Ep#95 | Becoming Ridiculously Human

Transformation Coach. Bodybuilder. Yogi. Ex-Investment Banker. Natural Chef. Meditation Teacher. Smiler. Traveller. Lover Of Challenges. Networker. Organisation Guru. Podcast Host.Gareth Martin, knows all too well about trying many things in life. He believes that there is a certain importance around experiencing new things, to help grow you as a person and find out who you are and what you want in life.Gareth was born and grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa. He was never one to shy away from getting involved in team-sports and thrived in the competition and camaraderie, but he also found a lot of peace and solitude in individual sports, namely swimming. His folks got divorced when he was nine years old, and like with many break-ups, it was pretty messy. It ended up creating a lot of confusion and sadness in his life when he was a teenager. He couldn’t quite understand the anger he saw between his parents, because Gareth was always a bit of a soft, compassionate kid at heart.When he was sixteen, his life would take a shocking turn when he was involved in a life-threatening head-on collision while riding his motorbike. Gareth looks back on this event with good fortune because he believes that it gave him a different perspective on life which he would not have otherwise had. He knows it’s important to make the most of every opportunity because you do never know when your time might be up. After deciding to overstay his first gap year in London, it was time to get serious and find a real job. So he went to a job fair and managed to get himself a role doing the filing at an Investment Bank. Little did he know, that it would be a career which would span almost 20 years. These days, Gareth works as a Transformational Coach, he is also the co-host of The Ridiculously Human Podcast. It took him a couple of years of transformation and upskilling to get him here though. After banking, he spent 3 months in India learning to become a Yoga and Meditation Teacher. He then spent a year studying to be a chef. He also completed a few other life-changing courses, one of which included getting certified as an Executive Coach. Gareth believes in not letting anyone else’s thoughts stop you from doing what you want in life. Embrace each opportunity which comes it’s way and make the most of every interaction you have. Make the most of your relationships and friendships and treat every moment as a learning opportunity. Doctor of Chiropractic. Science Enthusiast. Networking Machine. Smiler. Deep Thinker. Rock Solid Buddy. Truth Seeker. Pragmatist. Host of The Ridiculously Human Podcast Craig was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, known as the friendly and windy city! He struggled a bit as a youngster with self-esteem issues. At times, he sometimes felt disconnected with his parents, he blamed himself for their fighting and would use food as a coping mechanism, and he ate a lot!!His Grandad, played a big influence in his life and ‘their thing’ was to go fishing together. Besides being a great storyteller, his Grandad would also teach all the grandkids how to drive from a very young age, as well as, how to do the Waltz!When Craig was 17 years old, something would happen that would take him on a new life trajectory. Their little family sausage dog, Jackie, was in extreme pain and had lost the use of her back legs. The vet could not help Jackie, so he sent them to see a Chiropractor. The Chiropractor, adjusted her spine and the lame legs she went in on, she managed to walk out on….!! A year later, he was living in his sister's garage in Johannesburg, to begin his studies to become a Chiropractor.Craig suffered a severe setback when he was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, an autoimmune condition. It started with inflammation in his eye, and his pupils would not dilate. He then experienced inflammation in his knees and hips, which really impacted his mobility, and being a Chiropractor, that was a rather scary prospect. Through hours of learning and searching and implementing changes in his diet and mindset, he has never been healthier and has no signs of ever having anything.Once qualified, a rather serendipitous scenario led him to accept a job in the Netherlands. It was a bit of a shock moving to somewhere he had never been, had no friends, didn’t understand the culture and never spoke the language either!! Talk about throwing yourself in the deep end. Craig is a master of many things, two which stand out are, excelling in his profession as a Chiropractor and his likeability factor. He makes a huge effort to network and make others feel comfortable. He likes adventure and to take calculated risks, and now resides with his wife, Chantelle, in Australia. He gets to see his brother often, lives near the beach, enjoys the great weather, has a thriving practise and Chantelle has a highly successful business too! Some great takeaways from Craig and Gareth:Be Authentic. Be HumanShow empathy - it mattersIt's normal to have tough times but look at it in different and positive mindset to make it easier Humans are problem solversIt should be your choice on how you see yourselfLearn to listen each otherUnderstand yourself to understand others______________________________________The Change Makers are doing a fundraise for their #NoMoreBoxes Online Training and Collaboratory Center. A platform designed to teach you how to create safe space for a deep-dive conversations that open up for the conscious and unconscious bias behaviours, placing ourselves and others into boxes, that places our focus on what separates us as human beings, not what unites us. Your help is highly appreciated.Just go to www.Patreon.com/NoMoreBoxes today! GRAB A COPY OF CRAIG & GARETH’S FAVORITE BOOKSThe Magic of Thinking Big High Performance Habits     MAKE SURE YOU DON'T MISS AN EPISODE OF THE CHANGE MAKERS PODCASTSUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL ON APPLE PODCAST OR STITCHER  The Change Makers Podcast RSS Subscribe to The Change Makers Podcast Get the latest transformational out-of-the-box Leadership and Communications Tips, Insights, Tools & Stories from other change makers delivered directly to your inbox. First Name Last Name Email Address Sign Up We respect your privacy. Thank you!Please check your inbox for an email from me, Rúna Magnúsdóttir. Inside that email is a link to verify your subscription.Looking forward to having you onboard.My bestRuna