From bomb disposal to businessman
Sage World is back again in 2011. This year we’ll be in Manchester’s EventCity on the 12th and 13th of October. To register for your free ticket visit www.sageworld2011.co.uk
We’re working hard to get everything ready for our free small business event, Sage World 2010. So, we thought we’d ask one of our speakers, Chris Hunter - writer, businessman and former bomb disposal specialist – to tell us why he’s taking part in our event.
As somebody used to taking risks and dealing with pressure, the chance to become immersed in a forum of this kind, is an opportunity I simply couldn’t miss. Sage World’s ‘Immerse Yourself’ event not only offers an amazing number of networking opportunities but also an impressive line up of inspirational speakers all of whom promise to offer business beating techniques that attendees can implement immediately.
Chris Hunter, speaker at Sage World 2010
Personally, I’m going to be drawing some parallels between my life now – as a businessman – and the lessons I learned in my former life where I frequently operated in high pressure environments in which disabling terrorist bombs and dealing with the continual threat of insurgent ambushes were everyday occurrences.
Stay focused
I’m going to be covering a lot of topics, but I’m especially looking forward to discussing the importance of staying focused: Four days into my tour in Iraq, a tabloid published fake photographs that led to a local cleric putting a price on our heads. That night, my driver and I were shot in a terrifying ambush. Staying focused was all that kept us alive.
Pursuing your goals
I’m also going to be sharing my thoughts on importance of pursuing a goal relentlessly – but not over-complicating a situation. In Iraq, as we became more skilled at disabling terrorist bombs, the bombers also became more skilled and determined. My team only stayed alive because we didn’t cut corners and were relentless in seeing the task through to the end. But the bombers weren’t our only enemy. Because of the intense heat and the harsh terrain, our kit and equipment often broke down right at the critical moment. Our ability to improvise and think on our feet was the difference between instant failure and total success, and we quickly learned that it often pays to keep it simple. NASA spent $12m designing a pen that could write in space. The Russians took pencils!
Overcoming fear
And finally, for those of you who get nervous at the thought of networking…I’m also going to be offering a few techniques on overcoming fear: ‘You’re going to do the world’s most dangerous job in the world’s most dangerous place.’ That’s how my bomb disposal tour in Iraq was sold to me, and I wasn’t overly enamored at the prospect…but I knew that fear can be your friend; and if you take nothing else away with you, this event will teach you to embrace and nurture fear – and how to gain strength from it to give yourself a competitive edge.
Life is a daring adventure…or nothing at all. See you there!
Chris Hunter
Register free for Sage World at www.sageworld2010.co.uk
