About
Hi, I’m Gary.
I like making art, having one-to-one conversations with people, preparing lunchboxes, drawing, and enjoying a good coffee.
I enjoy listening and asking questions. Problems are not mine to solve. Instead, I ask questions to open up possibilities and insight for others. People already have the answers to achieve their goals. My role is to help reveal that inherent knowledge.
Some background
2022 was the start of many changes for me, as the last few years have been for many people.
The catalyst: I was one of 12 selected for a Change Makers Foundation course at Wellington City Council. The course is designed to “…help you to develop the capabilities and confidence to lead with purpose and scale to greater heights.”
With a desire to work with people rather than sit in front of a screen, I was already experimenting with a move away from graphic design work. Before the end of the programme, I’d left my part-time admin job, knowing I needed to be elsewhere to make a more significant impact.
My Change Makers cohort confirmed my long-standing ideas about coaching and mentoring and how I may have something valuable to offer. Their appreciation of the unique perspectives I bring as an artist and a designer – the ability to get to the nub of the problem through listening and questioning – confirmed I was on the right track.
The following months saw me have a studio sale, destroy my remaining artworks (save for a dozen pieces), and, after 16 years in Wellington, move to Dunedin with my partner.
So here I am, living in Dunedin, launching my consulting-coaching-mentoring business while reinventing my art practice.
I want to be useful to people. I want to be bold and playful in my life and work, lead by example, and have some fun.
I’m keen to work with self-employed entrepreneurs, small business owners, artists, designers, and anyone facing a challenge in their professional life who would benefit from a coach/mentor.
If this sounds like you, let’s talk