David Wood | Inner Firewalking

About David Wood

For 20 years David has helped entrepreneurs around the globe to grow their results, by growing themselves. A former consulting actuary to Fortune 50 companies in New York, David quit corporate life to pursue his inner journey, which now deeply influences his work. A digital nomad, David is currently dancing salsa, paragliding, and coaching his rock star entrepreneur clients from Colombia. His specialty is doubling your productivity and profits, while halving your stress. If you become a highly authentic and inspirational leader in the process, well….that can’t be helped.

David Wood on Building a Practice

The following is taken from David’s interview in 10 Super Coaches.

What was the most interesting or exciting thing for you about building your practice?

There are a few events along the way that I found very exciting. Firstly I’ll say it’s very exciting when you have a client make a big life change and they’re absolutely thrilled by it and they say “Thank you so much! I wouldn’t have done that if you weren’t my coach” That’s always wonderful.

But some of the really exciting things were when I got an opportunity to coach for television, I don’t think it had been done before and I was very excited about being on TV. And recently I got a chance to go to New York and audition for a television show over there, so I think there’s a lot of scope once you start getting known in the coaching community to do radio interviews, to do some television stuff, to do some magazine articles which is a lot of fun.

100-100

The following is an excerpt of one of David’s coaching sessions in Top Coaching Techniques.

David: I went to a seminar last night called Creating Great Relationships. Isn’t that interesting that we moved our session so I could go to that seminar and now we’re in this session after my being at the seminar?

Client: Hmm. You tell me.

David: I will tell you – he said, ‘How often do you hear the expression: it’s got to be 50-50?

Client: All the time.

David: What if it was 100-100?

Client: Yes.

David: If you are operating at 100% and fully in love with yourself and doing what you want to do and I am at 100% doing what I love to do, then wow! It’s interesting that I tend to compromise so you can get what you want. Compromise is a bit of an old model. There is a new model, a new-age type stuff that is really good. It says you don’t ever need to compromise in a relationship. You both can get what you want. There are win-win games. Both of you win so much, that the surplus spills onto everyone else. Do you see how that model could work?

Client: Yes.

Direction of Life

The following is an excerpt of David’s interview in Top Coaching Techniques.

Ingrid: Look, I have to admit, I was in year ten when we were told we had to start to choose our subjects and our direction in life, our future careers, and I thought I wanted to be a physiotherapist, David. Then I went and did work experience, and I could not get out of there fast enough at the end of the day.

David: Right, right. So you bring up a great point, and I’m sure there are a lot of listeners out there who are thinking, ‘Maybe I want to be a photographer; maybe I want to be an actor.’ but what happens is, we box ourselves, and we think, ‘I have to quit my job and go and study that, or I have to stick with my job.’ What about the middle ground? If you want to be a photographer, and you think that might be a great career, go and do a photography course. Do it as a hobby and see if you can start getting a little bit of money for it. Maybe at some point you’ll cut back your current job and transition into photography, or at some point you’ll quit.

Determining Your Goals

The following is an excerpt of one of David’s coaching sessions in Top Coaching Techniques.

Client: I love music. I love listening to music.

David: Great. So what are two or three different jobs that involve listening to music?

Client: Um. I don’t know. I just went to a concert last week. I would love to be one of those people who help organize their tour. Yeah, that would be fun.

David: Wow. That’s great.

Client: Like, a tour promoter or just actually traveling with the band. Not necessarily making music, but helping them get their music around.

David: Yeah. Write that down. That would be fun.

Client: Yeah, that would be.

David: Now, when you do your list, you’re going to give them scores on different for each of the jobs. Just write down like twenty or thirty and then go along and score them. One of the scores will be for ease of entry. Some of them will have a really low score, because you’ll be like, ‘Oh, I don’t know how to get into that.’ Other will have a high score, like organizing tours. That can’t be hard to get into. You get hired as an assistant. You don’t apply – it’s just based on how enthusiastic you are. You jump in and get some experience, and then you just go from there.

Relationship Boundaries

The following is an excerpt of one of David’s coaching sessions in Top Coaching Techniques.

David: So, my invitation to you is, draw the boundaries so you know how far it goes. That way you don’t have to wonder everyday, ‘Am I not allowed to spend this? Is this too much?’ Work out the boundaries so you know where it is and then lap it up! Enjoy it. Go overboard with it. Acknowledge him. Thank him. Play with it.

Client: Okay.

David: If you’re going to get support, you might as well enjoy it. For some women, this is their entire goal!

Client: You know, I’ve always thought that it wouldn’t be bad to have that, and now that I’ve got it in my face it’s just really scary, because I’m defining it as dependence. What I need to understand is that I could never be dependent on someone, because I know that I can take care of myself if I need to.

David: Right, you can.

Client: [laughing] I feel better.

Following Your Passion

The following is an excerpt of David’s interview in Top Coaching Techniques.

Ingrid: So on that David, is it an important thing to follow your passion?

David: Ingrid, what a silly question! Are you really going to ask me that question, seriously? Look, there was a time when we were very focused on survival, and some people still are, but more and more people are realizing that they can feed themselves, have a roof over their head, and they don’t have to just survive anymore. It’s not a case where you have to take one job and keep it for life. There are so many options these days. Why not follow your passion? Do you want to be lying there on your deathbed going, ‘Well, I kept that same job for fifty years and I’m so proud of myself.’ or do you want to say, ‘I fully experienced everything I could.’

Posts by David Wood

About David Wood

David Wood on Building a Practice

100-100

Direction of Life

Determining Your Goals

Relationship Boundaries

Following Your Passion