Robin Waite

Before I met Michael, I had been running a marketing agency for 12 years. The business was going well, but it wasn’t really making me happy, which had a knock-on effect on my approach to my relationship and how I was with my newborn baby. I was coasting. I knew that I had more to offer the world, but I just couldn’t work out how.

I wasn’t being the best dad or husband because all my energy was spent on trying to get my agency up and running, and I wasn’t even happy with that.

I met Michael through a business course run by Daniel Priestley called Key Person of Influence, where I was going through a lot of confidence challenges. He recommended Michael, but it took me a while before I approached him as I’d seen him before at other events and thought he was a bit arrogant.

We eventually spoke a few times at other events, and one day he suggested we have a no pressure consultation. I could really feel he just genuinely wanted to help me, and not only did he want to, I knew he could as well.

At the first meeting, he just got me. We had a chat about all sorts of deep and meaningful things, but Michael cut to the chase and said ‘Look, if you want to make changes in your life, you can’t just keep on doing the same old thing.’ I committed there and then. I’d spoken to coaches before, but he was the first person I met who I felt understood me and could actually help me make those changes.

He isn’t a straight-laced, grey-haired, suited and booted coach or consultant who holds back. He will call you out, every time. He’s very Michael. He’s the best at what he does in the UK, if not the world, in my opinion, and I now know that his persona isn’t arrogance, it's confidence and self-belief.

When I went through a serious breakdown, I ended up on the side of a train track. I’m still here, so it was ok. The first thing I did was go home and spoke to my wife. The second person I spoke to was Michael. What transpired was that I was deeply unhappy with my lifestyle and I knew I had more to offer business owners. I told Michael I wanted to help people build businesses, not websites. He just asked, “So why aren’t you doing that?” He really cares about his clients. He spoke to me and supported me out of the breakdown and really showed me a side of him that many don’t expect.

He made me realise that I had lots of skills, which led to me setting myself up as a business coach. I immediately closed down my marketing agency and thoroughly enjoyed my paternity leave, which was a major part of my coaching with Michael; getting something back for me, which was getting to know my family better and spending more time with them. I’ve moved from being a humble, not-very-confident agency owner, to a very confident coach who has helped scores of entrepreneurs grow their businesses in huge ways, has spoken at lots of events and has written another book!

He said it might not be immediate to see your first breakthrough, but I saw mine in the first session. He could see all these things that were bubbling away inside of me that had held me back in my life, my level of confidence, my business successes and my relationships.

The money I spent on working with Michael was definitely well spent. If Carlsberg made coaches, it would be Michael. In terms of the relationship improvements and the business growth, I’ve got my money back 100 times over, if not more. The advice and knowledge that he’s imparted with me will stay with me forever, which I can’t possibly place a value on.

As a coach, he’s a very genuine guy, but he’s also very marmite. He comes across as a bit of an arrogant twat, but when you cut through that, you can see he’s clearly been on a journey himself. He really just wants people to be happy and successful. I don’t say this about many men, but I love Michael. We’ve had some deep conversations that I just couldn’t have with anyone else.

He is funny, sincere, honest and he never holds back. He pushes you and kicks you in the right direction, including telling you things you don’t want to hear. But it’s only because he wants you to succeed. It’s so rare to find someone so honest in this world.

If you’re on the fence about working with Michael, go and have a consultation with him. He’s changed my life in a number of ways and I’m a totally different person to when I first met him.

Whatever reservations you have, push them to a side and go see what he can do for you.