Sunday 14 June 2009

As seen in the YES group news letter


As Tony Robbins Steps Down, Britain Proves It’s Got Talent.

For years now Tony Robbins has been up there, shouting, high fiving, hugging, crying, getting people to burn their feet with pleasure and break boards with smiles. As always Tony I salute you.

Just like the latest flu epidemic, it will be impossible to miss the fact that we are currently living in a time of change, a time where values are being questioned and we Brits are finding new ways to reach out and move forward.

This is an amazing time for change, it is almost as if everything is being re-written. This is a time when new millionaires are appearing more than ever before. The change feels a bit like Manchester United not being the dominant team in the UK and other teams stepping up to take over, England winning a rugby match as well as a trophy and bringing Life Coaching to the main stream. Which one of those doesn’t fit into the equation? You got it! Life Coaching in the main stream. Now turn to someone next to you and say ”I got it”. Only joking! Why do I mention this?

As Tony Robbins visits Europe less and less and does not come to the UK, there is a growing gap in the self-development market, an empty stage waiting to be performed on, hugs to be had, high fives to be given and a breakthrough for the whole of Britain. There is an underlying feeling that coaching in the UK is about to explode. How exciting! Isn’t it about time the gap is filled with British talent? A Cockney? A Scot maybe? Someone from Yorkshire will do too.

These days when you mention that you are a Coach, the first question is: What? You work in a pool? Hhmmmn no, but maybe I rescue people in the pool of life by helping them make small and simple changes. “Ooohhh now I get you!” they tend to respond. “A bit like Tony Robbins, I have heard of him”, That’s right, except I am Elliot Kay, 5’7.1/2” (and the half is important) however, just as powerful, oh and I am British.

After years of being on stage myself as a dancer, I felt attracted to the self-development world because I always believed in guidance, so kaboom, enter the seminar world. You might have seen me there with my famous hat on. I observed, this speaker is American, another seminar, this one is American, oh this one is English but he is only talking to 50 at a time, oh this one is American too, no wait, this one is an Aussie. Do you get my drift? So I asked myself: Where is British talent? Where is the local talent? Where are the charming yet forceful Brits? Why are we reliant on people from across the pond? After all, didn’t the Beatles take American music back to them?

The good news is Britain is full of talent, Britain is ready to stand up and be counted. Sorry Tony, we are coming to take your place. Is it a challenge? yes it is. Didn’t a certain someone say that fear is a councillor not a jail?… That’s the exciting part, how can any coach/speaker out there get as big and powerful as Tony? There is always a way……

One of the ways you can help the cause is by supporting us, the 12 semi finalists in Britain’s Next Top Coach. It is the catwalk of British coaching talent, the stepping stone to a bigger stage, it’s thousands of yes’s and thumbs up to help elevate coaching in the UK. In Britain’s Next Top Coach the winner will be mainly the coaching business, because the aim is to help coaching get out there and reach a bigger audience in a format that the general public know and understand.

There were 57 and now there are 12 left and you can have your say in elevating coaching to the main stream, give coaching a face - and in my case a hat too.

On May 13th, voting opens and goes for 6 weeks. Get online and vote for one of the 12 contestants and send it on to anyone you know because, if you are as passionate as I am about helping people have breakthroughs, make huge changes and finally let the British coaching business have a face, then this is your chance to help that happen.

As one era comes to an end another one always starts,. When a person sets the stage others step into it, history is being written as we speak. Let there be a part of that writing that says: “2009 the year Britain proved it’s got coaching talent, the year that Britain came up with their very own Tony Robbins”.

Elliot is a semi finalist on Britain’s Next Top Coach, which he has created a group for on Facebook called Elliot for Britains Next Top Coach as well as motivational talks Elliot works with up and coming entrepreneurs, moving them away from fear into action and results. You can read and find out more about him on http://www.britainsnexttopcoach.tv/contestants/elliot-kay/semi-final-presentation