY, I do not let negative self-talk alter my story, I have an end goal, I have a plan, I have a vision and altogether I get to create my own story.

Oh, and I have an amazing wife, co-founder & business partner who has the same work ethics, goals and dreams as I do, we push each other to be the best we can be every single day, or I like to call it

We have just recently been shortlisted for Great Britain Entrepreneur Awards for Family Business of the Year 2019, to say we were shocked is an understatement, but it feels great knowing that people care and appreciate what we are doing.

"She cracks the whip to keep me in focus", being a high growth mindset type I am always in the realm of creating, adapting and changing.

How would you sum up what your business does in a nutshell?

Inspirational Development: To inspire, guide and develop change within us all through motivational intelligence, storytelling and mindset shift!

The Power Within was set up to inspire, guide and develop professionals to achieve success and create an impact in everything they do. So that they can go through life with a sense of Meaning, Passion & Purpose of not just living life, but loving life with no regrets.

"Keep it simple, life and business are simple, don’t try to over complicate it"

What is your business’s USP?

When I started out in the business, giving back was my main objective, so I have tried to do just that. So my USP is to give my customers and clients the best experience they have ever had, to make my products and services an experience, not an exchange of time.

Give back with as much gusto as possible, I wanted to ensure I had as much social responsibility in our personal & professional life as reasonably possible.

Many people have said to me: "how do you manage to do it all", well I just do, it's my driving force.

Everything we do has been developed in-house with care & consideration of the actual needs of today’s society with a very specific focus on goals setting, planning, mindset performance and the power of thought.

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see that makes the difference"

Who is your Ideal Customer Avatar?

I have always struggled with this one, but if I use the most common client as way of creating my avatar, I would say: Sales & Business professionals age 35 to 55, who either work from home or larger companies/organisation, they have never truly found that level of achievement & or success they desire in life and just don’t know why. They feel like life has passed them by, never truly feeling satisfied with what they have.

"They get up on Monday morning worrying what the week will bring and start looking forward to Friday before the working week has even begun."

Fedup going through life wondering “Is this it”, when are things going to change for me, when am I going to get my shot?

I also do a lot of work with micro business owners who are looking to grow their business. The most common reason they have for my services is, change, something needs to change, they have created a job for themselves, work too long, too hard and don’t get to focus on building and growing the business as they are so busy running the business themselves and not seeing the results they are working so bloody hard for.

“If you keep doing what you have always done, you will keep getting what you have always got”

What transformations do you bring to your Clients?

I inspire and motivate my clients to take back control of their lives and their business.

Once you have a clear vision of where you want to be and more importantly WHY, then you have a starting point. I facilitate the why and the what, then hold you accountable for the HOW.

All my customers/clients have reported fascinating results directly related to what they have learned, understood and implemented in their day to day personal & professional lives. Including but not limited to the power and importance of correctly identifying goals, goal setting & defining and being held accountable for the results. They notice a dramatic increase in their own belief that they can achieve anything if they just want it enough and are willing to put in the work.

The impact of this has increased their focus, outlook and ability to look at challenges as opportunities rather than obstacles and clearly identify habits & routines in life that match their own goals & dreams.

What is most important to you about your business?

Helping as many people as possible understand the power of change, choice, being able to live and loving life at the same degree with no regrets.

No one deserves to go through life never having the opportunity to sing their song (know their purpose in life) and go to their grave with the song still inside them (never realising that purpose).

Imagine waking up every morning looking forward to the day ahead, not knowing what life will bring you, now that's happiness, that living.

What are the core values that drive your business?

Courage, Learning, Responsibility & Potential

The Power Within was formed because of our shared values & beliefs of what really matters, developing ourselves and others to be the best version of themselves. This is not a cliche, imagine living your life as the very best you can be "NO REGRETS".

1. Have the courage to live a life true to themselves!
2. Continually learn and adapt to what they really want from life!
3. Take responsibility for their own habits, routines and actions!
4. Unleash your own true hidden potential in life!

The reasons why we do what we do, in the way that we do it. We uphold our values and principles in all our activities regardless of the context.

This applies to 121 business coaching & professional development and team training programs, in fact, all aspects of our day to day lives and interactions no matter what.

What is the best thing about owning your own business?

It never feels like work, inspiring people to be, have and do anything they want in life is more of a calling than a business and I get to help build success and resilience in others.

“It’s what makes me get up every morning and drives me to keep going no matter what”.

What are your big goals for 2019/20?

