Philip J Bradbury - Writer & Coach
Summary list of writing/publishing experiences
Publisher of books
Commissioning Editor for Business Books
Publisher of national magazine,
Website Editor/Writer
Columnist for magazines in four countries,
Writer of 16+ published books,
Editor for national magazine,
Reporter for weekly newspaper,
Professional freelance writer, proof-reader and editor for clients in Australia, Czech Republic, Norway, Slovenia, Germany, Romania, Arabia, Britain, Canada and America.
How not to live
Trying to impress others
I spent 20 years in a boring job to impress my father. I finally realised he wasn’t impressed with an accountant son so I slunk sideways into business coaching and teaching and wondered why I’d avoided what I loved for so long. 20 years later, I still love teaching/coaching and have done it ever since, in different countries and in different guises:
Business coaching in NZ, UK and Australia
University lecturing in NZ and UK
Personal development workshops in NZ and Sth Africa
Grief counselling in NZ
Men’s groups in NZ
AIDS workshops in Sth Africa
So I lived
They say life is short but it's not - it's the longest thing you'll ever do!
From time to time, I played in other occupations, just because I could:
Busking
Building houses
Truck driving, reporter/photographer for a newspaper
Magazine columnist then editor
Magazine publisher
Commissioning editor of books
Writer of 19 books (to date)
I’ve become a Jack of all trades, master of some and a Master of Change, so can help you with your change.
Along the way I picked up some qualifications:
BBS – Bachelor of Business [Economics & Accountancy majors] degree.
ACA – Qualified Accountant.
CAT – Certificate in Adult Teaching.
Diploma of Leadership & Management
Diploma of Business
Diploma in Transactional Analysis
Grief Counselling
Life Coaching
So I Lived ...
They say life is short but it's not - it's the longest thing you'll ever do!
I also had time with indigenous elders:
A Hopi Elder from Sedona
A Sangorna in South Africa
Several Kaumatua in New Zealand
An Aboriginal elder near Alice Springs
I was in the Guinness Book of Records as the shyest person on the planet and, at 40 years old, decided to expunge that huge fear of people from my life. I didn’t need to be limited by it any more. I went to the local polytechnic and asked if they needed an accounting teacher. I was already terrified, fronting up to strangers, and the receptionist laughed at me. I shrivelled up and turned around to slither out.
“No, no sir, I wasn’t laughing at you,” she assured me. “It was just that our accounting teacher was fired yesterday and I was just placing an advert in the paper for a replacement.”
The Academic Director happened to be passing at that moment and he invited me into his office for a little chat. A week later I was teaching, with no training or supervision. I was petrified for the next six months but was determined to dissolve this oppressive shyness. It finally went and I have been teaching accounting and business subjects in New Zealand, Australia and England at polytechnics, universities and as a corporate trainer and business coach.
I also ran my own personal development course – Free To Be Me – in New Zealand, South Africa and Australia and it took me some time to realise that I learn most when I’m teaching.
Around my 40th year, also, I started publishing other people’s books and then writing and publishing my own. A number of my original books were published, sold and never heard of again. Therefore, the ones here are not all that I have written but they are the ones I am most proud of.
I know you’ll enjoy them … all of them!
Oh, a few other things
Have a blast and make sure you wear out, not rust out!
I also had time with indigenous elders:
A Hopi Elder from Sedona
A Sangorna in South Africa
Several Kaumatua in New Zealand
An Aboriginal elder near Alice Springs
I was in the Guinness Book of Records as the shyest person on the planet and, at 40 years old, decided to expunge that huge fear of people from my life. I didn’t need to be limited by it any more. I went to the local polytechnic and asked if they needed an accounting teacher. I was already terrified, fronting up to strangers, and the receptionist laughed at me. I shrivelled up and turned around to slither out.
“No, no sir, I wasn’t laughing at you,” she assured me. “It was just that our accounting teacher was fired yesterday and I was just placing an advert in the paper for a replacement.”
The Academic Director happened to be passing at that moment and he invited me into his office for a little chat. A week later I was teaching, with no training or supervision. I was petrified for the next six months but was determined to dissolve this oppressive shyness. It finally went and I have been teaching accounting and business subjects in New Zealand, Australia and England at polytechnics, universities and as a corporate trainer and business coach.
I also ran my own personal development course – Free To Be Me – in New Zealand, South Africa and Australia and it took me some time to realise that I learn most when I’m teaching.
Around my 40th year, also, I started publishing other people’s books and then writing and publishing my own. A number of my original books were published, sold and never heard of again. Therefore, the ones here are not all that I have written but they are the ones I am most proud of.
I know you’ll enjoy them … all of them!
