I can firmly base the blame for this one on a guy a school. Steve Bleasdale and I entered a public speaking contest when we were about 14. Steve chose the life and times of the Natterjack Toad. My subject was medieval siege warfare, I was a troubled child. At this point I had one of the biggest wake-ups of my life. Sometimes it’s not the content, it’s the delivery.

So since then, I have been practising on both. Over 30 years later, there has been some improvement. The key was lots of trying and training. Being able to attend public speaking courses and being involved in acting really helped to get the message honed.

Nowadays, I get invited to speak mainly at conferences in Europe and the United States. Different audiences demand different treatment. But, I do have some standards. No talk will ever be aimed over the head of a delegate. I always try to use plain English, speak only about things I know and keep it light.

Even very technical discussions can be kept warm and human, trust me on this.

My main subjects are around business consulting topics, the restaurant business and self improvement. I travel to most parts of the world and always provide transparent quotes for all my work.