"Accelerate" The Success Formula workshops

To Inspire, guide & develop over 500+ sales & business professionals in the next 12 months to regain their full potential, through the understanding of a positive mindset & belief system and the ability to achieve their goals, dreams and desires in life by learning to focus on what they want from life.

121 Small Business Coaching Programmes

To work with 10 small business owners per month to drive and develop their business to the next level. We provided accountability, direction and confidence for small business owners looking for a clear plan for success.

I have a new product/service that I built over the last 8 months or so, this will have a big focus going forward.

SOAR: Stimulate, Observe, Adapt & Refine.

It’s a 4 step employee engagement & intervention programme

This is my latest product development to tackle the growing phenomenon of poor employee and leadership engagement. A survey done by the UK Investors in People stated that more than half of all UK employees are actively looking to leave their current employer stating unhappy at work as the main reason to leave.

So I set about building a process/solution where I embed myself and my team into your organisation or business to drive an open honest and productive, happy and high-performing success culture.

Social Responsibility (Giving Back)

We continue to build and deliver our social responsibility, it was one of the reasons we started up our own company.

• We offer 5 free gratis coaching places on my programs to those most in need.
• I am a voluntary Children’s panel for Scotland active member, helping my local community build resilience and create a more human society
• We are active volunteers’ for MCR Pathways to help young adults strive for success in life. We work with young sometimes very challenged adults/kids from the age of 13 to 18 get back into school, prepare for further education or work and show them that people do care.
• Active members of B1G1 Business for good, for every seat that is purchased on my workshops we give 20 days of access to a special life education program to a young child in India or we give 5 days of education support to Afghan street children.

If we all give more of our time without always expecting something back in return, we could create a society that cares more about each other and leave the world a better place.

What are your biggest challenges in 2019/20?

Simple, getting people to listen that there is a problem/ a challenge, we don’t want to face up to the problems or challenge and change, we just want it to go away and it never does.

Creating awareness and understanding of the power and importance of self-development in our professional lives as well as our personal lives and the dramatic impact these changes can have on mindset and development, our ability to live abundantly.

“Everyone needs some form of professional & personal development, no one thinks they require it until it’s too late, but, it’s never too late to change”

What was your inspiration for starting your business?

Two things:

1. Reading an article about a palliative nurse that had completed a study on the 5 biggest regrets in life, from the elderly patients on their final days on this earth. No one deserves to go through life with regrets.

This hit me really hard and change my focus in life forever and still does to this very day.

1. During my time as an Oil & Gas executive, I was assigned a new role as part of my own professional development program and was assigned to run part of the Human Resource department (employee and leadership development).

My new assignment was the Middle East & Asia Regional Career Development Manager. In this new role, I had to interview existing employees, understand where they wanted to go in their careers and why. I then assigned independent development plans for each employee to ensure continued personal development & business growth. During this process, I realised I had found my calling. The ability to guide & develop others & watch them flourish, learn and grow, taking their lives and career to the next level filled me with passion & purpose.

I then went on to develop my own sales & leadership development program based on experience and findings from this role, I saw an immediate impact. Sales performance went up by 25% and revenue by 18% in only a few months.

 I knew I had found my calling in life.

Who is your business role model and why?

I don’t have anyone specific, although I do have a few highly influential business people whom I try to model as a way of experience, exposure, resilience & focus.

1. Experience: Richard Branson (making it easy)
2. Resilience: Alasdair Shiach (VP GE Baker Hughes for KSAB Geomarket): “Don’t come with a problem unless you have a couple of solutions to fix it”
3. Focus: Khalid Nouh (President GE Baker Hughes ME & Asia Region) “Want it, Plan it & then go get it”

What do you love to do in your spare time?

When I actually have spare time?

Getting some chill time with my wife and daughter. My wife is the co-founder of the company and we work side by side 7 days a week, so just chilling out is great. My daughter has to put up with the day to day stories, the desire to be whatever you want to be and have lots of fun along the way.

However I do have a very healthy set of habits and routines in my daily life: Running and cycling, it’s how I create my best ideas.

Motivating & developing our youth to think bigger, I love my social responsibility roles, it helps keep me grounded. Knowing I am helping others create a better life.

If you could travel back in time and give your younger self some business advice, what would it be?

Do what you love, have fun and don’t be in a rush to grow up. there is lots of time for this.

Set Goals, real goals, plan it out and take action. I have always been a goal setter but never understood the power of writing them down with an action plan.

Live your dreams, write your own story, because how it ends, well that's up to you!

James Fleming

Co-Founder of The Power Within “The Success Formula”

[email protected]

07479 010 355